#< tagged me on the og post so for organization

[punkeropercyjackson]

FUCK FUCK FUCK I COMPLETELY FORGOT THE ACTUAL POINT I WAS GONNA SAY ON MY 'Hobie hates cute things is a ratio ass take' POST WHICH IS Hobie expressed all his beliefs very clearly onscreen-He's anti-capitalism,he believes in solidarity between all minorities but prioritizes other black people,he's completely nonconformist and he thinks people who're considered 'super lame' are his friends by default.That's why i said Margo would get him a game emulator instead of a game console and also want to add on that if he wants merch of anything from something that's not by a small studio he just diy's copies of them and learns recipes of big food chains instead of going to the restaurants,as a black person he's obviously experienced tons of masculanization that was used as dehumanization too and again he wears a crop top and lipstick so i think it's obvious how he's decided to respond and i really doubt he'd be that close to Gwen and Miles if he thought softness and 'immaturity' are something that should be made fun of in other kids.What i'm trying to say is you guys are making Hobie out to be a trope instead of fully fleshed out representation with traits that actively contradict what he's actually like and ngl i find it insulting towards him that you guys actually think Hobie's enough of a supersized pissbaby to get whiny over not being a macho edgecase 24/7 even when the nigga literally killed a police chief at like,16 at the OLDEST,and as i will never stop saying:Canon femme,pink-coded,Dad Friend.As long as it's not shit that goes against actual punk rules,he'd do doing pretty much anything the Spiderband wants with them but they wouldn't to begin with anyway because by the time they'd gotten the chance to hang out normally he'd already radicalized them.Please,read multiple books,punk is a legit culture and pastel punks exist-Hi,it's me!!!-and i'm specifically talking about this because y'all the same slapping the punk label onto any edgelord who has disproven they are as like their arc even.THERE WE GO FINALLY Sorry,i have unmedicated adhd demons

#hobie brown #hobie brown deserves better #margo kess #margo tag #gwen stacy #miles morales #pavitr prabhakar #peni parker #< tagged me on the og post so for organization #punkflower #t4t punkflower #team dad hobie #ace hobie #trans hobie brown #transmasc or transfem or transneutral or secret fourth things you pick #unlabeled hobie brown #autistic hobie brown #mama's boy hobie #hobie is jamaican #kidcore!miles morales #pastel punk miles morales #black gwen stacy #autistic gwen stacy #catgirl gwen tag #gamer gwen #transmasc genderfluid margo #atsv #spiderman #pastel punk tag #summerposting

[garbage--account]

IE villains's motivations through the games/seasons :

Franck Wintersea : "I am just a coward who fear for his life. I didn't wanted to be involved into those soccer shits in the first place"

Ray Dark : "soccer brought shame on my father and me by proxy. I grew bitter about it, and now i am evil"

Astram Schiller : "I'm blinded by the sadness of loss of my son, killed by someone unknown that wasn't punished for this therefore. The world must suffer for this injustice"

Wyles : "I am an opportunist. I saw I could become powerful while my boss was falling, I didn't hesitate seizing it"

Zoolan Rice : "your misery increases my money"

5th sector : "our goal is to establish communism into middleschool soccer, so that every child can taste success at least once"

Protocol Omega : "by erasing soccer through History, we prevent the existence of the most powerful terrorist organization in our time"

Nugen : "we didn't chose to be mutants with superpower, the adults chose to treat us like monsters"

Ixal Fleet : "Faram Orbius destroyed our planet. We want reperation"

Scale of Ares guy (i forgot his name) : "i plan to make some gifted children the ultimate supersoldiers at my command"

Orion Foundation : "we are a philanthropic organization that only longs to make the world a better place. But in the process, some evil will be necessary"

#Inazuma Eleven #IE villains #Or rather #What i understood of them #(I didn't watch IE since a while and didn't watch Go at all but i have a general idea of what it's about) #(Don't hesitate to correct me of i am wrong) #Starting the Go era I am not naming one guy in particular anymore but corporate #while writing this #I realized that in OG era had more egoist and personal motivations #While in GO era the evil is done collectively by a group of people in a hive #They also hide more behind a altruist goal #so either people in those organizations feels like they are doing good and don't think themselves as evil #Or they are just looking for justice to be given to them #They are some characters in those who come to mind easily #But they are only doing evil in the name of whatever they are working for #I just wanted to point out this difference is interesting #I am not saying the GO villains are better than OG's or that OG's are more iconic #I just wanna show they are written differently #Post i wrote in the middle of the night instead of sleeping #Abuse of tags

[oswlld]

Show Your Coloring Before & After

was tagged by @rose-nebulijia + @laowen ♥ thank u babes

As previously mentioned, all edits are done on mobile apps. Here, I specifically wanted to focus on the raw export onto my computer before sizing/fonts are applied. SW and MARVEL caps typically have screencap galleries in 2160p, while most BL’s I cap myself are required to be 1080p or more. And the most important thing I look for, before editing, is a cap that already shows good lighting and composition. That way, the editing elevates the image.

I won’t go into detail for each edit, but I can touch on my common adjustments and then call out what additional work needed to be achieved for the final edit.

VSCO is my main app for coloring. In addition to having a better quality camera than the built-in one I have, the presets and adjustments achieve better results than other apps I used for IG. I gravitate towards exposure, white balance, vignette, and grain (rip grain 2020-2022, nothing happened but im still bitter its now a subscription feature).

At this point, I am very in tune with what I look for in my edits, so I know how to measure my adjustments and the number range for each (ex: grain ranged between 2.8 to 4.1 depending on the resolution). I now rely on Snapseed for Grain, which is under Grainy Film.

Snapseed is also my go-to app for my most recent editing style — the scratchy or film clip borders (Frames) and then the borders (Expand). If there’s a dusty film look or blurred text, they were overlays (Double Exposure). I’ve also used Perspective, Selective, and Lens Blur in past edits. And of course, text is available here but there’s a limited selection.

When I have made all the necessary adjustments, I specifically save as an Export (not Save or Save a Copy) with the final changes. I find that the Exported images from Snapseed (VSCO too) size down better than the Saved versions.

Size matters, in regards to these edits. Why? I manipulate the size down (commonly from ~1500px+ width to less than 900px), so that the grain is accentuated (and looks sharper). In the end, coloring does skew slightly underneath the grain, which gives off that photograph look moreso than the raw export. Feel free to click on the images to enlarge and see the differences close up. I didn’t mess with the sizing, so it should look slightly different than the post

Additional work for the selected edits are below the cut -

Random BB Screen Cap #12 (Frame 5) - very minimal adjustments, exposure and grain did most of the work

Anakin from Ep VI (Frame 1) - also very minimum, before the additional frame and border; white balance leans heavily on the red side of the spectrum (I think it was above 3.0) before adjusting the saturation down a smidge.

KinnPorsche/War of the Foxes (Frame 4) - I use the B5 preset for all b/w edits in VSCO; image was very mid in coloring, so I used Brush in Snapseed to “burn” the bg

Weeping Angels Set (Frame 12) - very little adjustments needed; white balance leaned more yellow for warmth, in order to work cohesively with the surrounding images; 

BB/Jane Eyre (Frame 2) - again, very little need to be adjusted; the seat lean more pink, but I needed the set to match the purple in Frame 3; white balance leans more blue

The Good Place (Frame 3) - similar to all above statements with adjustments; the additional ’scratches’ come from Unfold, another app I use frequently for this affect and others; I believe this can be found under Journals(?); I export the template and then go back to Snapseed to crop out the excess

BB Top 3 Eps (Frame 2) - Unfold again, but this is under the Paper series; if I want variety in the “folds”, I would flip the image upside down

BB Film Noir #2 (Frame 1) - the only time I used contrast and exposure to its extremes; also heavily relies on using Double Exposure in Snapseed to add in the old film effects and blurred text

Feel free to reach out if you want to know some specifics or if you want to just learn how to apps work. Will also add this to the q&a section.

tagging @mrdumpling @actually-yikes @pranpats @taeminie @loversmore @liyazaki @dingyuxi (no pressure if you’ve already done it or whatnot, i just adore you guys okay)​

#bad buddy #vishingwell #mjtag #usernuria #userkit #usertaeminie #usermor #samblr #badbuddyedit #tagged #not sure how this needs to be tagged lmao #vish i am very much like you and need to keep my space organized #i delete almost everything off my computer and phone when i am done with an edit #so too am surprised when i found the og images still on my phone #and i am very much like mj in that when use mobile for editing #gotta make due with the limitations of what's available on the apps #but i mainly add text and post on desktop #i didn't want to go into using Preview as my final step because it did nothing for Coloring so #thanks for tagging me !!

[goldensunset]

i don’t even use THAT many tags but i do use a lot of special ones that are rarely used by others/exclusively used by me and lemme just tell you it makes remembering all the right tags to use on any given post quite a hassle sometimes

#confession: for the past week i have been INSTINCTLY going to type ‘g’ as in #well i shan’t say it because then tumblr will autocorrect to these long ramble tags next time i wanna actually type it #but my pokémon violet liveblog tag y’know the one #on EVERY post i make or reblog. even if it has nothing to do with pokémon. or me #or like i’ve almost started tagging pokémon when i mean to say kingdom hearts #bc the priority slot in my brain goes to whatever i’m currently fixated on #peach rambles #THREE tags for my average pokémon scarlet and violet post with stuff i think is spoilers #at least two tags for every twewy post… my q/ueue tag for stuff that’s not a priority reblog… #it’s so hard being compulsively organized… #if i loved myself more i would start tagging kh by game instead of putting literally everything into the catchall tag #i only use specific game and character names if it’s an og post i’m trying to gain traction for

[ourflagmeansgayrights]

I absolutely love our flag means death and I love many of the blogs I follow, yours included, but I don't ever want to truly join the fandom. The blatant racism is abysmal and just a strong reminder how toxic and racist fandom culture is in general. The fact half the show is about the romantic lead is the monster legend has made him out to be, and they even like him, yet their bias can't make them actuve see a moc has anything but dangerous. The fact people stanning and apologizing unironically his toxic second mate who is more fascinating as a bad guy than a good guy. Who throw tantrums when people literally point out things within the show that happen but also act like people are insane and toxic for thinking racial stereotypes are bad. How can they literally watch the show and agree with the villian that a character who's been told who's cried and had panic attacks and is a dude bro that he doesn't deserve nice things actually doesn't and is as scary and mean as everyone says he is. How can you think that and still think youre in the right. This show is so fun and positive. These people are so fucking insane over a dumbass goofy workplace "check out this booty im hawking whip my balls pissing on boots" pirate sitcom. It's weird!! It's so weird!!!

honestly anon, that's probably a good call. i'm personally still having a blast because i've gathered a nice little circle of mutuals and mutual-in-laws whose takes i trust and whose ofmd content isnt fucking abysmal. but even then i still see Incredibly Shitty Takes on the regular. even if i turned anon off i'd still see shit if i went into the tags (which i rarely do) or if i just. tagged a post with the character that post is about. it's fucking wild

you're completely correct tho. the amount of Missing The Point Of The Entire Goddamn Show that goes on in this fandom so that people can woobify their white fave is fucking exhausting. i don't blame you for not wanting to get involved

#ask #anon #mine #ofmd fandom crit #txt #og #tbh anon this is the first show/book/podcast/movie/media franchise/etc where i've been THIS involved in the fandom #i usually do what you're doing anon. just follow a few blogs and passively consume fan content lmao #idk why exactly i decided i was gonna be more involved this time around?? #actually i dont think it was a decision. i think i only made this blog bc i wanted to hyper-organize ofmd content w all the tags #and that gets messy when i do that on my main. so i made an ofmd sideblog to reblog gay pirate stuff #this was MONTHS ago. like early april. RIGHT when the show got huge and the fandom suddenly exploded #and i always planned to write some fic for the show. but i didnt expect to be making original posts as often as i do #like if u look in my blog archive for what's tagged. “mine” or “ofmd meta” there's not a lot for the first few months #it took me a little while to like. feel comfortable sharing my opinions abt the show. #i didn't actually HAVE any original thoughts abt the show that hadn't been said better in other metas until like. idk. july??? #and once i started making more original posts that's when i started actually getting more followers and mutuals and whatnot #and i think my blog is one of the ones tumblr will suggest if you search ofmd? maybe? (anon tell me how u started following me lol) #NOT that this is a huge blog or anything but i have made a few posts that got a decent amount of notes #some metas some memes. etc etc #(ironically i haven't done much of that fic i was planning to do fhjdkhgkjdf) #so like idk when i would've been like “im not getting involved in this fandom” bc Getting Involved wasn't a single choice i made #but i was kind of there early enough that it wasn't like i was looking at this well-established fandom and thinking to myself #“do i want to get involved with that? do i want to join that fandom?” #if i had just watched ofmd NOW. man i dont fucking know #probably wouldve felt too overwhelmed by the fandom to actually do anything except reblog the occasional fanart

[abstractreign]

Start the new year off creative! Take this as a chance to ramble off some headcanons about your muse and their world! ( → unknown inquirer )

{ heya— thanks a bunch for this ask! i'm always down to expand on both my take on joshua and the lore and world-building of his own world; so here're a few pieces of information:

— the longer someone joshua knows sits around him for an extended period of time, the more likely it is he'll prop his phone up against them and use them as a phone stand.

— he can actually sing pretty well, but only if he's either extremely inebriated, or in the company of someone he's exceptionally comfortable with. otherwise, he can't bring himself to sing wholeheartedly— intentionally singing off-key or offbeat.

— aside from reading, or attempting to perfectly clear mobile rhythm game charts, another thing joshua often does to pass the time while out, is watching movies (and sometimes shows) on his phone. he always wears earphones while doing so, so one would have to ask him or get a look at his phone screen in order to know whatever it is he's watching; and what he is watching can range from episodes of anime series he enjoys to obscure, yet incredibly frightening horror films to culinary documentaries.

— locations within his version of Shibuya are referred to and known by the names designated to them in the second game — their real-world names — such as O-EAST instead of "A-East", Parco instead of "Molco", Mark City instead of "Pork City", and so on, along with the exclusion of 104 in this naming scheme.

— those on the UG — as well as on all other planes higher than the RG — don't bleed or bruise when injured; instead, they emit static exhaust from the wounded area, or experience visual distortions around it in a manner akin to monitor glitches. and for higher beings such as joshua and sanae, this is the only way in which their injuries manifest— even in the RG, if they don't think to conceal it with illusions of blood or other signs of injury.

#we're always sleeping in⸴ and sleeping for the wrong team ❯ answered ooc #maybe i'm broken⸴ but i'm not sure ❯ study #og hc post tbt. #{ there is. so much i want to discuss about my josh and his own world but i rarely have the capacity to parse any of it into #{ polished coherent posts on here #{ i have notes and i've mentioned stuff during ooc conversations yet somehow it's tricky. figuring how to partition and present what i have #{ how to organize that information basically #{ besides talking about things ooc ; often it's just easier for me to reveal stuff through interactions on tumblr #{ but revealing stuff solely through interactions leaves much of what is revealed to chance too #{ all this is to say it was really tricky deciding what i wanted to put into in this ask ;; #{ in the process of trying to answering it i wrote out a TON of hcs that i realized could be grouped together into posts revolving around a #{ single topic oop;; anyway ask to tag for the last one bc i tried not to describe things graphically but still?? #mentioned: heavenshot

[vinedvengence]

Spores and Stars

Chapter 1 - Acclimations

Chapter CW's: mentions of trauma, physical assault, potentially distressing trauma-related dialogue, night terrors/trauma related nightmares, grief, choking/asphyxiation (in a dream but still lol) A/N's in tags for background info

Vrisryn was irritable, to say the least. It had been over a hundred years since the elven druid had last felt any anxiety or fear even remotely close to the levels of stress which they’d endured throughout the last 24 hours. Circumstances beyond their control had become a theme in their life long before this, but a being abducted by mindflayers while on a routine stop in the city only to awaken on their crashing nautiloid? That definitely warranted a top 3 spot in the stories of unfortunate events which had become such a trademark experience for them.

Surviving the nautiloid crash and escaping illithid captivity was only the start to their newfound troubles. Other discomforts and concerns took form in the shape of discovering the fate that awaited those who become infected with illithid tadpoles, as well as the strange companions they had reluctantly picked up along the way—the abrasive but adept githyanki, Lae’zel; the untrusting & mysterious half-elf cleric, Shadowheart; the seemingly clumsy but endearing human wizard, Gale; and the pale, snide high-elf Astarion, who Vrisryn couldn’t help but notice hosted unnatural fangs and two inauspiciously placed puncture wounds along his neck. 

How subtle, they had thought to themselves when his dagger pressed along their neck–right before they rightfully headbutted him off of their person. Vampirism and the undead were not completely unfamiliar subjects for a druid of the Circle of Spores, and while the potentiality of being in proximity to such undead didn’t particularly phase the wild-elf, they couldn’t say for certain that the other party members would be as unbothered as they were by such a discovery. They chose to act oblivious to the matter for the time being. A notion for him to share and a trouble for another day, they figured after he had agreed to travel with the group. 

Vrisryn was not fond of being close to people, and traveling with others was a foreign concept altogether. Circle of Spore druids were particularly known for their preference of solitude, and even among their circle, Vrisryn was considered a recluse. Despite the wild-elf’s natural charisma, socializing was NOT something Vrisryn found enjoyable—let alone comfortable. They considered such things a necessary nuisance. Between the circumstantial & personal risks that forming close bonds carried for them and the fact that they had spent roughly the last century relatively alone in the wilderness, they had little reason to welcome any opportunities to grow close to people. Any form of socializing or interpersonal connection was something that they had learned to allow only when absolutely necessary.  

Vrisryn had no interest in close bonds with others. The bonds they had forged with nature and the wilderness had sustained them more than well enough the last century. Companionship with people was not something they had sought for since their youth; connection and intimacy had long-since been cast out of their mind and heart, believing that such frivolities to have been privileges long-since spent from the past. Even when it came to acquaintances within their Druidic Circle or work, they kept most exchanges to solely business-related matters; where they could name many associates, they would be hard pressed to claim any being as something even remotely akin to a friend–short of potentially Psilofyr, whom they refused to acknowledge as such. 

No—the druid had not felt any sense of true connection or understanding since the few years they had spent recovering from and adjusting to their spellscar in a myconoid colony. They had found themselves in the care of the strange creatures and the mad-mushroom deity after the traumatic loss of their prior life to the Spellplague which infected their homeland during the Year of Blue Fire. Where it stood now, they had grown to prefer solitude, and worked intentionally to maintain that detachment from others. It was a choice that had served them well both in their heart and with their druidic work. 

They didn’t see it as a sacrifice, but rather, as an act of acceptance of their own fate. Death had made it clear where they stood in the story that was their life. And who were they to disrupt nature’s holy balance by protesting death’s decision, let alone for the sake of their own selfish emotions or desires? The bitter acceptance of their circumstances had taken a long time to adopt after they had recovered from their creeping madness, but once it settled into their soul, they found them disconnected from the reverence they once held over the living, as well as life itself. Being invested in other people was a luxury and a distraction that Vrisryn could no longer afford. They had come to find that their indifferent attitude towards subjects such as death, violence, or tragedy—as well as their general interest in the macabre—tended to fend off most that dared to seek connection with them, anyway. It was easier to remain on the outskirts, misunderstood, and drifting along nature’s intended course.

Now, these damned tadpoles and their ability to psychically link any fellow infected threatened all of the security and familiarity Vrisryn had previously found through isolation.

So: irritable would be one way to describe Vrisryn’s mood as they settled into camp. The first day of traveling with others had been treacherous and wearing. Between the tadpoles themselves, the forced acquaintances (not to mention the subsequent bickering amongst them–who knew less than a handful of strangers could find one another so disagreeable), the skirmishes within the decaying temple, and the literal skeletal withered freak that had crawled out of the sarcophagus in the crypt underneath? It was safe to say that exhaustion had crept up on the druid faster than ever.

Vrisryn was also clearly weaker than they had been when they were kidnapped; the effects of their newfound tadpole infection wiping away much of their prior strength and stamina. Some cantrips and basic first level spells were all the druid could manage to produce at the moment, and it was a miracle that their Spellscar wasn’t already rearing its head given the circumstances. By sunset, a migraine had seeped its dreadful way into Vrisryn’s skull. Whether it was from their Spellscar, the tadpole’s squirming, or sheer stress and exhaustion was unclear—but it had become disorienting enough that the druid had demanded they make camp for the evening far earlier than they otherwise would wish to.

Thankfully, reprieve was found nearby at a scenic spot along the nearby river. The druid had felt suddenly lighter upon finding the idyllic strip of land, and its vantage point and the stretch of woods separating it from the main roads made it easy to feel safe within. As safe as one could hope to feel given the circumstances, at least. They had begun the work of setting up a firepit and bedrolls before any further input from their traveling companions could be made, short of an abrupt noise of displeasure from Lae’zel. Such expressions had become white noise by that point due to the frequency of such exclamations.

Vrisryn adorned a smug look while taking in the sight of their traveling companions settling into camp for the night, recalling how much they had each begged them to move on and away from the scene while they searched desperately for their own headpiece and armor once outside of the decrepit temple. Each companion had exclaimed that the search was for naught, and each had shut their mouth as Vrisryn continued to procure bags and effects that belonged to each of them. In true nature, they had found their belongings last, after four hours of increasingly frantic searching – three hours past finding Lae’zel’s, Gale’s, Asterion’s, and Shadowheart’s own possessions. It was always satisfying for Vrisryn to watch others eat their own words around them.

Afterwards, Vrisryn wandered aside the river, leaving without a word in search of a shred of privacy as their exhausted party members hitched tents, organized camp supplies, and unpacked their personal belongings from bags nearby the fire.Hiding behind the mass of rock that separated this stretch of the river from the eyes of the rest of the camp, they stared into clear water at their own dirty, knackered reflection. The druid ran a hand against the top of the cold, calm river, just barely grazing it as they said a tender thanks to the universe for the reprieve of the nature around them. Vrisryn could hear the muffled, occasional banter and bickering of their traveling companions nearby; but it was mostly blocked out by the gentle babbling sound of the river mixing with the stream of thoughts bombarding their mind. Everything felt incredibly raw after this day, and they found themselves overwhelmed with the unfamiliar sensations and the sheer weight of the emotions of it all. Their lungs and stomach felt tight and tense, and the migraine had become nothing short of excruciating. They weren’t adjusted to feeling so strongly about anything these days. Their anxiety built as the implications of the current circumstances sank into their reality.

It was most common for them to experience the symptoms and side effects from their Spellscar at night, particularly after stressful days. That being said, resting within the eyes and ears of others tonight was a huge risk. Despite their fatigue, Vrisryn worried over whether they’d be able to find any rest this evening. Typically, they were still able to restore energy from trancing as any other elf; but ever since they had retained their spellscar, they had discovered that their body required the type of sleep that human and half-elves needed. Often, this would occur after their more arduous travels, unnerving experiences, or grave wounds. They hoped to the hells and back in spite of the obvious odds that their body would not require such deep vulnerability tonight, equally fearful of if they’d even be able to settle enough to trance. If they did find reprieve only to wake their newfound companions with any of the side-effects of their Spellscar, who knows how those around them would react to such a thing? Especially given the events that had already unfolded through the day—they found it easy to assume that the best case scenario in that situation would result in being abandoned.

Usually the druid would be thankful for a chance at abandonment and its promise of sweet isolation, but the circumstances were too dire to take such risks right now. Despite their longings for solitude, they needed all the brainpower they could get if they wished to find help with this whole tadpole problem and refrain from turning into a mindflayer. There was power in numbers. Still, they all had little reason to trust one another, and these new associates would likely see no reason to stick around with someone who held such baggage and risk.

It could potentially even be fatal to show such vulnerability; particularly, in the case of the blade-happy githyanki who would likely mistake the unfamiliar Spellscar symptoms as proof that Vrisryn was transforming into an illithid and react far before clarification could be given. Astarion had all but started their introduction with a blade to Vrisryn’s throat, so they couldn’t imagine he’d be particularly willing to stick around at any sign of further risk or burden either. Though, they also felt he could be just self-absorbed enough to completely overlook any effects they’d endure through the night. Shadowheart and Gale seemed the most fond of the druid at this point, and while they had sensed a kindred spirit of sorts in each, they by no means felt they knew either well enough to place even the slightest bit of trust in their character. Abandonment was still far more likely than acceptance, and despite their nature, their wisdom of the daunting odds stacked against them made it impossible to justify any permanent disbanding from their companions for the foreseeable future. 

It’s also not as though Vrisryn could fault their companions if they did react that way in that event. The druid wasn’t particularly fond of this newfound situation either, nor trusting of those embarking on the journey with them–they too would be equally willing to cut off or cull any signs of danger or unneeded weight among the others at this point. Though, that could be the exhaustion speaking more than their actual beliefs or morals. They weren’t squeamish to the idea of violence any more than they savoured such measures. But any way they spun it, they found themselves at the same conclusion that these were still far too dire of circumstances to throw caution to the wind.

Vrisryn cupped their hands beneath the cold water, splashing it along their face as they stared out across the river, still lost in thought. The scent of vittles cooking in the fire wafted from nearby had grounded them back to the present somewhat. The sky was darkened now, with only a sliver of burnt orange-daylight left along the horizon as the speckles of stars and a bright, full moon washed across the sky overhead. The elf exhaled before stripping from their scale mail armor and washed themselves off quickly in the river, dampening their hair in the process but not bothering to clean it. Afterwards, they slipped into simple, comfortable threads that had been picked off the belongings of those they’d fought earlier in the day. Death’s blessing serves life’s purpose yet again, they thought to themselves reverently. Blessings be to the eternal cycle; may the spores of rebirth favor the fallen.

Turning from the corner of the rock, Vrisryn all but jumped out of their skin at the unexpected sight of the aforementioned skeletal enigma they had freed from the dank crypt earlier in the day standing nearby. The undead's blackened eyes stared intently at the druid, obviously having something he wished to say. Oh hells, they thought tiredly as they shook their head and sighed once more, approaching the creature with their arms crossed and a lifted eyebrow.

“We meet again, as predicted,” the undead greeted in its strange diction. “I shall be here in thy camp, for whenever thou hast need of my services.”

“Not to be rude, but… what exactly are you?” Vrisryn replied somewhat wearily.

“There are many answers to that question. None are important.”

“It’s important to me. Nature has an order, and while I have no issue with undead… Skeletons aren’t supposed to be able to talk.”

“Correct.” 

Vrisryn squinted in displeasure.

“…Are you going to explain further?”

“No.” His response was firm, with a tone cautioning to not press the matter further. 

Vrisryn narrowed their eyes at the undead before letting the subject drop with a roll of the eyes, too exhausted from the day to press the matter. He clearly wasn’t any threat, at the very least.

“What kind of services can a skeleton even offer?”

“Should thou or any of thy compatriots perish, I will cleave soul to body once more.”

This piqued Vrisryn’s attention immediately. A flicker of something between hope, excitement, and dread settled into their stomach at the prospect of such magic. The ability to retether the dead to life again, despite the circumstances? It was frowned upon within their circle to seek such channels, as it was considered an offense akin to stealing food from the mold and mycelium they worshiped. Yet, a part of Vrisryn’s heart had always hoped to find one capable of such skills… after all, if one was capable of such a feat, was there a chance that he could…?

“That’s incredibly powerful magic. Why is it so easy for you?” They questioned, failing to mask their obvious intrigue.

“Because it is my calling,” the withered man in front of them retorted matter-of-factly. “There is little else to explain.”

“You mentioned a cost. What is it?”

“A matter of coin, 200 gold, to be precise.”

“Could you… revive others, besides the companions I carry now?”

An unreadable expression passed over the wrinkled, misshapen face in front of them. Something between disappointment and understanding, perhaps even pity–though, Vrisryn themselves could not decipher the look. 

“No. The threads of fate have already woven thy story; I shall only offer aid to thy chapters' future, not those of thou’s past.”

Reality quickly settled back in where the flicker of hope had taken hold moments ago. Disappointed but not surprised, Vrisryn’s expression sobered again. They nodded curtly, wincing as their head pounded harder with the motion, tadpole squirming behind their eye, before walking away from the undead man and back towards camp. There was nothing else to say on the matter, and the being didn’t seem privy to share much else at the moment anyway.

Returning in search of food, Vrisryn found Gale was standing in front of the campfire, clearly brooding. Each companion had set up their personal spots rather efficiently. To the side, Lae’Zel had somehow managed to create or procure a whetstone and was sharpening her blade, visibly irate in her own right. Shadowheart seemed deep in a prayer or perhaps meditation, and Astarion had buried his face within some large, dusty book. Vrisryn approached Gale first, though they had only done so to obtain some of the food nearby, not for conversation.

Just as they came from behind the wizard, he let out a deep exhale, and spoke:

“Go to Hell.”

“And a good evening to you, too.” Vrisryn answered sarcastically, bemused by the unexpected greeting as they reached for a serving of their supplies. 

“Hah! You’re a good sport,” Gale responded, before beginning his tirade. 

“Go to Hell. An everyday expression. So trivial, it’s almost meaningless—but we’ve seen Hell. It’s real. And it isn’t trivial.”

Vrisryn watched the flames in silence, taking a bite of the roasted sausage and carrots they’d obtained, unsure of what to say or where this exchange was leading. Still, they stood watching and listening to Gale intently, enticed by his sullen remarks.

“Devils, dragons, mindflayers — they used to be abstracts. Pictures on a piece of paper… What a difference a day makes. Now, we have tadpoles slithering through our heads like carnivorous foeti,” Gale turned now to face the druid, heavy and worried brown eyes locking with theirs. “That’s not abstract.”

There was a profound sadness and lethargy in the man’s expression that Vrisryn could tell was borne far before the illithid experiences they shared. Despite this, the flickers of orange from the nearby fire across his face painted the wizard in a charming light, Vrisryn noted. He had a comforting, charming visage, in spite of his pessimistic words and downtrodden aura. At least everyone in this little entourage is easy on the eyes… they thought shamelessly. Little victories, I suppose.

“We’re in deep shit, Gale; I can’t argue with you on that. Brooding will get us nowhere. Action will,” they finally offered, unable to spare any words of real comfort or reassurance at the moment amidst the waves of pain shooting through them. There was a moment of weighted silence between them once more as they both stared at the fire.

“This ballet of flames invites reflection,” Gale replied after some time. “But point made; you’re right. Let’s be up with the lark – find a healer before the wee one gets hungry.” He tapped his head with a smirk, emphasizing exactly who the wee one in question was. Vrisryn winced again as their tadpole squirmed almost in response, causing further tension in their sore skull. They felt dizzy for a moment from the pain, but if Gale had noticed anything, he made no sign of it. His back was now turned to them as he cast his thoughtful gaze silently towards the fire.

Behind them, Vrisryn noticed that Shadowheart had stood up from her prayer at some point during their conversation. The half-elf was eyeing the two of them suspiciously, though she turned her head away as soon as Vrisryn went to meet her eyes. Putting aside her seemingly aloof and untrusting nature, Shadowheart had earned Vrisryn’s trust the most thus far. Clearly the feeling wasn’t yet mutual, but Vrisryn wasn’t particularly bothered by that. Maybe it was the druid’s bias for clerics due to the deep gnome–Smilvi–who had helped nurse them both physically and emotionally, during and after their creeping madness in the Underdark. 

Favoritism for clerics aside, Shadowheart had proven fairly trustworthy and sound of mind with strong, individual morals that the druid could respect. Regardless of her icy exterior, they had gotten the impression that Shadowheart harbored a secret softness, as well as some sense of care or favor for them. At the minimum, she had at least been kind & respectful. She had gone as far as to show concern over Vrisryn’s well-being when the decision to recruit Lae'zel was made. Even if it was only due to their help on the nautiloid or a need to not face the odds ahead alone, the consideration was welcomed. Plus, they could understand her wariness and respected her obvious affinity for privacy. 

Vrisryn walked in the cleric’s direction despite the beckoning of the nearby bedroll they’d laid out for the night. They figured they might as well make a round along the camp to check in with all of their company before settling down for the evening. At the very least, doing so reduced the risk of being bothered by one of them with questions or concerns later. Vrisryn doubted they’d be particularly understanding towards any disruption of the limited rest they’d be getting tonight. 

“What were you two talking about?” Shadowheart probed in an accusatory tone as they approached.

“What do you mean?” Vrisryn replied, slightly taken aback by the cleric’s tone. That wasn’t a question they were expecting. 

“You and Gale.” She clarified, casting a scowl toward the man’s direction. His back was still turned to them, lost in thought near the fire.

“We were just discussing the next steps.”

“I see,” She said, pausing for a moment to cast her glare back towards the wizard. “I’d be careful with Gale.”

“You don’t trust Gale?” Vrisryn asked, an eyebrow raised in question. The man hadn’t particularly struck them as fallacious or deceptive by any means, let alone given them any reason for concern.

“He’s a wizard. All they care about is power.” 

“Well, I wasn’t confiding in anyone. I was just talking,” the druid replied defensively, shifting their weight and placing a hand against their hip with a look. The abrasive and negative attitude radiating off each member of their party was beginning to wear on their already thin patience, and they didn’t care for others questioning their judgement. 

“So am I,” Shadowheart retorted coyly. “If we’re to survive, we need to trust each other… You seem reliable. I think you know how important it is that we find someone who can cure us. Best if we focus on that.”

“Let’s not abandon all caution,” Vrisryn warned. “This is unfamiliar territory, and there is power in numbers, Shadowheart.”

“Caution is a luxury we don’t have,” Shadowheart sighed. There was a glimmer of approval and understanding in her eyes at the response of Vrisryn’s words, however. “Let’s rest and wake up at first light.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Vrisryn replied as they walked away, shifting their attention now towards the pale elf with his head buried in a book. As they approached, Astarion clapped the book shut and tossed it on a nearby pillow. 

“You know, I’ve been thinking…” he started.

Oh, here we fucking go, Vrisryn thought, sighing and preparing themselves for this nights next batch of draining social interaction. Couldn’t they just get a short, simple exchange with one person tonight? Whatever was coming from this exchange seemed to hold promise of being particularly tiring, even more so than Shadowheart’s distrust and Gale’s sorrowful droning. Not to mention that they still had Lae’zel to check in with. 

“And I think there’s something I should tell you,” Astarion continued in a lulling tone. “Nothing big or terrible, just a… small, little detail about me that hasn’t come up naturally.” 

The pale elf moved his hands and shifted his weight in nervous contrast to his inflection as he talked, flourishing the words with his body language. Vrisryn assumed it was an attempt at either some sort of seduction, or perhaps just some form of self-soothing. His anxiety was palpable, and Vrisryn could tell he was struggling to figure out how to approach this matter delicately. If they hadn’t been so exhausted and irate, they likely would have provided more in the way of encouragement or support. It was obvious this wasn’t comfortable for him, but Vrisryn was far too spent to offer such grace to these strangers tonight. Instead, they stared directly at the elf with a firm gaze and a growing annoyance while awaiting his confession, wishing for him to get on with it and spit it out.

“It’s just that I happen to be a — ah, what’s the best way to put this…? …A vampire? A-ha!” His gray-white eyebrows were raised and pinched in anticipation, and an almost shy smirk accompanied his nervous laughter. His eyes looked similar to those of a cornered animal, waiting to see if they needed to bite.

“Well… yes. Obviously.” Vrisryn replied dryly, expression appearing unwaveringly detached and disinterested. Astarions eyes widened for a moment, brows raising, clearly taken aback by the druid’s indifference. He cleared his throat before dropping the expression and replying:

“R-right. Well. Glad we got that out of the way! So… Was there anything else?”

“Hmm…” Vrisryn pondered for a moment, looking up and to the side as their mouth pinched to one corner in thought. They fiddled with the ball of their lip ring between their teeth as they thought.

“I’ve read some texts on vampirism while studying within my circle, but I’ve always wondered how much of it was accurate. Many of the script on the subject is either riddled with obvious bias, or baseless smut. So, I’m curious – how does one become a vampire, exactly?”

“Oh, it’s simple,” Astarion drawled, still fidgeting around in those oddly flamboyant, fluid-like movements as he spoke. Something about the motions amused Vrisryn.

“Just find a vampire that will drink your blood and turn you into a vampire spawn: their obedient puppet. In theory, the next step is to drink their blood. Once you’ve done that, you’re free and a true vampire.”

“In theory?” Vrisryn probed.

“People think that the biggest threat to a vampire is a cleric with a stake,” his eyes shot to Shadowheart with a look of distaste before locking back to Vrisryn’s topaz and green eyes.

“It’s not. The biggest threat to a vampire is another vampire. They’re scheming, paranoid, power-hungry beasts,” Astarion bent at the waist here, leaning in towards Vrisryn at this point. His red eyes lowered and appeared hungry, as if to further illustrate his warning, and his arms spread around him in a sort of shrug as he continued.

“So, why would any vampire give up control over a spawn to create a competitor? Trust me. It doesn’t happen.”

“Interesting… Tell me some more about yourself.” Vrisryn demanded, their interest suddenly whetted by the first bits of vulnerability offered by any of their companions that proved to be a distraction from the tadpole still thrashing in their skull.

Astarion was entertaining to speak to so far, and somehow Vrisryn found that talking to him didn’t unnerve them as much as talking to the other party members did. Possibly, it was just a side effect of the high-elf’s apparent comfort at hearing his own voice in social exchanges–or, it could simply be because vampirism was also particularly intriguing to Vrisryn. Vampires had always seemed to them to be a new, potentially even superior form of being that tiptoed between nature’s lines of both life and death. They had been curious about the conditions and effects of vampirism since they first read about it long ago, and Astarion’s willingness to share with them had pushed aside their usual reluctance for conversation for the moment. However, Astarion’s tone had shifted apathetically and defensively at their probing. 

“What’s to tell? I was sired by a vampire named Cazador. Everything before that is so long ago it’s ancient history. And everything that came after? Well, I’d rather not reflect on it.”

“You must remember some part of your life before that?” Vrisryn questioned, unsatisfied with his lustlacker response.

“I was a magistrate, working to keep the peace in Baulder’s Gate. Imprisoning trouble makers– that kind of thing. I can’t remember much, truth be told. Centuries of torment will do that to you.”

Vrisryn had scoffed internally at the idea of this man as a judge; it was certainly believable given his attitude. Their judgment quickly resided though, as they related all too well to that last statement, and nodded once in response before continuing with their questions. 

“How were you turned?”

“I was attacked. A gang of vagrants-a tribe of wandering ‘Gur’— took issue with a ruling I’d made. They beat me to death’s door when Cazador appeared. He chased them off and offered to save me; to give me eternal life. Given that my choices were ‘eternal life’ or ‘bleed to death on the street’, I took him up on the offer.” 

Astarion looked down at the ground, his mind seeming to trail off somewhere else as he continued. 

“It was only afterwards I realized just how long ‘eternity’ could be.”

“Well,” Vrisryn responded somewhat uncomfortably. The air had turned a bit too vulnerable for their tastes now, and the bitterly sad expression on the pretty spawn left them feeling unsettled. 

“I appreciate your transparency. It, uh, may be best to keep this between us for now though, yeah? I had already figured that to be the case, but I don’t know how the others would react to the news of a vampire in our camp right now… everyone seems on edge tonight, and tomorrow will be even longer than today. We can discuss it more later; for now, let’s just focus on recharging.”

Vrisryn walked away without waiting for a response, eyes locked instead on the nearby bedroll and campfire awaiting them. However, just past the promise of reprieve, Lae’zel’s eyes burned disgruntled holes into Vrisryn’s person, causing them to shudder ever so slightly. There was no denying the gith’s menacing and intimidating aura. With another forlorn sigh, they moved towards the githyanki and prepared themselves for (hopefully) the last interaction of the evening. Vrisryn could already assume what the exchange would entail: complaints about the decision to make camp, an urging to hurry along to this crèche she kept mentioning, and a heavy dose of criticism over anything perceived to be unaligned with the githyanki’s desires.

“A monster forms inside us, and you think to be idle?” Lae’zel began to chide. “I knew your kind to be fragile, but I didn’t foresee the severity. Cease your chatter and be quick about your rest. We must locate a crèche.” “This crèche notion of yours - are you sure it’s our only option?”

“You would doubt me? I do not trust a common healer to extract a ghaik tadpole without killing its host. At a crèche, a ghustil may cleanse us - SAFELY.”

“Still,” Vrisryn countered, too tired to question what in the realms either a ghustil or crèche was.

“We’re hardly going to turn while taking a rest… are we?”

“The parasites inside us do not rest. Even as we speak, they defile our brains and warp our bones.” The strange, yellow-green irises paused for a moment, taking stock of the seemingly fragile elf in front of them before begrudgingly accepting that their alien companion indeed would need rest before they would be able to prove themselves to be of any further use to the githyanki. She flicked a hand as if to discard the thought from the air between them.

“Take your rest. I will stand watch. Should a single tentacle split your skull, I will not hesitate to end you.” Lae’zel retaliated. 

“Well, thank Ao for that.” Vrisryn muttered as they strode wearily towards the bedroll by the fire, settling into it and laying their cloak across them as a blanket. They were thankful to finally be alone with their thoughts as silence settles into the camp around them, leaving only the sounds of nature's ambience filling the cool night air.

At least no one has to worry about being bitten by the local oversized-mosquito tonight with Lae’zel keeping watch…

Vrisryn had anticipated restlessness and insomnia when they finally laid in the bedroll, especially with Lae’zel’s promise of taking watch resulting in a perpetual feeling of being watched by a predator among the rest of the camp. The druid had turned back and forth uncomfortably for hours, the tadpole exasperating the pain in their head. However, exhaustion had ultimately won over both their anxiety and the tension of their migraine. The conversations with their party had drained them far more than initially anticipated, and their body slipped easily into a meditative trance once the comfort of the campfire and stars moving by overhead lulled their eyelids shut. 

In their partially-awake state, the day’s events replayed themselves clearly and precisely. The disorientation and confusion upon awakening on the strange, fleshy nautiloid ship. The struggle to land the crashing monstrosity amongst devils, mind devourers, imps and illithids which they encountered alongside Shadowheart and Lae’zel. The intensity of the crash after; a mindflayer’s burning, hateful eyes the moment before they fell from the ship and were knocked unconscious; Shadowheart’s strange reluctance to share any information about the strange artifact she clung to. The exchange of finding Gale stuck in his portal, and the simple amusement that had stemmed from snarkily slapping his hand before helping him out of his portal; freeing Lae’zel from the tiefling’s trap, despite her refusal to thank them; exploring the abandoned temple on the hillside, and the fight with those who had taken hold within. Then, the experience of meeting Astarion.

Unbeknownst to Vrisryn, their enervation had caused them to slip into a full slumber by this point. While their mind replayed the event, their subconscious twisted from a mere trance into a full sleep as a dream subtly wrapped around their mind. 

“Hurry, I’ve got one of those brain-things cornered!” Astarion called out from the cliffside in their dreamstate. “There, in the grass. You can kill it, can’t you? Like you killed the others?”

“Kill it yourself - you look capable enough.” Vrisryn felt their lips form dryly, mouth parched and chapped from the dehydration and stress of the day, the scent and taste of smoke from the crash overpowering their other senses. They were still wounded from the last three “brain things” they had encountered in the ship below and didn’t feel particularly inclined to help any more stragglers along the road. They were hungry, thirsty, lost, and irritable, and had shrugged carelessly at the pale elf before they turned to continue along the path in the opposite direction. As they moved, they thought to themselves how the dirt looked suddenly and unnaturally fluid; strange. Different. Wrong… What’s happening?

“Oh, and I was so hoping for a kind soul. Well, not to worry!” Astarion spoke snidely. 

In a blink, Vrisryn felt a cold arm hook around their neck and yank them in a swift motion to the dirt alongside the stranger. They struggled against him with a grunt, head panging from the impact, and attempted to sit up as a dagger was pressed near their throat in retaliation of the movement. The rouge had used a knee to pin down their weight near their calf, locking them firmly and uncomfortably in his grasp. Vrisryn glared from under him nastily as they felt the same flash of panic overtake their whole body as it had earlier; this sensation was familiar, and while few would be calm with a blade pressed to their throat, Vrisryn had a uniquely personal reason to feel anxiety at the situation. The thought crossed their mind that this seemed far too vivid of a sensation for a normal trance, but before much more could be considered on a subject, they were pulled back to the dream.

They felt their head cloud with the sudden flashback to the last time they’d been in this situation; this was a stranger, but then, it was someone important. Someone close. A swell formed in their throat, which began to close around itself as their heartbeat quickened and a cold sweat broke across their flesh, body shifting into fight-or-flight. The slightest noise akin to a whimper left them as they struggled against him, attempting to roll out from underneath him quickly; but their movements were too frantic, too predictable. Astarion pressed them down more firmly with a hushed “Tsk!”, bringing his face closer against their lowered, pointed ear. 

“Shhh, not a word. Let’s try to keep that lovely neck of  yours in one piece, hmm?” He lulled, his breath and lips brushing ever so slightly above their ear.

“And YOU - keep your distance,” he spat towards Gale and Shadowheart, who were watching the events unfold with their hands atop their weapons. “No need for this to get messy.”

The events began to warp here; and deeper in Vrisryn’s subconscious, they felt the offputting sense that this was no longer simply a trance’s replication of their day, but rather something else entirely. If it had still been a trance, Shadowheart would have interjected here before Vrisryn inevitably headbutted the vampire off of their person and discussed things more civilly. Regardless, the subconscious awareness that this was not how the events had actually transpired did little to rouse Vrisryn from the distorted sleep. Instead, the pale elf in their mind nicked a part of Vrisryn’s neck, causing a pearl of blood to trickle down their throat as the features on the pretty elf’s face began to blur and morph unnaturally.

“Though, making a mess seems to be your specialty, darling. And to simply give you freedom is certainly more generous you’ve been towards others, isn’t it? Even death would be far too merciful for you, you wretched traitor.” 

Vrisryn’s heart sank as their eyes attempted to focus on the shifting presence over them; Astarion’s curled, white locks had changed shape, sprawling far past his shoulders, morphed and shifting to a familiar walnut shade; his red irises now became amber, and previously palled skin was tanned and peppered with freckles and thick, plush fur. The voice speaking to them had shifted as it spoke as well. It was familiar, but different – deep, loud, and certainly not Astarion’s.

Treolam, their mind cried in realization. Their dream self had formed the name around their mouth to speak it at the same time, but no noise came out with the movement. Wetness pricked at the inner corners of their eyes, and their blood ran cold.

“What could you possibly have to say to me, my sweet slaughterer; my corrosive consort! Come back to tell me how my elders were right about you and your allegiance!?” 

The apparition spoke harshly, but it sounded crude and particularly corrupt among the warm, playful, almost loving tone of the satyr’s voice. Tears began to spill from the druid’s eyes at the sight of him–in the dream as well as the waking world–and they struggled against the grasp atop them, reaching in an attempt to place a hand along the man’s bearded face to no avail. The pressure atop them was sharp and heady, and Vrisryn made a pathetic gasp as the blade cut a bit more into their neck, leaving little rivers of blood spilling from their skin. Suddenly, a thick ooze began to crawl across amber eyes above them in twisting, thorny patterns; first appearing as a bright-blue but then shifting to black, darkening them. A warped, wide smile was plastered on his otherwise pained expression. 

“I thought you wanted to see me again, Vris! Do you know the trouble I went through to find you here? Amuremsis bet me I couldn’t find you again, and I bet you thought you lost me again, huh? Oh, little love, I told you before! So long as the fey runs wild, I will always be able to find a way back to you.” 

Vrisryn choked at the reminder of these words; the precious and private promise he had sworn them in their youth was now being twisted and contorted in a foul meaning by this apparition. Yet, it felt so real; he felt so real. Vrisryn could smell the woody musk of him, feel the wirey yet plush fluffs of fur on his arms, limbs and torso against their flesh, see every freckle and callous against his leathery skin. Their heart ached to hold him, to kiss him, even in spite of his cruel words and the blade against their throat. 

“Treolam, I–”

“Shhh shshsh, you have to listen, little lamb, NO SPEAKING,” he interrupted, dropping the blade in favor to wrap both his hands around Vrisryn’s neck in a chokehold that silenced them with a whimper. The placement of his grip threatened to block and even crush their airways completely, lest they remain still where they laid in the crook of the satyr’s elbow. 

“It’s so important you follow these instructions! You don’t want to lose me again, do you? You still want and trust me, DON’T YOU?” 

The entirety of his eyes had glazed over with a slick blackness now; tears of blood streamed down his face and dripped along Vrisryn’s cheek as he placed himself directly atop them, pinning them fully into the earth beneath them, which had become the consistency of a thick fluid and sank beneath their weight. It had the same sensation of sinking into mud or quicksand. He removed one hand which now was smeared in Vrisryn’s blood, replacing it with the dagger once more before issuing his commandments.

“You can never forget me, you can never forget what you did. YOU killed us, all of us! You left me, and you failed to protect anything you loved. You always will, you know this. STOP LYING TO YOURSELF THAT IT WAS OUT OF YOUR CONTROL! You killed us all–your kin, your clan, your home. You broke us! You destroyed us! You ABANDONED us! You let me and Amuremsis go–you should never forgive yourself for what happened. You can never escape this. We will haunt you fore-”

Suddenly, the crackle of a firelog buckling into the embers of the dying fire back in reality jolted Vrisryn from their slumber. Their eyes shot open, and for a second they remained still and rigid, as if the apparition from the dream still had them in his chokehold. Cold air highlighted the wet tears streaking their cheeks, and their chest moved with heavy, short breaths. After just a moment they realized that it had been a nightmare, and their hands shot towards the sides of their head frantically; feeling for the all-too-familiar halo of the static, icy sensation which they’d come to associate with the activation of their spellscar. Their fingers met only flesh though, and they exhaled the breath they had subconsciously held with relief before glancing around camp to get their bearings. Lae’zel was still up, keeping watch as promised, though she had been turned towards the surrounding woods rather than towards the party at the moment. No one else was awake yet. 

Luck is on my side tonight, they thought. 

They couldn’t have rested for more than three hours. Typically, they would want to trance for another hour or two to feel fully rested–but despite the nightmare which always accompanied their body’s affliction with sleep, they found themselves fully awake. Their migraine had faded to a dull, hazy feeling, which was uncomfortable but bearable. Their body still felt heavy, though Vrisryn felt that had far more to do with their nerves about being in the company of others and the tadpoles in their head than anything else. The others were still asleep, and based on the coloring of the sky and the stars’ placements, dawn was not far off–two hours at most.

Regardless, Vrisryn knew rest of any sort would be lost to them now, and they opted instead to take this chance for some well-deserved solitude before their companions awoke and their adventure began once again. Pulling the sack of camp supplies close, they reached for another log to add to the dwindling fire, as well as some bread and cheese to curb their appetite. They wiped the remnants of the nightmare induced cold sweat off with their shirt before switching back into their armour and walking to where Lae’zel stood watch. 

“Do githyanki not need sleep? I can watch until everyone else is up, if you want to rest a little.” Vrisryn offered genuinely, their raspy voice morphing into a yawn at the end of the question. Though it was extremely subtle, Vrisryn could detect the faintest expression of exhaustion on Lae’zel. 

“Tch’! There is no need for rest in the astral plane–sleep is considered a triviality in a realm where time ceases to exist.“ A small sigh escaped her mouth after the claim, giving proof to her own exhaustion.

"Though I admit that it seems my body will need sleep in this Fay-run. I accept your offer; but do not think me to be vulnerable. Even in sleep, I shall wake to tear you from navel to neck should you provoke such a need.”

“I don’t think anyone here wishes to raise your ire, Lae’zel. Go - rest. I’ll just be scouting the area nearby.” The druid shifted into wild shape before Lae'zel could respond, assuming the form of a red-coated wolf.

Lae’zel had looked befuddled for a moment, and Vrisryn considered that they may have never witnessed someone use wild shape before. Regardless, she walked away with another “Tch,” before settling into a bedroll within her tent. Vrisryn was starting to become more and more unbothered by the githyanki’s mannerisms and threats, figuring it was just the only way that she knew how to communicate. She was not the first gith Vrisryn had encountered, and what little Vrisryn could recall of the Githyanki’s alien culture was not for the weak of heart or stomach. The others the druid had met first hand were far more provokable and venomous than Lae’zel seemed, at least. 

It would be unfair to expect their companion to be anything but what they are. As they had told Shadowheart at the start of this, dangerous company was exactly what you needed in a fight – and Vrisryn had no qualms with the blunt or brutal nature of their companion, given what they appeared to be up against. It would just take time to grow accustomed to such aggressive reception, especially during such early hours. 

The elf turned their attention now to their surroundings, sniffing the air in their new form. The heightened senses from the wolf-shape flooded their mind with various sensations and impulses. No danger, though; nothing but prey. The instinct of their wolf form took over, and the higher parts of their mind figured they’d earned some down time to enjoy the canine form. It was comforting to be in wild shape, blending into nature fully and thoughts of tadpoles, illithids, healers, and the uncertain road ahead blurring as a new purpose took over: a hunt. The wolf was easy to be lost to, and Vrisryn particularly favored this form when they felt the urge to run. 

It was the perfect form to take for this morning, where the need to vacate their current surroundings and the company inhabiting it had itched as uncomfortably under their skin as the tadpole did from behind their eye. Even in wild shape, they could feel it; though, the instinctual pull towards the hares, boar, and deer inhabiting the woods around the camp and the hunger in their stomach helped to detach from the sensation and its accompanying thoughts. Wide, heavy paws hit the ground in a full sprint and hot air panted from the canines mouth. A flood of scent washed in, and in spite of the worries that Vrisryn hosted, the wolf version of them hopped around delightedly, a playfulness taking over the form they now inhabited.

The druid spent the next hour and a half hunting in the woods surrounding the camp; though, they released each prey they caught. They felt no hunger for food, only for relief this morning. In wolf form, it was easy to let worry melt away and enjoy the innately optimistic nature it offered. They had nearly lost track of time frolicking with a fawn when they noticed the orange sunlight creeping halfway up the horizon. With a whine and a yawn, they shook their thick coat and stretched their form lazily. They allowed themselves a quick roll in the dirt, and after a few playful sneezes as well as a friendly nuzzle against the fawn they'd been playing hide-and-seek with, they began their trek towards camp. For the first time since they'd embarked that morning, they took their time walking along the woods.

Everyone back at camp had woken and began packing their belongings, eating, and bickering once more. Vrisryn's wolf-heart panged with an urge to run away, to return to the solitude and comfort of the woods nearby; but their higher logic still won in spite of it. As they returned towards their belongings, Shadowheart caught sight of them first; and to Vrisryn's surprise, the cleric gasped, grasping at one of her hands suddenly and looking utterly... frightened.

Granted, Vrisryn did forget that not everyone was used to wild animals just walking up on them. They shook themselves out of the wild shape, lifting themselves from the dirt and brushing off the debris before locking eyes with a now very-relieved Shadowheart.

"Sorry - I forgot you hadn't seen me in that form yet. I always forget that most people are intimidated by the presence of wild animals," they contended.

Shadowheart threw her gaze up and to the side, thick plaits swaying behind her shoulder with the movement as she scowled.

"It's fine, though I almost sent an arrow your direction. Best warn me next time you intend to take such a form."

Vrisryn nodded, and moved towards their bag to organize their supplies for the day and begin planning what direction they would embark in next. Lae'zel was rushing them each to hurry up, and Astarion was complaining loudly about having to start traveling so early. Gale was barely awake yet, sleepily munching on food and seemingly tuning out all else.

It appeared it was going to be a long day indeed.

to be continued...

#bg3 fanfiction #bg3 tav #bg3 tav fanfic #uhhh honestly i have NO idea how to tag this so LMAO #bg3 #vrisryn #my character #my writing #idk why i'm adding tags for anything other than my own blogs organization but i'm doin it anyways #bg3 vrisryn #^ usin that tag just incase something crazy happens n people actually read this or sumn lol #A/N this was extra fun to me bc the whole astarion confessing to being a vampire on the first long rest ACTUALLY fucking happened to me lma #A/N it was very clearly a glitch and happened on my reload (my og run w vris corrupted) but it humored me so much i finally was like #A/N alright fine i'll fucnk write this shit!!!! fine!!!! #A/N i've wanted to start actually posting my work about vris somewhere for a hot min now so i figured i might as well throw it here #A/N like ahhh yes a sideblog dedicated to vris the perfect place to infodump into the void #A/N who knows maybe one day someone other than me will read it too lol #A/N also i like the idea that lae'zel did actually notice that vris was like crying/distressed in their sleep #A/N but she ignored it thinking it was simply like a show of weakness and was disgusted by it rather than thinking it was the tadpoles LOL #my posts #spores and scars #spores and scars ch1

[ghoulishfrk]

PAIRING — WARNINGS — WORD COUNT!

〘 Matt x Reader x Mello | None! | ~ .5K words 〙

MASTERLIST !! PINNED POST 🎧💿

ੈ ✮ ˳ Lulus Notes :: Repost from my og account. This one was requested

✩°｡ Tagging :: @deathnotenjoyer (og requester)

You worried about Matt and Mello a lot. It was obvious to anyone that their habits were barely healthy and that they’d probably be dead already if someone hadn’t been there to help them. Matt was extremely cocky and laid back, which often led to mistakes, while Mello had a rather short temper and hated having people questioning him.

But right now, all you cared about was going to bed. You had been up for days having to plan with Matt and Mello and having to deal with everyone. At this point, you were sure you’d snap if something bad happened. Mello sat on the sofa to your left reading something while eating chocolate while Matt sat by your right playing one of his games and chewing on tobacco.

“I’m heading off to bed now.” You said while organizing the papers strewn over the table into a nice pile.

“Alright, goodnight Y/N,” Matt replied without looking up from his game. Mello just let out a hum of acknowledgment while he kept reading. You then left off to your room with your stuff.

Once in your room, you dropped everything on your table and changed into your sleepwear. You then lay in bed and drifted off to sleep.

During your sleep, you felt something nudging you and then laying next to you. You let out a quiet groan as you slowly opened your eyes. The first thing you saw was a head of brown hair. Once your brain woke up, you processed that Matt was laying on your bed and hugging your waist while his head lay on your chest. You let out a silent chuckle, to which Matt dug his head deeper into your chest. You ran your fingers through his head then laidlaid a kiss on the top of it.

A few minutes later, your door opened again and light edpoured through it. You slightly turned your head to see who it was and saw Mello out of his usual leather outfit and in a much more comfortable cotton shirt and sweatpants. He then walked up to you and Matt and sat on your bed.

“So he got here before me, huh.” He mumbled.

“Yeah, he’s been herehere for a while.” You replied, keeping your voice down so as to not wake Matt up.

“Lucky bastard, he got the best spot,” Mello grumbled to which you let a quiet giggle.

“Come and cuddle with us Mello,” You looked at him, “It’s weird without you.”

“Alright, alright, quit nagging me.” He replied. He then laid down behind you both and snuggled into your neck. You smiled at him, “I know you love us anyway.”

© all rights are reserved to @ghoulishfrk. Do not steal, modify, copy, and/or repost my works anywhere.

#˚₊‧ 📓 lulu writes ໒꒱ #˚₊‧ 📓 fic ໒꒱ #˚₊‧ 🎧 Death Note ໒꒱ #x reader #death note #death note x reader #mello x reader #matt x reader #mello x matt #mello x reader x Matt #poly reader #anime x reader

[instantpansies]

and so it begins

First Chapter!!! Most Recent Chapter!!!

as we all know, Perry the Platypus won the @hellsite-hungergames and killed @hellsite-hall-of-fame.

the first polls, in which you people chose: - third person - author's notes in the middle of text - weird epithets to denote speakers - smirking

i'll be working on the first few chapters as i have time and releasing them one by one on ao3. my user is twenty_four_manticores and i'll be releasing this fic under the pseud instantpansies!

example of what we can all look forward to here. (holiday special sneak peek here)

current ship names in running: Pellsite, Perrysite, S.W.C.N. (Ship Without a Cool Name) - compiling a suggestion list and will run again with new options in a bit. round one poll

giving perry a tragic backstory here and here.

y'all decided i shouldn't refamiliarize myself with the og hunger games here.

messing with povs, decided here.

capital building doorway message here

i'll be releasing additional polls throughout the writing process to really crowdsource this fic. it'll be so much more authentic that way. they'll be released at random times but i'll have a featured tag on my blog with all the posts related to this fic. updates will follow.

finally, i will be open to all suggestions at any point! if we have a lot of people asking for things i'll make a poll! tell me what you want and i'll make an effort to get it in there, no promises though.

guidelines: hellsite-hall-of-fame has asked to keep this fic relatively sfw. while there will obviously be some violence and MCD, we're keeping this strictly smutless. pg-13, people, i'm rating this fic T on ao3!

tags to search on my blog if you only want to see fic content: - #enemies to lovers angst hurt no comfort 200k hellsite hall of fame x perry the platypus (all) - #the fic (all) - #LORE (things i might add later/won't be in the story but might help add some texture as i'm writing. mainly stuff from blogs involved acting in-character) - #hellsite hall of fame - #perry the platypus - #hellsite hunger games - #fic polls (if you only want to see polls) - #fic suggestions (anything y'all give me to work with that isn't in a poll!) - #chapter announcements

also, all pnf/mml/hng/etc posts are organized under #dwampyverse, not their own individual tags (except perry the platypus and dr doofenshmirtz)

disclaimers below cut

please note: i am a student with a ridiculous schedule and adhd. i make absolutely no promises to update this fic in a timely fashion.

fair warning: i've written fanfic before on my main pseud (twenty_four_manticores). i don't write smut but i occasionally write ~weird~ things. if you have a problem with any of my writing i don't care, send anon hate right here on tumblr dot com and i'll defend myself (or not) as i see fit.

what the hell am i doing. i write oneshots. i don't have the attention span for this. oh no. oh no

#fanfic #fanfic writing #ao3 #writing #here i go making my funny stories #enemies to lovers angst hurt no comfort 200k hellsite hall of fame x perry the platypus #perry the platypus #hellsite hall of fame #enemies to lovers angst hurt no comfort 200k hellsite-hall-of-fame x perry the platypus #(there are two different tags and its so frustrating lmao) (standard is no dashes)

[arcielee]

Let's spread some positivity! Tag some of your fellow content creators here and let them know why they are absolutely amazing!❤️

Okay, so I am relieved because I got two of these anons 💜 This will be some of my HotD favorites and forgive me if anyone slipped my mind. I just love reading the talent that floods my dashboard... and I let this sit in my drafts for fucking weeks because I hated the idea of forgetting someone.

So, just consider this just a few of my favorites, part 1. 😅

Anyway, Read More to save dashboard space!

@sylasthegrim I was obsessed with your work on ao3 and you were so gracious with every inane comment I left on your every chapter, every story posted. Love is a Downfall was one of my first HotD fanfics I read and I was a woman obsessed. Thank you for being so wonderful. 💜

@hamatoanne You are one of my og Tumblr kindred spirits and I have loved every story you have shared with us. Your writing is brilliant and gets better with every new piece you share. You have this brazen fearlessness with your words that I adore, and you are one of the sweetest people I know on this hellsite. 💜

@squirmhoney I just adore you writing style, the palpable tension you create in a one-shot or a series, just the raunchy deliciousness that leaves me clutching my damn pearls. 💜

@lonnson I truly adore your artwork, your writing, and your wit. The gods have truly favored you with your apparent talent (but also us, since you are so kind to share with us your writing and art) and I feel lucky to call you a Tumblr kindred spirit. 💜

@myfandomprompts Your humor has me cackling like a loon. I love your stories, your gifs, your random posts that have me a grinning fool. I love getting glimpses for whatever will come next, just blessing my eyeballs with your brilliance. 💜

@theoneeyedprince I love your prose and your pacing to create a narrative that allows me to just disappear from the real world. Your Aemond is just perfection and you are a gem. 💜

@inthedayswhenlandswerefew Maggie's Suffering Sundays are one of my favorite things. Your story telling has made me into a lifelong fan and I will literally read anything that you create. (Case and point, me in my Ben Hardy era.) 💜

@theromanticegoist Your talent, your prose literally breathes life into me. You have a flow to your words that reads like a dream and every piece posted is my comfort fic. Thank you. 💜

@myfandomprompts Your creations, your stories are some of my favorite. I know your talent is not limited to HotD (thank the gods) but you are just so truly wonderful and it must be said. 💜

@barbieaemond Your creations, from gifs to stories, are some of my favorites on this hellsite. I adore your brilliant brain and everything that comes from it. Your humor and wit have me cackling maniacally and I don't give a damn who hears it. 😂💜

@chattylurker Your reblogs bring me to life and your tags have everything so organized. You are a true gem in this fandom. 💜

Some of my favorite writers include: @aemonds-fire @evermorre @solisarium @sapphire-writes @namelesslosers @hightowhxre @lovelykhaleesiii @fan-goddess @dreamsofoldvalyria@dcmnatio @st-eve-barnes @lauraneedstochill @fairysluna @humanpurposes @farity @jacevelaryonswife @marthawrites @devthlyangels @zae5

Those whose art takes my breath away @cyeco13 @slytherincursebreaker @bluecoffeebeanz @paintb0x @anamiguelmendes @azperja (but their writing is also just as brilliant!)

#☆ arcie's fic recs #i love my talented tumblr kindred spirits

[liloinkoink]

Lamplight AU

What is Lamplight? Short answer, a DnD/Fantasy Third/Last Life Renchanting AU!

Long answer, here’s 20 Questions, the ficlet meant to introduce the concept.

Medium answer, Ren is a powerful god stuck in the form of living fire. Martyn is his sole follower. Martyn and Ren help free one another from imprisonment by the Watchers and are now traveling the world on a two-man adventure of fond companionship and occasional arson.

This AU has been written as I feel like it with absolutely no regard for chronology. If you have any questions about it feel free to ask! I also have a tag for it, “lamplight au,” which is where any writing, asks, or art go.

I’ll update this post with writing and art as it happens. Writing is organized chronologically, art is organized by artist and as it’s posted.

This AU was planned with the help of @/unexpectedly-haunted, whose designs for Martyn and Ren are linked at the start of the art section!

You can also find an archive of Lamplight on my writing blog, @driflew, under the same tag.

[AU itself is platonic, but ship content gets made for it occasionally]

[Please do not spam the chats or the askboxes of Martyn, Ren, or anyone else with talk of this fic! Don’t need to annoy anyone with it, thank you!]

Lamplight writing

(for any works posted on both ao3 and tumblr where there are differences in content, consider ao3 the ‘correct,’ ‘updated,’ or ‘canon’ version. The AO3 versions are better, edited for quality, pacing, and often with extra bits not found in the tumblr versions)

The AO3 series with all works can be found here.

[If you enjoy Lamplight, I have a kofi? Please don’t feel the need send me anything excessive! The option to tip simply exists if you enjoy the series and are feeling generous.]

Canon

Torchlight Arc

Torchlight

[Torchlight short fic: Ren POV] [this scene is also on Ao3, in Moonlight ch2]

Heliography (multi-chapter, complete)

[tumblr preview scene, incl in Heliography ch1]

Lamplight Arc

Strange Traveler (ao3) (tumblr)

From Here to There (incl 20Q and other scenes)

Incident at the Sleeping Hound (ao3) (tumblr)

Winter's Herald (ao3) (tumblr)

Moonlight Arc

Moonlight (multi-chapter, in-progress)

(ch one is also on tumblr, but significant edits were made when it was moved to ao3. i’m leaving the first version here unchanged, just for fun, but be aware it’s different)

Non-Canon

worship the ashes (ship, noncanonical)

featherlight (Treebark Week D2: Light/Dark. ambiguous on both the ship status and the canonical status… anime filler arc status lmao)

somniphobia (ship, noncanonical) (og version is also on tumblr, a fic from taking treebark Lamplight requests: Ren doesn't sleep)

Heat Haze (Treebark Week D4: Warmth/Breeze) (ship, noncanonical)

the only place i don't feel cold (Treebark Week D3/4: Build/Burn, Infernal/Divine) (ship, noncanonical) (og version is also on tumblr, a fic from taking treebark Lamplight requests: God of...)

Leaflight Series (Lamplight Roleswap) [ask about the Leaflight concept]

Cover Me in Roses

Ficlet of a different Lamplight offshoot

Other Writers

Help with plotting the AU has come from my friend Haunted, whose contributions to design, plot, and general function as a rubber duck have been greatly appreciated

Series

Desert Duo subplot series by @/cosmicretribution (Haunted's designs)

crystalline

Boat Boys subplot series by @/boatboysrowout

i said fuck it long ago

Canon-divergent horror series by @/sixteenth-days

so no head?

Oneshots (non canon)

the heart of the pyre by Zeph

striking steel by Apollo

Lamplight Art

if you want to draw Lamplight art, go ahead! i would love to see it! @ me and/or Haunted and i’ll put it here! if i don’t see it, send me a message! and be sure to check out these artists’ work and show them some love!

Haunted’s Lamplight Official™ Martyn design

Haunted’s Lamplight Official™ Ren design (ft. Martyn)

Haunted's Lamplight animatic, FIRE--this is an animatic for the latter half of the fic Torchlight and is really cool!

I hit the fucking link limit so the rest of the art can be found HERE

#lamplight au #lew library #top hits

[bubblepopsims]

Who are your favorite simblrs to follow/interact with? I’m talking cc creators, builders, cas content, story tellers, anything in the sims world

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ! I CAN GET BEHIND THIS! i will try my best not to go off topic.. but most likely it will, i apologize already now XD. number 1. YouTube wise HANDS DOWN right now is KUREHA on YouTube if you don't know .click on her name.. be blessed with a Sims series that gives you all the spice you need. FUCKING KANA HANA..... you have cute fucking sims, a great story, and some spice and sweetness all wrapped up into one. i am inspired by them. 2. Plantsimgirl... the ambient builds that they build UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH they are so cozy and amazing and ughhhhhhhh ! just go look. i have fallen asleep to their videos before because i was just so relaxed... and calm and gosh they are such an incredible creator... 3. i have watch this gal since she started XD and yes i love watching lets plays of pretty much anything. but Aurora. Og fan i love and loved all her lets plays.. i love that she loves the sims 3 the most. its honestly just great. 4. story wise i am going to have to say @rebouks (brynn and wyatt have me in a fucking choke hold dude...) , @theosconfessions (which i really want to sit down and start fully from the beginning again because mmm i love) @ you, i am enjoying seeing you, where you are taking your decades challenge honestly and I'm not just saying that because you asked me.. but because i mean it. its fucking cool i could never. I am too lazy to stay in one decade XD including doing a whole-ass challenge nope .. i could barely get through not so berry gen 1 okay XD, you are awesome. there is probably more OHHH I JUST STUMBLED UPON THEM ! @ladykendalsims i sat up all night the other night just reading XD its also so appeasing to the eye and the fact it has occults DONE. (Sorry for the random tag XD but I like what you are putting down.) 5. seeing stories and just posts of sims or oc wise fucking @fl0pera who quite frankly handles my shenanigans very well XD and joins me in it. (Ultimate choke hold) ( check out our group chat) LOL I’m sorry I am treating this like a fucking interview 🤣🤣🤣 Jesus anyway.. Just she is fucking awesome and if you don't know her you should! also look at the beautiful sims she makes, all-around panty droppers. This brings me to fucking @plumbewb THAT BEAN IS SUCH a CUTE FUCKING BEING... that beanie's sims give me life in the best chaotic way, they are outspoken and I LIVE FOR ITTTTTT! Special shout-outs of people I love seeing On my dash but don’t interact with XD I just appreciate and respect what these people are putting down, from the story, to cc, to sims showcases, to just organic.. "i do what I want, this is my page" vibe. The energy... as corny as it sounds is there for me when I look at their creative brains serving out these killer things. I respect them and truly find it so cool that there is a platform where I can watch people like this create such fucking AWESOME SHIT.. because if I remember we are all playing a life simulation game XD and LOOK how we all use it so differently so uniquely. I FUCKING LOVE IT! i love all you fucking nerds @minaevesmoths @onestormeynight @nightlifeseries @cakepopsimss @softplumbs @lowvintagesims @lazyteapot @leosims4 @simandy @thebramblewood @cuddlewhim @1-800-cuupid , Sims4Life, @simsply4 , @pixelvibes @birdietrait

#i just enjoy being here that all

[itsyagurlchip]

HIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIIIII BAPS YOU AROUND BAPS YOU AROUND BAPS YOU AROUND TACKLES YOU INTO A PILE OF PLUSHIES AND SKITTERING AWAY /AFF

COMING BACK BECAUSE I WANT TO TALK TO YOU AND I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH HIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIIIIIIII!!!!!

aha. i see... the post you tagged me in.... AND I SHALL DELIVER!!! kitty-delivery is at your service!!!!!!!!!!!! MYUHUHUUUUUU AWAWAWAWAAAAA (≧▽≦) (≧▽≦) (≧▽≦) (≧▽≦) (≧▽≦)

OKAYOKAYOKAY— so!! hmmmm.... what's up with gasty boy? what's gonna happen now that he's actually present and existing instead of scattered across everything everywhere all at once?? he's giving mad scientist but how far does the mad scientist go????? i'm interested in him 'cause i don't think i've ever read a sans au fic like this where the OG gaster was there too and i love the way you write them all!!!!!! or if you wanna do something else,, take this as an opportunity to infodump about anything you want!!!!! WAVE EMOJI WAVE EMOJI LOVE YOU CHICHIIII!!!! (≧▽≦)/ (≧▽≦)/

HAI KITTY <3333 SEEIN YO GUYS ALWAYS MAKES ME SMILE :) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

alright, you already know that he's a mad scientist, but as i've said before, he's morally gray, which means a lot of things don't deter him of completing/doing experiments.

which is why the lil 'oopsie daysie' happened with machine, and that's why there are alternates at the manor.

sans and papyrus, at the least, are pissed about it. but this discovery makes gaster's nerdy big boy brain hyperfixate on anything relating to the topic of alternative universes (humans in this universe dont have much research about it other than the occasional movie that makes you think, and the theories.)

and if i go further into this id spoil some of the plot (which i already did enough of) sooo, lets think of some hypothetical scenarios and headcannons!

id say that reader (you) would get into the lab a lot. and while you can be a great lab assistant, lets be honest, you touch too much shi 💀💀

gaster would have this thing where he'd put you in he corner for 5 minutes before letting you interact with the work again.

when i think of gaster's experiments, not only do i think of vials of dangerous liquids, but i also think of a SHIT ton of notes just neatly organized into notebooks on a metal shelf

a lot of the pages are more about ramblings and tiny details rather than general info

so if you try to read it, please get some context dear.

i know most ppl have the headcannon that sans gets his sleepy eepies from his dad, but he completely developed that on his own

gaster has a schedule set to where he sleeps for 8 hours, and only has 3 hours of free time.

which means if you see the other 13 hours blocked on his schedule he will not acknowledge you unless you are helping him progress

Going back to his interests, i think his favorite part about science are the details that most people miss that just really bring the whole theory together into a fact.

bro prolly has some national scientist awards and threw that shi straight into the trash.

its not that he isnt proud of his achievements actually, not at all.

he just doesn't need someone else, better yet a human to tell him so

so he tries to ignore the public despite their incessant please for his presence ✨

Since gaster actually exists, he is still labeled as the royal scientist, despite not being apart of a monarchy anymore, and does favors for the king when the curiosity allows it.

I want him to be a grandfather figure, who rambles on about success in life, who is also emotionally repressed, who also takes many risks that a man his age shouldn't.

his ideas and experiments are very "out of the box" per say. Like, if you told him you cant see souls at all (which is most likely gonna happen) dudes gonna strap you down and ignore your cries of pain as he extracts the your soul from your chest. poking and prodding at it to compare it to a monster soul.

i mean, he has the real thing now! no need to rely in outdated textbooks and theories right? why not test it for himself? and if you resent him for the rest of your life for it, he would tell you how lucky you are to still be alive and that he got what he wanted without losing a "potential specimen".

which makes you wonder what other lives has gaster been liable for??...oh well!

And noowwww back to the reader!

since reader is now gonna be a big part of his life- he'll allow certain things to slide. as you live more and more with him and the gang, he'll call you assistant or human and not by your real name.

i dont think gaster would spend much time around you during his scheduled hours (he kicks you out half the time)

but during his free time, and since you're human, he is very curious.

he asks about you, what it's like being a human female, what makes your skin darker than other humans, and why'd you conjoin your hair-

just lots of general questions about your appearance and how humans literally dont use INTENT at all.

and yes, INTENT, DETERMINATION, ATK, LOVE, and much more terms from undertale will be used in this fic. so i suggest getting into the fandom vocab a bit when you can-

but to put it simply, INTENT is like another way of language for monsters. it's pretty much what it says, but to break it down: intent is something that you do with purpose.

personally, i headcannon intent to be more intune with emotions and how the user feels and/or wants to feel in the moment. for example "aggressive and murderous intent" or "caring, sweet, and loving intent." and INTENT carries magic within it, hence why monsters are so in tune with internal emotions while humans aren't. and that's why monsters re more in danger with humans than any other creature, because humans used unknowing intent that could kill a monster in one hit.

Surprisingly enough he doesn't like to spend his breaks at home in his bed.

instead, he goes out to muffet's for a very specific coffee order, and a spider muffin.

half of the time he'll make you pay with your own money, crippling your pockets.

other times he'll roll his eyes when you "forget" to bring your wallet and get you only a drink off the menu.

if you catch him as he's leaving out for a break, gaster may sometimes not go to muffet's at all and find a park to watch kids trip at.

or maybe a grass field during golden hour.

im not gonna say that gaster hates kids, but it's moreso that fact that they...are underdeveloped, and therefore harder to understand in his eyes.

as ive said before, this guys ignores his feelings, so he gets uncomfortable when people show theirs.

so when you cry, or get angry in situations that dont seem as big to him as it does to you, he lowkey cringes a bit.

but since.. *sigh* you're now his pupil, as well as someone who takes his work more seriously than others (DESPITE YOUR TENDENCY TO TOUCH SHIT)

he has to take of you now! and *gags* comfort you

bro cant comfort for shit (which is one of the reasons why they dont have plants at their house)

so when you hug him with your snotty face... and your...wet tears, he shivers aggressively but tries to keep still

yea he doesn't hug back at all, its bad enough he has to watch you!

(or maybe it's bc he doesn't know how to hug back 👀)

In this au, the reader is canon to the universe. not isekaid, not transported, no. she lives there and the code is accurate. so any and all timelines will include her.

and timelines are gonna be a "what if", or maybe a chapter for angst. idk yet. And in this fic, imma make the choice for flowey not to remember resets. but only due to his will (cool right?).

frisk isn't really gonna be included much into the plot, only when it calls for it.

oh shit- back to gaster

not sure if i said this before, but warming up to gaster even the littlest bit is like reading a 100 chapter slowburn.

it's gonna take a long time, hell, maybe a year or so, for him and reader to start actually building a granddaughter/grandpa relationship. so while youre still getting to know him, it's like he's avoiding you, (but you clearly don't read his schedule enough sooooo)

and when you guys finally get to that point, you guys are like buddies. he'll ramble to you about certain topics, while you sit and listen.

you'd watch movies with him as he overanalyzes characters and plots, only to fuck it up and end up with something different, claiming "he could write a better one".

gaster loves helping you study

even if it's for a 5 question quiz, he'll help you out as much as he can!

plus, id be a shame if the ✨Smartest Man On the Surface ™✨ let his little human fail!

nuh uh, not happening!!!

he's very proud of you everytime you get an assignment back with an A with lots of praise from the teachers.

he'll even try to get you in a routine (which rarely works often, as easy as it seems)

gaster chuckles every time you make him a homemade snack, or lunch meal, it warms his little heart ❤️

Other times he can't stand your attitude

Why cant you control yourself in situations that aren't bigger than you make it seem?

it racks his big brain so much, that he bans you from the lab for 3 days when stuff like that happens.

he really hates it when someone has a tone with him, it grinds against some part of his brain the makes his more "violent" and intrusive thoughts.

its not noticable at first, at least not to him, but after the 1st hour he begins thinking

"humans have skeletons right?"

"what would skin all in a pile look like?"

"what would happen if he gripped, squeezed and strangled a soul made of pure determination?"

of course, he already knows that answer to those. and if you dont, just ask frisk.

im sure they remember very well.

but after the intrusive thoughts go away, he's just left seething in anger.

i feel like gaster (,similar to donnie from rise) has a hard time understanding other people, because he's been alone for most of his life.

and that makes him jealous of you.

but in the end, you'll always be gaster's little assistant ❤️

(๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و tags: @kittykittyanon @radicallxser @oleander-nin @towomatos @thealphagirl @ziipzeepzop-eez @spongejuice @amorisbackandbetterthanever @cyb3r-st4r if you would like to be added, check my blog. if you would like to be added, check my blog. SEE? I SAID IT TWICE!!

#yagurlchip❤️ #yagurl writes #undertale #sans #undertale au #gaster #THANKS KITTY FOR THE ASK ❤️❤️🙏🏾 #I LOVE YOU SM #HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY

[liminalmemories21]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks to @cha-melodius for the tag!

How many works do you have on ao3?

33

What's your total ao3 word count?

491,391 (but I'm going to tick over to over 500,000 on Saturday or Sunday - spoilers!)

What fandoms do you write for?

911: Lonestar, and I dabble in the idea of 911 (OG)

Top five fics by kudos:

Long Story Short (series)

A home isn't always the house we live in

It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!

Always Wear Your Invisible Crown

When the sun came up you were looking at me

Do you respond to comments?

I try to.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

None of them? I am really not here for the angst.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All of them?

I don't know, maybe a toss up between It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags! and Once Upon a Bus

Do you get hate on fics?

So far I've gotten lucky, and I haven't really. I appreciate it.

Do you write smut?

More so lately than at the beginning.

Craziest crossover:

Not strictly speaking a crossover, but knave-verse is an unhinged White Collar AU.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not so far.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not one that's been posted. I've co-written with a IRL friend, but we've never really actually finished anything.

All time favorite ship?

Do not make me pick a favorite child. I've been around fandom too long to pick one, or even five (or ten).

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

There's the kid-fic that I want to finish, but cannot find the right hook.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue. Apparently (mysteriously) heist plots. Emotional descriptives.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Any scene that involves more than two people. Maybe I can manage three people at the outside. More than that and I lose track of the choreography, and I keep forgetting which people have arrived and which have left.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

If it's appropriate - like Carlos (and his family) think in/speak Spanish, so having them use that make sense. That being said, I do not speak Spanish, so finding colloquialisms and making them feel organic can be hard.

First fandom you wrote in?

Published? Lonestar

Unpublished? There's an unholy Smallville story that will never see the light of day. And, a Merlin fic that I co-wrote and falls apart about halfway through.

Favorite fic you've written?

Stealing Nina's idea and doing one in each of my main fandoms I've written in because it's hard to pick (even then this was rough).

Oh, don't make me pick. Okay. I love Knave2, I think it's the best thing I've written. But, I love some of the early fic I wrote that are less plot based and more almost character studies, like stitched with it's color and through sames of am through haves of give

hmm, tagging @freneticfloetry, @bonheur-cafe, @paperstorm and @heartstringsduet

#writing meta #contains me

[kimtaegis]

{Kimtaegis’ GFX Breakdowns, Ep. 1:

↳ SARANG/SARAM; a namgi web weave}

better late than never – I’ve mentioned that this year, I will start writing my thought process behind my graphics down in actual posts instead of hiding them in the tags of a self-reblog, both for myself and those who are interested in that, so here we go!

the first more graphic-y post of the year was a little birthday present for @outroindigo, who told me that namgi’s dynamic as well as their solo music are extremely important to her, so that was the starting point basically! I initially wanted to use a web-weave-like layout for yoongi's birthday post this year, but thought that it just fit too well for this project, since including lyrics and website screenshots made it so convenient to explain the topic. the main source of inspiration but also material source was doolsetbangtan, an incredible blog that not only translates bts' lyrics, but also gives extra insights and explanations of their word plays, references to reoccuring lyrical themes and even links to other media that are connected to the songs' content. they were a huge help, most elements that ended up in the post had been already pointed out under their sites for trivia: love, people, and people pt. 2 respectively, I pretty much only had to follow the mentions and use them!

my post starts with the first half of a quote from namjoon from his november 2016 vlive and ends with it as well (in the caption) to tie the whole set together. I tried to organize the elements in a way that even someone who has never heard of the whole live/love/sarang/saram thing can easily follow and understand it, while also maintaining a pleasant overall layout and colour change (planning that took quite some time, I tell you). the trivia: love lyrics panel is a screenshot I took from spotify, I just changed the background colour to fit. underneath the people performance gif is an excerpt of yoongi's billboard interview from july 2023. the rest are screenshots directly from doolset, gifs from yoongi's iu's palette interview and selfmade visualisations of lyrics, etc. I decided against listing all the content elements in the caption - as usually done for an actual web weave - because some media was used multiple times and it would've felt weird to repeat it in the listing.

regarding more stylistic choices, I decided on a blue and warm yellow-orangy colour scheme, both because kari's current blog layout is this beautiful blue, but also because I associate blue with both namjoon (especially after indigo, obvs) and yoongi (his painting from 2020 instantly comes to mind). since 'love' on the other side is often portrayed as something warm and cosy, red/orange/yellow became the contrasting colours. I tried very hard to make all the colours look as consistent as possible and to match the shades of blues to kari's blog colours. funnily enough, there always seemed to be either something blue or warm-toned in the actual content, which was pretty convenient. besides the pseudo-screenshots for some of the lyrics (typed out in fonts that are typically used in books), I created three graphic elements as well, simply because I know sweet kari appreciates them and I wanted to have a personal kimtaegi touch in it. the first one is a visual representation of people pt. 2's lyrics. I always thought of faceless silhouettes when thinking of people, and combined that with yoongi's painting style (you see that painting means a whole lot to me lmao). since I can't really draw, I used paintings I found on pinterest (you can find the whole board in the source of the og post), masked the person and the heart out and changed their colour (which is not as easy as it sounds!). the fading effect was achieved by carefully going over both until I liked how it looked (which again, took embarrassingly long). the second graphic element is again a direct visualisation of the lyrics used in the panel: I digitally cut up a picture of namgi, in multiple rectangles that are supposed to represent the letter ㅁin saram. I actually printed the picture out first and cut it up with scissors, but I couldn't find a good way to scan it back in :( so digital cutting it was; please note that the edges of every snippet are rough, I always try my best to make it look as realistic and tangible as possible which is time-consuming but adds a nice touch in my opinion.

the collage effect of this graphic is inspired by works of anthony garace. his artworks are stunning, and I do love a good mixed media effect! also it just fits perfectly with the lyrics... among all these straight lines (-> the rectangles), [I find/ is] my love, my love, my love (-> little snippets of a picture of the two). the flowers in the last graphic both represent yoongi (the lotus flower cutout, referencing his amygdala lyrics about blooming like a lotus flower, which is also achieved by love, y'know :( ) and namjoon (the wildflower; yes it's an actual blue wildflower, I researched! it's a wild blue flax; referencing his same-named song). I used an actual photograph of it and made it look like a painting with photoshop magic. it also was supposed to look just a litte like a cynotype as used in his album design.

again, look at all those nice rough edges in that panel, this is all added intentionally. I hope everyone who saw the post also caught the teeny tiny animation of the hangul letter ㅁ to ㅇin the text on the left side; quite literally eroding edges <3

the last gif of ot7 was perfect to round it all up, referencing the lyrics above quite emotionally, starting off with the two of them, then them being joined by the rest....sigh. I will be honest, there have been a few tears falling onto the keyboard. I hope this set can convey namgi's beautiful lyricism in an interesting, artistic way. it's easy to get inspired by their art, it definitely makes you appreciate everything they do even more.

#*gfx breakdown #oh that's gotten long oops but it was fun to write it all down!

[lesferatu]

I have read a lot of Welcome to Tumblr posts for reddit people and I agree with most of it but something I haven't seen has to do with tag etiquette. I've seen people say "do whatever" and I don't completely agree with that specifically. What they should say is "there is no specific tag for each community, so don't worry too hard about it and if you want to talk in the tags, that is more than encouraged" but there are a few rules

So here's some tagging guidelines:

Only tag what is relevant to the post at hand. If you have specific tags for organization of your blog, then you can use those. If you tag irrelevant stuff, not only is it super annoying and clogs up the tag but you will be reported for spam and that can get you banned. So chat and keysmash all you want but don't tag something that's trending to get more attention and dont mention characters in the thing you are talking about who arent mentioned in the post. The search function barely works as is on a good day, don't make it worse

If you are unsure what to tag, search what you are posting about and look at what other people are tagging. Keep the above rule in mind. You can save your post as a draft if you are in the middle of writing and can't search

If I remember correctly, the first 5 tags count for the search feature and the first 10 tags (? Could be 15) count for filtering tags, which is important for tagging spoilers and triggers, if you do that

On that note: Tag Spoilers for new media

If you do chat (which again is greatly encouraged and is, in fact, half the fun) remember that the person you reblog from and the original poster (or OP) will get a notification and will be sent your tags, so be respectful. You *are* yelling into the void but some of the void can read

I wouldn't use "prev tags" right now, since staff broke the ability to follow reblog chains easily, so it's hard to find what you are referring to. If you must talk to the person you are reblogging from, do something like "prev tags: [insert prev tags here]" or "[insert prev tags here] <- prev tags" in your tags then say what your going to say

And just cause I know this has been a problem in the past, if you are here for minecraft youtubers/streamers, Do Not tag your posts as "minecraft" or "mineblr". That tag is for people who play the game normally to share their builds and the like. Again, you can search the specific youtubers/streamer/smp to get the tag that most people use for that specific community or use "mcyt" to find the general stuff

And last but not least, you do not have to tag! It is a personal choice. It'll get your own posts to the people who might like it, some people like to organize their blog (not me lol,) and tagging spoilers is just common decency, but reblogs dont show in the search, only the og post, and you don't have to tag if you don't want to; the people who follow you/look at your blog will see your post and nobody else

Edit cause I just remembered this one: don't main tag hate. If you hate a ship and want to post about it, don't tag the ship. At least tag it as "[ship name] hate" or "[ship name] discourse" so people who like that ship don't have to stumble across it on the main tag and can filter it. Doesn't have to be a ship, could be a show or a hobby or a book. People who enjoy a thing have just as much right to have a good experience on here as you have a right to hate that thing. Stay civil, it's the only way this place is as chill as it is now (and I say that as someone who's been here since the beginning. Whatever drama you find on here now is Nothing compared to what it was on this hellsite (affectionate) before)

If you can think of anything else, please add, and if you have any questions, just ask!

#reddit refugee #tumblr culture #tagging #how to tag