#prism is tired and exhausted

[prismarts]

Prism venting time wooooooo-

God, okay- maybe this is just me being emotionally oof lately but man, people freaking out about like chat ai is just.....kinda discouraging as a fic writer? I dunno man, especially with some people feeding author's fics and shit into the ai so it can finish them its...downright discouraging and god i wish people understood that and took at as seriously as ai art in terms of hey maybe we shouldnt feed into the ai unchecked using other people's works-

that being said, always opened for one shot requests or ideas cause i hate that i feel this way and need inspiration, i miss writing fics-

#prism is tired and exhausted #prism's life updates #prism venting woohoo #prism's fanfics ✏ #fanfiction #chat ai #character ai #anti ai #god ai gives me anxiety and discouragement so fucking much #here i am studying in animation and ai is out loose evolving off of people's work and trying to take people's jobs #fuck ai #istg

[blackautmedia]

Sonic Prime, Nine, Pain and Protection

Sonic Prime Season 3 Spoilers

After watching Sonic prime season 3 it was a real joy to watch. It's certainly not without flaws, but I wanna talk about Nine and how people were reacting to him.

One of Prime's biggest strengths is the sheer amount of expressive faces it uses to indirectly communicate to the viewer. The unspoken storytelling goes a long way.

They emphasize how Nine is laser focused on his ambitions, but his path of trying to convince himself that he can't trust anyone is self-destructive.

He tries his best to hide his pain and assert himself as evil or powerful because Nine is desperate to maintain a sense of control, something that's important to him because his whole life he's only known pain, bullying, physical abuse, and isolation.

The prism itself really takes his toll on him and the show's expressions do not let you forget how much it's hurting him and he can barely hold together. He collapses several time, he grasps his body in pain--this kid was already hurting and he's self-harming in his pursuits.

Sonic even points out how it's destructive to him and throughout the entire fight Sonic genuinely sees Nine for what he is--a scared and deeply hurt boy in a panic and feeling threatened by everyone around him.

I'm pretty sure Sonic was going to point out how the prism power is harming Nine, especially because he points out how much the energy is hurting him shortly after this scene too.

Keep in mind it's not just the strain of using the prism energy.

By this point in the series, Nine was already held prisoner most of season 2. He likely wasn't fed well if at all.

After that, he spends a bunch of time and energy fighting alongside Sonic to escape with the shards. After that, he's having to do more fighting at ghost hill in addition to reassembling the prism.

And then he's doing all of this.

There's a great visual metaphor in Nine's barrier gradually closing in closer and closer until he can't escape having to confront his fears. Toward the end of their big fight, one of the last things Nine does is just form a barrier. Nine is terrified here.

Everyone else sees a traitor they want to get back at, but Sonic is the only one who has seen his vulnerabilities, seen his kinder moments, and sees the humanity in Nine worth saving and fighting for, especially when he's a large part of the cause.

What breaks Nine is that a big part of him is clearly hurt and wants so badly have companionship in his life, something Sonic is still offering him and something that continually breaks Nine's masking:

Notice how dejected and exhausted he is and how his metal tails drop down because he's tired of fighting before steeling his focus again. He's not saying how he can't give up with a look of confidence. He's trying to convince himself there's no other option.

He doesn't want to keep fighting but almost feels compelled to and shifts blame to Sonic because of refusing to process his grief or self-reflecting.

Nine yells at Sonic or cuts him off because he knows how much Sonic's words are cutting through his mask and how he knows that it's getting through to him emotionally. He needs Sonic to shut up so it's emotionally easier to keep fighting. Sonic knows Nine too well for him to be able to maintain a facade.

Nine feels violated that the only love he's ever felt after years of abuse was always seemingly for someone else. He feels that he has no other option than to pursue his ambitions and live a life of painful isolation even if his body and heart are screaming otherwise.

He's desperately trying to convince himself that he can't trust anyone so that it hurts less, he tries to make himself seem powerful and invulnerable, he tries to convince himself that he can only have voiceless machines for companions all to avoid feeling vulnerable and hurt.

He very much does not want to fight and can't keep it up, but he's also overwhelmed with feelings of fear and mistrust.

There's a very cool role reversal in how Sonic and Nine fight each other that becomes apparent throughout the big battle.

Nine is trying desperately to maintain some kind of control and when he's not hurting, he's continually frustrated. Look at how he reacts when things don't go as he predicts and despite his belief that Sonic would rush in, Sonic learns and adapts by relying on someone more experienced than him.

Nine gradually fights more like Sonic--reliant on just his own individual power (or rather the prism's) without slowing down to reflect on his actions--just keep going, just keep pushing. Protect your home. Rush the decay to force Sonic's hand. Gotta go fast.

He targets Sails and Mangey first because the thought of them reminds him of the projection Sonic was doing and he doesn't want to think about it. It also doubles as a way to goad Sonic into acting impulsively, something Sonic wants to do but ends up not going through with.

Meanwhile, Sonic is listening to reason, biding his time, making observations (like the dome shrinking, forming a plan that gives him the upper hand, using the pit to his advantage, etc) and capitalizing on the knowledge he's taking in.

He delegates tasks to other people instead of reacting. He's fighting and thinking like Tails and Nine would, while Nine is acting and fighting more like Sonic would.

I feel the pacing was a lot more tolerable this time compared to prior seasons because while it's one big fight, so much of it represents a gradual change in psyche between Sonic and Nine on top of the other side character moments.

But then Sonic sees the palm tree and finally recognizes Nine's intentions. What makes this scene so great is that Nine makes one last desperate attempt to hold up that same mask he always does. Scare off threats through intimidation. But he's too exhausted.

But then Sonic protects him. People are angry and threatening and attacking Nine (and while the CC isn't justified, everyone else has valid reason to dislike and distrust him) with no recourse. But for the first time in his life, someone stands up for him and protects him.

His brother still is showing him so much love and trust.

and Nine is moved by it. Moved by the endless compassion and brotherly love Sonic still is giving him. Compassion Nine doesn't even feel he deserves after what he's done.

The pained, panicked look as his friend sacrifices him for his mistakes is one of the best shots in the entire season. It's a knife through his heart knowing moments ago he would have willingly sacrificed the only one who showed him so much love.

I'm seeing reactions that people were upset that this was "obvious" when Nine was never trying to be deceitful about his intentions.

The whole reason Sonic and Nine communicate so poorly is made clear in watching the first two seasons. They spend very little time together where they can actually slow down and breathe. They spend almost all of season 2 apart with Nine a prisoner, then they're attacked for two whole episodes before the end when they fall out.

In season 1, they meet, get captured, seize the crystal, get separated, then reunite when Nine makes his offer for the Grim.

There's also this sentiment that Shadow was right about everything and Sonic messed it up--but really, Sonic, Nine, and Shadow were all partially right and wrong.

Sonic genuinely wanted to give Nine a better life, but he also failed to properly listen or communicate with him because he was preoccupied with his own hurt from having destroyed his own home and friends.

Nine does the same thing in how he just assumes Sonic wants what he wants and doesn't contend with how Sonic is hurting too. Both of them are hurting a lot for different reasons. But while they project on each other, they do genuinely love each other too and Sonic specifically argues with Shadow that Nine is real and should be treated as an equal with a stake in their situation.

If they had time where they didn't have a constant threat looming over their heads, their conflicting wants would have gone a lot more smoothly. Sonic could make his case properly and Nine would be a lot more open to see that Sonic not only cares about him, but wants to give him a paradise too.

Shadow is only partially right in that Nine doesn't want the same thing as them, but he believes Nine to be inherently untrustworthy or dismisses the other shatter beings as just fakes or obstacles which fails to get at why Nine is fighting so hard to begin with.

Shadow accuses him of wanting power and Nine agrees, but only in the sense that he's still trying to maintain that control. What he wants is a home, love, and safety.

Shadow routinely dismisses the others as Sonic just being mindlessly sentimental even though they're are a large part of how Sonic even got the shards at all and triumphed.

Sonic could not have succeeded without the others and especially not without Nine. He would have needed a way to extract his own energy and couldn't handle the other shards without Nine's help, Nine's regulators or some kind of cover.

He also would have had his running abilities impaired and that alone would have made things difficult if not impossible. How would he get around the ocean world or search for the shards without Nine's upgrade as a regulator and compass?

How was Sonic supposed to steal the shared from the Chaos Council by himself when his running was affected by the shard energy and he would have had to face that entire army alone? It was difficult to pull off even with the combined strength of five people.

Imagine how heartbreaking it would have been if Sonic agreed to Nine's plan, they try to build the Grim, and Nine learns he needs to sacrifice the brother he fought so hard for.

So not only was it ultimately necessary to work together, Shadow doesn't have the same knowledge Sonic does.

He hasn't seen Nine share his vulnerabilities like he did with Sonic.

He didn't see Nine manipulate the chaos council to protect his friend.

He hasn't seen the joyful Nine who's grown so close to Sonic that he's willing to move heaven and earth to build a paradise for his friend.

He's flat out wrong in the assumptions he makes even if he was right that Nine didn't have the same goals as them.

He didn't see Nine feel he failed his friend by inadvertently unleashing Chaos Sonic. He didn't see Nine stick his neck out so much for his brother.

That's not to say the others were obligated to listen to Nine--they had valid reasons to distrust him--but it doesn't change the fact that Nine is still ultimately an abused kid desperate for a home and has grown up in such isolation that he has no regard for others.

He's not trying to destroy the world--he wants to fix it and isn't against leaving others in isolation.

When Nine hugs Sonic, his mouth trembles. It's like he's struggling to find words to say but can't get them out.

(EDIT: I've updated some portions with new knowledge about the series when before I had speculations)

Now the bigger issue I have with the show is that only ending at episode seven leaves without a lot of closure for Nine.

Nine is the deuteragonist of Sonic Prime. Part of what made Sonic's plan to take Nine with him to Green Hill so moving was that he wanted to give Nine more than just one friend--he wanted a new environment and life for him and wanted him to be surrounded with people who love him.

It would have gone a long way to have even one scene maybe indicating they can travel to other worlds or have Nine meet the others in Green Hill, showing he has that now.

The moment where he hugs Sonic is very great especially because it's Nine himself initiating it. But as it stands it only leaves it at Sonic and Nine reconciling but not indicating what Nine's fate is after this. The other shatterverse people don't have any reason to trust him so it reads like he's just left alone again.

Even one scene of Nine getting to see a lush, green place for him to live, getting to just have fun with a whole group of friends, sticking him in a safe environment where he'll be loved and respected would have gone a long way.

Having said that, I've watched a few reviews now and find it frustrating none of them are framing this criticism in a way that addresses the fact that more people in the production industry than ever now are striking, we're in a pandemic, and exploitation of employees is a major issue with the advent of AI, among other things.

I can't say for sure, but I wish more of these criticisms were framed less as "man this show is lazy, even fan works are better than this" like I'm seeing on YouTube and Twitter and acknowledging the very real conditions that we're seeing play out in real time.

I'd have ended with the last episode being an entire epilogue or the picnic Scene with Sonic saying "hey guys there's someone I want you to meet" and it's Nine. Sonic would be showing Nine all the little joys in life he could never experience until now.

The final season went to great lengths to use its animation and writing to portray how taxing this all was for Nine, so easily one of the most important plot threads to resolve is him getting the safe home he wanted so badly and giving him some way of being safe and getting to heal emotionally.

The series did pack in quite a few character moments for the rest of the cast and I don't want to take away from that, but I feel a large part of the current mixed feeling or dissatisfaction comes from how it leaves a large portion hanging for Nine. The hug was huge. But it still doesn't really resolve the larger narrative built up with Nine.

That said, a lot of what we have seen was great and a lot of fun. Sonic chose to see what he always knew was in Nine.

#nine sonic prime #sonic prime s3 #sonic prime spoilers #sonic prime season 3 #sonic the hedgehog

[nekomacheercaptain]

hello again! This is my second contribution to @onepiece-blorboexchange for @some-piece (Law is so fine, I couldn't help myself when he was on your list). Still wishing you the best of times and happy holidays!

You and Law find yourselves bickering while struggling to see past anything in the snowstorm you’ve managed to walk into when running from marines, and thank god you stumble across an abandoned cabin!

Pairing: Trafalgar Law x gn! reader

Word count: 1,8K

Content: a little bickering, forced proximity, insinuated slow burn, mutual pining, touch-starved Law, kissing

“If you didn’t get cuffed we would’ve gotten out of-,” your hands shook frustrated at the snow shooting past you and scratching your face, “THIS!”.

Sending a scowl over his shoulders, the doctor ignored your complaining yet again, but muttered something under his breath.

‘We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t lost the keys…’

“What was that, Trafalgar?” your voice was pointed, yet silly through your frustration, and he rolled his eyes. Fuck. As if the sea prism stone hadn’t drained all of his energy already, he couldn’t keep up with your usual bickering while caught in a snowstorm.

“Let’s find a place to rest, y/n-ya,”

His exasperated sigh got lost in the storm, but you noticed how his shoulders were hanging low and his knees struggled to keep his weight, a strike of shame rushing through you. You had known him long enough to realize what his behavior meant, especially when he was tired. Too busy wallowing in your own puddle of misery the realization of the cuffs effect had slipped your mind, neglecting to see your captain’s struggles. Did he want you to realize? Absolutely not. Did you know this? Yes.

Zipping your mouth shut was the only form of relief you could bring the exhausted doctor while searching for any kind of refuge from the snowstorm. And like a guardian from above kept watch over you, a forest came to view, meaning you would get away from the aggressive snow cutting your skin and blinding your vision. Cutting the distance made a silhouette in front of the forest form clearer with each heavy step in the snow, a small sense of hope burning in your chest.

“Law, look! That looks like a cabin!”

Law wanted to believe your enthusiasm. However, his bad luck and constant defeats brought him to face reality in dire situations; so he remained silent, not willing to rip away your joy. 

A small ignition of your shared hope ran through him when the silhouette became clearer the closer you got and a rare smile, though painted with exhaustion, decorated his lips when you ran towards the dark. A smile that went unnoticed by you.

“Law, we’re saved! It is a cabin!” you exclaimed while jumping in the snow, all exhaustion seeming to leave your body.. 

After reaching the cabin the both of you came to the same conclusion; it was abandoned. Meaning the cold and frost were its only inhabitant, lingering in the walls. Nevertheless, it kept the two of you safe from the snowstorm outside and provided shelter for the night, meaning you were lucky to reach the cabin before it became too dark.

“I’ll check if there are any bedrooms and bathrooms, okay? Will you see if there’s a kitchen?” you asked your captain who was staring out of the window, like he was looking for someone. With a small nod of his head you turned on your feet and inspected the cabin, which you found out had a traditional bathroom consisting of a hole into the ground for a toilet, and a tiny bedroom but no bed, only a worn out couch.

Going back to the hallway you came from, you noticed Law missing from the window, before he called you from what you assumed was the kitchen. There was no sink visible, only an oven and cupboards. The two of you barely fit in the kitchen together due to the tight space. 

“There’s food in the cupboards,” he muttered, and you were glad his hand had been cuffed at his front and not back allowing him to use his hands. His hands that had turned a slightly different shade from before, and you realized he hadn’t worn any gloves.

“Oh fuck, Law, are you okay?” you grabbed his hands instinctively with yours and covered them, feeling his cold fingers shake under your woolen touch, before he pulled away with a shocked grimace, eyes blown wider than usual.

“What the hell? I have to warm them for you before your fingers fall off!” and he hit his head against the cupboards in a new attempt to back away when you went to grab them again, causing you to give him an irritated and confused look.

“I’m fine,” his voice was low as he grumbled out his protest, but you pulled off your own gloves before grabbing his hands, forcing the warm cloth onto him, his face turning to the wall.

“I’m no doctor, Law, but even I know when fingers are in danger,” you retorted, finally satisfied when the gloves covered his almost frostbitten hands, not realizing you held onto him.

“Alright, there, all good! Now, what would you do if you were to lose them?” 

A withdrawal of his hands let you know he bore no appreciation for smalltalk, but he still left you with a tiny token of appreciation. Alas, a big one coming from him.

“Thanks…” 

His voice barely lingered in the room before the cold enveloped your body like a stiff blanket, your teeth involuntarily chattering as you hugged yourself for warmth, seeing your captain discreetly copying your action. Which led to a… less than bright idea that could end in your downfall. A downfall your body didn’t care to think about at the moment.

With shaky hands you reached for the arm of his jacket, his head snapping to face you, the small kitchen providing you with nothing short of intimacy. For a small moment your eyes locked and he wore the same shock like earlier, before his eyes flickered to look down at your hands grasping his jacket, eyebrows knitting together.

“What are you doing?”

Maybe it was a bad idea, but neither of you gained anything by keeping your body heat separate, so how wrong could it be to ask? His muscles tensing beneath your grasp slipped your attention when you absentmindedly tightened your hold before letting your question slip past your lips with a noticeable shiver from the cold.

“Shouldn’t we, uhm, be closer? To warm each other?”

Your question was unexpected, causing his breath to freeze at the suggestion. You knew very well the doctor only allowed physical affection from his first mate, his softness and fur unmatched by anyone. What you didn’t know was the feelings your captain harbored for you. Feelings he wanted to neglect and forget, to vanish off the face of the earth. But how could he?

His heart pumped wildly when he looked at you, the pair of eyes he had grown scared to gaze into begging him for closeness. And in a moment of weakness that shook you both he pulled you close with his arms thrown over your head, planting your face in his neck. For a few seconds your arms stayed captured between your chests, his unexpected gesture throwing you off, but when he squeezed you harder you realized this was something you both craved. A sigh escaped his lips and he melted into your body when your hands reached his back to embrace him as well. You stood there for a while, both of you drinking in the warmth exuding from each other.

“Thank you…”  Law whispered into your ear while hugging you tighter, letting himself be selfish this once. To let himself engulf in your affection and warmth, feeling his mind calming down. You were so safe.

Law was quiet, but tensed when he noticed your hands fidgeting behind his back, until you eventually pulled them back to rest them between your bodies. Your gloves. You must’ve been freezing. Your captain’s hold around you loosened, and you took it as a hint that he wanted to disconnect entirely, causing the chain of his cuffs to stop at your neck as you pulled away. Your faces centimeters apart, a shy blush dusting his cheeks as he looked at you with widened eyes and mouth parted in a small gasp, mirroring you.

His chest pushed against yours in an increasingly faster manner while his eyes flickered down to your lips before locking with yours again. And by reflex you did the same, seeing a small bob of his adam’s apple before his gloved hands captured your face, cupping your cheeks so tenderly you didn’t believe he was the same Surgeon of Death feared across the seas.

“Y/n-ya…” and your blood pumped loudly in your ears at his whisper, his eyes half-lidded as he gazed at you with a fierce blush across his cheeks. And he was so unfairly beautiful, just mere centimeters in front of you. A distance you boldly chose to close, leaning in while grasping the collar of his jacket to pull him towards you, closing your eyes as your lips finally met. And how they belonged together.

With lips melting together, content sighs escaped you both while drinking in the warmth and butterflies soaring through your bodies. But just as fast the heat rose inside of you, coldness left you chasing his lips in the air.

“Are you sure this is okay?” such a silly question.

With an amused smile you ignored him by pulling at his collar once more, enveloping his warm, velvety lips in a loving embrace with your own. His shoulders fell under your touch with a small sigh, his lips seeking every ounce of love you had to offer while his heart wanted to burst out of his chest at the sudden turn of events. 

The kiss deepened as Law pressed himself tighter against you, cupping your face like he was trying to hold on to a fantasy he never wanted to stop. Sighs, groans and breaths were exchanged and became part of the howling wind brushing past the window as you finally felt yourselves get warm. But your hands.

And when you both realized how neither of you had taken a breath for too long, your lips disconnected as you both gasped for air, looking just as flustered and shy as the other.

“Are your - uhm - do you need your gloves back?”

He had noticed your hands clinging to his collar, feeling you shake against him. And his question had you look frantically at your hands, realizing how cold you actually were.

“Oh! No, I should have another pair in my jacket!” you blurted out wanting to facepalm yourself for not realizing sooner, your hands digging down into your pockets before shooting back up. 

A small clattering sound startled you both, the both of you naturally looking at the ground for the cause of the sudden noise. Keys?

“Y/n-ya, what was that?” Law’s limited reach didn’t allow him a satisfying view, whereas your eyes widened at the object before lifting the chain off of you to grab the keys.

Keys you thought you had lost hours ago….

#onepiece blorboexchange #some piece #trafalgar law #trafalgar law x reader #law x reader #my work #law #one piece #one piece x reader #x reader

[tacogoats]

Thinking about a Durge who has rejected Bhaal, and whatever person they used to be, but still secretly longs for their lost memories. A Durge that, despite the answers the man could give them, would never re-ignite that strange passion they were shown they once had for Gortash. A Durge that has, for all purposes to the others in their party, moved on. A Durge that, six months after that day atop the Netherbrain, at a party celebrating their new life, receives a strange letter with an even stranger gadget hidden inside.

The meeting at the inauguration was a strange one. Despite Gortash's very obvious elation at seeing what he'd called his 'dearest friend', the man had no hesitation very proudly detailing the Dark Urge's grand scheme; their grand design for the world to be.

In front of all their friends and 'new' lover, of course.

They were furious, and rightly so. Gortash must have known what he was doing. To isolate them, to bring them back to him. The person who accepted them for all they were, all they are, and all they could be - together.

It wasn't enough to win the Dark Urge back to him, and although they'd tentatively teamed up in the end - he had died. Not by the Urge's hand, but in some ways, his own. The group had left Gortash's body within the Prism, and simply moved on. There were bigger problems, and no one really was sad to see him go. Right?

The Urge remembers a letter found in Moonrise Towers. Gortash liked gadgets, according to Ketheric. Evidence was abundant enough with the Steel Watchers, among other things. The item is strangely shaped, entirely too small, and with a simple touch, comes to life.

It reminds them of the strange picture they had seen at the Iron Throne. Gortash's visage shone through a glass, moving, talking - warning them to leave. Answering them, praising them for listening.

What a strange contraption, they'd thought all those months ago.

And then, now, there he was again. A picture, in their hand. A moving picture. Speaking with his voice, wearing his weary face - so, so weary - but not the same as before.

This had passed already. The voice did not answer them this time. It was simply impossible - the man was dead, but not quite gone in this moment.

He speaks of the inauguration like it had just happened. His joy at seeing his favourite 'assassin' again, which he says with a sad smile and a moment of silence. A heavy sigh follows, rubbing at his eyes - which they can see are so much darker than they last remember.

He is tired.

Gortash speaks of their time together, before Orin - and how Orin torments him day and night now that they had both confirmed the Urge's return. She appears with their face, taunting him some days. Other days she sends assassins that wear the same, and he simply cannot let his guard down anymore. But he knew it was them that day.

They can see the exhaustion that pulls down his features, makes his words heavier. This is not the Archduke speaking to him in this moment - it is a tired, broken down man that has just seen a ghost.

Yet they cling to every word anyway, because even though this is a broken down man who is terrified of the ghost - the man still hopes the ghost will remember him, too.

They don't. But he doesn't know that, not this little picture of him, anyway.

The picture says that if they are seeing this recording, it means he is already dead - and although he had planned to sway them back to his side, he may not have been given the chance, and refuses to allow the opportunity to share what the two of them once had slip away.

He would gift unto them the memories that he could, even beyond death. The bloody ones, the happy ones, the painful ones.

And he talks, he smiles, he even cries.

And so do they.

#durgetash #dark urge x gortash #i dont usually write gushy things but i am trying to write fic of this i need to yell a bit #this has been sitting in my drafts i release it to the world now #dont look at me im cringe #i just think that my own dark urge would always long for their memories despite withers's warnings and #knows that gortash is the only person who could give it to them and selfishly sides with him because of it #and when gortash dies he knows all is lost. and accepts it. he has a new life now. its okay. (its not okay) #and when they see that funky lil thing in the letter They Know. They KNOW it's from That man #and there's a moment of hesitation as those words from withers flash in their mind again but nope fuck it. selfishness wins. #and even though the man was a monster - they were once eachother's monsters and - there are his answers. some of them anyway. #and he can finally let go of that : ) #i dont have a writing tag nor do i want one rn this is a rarity for me #bg3 epilogue spoilers #minor spoilers but still

[madwomansapologist]

Shades of Black and White | Raven Meets Dove

Meet Kind!Druid!Tav | More Daughter of Darkness | AO3

synopsis: Shadowheart only task was to survive the giths and escape with the artifact for her goddess. Liliana Wilde, a druid with a thing for the undead, wanted nothing but to enjoy her free time. Being abducted by a nautiloid wasn't on their plans, but to get out of it was their only goal. A common one.

warnings: Liliana Wilde (our kind!druid!tav) x Shadowheart. the healer falling in love with the necromancer (more on that later) is something for me. age gap (20ish years). meet cute? githyanki prejudice. selune caring for her children. tw: shar and lorroakan. dame aylin my babygirl.

The moon followed her every movements. Every stumble, every fall. It's the laugh when she makes a mistake, the soar as she stays awake. The reminder it isn't over. Damned be the Moon Witch.

Besides its pearly glow, Shadowheart was alone.

Shadows surround her with the familiarity of an old friend. It covered her footsteps, gave her enough time to escape with the artifact hidden beneath her clothes. Blood stained her fingers, tears marked her face, but darkness never stopped embracing her with its cold wings.

I'll stop when it's safe, Shadowheart told herself. It's been days, and by now her feet may never stop burning. She doesn't remember the sound of her own voice anymore.

She's the only one that remains standing. They all knew the giths weren't defenseless, but none could expect they would be so organized. Shadowheart could've respect it, but a gith is still a gith even when it knows how to think.

They spilled the blood of Shar's children, but still failed to end her.

Her mace was heavy on her hands, just as her eyes were always fabricating reasons to close. Shadowheart was so tired, but she can't. To sleep is to give them a chance. She can't. She needs to go on.

Her pain brings her closer to her goddess. Every scar on her skin, burn in her palm, whimper of exhaustion: it's a pray to the Nightsinger. A sign of faith, a prove of her worth.

She must succed. Shadowheart needs to.

When the nautiloid came, she looked up. The moon burned her eyes, but she could still see the ilithid machinery. Deep in the shadows, Shadowheart went as far as she could.

If only Shadowheart knew she was a pawn. That she would've been abducted anyway, no matter what she did, because of the Astral Prism. That her goddess didn't send her to steal an precious artifact, but to free the object able to protect those fated to destroy the Absolute.

But she didn't, so she kept on running. I'll stop when it's safe, Shadowheart repeated to herself.

She didn't.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The high stone walls of the Ivy Forest were made to protect them from the rest of the world. Inside it, they are safe. No one enters without permission. The gates simply refuse to open.

A dove challenged gravity, flying towards one of the main towers, and this very premisse. The wind tried to stop it, but the dove rose above. It was her territory.

A novice opened a window, leaning over to polish the wood frame. The dove almost knocked her over in fright. "Liliana!" She threw the cloth on the floor. "Again?!"

It's impossible, but she's sure the dove guffaw.

It flew through the stone corridors of the old palace, taken by druids ages ago and turned into a sanctuary. One of the clerics opened the archdruid's office after hearing the screams. It landed on the wooden table, and in a golden glow it gave space to a woman.

Liliana put her legs on the desk, her shoeless feet right underneath her tights. Her red hair was everywhere, falling in front of her face and messy on her shoulders, green leaves decoring a few loose braids hanging in front of her sharp ears. It was difficult to know if she put the leaves there or have not noticed them yet. Hard to say if she would care.

The archdruid sat in front of her, too tired to once again tell Liliana that she must leave her wild shape at the gates. Or at least wear shoes. Not the first time, definitelly not the last.

After all, Auri was the one to first call her Dove. She can remember it still. A thirteen years old girl learning to wild shape in her first lesson ever. A natural talent. A gifted child.

Auri would never let Liliana waste her potential. Don't matter what she needs to do.

"The Nightsong," Liliana said. "That's what he wants."

If only people knew how they don't care about what they talk near animals. The amount of secrets they share, the lies they assume, the mistakes they do.

Something was happening in the Sorcerous Sundries. Lorroakan was never a trusted ally, barely a tolerable neighbor, and from there they could feel something was off. He was ploting something, and Lorroakan isn't one to think about others safety when he does so.

"Six centuries alive and I continue unable to understand what makes wizards that stupid. Always hungry for more," Auri glared through the window, as if she could see the wizard from there. The elf rested her hand on Liliana's knees. "Did he saw you, my Dove?"

Liliana's answer was a smirk. She opened the map of the Coast on Auri's table, and marked the places Lorroakan mentioned. "You see it too, right? The pattern. How close he is from..."

"I do," Auri stopped her. Just from thinking about this place she can feel her stomach boiling. A hundred years passed, and it still makes her skin ache. A hundred more could, and she would still remember the neverending darkness. "We won that war."

"But the harpists and druids never recovered the lost territory from the Nightsinger. It's her domain still," Liliana pointed out. "I just don't understand why Lorroakan would ever spend his precious gold looking for a Shar's follower."

Auri crossed her arms. Liliana is smart, but still so young. She has much to learn. "What makes you think it's a Sharran he's chasing after?"

"The Nightsong," she said. "The Nightsinger. It makes sense to me."

"Shar and Selune both have equal claims over this world," Auri repeated the lesson Liliana never truly learned. "The singer doesn't necessarily own the song."

"Maybe that's why I only bother with Silvanus," Liliana rolled her eyes, jumping from the table. "So much easier to understand."

Part of Liliana expected Auri to demand her to search for the Nightsong too. Is not that she wanted to, but Liliana couldn't ignore the fact those searches were so close to her home town. All that remain are ruines, but she still would like to see them one more time.

Auri did nothing, so Liliana forced herself to go without saying a thing about it.

Maybe it's for the better. If she went there, nothing would stop her from thinking about her sister. It's better to stay at the Ivy Forest. To stay at home. Here she's safe from Daisy's poisoned memories.

Inside the Ivy Forest, she's safe.

Liliana should've stayed in her chambers. After days spying on Lorroakan, she should've chose to sleep. Or to bath. To eat. Instead, she flew throught the first open window to try to ease her mind. It was almost morning. She wouldn't have time to enjoy the cold breeze after it.

The worst decision of her entire life.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The twitching behind her eye was enough to enrage Liliana into breaking free from the pod. The hells burned outside the nautiloid, and its fire reached her heart.

Liliana never saw an ilithid before, but she knows about them. About what they used to be, and what they become. It all starts with the tadpole.

She won't die. Not here, not now.

Liliana will use a needle to get it out of her brain if she must.

Exploring the ship, and understanding it was as much living being as machinery, something got her attention. In a room full of brainless humans, a necklace reflected the hellfire.

A follower of Bhaal.

"Get me out of here," screams made Liliana jump from the place she was. She looked around, but no one else was there. Was she finally going crazy? "Please, help me! Over here!"

The distorted reflection of a woman inside a made Liliana run.

She tried to understand the control, but nothing of it made sense to her eyes. One thing was to know ilithid biology and history, other to understand their technology. But she saw an entrance, and since nothing else worked, she assumed a key was needed. She hoped it was near.

"I had an idea," Liliana screamed so the stranger wouldn't think she was leaving. "I'll come back."

"No, please, don't! Don't leave me here!"

"I won't," Liliana promised.

She came back with a rune of some sorts, praying to Silvanus that it wouldn't do the wrong thing to the poor woman locked on the pod. With her eyes closed, Liliana put it on the control.

When Shadowheart fell, the hot air invaded her lungs. Better than the cold one inside the pod. A helping hand made her stand on her feet, and green eyes gazed upon hers.

"We need to run," Liliana whispered, trying not to startled her.

"Thank you," was Shadowheart response. She could've ignored her. Leave her to her own luck. But she didn't, and that act of bravery Shadowheart can't ignore. "I won't forget that."

"You're welcome," falling into hell, Liliana smiled. "Now about running..."

"Yes, I just," Shadowheart stopped talking, searching for the artifact. It was with her, safe and sound. The redhead saw it, and didn't said anything. Good. Shadowheart took her mace. "Let's find a way out of here."

"You couldn't have worded it better," Liliana headed to the exit. Quick and spaced steps of a wood-elf, but nothing escaped Shadowheart's eyes.

"Wait a second." Shadowheart took the shoes from a Bhaal's follower. "He won't need it anymore."

Liliana accepted the shoes. She sat on the floor — meat? — and put them on her feet. Better than nothing.

Shadowheart followed Liliana. She didn't knew if the redhead had any clue of what to do, but followed her anyway. "I'm Shadowheart."

Liliana giggled. "With that name you must be a warlock."

"As if I would ever negotiate with a devil," Shadowheart rolled her eyes. "I'm a cleric. Healer. And you're a druid."

Liliana stared at her. "How do you know?"

"You have leaves on your hair."

Liliana touched her head, getting a dry leave out of it. That's new. "You ignore them until I can wash my hair, and I ignore how weird your name is."

Shadowheart smirked. "Deal."

When the ilithid demanded them to control the nautiloid, they both pretended to be brainless and did as he said. They had the same goal, and the two of them are experienced with winning a battle without fighting in it.

Gravity turned against them, everything started flying inside the control room. Shadowheart collapsed against a wall, her lungs burning all the air inside her, and saw starts. The sky!

Liliana used all her strenght to hold herself to the control. Shadowheart reached for her, but Liliana couldn't take her hand. They both would ended up falling from the ship if she accepted her help.

Better her than the two of them.

"My name is Liliana," she screamed. "It was nice to meet you."

"Come over here, you stubborn druid." Shadowheart tried to cast comand on her, but with all things flying around she couldn't concentrate. " Don't test me."

That night ended with the two of them sleeping by the beach, mere feet apart from each other. Rest, at last.

The moon watched over them.

if you enjoyed, please reblog! i promise it makes a difference ♡

BALDUR'S GATE 3 TAGLIST: @citrusbunnies @amandacanwrite

@ madwomansapologist.tumblr.

#madwomansapologist #kind!druid!tav #oc: liliana wilde #shadowheart x tav #shadowheart x reader #shadowheart #shadowheart bg3 #shadowheart baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 tav #bg3 x tav #bg3 #bg3 x reader

[klbwriting]

Broken Prism

Chapter 9

Fandom: Red Hood

Pairing: Jason Toddxfemale!Reader

Warning: violence as always

Summary: Bruce Wayne contacts YN and Jason finally meets Robin

You hadn’t gotten back to your apartment until nearly 3AM and you worried your roommates had stayed up the whole time waiting for you. You were sure the news had been broadcasting about the attack and they knew you were there. You tried to be quiet, sliding open the door and locking it without making a sound. You tiptoed around the creaky floorboards and let out a sigh of relief to see the two of them Jocleyn and Aura, sleeping on the couch, news still on. You smiled, feeling touched they cared so much, but also glad you didn’t have to answer any questions yet, you were exhausted and just wanted rest. You put a throw blanket over them and went in your room, locking the door and falling into bed, not even bothering changing, before you were asleep.

You slept through your alarm and didn’t care, what you did care about was the incessant beeping you heard from your phone only an hour later. Grabbing it, you sat up yawning and checked the message that was offending you. It was from an Unknown number and just said: Get to the house NOW – B. You groaned, what the hell could Bruce want with you? You had given your statement to the cops, pretended that you knew none of the vigilantes just like a good secret keeper and had gone home, why was he texting you? You listened for a few minutes, not hearing anyone roaming the other rooms and assumed they had gone to work. Good, you could delay the questioning again. You slid out of bed and headed to shower, taking stock of the scratches and bruises that dotted your body from last night’s events. You realized it could have been a lot worse if you didn’t have Jason looking out for you. The thought of his name stopped you in your tracks. Jason, Robin’s…Red Hood’s name was Jason, it felt perfect. As you stood under the hot water you pictured his face in your mind, repeating his name over and over and, not for the first time, wondering what else that armor hid. Now that you knew his face and name it seemed like you only wanted more, you wanted to find every scar and hear its story, listen to his voice for hours, explore every inch of him. You took a breath, turning the water too cold for a minute before climbing out and drying off. You needed to go to Wayne manor and then get some work down in the Diamond District, and then maybe you would just stay in tonight. You were a little tired of being a hostage.

You rang the bell at the gate and were let in, trudging up the driveway. You still had no idea what Bruce wanted, and you were even more surprised when he answered the front door, looking pissed off. He yanked you in, hand vice like on your arm, slamming the door before slamming you into the wall, his other hand taking hold of your throat, squeezing enough that you knew it would leave a mark. For the first time since you’d met him you could see why people feared the Batman, he looked terrifying when he was enraged, eyes full of fire and lightening.

“How long have you known?” he demanded, squeezing your throat harder. You heard a crash from nearby but couldn’t turn your head. Suddenly Bruce was pushed across the hall and Dick was in front of you, looking you over for a moment before looking at Bruce.

“What in the hell is going on?” he demanded. You sucked in air as fast as you could, getting lightheaded. “Come on YN, let’s go sit down. Bruce, stay here for a minute and calm down.” You weren’t sure you would have taken that tone with Batman at the moment. Dick led you into the parlor and sat you down on the couch, sitting next to you. A long few minutes passed before Bruce came in and by that time your fear had turned to a righteous anger. As soon as he sat down in his throne chair you flew over the coffee table, finally punching Batman in the face. He reeled from surprised and then glared, standing and knocking the chair over.

“What in the fuck Bruce?” you yelled, already about to throw another punch your own safety be damned when Dick grabbed your arm and pulled you to sit again.

“Ok you both are feisty today; anyone want to explain why?” Dick asked as Bruce righted his chair and sat again.

“How long have you known Jason was the Red Hood?” Bruce asked. You narrowed your eyes and Dick turned to stare at you. He must have no idea that you knew about any of their alter egos. You swallowed hard; confusion clear on your face. Bruce put the DNA report on the table in front of you. You looked at it.

“Where did you get his blood?” you asked, suddenly afraid that Batman had hurt him after the Gala.

“One of the attackers had a knife, cut him, I took the knife and ran the sample thinking I would find someone else; never did I expect…” Bruce trailed off, head in his hands.

“Explain to me what is going on,” Dick said, voice deadly calm. You looked at him and say a storm in his blue eyes also. You sat up a little straighter.

“I’ve known Jason was alive for around seven years,” you started. Both of them turned to stare at you. “As well, you know Bruce, the day you saved me at school I started seeing color, knew that who I knew only as Robin at the time was my soulmate…”

“You’re his…” Dick started but Bruce held up a hand and he closed his mouth.

“Yes, his soulmate. Anyway, then a year later everything went back to being gray again, until about another year after that, woke up one day, Wednesday I think, and it was all colorful again. It was so confusing; I knew I didn’t meet anyone in my sleep so this could only mean that Robin was somehow alive again. And unlike the first time I met him, I wasn’t letting him get away with not at least talking to me. That’s how I started finding things in the city, getting information. I knew I had to find Batman and that might give me a lead on Robin. At the time I thought he would just come back to Gotham and find you but clearly, he didn’t,” you explained. Bruce mulled everything over.

“When did you know he was the Red Hood?” he asked. You knew that even though smoke was filling the room that Bruce probably saw Jason pull you out of the fight, the only person he intentionally saved, as good a sign as any that there was something personal between the two of you. You sighed, hating the feeling like you were giving him up but honestly, you were a bit afraid that Bruce might put you in the hospital if you didn’t talk.

“I didn’t realize he was Red Hood until he followed me after I stole your new McLaren. I was leaving it in the lot, going to get an Uber when he landed in front of me and almost knocked me over. I looked at him and he bolted without a word, and I didn’t understand why, until you came to my apartment and started questioning me, you didn’t know that Jason was alive again and that got me thinking about Red Hood and I put the pieces together,” you finished. You took a deep breath and somehow felt more tired now than before.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Bruce asked. You glared at him.

“Why would I tell you? Why would I think you would care?” you said, venom in every word. Bruce looked taken aback, even hurt by your statements. “You replaced him, not only that you let the fucker who killed him live. Joker is out and about again, killing more people because of your inability to just put him down.”

“We can’t kill him, we can’t kill anyone, that would be a step too far,” Dick said. You rounded on him.

“I’m not saying kill all of them just that one. And if either of you had any actual morality you would do it and then never kill again, that is possible,” you said. “Can I leave?” Bruce shook his head.

“I don’t think you should go anywhere; I think you should stay here. With your recent run-ins with Two-Face and Black Mask, and the rumblings we’ve heard from some of Penguins people you clearly are a target. You can stay here, and we will keep you safe,” Bruce offered. You shook your head.

“If I stayed here that wouldn’t mean he’d come looking for me,” you said, seeing through why Bruce was making this generous offer. “And why would I trust you to protect me? You didn’t save me from Black Mask or Two-Face, Jason did. I’ll take my chances out there.” Bruce looked defeated and once again so tired. You almost felt bad for him, but not nearly as bad as you felt for Dick, who looked torn.

“Let me take you home at least,” Dick offered. You sighed.

“I need a ride to the Bowery, you could take me there,” you offered. Dick nodded and led you to a garage, selecting a Mercedes and opening the door for you. You climbed in and he waited until you were away from the manor before speaking.

“I wanted to kill Joker you know,” he said quietly. You looked over at him and nodded.

“You want Bruce to be proud of you, so you didn’t,” you said. “I don’t blame you for that, I can understand that. This whole thing is on him. I think you have to kind of realize that the difference between you and Bruce is you’re a good man who is doing good things and he’s a bad man desperately trying to be good.” Dick looked like he wanted to argue but chose not to.

“Have you gotten to talk to him…Jason?” he asked finally. You shook your head.

“Not really, he showed me his face once. Was like pulling teeth to get a name from him, had to get kidnapped twice for it,” you said with a laugh. Dick chuckled a little as he pulled up to where you asked him. It was a pawn shop that you needed to check for a specific piece of jewelry. “Thank you, Dick.”

“If you see him again, can you tell him that I miss him?” he asked. You looked at him, putting a comforting hand on his. You were going to say something else when he sprayed something in your face and you felt sleep take you.

Jason stood on the roof of an old rec center watching as Two-Face brought in a truck full of biohazard waste he planned on dumping into the water supply of the area. It was a stupid plan to draw out Batman or even him, force a confrontation, but they didn’t seem to realize he was already watching. He waited until they parked and were signing off on the cargo before jumping down and climbing into the truck. He took off, leaving the delivery guys behind. He had a boat waiting at the dock to take the waste to be disposed of properly. Sometimes he could be an environmentalist. He was just leaving the boat, jumping from storage container to container towards his stowed bike when he was tackled to the ground. He rolled, pulling his guns and aiming for the offender, Robin. He could feel the rage sinking in and had to really pull back before he shot the kid. Because he was just a kid, maybe seventeen and Jason didn’t kill kids.

“What are you doing here Robin?” he asked, modulator hiding how bitter he sounded. Robin pulled out a batarang and stood ready.

“Trying to stop a madman,” he answered. Jason winced, he even sounded young, was Jason ever this young? He didn’t react, his body language staying casual.

“Well Joker isn’t here if you’re looking for a madman,” he joked, putting away his guns. Robin looked surprised, standing straighter. “What? I don’t kill kids and you’ve barely hit puberty.” He took a step towards Robin, batarang zooming past his head. Well then, clearly, he had touched a nerve. “How’s it being number three? Does Batman know you’re here or are you trying to prove something to the old man?” He could see Robin’s breathing increase; he was taking the bait. Jason wanted to be the shit out of this kid, let him see that he was better.

“Shut up,” Robin snapped, taking a running leap. Jason deflected the kick, turning to face where he knocked the boy. Robin recovered easily, coming back to throw a punch that Jason sidestepped. In his anger Robin had overswung, taking him off balance. Jason snapped down with a well-placed elbow on his back, knocking the boy down hard enough to knock the wind from him.

“Control that anger, don’t want to do that when you’re fighting Bane,” Jason said, landing a kick to the kid’s side, sending him sliding a few feet. Robin coughed but jumped up, ready to go again. “Resilience, ya, that makes sense. You don’t give up do you kid?” Robin sneered at him.

“We know who you are,” he said. Jason cocked his head to the side. “We know you’re the other Robin.” He froze. How did they? The knife. He was cut last night at the gala. Good ole’ Bruce and his DNA samples.

“O really? Well how is it meeting the best version?” he snarked, trying to recover. Robin came back in, ignoring his taunt, and tried to fake him out, punch half thrown before he switched and tried to sweep his leg. Jason moved, knee coming up to land on Robin’s chin, sending the kid flying back. He pulled his gun, tired of this fight. Robin stopped when he came face to face with it.

“You don’t kill kids,” Robin said. Jason nodded.

“I don’t, but I could still take out a kneecap, watch you be Robin after that” he said. “Now, its so nice to meet my replacement and finally watch you get the pummeling you needed to see that you’re as good as me, but I have to be going, got plans.” He grappled away but not before hearing Robin yell:

“Your girlfriend’s staying at the manor!” Jason almost missed the nearby roof. YN was what? He started sprinting, needing to see if this was true.

#jason todd x y/n #jason todd x you #jason todd x reader #jasontodd #jason todd #red hood x you #red hood x reader #redhood #red hood x y/n #red hood #brokenprism

[agent-calivide]

Seraphina Enya "Phoenix" Ardeat full backstory

Content Warnings for: Mental and Emotional Abuse,Child Neglect, Alcoholism, Drug use, Eating Disorder, Car accidents, mental health struggles, inferiority complex, and feelings of expendability.

This story is not a happy one, you do not need my Phoenix's full backstory to appreciate her as a character, nor to follow the premise of any of my fanfics. This is just a little bit of bonus content for those curious, but if any of the above are triggering:

Do not feel like you have to read what's below to follow my fanfics or any of my other IEYTD work.

The information explains my Phoenix's mannerisms, but lacking the context does not make any of my other works unreadable.

So, it occurred to me recently that, while I talk and write a lot about my Phoenix, I've never sat down and given y'all her backstory about how she got to the EOD, especially seeing how she's rather young (something that becomes much more obvious in Glaring Gears once I actually start editing it)

Seraphina Enya Ardeat was born to Caine and Mary Ardeat, and they were the spitting image of a 1950's family... With an emotionally abusive father and a mother who was clocked out of life with a mixture of red wine and opioids.

Because of her mother's physical presence but otherwise complete absence in every other way, Seraphina was pushed to take up the mantle of homemaker very, very early in life. Growing up, she was expected to cook and clean for her father while also balancing schoolwork, leading to shaky grades and sub-par results at home. This was not good enough, which lead to many, many nights of Seraphina sobbing while her father berated her and her mother simply watched.

As the years went by, the treatment only grew worse, with her father speaking terrible things to her through middleschool and into highschool, making her feel like she couldn't do anything right.

"Not smart enough to go to college and not pretty enough to be a trophy wife" was a go-to insult that clung to her skin and carved itself into her mind. Especially as she grew a love for technology, loving flashing screens and spinning dials and the magic of radio waves and magnetism and how electricity travels, but feeling like she was never going to be smart enough to properly follow it in any significant manner. This road block leads to her idolization of Zoraxis tech and Dr Roxanna Prism, even if she'd never switch sides for it.

Of course, the other comment ate at her just as much, Seraphina starting to calorie count and manage her waist far too young to be worrying about such things. She's shorter than average because she stunted her growth greatly by not feeding herself properly in her youth. Handler started giving food after missions because she neglected herself so greatly in the early days of missions she'd usually be on the verge of passing out after most of them. She shrugs it off as exhaustion, but M knows what it is.

As Seraphina grew tired and burnt out, she desperately tried to find a way out, ending up finding herself at the bottom of one of her mother's wine bottles and being given the liquid courage to try and drive away in the middle of the night. The combination lead to a massive car wreck that, while it didn't kill her, did leave her rather bloodied and in a lot more trouble with her father.

She couldn't save up money from an actual job, but she pinched pennies wherever she could from dollar bills left lying around, stashing coins, and taking odd jobs like helping clean up other people's homes and other under the counter gigs all through highschool, and the second she graduated she was gone.

Took all of her life savings, sunk it into the only jalopy she could afford, grabbed a few sets of clothes and vanished. She drove for days on end until she was sure she was far enough away nobody would find her and spent all of her time filling out job request forms. She slept in her car and cleaned up in public bathrooms, it wasn't pleasant and at times she'd wondered if she made the right decision.

But, after ages of radio silence, someone finally reached out, the EOD.

While the EOD prided themselves on being a highly specialized division, they also were... incredibly desperate. Agents were dying at astronomical rates thanks to an up and coming enemy known as Dr Zor, and even their most professional of agents were dropping like flies. They needed hands, and fast. Even if they were simply canon-fodder placeholders while they learned this new foe's tendencies. Sure, they knew about combination locks, plastic explosives, how to unwire and rewire bombs, but this odd puzzle aspect was throwing them for a loop. They were desperate for someone, anyone to join their forces.

Desperate enough that when they got an application from a girl with no past, no place of residence, no paper trail, and nothing to be tracked, they simply counted their lucky stars that they finally found someone who wasn't gonna wake up to a poison powder in their air vents or a bomb in their mailbox.

Seraphina was put into training on an accelerated course that had her skip the position as cadet, and most positions frankly, and she quickly became the agent the EOD knows and loves today.

But, unfortunately, she has yet to get help for all of the trauma she underwent while growing up. Hell, she has yet to admit that there even was trauma there an that she wasn't just a deeply fucked up individual as a person and not as a result of her family.

She feels like she has to push through sickness, injury, exhaustion. She has to keep busting her ass and being her best, the best, or else she'll be discarded and left to fend for herself all over again. And the EOD has only exacerbated this issue with their revolving door of agents that they quickly replaced and nonchalant behavior to agent deaths.

Sure, it was because the others were failing missions in the "setting off a death trap to the face" way, but she could never chase the nagging feeling that if she, as an agent, didn't succeed every mission flawlessly with no evidence she was there and all of the intel, the day saved, what have you she'd be fired for failing. This has lead to extreme cases of self negligence and overworking often, but she hides it with a snarky, sassy attitude and a fake smile.

She's the best of the best and she has to stay that way... lest her family be proven right.

#cw mental abuse #cw emotional abuse #cw child neglect #cw alcoholism #cw drug use #cw eating disorder #cw car accident #cw mental health #cw inferiority complex #cw mental illness #i expect you to die #ieytd #ieytd fandom #agent phoenix #Phoenix backstory

[chicohungers24-7]

Explodes you with my mind

(650~ words about exploding motherships and being in pain)

Nine's vision swam with heady energy as he turned towards the mothership that blotted out the Grim's skies. His methodical anger now blazed into animalistic rage at the sight of it in his path, smoking cannons still aimed at where Grim Big once stood.

He was getting tired of this.

An ugly, pained yowl involuntarily tore from his throat as his tails drew in the exhilarating power of the Paradox Prism. He knew eyes had been drawn towards him by the cry but he paid them no mind. Energy buzzed throughout his body, rattling his bones, frying his nerves, tails spasming and curling as they strained to diffuse the power up his spine-

They had shocked him.

His mind would go blank and tails slack as the one hundred and fifty thousand volts shorted out both his thoughts and myoelectric sensors embedded deep into his central nervous system.

A weapon of that caliber could disarm anyone.

Two would be aimed at his head at all times.

Shaky growls rumbled in his chest as he rose through the air, twin tails holding him steady despite it all.

The burnt fur smell that accompanied the shocks would snap him out of his momentary stupor and the pain gave him something to latch onto. Some 'geniuses' those doctors were. Trying to use the brain they were intent on frying.

Burning energy pooled in his abdomen and Nine winced, holding steel claws over what felt like his body burning a hole in itself. He convulsed and let out another strangled cry.

For a moment the power cooled. Sonic's words pierced the ringing in his ears but he couldn't understand any of them. Something nagged in the back of his mind. Nine greedily gulped in air as his dazed mind struggled to catch up with what was happening. The Grim was trying to tell him something. Feverishly glancing around, Nine stared at the flickering dome he worked so hard to upkeep. Between each flicker he could see the tears across the shatterverse. They would swallow the Grim whole.

The Council had used him.

Of course they had. Nine's technical prowess rivaled their own. But hehad let his guard down. Letting them get their hairless paws onto the Shatterdrive had been a terrible mistake. This was all their fault. Even when they were using him for their own gain, they wouldn't listen. He could've fixed all of this by now.

But Sonic had led them here.

Worked with them.

What a fool.

Fangs chattering against each other, Nine redirected all the energy back towards his tails. He curled in on himself as the painful yet comforting strength of the Prism drained from his limbs.

Nine had to rebuild the Grim and that was not going to happen with the Chaos Council in his way. Sonic would come to him eventually, he knew of it. But the Council was betting on that as well. Once Sonic is out of the picture everyone will fall apart and they'll snatch the Prism for themselves.

But Nine wasn't going to let that happen. While the pounding in his head waned, he reined in his frenzied rage. An unfocused blast could wipe out everyone, including himself, in one fell swoop. With icy restraint that clashed against the jittering tendons in his hands he narrowed the scope of the energy, eyes flitting up to stare down the Mothership. It would just be Mr. Dr. Eggman in there.

The one who started all of this.

His grasp on the energy slipped, explosive pain tore through his spine as the energy shot from his tails with a deafening boom. Nine watched with a mix of horror and amazement as the beam struck the Mothership. All of that had been inside of him? The explosion that followed sent a wave of giddiness.

That was all short lived as exhaustion crashed over him. He fell back onto the tower, trembling tails falling to his side even as white hot energy still gathered at the tips. Searing agony scrambled his head and his breathing turned into ragged growls.

This power was going to tear him apart.

#wrote 99% of this at night and briefly edited it just now #nine the fox #tails nine #paradox prism #sonic prime #sonic the hedgehog #mr dr eggman #chaos council #the paradox prism is implied to be somewhat sentient #sth #my writing #yippee! #Silly Lives and Silly Spaces #<- what I'm calling the series

[blackjackkent]

OK, with Viconia dead, it's time to take Shadowheart into the Chamber of Loss.

Pretty sure this is going to hurt like hells.

Quick stop at camp for a long rest first - partly bc everyone is covered in blood and exhausted and needs to prepare emotionally for this experience, and partly bc @zenjestrr has given me some Helpful Tips on slight respecs for Jaheira that will increase her AC and hopefully lead to her not getting completely flattened on every single fight. Because we love Jaheira and she deserves for my gameplay to reflect her level of badassery.

(The primary changes are - switching her Circle once again to Circle of the Land, which allows her to take Mirror Image, giving her a spell-based boost of up to +9 AC, plus taking Dual Wielder instead of Mobile which gives her +1 AC since she's wielding double blades. With these changes and a DEX of 16 she's up to 17AC, which is the same as Hector.

Also have swapped out Crimson Mischief (one of Orin's weapons) for Bloodthirst (the other one) in her offhand, since when wielded in the offhand it also gives a +1 AC, bringing her up to 18. Zen also suggested a mainhand dagger I could have her run instead but that would entail unequipping Belm that we got from her sanctuary, so RP goblin brain is vetoing that one. XD This brings her up to 18AC from 15, though, which will help a lot.)

Fingers crossed for Jaheira getting squished less going forward. XD

We get a little chat with Shadowheart about Viconia during the long rest:

"Shar did not come to Viconia's defense. All who bow to her are disposable pawns, in the end. The mission she sent me on was a lie - same as everything else she ever told me. She sowed her own downfall in trying to take the prism for herself. Had she never sent me, I'd still bow to Shar, none the wiser..."

She sounds so tired and sad. :( I think Hector would give her a hug if he thought she'd accept it. That's never really been their relationship, though, even if they have gotten much warmer towards each other since the Shadowfell. What she really needs from him more than anything, though, is a listening ear while she works this stuff out for herself.

"Viconia won't be a problem anymore. What comes now?"

Her shoulders square and her jaw juts out with sudden determination, muting the exhaustion for a moment. "My parents are still captive. I need to free them."

#bjk plays baldur's gate 3 #hector carlisle

[starlightsearches]

I follow you primarly for your hux fics and you my ✨favorite✨ when it comes to writing him! Could you sauce us up with some domestic hux? Its been years and he still holds a special place in my heart 💕 you can make it dirty if you'd like 👉🏼👈🏼👀

Modern Domestic! Hux Headcanons 💖

warnings: nsfw (18+ only), mentions of oral and fingering (f receiving), piv sex, somnophilia, and lots of domestic fluff 🥰

okay, so first off, whatever Hux does for work, it takes up a ton of his time

he's busy, he's stressed, and he's always a little pissed at the incompetence of his employees

he spends most of his days on the verge of ripping his hair out

so it's just really wholesome that he gets to come home to you

he likes it when you're waiting for him on the couch in your robe, like a little housewife

there's a sweet little ritual where you'll mix him a drink and lead him to his chair, rubbing his shoulders as he sips, pressing kisses along his neck

he forgets work soon after once he's pulled you into his lap, one hand reaching for the tie on your robe

he definitely doesn't look like it, but this man fucks

no matter how exhausted he is, he's determined to get you off at least once a night

he likes to press at your wet folds with the tips of his fingers while you sit on his lap, or have you lean against a wall while he licks at your cunt from behind

with his hair falling in his face and his hands circling your thighs, he feels like you belong to him

sometimes he gets a second wind in the middle of the night after you've both gone to bed

there have been a few times you've felt him slip your pajama pants down over your ass, cooing at you to shhhh while he presses his cock against your tight, slick heat

there's something messy and unabashed about those moments where you're both too tired to keep quiet—just hot, wet kisses and insistent hands

morning sex is a little more rare, since he has to shift back into work mode™️

he still blushes when you help him tie his tie while he's getting ready, or press kisses on his nose and across his cheeks cooing about how handsome he is

on rare days off, he likes to treat you to little outings

after all, why is he making so much money if not to spend it on you?

he really will buy you whatever you like

and it's especially fun if you're shy about it

he loves to silence your worries with a kiss before handing over his credit card

clothes are obviously a given

he could spend all day sitting on a dressing room couch, watching you pose for him

lingerie is also a biggie

he doesn't much care if you're wearing the lacy things when he gets home at night, but you do sometimes send him photos while he's at work

and that's got him sliding the lock on his door every time 😏

on days where neither of you really feel like going out, you'll spend all day in bed together

he loves to cook for you on those days—breakfast, lunch and dinner

he's a surprisingly good cook, and looks very cute in his apron

watching movies together, or reading in silence—it doesn't matter what you're doing—he's just happy to be with you

you're just his favorite person in the whole world and he feels so lucky to have you 🥺

18+ Hux Tag List: @thembohux, @writingletterstothefire, @catboykenobii, @evarinaandlat, @sitherin-mxschief, @imafatassmess, @toasterking, @rosevon7975, @pradahux, @armitages-galaxy, @dark-lord-of-the-simps, @daughterofaries, @mad-girl-without-a-box, @theold-ultraviolence, @mrs-ghuleh, @lemongingerart, @isthisheaven5, @trash-queen-af, @generalthirst, @tobealostwanderer, @huxxoxo, @theoriginalannoyingbird, @liceforlunch, @g3n3ralhux, @mylifeisactuallyamess, @superunkn0wn, @therealnoex, @luna-is-on-mars, @xxinvisiblexx, @fear-prism, @serenaisavillain, @a-literal-no-name, @fresa-luna, @masterjedilenaaa, @bespectacledhuman, @daydreamsofren, @randomawesomeperson102, @kingdombreakmyhearts, @fictionlandslanddreams, @l0calgoth, @tinycatblazer, @starsandroots, @softest-armitage

#armitage hux x reader #general hux x reader #armitage hux x you #general hux x you #modern au #my writing #requests

[prismarts]

Soooooooooo...

Quick sketches for a disjointed Carmen Sandiego au

Zoe is Carmen, Selena is Jules, Claire is Player and Douxie, our boy. is Gray/Crackle-

Enjoy these- :3

#prism's art 🎨 #prism is tired and exhausted #tales of arcadia #wizards #wizards tales of arcadia #trollhunters #trollhunters tales of arcadia #carmen sandiego au #carmen sandiego #julethief #zolena #toa douxie #douxie #douxie casperan #toa zoe #zoe ashildr #toa claire #claire nuñez #tales of arcadia oc #selena lucia rica

[glorf1ndel]

Most Beloved Star (420 words, gen)

For Day 5 of @tolkiengenweek, inspired by the prompt "symbols". While traveling through the darkness of Mordor, Samwise Gamgee is captivated by an unexpected sight.

Read on Ao3 or below!

Mordor is no place for Samwise Gamgee.    

Sam knew that the journey through the Dark Land would be difficult, but he was not expecting it to be so arduous. The place is hotter than a stovetop, and the air is thick with fumes that smell so harsh, they’re almost impossible to stand. Sam is constantly on guard, hoping an Orc isn’t around the corner. Frodo looks exhausted. At least Sam can see Mount Doom in the distance, a constant reminder of where they’re going. Once they get to the volcano, Frodo will cast that horrible ring into the fire, and their quest will be over.

Well, besides the return journey, Sam reminds himself, because he has to believe that there is going to be one.

Hours pass, and evening comes. Although Sam would be happy to stop and get some shut-eye, Frodo insists on walking a little while longer. Sam accepts, because he doesn’t see any place that can serve as shelter. They probably walk another three miles, and by that point, Sam is exhausted.

At last, they find a thicket of brambles where they can rest for the night. They have no bedding; that would be a rare comfort in this place. Frodo slumps down onto the ground, exhaling shallowly, then turns to Sam.

“What do you think, Sam? Do you think we’re going to make it?”

“Why, surely,” he says. Yet in his heart, he wonders. Are we going to make it?

Sam stares up at the sky, forlorn. His gaze alights on something amidst the thick, red clouds: a solitary star, twinkling in the night. Even in this place of smoke and dust, he can see it. The star shines upon him, and Sam feels his courage return. He may be tired, but he is not afraid, for he remembers something that Gandalf once told him: the prism of the universe refracts not darkness, but light.

“Look, Mr. Frodo,” he murmurs. “D’you see that star?”

“Aiya Eärendil,” Frodo says weakly.

Sam does not recognize the words, besides the fact that they are in Elvish. Yet he knows their meaning: they are a plea to all that is good. He helps Frodo hide under the shelter of the brambles, then takes his hand, squeezing it tightly.

“Sleep, Mr. Frodo. We’ll keep going tomorrow.”

Frodo nods. Sam reckons that he, too, ought to go to sleep. Before he settles down in the brambles, Sam turns his gaze to Mount Doom, but he keeps his mind fixed on that star.

****

Thank you for reading. ♡ If you'd like, leave a comment or kudos on Ao3, or like and reblog this post!

#tolkiengenweek #lotr #lord of the rings #samwise gamgee #frodo baggins #tolkien #tolkien fic

[truly-quirkless]

Twenty Day Challenge - Day Thirteen

Burnout, exhaustion, so on and so forth.

He has gotten so used to pushing past his limit.

Honestly, if it weren't for the forced time limit from his fight with AFO, he probably would've kept it up.

But by that time his private life (what little was left) had fallen totally apart.

Beating AFO/being injured by him actually gave Toshinori some of his life back, if that makes sense.

Still struggles with feelings of being burnt out/overused on the regular.

Will go home and disassociate for hours.

He doesn't even realize- he'll just sit down on his couch and stare.

When he starts training Midoriya, this starts to fade.

He starts actually living while at home again.

Thanks to his Hero work he didn't exactly have a lot to do at his place, so his apartment (and 'All Might's home') is spotless.

No posters, but there are some drag marks on the wall from years of leaning against it when he came home.

Then he joins U. A. and meets Fin and everything.

Just starts living more and more.

Not for work, but for himself.

Literally revives this man from an early (by his standards) grave.

If it weren't for Midoriya and going to U. A. he probably would be nothing but a literal husk still.

When exhaustion and burnout do hit he tries to power through, but it's getting harder as he gets older.

Exhaustion is so much easier to deal with than burnout.

His coworkers (and his soulmate) sometimes force him to take a day or two of personal leave.

This man's energy is random, these days. One day he'll feel like he could run a marathon, the next...cannot get up from bed.

Big case of 'gifted kid burnout' after they graduated HS/their brother was finally arrested.

Forgot what it meant to really 'live' after they were transferred to Japan.

Felt like they lost all agency in their life, what little they'd managed to get.

Just fell into a near-blind state of working.

If it weren't for the cat they adopted (Prism) when they moved, they might've lost it entirely.

Will actively work even if they feel like absolute shit.

Has shown up to work while horribly ill multiple times (only to be sent home).

The last (and final) straw for Thirteen was one of Fin's two fainting incidents- when they fainted in the bathrooms just outside one of the sites, Thirteen had them sent home (driven by one of the few coworkers who learned where they lived).

Often doesn't have the energy for their side-projects, it's not hard to tell they have abandoned projects because the sketchbooks/journals hidden under their blankets are stuffed with ideas.

Always leaves work exhausted.

Often takes on the work of their colleagues when said coworkers are tired/under the weather.

Doesn't realize how work-centric their life has become until they start talking to the kids/meet Yagi.

As time goes on life starts to feel--- more colorful??? More like living.

Confuses them so much but they just go with it.

Takes a while for them to realize that they have the energy to do things again- instead of just sliding through the motions.

How they managed to act so peppy at work while feeling empty is beyond them.

Has what they like to call 'shut downs' and 'lock ins' when they get too stressed/expend too much energy (more than they have).

Shut Downs - It feels like their brain just- shuts down. No thoughts, they just stare blankly. Don't move if prompted. Don't react. Might cry if someone makes them laugh. Quiet mumbles at best, any noise/interaction/etc. feels like knives in their head. They feel emotions a lot more intensely during a Shut Down, and can more easily be provoked to a facial reaction- but that's about it.

Lock Ins - Their mind is still going just fine, usually happens right after a Shut Down. Their body stops responding to any and all external stimuli. Can't move. Can't speak. They might get stuck making a repetitive motion or uttering the same phrase over and over until it becomes gibberish (not to be confused with one of their panic attack symptoms). All the while, their brain is fully functioning and aware- they can think, but it's like they can't get their mind to force their body to move or act. They're trapped in their own head until a Lock In breaks on its own. Similar to a Shut Down in that any amount of stimuli outside of the smallest thing feels absolutely horrible.

If they push their mental energy beyond a certain limit, Fin will enter into a Shut Down- followed by a Lock In. They cannot control this, and often will retract/hide from others if they can, when it begins.

If both are exhausted/burnt out...

They don't really do much, honestly.

Might lounge in bed, brushing each other's hair.

At best there might be LoFi music playing at Fin's request.

Might sit and watch the view outside the window together.

Literally just-- nothin'.

They're chillin', let them be.

Comfortable silence if there is no music/LoFi.

#Together we run/Til we see the morning light || Queue #When you’re close to breakin’/Let me be your haven tonight || Cracked Facades #Writer's Yearly Challenge || 2024 #I’ve got nothing else to lose/I’ve got nothing else to prove || Headcanons #//am I tired? Yes #//but is nice to get this out

[altered-and-broken]

It seemed you loved eachother a lot..

"We did... And I specially did the most...

We had a bond, an unbreakable one at that, and it felt special knowing she enjoyed every second we were together..."

"That's what I thought at first too, but after you told be she tried to contact your friends I started to rethink the situation more...

But after what I saw that night... I was almost convinced she was gone for good..."

"What... Happened..?"

There is a long, completely silent pause.

"Before I got corrupted I had noticed that the group of shapes that were bothering me never showed up again... Every night for years I was waiting, but nothing...

I thought they had finally forgot about me and let me be...

But one night that changed.

You see, some of the shapes visiting my pond had stopped coming less and less. Prism had kept herself away from them because she wasn't fond of others in general, and for the most part you wouldn't know she was there unless you looked hard enough.

... At one point, someone saw her. And they ran, afarid...

She was rather annoyed, I was scared... I didn't know what the others could do if they realized a Forestfolk was here. But for some time nothing happened."

Barracuda takes a deep breath.

"That was when the next night happened.

The whole village came, bearing torches and spears, and with them was the group of shapes who bothered me relentlessly. Now shouting to the whole world: "Look! It is real! The Forestfolk is here!"...

... Those bastards told everyone about her, it had taken them long enough, but they finally caved in and came to kill her when that snitch claimed to see her.

I was furious, but tried to reason with them. Not even a word got out as the leader of the group shot something at me, a dart, and when I took it out...

My arm was turning pink. And they knew."

"... Forestfolk, in all of the stories they're in, are painted as large and threatening monsters that are immune to almost anything... According to them, they couldn't be hurt or killed... But that is NOT true...

She knew of her own mortality, and she told me. She could take more hits and pain that a normal shape would, but like her ancestors, she couldn't hold out for long.

She was stronger, larger than me at times, yes. And her predescesors were even larger beasts, she was the descendant of feral reptilian monsters that inhabited the planet by storm...

That much is true... But she wasn't a monster...

She was a beautiful, living, breathing shape like you and me, capable of more than what those legends painted them as... But they didn't saw her like an equal.

Regardless, she stood behind, and yelled at me to go.

I never wanted to... But I didn't had a choice... I ran, and ran, never looking back as I heard the sounds of screams and flesh being ripped open. As well as rushed footsteps chasing after me.

I thought I was going insane, but I had managed to reach the lake to get away from the forest. Unfortunately, the corruption had taken a heavy toll on me by that point, and I passed out."

"Offering a cold, tense, outstreched hand to me...

I should had known he was bad news just by looks alone, but he offered to cure me, and gave me a place to sleep.

He promised me he'd talk to the shapes and would get me back home... Instead, when I got better he decided to use my strenght for help, making me kill innocents out of spite.

Using me for his own gain, and HIS' alone...

From there... You know how the rest goes... And by this point, I'm just so tired, and exhausted, from pretending to be something I really am not...

I am not a monster."

The snake leans his head down and closes his eye.

Boat was listening through all of that, not taking his gaze off the flame that illuminated the cave, thinking... He should had kept his thoughts to himself, because he muttered a low, almost quiet...

"Bullshit."

#just shapes and beats #jsab au #altereds reply #altered cuda #altered prism #wave #boat #text dump yay #and remember kids! #dinosaurs were mostly nice animals just existing there and not monsters! #and if you treated one nice enough it could most likely be your friend!

[fancylances]

OC Kiss Week / Day Three / Nostalgia

pairing: Nikolai Dragos/Yevgeniy “Geno” Kazimir - Ravnica D&D OCs

.

It’s been a long week.

As Nikolai sits in the back of his parents’ metalworking shop, by the forge he’d helped stoke since he could stand, he mulls the whole fucking situation over again in his head. First, someone had kidnapped his father. That someone had turned out to be the mastermind behind the Dimir, Lazav, who had also nearly killed a handful of innocent Prism University students and thoroughly resisted arrest. And during interrogation, Lazav had dared to threaten Nikolai by imitating Geno’s face, insinuating threats against the thief and his Azorius boyfriend. Nikolai and the Taskforce had crawled through kraul-infested tunnels in the disgusting, stinking Undercity to find his father—and Geno had done something with Lazav, which both of them had refused to speak about.

And then, on top of all that, Nikolai had brought Geno to his family dinner with him. And told them everything.

Exhausted, Nikolai lights the forge, throwing his whole body into pumping the huge bellows. Remembering the movements like he’s fifteen years old. It all comes back so easily (like he really is the son they’d expected him to be, taking his father’s shop when he gets too old to make the forge glow). The room floods with welcome heat, coals crackling. Nikolai lowers himself to sit on the cold stone floor,  watching the cold rain through the half-open back door to the loading dock. Finally fucking decompressing.

His mother claims she’s known since they were boys that this was going to happen, Nikolai recalls as his head sags back. And Father tries to back her up, but Nikolai knows exactly what his father had said about Geno back then. That he was a bad influence, that he was the one alienating Nikolai from other children their age, making him the sad, lonely little boy his father thought he was. And, sure, Geno is a bad influence. He’s Dimir, for fuck’s sake. How many little things had Nikolai ignored as a lawmage—a justiciar, a minister—because it was Geno? He’s breaking ancient Guildpact law just being with Geno (fraternization between high-ranking members of different guilds had been outlawed for millenia, but that hadn’t stopped Ral and Tomik and it wasn’t going to stop Nikolai and Geno).

The door from the shop opens, and Nikolai cranes his neck backward to see his boyfriend toeing in quietly. He winces when he sees Nikolai turn and shrugs.

“Guess it’s no good trying to sneak up on you in your home base,” Geno murmurs.

Nikolai chuckles, something loose and tired. “Sorry about the fucking gauntlet.”

“Nah,” Geno says bracingly, big grin on his face. “I wasn’t nervous at all.”

“Fucking liar.”

“Prove it, asshole.”

“You wanted to wear a fucking disguise!” Nikolai laughs, grinning now to match. “To have dinner with my parents! Who’ve known you since you were a scrawny fucking thirteen-year-old!”

Geno, at least, flushes at the callout. He shifts his weight, eyes on the forge to ignore the smug way Nikolai is grinning up at him from the floor. Then, the thief lights up, as if just struck with an idea.

“Hey,” he asks Nikolai, moving around the room to the exact place the wool blankets have always been stored—and pulls one out with a flourish. “This remind you of something?”

The moment Geno throws the blanket over Nikolai and joins him sitting on the floor of the forge, it hits him. It’s exactly like the night that Nikolai realized he was in love with Geno. Fifteen years old, sitting together and watching the snow as Geno warmed up beside him. Looking at those big, green eyes and realizing that he never wanted to look away—realizing why.

“Yeah,” Nikolai says, and it’s like Geno’s surprised to hear something catching in Nikolai’s voice. And it all comes rushing out of him, suddenly—like he has permission, now. Now that he’s told his parents; now that Geno knows he loves him (and loves him back). “Yeah, it’s just like the first time I knew I was in love with you.”

Geno’s eyebrows disappear into his curls. “Wait, really?”

“Yeah, fucking really,” Nikolai snaps back, leaning in so their shoulders touch under the blanket. “Y’know, I think you’re the only person I ever…”

Geno’s big face softens, and he nods. “Yeah.” He smooths Nikolai’s hair away from his eyes, looking at him like he’s the biggest thing in the room; like he’s glowing and he can’t look away. “Nik, why didn’t you say anything?”

“When we were kids?” Nikolai balks. “Because I was afraid you’d hate my guts and never want to see me again?”

Geno’s face falls. “You really think I—”

“I was a stupid fucking teenager, Genya,” Nikolai continues. “I didn’t know a single fucking thing, let alone how to navigate any of—” He gesticulates wildly between them. “—that.”

Geno settles back, seemingly satisfied. And they watch the forge burn and the rain fall outside the door. Nikolai leans his head on Geno’s shoulder, sighs.

“What if you did?” Geno asks after what feels like a long time. Nikolai tilts to catch the side of Geno’s face in his vision. “Tell me, I mean.”

Nikolai takes a long breath through his nose, thinking. “If I wasn’t a little chickenshit, you mean? If I just… I don’t know, went for it?”

“Yeah,” Geno says. 

Nikolai exhales, and shifts so he’s no longer leaning on Geno but looking right up at him. Noses nearly touching.

“I think it would've been something like this,” Nikolai murmurs. He eyes the forge, then looks back at Geno’s half-lidded eyes watching him. “You and me were on the floor, probably right here where we could see the snow. You turned and you looked at me, and—” He sighs, remembering it like it had just happened. “And if I’d had any guts, I would’ve—” 

He scoots closer, until their entire sides are pressed up against each other.

“Geno,” he says, something low and breathy.

“Hm?” Geno asks, staring at Nikolai’s mouth now that they’re so close.

“I think I’m in love with you.”

Geno seems to clock what’s happening, but doesn’t break his gaze or back away. He just sighs, melting a little. Leans in the inch necessary so their noses are touching.

“Surprise, you little shit,” Geno says through a sideways smirk. “I’m in love with you, too.”

They fit together so easily, leaning in for a kiss that never happened (should have happened). Eager like teenagers who’d never kissed like this before. Open-mouthed and warm under the blanket in the Dragos’s forge. Hands clutching at clothes, in hair, sinking to the floor together. Grinning against each others’ mouths between breaths. 

If anyone comes to find them, they’re too occupied to care.

#ockiss23 #oc kiss week #writing #ravnica #my sweet bastard nikolai

[minusgangtime]

(“We have a chance to make a better world! One we aren’t abused and judged! And you’d rather go back to your old world?! Are you stupid?!”)

(A AU I thought in the back of my mind where the ending of season 2 actually did happen.

When beta truly realizes the power of all the prisms together,he suggests to Shelby that rather restoring it,that they’d make thier own perfect world,Shelby refuses though,not just cause she’s tired and exhausted beyond all belief and just wants to go home,but also from her bros own words,she knows a perfect world can never exist. This leads into the siblings getting into a huge fight which ends with Shelby in tears and beta stroking off the the purple world with the shards.

With this..Shelby snapped,going there as the siblings engage in a actual fight to the death,Shelbys already unstable magic is becoming dangerous especially since she has a Ron of prism energy in her now as her emotions are out of control,this causes multiple crystals to emerge large magical blasts and most deadly,Shelbys body literally starts to crack as all the prism energy is becoming too much for her body to contain,so beta has a choice,stick to his plan and watch his sister die,or let it go and apologize to his sister,the world and Shelbys life,is now in HIS hands.

-mod Shelby

(NOOOOOOOOO ;W;)

#mod speaks