#and the shards are even smaller and more dangerous now

[furshrimps]

Installed the new gear and tested it on a short trip to my parent's house and back. The good side is, it actually helps with the leash chaos and with some getting used to it'll help a lot with safety. Sammy can still hang back, but not as much as without the leash holder, so I can still see him beside me rather than behind me. The basket is maybe a little cramped for Sammy, but he should be able to sit in it securely. Still need to actually test it, tough. Apart from that the basket is a nice versatile addition.

The not so good thing is that the front of the scooter is damn heavy now 😅 which makes it even more difficult to drive very slowly than before. I completely underestimated the weight of both the leash holder and the basket! But hopefully it's getting better with practice? Carrying the scooter the handful of steps to my apartment is also much more challenging now. Also it's much more noticeable when the dogs do pull through the leash holder, which I didn't expect. But I guess that's what I get for installing it in the front rather than under the seat. So far I've still attached the dogs to me, but loosely looped the leashes through the holder as well so I can detach them from the scooter quickly enough. Maybe I'll experiment with that setup to find something potentially better. But it does work so far.

Well, I'm looking forward to more tests. I'm kinda wishing we had more spacious sidewalks, though. That would've probably made things easier, but what can you do 😂

#scootering walk #what really irks me is those damn glass shards at the corner of the street #and since they cut down some bushes there the glass has spread up onto the street even #and the shards are even smaller and more dangerous now #passing that spot is really difficult 😓 #regretting not picking them up when they were new #not possible anymore orz

[bakuliwrites]

Day Three- Muriel of the Kokhuri

500 Follower Event, 30 Day Writing Prompts Prompt: Silk, Glacial, Citrus, Muriel (The Arcana) Pairing: Muriel x Reader Tags: Fluff, Snuggling, Kisses, Inanna! Word Count: 800

Wind cuts through your body, icy and sharp, chilling the very marrow in your bones. Not even the heavy coat wrapped around your shoulders is enough to combat the almost glacial Vesuvian winter. It’s unusual to be getting this much snow and ice, but a passing storm has practically turned the city into a kingdom of ice. The cobblestone is slick with frost, slippery and more dangerous with each passing moment. Vesuvia moves at a snail’s pace, its citizens cautious as they slide along the narrow passageways and tiptoe carefully through particularly slippery alleys. Icicles hang from awnings, crystalline and wicked as daggers. Occasionally, as you pass by, one will fall and shatter to the ground beneath, sending shards of ice in every direction. Tiny icebergs float down the canals, and some of the smaller ones have nearly frozen over entirely.

You are grateful once you reach the powdery snow beyond the city streets. At least you won’t have to worry about slipping, though part of you is nervous about falling into an embankment and getting stuck. Luckily, you know this area like the back of your hand and manage to traverse it quite well, trudging slowly through the thick layer of snow and into the dark forest. It’s deathly quiet, save a few somber colored birds that flit from barren branch to barren branch, chirping a greeting at you as you shuffle by. Another violent gust of wind nearly knocks you to the ground beneath, but you manage to steady yourself on a gnarled tree. The tip of your nose is frozen, your breath releasing in clouds of fog. What you wouldn’t give for a cozy blanket and a crackling fire right about now. 

It’s then that you spot a large figure lumbering towards you out of the swirling snow. A lantern swings at their side, pools of warm light wavering with each step they make. Out darts a small wolf from behind one of the nearby trees, yipping joyously at the sight of you, snuffling your outstretched hands as you reach to pet her. 

“Inanna!” you exclaim, burying your frozen fingers in her warm fur, soft as silk. Her tongue lolls out to the side, happy whines escaping her throat. After a moment, she wags her tail enthusiastically, beckoning you to follow, before darting back towards the not-so-mysterious figure. A grateful smile tugs at the corners of your lips as you abandon the tree that steadied you and dart towards your rescuers. 

Muriel catches you up in his embrace, holding your shivering form close and warming you in an instant. 

“You’re freezing,” his low voice rumbles in your ear. When you glance up to meet his gaze, his brows are knit with worry. 

“Not with you here, I’m not,” you mumble against him, burying yourself in his chest. He lets out a small chuckle before gently nudging you and taking your hand in his. Inanna prances eagerly beside you, sending up bits of fluffy snow into the air and leaving perhaps some of the cutest paw prints in her wake. You chit-chat quietly with Muriel about your day at the shop and the perils of this unusually frozen Vesuvian winter. You worry about the forest, about the animals that call this woodland home. 

“Spring will come soon enough,” Muriel mutters, a soft, knowing smile reaching his eyes when he looks to you, “And then the forest will bloom again.”

He gives your hand a small, reassuring squeeze. With this, the two of you fall silent for a bit, enjoying the tranquility of the winter wonderland surrounding you. It’s not long until you reach Muriel’s hut. Smoke pours from the chimney and a welcome blast of warm air greets you as soon as you open the door. It smells of citrus, bright and inviting, two cups of lemon tea waiting for you and your beloved by the fire. Muriel takes your cloak from you, hanging it up to dry and gives you a moment to strip yourself of your icy, soaking clothes. 

Once you’re situated, Muriel guides you to the furs before the fire, snuggling close and pressing a tender kiss to your lips. This frozen Vesuvian winter is no match for Muriel’s gentility and warmth. 

“Welcome home,” he murmurs, wrapping his arms around you. You hum as he draws you in, warming you to your very core. No amount of chill or ice could penetrate the comfort of this home. Inanna cuddles up to the two of you, slumbering peacefully as you and Muriel enjoy some invigorating honey-lemon tea and lay kiss after kiss to one another’s lips. You arrived home just in time, heavy snowfall pummeling Vesuvia almost as soon as you settled in for the night. But you are unconcerned, safely wrapped up in Muriel’s embrace.

A/N: I always get wordy with Muriel and I'm not entirely sure why. Don't get me wrong, I adore him. I'm just surprised that of all the M6, Muriel is the one I get the most wordy with when it comes to headcanons and mini-fics, haha. Also, I seem to have a common theme in the first fic and this fic, and that theme is being cold. I think I must be channeling how cold I am right now, lol. Thank you for reading! Up next will be Prince Sidon from The Legend of Zelda! As a note, not all of these fics will be Character x Reader. Many of them will be, but they might also be Character x Character, or simply have no pairing :) I'm just letting the prompts take me where they may.

#the arcana #muriel of the kokhuri #muriel the arcana #muriel x you #muriel x apprentice #arcana fanfiction #my writing #dani writes #500 follower event #30 day challenge #inanna the arcana #fluff #drabble

[alislandale]

Morpheus x OC: So falls the world

Link to [part 2]

This started as Morpheus x Reader but as I continued to write it became harder and harder not to give the reader a personality, a physical description and she ended up becoming a character of her own. In any case, I hope you guys like it! I will try to only cover things that have been at least discussed in the netflix series as to not isolate tv sandman fans.

Part 1: No rest for the wicked.

"Why are you here?" A voice like velvet called. She focused her senses on its source. A creature, crouching a few feet away from her, enclosed by shadows, a pair of glistening orbs examining her.

"Here? The truth is..." she grasped for air "...I have no idea."

She took her eyes away from her dark interlocutor, but only for a moment to search her surroundings. A gothic building, now in ruins, crystals of all shades and colors, shattered on the floor, dilapidated stairs leading to a throne no longer fit for a king. Whispers of former glory.

The figure rose to its full height, its silhouette now resembling that of a man. He commanded authority with his every move and every word. His eyes shining like stars kept peering into her, menancingy.

She flinched at his scrutiny, taking a step back. She had never felt smaller, weaker and mundane than in the presence of this being.

"You have got nothing to fear" He said in responde. "If you answer my question."

"Where am I?" she felt her whole being tensing up. She wanted to avert his gaze, but she was drawn to it like a moth to the flame. And just as she was being undone by his gaze, she was searching him for something as well. As to what it was, it escaped her entirely.

"You do not need to concern yourself with that, woman. Only with what brought you here." His voice was calm yet firm. A terrible thought ocurred her. This wasnt a demon, or a monster. It was something vast and terrible, and inhuman. But she couldnt help it, a sense of deja vu.

"Why do I feel we have met before?" She asked futilely, as he lowered his gaze, bothered by her persistance. Still, in lack of answers, she could only reply to his questions with questions of her own. "Who are you?"

"I am not the one obliged to answers, neither you the one to make questions." He replied, while composed there was a note of annoyance in his voice he couldnt, or didnt want to, hide. The air around her had turned heavier, sturdier, almost corporeal, making it hard for her to take breath.

He took another step in her direction.

"Stay back!" She cried to no avail. As in direct defiance, he came even closer. She could now dilucidate the frame of his face, pale skin glowing beneath a curtain of black hair.

"You intend to command me?'" he mocked "I guarantee you, no harm will come to you if you answer my question. How did you come here?"

"I told you, I dont know where "here" is!" She couldnt help to grow more and more anxious by the second, the air around her was almost tangible.

"What are you intending to do?" He questioned. "Are you trying to escape? This is my realm, you are not permitted to leave until you answer my question. I will ask just once more. How. Did. You. Come. Here?"

His voice was like shards of glass, clear, sharp, dangerous.

Escape? How could she? Between fainting and drowning, she could barely conjure any words, let alone run. And even then, she knew she couldnt comply to his request.

"I... I can't breath."

He was close enough now for her to see his complexion in full. His skin was alabaster, smooth, flawless, almost as out of this world as were his eyes. A deep shade of blue like nothing she had seen before. Stars were swirling in their depths and if she stared long enough she felt she could have seen the whole cosmos in them.

But she had no time for that. She felt she was about to pass out. Fear was building up in her chest and nothing but one single thought occupied her mind.

"I want to go home." She claimed. The air around her condensed into a myriad of miniscule crystals, swirling around her.

His expression changed into something that could be described as annoyance, as someone who was deaking with an unruly child. He stretched an arm in her direction, his hands like a claw bent on grabing his prey.

"Not yet" He sentenced, as his fingers barely touched the fabric of her shirt

"I WANT TO GO RIGHT NOW." she sentenced with a yell she could barely recognize as her own. The sheer intensity of her voice made the crystals explode in midair, a thousand stars before her eyes, and soon she was there no more.

Lisa Malik woke up, in her small apartment in New Jersey, gasping for air like someone who had had her lungs filled with moldy water. She placed one hand on her chest, feeling her heart, its relentless heartbeat. This was the third time this week, and the ninth time overall. Always the same nightmare always the excruciating pain while waking.

She had seen several doctors that had advised her on the dangers of sleep apnea, a sleep disorder in which breathing stops during sleep. A condition that would no doubt strain her damaged heart even further. But all her sleep studied had come up normal.

She grabbed her chest even harder holding back the tears. She didn't want to die, not yet. But she couldnt help to think her days were numbered.

"Well, not today." she told herself. It was 4 o clock in the morning, she wasnt going to get anymore sleep. Not that night.

As she waited for her shower to warm up, a herculean task for the ran down pipes of her humble abode, she wondered why. Why swas it always the same nightmare? Why the man with stars in his eyes? What would he do if he ever reach her? If she couldn't escape in time?

And above all, why her?

And, without her knowing, across an ocean of intermingling dreams and realities away, the King of Dreams was asking himself the same questions.

#morpheus x oc #dream x oc #morpheus x reader #dream of the endless #the sandman #the sandman netflix #dream x reader #sandman netflix

[12pt-times-new-roman]

c3e76

the new intro is so good!!! I adore the little details, especially Will and Derrig turning into flowers, and the way they highlighted everyone's best scenes/moments in battle.

Time to teleport! FCG rolls a 05 first, but they get to Whitestone without too much issue.

"Lord Percival gave the order—" "Oh, that crotchety old fucker..."

I like to think that every year on Exandrian Halloween, Caleb gathers the Mighty Nein together under some guise or another just to cast seeming on them for the day.

When they arrive, Percy is in his workshop with Imahara Joe, Verna, and Dancer. The thing looks like a windowless, much more dangerous high school science lab, complete with artificial light, and they're nearing a breakthrough with the harness.

The entirety of Whitestone Castle is warded against scrying, and Percy himself wears individual protection from it (likely an amulet against proof of detection and location).

ALLURA DESCENDS THE STAIRS! She's been working on the harness alongside them.

They give her the gem they took from the simulacrum, and she identifies it as something Ludinus would use to gather what knowledge the simulacrum would have gathered, because it can't learn or remember on its own.

Now that it has been almost entirely repaired, they see that the harness is incredibly intricate and beautiful, scrawled with extremely fine filigree and rune-work.

"There are devices like this tat have been used throughout arcane history, referred to as power stills -- they are much smaller than this. At this scale, I would call it a quintessence array -- they're carefully regulated, extremely difficult to craft, but used to extract and refine arcane power from natural magical materials or used to transfer magic. Attempts to craft one on this scale have historically led to tragedy... even aiding and repairing this device gives me pause, and I warn you that its use against living beings is extremely amoral. I support you in using it to gain an advantage over Ludinus, but I ask you, when this is over, to turn it over to the Council for containment or destruction." They agree to do so.

Ashton reveals the shard of Rau'shan and puts it on the table. "So your intent is to use the shard of an ancient enemy of the gods to save the gods?" And their stance is kind of as you'd expect — saving the gods is secondary, stopping Ludinus and saving Exandria is their first priority, and if it happens that the gods go in a package deal with that, then so be it.

Allura recognizes Orym from her times in Zephrah and says that he looks more... confident. (I, personally, am taking this as a direct allusion to the idea that Orym should take the shard.)

As she carves the final rune, the entire harness lights up like it's coming to life, the leather itself glows a faint blue, then green, then purple -- from what Allura can tell, it can permanently take the magic from items or creatures and imbue the wearer with temporary or permanent alterations. Not necessarily the exact enchantment, but something of a similar nature.

They want to put it through a test run, so Chetney puts it on. They can't decide on anything they own to give up, so they ask Percy, and he gives them some enchanted dishware they got as a gift and don't want. Percy holds it up to the funnel, and as he does, both begin to glow; after a moment, the silverware curls, bends, and scatters to dust.

Chetney gets 5 temporary bit points and, more importantly, the item sheet for the harness. (in a different post)

The harness likely can't awaken whatever's dormant in Ashton, and it's highly possible that imbuing the second shard into Ashton would destroy them.

Allura takes an interest in Ashton's head and the beacon juice in there. She casts something and starts poking around — "ah. You... This is very odd. You are like a shard of the impossible... have you ever heard of dunamancy? It is a particular esoteric form of magic that dates to before the gods and Primordials, the very nature of the cosmos and beyond, the creation and destruction of all, the balance of the universe itself stems from these energies — gravity, time, entropy. What we think of as magic uses some parts of it... What you have lodged in your head is somehow a condensed focus for it -- the Kryn Dynasty worship pieces of an ancient entity that history has said disseminated itself into crystals, beeacons. They represent artifacts that focus dunamis, and are the most sacred artifacts to the Dynasty. It is said that there are many still hidden without Exandria, and they seek them -- I do not think you have a beacon in the classical sense, but an approximation, a half-beacon, something new, not quite the same but of similar essence. You have a party of your mind that rests between reality and destruction -- the fact that you're standing here is a marvel, and the fact that you walk the path that you do is equal parts worrying and hopeful."

She describes the beacon, and they make the connection between that and some parts of the Malleus Key.

Allura also says that Ashton's fragmented nature may very well be what keeps them together — if the chaos in their head were to reign in a whole, unfractured being, it would tear him apart, but holding the pieces of Ashton together like planets in an orbit is easier than holding them seamlessly in harmony enough to traverse.

Chetney and Laudna draw a tentative connection between Predathos' prey and the Luxon — "maybe Predathos is a messy eater." They contemplate finding a beacon to use the vest on, which is actually completely fucking possible because even though it SEEMS like the Luxon beacons should be artifact-rarity items, they are, in fact, legendary (as per EGtW).

The Bells Hells go to rest before attending a meeting with Keyleth and other political leaders in the afternoon, but Laudna leaves Pate behind in the workshop to eavesdrop on Percy and Allura.

"Lady Vysoren, this is extremely upsetting." Percy's face gains a softness, a worry. "I'm not against making Whitestone a sanctuary once more, but historically, that's always brought with it its own danger — we've already had to rebuild once. Can you assure me that we can take this struggle elsewhere?" "Percival Misc. Derolo, I can guarantee you that right now, very few care about Whitestone. We have a red moon locked in the sky, and as some would say, we're being invaded by aliens. So I think you have the necessary protections. Your wife is doing good work with the council, we're gathering all that we can — let's see what this meeting brings."

After a short rest, their presence is requested in the War Room. It's decorated with tapestries that depict moments in Tal'dorei's history, including many that have the members of Vox Machina on them.

Percy, Allura, and Keyleth are all here, as is Professor Ebonold Kai (of the Grim Verity) and Vilya, Keyleth's mother.

Kai notes that the Grim Verity has made diplomatic connections across multiple continents, with the exception of Issylra.

Vilya has made contacts in Wildemount, and notes that the reach of the Ruby Vanguard's ideas is sowing civil unrest.

Meanwhile, Keyleth notes that the release of legendary threats to Exandria has kept its most legendary heroes busy and divided "in a time when unity is paramount."

Allura confirms that the source of the befuddling of magic is indeed the Malleus Key, and that Vasselheim is the only military force that has been free enough to surround the site. However, Reilorans appear to have some innate ability to suppress divine magic, including healing (though it is lessened, it is not entirely disabled).

Additionally, the longer that the key holds the apogee solstice in place, the more strain is put on the weave of magic, on the leylines themselves. It's unprecedented, but she worries that with enough tension, the weave itself could tear apart — rearranging it at best, and destroying both it and Exandria at worst.

They need to destroy the key to restore the weave, but that would cut off access to Ludinus; they need to know what awaits them on the moon before they can send forces there, and the Bells Hells offer to scout it. The fact that the gods still exist after all these weeks means that releasing Predathos is not as simple as Ludinus shaking the moon awake.

Not only do they have Imogen's connections to Liliana to get them close, but they have a man on the inside, too: Ira.

Meanwhile, Matt: we are not rolling for pregnancy.

They mention Beau and Caleb — Allura immediately recognizes their description. She hasn't heard from them specifically, but has been in contact with other members of the Mighty Nein, and could find out.

Teleporting directly to the moon has been ruled out — the "fragment of the Divine Gate that surrounds Ruidus" also prevents teleportation to and from it.

Ludinus appears to be "casually walking" toward his goal, and they don't know how long he'll take to reach it. But you know what they say — if something isn't chasing you at full sprint, there's a reason it doesn't have to run.

As part of their preparations, the Bells Hells ask for the components for a heroes feast.

Keyleth approaches as they depart the chamber. "You've all done great things, but it seems that fate has us all intertwined in ways we don't expect. It's funny; I hoped these days would be done in my lifetime, before I realized my lifetime is far longer than I anticipated. So I suppose it's just part of enduring. But what makes me heartened is knowing that people like you will rise to the occasion. Sleep well. Be careful. Be brave, but don't be stupid. And good luck."

Meanwhile, Ashton and Fearne contemplate contacting the followers of the Betrayer Gods, because "you don't negotiate when you're drowning." I mean, he's got a point — especially with the lawful Betrayers like Asmodeus, they do indeed follow their word to the absolute finest detail, and the danger is in reading the fine print.

FCG just got access to planar ally, and it is indeed very different than how Sam is interpreting it. They couldn't summon a specific devil; they would beseech either Asmodeus himself or another devil lord to send a lesser demon to assist them.

Laudna wants to explore Whitestone to see what they can find, because she's less afraid now and you never know what you're gonna find when you wander around a mysterious and rebuilt town.

They decide to explore the castle a little first, and Orym notices that they're being followed -- chasing the shadow, he finds Gwen, Percy's daughter, in a reading nook. Orym takes her over to introduce herself — "I am Lady Gwendolin Derolo, I am the queen of the house, and everyone shorter than me has to do what I say."

Okay, the Bells Hells being good with kids is actually fucking adorable, especially Chetney (because he's a crotchety old fucker who's rough as the sandpaper he uses) and Laudna (redemption for the fun scary!!).

Gwen reaches out to touch Laudna when she offers, and she runs — Fearne, Laudna, and Imogen pursue. "I'm afraid of her, and I don't know why... why does she hate me? I've never felt hate like that." Gwen is sensing Delilah — it's not Laudna who hates her or who she's scared of, it's Delilah.

Chetney, Orym, and Ashton visit the temple to the Raven Queen within the city, and find that the path leading to it is covered in snowdrops. They also see another cloaked, white-masked figure kneeling in front of the Raven Queen's own statue, and they recognize it as Vax'ildan — the figure they saw defend the Voice of the Tempest, the "guy with the move and the one-liner." There is a plaque there: "the Champion of Ravens, in memory of friendship, sacrifice, and the day he will carry us over the threshold and beyond."

They enter the central room of the temple, and find sarcophagi whose faces have no discernible features. Ashton pushes one open, and it's empty. "How do you meet a death god, do you think?" They jump inside, and the groundskeeper pushes the lid closed on them. Chetney and Orym share one, feet-to-feet.

Orym offers reassurance -- "I hope we can help." Chetney offers lenience -- "take your time." Time passes -- minutes, hours, alone, with nothing but the sound of their own breathing... "did you stop breathing? No, you can hear him breathing, but not anymore — you feel for a shift in rise or fall of your chest, you are uncertain if your eyes have been closed or open this whole time, and the minute you think of it, you force them open, and darkness still surrounds you but for a faint white light, like a spotlight on the horizon." They all see the same thing, and can hear each other but not see. Orym steps forward to the light, confidently, and the others follow — it highlights a sphere, an orb. Formless. Distant. The closer they get, the more it takes detail, the more it looks like a hill or the back of a chair— "no, it seems like it's miles away, then but feet away, then it begins to move. What was once just a mound, a colorless shape, it rises and elongates until it has a humanoid outline, facing away. All you see is a cloak of black."

Chetney calls out. The figure turns to face them — from beneath long, black hair, a pale, white, expressionless porcelain mask, feminine and cold. A hand reaches to pull the mask away. Behind it, there is a black void, nothing. It rushes in, and they are pulled into a second wave of shadow, lost, floating in absence — metal hits metal, clinking, jangling ike chains dragging against chains. Looking up, they see a ring of light, like they're staring up from a grave, and looking down is the masked figure, chains around their wrists that dangle into the grave.

They climb, Ashton first, up the chains toward the exit. The masked figure of the Matron raises her arms, and the chains are affixed to shackles around her wrists. Another pull, and they break — she lowers her hands and looks up as giant raven wings release, flap once, twice, and she flies as they fall. She breaks into hundreds of black ravens, flying free and away as the light diminishes and they return to darkness. They don't feel scared — that's important to mention. They don't feel perturbed or exploited, they feel noticed and, oddly, appreciated.

Then, pins and needles numbness, feeling in their body, awareness of time, and they're back in the coffins. "Is there a gift shop?"

Ohhh, I think I get it now. The Bells Hells questioning whether or not they want to save the gods is the point — their chaos and ability to help is based not on their existing or even their potential faith in the gods or otherwise, it lies in their state of flux, the fact that they are neither beholden to faith nor committed to the lack of it.

Lastly, FCG goes to the temple of the Changebringer they visited before. "I feel like something bad's gonna happen, there's doom on the horizon — but I think it's right that we're going. I wanted to ask you, not for guidance or answers or anything, but if you could look out... if something goes bad, if you could make it happen to me and not them, I would really appreciate that." FCG swears they see the stone eyes of Avandra blink, and when they open there's a deep burgundy color that sinks to a deeper red. They see crimson tears run down the cheeks, the head seems to shift and look down to address them, her bloody gaze — "dark days are ahead for all. But those who walk the path of bravery can save that what they care most about. [Am I walking the path of bravery?] You are. And you're not the only one. There are many who do; the road before you is fraught with peril and loss, but that is what it is to be a hero, to be a paragon, to be a child of change. [Is it a— thank you. I don't think I want to know any more than that. But maybe, just — it's just nice to know that you've been watching me, and will continue to. You will, right?] Always. We watch over you always. [We, meaning all the gods? Or just you?] We are all in danger. [We're coming. We might see you tomorrow; it seems like it's gonna be a pretty bad day. Or maybe it'll be a great day! Maybe it'll be smiley! Anyway, thank you for this coin, and for all the guidance you've given me in the past. I feel like I've realized that you're not given a purpose, and you don't choose a purpose -- you just sort of make one as you go, and I think I'm ready to make one.] That is true freedom, and one of the great many meanings of life. [Can you — this is the only thing I'll ask. Can you make some crazy sign for Ashton? I want to make them believe — that's minor, actually, never mind, just strike that, I just think that would be neat.] Guide him to the path that inspires you. One must be open to miracles for them to be believed... be safe, and do not forget: if the road ahead is frightening, you can choose to walk another, for freedom, freedom, freedom."

To the arbiter of the temple, the Changebringer seems distracted, but aren't they all? There's solace in knowing that even the gods can be fallible, anxious, for does that not bring them closer to mortality?

Laura as a player picks up on something — the Changebringer here seemed to be different. Combined with the crimson tears, she seems to think that FCG's vision could've been hijacked by the Vanguard. But with a very high insight check, FCG gets the sense that her nature is semi-mercurial — an aspect of her faith, a very tenet of her being, is adapting herself and changing her message in response to the changes of a follower. If forceful direction doesn't work, then coercion, reverse psychology, or enticement might. There is no malice here, nothing to distrust, just a unique understanding of the Changebringer's very being. Much like the wind, she can buffet her followers in different ways.

They reconvene. At the end of the day, they go to a crepe stand, and find WHITESTONE FUCKING ANDY. They harass him for a while. "It's like he didn't matter to anyone but you [Laudna]!" Thank god someone finally said it—

Meanwhile, Ashton scours the castle for history books to figure out what made the Derolo family so fucking weird.

After resting in a smattering of challenged spaces, it's welcome to sleep in a plush, warm bed. They think of the strange day to come, the stranger device their friends repaired, and the burning crystal that still thrums in the workshop below.

#critical role #note watches c3 #critical role campaign 3 #critical role c3 #critical role spoilers #critical role liveblog

[awesomespiritcat21]

Sorry I took so long I was waiting on the poll to finish! And it seems like broken Shards/Glass won so that's what the AU is gonna be called. Now again I must warn yall I don't usually write anything and I'm not very good at doing so. So there will probably not be much of that going on. However I will try and get through sketches and drawings if that's something you want?

Here are a few to start out with.

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I'd imagine that while he's still giant he survives the fall pretty decently but not without being stabbed by a crap ton of shards from the star pieces. I'd also like to think that since it stabs him directly that maybe he gains something from it? Like powers or something? Idk. And to keep reading interesting I'm gonna color the text because it's hard for me to read too. If it helps those who have problems focusing on boring stuff like large texts then why not :)

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Many things raced through Jack's head as he fell with the shards of the star. He could've sworn his plan would work with the help of those horrible tasting magical treats he carefully packed away. Sadly to his disadvantage he couldn't grab his bag in time to shrink himself. When the star retracted a majority of the shards and himself fell even faster and harder onto the ground of the star-shaped pit. With a loud and rumbling THUD-squelsh.. Jack had landed on on his right shoulder directly on a smaller piece of the fractured star which had pushed into his chest as he settled harshly onto the cold untouched ground. Holding in a scream of agony he managed to push himself upwards only to have a much larger, skinnier piece of the star lodge itself directly into his other shoulder. A rush of adrenaline hit Jack with the most powerful high as he released a yell so loud it could wake even the heaviest of sleepers amongst the giants. His eyes dilated so quickly that he nearly went blind. His stomach churned with uneasiness. Mixed with his sudden quick blindess; that sat horribly with Jack. The horrifyingly strong smell of iron from his blood caught his nose just in time for him to regain eyesight, only to see the shard in his shoulder. Luckily his coat had blocked it just enough from fully cutting off his whole arm, but he would be in trouble if he doesn't do something about it soon. Just then a small vile of a pinkish-red substance rolled out of his bag nearby. Beckoning him to pick it up as it taunted him to have a taste. He hadn't remembered packing that at all, but then again what harm could it do now? He was already down more than six feet in the ground and bleeding out all over himself from the hatred of the star's magical shards plunging into his oversized anatomy. Jack, weakened, scooted himself torwards the vile just enough to grab it with his pointer finger and thumb. He scooted back to where he was originally sitting. The cover of the dimmed shards lodged above him in the wall could provide cover for the dangerous starry glitter that fell with the intent to damage from the twinkling sky. Daring to harm those who got in its way. So why not find out before he fades from exhaustion?

》---------------------¤•°☆°▪︎¤--------------------《

Also if yall want me to keep doing this try to remind me? I'll forget if nobody tells me x.x

#jack horner #my art #fuck my art is bad #my art is trash #my art owo #my artwork #my artz #my art lol #big jack horner #puss in boots the last wish #broken shards/glass au #puss in boots the last wish au

[she-had-many-names]

*The queen is dead.*

*Icia is still.*

*There is silence.*

*And then someone, it doesn't matter who, but someone calls her name.*

".... Icia?"

.

..

...

*snap*

*The wind and ice shards start to pick up again, as Icia's shoulders heave with heavy breaths. They're void of any sound at first.... and then she whines slightly as she inhales and exhales. The breaths get heavier. Her voice grows louder. It sounds like she's slowly hyperventilating now.*

*Icia's sword clatters to the ground as she forces herself to look at her hands. They're shaking so, so much, its more than just being cold....*

*Her head snaps up. And everyone can see.*

*The cracks are pulsating over her face. They're growing, growing over her fingers now and splitting the skin. Her one good eye.... it's a true mirror. Everyone can see their horrified reflections in her eye as it stares straight ahead.*

*The wind moves faster and whips harder around everyone. Icia's hands move to her head, gripping her head so hard it's cracking and breaking in her fist as she hunches over, quieting down for a split second as the wind and ice shards suddenly all compress around her.... *

*Before she screams once more.*

*The scream rattles the throne room, rings in everyone's ears. It's a scream of agony. A cry of sadness. A yell of anger. Of hatred. Of snapping....*

*...of breaking.*

*The shards of ice grow around Icia. They jut up and out with such force it shatters some of the chandeliers high above. They pierce anything in their way, through the roof of the throne room and even the now lone throne.*

*Icias scream doesn't end. More spikes of ice spike around her, in every which way. They all stop before stabbing, impaling, or otherwise hurting anyone in the party.*

*Finally the ice stops jutting out... it's as tall as the room itself and the spikes are bigger than anyone can conceive. Wind whips heavily around everyone, making them struggle to keep their footing although thankfully, there are no small shards that can cut them easily. Through the mostly ice, they can see a shape fall to her knees...*

*Icias shape.*

*She's sobbing. Screaming. They can see smaller ice spikes jut out from the cracks on her face.*

*She cries in an incoherent language, gripping herself. All the regret, pain, hate, and stress has finally pushed her over the edge... and now she's icing over for it.*

*The danger isn't over for anyone. This could get much, much worse.*

[Stage 2. Encasing.]

Everyone is snapped out of their bickering. Northeast completely abandon the fight with stitch, instead rushing over to try and help Icia.

#mainplot #HOLY CRABS

[g0atmama]

No Easy Answer

Isaac solves the mystery of the crystals popping up around the Badlands. But in doing so, only has more questions

Free Hearth AU, set while Hestia is still living in the Badlands

The crystals kept growing. Not in size, but in number. Yesterday there were five. Now there were seven more, arranged in a half circle. Jagged, spiked crystals that grew up out of the ground. They curved around each other, locking in ways unbelievable for a mineral to grow.

All Isaac could do was guard. He wasn't magic. He didn't have an ounce of it in his veins. All he could do was stand there watching for monsters while Jadu inspected the new growth.

"These appeared overnight." The mage repeated what they already knew. 

Isaac looked over his shoulder. Looked at the splatters on the crystal. Deep purple crystals, with red and blue and green splattered on them. Some black, smeared like soot.

"Looks like a bunch of monsters died here. Trapped by the crystals and killed by something powerful. Something big."

"Yeah."

The two men kept their inspection. Until a roar in the distance signaled the rising of Apophis. Departing to the Outpost, making quick notes of what they found.

Another roar. Different. A different creature, and the sound of… what was that? It sounded like glass cracking. Jadu's attention turned towards the sound. Southwest, towards the wasteland of old bones.

A dragon. Smaller than Apophis, barely visible on the horizon. But there. He cast a spell- pushing his senses further. Letting him see clearer. The dragon blew fire at the shadow serpent's tail. Crystal formed around it, connecting to the ground.

This dragon was the source of the crystals.

He was about to call Isaac, excited to point it out, when the roar changed. Pain, he didn't need to know dragons to know a cry of pain.

Apophis had bitten it.

His mouth was massive around the poor dragon. It blasted something from its body, that sent shards of crystal through Apophis' jaw and skull. It crashed in the distance.

They had to help. This dragon had been fighting Apophis, there was no way it was dangerous. Well, it still could have been, but they had to help. Jadu moved back down the tower, grabbing a handful of potions and herbs. Things to help with magic.

Isaac stayed in the Outpost- Alesia wanted to get a look at the dragon. Someone had to stay. The two departed, searching through the Badlands for the beast. It shouldn’t have been so hard to find. A dragon that size, sure it wasn’t too big, but it was dark. And it probably had crystals glowing around it. So why couldn’t they find it?

At the Outpost, Isaac was greeted to a horrific sight. Watching from the top of the tower, he saw an adventurer stumbling closer. One he knew. One he cared about. The odd girl with purple hair- Hestia. She was cradling herself, covering only one of a dozen wounds across her torso. Her cloak was stained with blood and- were those crystals around the end of it? He shook off the thought.

He all but ran down the stairs to get the door open. To pull her inside the outpost and help her. Clothes ruined. They barely even covered her anymore, torn to shreds by… By a bite. But…? No. No, that was impossible. She could hardly stand. He sat her on a table.

Isaac had no magic. Not a drop of it in his blood. All he could do was treat and dress the wounds. They’d have to wait for Jadu to get back. Maybe Camilla. Maybe Lance. But these wounds were everywhere. Crossing her body, across her torso. One was terrifyingly close to her heart. But her bones were intact.

“I don’t… How?!” he asked what he meant to think aloud. The girl laughed painfully.

“There’s no easy answer for that.”

Isaac didn’t even try to hide the annoyed question from his expression. How? It should be easy, a spell, or a potion or-

“You’ve seen my crystals. Jadu saw me fighting.”

She’s the dragon. The dragon Jadu just ran out to help. The dragon that’s been leaving the massive crystals, the dragon that’s been corralling and destroying monsters left and right- at a pace even Camilla couldn’t keep up with. Constant battle, constant protection…

“But… why?”

#farmer hestia #free hearth #sve isaac #sve jadu

[voidembrace]

001

MC: Werewolf. Genre: Time Period.Mood: Stereotype Pairing.Spice: Explicit Word Count: 2000 Minimum WC Actual: 3275

“I don’t want to be held up here any longer!” Evangelie shrieked, tossing the half full glass of wine full force toward Andre’s head. “I long to be outside, with others.” her words were weakened, devoid of spirit and life.

It had been three weeks they’d been cooped up in the cramped Villa - which, while big enough for several people to live comfortably, it seemed the size of a fish bowl to the duo. Always in one another’s space, always bumping elbows in corridors and exchanging long gazes from across the room. One could have mistaken them for an old married couple with the way they bickered. 

“Your father’s instructions-” Andre hated to contain the girl - all he wished to do was protect her from any danger that may cause her harm. “Are clear, I know, as you’ve said. But what harm will it do to let me outside, just a small bit every day. Open windows are not enough, I ache for the sun.” She sighed heavily, having moved to pick up the broken pieces of glass that were scattered in the foyer. 

There was a guilt that lingered for taking her anger out on Andre; he was kind, he was gracious, and by gods her adoration for him was running wild. Perhaps that only added to her frustrations.

1742, France. Provence was such a beautiful place this time of year - the flowers alive with the gift of spring sunshowers. Each petal blooms perfectly, casting colour across the rolling hills of the quaint town, known for its beautiful blossoms and equally beautiful women. 

Young girls such as Evangelie were out strolling the hillsides, waiting to be courted - while she, fair as ever and aching for the touch of another, sat quietly in her father’s villa. The girl doesn’t understand, her father never explained to her the danger of being his daughter. 

Evangelie happened to be an extraordinarily attractive girl, and she felt in the prime of her life - which made her fume at her father’s rule all the more. She wanted to go out, be gawked at, have the boys try and woo her. But instead, she had to sit and do much of nothing. 

“I hate him for this.” She huffed under her breath while picking the last shards of glass and setting them into the garbage and moving on to towel dry the wine spilled. “It’s for your own good, Evangelie. You’re safe here.” With several woman having gone missing the last few months, and her father on the very bad side of some very bad men, Andre agreed that the Villa was the safest place to keep dear Evangelie. The guard had been hired just over a year ago when tensions were rising between her father and a money lender, and until these last few weeks his relationship with Evangelie had been fairly friendly, but now she had trouble seeing her fathers rules carried out by her crush.

“I’m going out tonight.” He said, not to rub salt in a wound, but rather to offer a gift. “I can bring you back something, if you like. Anything you want.” It was all he could do, an offer of peace. 

Whipping her head around, the bright eyed girl leapt up and rushed to his side, bringing hands to meet his chest while leaning uncomfortably close.

“Bring me with you.” She cooed, and whined and begged. 

“No.” Andre spoke abruptly, both hands coming to either of her arms and giving her a bit of a push backward - scaring her a little. Andre stood 6’7” above her barely 5’4” frame, dwarfing her in comparison, and when he barked deep and loud, it made her hunch even smaller. “I’m sorry. It’s just not possible.” He said, softer. He never meant to frighten her - but her scent was overwhelming… She smelled like vanilla and honey, like warm wheat on a summer’s day. It was sending his senses into overdrive. Taking another large step back, he tried to make himself smaller, hands both at his sides as he shrugged. “I’ll bring you something nice.” 

Being as big as he was - in height, but also in stature, his body was rigid with tight skin covering tough muscle - he often forgot to care for the tone at which he spoke. He wasn’t a social creature, not interested in the niceties - but for her, he’d try. 

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

It was nightfall and the sky threatened rain. “When will you be back?” Evangelie sat at her windowsill, leaning over the open window to call down to Andre as he left the front gate of the villa. “Tomorrow by noon, I should hope.” He said, teeth grit tightly, hand grasping almost painfully tight at his sack tossed over one shoulder. 

She’d pretended to ready for bed, but in truth beneath her gown she wore a pair of pants and a sweater, her boots to be pulled on swiftly as he turned to walk away. She wasn’t going to let him sneak off without knowing exactly what he was doing. A midnight rendezvous was too scandalous for her not to be interested. He’d never made a venture like this in the three weeks they’d been at the Villa, so it must have been something rather important. Perhaps a meeting with father, or another ally? It couldn’t be a supply run at such late an hour, none of the shops would be open… So what then was her guard up to? Keeping far pace behind him, enough that she almost lost him several times, the maiden followed along into the depths of the woods. But what she found, she never would have expected. In a clearing at the far corner of the villa’s land, surrounded by trees, there was a cage. A large, heavy looking cage with bright silver bars and chains holding it securely to the ground. So he was hunting - but what? Were there bears in the area? She couldn’t imagine… Wolves, perhaps? Sitting quietly behind a rock, Evangelie held herself almost breathlessly watching the scene before her. A distance away he sat down his pack and glanced around, looking then to the sky. A bright circular moon shone brightly in the midnight sky, casting a chromatic haze across the field.

With a gasp and a hand slapped over her mouth, Evangelie watched as Andre undressed. His body stark nude beneath the moon’s glow. 

She’d looked at him for far too long before, but in this moment she felt perverse. She couldn’t pull her gaze from his form; the way his muscles were defined at every peak, he was built statuesque and perfect, as if chiseled from marble by the Gods themselves. Cheeks grew red hot when he turned for a moment and exposed the rest of himself to her, both hands now clapped over her mouth in giddy schoolgirl fashion. She’d never looked upon a man so exposed before - not such a man, at the least. 

For a few moments, the sight of his naked body distracted her from the surroundings, she was too enamored with her bodyguard’s build to realize he’d been stepping into the cage and had clamped down a locking mechanism on the outside. Was the metal hot? She noticed just then him shake his hand after touching it, much like she did when she grabbed the kettle without an oven square. 

“What are you doing?” She called out - stepping over the rock. Of course, he would be furious she left the villa and even more so that she followed him into the woods, but she couldn’t leave her questions unanswered. This was much to bizarre. 

“Evangelie, no! You have to get back to the house!” he begged, taking a step further from her - backing into the edge of the cage with a low growl as the metal burned at his back. 

“Not until you tell me - “ The moon had been rising all the while, caring not for the fancies or questions of young girls. “Tell me…” And the effects of the moon were ongoing, whether she asked or not. “N –” her words were broken into segments, being unable to manage a complete sentence as she watched the scene before her unfold. 

Limbs cracked, flesh ripped, and his body became a prison. A loud yell of pain carried through the night, so deep and guttural it made Evangelie grasp her own stomach in sympathy. 

The man she knew was becoming the beast she didn’t - right before her eyes. His body elongated, his stance widened, his form expanded, standing 7’2” hunched over in his cage, the bipedal wolf stood where the man should have been. Hungry eyes staring down a long nose at Evangelie. 

“You’re…” She said, hands coming to comb through her messy tresses. “You’re…” The word lingered on the tip of her tongue, but even seeing this before her she could hardly believe it to be true. “You’re a werewolf?” The wolf responded with a low groan of pain as he tried to adjust in the small cage so that his form wasn’t pressing against any of the silver bars - of course, the cage wasn’t designed for comfort, it was designed for safety at the thought of what he might do to her should he escape. 

“Why do you cage yourself?” She almost expected him to answer with that annoying timbre of his voice - but instead she was responded to with a fierce growl, as if he was warning her not to. 

“I don’t think you’d hurt me.” She’d caught the way he looked at her, sometimes. The longing in his eyes - or maybe that was her own yearning for his touch. 

“I don’t think you could.” Evangelie narrowed her gaze on the locking mechanism. 

Somewhere within him, he knew that to be true. The man within the monster could never hurt the woman he’d come to adore in this last year of service - but what the man wanted and what the wolf craved were two very separate things. He wanted to explain, there was desperation in his next growl, but words were impossible with the tongue of a beast.

He wanted to tell her that she smelled like sunlight, he wanted to demand her to go home and not look upon his horrendous form, he wanted to beg her to get far from the wolf what wished to devour her. The wolf was still him - so in truth, he’d never hurt her - not like that. She was right about that much. But the wolf had no self control, no restraint. He spent day in and day out longing for the untouchable girl he was paid to ward - but the wolf didn’t have the willpower the man did. If she let him free, she would be his. 

But she didn’t look at him with fear, but rather something more lascivious. See, Evangelie had been called many a thing - and one, was fantastical. Not in a kind way, but rather her father seeing no use in her daydreaming and her obsession with mystical creatures. In her spare time she read books of flirting with danger, of being whisked away by vampires, being enraptured by… werewolves. 

All of her dreams were swirling in her head - almost to the point she was sure this must be one of them. She was convinced she’d curled up in front of the fire and fallen asleep, and this was going to be one of those dreams… One of those beautiful dreams where her guard took her body and used her for his pleasures. The idea alone caused a warmth in her core, and a wetness too. 

The beast sniffed at the air; it carried her scent, which was all the more tantalizing. Her scent shifted from warm honey to sweet nectar and his eyes glazed over with desire. The monster stirred and the man shifted within - all of him wanted all of her. He always had, but in this moment never more - she was the only thing he could think about. Tasting her, feeling her, corrupting her.

The wolf lunged forward, gripping at the bars and giving a shake, despite the pain the silver caused. A wave of desire had washed over him - he was heaving deep lungfuls of the woman, salivating at the scent of her, and his body responding to her call in kind. 

That same warm red flushed over her cheeks as she saw his excitement grow along with hers. Just catching a glance of his engorged member made her head spin with thoughts of being ravaged.

Until this moment, Evangelie saw her life as extremely common - boring, even. But now, standing in front of her fantasies come to life, she would rather be nowhere but exactly here. 

“I can’t watch you suffer.” She said, knowing that was only half true. She wondered if released, the wolf would run off, pin her down, or consume her completely. Either way, the thrill of it drove her better judgment into the ground. 

This has to be a dream, she thought, moving a step closer to the cage and flipping the lock up and back, letting the door slowly draw open. This can’t be reality, she was sure of it - so sure she ignored the nip of the cold night air blowing against her skin. 

With lumbering steps the wolf paced out of the cage, shifting and squeezing through the door with uncomfortable whines as the silver grazed him. 

And there he stood, a beast before a beauty, gazing down at her with fevered desire. 

A hint of fear washed over her as she realized the true size of the creature - her bodyguard. “You - “ she said, unsure of the rest of the sentence. She stood in a haze of hormones and excitement, looking up at the heaving wolf, jaw agape, drool pooling at the corners of his mouth.

Curious hands rose, one moving to wrap around his length, drawing a long groan from the man within the monster. Her fingers closed around him, giving a couple of soft strokes, causing wetness to leak from him, slicking over her hand with each movement. Evangelie was gazing down at him as she stroked, watching each pulse as his member swole in full, revealing his entire length.

The girl gave a gasp, he was bigger than she’d ever imagined - but it thrilled her, tantalized her, caused another wave of fantasy pleasure to roll through her body. She could feel her own sex becoming wet with liquid desire. 

The wolf reacted to her body’s chemistry - he lurched forward to sniff at her, pushing her back slightly. He couldn’t help but sigh, mourning the loss of her hand along him, but the delight of her scent was all the more enticing. 

Hunching with his hands to the ground now, Andre nipped at her sweater, giving it a pointless tug with his teeth in desperation to rid her of her clothing. 

Quick hands took control, whipping off her sweater and tossing it aside, her pants and underwear next - she didn’t care where they landed, she simply removed them swiftly and let them fall where they may. 

At the bareness of her shapely body, the wolf growled lowly, gutturally, deep in his chest a rumble of desire awoke the fire inside. His tongue slipped along her breast, nose brushing over her nipple before trailing downward, nestling between her legs. Unceremoniously, his nose prodded at her cunt, urging her legs to spread - but he didn’t need such a luxury. The wolf inhaled deeply at her core, filling his lungs with the overwhelmingly strong scent of her. Hungry for nothing but her, Andre flopped his tongue out, dragging the soft muscle at the source of her wetness, taking in her taste. 

“Oh!” she gasped in return as his tongue slicked across her slit, pressing between her lips ever so slightly. The warmth of him surprised her, he was a warm fire on a cool night. “Andre.” She mewed bashfully, her body trembling at each lap of his tongue. 

The way she spoke his name drove him mad - it always had, each time she’d said it he’d wanted nothing more than to kiss her. But this time, it was different, the way she moaned it, said it with longing and wanton need. It caused his cock to throb, ache - he needed to be buried inside of her. 

The wolf stirred, the passion turning into raw lust. His body leaned into her all the more, giving a heavy push that landed her on the ground. A nudge at her leg, a push at her shoulder, a careful draw of his arm under her body to flip her onto her hands and knees - and there she was, displayed for him. Evangelie kept the strawberry stain on her cheeks as she looked over her shoulder at him, watching as he positioned himself behind her. 

Both of the wolf’s hands came down over hers, one pressing down on hers, pressing it firmly into the soft soil. Meanwhile his hips jerked slightly, the tip of him pressing at her exposed cunt, slipping along between her lips.

With her wetness and the precum leaking from him, she was slick and ready, her body prepared to accept him. Andre gave a few soft rocks forward, urging the tip of his cock into her tightness, spreading her slowly on his heat. 

Evangelie gasped, the warmth all the more surprising - he was markedly warmer than her, which added to the sensation of him slowly entering. 

After a few moments of slow swaying, he started to push her limits, rocking his hips forward to allow more of himself entrance. Slowly his length was enveloped by her, velvet walls wrapping around his throbbing cock. He could feel each time she tightened herself around him, and it drew low groans from his throat. 

Her sex was tight, almost uncomfortably so - for the both of them - but neither showed signs of stopping. The girl moaned gentle into the night as the wolf fucked her slowly. Eventually, the discomfort subsided and both were rewarded with waves of pleasure striking. As her body relaxed, his tightened, and his pace quickened - his strokes deeper, longer, more passionate. 

Andre could feel his climax swiftly approaching, but he’d not stop until she was convulsing around him. His tongue lapped at her neck, teeth grazing the swans curve of her shoulder as he continued to pump, his knot daring more and more to enter her. 

With a firm push forward his knot popped into place, filling her cunt completely. His body responded with several short thrusts, enough to move within her but not to displace himself. All the while he groaned and grunted, matching her whines and whimpers. “I-!” She couldn’t fathom words, instead a garbled mess of letters spilled between moans, the overwhelming pressure of him completely within her drove her to the edge of madness. Her body shivering and shaking, a lightning strike of pure pleasure hit her as his knot brushed along her silken insides. He couldn’t take it as she peaked orgasm around him, a few more hurried strokes caused a sudden burst of cum within her - several long pulses of thick cream filled her entirely, his knot still firmly in place so none could leak out. 

Her body all but collapsed beneath him, tugging his form down with her - but, he rested on his arms so as to not crush her; they’d be stuck like this for a while. 

Andre’s tongue continued to lick at her as they lay beneath the dim kiss of the moon’s fading light - possessively, as if to say he’d claimed her as his own.  

#smut #writer #writeblr #writing community #smut writing #werewolf #werewolf smut #monster smut #( rgpchallenge! ) #( voidwrites! )

[helios-serpentine]

Tarps might have been the worst possible way to conceal the damaged part of the Tower's lobby, but Io supposed there had to be a quick solution for everything, before a more permanent one could be put into place. Coincidentally, this part of the Tower was now also one of the calmest, realest ones around. The only place where the appearance matched the general feel of the Capitol itself; rotten and ruined to the core.

When she was sure she wasn't watched, Io slipped behind the tarp, small shards of glass crunching underneath her boots as she moved across the floor to a almost still intact arm chair.

Behind her, another set of footsteps, breaking the glass into even smaller pieces than they had already been burst into by the bombs. Io froze, looking over her shoulder. "There's no sign out there," she blurted, gesturing vaguely at the tarp. There might have been a sign, something along the lines of 'do not enter, danger ahead' or whatever, but the words came to her before she could truly consider their validity.

#io / interactions #mtostart #133 #task: sneak into the damaged part of the lobby

[gh0st3a]

Day 8: Islands

“Oh.. seems the ink spilled a little..“

A map of the world... well, not quite, but close enough. This is a basic map including most islands that are big enough to be taken into account. There are countless smaller islands(that I didn’t feel like drawing).

The world is highly split up, with Paradise being the largest singular piece of land, also sitting at the center of the world. Each direction has a differing climate.

North leads to the frozen tundra, where temperatures drop rapidly the further North you go, and Ice Shapes and Flowers thrive.. Fishing is a common and well-off profession up in the North... most of it is uninhabited for obvious reason though. Not really any locations to note.

South leads to the scorching deserts. The further South, the more dry and hot the climate gets.. these desert islands tend to be on the bigger side, with most of the people living on these islands being either desert-dwelling Half Beasts, or those that live beneath the surface of the Earth, as mines and caves are rather populated with ore and minerals down here.. The main island of note, is one made entirely of glass, as if scorched to such a state thousands of years ago.. No life survives there.

East leads to the forests, and eventually the jungle islands. The most temperate of the islands besides Paradise, these islands tend to be smaller and more diverse, including some odd and dangerous types of islands as well, such as Crystalline or Skeletal islands... Not any specific locations to note.

West leads to.... Not much anymore. It was once a series of beautiful forests and plains and savannas in the colors of autumn.... but no longer are many of these islands available to visit, as the Void now exists over a large portion of the West. The Void is the main location of note.

The Void. An area of the world infected with a horrible disease that tears apart the mind and body of those infected. Crawling with impossible and nightmarish creatures that are constantly starving, nobody would choose to enter the Void if they didn’t need to..

Paradise. The home of the Treeangle, and is the most populated of the islands in the world, possessing many towns across the massive island. Nearby are a number of islands to note.

Volcano. A place where those who have been Corrupted stay for protection from the outside world. This is maintained by a powerful demigod, who will protect his people with all his might...

Caves. A small island, but with a massive underground portion to it full of twisting caves that even those who live down there get lost in sometimes... It currently serves as a prison for those deemed too powerful to be ‘let off with a warning’, including one Amaryllis Glow, also known as Blix, the Demigod of Corruption, among others.

Factory. An island partially cut off, as part of it is still tainted by the corpse of a dead God, even after 200 years... The untainted portions of the island are used as factory space, where goods are developed and produced with high-quality technology, powered mostly through Treeangle Shards.

And now if you actually read this far... you get a little bonus!

A portion of the Void. The largest island there is part of where it originally stemmed from, though it has grown significantly since it was created, and has been fought back many times before, leading to the Void’s current appearance.

#jsab #jsab au #shapetober 2022 #This is literally just me throwing a map and rambling about it #I'd be happy to tell more if anyone was interested!

[ivanaskye]

He Who Takes Everything In His Hands 🦝

(from last year’s flash fiction month, originally posted here; cross-posted now in honor of this year’s flash fiction month!)

I am the ruler of the forest, keeper of its secrets. When night falls, my prowl begins.

At the river, a fish, grabbed between my fingers, eaten. A leaf bearing the words of an insect who nibbled patterns into it before me: not worth eating, but I memorize the message. A great rectangle like a stump, its top peeling off as if struck by lightning—I peel it, to find the morsels inside, meats of the long-dead wrapped in hardened leaves.

This, I bring back to the river, to wash. A few crumbs float away; no matter. I shove it into my mouth, this delectable thing, the remains of a creature dead and yet burnt, covered in flavors I’m still working to name.

Yes, I am he who takes everything into his hands.

Even the strange things found near the dwellings of those who stand.

My stomach satisfied, there is no need for me to do more, and indeed a lesser being might choose to simply lie around, content, learning nothing.

But that is not a choice one such as me would stoop to make.

So I return to that dwelling, made of wood contorted in impossible shapes. The standing ones live within in what I suspect is a symbiosis even a mushroom would envy. Strange things happen here, but my hands can hold so much.

So I circle the dwelling, analyzing it from each angle. Some woods are flat, some serrated, but it is one of the flat ones that has my interest.

For on it seems to be a smaller moon, round and shiny. Or perhaps it is a jewel, or a large berry? Surely whatever it is is no match to my intellect.

I reach.

I grab.

It is attached to the flat vertical wood; I try to pry it.

Still it resists falling into my hands, but something about its strange movement encourages me to push my body forward.

And the flat wood moves, revealing a massive crevice.

The entrance to the dwelling of another creature! And not just any creature, but the standing ones.

Never again will I let a crow brag to me, not about anything! For what crow has managed this, an entry into the unenterable?

Of course it will be dangerous inside.

But how could that be any match for me?

So carefully, I steal my way in, step by step. Here there is so much to explore—long sheets of the moon-material, smells hinting of yet stranger meats than those I steal from the stump near this dwelling.

But I am satiated, and need no food.

No, perhaps a trinket would do…

I climb wood to wood, trees growing in such strange patterns as to imply the standing ones are much like wasps, injecting strange scents into the trees around them to force it to grow to accommodate their young.

But I have eaten wasps.

On one flat horizontal wood is a shard of moon-material, sharpened at the edges like a thorn. Perhaps this would be worth bringing to my den; holding it in one hand, I climb back down.

And then I see something entirely different.

Something… else, not wood and not stone and not shining like the moon, but holding inside it the distinct smell of fire.

As if, perhaps, it can make fire.

Now this would be a treasure beyond any other treasure.

I approach it, and from a closer angle I catch smaller shines within it. No, it does not shine like the moon, but perhaps like the stars. My heart speeds in excitement. It is large, for a trophy, but not so large I cannot hold it, even though it is heavy.

I grab onto it, pressing my fingers into its crevices, although not the one that smells most like fire. No, that is not for fingers, but perhaps to press food into, or—

BOOM!

I almost fall prone to the ground with shock, but somehow manage to hold my footing. Was it… was it a crevice I touched that caused this? This star-made fire-maker truly is a thing of danger. Without touching more, I sniff at it, confirming the hole that appears to be from where the fire comes.

That hole, I determine, must never point toward me.

But more experimentation is in order. Carefully, carefully, I again lift the fire-maker, the fire-hole pointed opposite to me, and I again press into the crevice I did before, moving my finger into place with a click like that which beetles make.

BOOM!

My ears can barely take the sound, but it is worth what I see ahead of me, wood that has shattered as if lightning hit it.

A greater elation than any I have known fills me.

Yes, yes, it is I who now can summon the lightning!

—

“What the fuck was that sound—“

“Is Tommy—“

“No, he’s in his cradle—“

“Good, because that sounded like a gun—we should take a look—“

“What if it’s a robber—“

“I’ll take my other gun, don’t worry—“

“I’m coming with you, honey.”

“…Is that a raccoon? With a gun?”

“Oh my God, call animal control—“

BOOM!

“No! Steve! No! Oh god, Steve—shit, how’d that raccoon disappear so quickly—shit, Steve…”

Beep, beep, beep.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

#flash fiction month 2021 #raccooncore #writing #short fiction

[midnightscxre]

Closed starter @trxuvaille​

The porcelain cup no longer rattled on the white saucer...the hands stopped shaking. When it happened, a mere month ago, Leliany could swore she would forever be trembling with agony as if she was standing naked in the middle of a blizzard. Waterfalls of crystal tears, shattering pain that felt like shards of glass gnawing at the velvety heart, pain that whipped the mind to the point it became physical...all caused by one sentence: “ Your husband lost his life on the field. “ Swallowing a lump that was much smaller than then, woman with pine-green eyes blinked her way back to the present moment, and the reason for her healing. “  I packed some lasagna and chocolate brownies. “ Leliany started, setting a cup of coffee next to her late husband’s friend. “  Don’t eat it all on work, I will ask the wee one did they made it back home. “ silky smooth chuckle, while she finally took a sit next to him. Despite all of his own problems and obligations, being a single parent and chasing a dangerous career path that took her soul mate, Alex still made time to check on her . Devotion, loyalty, good hearted person...Leli could only admire him and thank the higher power for his presence.

 Before  John’s passing, she didn’t pay much mind to his partner. Not because she was ignoring him on purpose, but because her husband wanted to keep the job as far away from home as possible. A few brief and polite conversations, waving of the hands and nodding while she kissed her husband goodbye was probably all the communication they had despite a few get-togethers the police stations organized once a year, a picnic or a dinner. There, she saw him with his child, saw the good soul and a tortured one, and above all, hear the words of praise and respect coming from John when he described his partner. Never would she imagine this person would become her rock, savior from the doom of depression and almost irreplaceable piece in her life, like the very foundations of her sanity. Lost in thought , she didn’t even noticed she was staring, having a shy smile lingering on her face that reached the eyes. “ Alex..I wanted to say..” Clearing her throat, delicate fingers picked at the light blue tablecloth. “ I wanted to thank you for everything. “ honestly she admitted. “  If it was not for you..I..I don’t know how I would..stay sane. “ scoffing to herself, she shook her head lightly, gaze dropping and shifting to the window. A feeling she tried to bury now piercing through her calmness, mostly formed again because of his presence, but she knew she has to address this. “  But.. I don’t want you to worry no more. Alex..you don’t have to do this. “ words scraping her throat, anxiety climbing up her chest. Last thing she wanted was to sent him away, but she didn’t want to be an extra burden to his already messy schedule. “ You don’t have to check on me so often, really. I know you have a busy life, a life that demands much of your energy..I don’t want to be one thing more on top of all of it. “  Leaning, her hand found his, and as soon as their skins collided, a electric wave went though her being. Biting her lip to shush up the unexpected, but often happening, feeling, she continued. “ I will be fine. “ Leliany lied.

#trxuvaille: alexander #ft. leliany

[irregularcircle]

Name                                          Rachna

Exaltation                                   Infernal

Caste                                          Scourge

Demon                                        Either a Clamoring Cloud or a Hopping Puppeteer (we’re not sure.)

Weapon(s)                                  Unbinder, the Malfean brass kopesh, plus dozens of smaller blades and hellwands

Language(s)                               Firetongue, Rivertongue, Old Realm, Low Realm

Goal(s)                                        Find, protect, and make a life with his mate, Anjali, possibly rebuild their First Age city, prevent the Yozi from escaping into Creation

Fear(s)                                         Something happening to Anjali, losing his grip on sanity, hurting Anjali or scaring her away, the Yozi succeeding

Likes                                            Anjali, being in motion, quiet, snuggling in bed, tea, a good knife, the element of surprise 

Dislikes                                        Anyone trying to harm, grope, or disrespect Anjali, noisy chaotic situations, being the center of attention, holding still, sand

Theme Song(s)                            Turbo Lover, by Judas Priest 

Defining Feature(s)                      A scar from a brand running down the right side of his face, which has been tattooed over with red and black demon script

Interesting Extra(s)                     As an Infernal, Rachna’s shard was never cleaned by Lytek in between the Usurpation and his current incarnation, and as such, he has extensive First Age memories. His predecessor was a Night Caste named Jakhar, who ran the security forces of a lost city named Solnifar. His mate, Anjali’s predecessor, was Adarasha, a Lunar diplomat whose caste was one of the now-lost castes, and Jakhar was madly in love with her, and deeply protective of her. 

Quick Biography

Born in the south, closer to Gem than he’d like, Rachna’s life turned upside down the night he tried to assassinate a local magistrate. All was going well, he was dangerously close to his target… but a slip and fall from a high perch broke his leg, alerted the guards to his presence, and summarily got him caught. The magistrate, who wanted to make an example of the would-be assassin, publicly branded Rachna’s face with the sign for ‘traitor’, and then threw him in the dungeon to rot. 

For hours, Rachna wallowed in self-loathing, unable to decide what hurt more: his broken leg, the fresh burns on his face… or the feeling that Fate had dipped close to him in those moments before he’d failed, and something precious had passed him by. He’d lost more than merely his freedom and his mobility that night. He’d lost something… important. 

And then a demon came to him in the dark of his cell, and made him an offer. Power. Power to take back what should’ve been his, to show these pathetic mortals who was really in charge, power to do… whatever he wanted. Considering Rachna’s circumstances, it wasn’t a tough sell. He accepted. The demon dove into him, melded with him– and Rachna became Yozi’s newest prince. 

After a period of Chrysalis, followed by a rampage, Rachna was recalled to Yozi, where his new patrons saw the brand upon his face, and decided such a mark was unbefitting of a Green Sun Prince. They tattooed over it, filling the scorched skin with runes claiming dominion and power, and the right to rule. Rachna no longer bore a mark of shame, but a proclamation of authority. And then, alongside others of his like, he was sent back into Creation to help prepare a way for the Yozi to reclaim the world. 

Except… Rachna didn’t actually want the Yozi to return to Creation. He liked Creation the way it was, and didn’t think the Yozi taking over would improve things. But he was obliged to assist; he couldn’t exactly go against the rest of his circle, especially as they were up against a circle full of Solars who were opposing their efforts. 

Well. A circle full of Solars… and a Lunar. A clash between Rachna’s circle and the bothersome Solars revealed a surprise– a sole Lunar sorceress. Anjali Skalishaya… Rachna’s Celestial mate. He hadn’t even known that was a thing, but memories from the First Age flooded his mind, reminding him of the torrid relationship between his shard and hers, once upon a time. Suddenly, he had a new, burning goal: Meet her. Know her. Woo her. Claim her for his own. Get back that love that had been cut short so long ago. 

Before long, he made himself known to Anjali, and then, at her insistence, to her circle as well. He explained what his circle was trying to do, and expressed that he was more than happy to work against them. In fact… if Anjali’s circle was willing, he knew of a way to cut the Yozi off at the knees– and deprive them of the ability to make more Infernals. 

A plan was hatched, and Rachna led Anjali and her circle into Malfeas, and made a brazen assault on Lillun, the Phylactery Womb, in whose swollen body was contained all of the as-yet-unclaimed Infernal shards. The Solars, Lunar, and one traitorous Infernal slew her, releasing the loose shards back to Lytek, and denying the Yozi the ability to reclaim active shards once existing Infernals fell. 

After a hasty retreat from Yozi (with all the forces of Hell in hot pursuit), the Solars threw a massive party to celebrate the win. Rachna and Anjali celebrated privately. A few weeks later, the pair split off from Anjali’s circle full of Solars, and struck out on their own to see where Fate took them.

Relationship to

Anjali

His Celestial mate, his favorite person, and the only thing that keeps him mostly sane some days, Anjali is everything to Rachna. Being near her quiets the traumatic flashbacks he is sometimes plagued with, and eases the restless, panicky madness of Adorjan that gusts through his soul. Intense memories of her predecessor in the First Age drove him to find and woo her when they first met, but now that he actually knows her and shares his life with her, Rachna genuinely adores Anjali and is even more protective of her than his First Age self had been. Sometimes irrationally so. (Anjali sometimes has to ask him to tone down his immediate and often violent defense of her; flaying any creep who gropes her in a crowd tends to make a scene, after all.) 

Most days, he is content to follow her lead, and assist her with whatever her goal is, being a little bit leery of having large goals of his own. However, she’s begun asking what he wants to do with their time, and the power they’ve been given…

Yaxkin

Rachna and Anjali encountered Yaxkin entirely by accident, after discovering an underground ‘den of iniquity’, aka a days-long sex, drugs, booze, and violence party she was holding. When she discovered that he was an Infernal as well, Yaxkin was momentarily confused, being under the impression that she knew all of the Infernals. A quick process of elimination later, she realized he was Rachna, the infamous traitor of Yozi… and that she had never met him because he was functionally an exile from Malfeas… and she had Exalted mere days before his moment of treason. For whatever reason, Yaxkin seems to think his status as the ‘Traitor of Yozi’ makes him interesting and cool, and she follows him and Anjali around, existing as sort of a fringe element of their new and growing circle. Rachna isn’t certain what her intentions really are… but she’s a Fiend, a servant of the Ebon Dragon, so that’s to be expected.

#Exalted #exalted character #exalted art #exalted rpg #exalted ttrpg #exalted character bio #Infernal #infernal exalted #Rachna #sword #kopesh #sword design #fantasy sword

[radiologica]

Symbiotic

Ch. 1: At Blizzards Mercy

My eyes open at the sound of something dropping to the ground a room over. Muffled curses meet my ears as I listen to the source of my sudden consciousness. I hear the sound of something being swept into a dustpan, then poured out into the garbage. Wonder which dish Viktor broke this time, hopefully it wasn't the deep one. Plates that are also bowls are the best. So useful for more runny food that doesn't quite need a bowl, but spills out of shallow plates. I swear if that ass broke my Blate, I'm gonna beat him.

I groan, throwing my covers off and over to the side, promptly being met by a cold breeze. Slipping on my house shoes, I begin my journey to investigate whether or not Viktor will be receiving a death sentence. Turning the corner I see none other than my dear twin brother, trying his best to clean the mess he had made. I knock on the doorframe, making him stop and look up at me. He doesn't look terrified, so my beloved Blate lives on as well as Viktor.

“Happy birthday, clutz.” I sneer, earning a sharp glare from my lovely brother.

“You could help ya know,” He replied.

“Nuh uh,” He glares harder, “your mess.” I duck as he chucks the thankfully empty dustpan at my head.

“Stop it you two, you're acting like toddlers.” We both jump as our dad walks out from the hallway. He picks up the dustpan and whacks both Victor and I as he passes, taking care not to step on any ceramic shards. “You're both eighteen now, thank god.” He grabs a mug and begins to boil water over the small fire pit on the counter. “Speaking of such, eat some breakfast. We're heading out in an hour.” He grins at us, pouring a cup of tea and leaving for the living room.

Today was both of our birthdays. Our eighteenth birthdays at that. With our new coming of age, we gain a lot of things such as freedom, the ability to get a house, etc. However, there's one thing that overshadows the excitement of these new freedoms. Something even more exciting. You see, when a person turns eighteen on Draco, we get a uh.. pet of sorts. We bond with a creature through our soul, using the lifeblood of our planet. Once bound, the link can only be broken in death. If the link is broken, either half will never bond to another soul. For some, they decide to go for a smaller animal. Not Me. If I'm gonna be a freighter, I'll need something bigger than a scurrier or snowhop. That's why I'm gonna get a polydrake. They’re the biggest land animal on the tundra, being the perfect fit for a job that requires heavy lifting. With six legs, sickle claws, thick feathers, and the build of a powerlifter, tundra polydrakes are the best option for hard jobs. So it's common sense for me to bind to one.

“What are you planning to go for?” I ask Viktor once our father is gone. Maybe he's also obsessively considered what field he's going into and what he’ll get for it…

“I dunno…” He pauses. “Something that flies for sure. Probably an aeromonitor.” He finishes, rummaging through the cabinets for something of substance.

Damn it.

“Cool,cool,” I nod. “I uh, I'm gonna get a polydrake. Ya know, so I can be a freighter.” I swing my hands, attempting to cut the awkwardness I created.

“Cargo transport is dangerous work, Vetka.” Viktor grabs some dried fish from the cabinet, holding a handful out to me, he asks. “What will you do when you get caught in a blizard? What if you get attacked by a taurovyern?” He waves his hands around, seeming to animate his concerns.

“First, they train you for blizards.” I take the dried fish he offered once he puts his hands down. “Second, taurovyerns hardly ever attack polydrakes.” I stuff a peice of fish in my mouth. His concerns are valid but, I’m sure they wont be a problem for me. Taurovyern’s are easy to avoid and pacify, and blizards are a common ocurance I’m used to. I’ll be fine…

~Two hours later~

[Location: Aurora Peaks]

“Where is everyone,” I whisper to myself. Our father had dropped us off on opposite sides of the mountain range near our town. The Aurora Peaks. It’s said to be a hotspot for bigger speices, but today is different... Its been an hour and I’m yet to see a sign of life, not even a call from an animal. I shiver, begining to hate the silence. It’s too damn quiet. Last time dad took us up here, we couldn’t go fifty feet without seeing something. Now the landscape is still, almost as if something horrible would happen if they even dared to breath. I continue my search, taking care not to be too loud. I walk another hundred yards or so before I hear something. It’s an unmistakeable sound that the tundra’s people know so well. Roaring and howling unlike any creature, I look to the peaks to confirm. A blizzard… A big one, a pure white wall of galeforce winds, snow, and ice sharp enough to cut.

I begin my race to find a shelter just as the wall crests over the peaks, swallowing them into its depths. My panic rises as I remember something. Viktor. Viktor’s on the other side of the mountain. I stop and turn toward the blizzard, wanting to run right into it. “I would freeze before I even got to the top..” I remind myself. I clench my fists, praying Viktor found cover. As I continue down the mountain side I can feel the wind. It’s catching up. Just as I do another scan for anything to take cover in or under, a tree root trips me. I tumble down the slope, finally stopping when my back slams into a tree. With a spotty conscience, I manage to crawl behind the tree.

“Damn it…” I hiss, looking at my leg. My calf was cut badly and I could tell I bumped my head pretty bad. All I could do was watch as my fate approached. It’s not too uncommon for people to come back injured, dead, or turn up missing. I never thought I’d be one of those people, but here I am. Stuck. About to freeze out here. I clutch the vile of liquid I was given for my partner. Just as I was beginning to accept how I would end, I heard something over the rapidly approaching blizzard. It was the cry of an animal. I looked up to see the most welcome sight of my life. It was a large creature, running as fast as it could in my direction. As it got closer I was able to see what it was. A beautiful polydrake, pure white with ice green and dark gray patterns. It continued its sprint, wasting no time swooping me up and retreating. It held me by the scruff of my jacket, making me wince at the sudden movement to my head and leg.

As we made our decent, I spotted our destination. There was a cave opening, half buried by the last blizzard that ripped through the mountain. It made a beeline for the opening, quickly moving the snow to squeeze into the room behind. It made its way to the back of the cave, setting me down between the wall and a large rock, effectively shielding me from the winds that would still blow into the cave. The large animal finally turned to me, walking closer and plopping down in front of me. For the first time I got a look at it, or more accurately, her. She tilted her head at me, and I did the same. Slowly, I extended my hand toward her. She sniffed it, sneezing before placing her forehead in my palm. I chuckle as she crawls forward to rest her head in my lap. She’s quite heavy, and it’s not exactly helping my leg, but at the moment I could care less. I move my hand to the vial in my pocket, taking the top out and letting the now mist-like substance escape. It wound its way around the both of us, eventually dispating. Suddenly, I felt an odd hum in my chest and threw my hands up. With a victorious whoop, I knew it, I had found my best friend.

Despite the happiness I felt, I still held a deep worry in the back of my mind. I rested my hand back on my polydrake.

“Please, for the love of everything, let Viktor be safe.”

#sci fi and fantasy #scifi #science #fantasy #original post #story #pls reblog #pls read #im tired #please help #lit #novel #chapter 1 #mine #i tried #im trying #im tryin my best #please please please #pls help #pls halp #yippee

[wildlyhopefulcreature]

Shattered Mirror

Once a single, coherent image, now many scattered pieces, some reflecting the sky, others reflecting the ground back to itself. This was once identified as a mirror, with a purpose, and could show others themselves. Now what is it?

Scattered images of tree and car, of sun and cloud, flashing like large glitter from the ground, from the black road. A car drives over it, crunching the glass into even smaller pieces, and scattering them even further from each other.

I used to look in that mirror. I used to use that mirror to determine where I was going next, to see who I should be aiming to become, to tell me who others thought I should become. But while the mirror told me where I was, my heart offered a blank black picture of my future.

Void.

I didn’t have plans for what I wanted to do with my life, I just wanted to keep living long enough for something to change.

And then the mirror shattered.

Where I was didn’t define where I went. And I realized that I did want things. But they were wild things, they were forbidden things. They were things so dangerous I’d hid my desires for them deeply away from myself. It was too risky to even know that I wanted them.

I had desires for who I wanted to be. And they were nothing like people told me. They were nothing like the mirror showed me.

But with the mirror shattered, who was I? With the mirror shattered, I couldn’t see myself, nor what I wanted to look like. There was no cohesive image of the future, only the pieces that I’d carefully selected.

I had to trust the shards that I’d kept close to my heart, that told me that these pieces were important, that these pieces revealed a part of me. I had to trust my desires, and my judgment, especially because other people wouldn’t.

When the mirror was shattered, my heart started supplying images of what the future looked like. They started off faint, but they were there. The images were breathing, and alive.

My future had a shape to it. There was light and movement. My future, to borrow from a poem about hope, was like a rat, one that had held on to life even in places it wasn’t supposed to survive.

There was no longer an external mirror, but there was an internal one. And though the picture was fuzzier, the internal one gave so much more life to me than the one now shattered on the road.

Originally written 9/26/2022

#WildlyHopefulWriting #my writing #trans writing #trans #writeblr

[shadowfoxsilver]

The evil managed (Part two)

Part one

Jess and Evil Jess clashed powers with great force, even with one of them being much smaller then the other was. However, it seemed Jess managed to at least counter the magic well enough that Evil Jess stumbled a little and lost her focus and was at least defeated this time. But her smile simply widened as she eyed the tree itself. Jess shook off from the battle, assuming that was the end of it. Evil Jess had been defeated yet again…Right? Wait. Oh no. The nega crystal behind Evil Jess pulsed darkly before the dark clone opened her jaws and shot a charged bolt of energy at the tree. Jess quickly changed to her key power dragon form (A little bigger than her usual form, but stronger with extra arms and a tail made of electricity) and shot her own charged bolt of energy at Evil Jess trying to stop her. But the bolts didn’t collide!

Evil Jess screeched as the others bolt hit her, slamming her right into the nega crystal. Its surface cracked as she slid down it with a hiss and landed in front of it with a loud thud onto her side. She was fine though! But her eyes glanced back up at the crystal; More cracks filled its surface, soon covering its entire form as the darkness around it faltered…And then she gasped as it shattered entirely! She quickly got back to her feet, growling at Jess angrily but her form is starting to wisp away.

Nega Flame had been fighting the other two fine. She was barely hindered by their attacks and skillfully dodged each attempt without much effort and sometimes even yawned as if the two cats weren’t trying hard enough. But then she heard it. The crystal shattering ringed in her ears, and her back stung where her gem was. It was only when Lightning Cat had managed to jump to the side of her attacks that she spotted it. The gem had a crack across its surface! It seemed to get worse as the nega crystal was destroyed. And Nega Flame’s behavior seemed to worsen as her fire intensified and trailed around her eyes as she landed on the ground and held her head with a hiss.

But the worse was to come. Jess turned to look at her tree in fear and wide eyes. The dark bolt wasn’t stopped by the broken crystal! It only seemed to speed up before hitting the middle of the tree with a great force. Within seconds the massive tree seemed to completely turn into splinters that scattered around the surroundings and the leaves turned to ash. Its roots burned off the crystal underneath in a cave, sending the trio crystal plummeting into the lake below. Thankfully it didn’t break; But Jess felt her powers weaken greatly with the tree completely destroyed. She to Evil Jess with a snarl..But the clone had faded into thin air. All that remained was the nega crystal shards. She turned to where Nega Flame was.

But all she saw was a feline beast of hellish flames that burned as dark as night, though wings of blue flames was visible. Chimera Lightning had quickly formed to face the threat that was now Nega Flame. The air felt scorched as Nega Flame roared, breathing out the same bright blue flames. But Chimera Lightning wasn’t backing down. Jess was worried though.

She had to figure out how to fix her tree, fix the crystal, and save the wild Nega Flame before she became too dangerous to deal with! Jess felt too weak to keep her key power form too so she was back to her usual dragon form. But she needed a plan. And quick.

#Special story arc: The evil managed #Evil Jess #Nega Flame Cat Scapolite #Chimera Lightning Cat Scapolite #Jess the mod!dragon thing #long post is long