#and I'm not particularly stressed lately that I'm aware of

[cryptid-ghoulette]

Trouble Maker

More Phantom brain rot? (its more likely that you'd think, especially when @sister-nyx is involved)

Heres some fluffy phantom being a nuisance. WC 680 Implied spice at the end, but no real warnings, its fluffy as heck.

It wasn't uncommon for quint ghouls to have health issues; something about the way they're created can lead to omplications with their new vessels. In the pit, they don't have a physical form, and it's hard for their new bodies to contain the powerful magic they possess. Most of the time, it's little things like eyesight or hearing issues, but sometimes it can be more serious, like missing or malformed limbs.

When Phantom was summoned alongside multi-ghoul Aurora, all seemed to be going as planned. Sure, there were a few teething issues, but nothing they wouldn't adjust to with time. After all, it must be strange suddenly having a physical form (so many moving parts!). He settled well into the pack, the others all loving him and his childlike wonder, even if they had to answer what felt like a million questions a day.

Not long into the first tour though, the pack noticed he seemed to be having trouble with his hearing. It was just small things at first, like when they were all gathered backstage. Copia often had to repeat himself several times before getting a reply, with Mountain having to gently nudge his shoulder to get his attention.

It all came to a boiling point one night when they were all gathered in the kitchen after a particularly stressful rehearsal, each slumped on various chairs and benches. Dew was trying to get Phantom's attention, who was staring off into space, completely oblivious to Dew (and seemingly everyone else). Finally, he turned when Dew shouted his name, the anger in his words catching him off guard. Dew pulled him into the hall, Phantom confused about what he'd done to anger the fire ghoul so much.

"Did I do something wrong, Dew?" Dew sighed, considering his words, trying to make them come out without too much venom. "Listen, bug, I think we all just need to have a chat about what's going on with you lately. You seem even more of a space cadet than usual." He gave a half-hearted chuckle at the end, trying to lighten the mood seeing the rising concern on Phantom's face. He wrapped one arm around the little quint. "It's okay, let's go and talk to the others; we're all just. worried about you," guiding them back into the kitchen.

The pack all agreed that these incidents were becoming more frequent, and they were getting increasingly concerned (and their patience was admittedly wearing thin), so they figured they'd best take him to get checked, worried he might have some kind of hearing issue, or something else they weren't even aware of. Phantom didn't really understand what the issue was, but he agreed to go see Aether if it made the others feel better.

After waiting in the hall for what felt like forever, Aether emerged from the infirmary, the small ghoul beside him, and a smug grin on his face. "I've got good news and bad news," he said rather matter-of-factly. "The good news is he doesn't appear to have any hearing loss; in fact, he has above-average hearing for a ghoul of his element."

"So, then what's the bad news?" Mountain softly inquired, concern growing in his voice. The others began whispering between themselves, hushed tones, clearly also visibly confused.

“Well, the bad news is, it would appear that without any medical cause for his hearing troubles, our newest quintessence ghoul is just being mischievous," Aether chuckled, tousling the small ghoul's hair and gently nudging him back to his pack. "That part, you'll have to figure out on your own. There's no medicine for that as far as I'm aware."

The ghouls all turned to look at Phantom, a deep blush spreading across his face, staring at the ground and silently wishing it would swallow him whole. However, his shame spiral was interrupted when Mountain stepped forward and swiftly picked him up, tossing him effortlessly over one shoulder, simply saying, "I can think of a few ways to fix that." The others erupted into laughter, the smaller ghoul happily kicking his legs behind him as they disappeared down the hallway toward the bedroom.

#phantom is a little shit #and im obsessed #so strap in cause theres going to be more #the band ghost #ghost bc #phantom ghoul #shitghosting #cryptidrambling #my fics

[missmagooglie]

Prefacing this by saying this is not what I EXPECT to happen in 7x09 and 7x10, it's just one specific scenario that I feel particularly feral about right now... so with that said, I'm gonna throw out a dream scenario for the end of S7:

Tommy and Buck are dating and it's going well. Buck is just sort of blossoming in his new identity as a queer man. There's a self-confidence and assuredness to him that we haven't seen before

Meanwhile, Eddie has broken things off with Marisol and is quietly going through his own reevaluation of his sexuality. His awareness of his queerness happens pretty simultaneously with his realization that the way he loves Buck isn't entirely platonic, but he keeps it to himself because Buck is happy with Tommy

Episode 9 finds Eddie and Buck together off duty. Maybe they're having an argument. Maybe on the surface they're arguing about something small but somehow it feels much bigger

Mid-argument some emergency strikes. Buck and Eddie are trapped together and it's BAD. They're both in mortal peril, but it's worse for Eddie. Eddie hopes help will arrive in time to save Buck, but he's pretty sure he won't be alive to see it

(And I just want to stress - I feel like it's essential that they are off duty when this happens. They are in sync on the job, it's how they fit together outside of the job they're still figuring out)

So Eddie gets Buck's attention - because Buck hasn't given up yet. He won't. He CAN'T. He's frantically searching for solutions as Eddie repeats his name in a weakened voice, until finally he cracks and says, "Evan, please. I need you to hear this."

And in the final seconds of episode nine, Eddie Diaz looks Evan Buckley dead in the eye and tells him, "I love you"

Episode ten opens on an unrelated disaster, just to keep us gnashing our teeth a little longer

Maybe we throw some flashbacks in there for good measure

Check in on the rest of the firefam frantically trying to coordinate a rescue effort

But FINALLY they cut back to Buck and Eddie in mortal danger and replay the last few moments of episode 9. And believing these are the last words he'll ever say, Eddie tells Buck how much he loves him. He says he's sorry he realized it too late, but he could never, never regret loving him

Somehow there's a callback reference to Mitchell and Thomas, and the way Buck looked at their clasped hands as they died, and Buck realizing that dying together was never the point of their story. Living together was

And Buck is full sobbing and begging him not to give up yet because Christopher needs him and the team needs him and finally saying "and I need you, Eddie. You can't leave me. You can't-"

We get the sense that Buck is on the cusp of a love confession of his own, but before he gets the words out he's cut off by the sound of helicopter blades overhead.

Their miracle rescue arrives in time, led by none other than Buck's starting-to-be-something-serious boyfriend Tommy

After the rescue, we see Eddie in the back of the ambulance, stable and out of danger, and Buck's about to go over to him but Tommy comes running over and sweeps Buck up in his arms and kisses his temple and says, "thank god you're ok. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you"

And Buck lets himself be held, but his attention is over Tommy's shoulder looking at Eddie

Eddie, who's gonna be ok

Eddie, who loves him

Eddie, who is the absolute center of Buck's world, but Buck has never allowed himself to think of That Way

And Eddie meets Buck's eye over Tommy's shoulder and gives him a sad smile that lets Buck know he intends to go back to quietly loving Buck at just a little bit of a distance so that Buck can be happy with someone else

And just to really twist the knife, we get an overheard piece of dialogue in which Eddie refers to Buck as his "best friend" for the literal first time ever (I'm pretty sure? Up til now, any time the "best friend" label has been used it's been by Buck, but please correct me if I'm wrong.)

And the season ends there

Cue the entire fandom going APESHIT for the entirety of the summer hiatus

#911 #911 speculation #evan buck buckley #eddie diaz #how do i fanfiction? #911 spec fic #tommy kinard #bi buck #queer buck #queer eddie diaz #tommybuck #tuck #kinkley #tevan #<- I'll tag it but I hate it #(the ship name not the ship) #eddie x buck

[actually-3kidsinatrenchcoat]

Princess Treatment | Miguel O'hara x chubby!Reader

Miguel really knows how to relieve your stress 💕

18+ SEXUAL CONTENT | CW: Oral s*x (v + breast/nip), mentions of biting and bruising (hickies), body worship, (positive)talk of larger bodies, she/her pronouns, verrryyyy fluffy smut, slight Dom!Miguel.

Based on Miguel O'Hara x Chubby Woman Headcanons 💕

You’ve been putting in overtime at the spider society. Just as you’re about to leave, there’s always another anomaly popping up in some unhinged dimension. You’d think being the lover of the creator and leader of the spider society would get you some perks on the job, but far from it. In fact, he's put you on more missions than ever. You really can't tell if he just believes in your competency or is brooding and wants to be away from you.

After returning from a particularly stressful mission, something involving a rogue Goblin and a police station, your mind is a blur. Nearly dragging yourself into Miguel's floating work room, you find the nearest cold metal chair. Slumping into it and finally removing your mask, you release a long drawn out sigh.

Miguel was very aware of your current state and chuckled to himself upon hearing you enter the room. He knows he's been working you to the bone lately, but it's only because he respects your work ethic, especially since becoming official with you.

"Mi vida, how was the mission?" He asks as he saunters over to your exhausted body. You can barely lift your head to shoot him the dirtiest look you can muster before resting it back onto the chair. "According to Jess, you've been doing very well." You scoff and finally look up to him as he now stands just behind the chair.

"Well, I'm glad she thinks so," you grunt, half sarcastically. He leans down to kiss your forehead, a gesture you've come to recognize as one of his favorites. Before he can make contact, you lift your gloved hand to cover his mouth. "Hon, you really don't want to do that right now. I am drenched in sweat."

"Fair point. Why don't you head home and rinse off?" Miguel says as he moves to face you. He holds out his hand for you to use as leverage to pry your melted body off the chair. You take it and use what feels like the last bit of energy you have to pull yourself up.

"Thank you, Mig," you smile at him tiredly before tapping at your watch to open the portal back to your dimension. Before stepping through, you turn back to him and ask, "When do you want me back?"

Miguel thinks for a moment, looking back up to his desk and tapping around on his watch. He looks back to you with a smirk that you can't quite place the meaning of. "Actually, I think I'll join you."

"What? Don't you have work to do?" He rarely takes impromptu leaves from office, so you're fully aware that this must be a scheme.

He starts walking toward you, never breaking eye contact. "L.Y.L.A., make sure Jess knows I'll be taking the rest of the day off." Finally at your side, he wraps his arm around your waist, giving your hip a little squeeze. "Tonight, you're getting the princess treatment." At this point, you're far too tired to press for more information, so you just step through the portal with Miguel at your side.

The next couple hours are filled with Miguel dotting over you. He draws you a bath with your favorite bath salts and a couple of candles set around your bathroom. He sits by the side of the tub, massaging your aching shoulders and scalp as he helps to shampoo your hair. After your bath, he makes sure to help with your skin and hair care routine that he had quietly memorized from the many nights he's spent with you.

Of course, he has to help you apply lotion to your delicate skin. Initially you protest, "Miguel, you've done enough. I can take care of this, okay?"

He smiles at you and chuckles as you sit in front of him, on the edge of your bed. "Let me pamper you, mi reina. You've done so much lately, let me take your stress away." You relent and allow him to start.

Initially, Miguel seems to be intent on truly making sure your skin is adequately moisturized, having you sit on his lap, your back to his chest. He takes his time to rub the sweet smelling cream into your arms, working his large hands over your smooth skin. Doing the same with your upper back and shoulders, taking his time at your back rolls to caress the skin and examine it lovingly.

Although, once he gets to the point where your shoulders meet your neck, he leans down to kiss the delicate skin. You hear him inhaling deeply, taking in your scent. "Ah, Miguel..." you sigh. He shushes you and continues on.

Once he get's to your chest, his intentions become clear. His hands snake down to cover your breasts. He squeezes lightly, manipulating the flesh in his hands, You start to feel him hardening beneath you, the only thing separating you being his suit that he still hasn't bothered to remove.

Again, he kisses your neck, a bit more aggressively now. Slowly, you feel him start to rub over your peaked nipples. Gently pinching the buds between his fingers. You moan lowly, not expecting the pleasurable sensation.

"Suena hermosa," Miguel purrs into your neck. At this point, you've had enough, desperate to lock lips with him, you try to get up from his lap, bur his strong arms move to hold your hips in place. "Ah ah ahh," he coos, "I'm not done putting on your lotion." With a grunt of protest, you reluctantly allow Miguel to continue.

He quickly moves down to your belly, rubbing circles into your sides and lovingly nuzzling into the crook of your neck. He lingers for a while, allowing you to relax back into his chest and lace your fingers with his. It's moments like this that make you fall deeper in love with him.

"Eres perfecta, cariño," he mutters quietly. You giggle and turn your head just enough to place a kiss on his head. In response, he unlinks your hands and places his on your hips, signaling you to stand. Once up, he spins you around to pull you into his arms and kiss you deeply. You throw your arms around his neck and push your body into his, desperate to be as close with your lover as physically possible. He finally retracts his holo suit, revealing his warm brown skin and boxers, which hid a very obvious boner.

He shifts to lay you back on the bed, gently helping you down all while keeping your lips connected. He begins to kiss down your neck, stopping at a few points to suck and bite a few marks into your skin. Once he reaches your breasts, he captures one of your nipples in his mouth, sloppily kissing and sucking while rolling the other between his fingers.

By now you're already deathly aware of the heat pooling between your thighs, and Miguel is making it no better. After taking the time to attack both of your breasts with his skilled mouth and wonderful hands, he dips down to your tummy. He lovingly kisses a line down to your belly button while rubbing his hands along your sides and kneading the soft skin. You quietly sigh to yourself and tangle a hand in his hair, gently scratching his scalp in a silent 'thank you'.

After a time, Miguel slowly moves back up to your face. He butterfly kisses your forehead and cheeks before sitting up and smiling down at you. "What?" You ask, giggling at the sudden change from hunger and lust to loving and gentle.

He cups your cheek and rubs little circles into your cheek. "I know you're tired, Princesa. Let me make you feel good."

"God, yes please, Mig." That was all he needed. He quickly shifted down the bed and spread your legs. He kneels down and lifts your legs up to rest on his shoulders. He begins massaging your thighs and kissing up and down your calves, every now and then looking back to you to watch you squirm.

"Babe, please don't tease me," you whine moving your hands between your thighs. You use your fingers to gently part your slick lips, allowing the cold air of the room to hit your aching core. Miguel watches as your tight hole and clit throb around nothing, his dick straining harder against the fabric of his underwear.

"Mierda..." He groans, snaking his hands down your thighs and taking the place of your fingers. He gently rubs two of his fingers over your slit as he sinks down to face your pussy. He spreads you open again making sure to make piercing eye contact with you as he breathes cold air onto your heat, making you gasp and squirm and try to close your thighs. He chuckles and finally licks one long stripe up your cunt. Immediately, you shiver and moan at the contact.

"That's it, Princesa. Let me hear you," Miguel mumbles as he continues to swipe his tongue, collecting your leaking juices on his tongue. He resumes massaging your thighs as he finally buries his tongue in your hole, using his nose to add pressure to your clit. You nearly cry at the sudden increase in stimulus, instinctively lifting your hips to meet his mouth, which he responds to by placing his strong hand over your abdomen to push you back down into the bed.

You again move your hands to lace into his dark brown locks, using it as leverage to push his face deeper into your core. He takes this as an opportunity to move his mouth up to your clit, taking the pulsing mound into his mouth and gently sucking. A string of slurred curses and moans fall from your mouth as he begins to slide two of his large fingers into your pussy. Your inner walls tighten as he begins to slowly curl upwards into your most sensitive spot. The heat that had already been brewing in your stomach instantly grew into a raging fire as he continued to suck at your clit and pump his fingers.

"Please baby, p-please don't stop!" He chuckled at how desperate you sounded, sending vibrations into the little bundle of nerves he refused to remove his mouth from. You could feel yourself about to break as you greedily buck your hips into his face.

"Aww, are you getting close, cariño?" Miguel fully knew you could cum at any second, but hearing you admit it was half the fun.

"A-ahh yes! Please, can I c-cum?" Your free hand is gripping at the sheets below you, trying to focus on not releasing then and there. You know how much he likes when you ask permission first.

"Good girl, cum for me." That was all you needed, you almost screamed out in pleasure as you released all over his face. Your legs shook at either side of his head as you continued to spasm with the orgasmic wave that rolled down your body.

You finally begin to relax as he takes his final licks, lapping up your cum. He finally sits up as you relax your arms and legs out like a starfish, desperately trying to catch your breath.

"Thank you, Mig," you sigh out breathlessly, smiling weakly at your lover.

"Of course, mi amor." Miguel wipes his mouth and chin still coated in your juices, and gets up off the bed to turn down the lights, swiftly returning back to you.

You muster up your last bit of strength to scoot into him, resting your head on his chest. He wraps his arms around you and kisses your temple before pulling the covers over the both of you. This is truly the most relaxed you've been in a while. And it was all thanks to Miguel, the man that caused all your stress in the first place.

At least he knows how to help you release your stress.

Thank you all for your patience! Let me know if you want more chub love! 💕

#miguel x reader #miguel o'hara smut #spider man 2099 #chubby reader #chubby chaser #smut #miguel o'hara #18+ post #fluffy smut

[spiralwriting]

Promises

(look at me being productive, woo hoo)

Promises should never be broken.

Despite the knots that tightened sickeningly in my stomach and the salty river that threatened to spill from my eyes with each passing second, that sentiment circled my brain, flashing like a neon sign.

No matter how much it hurt.

No matter how much I wish I could be anywhere but here.

A promise is a promise, no matter the pain it causes.

So in spite of the dread settling in my heart, I face the man I've come to visit- the man I promised to visit.

This is far from the first time I've sat on this decrepit old chair across from the equally uncared for table, but the white hot glare it reflects never ceases to scolded my eyes; exposing them to the ugly truth of the situation. A Truth I'd trade for anything: a miracle perhaps. A miracle I'd use to travel back in time, one I'd use to prevent this all from happening. How? I don't know, but I'm sure I'd find a way.

If only I had the chance.

Today is particularly grim, so grim in fact that I wish I hadn't even bothered rolling out of bed this morning. Although, I wouldn't miss today for the world, even if it causes me unparalleled amounts of agony.

I can't miss today, it might be my last opportunity to say goodbye, because I don't think I can bring myself to come back and face him if things don't end up going well.

"You didn't have to come today..." His voice, soft, yet tense. "I know this must be hard for you..." he feels it too, the pressure in the room.

Sighing, I shake my head, "No matter how I feel, today is important. I want to be here for you before shit goes down."

This afternoon, the final trial, the verdict. It's terrifying, but it's unavoidable. The gang has been together through thick and thin, today is no different. Currently, there have been no hints towards what might happen, so it's completely up in the air, which makes it that much more unnerving. Ashley is supposed to be giving a statement to the court, which is interesting, seeing as nobody had asked any of us to do so.

"Well I'm glad you're here," a small, feble smile spreads across his scarred face "I will admit, I was really happy when the guard told me you did end up coming."

I can't help the smile that creeps onto my face, knowing that I made his day a little brighter during this bleak time. "Good news for you then, I'm not going anywhere, love."

A yawn suddenly overtakes that smile, drowsiness swallowing my body. "You look exhausted," concern shadows his face "you haven't been sleeping right again, have you?"

I run a hand through my hair, averting my gaze to look at the dull concrete walls of the room instead of his rather unimpressed expression.

"Don't worry about it, just a couple of late nights." My eyes return to meet his, but he doesn't seem convinced.

"Mmhmm."

I can't help but laugh bitterly at his disbelief. I'm aware that he knows me far too well to fall for that blatant lie, and he knows it to.

"Let's be real here, the words 'sleep schedule' haven't been in my vocabulary since I was 12 and they released clumpy."

From the serious look on his face, he didn't appear to like my joke too much. "Has this whole thing been stressing you out? It's okay if it has, i understand that but it shouldn't stop you from functioning. You still need to take care of yourself-"

"Relax! It's nothing to do with this, it's just work n' shit." Lier.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

He sighs in defeat, wether he believes me or not, he doesn't push further. "How have you been anyways? Up to anything interesting?"

I think for a moment, resting my head lazily in my hand, whilst the other traces imaginary shapes across the fridgid table. "No, not really. Life's been pretty boring since we lost most of the group." My eyes narrow "I spend most of my time working now, trying to get enough money to get myself a place." Head shifting to look at him once again, my hand stops and relaxes. "When I'm not working my ass off, I'm usually here." Or drinking my life away in the dark abis my room.

He sits back in his chair, tilting his head slightly, something I've always loved about him, even now, it's so... Cute. "When's the last time you spoke to ash?"

Mirroring his actions, my face falls in distain. "Not recently, that's for sure. I've talked to her about all this, but she's certain none of it is real, that were just deluded by childhood fantasies." A scoff falls from my mouth "So I haven't bothered with her."

"I know it's frustrating, she's expressed the same feelings towards me when she's been here, but you can't isolate yourself like this." He moves forward, holding his chained hand out for mine. I oblige. "You're gonna end up alone, and that's not what you deserve."

My grip on his hands tighten as I attempt to conceal my frustration, "I know, I don't want to end up alone, it's just so... Ugh!" Ripping my hands from his own, I rub my face, aggravated "I just don't understand how after everything she still doesn't believe us. After Larry, after Todd, after..." My gaze falters and falls to the table "... You."

"Her friends are getting hurt, and I don't understand how she just doesn't care." I burry my face in my hands.

After everything we've been through together, her complete disregard for anything I, or anyone else has to say, is pushing me to the edge. I know I'm not insane, despite what she might think.

"Don't say that," guilt consumes me at the somber tone of his voice "she does care, in her own way, she just... doesn't understand. She's still out friend, remember that."

I peek at him through my fingers, he's leaned forward again, brows knitted together and sad look in his eyes. He's hurt by her disbelief, I can see it, but like always, he sees the best in her, like he does with everyone. Like he did with me. He's so sweet, so kind, and I'm once again brought back to how. How could this happen? I believe him when he says he had no choice, but why. Why sal? Why the most genuine, most loving man on this earth? It's not fair.

But when has life ever been fair to him?

My head falls forward, hands dropping and hair covering my shameful face, "Yeah, sorry, you're right. I'm just frustrated, you know? It's hard to understand where she's coming from but... She probably feels the same way, huh?"

"Yeah, she does. Can't blame her, she was never as involved as we were in the cult."

The guilt falls away with the force of a waterfall, replaced with uncontrollable rage at the mention of the cult. They caused all of this. I haven't thought about, nor touched anything to do with it since the incident. Why would I when all it does it cause harm and heartache to those who get involved? As soon as this whole thing is over, I don't plan on sticking around long.

"Alright Mr. Fisher, times up." A guard saunters lazily into the room, looking at a sheet of paper. "you've got an appointment with Dr. Enon before your trial."

Blankly, I stare at the man that interrupted our conversation. The world around me begins to dissolve as I realise the time that approaches.

I rise to my feet, legs feeling numb, and as if I could collapse at any moment. My steps feel staggered as I make my way out of the melancholy room. In contrast to the dull, lifeless room I previously sat in, the seemingly endless halls are pristine, bright and somewhat less depressing. Though, it still feels devoid of life.

My body turns and takes a step forward towards sal.

"I'll see you in the court room, okay?" My hands caress his mask, fingers running smoothly across his scruffy hair. Guiding his face up, I lay the ghost of a kiss on his forehead, keeping it there for a moment. "I love you, Sal." A whisper, a secret, a promise, only for us to hear.

A relaxed exhale releases loudly through the holes of his prosthetic, head leaning against my chin slightly. "I love you too..."

"Come on, let's go!"

I glare at the guard overtop of the mop of messy blue hair, releasing his face and taking a miniscule step backwards. A smile sits painfully along my face as we say our farewells and I watch him turn and make his way down the hall.

I stand there for what feels like hours before he finally rounds a corner.

My face falls.

#sal fisher #sally face #sally face x reader #sal fisher x reader #fanfic #part 1 #sal x reader #angst #tw death and shit #fanfiction #sally face fanfiction

[rebornologist]

I'm back! Delivering what I promised, just a few thoughts. Enjoy xx

୨୧ ⁺˳₊ pomegranate tea; at what point did they know they loved their s/o? ✧ characters: Giotto, Daemon Spade warnings: mentions of Daemon's willingness to do anything for his s/o

♡ Giotto knew that he loved his s/o when he wanted to marry them. He’s not a traditional man  by any sense, but he was quite formal in courting them, and is traditional in this one aspect of his life—wanting to live the rest of his life deeply intertwined with his s/o, and maybe even have a family down the line.. not just the mafia kind.

Giotto seemed a bit stressed lately. He's overworked, as usual, and not particularly sunny, which was a bummer, because the spring wildflowers were in full bloom.

୨୧ ˳⁺✧

The radio plays quietly as the two of you drive out to your favorite picnic spot. Despite everything, he makes time for you. You appreciate every minute with him because of it. The silent is cut by the sweet sound of his voice.

“Hypothetically, when do you think is a good time to get married?”

You blink, wide eyes pausing your leisure activity of taking in the beautiful gardens you were currently being driven through.

"Par..don..?" You turn your head around to see your partner's stoic face still facing the road.

He chuckles lightly, "oh.. is it.. too early to ask? Even hypothetically-"

"No, no, it's not too early for us to be talking about this kind of thing," you insist, shifting fully in your seat to face him. "You aren't asking because you're going to propose to me on our picnic, right?"

He blinks, once, twice. You stifle a giggle at his blank expression. He's as readable as ever, he didn't plan on it, he didn't even think of it. He might steal that idea for the future, though.

♡ Daemon Spade knew that he loved his s/o when he felt completely under their spell—something not common for a man like him, it’s usually the other way around. He went to sleep every night with the realization gnawing at his insides, growing, practically festering, knowing that he would absolutely kill and die for them.

Your partner is not a peaceful sleeper, and often lies awake in the middle of the night next to you. He does not usually sleep well, but at least he doesn't get as many nightmares when he's with you. You've recently begin to wonder what your significant other is up to when you're asleep and he is awake. Even more when you are asleep and he is not even by your side.

୨୧ ˳⁺✧

"Daemon-"

"Yes, precious thing?" He answers without missing a beat. The two of you were getting ready for a dinner party. You enjoyed going out with him, meeting all types of people in every sphere of life and observing your enigmatic boyfriend in some pretty strange social situations.

You snort quietly, amused at his quick response.

"Have you ever killed for me?"

He pauses, expression unreadable. "Isn't the question usually, would you..." he turns to gaze curiously at his lover, who is currently shrugging a long coat on over their evening attire. You adjust their hair casually, looking into the large vanity mirror in front of you.

"I know the answer to that already. Whether you've done it yet, is the question," you make eye contact with him in the reflection. He feels an indescribable tightness in his chest.

"If you were aware of the former matter, I can guarantee.. you already know the latter," he sighs, wondering what magic string of fate brought him to such an otherworldly being.

I don't love DS at all, and I find 1st gen really difficult to write for, but I'm fascinated by the concept of Daemon Spade, or any of the immoral, downright nasty characters, with a partner that are also mysterious and morally grey. Not a common ship dynamic to fight angst and evil w/ more angst and evil.

#khr #hitman reborn #katekyo hitman reborn #khr headcanons #khr imagines #khr x reader

[breadtheft1796]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

thank you for the tag @palettesofrenaissance <3

1. How many works do you have on ao3? 91 (with 8 of those posted anonymously and 26 current hidden).

2. What's your total ao3 word count? 316,689

3. What fandoms do you write for? i currently write for marvel and good omens. previously i have written for doctor who, hannibal, harry potter, hetalia, interview with the vampire, les misérables, and the walking dead (occasionally i dip back into writing those). and some other one-off fics for other fandoms.

4. Top five fics by kudos: quips and endearments (t, 1.6k) aragorn and legolas flirt to keep morale up acts of service (t, 4k) aziraphale falls nothing but theatre (e, ongoing) bucky/zemo fake dating and time travel au behind the make-up (t, 1k) the grandmaster exposes loki's mouth scars hannibal, it's tinsel (g, <1k) hannibal/will fluffy hissy fits over xmas decs

5. Do you respond to comments? i like to and try to but i've got behind on it lately. i need to catch up.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? angst is my thing so most of my fics end angstily. maybe either: uncovered secrets (e, 5k) bucky recognises heinrich in one of zemo's family photos lithium (e, 3k) zemo's first look at the latvian apartment since his family's death

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? definitely this, it's very hopeful for the future: falling leaves and apple pulp (g, <1k) bucky and sarah go apple picking

8. Do you get hate on fics? i used to but not so much anymore. i've had a couple of hate anons on here related to fics though.

9. Do you write smut? yes, occasionally but i'm not very good at it.

10. Craziest crossover: i haven't really done many crossovers but i mix adaptions a lot.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? i had a couple stolen off deviantart and ff.net back in the day but nothing off ao3 that i'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? no but i had one of my anonymously posted fics podfic'd, so that was nice.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? i'd say so, yes, because even though it wasn't a back and forth thing some of the babes from the winterbaron discord have plotted and contributed so heavily to fics that i refuse to take full credit. also me and @palettesofrenaissance are going to be co-writing something soon so that's exciting!

14. All time favorite ship? usually i would usually say peggy/steve from mcu because i've loved them fiercely since 2011. but i'm going to say england/spain from hetalia because i'm feeling nostalgic at the moment and i always fall back into writing fic for them when i'm feeling particularly stressed or down.

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? i don't often write multi-chapter fics so only have one wip currently up. it would be good to get that finished, since i'm only 1 chapter away from an epilogue.

16. What are your writing strengths? angst. character studies and introspection. oneshots. i've been told i'm good at setting the tone and atmosphere, and i keep getting comments saying i'm good at conveying emotion, which makes me insanely happy.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? worldbuilding in general. multi-chapter fics. spelling and grammar. knowing how to end fics. smut. i'm also very quick to get discouraged and abandon fics all together.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language? i love it. other languages are often so beautiful and i like looking up commonly used phrases and contexts for how they are used. i've used other languages in most of my mcu fics.

19. First fandom you wrote in? i have hazy memories of this but i think it was twilight, where instead of going to italy to save edward, she and alice got together instead. i stand by 15 year old me's taste in ship. the first fic i posted online was for hetalia though, the twilight one stayed in a notepad.

20. Favorite fic you've written? i couldn't just pick one so: the last of fine days (m, 15k) zemo's old family home plays tricks on their minds -> my first attempt at gothic domestic/horror and i'm proud of it. migraine aura (m, 5k) aziraphale and crowley are exes stuck together at a party -> i wanted to write the most claustrophobic, overstimulating environment i could and i think i succeeded.

no pressure tagging, in case any of you felt like it: @zsparz, @milarca, @zemos-bathrobe, @fuddlewuddle, @yolkinthejump, @captainjimothycarter

#brioche notes

[sidewalkchemistry]

'𝖄𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖂𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖊𝖘𝖙 𝕯𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘' 𝕯𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖐 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖌𝖊

Dreamwork is a powerful mystical practice for enhancing your perspective of reality, quality of your life, and imaginative abilities by bringing awareness to the content of your dreams.

This challenge intends to bring each participant into greater attunement with their dream worlds. This, then, allows increased ease in trusting your intuition, being bold enough to dream and manifest, creating more beauty and mystique to your life, catalyzing the healing of inner traumas and limiting beliefs, as well as just to developing an understanding of your own multidimensionality. (For more on developing your imagination/3rd eye, see here).

The challenge will span from July 21st to September 14th 2023 (offering 2 full months of skill development), and it is open to the public. However, I'm sharing details and guidance are available exclusively on Patron, such as a downloadable dream journal (cover page pictured above) & nighttime routine tips. Of course, you may take on the challenge at whatever date you like.

The Challenge Tasklist (see the more detailed version here):

Week 1: Recording Your Dreams: This is to gain a sense of familiarity with your dream worlds. Notice what kinds of themes come up. Notice how you tend to act. Notice what kinds of characters come up. Notice the locations. Each morning or after each slumber (naps included), your task will be to immediately write down your dream with as much detail as possible. Dream log pages are provided in the downloadable dream journal.

Week 2: Enhancing Your Inputs (Part 1): Emotional constipation, or blockages in your astral body, can be caused by lifestyle. You will be encouraged to approach your choices of food, music, pastimes, entertainment, etc. in a way that will let the energy in your astral body thrive. For example, signs of a healthier astral body include a slower (low stress) lifestyle, healthy communication, greater mindfulness, positive self-talk and self-esteem, healthy detachment, restful sleep, and, of course, more lucid dreams. Tasks will include certain meal upgrades, because digestive situations can be a major hindrance to optimal sleep quality, dream recall, and emotional processing (due to the gut-brain relationships).

Week 3: Moment to Moment Awareness: One of the major reasons why we are unable to continue consciousness into our dream states is that we lack true consciousness when we're awake, particularly of our emotional states. Remaining aware of how your emotions shift and how you're being emotionally affected by your perspectives & circumstances will allow you to remain in present moment awareness. The daily task will be to develop your awareness, just in the way that children tend towards, never attached too long to your emotional circumstances, without dismissing them.

Week 4: Dream Herbs: Certain herbs are able to enhance dreams, relax the nervous system, and strengthen meditative awareness. These will be employed in our challenge so that we can experience this relationship. Tasks will include different ways of working with the herbs, such as implementing a tea time.

Week 5: Visualization Boost: A large component of dreams are the visual component. Many people lately, with their constant attention to screens and stories in visual form (TV, videos, movies, etc), struggle to realize what their imaginations look like in particular. The tasks will include a series of meditations and methods of connecting to your own imaginal realm.

Week 6: Enhancing Your Inputs (Part 2): Further emotional/astral blockages will be able to be relieved by more lifestyle shifts. Tasks will include spending time on more fruitful hobbies, choosing & creating habits that fill your cup rather than deplete your energy, and working with the elements daily.

Week 7: Digital Detox: Eliminate some aspect of technology in some way. Maybe you will refuse to use your phone for the first two hours of the day, take a break from social media, take a rest from social media overall, or use the internet purely for uplifting content. A serious period of meditation may even be implemented. Whatever you do, that will be your task of discipline so that you can connect deeper to your imaginal realms.

Week 8: Constructing Your Imaginal World: You've gotten a good picture of your dream worlds now. It's time to integrate that so that you thoroughly bring up the value of your dreams. Tasks will encourage you to bring a deeper sense to your imaginal world, so that you have a deep interest of navigating it and learning from it, just as the physical world we're already all aware of. You may find that, in the process, you get a deeper sense of who you are multidimensionally, based on your skills, actions, and interactions in the astral plane. You may find communication with benevolent spirits, ancestors, elemental beings, creatures, pets, and so on.

#txt #dreamwork #inner work #mysticism #astral travel #lucid dreaming #astral projection #imaginal realms #self healing #astral realm #herbalism #holistic leveling up #leveling up #manifestation #dream girl #green juice girl #that girl #third eye chakra #spiritual growth #intuition #light worker #dream yoga #quantum alchemy #slow living #soft living #wellness journey #meditation #mindfulness #shamanism #sidewalkchemistry

[kunikidas-lost-glasses]

Do you have some bramcraft or steinbramcraft headcanons?

First of all, I am genuinely so sorry that I am answering to this only now! I found your ask late in my ask box, I was extremely busy with school, I was lacking headcanons, had no time to post anything on any platform, etc. I am genuinely super sorry.

Secondly, I'm so glad that you're asking anon!! I do have quite a bunch of headcanons for both ships (more for Bramcraft than for Steinbramcraft but okay) but I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested in them!

This post is only about Bramcraft but I will probably make one about Steinbramcraft too.

I hope you enjoy those headcanons and thank you so so much for your question!

TWs: Losing someone (temporary), slight mentions of injuries

---------------------------------------------------

Bram and Lovecraft met during the medival era by coincidence at night on the shore

Bram had been strolling along the shore after a hunting trip with his vampires and Lovecraft had swam up to the surface for the first time since years for some reason and they spotted each other

Bram got quite spooked when he saw a slightly off looking and very tall person suddenly breaking through the surface of the sea

They eventually started a conversation since Lovecraft asked him what year it was right after they started at each other for quite some time as well as after Lovecraft stretched a bit and also since Bram couldn't resist asking Lovecraft who or what he was

One conversation turned into multiple conversations and eventually they've developed feelings for each other (Bram was a lot more aware of them since he had been a human once and due to this was more familiar with human feelings and behaviors) but it took them literal years until they got together since both are utterly dense and can't handle emotions that well/don't understand them very good

They often spend time together by just sleeping (literally sleeping) together at the most random places

Bram was tall but Lovecraft was still a lot taller than the vampire

Usually they would meet up during the night on the shore but when the weather was bad, Lovecraft would come to Bram's castle where the latter lived with his vampires because Bram didn't really like being outside for long while it was cold and rainy

Lovecraft on the other hand, didn't particularly mind the weather but he wanted his partner to be comfortable

At first Bram called Lovecraft, Lovecraft but after a while he started calling him Howard

Bram is one of the very few persons who actually know Lovecraft's first name and who's allowed to call him by his very first name

Bram has a very thick Irish accent which gets thicker when he's ranting, angry, stressed or very emotional and Lovecraft thinks it's adorable

Bram would always be super careful when they kissed or when they were making-out (which happened kinda rarely) because of his sharp fangs and his long and sharp claws, not wanting to hurt the other

Lovecraft on the other hand was always careful when he hugged or just generally touched Bram because even if Bram was the immortal and feared King of the undead, his body still felt nearly as fragile as the one of a human for Lovecraft and since he was aware of his own immense strength, Lovecraft would always be super careful with Bram

They would spend whole nights talking about deep and heavy topics with each other while Bram sipped blood out of a fancy glass while on other nights they just went to bed and slept for hours

Bram being super sarcastic sometimes and Lovecraft not understanding, causing Bram to laugh it is a thing

When Lovecraft went to the vampire castle the first time without telling Bram about it, the vampires tried to attack him, thinking he was an intruder but Bram who noticed the fuss in the courtyard went outside and stopped them, telling them that this man was a close friend and that had to treat him like a noble guest

He even forbid to even just touch Lovecraft in any way

Since then the vampires treat Lovecraft with a similar respect like how they treat their king

Lovecraft is kind of possessive of what's his (to this counts his home, his "territory" underwater but also Bram) and would kill when someone dared to try to take it away from him so when Bram got kind of badly injured by vampire hunters once he nearly went to burn the whole town down

Them dancing together in the big empty ballroom of the vampire castle but while Bram is leading and dancing incredibly elegantly, seemingly floating across the floor, Lovecraft is clumsily following and often trips because he is still not completely used to his human body, is a thing too

Bram thinks is adorable and amusing

He always tries to hold in his laughter then but often he can't hold back an amused and soft smile

Sometimes they lie together in the sand on the shore or sit on the rooftop of the castle house and watch the night sky

They only exchange some sentences then once a while. Mostly they are just lying or sitting there, enjoying each other's presence

Sometimes they just sat there next to each other but sometimes they would hold hands or Bram would lie his head against Lovecraft's shoulder as he was getting more and more tired

Bram never forced Lovecraft to attend to any formal vampire events and they kept their relationship a secret. Even from Bram's closest relatives

Bram himself would often sneak out of the ballroom during festivities, even though he was the king of the undead and should be attending at whatever celebration was going on, and went down to the shore where Lovecraft was already waiting for him

Large celebrations always tired him endlessly and he preferred to spend the night with his close friend anyways

Bram can't swim at all (like the most people who lived during the medival era) so when Lovecraft once dragged him with him into the water just for the sake of it, he did get scared for a second and screamed out of reflex before his head went underwater despite being immortal, so when they resurfaced again and when he felt that Lovecraft was steadily holding him over the surface, keeping him from drowning he proceeded to yell at Lovecraft after getting the water out of his eyes

Lovecraft didn't even tried to stay serious and burst out laughing

They sometimes sit together in Bram's chamber and read while the fire in the fireplace in crackling and creates an incredibly calm and domestic atmosphere

Bram and Lovecraft both were a bit more energetic and Bram felt more emotions before the invasion happened during which he got sliced in half and got taken away like a trophy

Lovecraft had been sleeping underwater while it happened and after he woke up, swam up to the surface and realized what happened, he did destroy what was left of the town in his sheer rage and pain but it was too late

He did search for Bram for years and when he found him centuries later, he was in the hands of Fukuichi

At first he wanted to save him but soon enough he realized that Fukuichi would most likely use Bram against Lovecraft since Bram was under complete control of him and it be would horrible and most likely hurt Bram even more so Lovecraft couldn't do anything

Despite this, he decided to stay close to Bram and always kept close to wherever Bram and Fukuichi went, waiting for a moment where he could get Bram out of Fukuichis hands

Bram often finds himself thinking or dreaming about Lovecraft

Sometimes he dreams about long, messy black hair, the smell of the sea but which surprisingly it lacked the unpleasant strong smell of fish and the smell of old books like which Lovecraft always smelled for some reason, tired black eyes and cold yet not unpleasantly cold hands as well as about the shore and his castle

Sometimes he thinks about how Lovecraft's hair felt and how his cold lips felt against his but he always quickly snaps himself out of it

On some days he can't even escape him in his sleep.

Bram usually tried to sleep everything off. He can't really do anything besides sleeping or lying awake thinking in that coffin anyways but sometimes Lovecraft also appears in his dreams

Lovecraft has some memories of Bram's real smile or of him smiling sheepishly. He saw it some times when Bram was truly happy or a bit embarrassed.

Seeing Bram smiling was a rare thing because just like Lovecraft, he wasn't smiling very often so it was always a special thing but it also always looked weirdly adorable in Lovecraft's opinion.

When Bram smiled widely, his fangs would poke out and Lovecraft loved seeing him smile. Now he cherishes those memories greatly. They are one of the very few things he has left of the other.

Bram would sometimes play the piano for Lovecraft back in the castle

Bram was the one who thought Lovecraft how to write properly

Bram loved roaming through Lovecraft's long and messy hair with his own hands

Lovecraft loved listening to Bram and loved watching him

He'd be lying if he didn't admire Bram and fell for him even more when he saw him commanding/ruling over his kins, standing on top of the staircase with his long black coat, his long soft white hair and piercing red eyes which seemingly could notice everything

Lovecraft once took care of Bram while he was recovering from an attack of vampire hunters and was even more protective of him during that time

The recommend books to each other

Lovecraft is boiling with rage which is aimed towards Fukuichi and he's wanting the moment where he can free Bram and face Fukuichi to arrive oh so bad

Lovecraft gifted Bram small or a bit bigger treasures which he found underwater and Bram cherished them greatly as well as kept each of them in a box which he protected greatly

To those treasures also counted extremely old books, jewels and other things he found underwater as well and he also gifted him an antique and elegant ring once.

It was the only thing which Bram didn't put in his box. He always kept it on his finger.

Many vampires admired the old ring greatly and wondered from where Bram got such a rare treasure but he never told them.

#Finally I could upload some of my Bramcraft headcanons #I hope they weren't boring #I also apologize again #bsd #bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs #bungou gay dogs #bungou stray dogs hcs #bsd headcanons #bungou stray dogs headcanons #bsd manga #bsd lovecraft #bsd bram #bsd bram stoker #bungou stray dogs manga #bu bungoustraydogs #bungostraydogs #bramcraft #headcanons

[one-winged-dreams]

Formal Request

ship: (Dione x Svarog) source: Honkai Star Rail word count: 1043

this is supposed to make me feel better so it's mostly just dialogue with little substance but eh, i needed to make something for this ship eventually

no proofreading, we post like men

tag list: @kylars-princess @dearly-beeloved @adoredbyalatus @dorothys-wife @the-sleeping-city @camellias-and-coriander @sunstar-of-the-north @lysandreslittlechatot

"Has Clara seemed off to you, lately?"

The question came idly from Dione, but not without an amount of thoughtfulness.

In lieu of a response, Svarog merely tilted his head inquisitively, the motion almost missed until Dione turned his gaze to actively gauge any such response.

"She's been acting… Strange. Unusually bashful. Surely you've noticed." Dione's eyebrows raised as he spoke. "Am I imagining things? I'm imagining things aren't I? Ah, but what if I'm NOT…"

"Dione."

His gaze snapped back up to Svarog again, wide yet weary eyes studying the robot's featureless face.

"Yes?"

Though he did not breathe, a sigh was an appropriate vocalization in the way of response from Svarog.

"Your stress levels have been accumulating exponentially within the timeframe of the prior 5 days. I believe self-evaluation is in order."

Dione blinked a few more times.

"So I'm… Imagining things?"

"I will not confirm or deny this claim."

This was a particularly odd response and both parties did indeed seem to be aware of it. It was now Dione's turn to provide a response via addressing the other in a particular tone.

"Svarog."

"Dione."

Both seemed to take a pass for their next turn to speak and thus it was silent for a moment.

"Something IS going on with Clara, isn't it? And by my deduction skills, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were INTIMATELY aware," Dione finally broke the silence.

"My request for a moment of introspection still stands."

"You're changing the subject."

The theme of a response each followed by a mutual pass continued, though this time it was Svarog's turn to break the silence.

"It is nothing you need become increasingly concerned with. Rest assured that Clara is well, and has requested you not press the issue."

"I WAS RIGHT!" Dione stood abruptly, pointing an accusatory finger. "You and Clara are up to something TOGETHER? Without me?"

Dione sounded almost heartbroken at the prospect, but only in that overly sensitive and minor way that wasn't worth being overly concerned with. And again did Svarog respond with a synthesized sigh.

"You have my word that it is something best left alone by you in particular, Dione."

"ME IN PART- Okay, now I HAVE to know! I'm your wife aren't I?" Dione pouted, bringing up the seemingly permanent game of house that had been put together to get Clara to trust Dione from the day they had met. The fact that Dione was bringing it up even with Clara absent meant he was pulling out any and all stops he could.

The longer Svarog paused, the more Dione's brow furrowed.

"Alright."

"Alright?"

Dione was genuinely surprised that Svarog had caved so easily, he had been prepared to go all out for this. He was almost DISAPPOINTED it had been so easy.

"In comparison to prior data, trying to dissuade you in such a state would prove futile. I will tell you, but you must promise not to tell Clara that you know."

"That depends."

"A formal request from your husband."

"Dammit."

It was just as effective whenever Svarog played house right back.

"Clara has been… Concerned with your state of being. Increased weariness and drop in mood and motivation in particular."

Dione frowned, looking down at his feet.

"Noticed that… has she?" he spoke solemnly before feebly attempting to cover his vulnerability with humor. "She's a sharp kid. Something you'd expect from a girl raised by a robot."

Svarog only responded with silence, to which Dione puzzled.

"So what's with her tiptoeing around? Is she trying not to hurt my feelings? Am I upsetting her?"

"She's been… Planning something for you. She… And I."

Once again, Dione was only able to express his surprise with his own silence.

"And what is… this something?"

"Is that a formal request?"

"From your wife."

"I see."

There was another turn of silence before Svarog continued the intermittent conversation.

"The details have not been pinned down, but… she wished to provide a genuine familial experience."

Dione looked even more puzzled now.

"Meaning..?"

"That I do not know the specifics. It seems she is still in the planning stage, but she specifically mentioned the Overworld."

"The Overworld? And you had no objections to this?" Dione questioned, pushing the glasses that had slipped down the bridge of his nose back to their proper position.

In return, he received only a nod from Svarog.

"But you… You HATE IT there. Or at least genuinely dislike it. Things may have improved between the Over and Underworlds but I can't imagine you'd be given too much respect up there." Once again did Dione's brow furrow, but more so out of perplexion as well as slight concern.

"It would only be for the span of a singular day and night. I have more important matters to focus my attention on than the respect of Overworlders," Svarog responded in no particular tone.

"Such as?"

"Family."

A blush made itself evident on Dione's face, not quite blessed with the lack of features that made Svarog so difficult to read.

"Right… Though, I have to ask, why one night? Why not just come home?"

"Clara has expressed a personal interest in the Overworld's own Goethe Hotel. Though I cannot personally grasp the importance, she has assured me it would be… Pleasurable by human standards."

Dione stared for one stunned second before snorting a giggle.

"Is that so? I can imagine it would be a fun experience for her at any rate. This may be for my sake, but I can't say I can refuse if it'll be enjoyable for her too. Because you know," he started before his expression softened, "seeing you both happy is enough to lift a bit of weight off my shoulders."

"That much is obvious," Svarog responded plainly, though it was clear it was meant to be playful in its own right.

"So she insisted on the hotel, huh?" Dione's expression returned to something playful himself.

"Affirmative."

"Alright, noted. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised if she insists on running off to visit Serval before bedtime."

"I'm afraid I do not understand the implication."

"I suppose you might see it my way once you see how nice those hotel rooms supposedly are."

"Noted."

#self ship #self shipping #virus fics #cr: svarog #fm: clara

[wri0thesley]

🌙 anon is back from irl and genshin hell 😭! Hope you’re doing well Nat!That Diluc x chubby Maid reader fic 😳😳😳😵‍💫🥴 so good like omg idk where to start to comment on how much I LOVE the fic! 🤩🥳

Thinking about same chubby maid Y/N that has to help out Angel’s Share to serve food and drinks to patrons. Such a high amount of customers lately, the tavern needs more help! Adeline informs her of the task. Charles and Diluc help teach her the tasks she has to do. Maybe Diluc gives Y/N a new bartending outfit or sticks to her original clothes 😳 Diluc’s favorite maid is quite popular with the guests, she so sweet, welcoming, works hard, thus he’s getting horny jealous. Some guests like Zhongli, Venti, Albedo, Ayato, Thoma, Childe, Pantalone, etc. take a special interest/flirting at Y/N which sets Diluc off (*coughs* possessive/breeding kink *coughs*) after closing hours. 😋

I’d like to think that Rosaria and Kaeya are good friends with the reader. The cryo duo are well aware about Diluc’s sour mood and him being down bad for our sweet maid 😂 Y/N thinks Diluc’s sour mood is due to the busyness of the tavern so she working hard to ease his stress 🥺 (put a ring 💍 on her Diluc!)

Maid reader I assume doesn’t have a vision from the dressing fic but if she did I headcanon Hydro for steamy reasons 🤭🤭🤭 hydro + pryo = vaporize 🥴😉😌😏

oooh anon...

i am THINKING about this so very hard. perhaps a special event that brings people back to monstadt (like the one we're getting very soon), to wine and dine and drink and make merry . . . and reader is just so sweet, so eager to please, wants to help diluc so much - and it's not like he's going to be at home much, is it? so it's agreed upon that they can take some shifts at angel's share, when diluc is there to keep an eye on them - and what do you know! they're very good at it! in fact, if diluc didn't know better, he'd think several of the patrons purposely hang back to be served by reader instead of coming to diluc himself.

and reader's in a cute little approximation of a waitress outfit; maybe it's a bit too small, again, because he can't help himself, but it's festive! still. only diluc should get to ogle at the soft push of reader's chest in a low-cut little white blouse (i'm imagining, seeing as monstadt is so heavily german-inspired, something akin to a dirndl?) and bodice that just emphasises how lovely and round and nice to touch they'd be. so he's glaring daggers from behind the bar, and oh no, that's not helping people want to be served by maid reader either!

i do think this is especially funny with venti. diluc knows that's barbatos; knows that it's monstadt's archon . . . but all maid reader knows is it's the funny, charming bard that people love to hear play at angel's share, so they should probably be nice to him! and diluc can only bring himself to be so curt with venti, knowing everything he knows . . . and venti takes full advantage of that. accidentally falls into reader's generous decolletege. flirts and winks and sings particularly bawdy songs whilst making direct eye contact. you cannot tell me that venti wouldn't fall head over heels for a chubby reader. come on.

mmm. he can't start an out and out diplomatic war, either - so outright telling ayato to back off is a bad idea, especially as inazuma has only recently re-opened to the outside world and ayato has so much sway over arts and culture. and i always like to imagine he knew thoma as a child and remembers him; so when ayato and thoma are flirting, all he can do is grit his teeth.

zhongli also puts him a little on edge. even though he knows nothing about zhongli's true identity, the man exudes power; and you seem so interested in him! diluc's well aware that, despite being a gentleman, he can be a little . . . awkward. zhongli talks like a gentleman and smiles at you kindly and diluc knows by now that you're weak for authority figures! but the fact that venti seems to know zhongli so well also doesn't bode well . . .

if anything, it's childe and/or pantalone (though i think it's far more likely to be childe) that sets him off. makes him bring an end to the night early and send everyone off to the cat's tail because he shattered a glass whilst cleaning it by losing control of his vision - a fatui harbinger? having the absolute nerve to make a move on his beloved little maid? that's just too much. he's got to fuck you over every table in his tavern and make you scream out his name and tell him that you love him in between jealous, angry, mind-shattering orgasms. it's literally a life or death situation. if he doesn't do it, he'll simply die.

#not sfw text #chubby reader posting #genshin impact posting #nat.txt #fem reader implied #long post

[z0ruas]

I'm nervous to share this but I need to get better at it. In March this year my therapist diagnosed me with OSDD - otherwise specified dissociative disorder - or one of the variations under the umbrella of what used to be called multiple personality disorder. I didn't know my undiagnosed autism in early childhood could become something this advanced, and I can never find out what trauma exactly caused it because 1) that's the nature of the disorder and 2) my parents who homeschooled/abused me will never help me remember. My best guess is CSA that they tried to cover up and it should bother me more to share that but despite having been a walking billboard of the symptoms at times I don't recall the trauma itself whatsoever so whatever, just the rituals I used to do to try to get out of any more of it happening I guess. Telling my therapist that as a child I stopped bathing for days at a time and don't remember when it started and to this day I'm still mysteriously horrified of the shower tipped her off to my dissociation being highly abnormal

"DID is a dissociative trauma disorder in which a survivor has undergone longterm, repeated trauma in early childhood. This trauma, combined with other factors, results in a rather dramatic interruption of psychological development -- particularly as it pertains to identity. Through a process known as dissociation, this thwarted development results in "differentiated self-states" (also known as alters/parts) who may each think, act, and feel considerably different from one another. These parts of the mind - who may have their own name, age and personality - are able to take executive control of the body, leaving the survivor without any awareness for the time they were gone. These amnesic gaps in memory can be for just a few moments, a few days, or even entire chunks of one's childhood. The alters in a DID mind exist to help the survivor cope with deeply painful and unconscionable trauma, holding it outside their awareness to the best of their ability. However, often once the survivor begins to find safety and/or enter adulthood, this once supremely creative and protective mechanism can turn into a maladaptive trait causing real life consequences."

I'm not sure if I count as fully DID because of my likely low end alter count, which I'll explain, and because how my amnesia works. I want to say I am because I don't remember anything before the age of 7 and didn't know until recently that not everyone forgets early childhood that hard, lately everything before age 13 is on its way out too and I'm gathering that the degree of my short and long term memory loss are pretty severe during times of stress, but I don't currently have blackouts or alters who keep each other out of consciousness to "take over" and are damned to keep secrets from each other, so I don't know. It feels more like they just filter themselves through me, like we're all living the same life but just deal with it and feel about it different ways.

They've written a lot of notes/journals to me over the years, so as an adult as long as I check those I usually remember what they do and feel generally and don't ever wake up like "where the fuck am I," but in the past I mistook them for fictional characters or "intrusive inner monologue" that conflicted with "me," because I didn't know what this was. With more therapy and introspection I've figured that 20+ years ago I once had alters who I can't remember anymore who took a lot of memory away whenever it was they "left"/I no longer needed them.

Turns out even if I hadn't decided to formally learn creative writing I would've been coming up with other people in my head to cope anyway. Kinda puts a damper on the last decade I've spent as a writer or so I thought. Similar to the ablutophobia I don't recall when exactly I started coming up with and illustrating stories, just that I seemed to be able to and I needed to do it as much as possible.

Without prodding off the top of my head I only have two clear memories of being 7, I don't know when they are and they aren't reels of continuous moments more than they are snapshots of just having been there, but I can still see what the rooms looked like when I was in them: 1) playing Pokemon Yellow in my bedroom for the first time and 2) sitting down at the brick computer in my parents' bedroom to write my first word document story.

I say my alter count is likely to be low (but I can't be sure until I get a therapist who specializes in this disorder, mine only does in autism) because I, the host of this blog and normally my brain/body, used to feel like a singlet (someone without DID) and was long unaware of what this disorder was besides the name of it, so we didn't have a naming or recognition method for alters for 20+ years. The way its portrayed in media and online I see a lot of systems with drastically individualized members, but a lot of mine are just "me but with certain emotions dialed up" "me slightly to the left or right" "me at 13" "me when I've suddenly forgotten x important thing again"

Like the autism this is definitely one of those things I needed to know about myself decades sooner, but unlike the autism which I was #bornwith this feels like something I need to apologize for, despite not having the language or knowledge to express how it felt and despite not remembering why I started doing it.

If I'd been able to always express myself as a "we," if I'd known, I wouldn't have hidden this from people, so that I can get better. Whether that be through "final fusion" (all alters becoming one) or "functional multiplicity" (less alters becoming as few as possible) I plan on healing as much as possible despite no longer being able to recover all the pieces of my puzzle

#me #plural

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

And on the protag's side, now that they're aware that their actions do in fact have consequences, it's not like they can just stop dying, particularly during the very hard noble fights. They can stop being so perfectionist about everything, even if maybe they fall back into bad habits when they stop paying attention, but the noble battles took me a lot of tries every time, even when I took the shortcut of starting in the middle of them again. So with every reset, that's more added guilt. If they've become, or already were prior to Hisui, a perfectionist, they already have that mindset of "I could be better, I should be better," but now it's got the added weight of guilt and anxiety and shame of "it's my fault for not being better at this already, I'm personally responsible for someone's suffering I can't afford to fail". That might make the noble battles even harder too, because now they're desperate to get things done quickly without dying, and the added stress makes them hasty and prone to bad judgement calls.

A lot of the time Ingo and the protag have a good relationship, but in this situation how could they possibly look at Ingo without drowning in their self-disgust? How could they possibly forgive themself - for being so blasé about their own life, for hurting him, for not being better - even if he himself has forgiven them? That's a lot for a kid to take, especially in an already stressful, high-stakes environment. They treated this like a video game, maybe to help cope with the trauma of it all, but what helped them get through things so far has completely wrecked another person's mental health, and there's nothing either of them can do about it. The protag quite abruptly realizes that the genre of the "game" they were playing was never adventure, it was survival horror, and they never noticed until it was too late.

And in the other scenario... god, why even try? After a few times, why even bother doing literally anything? Your whole life could be functionally reset, even if you're careful and cautious. And on Emmet's end, imagine if time isn't distorted to a few weeks. He could go years before, poof, he's back to when Ingo went missing. Years of his life, gone, to the worst moment and he never even gets the chance to save Ingo. That'd fuck him up so much, especially if he ever came to the horrible conclusion that things being reset means that, somewhere, somehow, Ingo probably died. And with every failed attempt to save Ingo at the start of the loop, the guilt and horror and desperation to find him before he dies again gets worse.

Everyone is having such a good time.

YES!! YES!!!

and like, the noble fights SHOULD be hard to win. they SHOULD take a long time to get right, because in-universe, you're fighting a monster with the power of a god, driven out of its mind by divine corruption and with its only thought being to tear and rend and destroy. and you are. a human. having a food fight with it. honestly, it's more unbelievable that non-timelooping protags pull it all off on the first try unscathed.

which is already so fucked for timeloop protag, b/c whatever their relationship to the looping was in the very start of the game (or if they were even aware of it), once they got to kleavor, they had to die. over. and over. and over. learn how to dodge this way for its first attack, only to get hit by the second. learn how to turn you both so that none of the onlookers are in the line of fire. the final loop they take looks like magic, them dancing through these deadly axes and never being touched, being perfect—of course galaxy and the clans send them after the next one, and the next, and the next. it seems miraculous, their ability. with a power like that, how could you not take advantage of it? nobody knows how much it costs them in twitchy reflexes and invisible scars. until somebody does.

bc like. this is going way the way back to that canon thing where galaxy is still considering the protag's worth after they've joined, and one of the conditions is if they get hurt and suddenly cost more resources than they bring in. they get kicked out. so protag can't just not die. they can't get hurt, period. or at least not bad enough to the point where they can't still work as a surveyor, which is like, in a fight with a noble, getting hurt with only a light scratch is much rarer than getting a limb snapped. so protag really does need to be perfect.

and then ooooof to them feeling pressured to get it right as fast as possible after finding out about ingo. at least once they know him, they can give him a warning or an explanation when they're about to be facing something that's going to be really hard...? y'know i typed that out intending to say something else but like. reading it back i feel like the protag thinking that's ok. like how the fuck would ingo consider that an acceptable statement. "i'm going to go throw myself at electrode a hundred times until i get a perfect run where i don't get hurt" the hell you are! isn't this what we were just talking about! just don't do the thing that gets you killed a hundred times! but then how do you suddenly convince everyone involved that you suddenly need to change your entire strategy for dealing with frenzies, without telling everyone about the entire time-resetting clusterfuck. there's kind of no good way, huh. and that's if they don't hear about time resetting and just agree that "ok, i guess you respawn if you die so just die over and over. it's been working out great so far. obviously this is what god intended." which you have no guarantee of. so protag's stuck between this really uncomfortable scenario of either trying to figure out some way to proceed without resetting, only to potentially defeat the entire exercise if they forget or slip back into perfectionist habits. or they can go against ingo's wishes and try to tank the frenzy anyway. both of which feel awful to them!

but like. even if they could somehow guarantee that they'd never die again, most of the damage has already been done. ingo just sort of passively assumes now that nothing he remembers is accurate, or at least, if anything is, it's such a small fraction of it as to be entirely unreliable anyway. even knowing that the loops are real and he isn't just dreaming them up, it's so hard to keep track of which things happened in aborted loops vs which things actually happened. he doesn't even keep track of days anymore. looking at a calendar or anything like that is almost nauseating, realizing how off his perceived passage of time is from what's "really" happening. just going through life in a fog. probably none of this is real, anyway. no matter how real it feels now, it might all evaporate in the next instant. which is made all the worse by the fact that i think ingo legitimately does have a very good memory, when all this shit isn't actively fucking with it as much as possible. he remembers it all so clearly—but nobody else does. and then things that did happen, according to everyone else, he doesn't remember at all. so this one thing that he should be good at has now been taken from him too.

and if protag does inevitably fuck up, imagine their own hurt when they next see ingo. you reset? trying to sound level and normal but with the undercurrent of please tell me you reset. please, tell me any of that was real. reminded all over again what they did to him, and will never get a chance to erase.

#the nemesis speaks #the nemesis answers #anonymous #pokefic pitch #hough i could keep going but this is already so long #timeloop protag

[roseaesynstylae]

Star Wars: Republic Commando: Hard Contact, Chapter 1

"Republic Commando 1136 studied every face in line waiting to board the gunships.

Some were helmeted, and some were not, but -- one way or another-- they all had his face. And they were all strangers."

While I do not feel particularly friendly toward Karen Traviss, I will give her credit for her skill in writing military-related topics. She used to be a journalist, or so I hear, so that tracks.

"The loadmaster turned to him. He was one of the very, very few outsiders whom Darman had ever seen working with the Grand Army, a short, wrinkled Duros with a temper to match. 'Are you embarking or what?'

Darman continued wiping his helmet. 'I'm waiting for my mates.'

'You shift your shiny silver backside now,' the loadmaster said irritably. 'I got a schedule.'

Darman carefully brought his knuckle plate just under the loadmaster's chin, and held it there. He didn't need to eject the vibroblade and he didn't need to say a word. He'd made his point."

I'll forgive this one. Darman's just come out of an extremely stressful situation, training or no, and I'm pretty sure he's subconsciously aware that the rest of his squad is dead. Small wonder he's reacting badly.

I'm making note of this because of certain moments in future books. (Jaing's gloves, anyone?)

"The field of barq flowed from silver to ruby as the wind from the southwest bent the ripening grain in waves. It could have been a perfect late-summer day; instead it was turning into one of the worst days of Etain Tur-Muken's life."

Etain, honey, you have no idea.

"'I got bottle of urrqal. You want to have party?' He had a remarkably large vocabulary for a Weequay, all of it centered on his baser needs. 'I fun when you get to know me.'"

Either Etain has some prejudices she needs to sort out, or Hondo is an exceptionally well-spoken and eloquent member of his species.

"'...later, but right now, di'kut, I need you to...okay? Or I'll cut...'"

This is purely to kick off the Di'kut Count.

Di'kut Count: 1

"'I'm Fi,' he said, and held out his hand for shaking. 'So you lost your squad too.'

'Niner,' RC-1309 said without taking the proffered hand."

I just wanted to show Fi and Niner's introduction.

Main post

#star wars #star wars republic commando #republic commando #repcomm #republic commando hard contact #star wars read through #fi s #fi skirata #niner #darman #darman skirata #etain #etain tur mukan

[practically-an-x-man]

help me I'm thinking about Nikoletta and Abner's dynamic with the Squad again

I keep thinking about how Nikoletta and Abne resort of become the outcasts among the outcasts when they're in Corto Maltese. Him because of the dots and the outbursts about his mom and all that, as the movie goes, but her because she's cold and reclusive and never comes within a few feet of anybody (plus, all of the lingering impressions of her from back in Belle Reve, the prisoners generally tolerate but do not like her). The only person she lets get close at all is Abner, and even that starts out slow and awkward.

So they're the outcasts of the group. And while Nikoletta (who's survived the past few decades only because she's learned how to read people and manipulate social situations) is aware of this from the very beginning, Abner (who doesn't have much socialization outside his siblings and a few bullies in Belle Reve) is very much not.

Now Nikoletta's on edge, both for her own safety and for Abner's - even at that point, she had a bit of a soft spot for him, and the whole reason she was in Corto Maltese to begin with was because she worried someone would try to off him at some point during the mission - and it only keeps growing as the mission goes on. And of course, she's also constantly on guard to avoid spreading her shadow-touch to the others. Abner's having a good time, making friends with Cleo and getting his hair ruffled by Flag in la Gatita Amable and all that, but Nik is more stressed than ever. And she's so emotionally repressed that she probably doesn't even realize why she's more on guard than usual, she just assumes it's from the upcoming danger of the mission.

And then there's the matter of the two of them. They start getting closer from the plane ride (technically even a little before, with their interactions in Belle Reve itself, but the plane is really the catalyst), and while there's nothing particularly romantic about it until la Gatita Amable, it's still enough to attract a bit of attention from the others.

It starts with DuBois. Just a few comments here or there, dry and ironic teasing that maybe comes out a bit too sharp but is really harmless in intent, get a room and leave space for Jesus and other sarcastic little digs like that. Abner doesn't quite catch onto what he's getting at, not yet, but Nik does.

Then they meet up with Rick, and he sees DuBois' teasing and starts to play along. He's... well, not quite heavy-handed, but his Southern sarcasm is a little different from DuBois' dry British wit, and Abner catches onto the joke. Again, though, it's all harmless, and not nearly as bad as the flak he normally gets - and he and Nikoletta both seem to realize that if they let this fracture now, when she still can barely convince herself to hold his hand, it might not ever come back.

And then we get Peacemaker. Now he's the Saint Bernard of the bunch - always a little late to the joke, but rambunctious to the point of being destructive to try and make up for it. He takes it from harmless teasing to something a little more antagonistic, and as we see in The Facts Are These, this results in a few close calls for Nik and Abner.

So that just places them both in this really strange spot, at least at the beginning - they don't quite fit it with the others but can connect one-on-one, though that connection itself opens them up to more scrutiny, and at this point Nikoletta is still so tightly-wound that she hardly even processes it as anything more than an assessment of social power dynamics. It's not until she saves him from Starro, or maybe even until she wakes up in the hospital after that, that she realizes she's made an emotional connection with him at all (and even then, she's not entirely sure whether it's platonic or romantic or some mix of the two).

#my ocs #nikoletta bordeaux #my writing #and then there's the matter of nikoletta promising to look after dubois' daughter if she gets stuck in belle reve #and her seeing cleo in almost the same way. worth protecting from belle reve in any way she can #and rick being friendlier to her than the others are both bc he's an outgoing guy and bc he doesn't have the same associations of her #idk i just think there's some really fun social dynamics to explore with this lot

[1800duckhotline]

chelsea: lemon, pretzel, fallen leaf | julia: ice cream, carrot, donut ^_^

Emoji themed OC Questions

For Chelsea

🍋 [LEMON] What is their kryptonite/ultimate weakness?

In a practical and physical sense, not drinking enough blood is basically a death sentence for Chelsea as she is in fact affected by vampirism! An acute and particularly odd variant of it, but vampirism nonetheless. She has all the hunger and risks of weaknesses that come with the standard fare, but her bites are actually not infectious as they normally should be. Still, she requires even more blood than the average person affected by vampirism, so if the P.A.U. were to run out on their supplies of it, she'd be in great danger. Her case requires constant blood transfusions, as draining people once in a while is not enough to sustain her lifestyle. Yes, 5 liters of blood is insufficient for her.

On an emotional and psychological level, she's a person who deflects a lot of her misery and angst by joking - her talent is being a nagger who never takes anything seriously. So, emotional honesty and openness with others is a giant weakness of hers. Unfortunately, she's only willing to be sincere with Juliya. Unfortunately, Juliya also has issues with being open about feelings and emotions. Unfortunately, once again, Chelsea's job as an assassin doesn't give her much time to linger on things like this.

🥨 [PRETZEL] How complicated is your OC's backstory? Who does it entwine with?

I would say it isn't overtly complex but it's hard to explain, because the lore Mondoverse is built on is kind of weird to go through with each step. I'm still reworking Chelsea's concept specifically as her being a "special" kind of anomalous vampire has always been a thing for her character, but with the way I edited my lore I'm trying to figure out a better way to make it work.

I can say though it entwines with my OCs Acacia and Helen MacLeod, who if you've seen on my Toyhouse, very clearly are from the late 19th century, many decades before Chelsea is even born (she lives in the late 2000s), so...

🍃 [FALLEN LEAF] What's the darkest period of time your OC has been through?

It's hard to say. Chelsea's life has been dark for as far as she can remember. She laughs it off as an adult but there's ittle light to be seen at the end of the tunnel for her, as she can only reminisce of times where she was employed as a young mercenary in an illegal group (alongside Juliya) and being there for years before eventually going rogue and escaping after the incident that left most of her body permanently burned.

It doesn't help that the group itself (the name I had given it was The Queen's Diamonds, it might be subject to change) and their boss (who acted as Chelsea's mother at the time) were aware of her vampirism condition and often threatened to turn that sickness into a deadly sentence for her if she ever so thought of running away. They basically used her as an attack dog most of the time.

Anyway, she escaped and survived, in spite of it all, and to spite them especially, so she considers it a win. Still, her partnership with the P.A.U. doesn't automatically mean she will not have any of her old 'partners' on her tail trying to steal her back...

For Juliya

🍨 [ICE CREAM] How does your OC compose themselves in stressful situations?

As a surgeon and doctor with a career long almost a decade now, Juliya has become an expert in handling stressful situations as her job itself deems such a skill a necessity. She's perfectly equipped to deal with circumstances in which someone might risk death: usually a deep breath and a good amount of caffeine in her body helps her get through it. Even when she isn't able to save someone, she is comforted by the thought she still did her damned best and that the worse case scenario sometimes is truly inevitable.

She's however completely inept at handling stressful situations that involve emotional and psychological stress, circumstances where the danger and source of distress aren't palpable and she can't put her hands on them to fix them.

She's just not good with Feelings in the slightest.

🥕 [CARROT] How tough is your OC against certain situations? How weak are they against others?

If you look at her you might get the feeling that fighting her will result in your ass getting beaten for good and you'd be right. She trains literally whenever she has a free moment in her schedule; Juliya is all about keeping that muscle mass strong and tough. She's survived many a vicious fistfights and having been involved in the same group Chelsea used to be in when younger, she also learned a good deal when it comes to firearms and melee weapons. As well as acquired knowledge as a combat medic.

Basically don't pick a fight with her because you will not be able to win. Her strenght seems also to near levels that shouldn't be possible for a regular human to achieve; some might speculate she takes steroids, or some other kind of drug, but who knows. It's 98% pure dedication.

🍩 [DONUT] What is your OC's biggest flaw? How do they deal with it? Do they deal with it?

Emotional Constipation and absolutely Not. She hasn't dealt with it AT ALL in years and who knows if she ever will! I have never determined specifically Juliya's origin (family, how it was like, her childhood) and I will eventually but what I know is that she struggles really bad whenever it comes to matters that require emotional sensibility and opening up to others [you might start gauging why she and Chelsea are so perfect but bad for each other].

She makes up for it by being a hardass with little to no humor in her body, a façade she built up as she got older in hopes it'll help her feel less affected by the emotional intricacies of life and interpersonal relationships. It mostly works because a lot of people are deterred by her rough exterior, and it's convenient to have because while she is a formal surgeon with no ties to illegal activities, technically, she also works as an informant for the P.A.U. and often hands cases to assassins in the area (as instructed by the higher ups of the Union).

The only one who can get through that brick wall of an attitude is Chelsea but it's ✨complicated✨

#oc rambles #asks #THANKY #cheljul moment #THEYRE PRECIOUS TO ME... AND A LITTLE SILLY AND WEIRD

[howtofightwrite]

Hi! Thank you so much for running this blog. Question: I want to write a novel in the superhero genre about a hero that doesn't have powers, and I tried to find other books like this to study, but I can't find anything other than Batman things, and none of them are novels. Do you have any general writing tips that I should keep in mind?

There are some Batman novels. Not many that I'm aware of, but those do exist. (DC was doing a whole series of prose novels a few years back, though I'm unsure if that's continued.) However there's a couple problems here. First, Batman has superpowers; officially he's described as being, “unpowered,” but, when you start to consider the actual content of what he does on a regular basis, yeah, the character is superhuman. Second: There's a cross thread here: Unpowered superheroes are, usually, still superheroes, it's more a measure of keeping their powers low key enough that the reader doesn't realize they're superhuman. Batman, Black Widow, The Punisher, and the entire cast of Watchmen (excluding Dr. Manhattan) are all prominent examples of this. Third, there are multiple genres that deal with, “unpowered,” characters who, much like Batman, stretch the limits of human prowess to superhuman levels. The action hero is the easiest example (while that's more often seen in films, it does have a strong literary tradition. Especially in pulps.) Finally, yeah, there's a lot of material in comics. So let's look at this in a little more detail.

As I mentioned, the vast majority of unpowered superheroes in comics are, in fact, superhuman. The biggest tell on this is injury management. Even when you're dealing with superheroes that are skilled enough in combat to avoid suffering serious injury, there's still going to be considerable wear and tear, from the violence itself, which would be debilitating after a few months. In the case of Batman, you're looking at a character who goes out patrolling every night, hunting down criminals, and getting into violent altercations fairly frequently. He returned to Gotham in his early 20s, and most of the comics are set with him somewhere in his 30s. Ten years of constant combat is enough to give you crippling arthritis, stress fractures, and generally reduce your body to a complete mess. (He also doesn't age, most of the time. The character has been around for 83 years, and spent most of that in his late 20s or early 30s. This is pretty common with comics characters in general, but, it is a, “superpower,” and it have even become an explicit superpower on occasion, like Batman: Year 100.) If nothing else, his ability to retain the title of, “World's Greatest Detective,” while simultaneously suffering enough cranial trauma to reduce his brain to the rough consistency of wet mashed potatoes speaks volumes to his superhuman resilience.

Since I mentioned him a minute ago, Frank Castle doesn't get off any easier here. Based on the sheer quantity of unsurpressed gunfire he's been hanging around, he should have a case of tinnitus so intense people standing near him would hear it.

Is this a problem? Well, no. It's not. It is something to be aware of going in, however. If you want a comic book that really digs into the idea of an unpowered character, Mark Millar's Kickass comes to mind (and, yes, I'm recommending a comic here.) The main gimmick is looking at the physical harm associated with being a vigilante hero. Ironically, there's a film example in the original Die Hard. The main hook for the film was tracking the injuries an action hero would suffer in the course of their adventure. (A theme that was almost completely lost after the second film.)

When you're writing a character into a superhero setting, a lot of those characters remain superpowered, even when they're not supposed to be. It's almost a genre convention. This is also true of most action protagonists.

With that in mind, almost any action adventure, particularly pulpy ones, will give you characters who are ostensibly unpowered, but are actually superhuman. I feel like I recently recommended him, but Robert E. Howard's Conan is an “unpowered,” superhero, in print. The only issue is that he's in a pseudo-historical fantasy setting, but it excellent prose.

You really do need to check comics, if you're wanting to write superheroes. If you're wanting some good recommendations, Alias and Planetary are both easy to recommend. Both are explicitly superhero comics, but they have their own perspectives on the genre.

The tricky thing about writing characters with superpowers (or a theoretical lack thereof) is keeping in mind how asymmetric power dynamics work, especially when you're mixing characters into a world where you have literal gods walking the earth, alongside normal people, and assessing the dynamics for how that would change things. One of the subtler elements of Watchmen, is seeing just how much Dr. Manhattan's existence transformed the world. It takes a bit of work now to fully parse out exactly how, “wrong” Watchmen's 1985 is in comparison to real world history. (This would have been much easier in '86 and '87 when the comic originally released.)

It's almost impossible to overstate how much Watchmen changed western comics. But it does check the exact boxes you're asking about; unpowered superheroes, and an examination of what that might look like. It's also excellently written. Alan Moore is an extremely skilled author. If you've never read the original comic series, you should. Finally, his epistolary prose excerpts between the issues, which are vital for fully understanding the plot. Technically, that's not exactly what you wanted, but it is there.

For prose superhero series, the first thing that comes to mind is George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards. I'm familiar with the series in passing, but I've never read them, so I can't tell you what you're getting into there.

Beyond that, I'm not sure what advice you'd need to hear. The superhero genre covers a vast range of material, and even if someone wants to try to reduce that down to a set of fixed rules, they're not as familiar with the material as they want you to think they are.

-Starke

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#Starke answers #Writing advice #writing reference #writing tips #superheroes