#bookshop au gave me POWER and INSPIRATION

[furymint]

👍

header | non verbal starters | wc: 635

Send 👍 for my muse to approve of something yours did. i totally forgot the point after resuming this 2 months later but yknow

Ninira had been on international panels of realm-shaking importance before. She had observed the polite confusion when Admiral Merlwyb outlined an action plan with nautical jargon; when an Ul'dahn ostiary turned his palm out for a tip, she had coached the Elder Seedseer herself on the Ossuarry's practices; on a half-night's sleep she had been summoned to interpret Dozol Meloc's nervous squawks for a Halonic Inquisitor.

Part of her wanted to admit that each experience paled to the council afore her.

"If it's called the Sea of Clouds," L'selle went on, "and instead of depth, your traveling is measured in altitude, that makes--what?--the heavens your ocean floor?"

Every eye in the Congregation moved to L'selle. He returned his cider to his lips with a bastard's contentment and a foreigner's disregard. Across the table, the bastard and the foreigner mulled through their grief. Ninira sank under her embarrassment.

"I just think so," L'selle started again.

"Then don't--" Rothe hissed, but Estinien interrupted:

"No, no, let him have it."

Ninira prodded L'selle and transitioned one of her biscuits to his plate. Momentarily distracted, he broke a chunk of it free and stuffed it into his evil mouth.

The others regrouped.

Estinien was still trying to keep from laughing after the first outburst to L'selle's conclusion. "None of us can say the man's wrong."

"Neither can we say he's right-headed for it," Rothe insisted. "If he and I are to be arrested--again--then surely the Inquisition will be less forgiving than the Alliance towards that rat's complete lack of documentation. I have enough funds to collect ingredients from the Crozier, not to post bond."

Estinien was of no help: "Bond? One would think the clergy venal enough for such an institution, but no, sir, not here."

Ninira sympathized--especially under the continued judgement of the Congregation regulars. "If the Holy See has permitted you thus far, you should be in no danger of rejection at this point."

"That's right!" L'selle asserted. "If airships wanna hawser and gaff their way into other city-states for their markets, they ought to think about what truths and lies they bring back in new perspectives. The horizon may be neverending but this world's small."

Rothe whined something about Rhalgr moving in skies too far east to protect them. For his part, Estinien renewed the debate when he gave a half-formed contribution about there being the cardinal directions to account for in addition to altitude. 

"Oh, aye, that grasshopper thing you do," L'selle said contemplatively, though still talking around a mouthful of food.

Estinien pointed his knife in Rothe's direction, wagging it with no concept of how plainly threatening it was, and squinted as he struggled to recall, "Not that chapuli debacle?"

Rothe slapped his palms to the table. L'selle howled at the memory and roared his pride, too far distracted now to correct Estinien. And Ninira smiled sheepishly into the face of the approaching guard.

"Gentlemen. Lady Ninira," the knight began his censure--and never continued. L'selle sprung up from the bench, already "in the know of what a swad's got to say," and bounded for the exit.

The first to grumble "leave him" was also the first to follow. Rothe tightened his scarf about his face and chased the ever-more-faraway sound of L'selle's raucous chatter.

Estinien dismissed the gaping soldier with a curt shove at the man's regiment badge. He turned to offer Ninira his hand, but he hesitated when formality seized him. It was too late--Ninira took hold of his palm and gave a tug for his attention. He bent to her.

"How long until they have half the Pillars on alert for renegades and drunks?" she asked, the last one to lose her reserve.

He felt the return of his laughter in the squeeze of her hand. "Fury knows I'm looking forward to it."

#bookshop au gave me POWER and INSPIRATION #i had the beginning of this already done in my drafts #but didnt actually #remember the prompt so uh #i just went off on what felt right instead of sticking to it KJSHDJFHS #bri writes #l'selle ran

[9bitghost]

REMEMBER THIS AU???

Took me 2 years, but I’ve finally got everyone’s designs roughed out for my RPG AU!! Some designs gave me a lot of trouble, so I’ll probably change a few in the future, but for now, they’re all based around their outfits in the show. Getting back into this has also got me more into learning about D&D, so classes and subclasses are based on stuff from there and homebrews I’ve found and liked, with some liberties taken for the fun of it. ☆  

I want to write proper backstories for all of them sometime, but until then, classes, alignments, and headcanons are under the cut!! ↓ ↓ ↓ (VERY LONG)

This AU can be set either as its own, or if everyone sat down and played D&D with characters based on themselves. I would love to write fic splicing the two together if I ever get around to it lol

Character Info

David: Ranger/Bard - Champion of Nature (Lawful Good)

S4E7 pretty much laid out his character and class perfectly; David is a Bard at heart, and sought to make people happy with his tricks and performances when he was younger, until he found his true calling in his connection to Mother Nature. His home is wherever he can set up camp and has his heart set on protecting the forests’ natural beauty and integrity from quickly growing cities. Breaks into song at random and dislikes conflict. Prefers to shut fights down though talk and song, but does excel at archery and long-range combat if the need arises.

(tbh, binary-bird’s david design is so much cooler and i was heavily inspired by it, so please just imagine him in that one instead lol)

Gwen: Bard/Cleric - College of Lore (Chaotic Neutral)

In all honesty, Gwen is the most difficult one for me to place in this AU. She strikes me as the one to DM for the kids so Nerris can play, and enjoys creating stories for them, hence why Bard comes as the most natural to class her. An unconventional one, as she’s sharp-tongued, usually straight-faced, and witty in a sarcastic sense. Probably owns a bookshop in her town and writes many of her own books (half of which are erotica and stored in a curtained off area you need a password for). She has a way with words and handles her spear with the same proficiency. Badass fighter if you get on her bad side.

Max: Rogue - Thief/Trap Master (Chaotic Neutral)

Grew up poor and practically on the streets with barely a glance from his parents, Max learned it’s every person for themselves from an early age. Known for being a little shit and a master at picking pockets, MacGyvering traps, and winning bets through words alone. Shitton of knives, prefers throwing them from the shadows. Says he doesn’t care for anyone but himself, but would actually kill a man or 20 for his friends. Met Neil when trying to swindle him out of some expensive potions and wound up traveling with him. Purely for profit at first after hearing about the tech Neil’s in search of, but they ended up clicking and became fast friends (in denial).

Neil: Artificer - Alchemist (Lawful Neutral)

Neil’s family is very well off and many of his relatives are well known scholars; his father being the leading philosopher in their district. Though proud of his family’s and his own scientific accomplishments, Neil became bored of his mundane village and life, and thus set off in search of new scientific discoveries that could land him a place in the history books. Hates combat and stays out of it whenever he can. Sticks to the side lines, crafting bombs, poisons, splash potions, and buffs for the party. Relatively level-headed and often leads the team’s strategies in battle, until things go wild and sends him into a panic.

Nikki: Barbarian/Druid - Path of the Beast Master (Chaotic Good)

Born into a broken family, Nikki fled to the woods at a young age and lost her way home. Found and taken in by a pack of wolves, she quickly answered to the call of Mother Nature and grew into a nomadic lifestyle with her pack. Nikki is a wild one, brandishing her giant axe with ease, communicating with animals, and able to shift into a wolf form. Met Max and Neil as they were passing thorough her forest and nearly bit a chunk out of Neil’s arm on their first encounter. Would do anything for her friends and thinks of them as her own pack as she journeys with them.

Nerris: Sorceress - Storm Bloodline (Neutral Good)

Born to a human mother and elven father, Nerris is skilled in magic pertaining to the elements, specifically lightning and electricity, and not to shabby with their shortsword when the need arises. Left their village on a traditional journey to hone their skills and become a great sorceress to make their family proud. Always up for adventure, but rash and dives head first into more dangerous situations. Met and traveled with Harrison, who they bicker with constantly over who is the better magic user, before they both joined the Main Trio feat. David. Don’t mess with their party, man, Nerris will beat your ass into the neighbouring realm.

Harrison: Wizard - School of Illusions/Wild Mage (Chaotic Good)

Harrison was born with chaotic magic that had his parents on edge since the beginning. He quickly became a specialist in illusions, but due to his wild magic, he’d caused a lot of unintentional trouble in his town, escalating to making his brother disappear with no idea how to get him back. Fled his family and town young in pursuit of honing his magic and searching for a way to bring his brother back. Terrible at hand-to-hand, weapons, or close-range combat, but packs a punch when his magic goes haywire, often being linked to his emotions. Will sometimes levitate without realizing and freak people out. His hat is his nearly unlimited inventory and is probably a dangerous rip in space-time that should be dealt with.

Preston: Bard - College of Glamour (Lawful Neutral)

Preston travels around in search of fame and artistic inspiration and loves any audience he can find. Rarely staying in one place for long, he recites his poetry and one-man acts for captivated audiences in the town’s square or taverns, sometimes accompanied by lute or flute music. His outfits are flashy and as much of a trainwreck as he is so he’s easy to spot. In battle, his acts are usually used to stun or paralyze opponents, often done as a tag team with a more offensive member of the party. If forced to fight, he’s not too bad at fencing his way out of it.

Dolph: Bard - College of Paint (Neutral Good)

Born into a prestigious and proud military family that he left to pursue a career in art. Has painted quite a few nobles’ portraits and has thus become well known as a traveling painter. Became quick friends with Preston when they met in a town square Dolph was passing through. Hates conflict and tends to stay back in battle, but if he has to fight, he’s able to summon whatever he paints in ink to fight for him (think Sai from Naruto lol).

Ered: Rogue - Scout (Chaotic Neutral)

Daughter and assassin-in-training of her two fathers who work closely with their country’s monarchy. Though she loves them more than anything, Ered has more of a go-my-own-way attitude, opting to work more freely and alone for smaller contracts than under her parents’ wings. Amazing sharp-shooter with her crossbow and can hold her own in hand to hand combat. She’s a name quite a few know in underground circles, and Max has heard of her before as well.

Nurf: Barbarian - Path of the Brawler (Chaotic Neutral)

Half-orc and full temper, Nurf is a brawler through and through. On the run for various crimes and resents the justice system for putting his mother behind bars. Fights mainly with fists and daggers and is one of the strongest in the party. Actually quite perceptive and insightful, but whether he chooses to act upon that insight is entirely dependent on how he feels at that moment. Nurf joined the party a little later than the rest, after meeting them during an ongoing brawl and teaming up as a spur-of-the-moment decision. He stuck around for one reason or another.

Space Kid: Cleric - Cosmic Domain (True Neutral)

Space Kid comes from a line of astronomers and astrologists, and he too answers to the Stars and Celestial Bodies. Many of his decisions are based on what star charts tell him and he’s just happy to be along for the ride. Met the Main Trio early on during a quest relating to astrology and, realizing they lacked a designated healer for the team, found Space Kid to be decent enough. Probably has untapped powers that are pretty incredible if he knew how to access them. Sticks around due to the Stars hinting that their fates are tied and good things will come about in the party’s future.

Other Notes

I’ve gotten an ask or two in the past asking about Daniel and he is 1458903% a Lawful Evil Warlock/Bard who answers to his patron Xemüg. Quartermaster is also a Warlock, probably Chaotic Neutral, and I like the idea of his patron being The Octopus (thank you S4E5 for the harrison and QM inspiration).

#camp camp #campcamp #reposting this bc it wasn't showing up in the tag for me?? never posting from drafts again lol #it's been so long since i wrote semi-decently #it feels so clunky but at least it's FINALLY DOWN IN WORDS #i love how i predicted alchemist neil and barbarian nikki long before the quest ep aired LMAO #s: cc #au: cc dnd #art: charades #i still know jack about dnd so please don't yell at me that some stuff doesn't work or w/e

[thepringlesofblood]

been binging good omens fanfic lately to cope with the fact that i’m gonna have to wait an entire extra month to go back to school, and figured i should add to that ‘good omens fanfic bingo’ thing i saw floating around here lately that’s got funny little commonalities in a lot of em, bc there’s a surprising amount

tbh I’m gonna make a google doc of all the entries I’ve seen on here plus a few of my own to toss in a generator, feel free to send some in (NOT A SEX THING, genuinely just for laughs), here’s the ones I got so far

“ngk”

“For go- er, for sat- uh, for somebody’s sake!” or any variation thereof

an AU that bends over backwards to find a way to make Crowley call Aziraphale ‘angel’ in a universe in which he is not

similarly, an AU that desperately tries to fit an ‘I gave it away’ ‘You what?’ scene

Oscar Wilde, Freddie Mercury, and/or Shakespeare and the implication that at some point, one of them fucked one or more of them. 

Adam powers/Crowley’s imagination as a deus ex machina

the phrase ‘make an effort’ 

getting wine drunk in the back of the bookshop with your hereditary enemy

Crowley walks like a slut because God cursed him/mention of the whole ‘god cursed the serpent to crawl’ thing

Title is a Queen lyric/song title

the implication that the Bentley is sentient

you go too fast for me Crowley, in any scenario, regardless of appropriateness

Gabriel’s a dick and no one likes him

mention of being ‘soft’/Aziraphale is fat and there’s nothing you can do about it

wings and/or ‘true forms’

sparsely researched, sometimes incorrect snake things applying to Crowley 

going on a picnic or dining at the Ritz/ general a/c taking each other out to restaurants and theater and such

“my dear” or “angel”

Aziraphale eats something and Crowley is like ‘fuck yeah that’s what we like to see folks’

Varying opinions on how many books Aziraphale actually sells/Aziraphale chases customers away

the period of time after they take the bus back to London in the miniseries, and before switching bodies, or mention of it

Aziraphale wakes Crowley up because he hadn’t heard from him in a while and got worried/Crowley sleeping

An AU that makes Aziraphale’s name completely ridiculous to fit the world and/or Aziraphale having to come up with a last name and fucking it up royally

the queer community of Soho has adopted Aziraphale, or the other way around

the requisite ‘there was only one bed’, usually in Crowley’s flat after the bus

Aziraphale seeing that statue of ‘good triumphing evil’ or whatever and there being an awkward moment about it and/or some line about how ‘it’s funny, Crowley had been over to the bookshop so many times, but Aziraphale had never been to his flat before’

mention of ‘I only ever asked questions’

outsider POV of a/c is like ‘wow that was fucked up, anyway back to my stamp collection’ - bonus points if they assume a/c are a couple when they’re not (yet)

use of the word ‘miraculous’, and/or extensive discussion of miracles

Aziraphale reads to Crowley bc he’s not good at reading for snake reasons/Crowley is kind of dyslexic

(usually bad) poetry/song lyrics at completely inappropriate times

a/c are riding in the bentley and the lyrics on the radio are just a bit too applicable, bonus points if it’s Queen, specifically ‘Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy’

the phrases ‘bebop’ and/or ‘tickety-boo’ 

accidentally inspiring an artist to do great work

‘oh, was that my side or yours?’ and/or bickering over which things are heaven and which are hell and/or ending up deciding it was just humans who were fucked up, whaaaaaaat

similarly, mention of being ‘on our own side’

funny names for the apocalypse that didn’t happen - my favorites so far are ‘Armageddon’t’ and ‘Apocalmost’

shadwell isn’t in an AU/story where he should be because he just failed the vibe check from the author

an AU with Madame Tracy in a totally unexpected role because they needed someone to be the innkeeper/traveling salesman/town crier/big bad beetleborg/whatever the fuck the story required, and wanted to include her bc she rocks

Aziraphale compliments Crowley’s eyes, and he does a ‘ngk’ of some sort

wow, after the miniseries we all just sort of collectively agreed that Crowley fell in love with Aziraphale seconds after meeting him, huh?

mention of some incredibly specific moment in the last 6000 years/reference to the phrase ‘6000 years’ bonus points if it’s a scene from the miniseries like the bastille or rome

mentioning the garden of eden at completely random times

crepes and/or apples having symbolism

every fucking person seems to think michael sheen has these fuckin cerulean orbs and is busy getting lost in the baby blue ocean of his iris well guess what he doesn’t, and it is literally never mentioned in the book or series or radio drama. how did we get here.

speaking of, the author tries to find a really pretty synonym for yellow or red to describe crowley’s eyes or hair and lands squarely in over-the-top metaphor

the Bentley is not a car in an AU, but dammit if the author is going to leave a good opportunity for a cameo unwritten. bonus points if it’s an animal of some kind

significance tied to Crowley taking off his sunglasses/looking someone in the eyes

‘i’m not nice’ or any variant of Crowley trying to justify his demon-ness, or vice versa w/ Aziraphale being like ‘i simply couldn’t, i am an angel’

philosophical discussion of the human experience/the dichotomy of good and evil/the impact of god’s existence or lack thereof, etc. bonus points if they’re wasted

the point is...the point is.../crowley remembering something he meant to say much earlier and just shouting it a la ‘they’re what water slides off of’

ducks (no really, you’d be surprised how often people just work ducks into their fic somehow)

Crowley + plants, bonus points for psychological examination of why he yells at them, extra bonus points for talking to them about his many woes 

mention of the objects/plants/animals around them being slightly sentient e.g. ‘the wine was very surprised to find itself to have aged significantly in an instant’ or ‘the door knew better than to lock Crowley out of the bookshop’ 

some rando human does something nice and Aziraphale cures their arthritis or something, or vice versa w the rando pissing off Crowley so he ties their shoes together 

the South Downs/what if we moved into a cottage by the sea

idiot plot/unbelievable miscommunication, except it is believable bc they’re idiots

historical period that the author is clearly an expert in and wants to show off 

snake Crowley (Snowley) - bonus points if he’s scaring off customers in the bookshop, extra bonus points for mentions of Crowley being nervous about the relative unpopularity and widespread misconceptions about snakes 

mention of the stars/Crowley creating them

I really need to get a hobby

anyway, put any extra suggestions in the notes, and I’ll link to the bingo card

update: it did not let me put all of these bc too many characters but it still works

#good omens #a/c #original post

[secret-engima]

Seer LC OC Intro HCs/Profile

-Her name is Cyra. It means “like the sun” apparently and I have no idea how to pronounce it but in my head it’s like SIGH-ra and that sounds pretty.

-Very inspired by V of DMC-5 who gave me the idea for an LC OC with a cane in the first place. Therefore she has very pale skin, black-blue eyes, and very wavy black hair. She keeps it cut short to like- her chin because it’s easier to manage that way. She also has some tattoos on her arms and neck, but I haven’t decided if they be dragon scales (in honor of her past life as an Au Ra) or something else.

-Is 4′10″ of pure sarcasm and magical intuition.

-Is a reborn WoL Summoner, but her memories are ... patchy and she tries not to think of them. She still has her Carbuncles tho so not everything is terrible.

-She’s the result of Regis have a drunken night with a very pretty Altissian woman when he was Altissia during the Road Trip. This is ... a mild problem for Cyra because Regis’s “date” that night was with a NOBLEWOMAN. Who was part of one of Altissia’s oldest (read: snobbiest) noble families.

-Noble Family Was Not Pleased. But Cyra’s mom never got Regis’s name, so they couldn’t track him down to insist he marry her, so instead they hushed it up and married her to one of their branch members who had black hair so they could pretend Cyra wasn’t an Oops Baby.

-Cyra’s parents are wonderful human beings. The rest of her family are Not.

-Cyra’s magic is Weird and it causes her Joint and Pain Problems that nobody can properly diagnose even if its provable enough and bad enough she gets medication for them, and since her parents have kept her magic a secret from the rest of the family for Good Reasons her cousins/aunts/uncles often make fun of her for it and insist she’s just trying to get attention.

-Cyra can and has smacked people between the legs Very Hard with her cane for saying this to her face.

-Cyra is aware that she has Seer powers in the form of a very annoying and heightened intuition that makes her do random stuff sometimes MONTHS or YEARS in advance for a Thing without ever telling her what the Thing is. She calls it Susurrus and perceives it as an annoying male voice in her head randomly giving her instructions/clues like the world’s most unhelpful game tutorial that you can turn off. Why Susurrus and why male voice? Because guys are annoying but at least they don’t screech like the harpies Cyra regrettably has to call her cousins next question.

-Cyra used her Seer powers and her own natural heightened intelligence/maturity from being a reborn WoL to escape Altissia to a fancy Insomnian college at 14. Proceeded to intentionally STAY in college until she was 18 and a legal adult so she didn’t have to automatically return to Altissia barring extenuating circumstances. Is now the tired owner of two Masters because Everything She Does Is Overkill.

-At 18 she opens a second hand bookshop-cafe on the very borders of Little Galahd even though she isn’t Galahdian because the rates are cheap and No Noble Would Ever Come There so she doesn’t have to deal with the gossip circles anymore. It has a surprisingly spacious two-bedroom apartment on top so her biggest issue is getting down the stairs in the morning (this is what her spare cane she always leaves at the bottom of the stairs is for, because warping is so much easier than stairs but shhhhhh).

-She names her bookshop-cafe Second Sight. Totally because she sells second-hand books and you use sight to read said books. Totally. It’s not a sarcastic and bitter jab at her own foresight. Totally not. Nope. No idea what you’re talking about.

-She meets bby Prompto when the boy wanders into her shop looking for a book. All her red flags go up because this kiddo is not dressed like he’s from this sector. How far did he walk to get here and where are his parents?

-He basically has no parents. They’re always busy. He lives in the empty house all alone 90% of the time while they do business trips and conferences.

-Well.

-Who wants to abuse her college connections, her vast array of Susurrus-spawned favors, and her noble family name (without their knowing) to take custody of Prompto and become a 19 year old Mom with Joint Problems?

-Cyra. Apparently.

-Meets Libertus a few years after the Prompto Incident when he comes sniffing around in hopes of getting a new copy of a rare book that got ruined (STOP EXPERIMENTING WITH SPELLS IN MY APARTMENT CROWE). Decides he LIKES this place because it’s quiet and calm and the tea is good and he can read in peace without worrying about one of his idiots crashing in or setting something on fire because they don’t know this bookshop exists.

-Cyra and Libertus get along pretty well. Prompto likes him too so that’s a bonus. They are Casual Friends who are maybe contemplating asking the other out on a date but haven’t worked up the nerve yet.

-Until one day he comes in to find her quietly having a meltdown in the back because her Jerk Family Head just called insisting she come back to Altissia to marry a NIF NOBLE. And if she doesn’t comply they’ll cut off her medical support (which she does need, she has medication to take for her chronic pain).

-Libertus would like you to believe he is the Braincell of his group. He really, really would. He is the mature, sensible one who does NOT impulsively jump into things.

-Totally not. Never an impulsive, life-changing decision in his life.

-On a different topic, he knows an officials guy in the marriage license office who does elopements for Galahdian couples that don’t want to bother with Lucian Wedding Nonsense and the guy owes him a favor and no matter what else is wrong with being a glaive, being a royal soldier means AWESOME healthcare for self and spouses and kids.

-Wanna get married to spite your relatives while simultaneously escaping their thumb and getting to keep your kid and your shop?

-Cyra uses her cane to pull Libertus down for a kiss. He’s assuming that’s a yes.

-It only occurs to Lib a week later when Nyx walks in on him packing his stuff to move to Cyra’s apartment (since a condition of the Healthcare Thing is that spouses have to be living in the same place and like pyre he’s making the woman with the cane have to walk up and down Little Galahd’s network of stairs and bumpy roads to get to her shop everyday) and demands to know WHAT LIB IS DOING that Libertus realizes he... forgot ... to tell Nyx. Or anyone else in the glaive other than Captain who is probably just now finding the paperwork detailing his change in status.

-....Oops?

-All the Glaive in Unison: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU GOT MARRIED A WEEK AGO WITHOUT TELLING US????????

#Secret Engima Rambles #Seer LC verse #hi yes pls love her #libertus/cyra #Cyra (OC) #ffxv #ffxv au #wherein a bookshop au saves the world

[nomolosk]

Snapshots (AU Yeah August 2020)

read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25655623/chapters/63153622

Day 18- Bookshop

Hawkmoth was getting impatient. Universal had been at large for two days, heading into three, and so far there had been no results whatsoever, except for the mother of all backlash headaches resulting from that momentary ‘star-crossed lovers’ universe, or whatever she’d called it. Moreover, he’d had to spend most of his time transformed, which was putting him rather glaringly behind on the designs for his newest line. Of course, he was also getting some excellent inspiration from all these different universes, but…

He decided enough was enough. If Universal couldn’t draw out or find Ladybug and Chat Noir in the next twelve hours, he would pull the akuma and try again. Activating his link to Universal, he readied what he was going to say.

“Universal,” he began in his patented Intimidating Voice, “I am growing tired of this endless parade of universes, none of which bring the miraculouses or their bearers any closer to me!”

“You promised me the power to change reality itself, Hawkmoth!” Universal started to complain.

“But only if you would do the work to find my nemeses so I can finally defeat them and take their miraculouses,” Hawkmoth reminded her. There was silence on the other end for a moment. Then she spoke again.

“I actually think I may be close,” she said in a quieter tone. “Of all the pulls between two people, this has been the strongest I’ve felt, and… it’s quite strong, Hawkmoth. It can only be because these two have also got miraculouses.”

Hawkmoth narrowed his eyes, somewhat surprised that she’d actually fulfilled her side of the bargain. After all, there were only a few of his many hundred akuma who had even come close- so many had been utter failures, and the rest had not been up to the challenge, even with the powers he gave them.

“Let me see,” Hawkmoth commanded, and the link between them strengthened enough for him to see what she was seeing. It robbed her of agency, stopping her in her tracks, but that hardly mattered. It wasn’t like she was a particularly offensive akuma. Her strength lay in not being noticed. In fact, with the masquerade ball universe she’d currently got going, the glowing butterfly symbol might well have simply been a part of her mask and no one would take notice.

Hawkmoth peered through the gloom until he could see two people wrapped in a passionate embrace. However, even with the darkness, the masks, and the costumes, he could tell they weren’t the ones he was looking for. Their skin tones were too dark, the heights didn’t match, and moreover, he recognized them. They had borne miraculouses a few years ago, but after Miracle Queen had exposed their identities, Ladybug had never called on them again.

“That’s not Ladybug and Chat Noir! That’s the Ladyblogger and her boyfriend!” Hawkmoth yelled. Fury roared through him and into the link, making Universal seize up with pain. He didn’t care. She’d raised his hopes only to dash them again. She should feel his wrath. 

“You have twelve hours,” he threatened. “Don’t disappoint me again.”

----

Universal shuddered in relief as the pain vanished along with Hawkmoth’s presence in the back of her mind. She cast a sullen look at the pair of lovers who had inadvertently caused this pain. It wasn’t their fault, but she hadn’t been akumatized for being rational. She decided to get back at them by making them star in the most boring universe she could think of. And just to make it extra mind-numbing, she extended the same Paris-wide effect as she had for the university life universe.

The headband on her head pulsed in time with her thought, and an indelible sphere of change spread out from her. She smiled grimly as the two before her were transformed from the mysterious and alluring masked couple into two average bookstore workers. She’d put a little more power into the memory editing part of the spell, trying to make sure that the two people in front of her wouldn’t remember what they’d been doing or why they were in the same part of the store. The two of them broke apart under the influence of the mind wipe, and found themselves apparently manning the counter of a large chain bookstore.

“You let the magic and mystery of the universe I gave you carry you away, but you’ll see… Romance doesn’t last long when confronted by the horrifying mundanity of everyday life,” she muttered under her breath. She was on a timer now- she had to make every second count. But first, she was going to ensure at least one of these people had a bad day.

She marched up to the counter, determined to act like the most disgruntled and entitled customer she could be. She would give him hell, and then she would track down that snake and mouse couple.

----

Alya blinked. For a moment she could have sworn… but then reality reasserted itself and she noticed that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. 

“Alya, what are you doing here? Get back to work!” Nino hissed at her, then pasted on a smile for the evidently quite disgruntled customer stomping up to the counter. Alya smiled but turned away, a little hurt at Nino’s insistence. He’d managed to score a coveted customer service position lately, but he’d spent more time in the warehouse where all the books came in than she had. Had he just forgotten what it was like to escape the mindless drudgery even for only as long as her break? It wasn’t like she didn’t know not to interrupt when there was a customer to help, and she could have tidied the gift bags, or something while she waited.

It honestly baffled her why the grand bookstore that was practically its own city by now, couldn’t keep more than one person on a counter at a time. It seemed so counterintuitive, she thought. She came back around the counter and hopped on the off-brand segway used by store employees who couldn’t afford to spend a good half-hour walking from one section to the next. She glanced back at Nino, only to see his smile grow strained as the Karen at the counter ranted at him. She spared him some pity- the backroom might be boring and dull, but at least she didn’t have to put up with harassment. She took careful note of the woman, the purplish headband she wore, her... questionable clothing choices, and the way her manicure was so cheap the colors had actually leached onto her fingertips.

Wait...

----

Marinette giggled as Adrien spun her out, narrowly avoiding the bookshelf to her left. He tugged her hand and she obligingly spun back, crossing her arms over her torso to hold his hands as they swayed together, back to chest. She giggled again, bright and happy. Still, they were at work.

“Not that I’m not enjoying this,” she said, grinning up at him. “But shouldn’t we get back to work? I mean, what brought this on?”

“It’s quirky and fun,” Adrien replied promptly. “Plus, we both need a break from shelving overpriced textbooks, and... I like dancing with you.” He smiled. 

She felt herself blushing, but fortunately she was currently too relaxed and into the moment for her overzealous anxiety to rear its ugly head and ruin everything. She sighed and closed her eyes, just for a moment, enjoying being so close to her crush and hearing him say he liked dancing with her.

The approaching whir of one of the store scooters made her eyes shoot open again and she tore herself away from Adrien, heart pounding. If it was one of the many managers and they got caught doing anything but their actual job…

She got to work, making room on the shelf before hefting a stack of heavy textbooks into the cleared space, making sure the spines were right side up. When she glanced over at Adrien- just to see if he was hurt or offended by her sudden leap away from him- he was working away at the next shelf over. His expression was neutral, but when he saw her looking he took the time to smile and wink at her. She smiled back. 

Marinette really hoped he didn’t think she suddenly hated him, or was ashamed to be caught dancing with him. But he probably didn’t. Stocking the shelves was one step up from unboxing and labeling the books back in the warehouse, and no one who had escaped that wanted to go back to it.

Marinette hoped that the scooter would pass them by, but unfortunately it came to a stop at the end of their aisle of shelves. 

“Pssst!”

Marinette looked up to see, not an overbearing manager, but her friend Alya, who had started working there a lot more recently than any of her other friends and was consequently still stuck in the warehouse. She must be on her break, Marinette thought. I wonder why she’s not with Nino?

Curious, she went over.

“I can’t talk right now, Alya, I’ve got all these to shelve and there are more where those came from.”

“Nino just got chewed out by the weirdest customer guys,” Alya said, and only then did Marinette realize that Adrien had joined them. “You’ve gotta come check it out!”

Alya zipped away, and Marinette and Adrien shared a look of mutual mischief before tearing after her.

@auyeahaugust

#mlauyeahaugust #auyeah2020 #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #bookstore #bookshop au

[emmizu]

raex

I’m very proud of this piece. I took great inspiration from a song called 21 Grams by Niykee Heaton. The ending might need some work tho oops. 

succubus au (lemon ahead) [part 2]

“You realize this is a dead end, Todd?”

Rolling his eyes, Red Hood pushed the annoyance behind him as he checked the next alleyway.

“I told you, you didn’t have to come.”

Pushing back up to the front, Damian scoffed. “You’ve talked about this informant before, and I’m curious because you’re always so secretive about them.”

“Ever think there was a reason behind that?” He replied haughtily.

“Ever think that’s exactly why I’m here?”

That was it. He was going to kill him. Turning around to do exactly that, he was stopped by a familiar being. Flying over Damian’s head, a raven went over to perch on a nearby fire escape. The black, pupil-less eyes were a dead giveaway.

Red Hood relaxed, tearing his gaze away from the raven to address the little, nosy brat. “You can follow me in, but you probably won’t be allowed past a certain point. And if you think you’ll be able to fight your way through- you’ve got another thing coming. These aren’t just lowly thieves or gangsters of Gotham. This informant is something else entirely.”

Damian frowned at the explanation, but when the warning came, his brows rose in doubt. “Somehow, I don’t believe you.”

Red Hood sighed, giving up on further explaining, and ambled his way down a seemingly abandoned alleyway. “Yeah, I get it, kid. You’ll see what I mean when you see her.”

Damian caught up to him, arms crossed over his chest. “Her, huh? She some girl you have intercourse with to get info?”

Jesus, this kid was going to drive him up a wall. “Shut up.”

Damian slowed, realizing they were walking toward a shadowed brick wall. Red Hood knew exactly what he was thinking. There wasn’t a door or anything here. Just a dead end, Todd. Blah, blah, blah.

That was the point.

“Come on. Don’t chicken out now. You came all this way,” Red Hood teased, spinning on his heels to give him one last salute before falling back into the shadows. He was sort of hoping the kid wouldn’t come in, but, like usual, he followed.

“What is this place?” He asked unfazed, looking around the dimly lit shop. “A bookshop?”

“Of sorts,” Red Hood replied, going over to the counter to ring the silver bell. The moment it rang- the air immediately changed. The chime was lingering and seemed mute in a way. He was used to the sound, but he didn’t have to turn around to know Damian was a little uncomfortable.

“What’s-”

His question was cut short when the scream of a raven answered back. Then a black ink shadow grew from the floor behind Red Hood. Damian took a startled step back, watching as it materialized into a- a girl.

She was dressed in all white.

White cloak, white boots, white leotard. The jewels adorning her belt, hands and cloak were blood red. Her skin was an ash grey, yet smooth. Her hair was long past her shoulders and a sort of lilac color. So were her eyes.

But when her gaze locked on Damian’s, he knew Red Hood had been telling the truth earlier. There was a dangerous aura surrounding her. She tilted her head, expression neutral, opening her mouth to say something when Red Hood tapped her shoulder.

“He’s with me. He’ll be staying here while we… talk.”

The girl gave Damian another cursory glance before addressing him. “Do you usually babysit Ra’s al Ghul’s grandchild?”

Red Hood chuckled, removing his helmet and setting it on the counter behind him. Shaking out his hair, he replied, “you know my stance on kids, little bird.” Then he addressed Damian. “I’ll be back. Stay here and don’t touch anything.”

Damian harrumphed, pivoting away from them with a grumble.

Grabbing his wrist, the girl led him toward the backrooms. Red Hood followed, smirking. “Someone a little excited to see her favorite… soul bond.” He whispered the last part close to her, relishing the glare he received. “What?” He teased.

The grip on his wrist tightened. “I’ll have your tongue if you don’t shut up.”

“Sounds hot considering you’ll have it in a few short minutes.”

She took a deep, loud breath- successfully guiding them into her favorite room. The vanilla candles were already lit and the curtains were closed, giving them plenty of privacy. A raven was perched on one of the bedposts and it squawked as they drew closer. But the girl quickly shooed it out of the room.

“She seems cranky,” Red Hood commented, allowing himself to be pushed onto the plush bed. His shirt disappeared over his head, landing somewhere on the floor along with his utility belt. Lifting his hips, he helped her take off his pants and briefs- feeling himself already growing hard.

Unclipping her cloak, Red Hood pushed it off her shoulders then hurriedly moved onto her belt. Her hands were roaming his chest, palms warm as they explored. He was already panting, desperate for air. This was sick. He shouldn’t be getting off on this kind of deal, but she was fucking gorgeous.

The leotard zipper was easy to find. Even easier when it came to pulling it off.

“Raven…”

She shushed him immediately, grabbing a fistful of his hair and yanking his head back to expose his neck. Mouthing a few kisses along his jugular, her form started to change. Jason watched in rapture, mind screaming at him to run.

He knew better though.

This was their deal. He was bound to honor it.

Another pair of eyes appeared where her eyebrows used to be, her teeth and nails grew sharper, while black, leathery wings sprouted from her back. Then her tail wrapped high on his thigh.

Testing the water, Jason thrusted his hips experimentally- earning a sharp nip and a hiss from the succubus above him. His body froze as her magic forced him still.  

With a growl, “you’re testing my patience today… why?”

“I need info on Black Mask now rather than later,” he gasped. It felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest. Her magic pulsated, tightening just a hair more. She was considering him with a scowl, tongue darting out to wet her lips.

“Hmm… I’m going to need to have more information.”

Jason flashed his teeth. “You already have it, don’t you?”

Her answer was quick. “Yes,” she snarled, sitting heavily in his lap. Her magic remained bound in his chest, unrelenting in its pressure. “But you owe me.”

“That’s pretty damn obvious,” he snarked back, breathless. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

One final squeeze around his chest effectively shut him up when his vision started to swim. It was his final warning. One of the gentlest ones she’d given him thus far.

So, he fell back against the bed, forcing himself to shut the hell up and relax. This would be a lot more enjoyable if he would just keep his mouth, she’d snipped last time. Might as well take the advice.

He sucked in a breath as she nipped along his chest, moaning when she sucked a marked onto his collarbone.

Her hips moved lazily against him, reveling the way he tried to return the favor. Grimacing, he noticed that he still couldn’t move- damned demon magic.

“Little bird,” he panted, “I would like to earn my information.”

Pausing from leaving another mark, Raven moved into his line of sight. When their eyes met, his heart nearly stopped. She looked fucking ravishing.

“You lost that chance when you demanded answers,” she rumbled, pinching his hip hard.

Snapping his teeth together, Jason held back a yelp. Raven leered down at him, landing a particularly hard thrust against his cock. She was infuriating. Only she could do this to him. Any other girl would’ve given into him by now. They wouldn’t have tied him up and forced him down.

He would’ve had all of this under control if he wasn’t dealing with a literal demon. Whose soul managed to get tied up and tethered to his. Stupid, stupid, mistake on his part.

Or was it really?

He was alive despite all the pain and suffering it took to get here. It was easier this way too, he guessed. Somehow, she’d gotten him back on track when the pit madness peaked. To this day, he still couldn’t remember that period of his life. Which was probably a blessing if he allowed himself to think about it more. 

Claw grazing his slacked mouth, she hummed- hips slowing their pace.

Shit, he was so fucking close. Vision swimming, he sought her out- grunting as he flexed his back to get a better look at her. Smug, blood red eyes greeted his gaze.

“D-don’t stop,” Jason gasped, head lolling against the messy sheets.

“Beg for it then,” was the simple response.  

God, he wanted to tell her to fuck off. But his brain to mouth filter failed him. “Please, please don’t stop. I’m close.”

Sharp teeth bit the column of his neck. Her hot breath fanned over the skin as she whispered, “good boy.”

Finally releasing her hold, Raven allowed Jason to flip them over. Starting where they left off, he went mean. Damn her for getting him riled up like this. Stupid, stupid, soul sucking demon.

Grabbing a fist full of lilac hair, he wrenched her head back- showing her he had the power here too. Despite her ability to always be in control. He had to prove he wasn’t always going to be pushed around.

Somehow in the back of his mind though, Jason knew he was playing right into her hands. He could feel it begin. The pull of her magic seeped into his skin. The added heaviness worked against him, but he was going to see this through to the end. He was going to make sure of that. 

Raven huffed a laugh, sensing his turmoil. Dragging her claws up his back, she wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her heels into his lower back to keep him pressed against her. She was so fucking pretty as she arched her back and moaned- meeting his every thrust.

Her tail teased his calves then re-curled itself around one of his thighs, squeezing when he finally reached his peak with a grunt. Suddenly, her magic stabbed deep into his chest and ripped the breath right out of him.

Light headed, Jason was frozen above her as she followed behind him- taking everything she needed with a silent scream. She drew blood from his shoulders as the pain in his chest slowly started to fade away.

He wondered briefly what it felt like to take pieces of his soul. Judging by the expression on her face, it was a magical experience. Dumbly, he opened his mouth to ask that very question when her hands cupped his face- interrupting him.  

Still smug, Raven cocked her head and licked her chapped lips before speaking. “Twenty-one grams. Just like we promised.” Her form shifted back as she allowed him to slip out. Turning toward him when he collapsed next to her, she continued unfazed, “Eve will deliver the information you seek.”

It felt like his head was filled with cotton balls and, overall, he felt weightless… empty.

Crawling off the bed, she picked up her clothes and started dressing. Jason studied the process in slow motion, watching as everything went back to normal for her. Must be fucking nice.

Eve, the raven from earlier, squawked loudly down the hallway- alerting them to the time.

“You should be on your way. I have other appointments,” Raven informed him blandly, turning on her heels as she clipped her cloak back into place.

With a snort, Jason shakily got to his feet- leaning heavily against the bed. “Your post coital talk has always been my favorite part about you, babe. Please, don’t let me hold you from your clients.”

She regarded him coolly, using her magic to place his clothes near him on the bed.

Feeling particularly bold, he decided to tease her. “No goodbye kiss before you disappear into the shadows?”

Crossing her arms, she approached- gaze never wavering. He was buttoning his pants when she brushed his hands away and did it herself. Then she tugged on his utility belt, clicking it into place as well. He noticed her cheeks were still flushed from their recent... activity. 

“Ra’s al Ghul’s grandchild is snooping in my belongings, so there. will. be. no. kiss.” She punctuated each word with a tug on his belt and ended it by softly pushing him back. “Now go.”

Putting on the last of his clothes, Jason chuckled, “you realize he has a name, right?”

Her response was meant to cut deep, and boy did it. “You realize his grandfather is the reason you’re here with me?”

Immediately, he scoffed and stepped into her space much to her obvious dismay, but she didn’t move back. Although, her magic was palpable.

“Thanks for the info, little bird. Hope I earned my keep.”

Raven didn’t bother with a reply. Before his very eyes, shadows raced to her form and swallowed her whole. Eve was still squawking, so he took the hint and walked back out to where Damian seemed to be impatiently waiting for him.

Hands over his ears, Damian was glaring at the raven- trying to loudly shush her. As soon as Jason stepped into the room, she quieted- ruffling her feathers with a shake of her head.

Sighing, Jason walked up to her and held out his palm. Damian’s hands fell back to his sides, expression puzzled. Then with another squawk, their information appeared right out of thin air. Damian jumped back in surprise and turned to the bird to eye her suspiciously.

“Let’s go, brat. We got what we need.”

“What the hell, Todd? What happened back there?!”

Jason ignored him and snatched his helmet off of the counter. “Don’t worry about it. Just be happy we got a lead.”

“I am! But how in the world-”

Putting his helmet back on, he took great joy in completely ignoring the barrage of questions Damian shot at him. This was his deal, no one else’s. Not to mention, he wasn’t so sure Raven would like him broadcasting their situation to some loud-mouthed kid. She’d definitely take his life for that.

#raex #xrae #redrae #raehood #teen titans #raven #red hood #jason todd #jayrae #guest starring: damian wayne #i'm so proud of this #GOING TO BED NOW #xaphrin #lemon