#but i tried and it was super fun to write this

[edgeray]

Heyyooo!! I was wondering if you could make an Arle x afab reader with like a beauty and the beast plot?? Arle’s curse is slowly killing her though which is why her arms turned black and the only way she can save herself (this curse could also be affecting the House of the Hearth, up to you) is if she finds someone whom she can open up her heart to and they accept her fully and love her back in return! It doesn’t have to be exactly like that but I do think having a beauty and the beast au with arle x reader would be pretty fun to see.

Cursed Human

(Arlecchino x Fem! Reader)

A/N - Hi anon! This is a super interesting AU anon! If you choose to request as an anon again make sure to give yourself a name/emoji 🫶. I actually really love this idea. This gives a little bit of hanahaki au vibes (which is something separate that I should write and have been meaning to write, ack– too many wip). This will lean more into dark fairytale and will be based off of Arlecchino's backstory. (This turned out darker than I expected, and I'm very sorry for that.)  The switch up is crazy to me. 💀 How do I pull out horse girl au, platonic au, and domestic fluff, and then this shit? I'm versatile like that, I guess. But I promise it gets better after all the dark stuff.  Content warnings / info - afab reader, pretty dark, some brief religious notions, semi-graphic details of violence, a little bit of arlevie but only ‘cuz of the angst, hopefully not forgetting something, 1.8k words

Here tells the tale of a cursed monster. 

Peruere was said to be cursed from childbirth. A child who caused misfortune wherever and whenever, it was a surprise to none of the villagers when Arlecchino was dropped off at the doorstep of Crucabena, the head of an illegitimate orphanage. Misfortune began with the death of her birth mother. Afterwards, her father was stricken by an unknown illness, quickly becoming too ill to take care of her. The first day that Peruere arrived at the orphanage, the stocked vegetables and fruits had all rotten. And the first night, every child in the same room as her was suddenly struck with insomnia.   

(The pregnancy only intensified the already ill mother  in the first place. The stress from a newborn child and the death of his wife caused him to be ill. The recent intensity of humidity accelerated the spoilage of the produce. The mattresses were far too solid, the room was far too cold, and the piercing cries of Crucabena's daughter were far too loud to allow slumber.)  

The villagers deemed her as cursed, a threat to their quaint little town. They tried to persuade the town head, a powerful sorcerer, to eradicate the hell offspring. The town head rejected, suggesting that the mere existence of a child did not warrant taking away her life. Crucabena had stepped up to the conference, easing the villagers’ concerns by ensuring that the depravity would be beaten out of the wretched child. 

And Crucabena did just as she said she would. 

“Mother” had no issue every night carving the symbol of her archon into Arlecchino's skin in an effort to exercise the demon inside of the child. “Mother” sullied Peruere's once flawless skin with bruises, lacerations, and blood. The cursed child clawed and struggled away every night, and yet every night she only knew of the pain that was etched far past the layers of her skin, carved into her bones, and syringed into her veins. 

The wretched child became very familiar with the acute sting or the prickling ache. However, there was something else she became familiar with. While “Mother" dealt her pain, what Clervie dealt her was love.

Clervie was young and naive. Perhaps if the cursed child knew better, Clervie would not be tainted.  

“Mother” did not stop even when the screams of a six-year-old child rang through her ears. “Mother” did not stop when even her other children begged her to stop her demonstrations. “Mother” did not stop when her own daughter rose against her. “Mother” did not stop when her own daughter's blood spilt on her hands. 

Love is a strange thing. It can transform a meek sheep into a vengeful wolf. 

The same night that Clervie's life was extinguished, Peruere burned bright, hot enough to scorch Crucabena's life away. 

After hearing of the child's atrocity, the town head cursed the child, expeling her to a decrepit home amidst a dark forest, condemning her to a slow, painful death. Peruere will die a death befitting an unlovable, inhuman creature. For if she sins under the pretense of something so pure, then she shall forever be undeserving of it. Stripped from her final piece of humanity, her name, a new name is thrusted upon the child: Arlecchino, the Knave, the servant of a devil.

—

At Arlecchino's feet lay the corpses of the intrusive villagers, the ones that dared to enter her forest and prey upon her children. How dare they? 

It had been a decade since she had been cursed. A simmering fire burns within her veins, sometimes the constant ache so acute that Arlecchino believes that she is truly burning from within. She had long presumed that that was the very nature of her curse, that she would eventually burn from the inside like the very flames that consumed Crucabena. Her arms had attained the same color as char, the spread of the physical toll of her curse growing with each passing day. And her eyes, they gain red-crossed pupils, said to be the mark of a demon inside. 

After having been expelled, the villagers were ‘generous’ enough to give her an abandoned abode. With her hands, she made it into something liveable. After a few weeks of living in the forest, she encountered intruders on the eastern borders of her forest: children from another town, said to be cursed and so were being chased out by villagers with torches and pitchforks. Arlecchino had sheltered them, and they had remained with her since.

Arlecchino gives it another half-decade before the char completely consumes her body, and she will meet the same fate as “Mother.” But until then, she will protect her forest, her home, her children. Perhaps her children will grow strong enough to protect themselves when she is gone. 

Other children, in one way or another, made their way into her forest. One, whose mother had abandoned after giving birth to them, was left to die with nothing but a blanket bundled around them. Another, seeking a sanctuary to peacefully die was convinced otherwise, and now smiles everyday. Each and every child within her cabin had some tragedy placed unjustly on them, and so Arlecchino welcomed her arms to them. 

Arlecchino had taught them well, each child could not venture out beyond the woods for their own safety. But the villagers, across all five villages surrounding her forest, had grown bolder, determined to ‘exterminate vileness.’ 

She cannot protect her children for much longer. She will die, and her children–her nest of the outcasts, the abandoned, the cursed, the hurt–will be left to fend for themselves. Even she cannot escape fate, no matter how much she challenges it. That is the tragedy she must shoulder.  

She is tired. 

The warmth of her children, while welcomed, is not the same as the warmth she longs. The warmth of her children does not comfort her at nights when the bloodfire, so she calls it, creeps up, maiming any semblance of sleep. The warmth of her children does not undo or prevent the curse's effect, her arms still remain black, her hands still resembling the claws of a monster. The warmth of her children does not melt her frigid heart, does not make her any more human. 

She longs and longs for something she is destined to never receive. 

Because this is the most she deserves. 

—

One day, a person stumbles into her forest. She is neither a child or a malevolent aggressor. She encounters you, breathless and heaving as you clutch your bleeding side. Arlecchino can tell that you do not bear any spite towards her or her children, but she cannot deem you nonthreatening. 

“A-are you the Knave?” you're able to choke out, leaning against the tree.

“Would you like the misfortune of finding out?” Arlecchino forewarns, extending out her hands and showcasing her claws, remnants of other victims’ blood still on her fingers. You swallow thickly, your hand clutching onto the small dagger behind your back. 

“I'm… I'm looking for my child. They wandered into here and never came back. But… I refuse to believe that they're dead. They're alive, aren't they? You have them, don't you? Let me see them,” you boldly demand, despite your injured state. Your eyes burn with a dangerous determination, a familiar fire dancing among your pupils. 

“Are you unaware? That the Knave kidnaps and feeds on young children?” That was obviously a lie, but an effective lie that has dissuaded most villagers from entering her territory. 

You shook your head. “They're just rumors.”

“And how would you know?” 

You breathe in deeply. “I've heard of you. You're the first cursed child. But, I know why you were cursed. You wouldn't… you wouldn't do that.”

Arlecchino pauses, hesitance in her for the slightest moment. “I am cursed,” she says it like a shield, a wall that defends her from futile hopes. 

“The world isn't as just as most people like us to believe.”

The cursed human breathes deeply. “What is your name?” 

—

You were telling the truth. Arlecchino remembers one of her children yearning for their mother, the only source of comfort before they found the House. She takes you to her home, and you're reunited with your child.

Your child pleads with Arlecchino to allow you to stay, and begrudgingly, she does, to your amazement. You adjust well to living in the secluded home, often filling in for her the emotional support that the children always needed, but she could not provide. The children take to calling you ‘Mother.’ You joke with the children, insisting that Arlecchino was the ‘Father’ in that case.  

Something inside of her stirs when she does. It is both a familiar and foreign sensation, somehow a sweet and bitter taste in her mouth, soothing but perturbing at once. You are unbeknownst to this. 

There are traits that you learn about the cursed once-child, traits that you find endearing, and traits that you later learn to love. Although her words may be cutting, they can carry a tenderness with them. Her hands, that she so frequently despises, protect her children. There is no reason for you not to love them, despite their appearance. She utilizes her cursed status to protect all of you, and for that, how could you possibly see someone who is ‘cursed’ or ‘inhuman?’ 

One night, you lay awake, suddenly jolted by the sounds of scratching, originating from the room besides you. You approach the room, and view the forlorn sight of Arlecchino, hunched over and writhing in pain, the bloodfire overtaking her once more. Pained groans escape from her as her claws dig into the wall besides her, dragging them down as she searches for any sense of grounding. Her eyes glower, the color reminiscent of blood. It is in this moment where she looks nothing more like a beast. 

Still, you do not see her as such. Not when you take her hand, kissing each knuckle and finger, the same ones that had saved your child from danger, the same ones that had saved you. 

“Arlecchino,” you whisper out to her, and it calls out to her soul. The bloodfire weakens, and she gazes at you. Your eyes fill with a warmth that melts her.

“Don't,” she warns with a harsh gruff that wavers, attempting to wrench her hand out of her grasp, but she finds herself vulnerable when you grip tighter. You lean down, bringing your lips on her blackened skin, the very skin that signifies her inhumanity. The black gradient recedes, and you continue until you kiss up to her shoulder. By then, the charred hue only spreads up to her knuckles.

Shock envelops her expression, but she is hardly given the time to process when you slot your lips over hers. She sighs and leans in, bringing up her hand to cup your face. 

Her hands are neither clawed, nor charred at that moment, but the two of you hardly realize until the next morning. The bloodfire inside of Arlecchino dissipates.

Fate can be challenged, and destiny can be broken. Cursed or not, deserving of or not, Arlecchino will take what is rightfully hers. 

#arlecchino x reader #arlecchino x you #arlecchino #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin x you #genshin impact fic #genshin fics #genshin impact fanfics #edgeray.writes #edgeray.requests

[koolades-world]

I absolutely LOVE your headcanons esp the Indian ones they make me feel quite seen even if I'm from a country that have super similar cultures (Mauritius) 💗🫶

But now I have to ask, I'm the eldest cousin so whenever there's a family gathering I'm usually the one stuck looking after all of my little cousins so if I brought one of the brothers with me they would all be wondering who he is to me and would interview him just being like, "Are you his boyfriend?!?!?!"

Any chance I could get any headcanons for the brothers for this? Completely okay if you can't!

hello! yes of course :)

this request was send in more recently but I just got back from a family gathering (as of 5/25 this is very prewritten haha) and got a fresh taste of this because im the eldest cousin too! i understand your pain haha. all of my cousins are little. chasing after kids you sometimes barely know the name of in a sari, lehenga, or salwar kameez is no fun

god this will be so fun to write!! (there’s still a whole bunch of random aunties, uncles and little kids at the house so I’m hiding since I don’t get to leave until tomorrow) like yesterday, most of this was written on mobile since I’m traveling so excuse autocorrect please :)

enjoy <3

Mc who babysits their younger cousins at a family gathering w/ the brothers

Lucifer

he’s getting war flashbacks /j haha and it’s written all over his face

he left home to get away from his brothers and basically entered an environment that’s exactly the same but with easily one hundred times the people

he’s almost impressed on their ability to never shut up and now knows why you’re so good at handling his family

however, he is dadcifer™️ so he’s great with the kids, and will try his best to answer their questions, even ones regarding your relationship status

Mammon

nothing gets past kids, and they can sense his weakness when he’s talking about you. they are ruthless

before they can break him, you have to step in and tell them to pick one question each to ask. he’s not sure how you’re corralled them so well, or how you can even tell some of them apart to the point of reprimanding them for tricking him. no wonder you can keep his family in line

once he realizes your job isn’t over until the night ends and their parents come to get their kids, he tries to sneak off a few times, but he always ends up with a couple shadows and has to come back

eventually he’s resigned to his fate, and finds he much prefers the cute little babies since they’re more than happy to mess with his jewelry, and he gets to pinch their cute little chubby cheeks <3

Levi

as much as he hates it, the kids love him and whatever device he brought along to play with

after promising to replace anything they break, he sits down and plays games with them and finds out he actually enjoys it

the older ones actually engage in the game with him and ask him game related questions, which he's more than happy to answer, and the younger ones can be handed a disconnected controller and still be kept happy

this is to the point where the kids actually forget to question him about who he is, and only ask if he'll be at the next event. who is he to say no?

Satan

you’re prepared, and he thinks he is too until he gets there haha. but, he keeps it together and adapts well

you’ve thought of just about everything, from wearing extra, cheaper bangles to hand to them to keep them happy to man knowing every trick in the book to get them to finish their dinner and he can only hope to reach that level someday

he's very collected though, he tries his best to deflect their questions and keep them off that topic

however, part of him knows that's impossible and eventually he caves and just answers the questions to the best of his ability, hoping you aren't listening. never have you seen him so out of his element

Asmo

if it’s a dry event and for some reason isn’t on the dance floor, or there wasn’t one to begin with, he’s so in love with the job you hate so much haha

he’s so attentive with the kids and adores them. he’s got lots of tricks up his sleeve to keep them entertained

of course, he owns it when one kid asks if he’s your boyfriend and proudly tells them yes, he is, (even if he’s not) and answers any other questions they have even if you’re embarrassed

now, the kids look forward to seeing him and expect him everytime

Beel

he’s very chill and almost finds it enjoyable, mostly there to keep you from losing your mind

when the kids eventually decide the food they picked out wasn’t what they wanted, and instead whatever he’s eating, he’s more than happy to share with them. after, they’re you’re flesh and blood, so they’re his family too

of course he’s their jungle gym and he takes turns tossing them in the air, and giving piggy back rides

he’s not quite sure how to respond to all of their questions, but as long as you’re alright with it, he’ll answer honestly

Belphie

as a youngest himself, he’s overwhelmed. is this what he’s like?

the kids won’t let him sneak away to nap, because they’re hyper aware of everything and will catch him

honestly, he’s more annoyed than anything, but he might take a liking to a few and spend all his time with them. he feels like he’s being attacked by all the questions

he’s a lot nicer to you after that, since he realized that’s your life, and he only got a small taste of it

#obey me #obey me! #obey me x reader #obey me satan #obey me asmo #obey me beel #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me levi #obey me belphie #omswd #obey me shall we date #obey me! shall we date #obey me! shall we date? #obey me asmodeus #obey me leviathan #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for being in a music duo behind my friend's back?

<3 <3 <3 (So I can recognise it) I (18M) have this friend I'll call A I really appreciate (19Gender Complicated) and we've both wanted to be in a band forever. I can sing, but I've never been in a band before. This friend wants to write lyrics and maybe play keyboard. I like writing lyrics, but I figured he could do keyboard, I could sing, and writing could be collaborative. I gave him my keyboard to learn on but I don't think he's touched it due to pathological demand avoidance, which I get.

I have this other friend I'll call B (18M) who can play guitar and drums and is pretty good. He wants to be in a duo with me partly because fun, partly because art, and partly because he needs any extra money we might get from busking or gigs. I'm super down, and the band me and A tried to start just never really worked out so I was super excited. We've written a couple songs and it's been amazing! Our flaws as musicians really balance out, as I've never been good at the chords and instrument of things, and B doesn't sing or write lyrics.

But I feel like I have to keep it a secret from A. A has been feeling left out of the friendgroup at large for a few months now. Because I'm the closest to him out of our friendgroup, he sometimes blames me for not inviting him to hangouts with the others, even when I'm a guest at someone else's house and don't control the guest list. It's like, a whole thing. I know that if I try to tell A about my duo with B it will NOT go well. A will take it as a rejection, and me leaving him out again. But truely, I want to make music with both B and A, it's just things with A never got off the ground and things with B are. B and A aren't super close and probably wouldn't want to all be in a band together for several reasons that don't matter much to the ask past explaining why I don't just make a band with both of them.

AITA for being in a duo with B behind A's back? I really don't want to hurt A, but I don't know how to tell him and realistically I can't hide my duo with B forever.

#aita #am i the asshole

[starcanwrecked-confessions]

“wishing Paul had more of a reaction to Alice” anon, hello !!

it’s not outright or super obvious, but Paul is upset about it!! i have overanalyzed Not Your Seed to hell and back, for writing reasons & just for fun, so i have a lot of thoughts about it !!

the number is primarily about Alice & Bill’s relationship, and after the scene, things have to move quickly just for pacing, but I spent a few of my watches focusing on Paul, and i love Jon’s background acting so much

of course a lot of this comes from filling in blanks with your own hcs, views or interpretations, but this one’s mine:

Paul spends most of the beginning of Not Your Seed focused on getting him and Bill out of there before they get infected too. He looks scared when he looks at Alice, but because she’s an alien, not because Alice is dead. I think at this point, he’s distancing himself, putting up this barrier and telling himself (and Bill) that this isn’t Alice, because she’s singing and dancing and she is a threat.

But then the bridge happens !!

The spotlight falls on Alice, Bill is slightly illuminated but not upfront because this is an emotional thing for Alice (or, Not-Alice). You can see Paul holding himself as he backs out of the light, like he’s trying to comfort himself.

This is the big moment, right? “Why does it hurt to love you?” This is a huge moment, what real, human Alice has probably been thinking for years since the divorce. Even thought they’re being manipulated by this alien hivemind, those are real thoughts and feelings from Alice herself.

So then the lights come back up, and Bill at this point is numb. You can see it in his face, in the way he’s halfheartedly moving, the fact that he’s no longer trying to get Alice to break out of it. He knows his daughter is dead, he knows it’s his fault, he knows he’s let her down far too many times, and he can’t do it anymore.

Paul though. He is gripping his arms when the lights come back up, and he is visibly upset now. He stands next to Bill and they both step back as infected!Alice and the other two approach them, singing, and if you look at Paul, you can see how upset he is.

[This small part here is my favourite part of his acting in this number]

HE LEANS DOWN !! Paul is stepping away from her, but he looks into singing Alice’s eyes and leans down, like he’s looking for her !! He’s trying to see Alice, through this fucked up infection !!

He’s processed now that that was Bill’s daughter. That was Alice.

That was the little girl he used to babysit who would make him watch disney movies. That was the preteen who was moody and took advantage of his & Bill’s willingness to make her happy and not upset her. That was the teenager who still texted him sometimes, just to check in. He knew her. He cared about her. And now she was actually gone.

The bridge helped him realize that, & that’s why it’s probably my favourite part of the song (putting aside my personal relation to the lyrics), it is SO impactful, to the audience and the story. It makes it so, to Paul, instead of just to the plot, that is another person Paul has lost because of this.

It is unfortunate that you have to look so closely for these hints, but hey, Bill tries to kill himself afterwards, then dies, and then Paul gets knocked out by the fuckin military, so it makes sense, especially for an under 2 hours long musical. An upside though, is that looking so closely to notice these things gives you so much more appreciation for the wonderful actors and their talent !!

~~~

#confession #starkid #hatchetfield #tgwdlm

[lonelystczennie]

Dating San Headcanons

San x Plus Size Reader

Summary: Headcanons for boyfriend San with a plus size S/o

Warnings: suggestive, mentions of body insecurities,

A/N: Thanks to @bethanysnow for this request! I hope you like it! I had so much fun writing this, I wanna make lists for the rest of the members(and for Skz as well, bc the brainrot is so real rn)!

Masterlist

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

He is like the perfect definition of "boyfriend material".

Like, he’s such a gentleman, always treating you with the utmost much care and gentleness as if you are made out of glass.

He’s soo shy when you first get together, but he quickly becomes a giant teddy bear once you get more comfortable with each other, cuddling/clinging to you every chance he gets. He is always attached to you in some shape or form, hugging you from behind and following you around the house as you’re trying to get things done.

Lowkey little spoon vibes, but with those long ass limbs, it takes a bit of maneuvering for him to fit. He loves when you hold him tho, he feels so safe and comforted in your arms.

He loves kissing you, stealing little pecks every chance he can. When you have more time though, he loves leaving slow, teasing kisses along your lips and face that make you impatient and lean in for more.

Not quite the best cook, but he still tries anyway, bc he likes doing things for you.

Loves buying you little gifts to surprise you with. It could be anything, clothes, jewelry, plushies, or just your favorite drink. If it makes you smile, he’s buying it.

He is just so soft and nurturing, always ready and willing to listen to your problems and worries and offer advice where he can. He wants you to know that he’s always there for you and that you can rely on him.

Doesn’t quite understand when you first explain your body insecurities to him, bc he thinks you’re absolutely gorgeous, but he does his best to reassure you and make sure that you feel as comfortable around him as possible.

Does little things like making sure that there are hoodies and clothes in his closet that fit you, but he never says anything about it.

Makes a point to check in with you extra on days when he knows you’re not feeling great about yourself, and will drop everything to be with you if you need him.

He won’t tolerate you talking/treating yourself badly though. He’s lowkey really protective over you and will not tolerate anyone or anything making you feel uncomfortable or bad about yourself, and that includes your own mind.

Words of affirmation are a major love language for him, so he basically becomes your personal hype man. He’s always calling you some variant of “pretty girl/boy/baby”, beautiful, or gorgeous.

He understands tho that it takes a lot more than just kisses and sweet words to get over personal body issues, but that doesn’t stop him from making the effort to remind you of how beautiful he thinks you are, inside and out.

He’s very big on body worship in bed, kissing and caressing every inch of you that he can reach, whispering praises into your skin. He loves the way you trust him enough to fully let go and fall apart under his touch.

He is an ass man through and through, argue with the wall. Like, he's absolutely obsessed with your ass and thighs. They're just so lush and soft and so perfect for him to squeeze and knead in his hands, he can't get enough of them.

His favorite place to be in the whole world is between your thighs, whether you’re just innocently cuddling or doing other, less innocent things😏.

Gets v sulky and pouty when you don’t pay attention to him, even if it’s just for a few minutes. He always tries his best to give you his full attention whenever you’re together, making a point to even put his phone on do not disturb sometimes, and he expects the same from you.

Overall, he’s just a super sweet and reassuring partner, and I love him v much. Imma go cry now, bye✌

#ateez headcanons #san x reader #san x y/n #san headcanons #choi san x y/n #choi san x reader #san x plus size reader #ateez x plus size reader #ateez x y/n #ateez x reader #san fluff #choi san fluff #lonelystczennie

[silverstarfics]

I was so determined to write something for this week’s @thunder-pride bingo square that I literally wrote this fic while having a minor allergic reaction on a plane - in other words there are definitely mistakes in this but please pretend not to notice them oops. Anyway, this is a longer fic than I'd usually post on here, so I recommend reading it on AO3 but I know some people prefer Tumblr, so here we are :))

AO3 link

Stray glitter itched under his left eye, his flag kept getting snagged on his baldric, and he could feel sweat prickling at the base of his spine despite the temperature regulator in his suit, yet Alan had never felt more comfortable in his own skin. His cheeks physically ached from so much smiling. He didn’t think he’d stopped grinning since he’d landed Tracy One on American soil two hours earlier – and no, that wasn’t just because he’d been reunited with his boyfriend. They hadn’t intended to spend practically three months apart – which had been a difficult adjustment after sharing an apartment for the past year – but the end of Alan’s semester meant he was officially back on the IR roster for the summer… just as a busy spell of rescues struck.

Technically, he was here on Official International Rescue Business: representing them at one of the world’s largest Pride parades. Usually, Gordon would have played the role, dressed up in yellow, pink and blue with an unholy amount of glittery body spray decorating not only his skin but his uniform. This year, Alan had taken up the reins. He secretly suspected his family had conspired to give him some downtime – because summer break was supposed to be restful, especially when you were an overachiever who’d decided to double major – and a chance to hang out with Brandon. He’d been instructed to have fun. Literally, Scott had texted him so.

Scotty: Have fun and enjoy your chance to be a dumb 20-year-old.

Scotty: Not too much fun though. You’re representing IR.

Alan had replied: so, on a scale from John to Gordon how much fun can I have?

Scotty: My level of fun only minus the daredevil risks.

Scotty: Just don’t get arrested, that’s all I ask.

“Coming to you from the Pride event of the year,” a loud voice declared dangerously close to Alan’s ear, jolting him out of his thoughts, “I’m here with a bi icon AKA my boyfriend-”

“Really?” he interrupted. “That’s how you’re introducing me?”

“Oh my god, fine.” Brandon hooked an arm around Alan’s neck and dragged him within view of the camera. “I’m here with International Rescue’s one and only Alan Tracy.”

“Better,” Alan accepted, trying to repress the urge to sneeze as Brandon’s flag drifted across his face. “Are you filming or livestreaming right now?”

“Filming,” Brandon assured him. “I’ll edit stuff out later, so you can relax.”

Alan flung his arms out to let his own flag billow in the light breeze. “Oh, I am so relaxed.”

Brandon, on the other hand, looked set to launch into orbit. He’d downed nearly a litre of soda since he’d met Alan at the airport and had chased it down with cotton candy and churros; he still had cinnamon dust on his face and it looked like extra freckles. The sugar rush had hit him around the same time as his adrenaline spike when music had begun to blare from speakers up-and-down the parade. He’d already had several fans come up to him for selfies and signatures which had only added to his energy levels. Even now, he was bouncing on the spot.

“Brand,” Alan tried to hiss, then raised his voice to be heard above the clamour of music and chatter and the swell of live instruments around them. “Brandon, dude, chill.”

“I am so frickin’ chill,” Brandon announced gleefully. He grabbed Alan’s hand and laced their fingers together, rising onto his toes – he hadn’t stopped complaining since Alan had hit the growth spurt that had placed him above Gordon and Virgil – to pull him into a kiss. “See? Chill.”

“Uh huh,” Alan deadpanned. “Super chill.” He frowned at the taste of sugar. “Did you find more candy? Where? And how? I swear you haven’t left my side.”

Brandon levelled the camera with a conspiratorial look. “All geniuses have their ways.”

“I’m cutting you off.” Alan reconsidered his words. “Ew, gross. You’re making me sound responsible.”

Brandon flicked his red baldric. “I feel like responsibility and IR are a joint package.”

“You’ve seen my astroboard stunts.”

“Good point.”

The parade began with an explosion of colour that reminded Alan of the infamous occasion when Gordon had accidentally upended Virgil’s palette mid-painting session. International Rescue had been assigned to the group of NGO floats, so he wasn’t expecting many people to point him out from the crowd. Maybe he’d gotten too used to his life on campus; after the initial buzz, no one cared that The Alan Tracy of International Rescue was a part of their ranks. But to his surprise, there were easily hundreds of people cheering and waving banners directed at him – or at IR or at his family: at least two signs asked for Kayo’s phone number – as the procession marched through the streets. Brandon captured everything on camera, including Alan’s shellshocked expression which prompted several internet comparisons with various memes.

“Hey, hey, Alan, look up.” Brandon cupped Alan’s face, tilting his head to glimpse the livestream of the parade on the giant screens above them. “Better smile, dude!”

“Oh my god.” Alan’s voice pitched into a humiliating squeak. He cleared his throat and fixed a grin on his face as the cameras stayed on him. “Okay, so this- this is a thing that’s happening. Cool. Cool, cool, cool.”

“Breathe,” Brandon teased. He raised their linked hands into the air, prompting another chorus of cheers from the crowd. “People love us! And they really love you, so quit freaking out.”

“I am not freaking out,” Alan protested, then proceeded to do exactly that as a weight crashed into his legs from his right. He staggered and caught his balance against Brandon’s shoulder.

“Woah,” Brandon mumbled, switching off the vlog. “Hey, lil dude. Where’d you come from?”

If the fact that Brandon had turned off the camera weren’t warning enough, his sudden change in pitch from overexcited delight to soft concern would have informed Alan that the new limpet clinging to him was definitely child shaped. He glanced down to glimpse a mop of tawny hair and an adoring, toothy smile. The kid had to be around eleven, certainly no older than twelve, with rainbow face-paint and a shirt emblazoned with Thunderbird Three.

“Hey,” Alan greeted, struck by the baffled urge to laugh. He knelt down to place himself at the kid’s level – honestly, his new height just kept causing problems. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Leo.” The kid – Leo, Alan mentally corrected himself – rocked on his heels as his grin grew impossibly wider. “Sorry for… you know. Running at you and jumping onto the float and stuff. But I really wanted to say hi, ‘cos you’re, like, super cool and you’re kind of my hero, so, um, yeah.”

Brandon leaned down over Alan’s shoulder to whisper teasingly, “Aw.”

Alan elbowed him. “Shut up.” He turned back to Leo. “That’s awesome, buddy! It’s great to meet you. Are you here with someone? I don’t want them to think you’ve gone missing.”

Leo gave an emphatic nod. “My mom.” He pointed in the vague direction of the crowd. “She’s out there somewhere.”

“Oh, boy,” Brandon whistled. “I know where this is going.”

Alan tousled Leo’s hair, then stood back up. “So, I’m thinking…”

“…We should search for the kid’s mom?” Brandon concluded with a fond eyeroll. “Yeah, okay.”

After a brief discussion with the other representatives on the float, Alan made his excuses, then clambered down with Leo perched on his shoulders and Brandon close behind them. The kid kept chattering, hands anchored in Alan’s hair and his heels drumming against Alan’s chest; it brought back treasured childhood memories of the times Alan had sat on Scott’s shoulders as his brother picked paths through crowds. He was aware of Brandon sneaking photos of their silhouettes to send to the family, all dressed up in sparkles and flags and IR blues.

Leo’s mom looked suitably ruffled. Her face was flushed with a mixture of humiliation and horror beneath the shimmery sheen of glitter spray. She fretted her hands in the hem of her t-shirt – pale blue with a supportive motherly caption that made both Alan and Brandon look away – as she began to utter so many apologies that they tripped over one another.

“I am so, so sorry.” She caught Leo’s eye with a warning stare. “He didn’t mean to disturb you. I only took my eyes off him for a second- Leo, have you apologised? Say sorry right this instant. I can’t apologise enough. Thank you so much for bringing him back. It’s just that you’re his hero, you see. He’s been obsessed with the Thunderbirds since he was only so high-” She gestured at her hip. “-and when you came out… Well, you’ve been a healthy role model for him. His hero, really, and- And I should stop rambling and let you get back to the parade. Leo, get down here.”

Alan crouched down to let Leo clamber from his shoulders. He wasn’t sure how to act in the face of such praise – the word hero was tossed around frequently by civilians but it was usually addressed towards elder brothers and on rescues, not a public setting – so settled for some terrible pun outta Gordon’s handbook and laughed nervously while Brandon rolled his eyes.

“Don’t worry about it.” Alan offered Leo a fist bump which the kid readily returned. “He’s been no trouble.” He feigned a serious tone. “I have an important question though: which is the best Thunderbird?”

“One,” Brandon declared and instinctively jumped outta reach before Alan could kick his shins.

Leo wrinkled his nose. “Three, duh.”

“Correct answer.” Alan patted him on the head. “I just had to check.” He grinned at Leo’s wide-eyed, starstruck expression. The kid kept looking at him as if he were a dragon, although perhaps a unicorn would be a better comparison given the rainbows painted onto his baldric. “Maybe don’t run off without telling your mom next time though, okay?” He lowered his voice to a secretive whisper. “I think you scared her. You might want to say sorry.”

Leo’s face fell. “Sorry, Mom. I wasn’t thinking…”

“Clearly,” she replied dryly. “But I think we can let it slide just this once.” She straightened up, craning her neck slightly to meet Alan’s gaze – and nope, he still wasn’t used to that one, it was so weird, how did Scott and John live like this? “It’s his first Pride.”

“Oh, heck yeah,” Brandon cut in. He held up a hand. “High five, lil dude! That’s awesome!”

Leo met his high five with a resounding smack. Alan observed their interaction, fully aware that he probably had the heart-eyes that he’d been accused of on so many occasions by nosy siblings, but hey, whatever, sue him, it was a cute sight. He tugged absently at the edges of his flag as warm affection spread outwards from his chest. Cameras clicked around him as people filmed – hey, it’s the guy from International Rescue – but somehow it didn’t bother him anymore.

“Really,” he continued, forcing himself to turn back to Leo’s mom. “Leo’s a good kid. You should be proud of him. I got super overexcited at my first Pride too. It can be kind of overwhelming.”

She gave a light laugh. “It’s all he’s talked about for the last three months.” She lowered her gaze, voice softening as she hesitated, then confessed, “He was scared to come out to me. I don’t know how I ever gave him that impression – Lord knows I kick myself every day for making my baby think I wouldn’t accept him – but when you came out… He said that if you could be brave enough to tell the world, he could be brave enough to tell his mama. So, thank you, Alan. Truly.”

And-

Wow.

Okay. That was… a lot.

“You’re so emotional,” Brandon teased, prodding Alan’s bicep. “This is why Goose says you have golden retriever energy, dude.” He skimmed his thumb over Alan’s palm, a swift, inconspicuous show of support. “We should probably get back to the parade, but it was awesome to meet you.”

“Of course.” Leo’s mom snagged her son’s shirt. “Say goodbye, Leo.”

“Bye,” Leo chirped, then threw his arms around Alan’s middle. “Thanks for… everything.”

Alan let Brandon lead him through the crowd to a café. They found a quiet corner at the very back, tucked away in a shadowy alcove beside a potted plant and an old Pacman machine. Brandon briefly vanished, then returned with a glass of water and a chocolate chip cookie. He slid both across the table to Alan, then waited expectantly, all wide eyes and furrowed brow.

“Thanks,” Alan replied after a minute. He took a sip of the water, then drained it in one as he realised how dry his mouth had become. “I don’t know why that threw me so much. Like, it was a really nice thing, so why am I…?” He held up a shaky hand. “…you know?”

“’Cos it’s a big deal,” Brandon said quietly. He bumped his sneaker against Alan’s beneath the table. “You’re allowed to be rattled by it, Al. It’s a good thing, but it’s still a lot. Like, I can still remember the first time one of my viewers told me I’d inspired them. I’m pretty sure I threw up afterwards, so you’re doing better than me. Then again, I was like fifteen, so…”

Alan split the cookie. “Want some?”

“It’s like you don’t even know me,” Brandon sighed, grinning as he snatched up half. “Let’s chill here for a few minutes, then we’ll head back out, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Leo was right, you know?”

“What d’you mean?”

Brandon’s smile was the soft, secretive kind, usually reserved for places without the threat of cameras. Alan had gotten to see it almost daily since they’d moved in together when he’d started at MIT, but it still left him mildly breathless.

“You’re a good role model to a bunch of kids like him.”

Alan ducked his head. “You think so?”

“I know so,” Brandon corrected. “Now eat your cookie so we can get back out there.”

Much, much later, after they’d flown back to the island and washed off most of the glitter, Alan had chance to process everything. It made him happy but also nervous at the same time. Like, woah, he was someone’s role model? Kids considered him to be their hero? That was wild. He said as much, airing his thoughts aloud while Virgil clattered around the kitchen and Scott picked at the bowl of chopped pineapple that was intended for the evening’s pizzas.

“It’s just so weird,” Alan continued, drawing his legs up to sit cross-legged on the bar stool. He’d changed into sweatpants and a hoodie that he was pretty sure he’d stolen from John at some point after his sixteenth and had subsequently grown into. There was still glitter caked onto his cheek despite the fact that he’d attacked it with a makeup wipe. “Like, me? I still feel like a kid.”

“You’re Scott’s twenty-year-old child,” Gordon joked as he sidled through the patio doors and made a beeline for the pineapple. “He’s never gonna see you as an adult. Trust me, I’d know.”

“I’m not that bad,” Scott protested half-heartedly.

Gordon patted him on the back. “Smotherhen.”

“Irresponsible guppy.”

“And I wear that title with pride.” Gordon dropped onto the stool beside Alan. “Speaking of pride, how was it? Brandon didn’t give me any of the good gossip. I need details, Allie-gator.”

Alan frowned. “Did you torture my boyfriend? Is that why I haven’t seen him all evening?”

“Nah, that’s ‘cos Penny abducted him. They’re conspiring. We should both be scared.” Gordon tossed a cube of pineapple into his mouth and shot Virgil an innocent smile when his brother heaved a grand sigh and stared pointedly at the pizza bases. “Anyway. Pride. Details. Go.”

“A little kid said Alan was his role model, so Al’s spiralling,” Kayo summarised from her perch on the opposite counter, nursing something strongly alcoholic. “Now you’re all caught up.”

“Aw.” Gordon propped his chin in his hands. “That’s kind of adorable.”

“That’s what I said,” Virgil interjected. He prodded at the bowl of cake batter in his hands, then reached for a baking tray. “Do I leave this as vanilla or add cocoa powder?”

“Add chocolate.” Alan dropped his head onto the counter with a groan. “It’s weird though. I feel… like a fraud, I guess. I don’t have my life together. I survive on pizza pockets and Red Bull.”

Scott glanced up. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Only during finals. I’m mostly a functional adult the rest of the time.”

John’s hologram blinked into life above the projector. “Before you spiral any further, you should know that the internet loves you. Footage of the parade has ended up online. You’ve not just inspired one kid, but a lot of people.”

Alan tossed his hands up. “How is that supposed to make me feel any better? That’s so much more pressure.” He slumped onto the counter. “I just… You guys were my role models, right? And you did a pretty good job-”

“Thanks,” Gordon said, just as Kayo added, “Everyone apart from Gordon did a good job.”

“-so, I’m really happy to be inspiring people but also I don’t want to mess up.”

A contemplative silence settled over the kitchen.

“You’re not going to mess up,” Scott said after a moment. He slid the pineapple out of Gordon’s reach, then moved to stand beside Alan’s seat. “Hey, look at me for a second?” He placed his hands on Alan’s shoulders and offered him a reassuring smile. “All you need to do is keep being yourself. Try your best, stand up for your beliefs, and you’ll do just fine, Allie. Besides…” He tousled Alan’s hair. “You’ve been our hero for just as long as we’ve been yours.”

“Gordon’s not included in that,” Kayo called. Gordon made a crude gesture in her direction. She flung an arm at him. “See? He’s just not role model material.”

Scott ignored them. “You’re doing great, Al. I’m proud of you.”

Alan swallowed the lump of emotion in his throat, then asked, “Can I make a Pride joke?”

Scott sank onto a bar stool beside him and dropped his head onto the counter. “Wake me up when the pizza or the cake is ready, I can’t cope with the terrible puns that are about to happen.”

“Oh, but Scotty,” Alan began.

Gordon let out a wild laugh. “This is gonna be so much fun.”

#thunderpride #thunderpride 2024 #thunderbirds are go

[strwbrryeyes]

Hiii, I love your writing sm, idk if you're taking asks rn so if you're not im so sorry 😭😭 BUTTT if you are can you Nishinoya Headcanons for female reader who is taller than him like by 6-7 inches and she plays volleyball too and he's got a huuugeee crush on her?

𖦹°｡⋆ Nishinoya having a crush on a taller girl

⟡ cw: sad noya :(, taller reader, tiny bits of angst, lmk if i missed anything

⟡ an: bahhh kind of shorter than i would like but i hope this is good enough im bad at these kind of headcanons so im sorry if it isn't what you wanted exactly</3

Nishinoya has been utterly in love you ever since he watched the girls volleyball team practice.

You and Nishinoya were put in the same class your second year of highschool but never really talked until you came up to him after watching the boys volleyball team play against aoba johsai in a practice match. He was elated that such a pretty girl was talking to him, let alone complimenting him, but he was even more happy and excited when you invited him to come watch your practice.

From then on, Nishinoya has never let his own team know peace because he was always gushing over you and your amazing volleyball skills

“You should have seen the way she spiked the ball! It was like Hinata’s spike but better!” He would exclaim causing a whine from Hinata who was clearly offended.

He would also make it a point to come to any practice he could make it to as his schedule with volleyball was just as busy with yours.

“Nishinoya! You’re here a again!” You ran up to him with only one of your volleyball shoes on and the other on your hand making him laugh a bit before he nodded and handed you a sports drink.

“Yeah! I had so much fun watching you all play the other day that I thought I could stop by again whenever I can!” He explains, smiling as you take a sip of the energy drink.

After a while, you started watching his practices whenever you could as well as going to any big games he had which only made him melt because it just meant he got to show off how super cool he was.

“Oh! [name]! Did you need something?” Nishinoya runs to you as soon as he sees you walk through the gymnasium door.

“Nope! Just thought I’d come by and watch you practice as a sort of returning the favor type deal since you come and support me so often” You softly say before you remember something and open your backpack to take out the protein bar and sports drink you brought for him making the butterflies in his stomach flutter like crazy.

Nishinoya genuinely thought he had a chance with you and was talking to Tanaka about how he was going to finally make a move on you and properly ask you out but that was all shattered when Tsukishima overheard them and chuckled saying “You really think [name] is going to go out with someone who is shorter than her?”

“Bro, don’t listen to him, you know how Tsukishima is.” Tanaka tries to reassure him but Nishinoya just shakes his head and sighs.

“No, he’s right this time.” Nishinoya drops to the floor and lays down to look at the ceiling “she would never go out with someone who is like what, 6? 7? Inches shorter than her? I have to face it, I have no chance with her.”

Nishinoya then distanced himself from you because he didn’t want to face the fact you could never like someone like him. However, this didn’t go unnoticed by you.

You hadn’t had a chance tot alk to Nishinoya in a few days and at first you thought it was just because he was busy so you didn’t think too much of it until one day school was let out early meaning there were no after school activities so you thought of this as you chance to go talk to him.

You had found him at his locker getting ready to leave, Tanaka next to him. As you walked closer, you could see Tanaka look at you then back at Nishinoya to tell him you were coming making him turn his head a little to see you but quickly walked away once he realized you were actually coming his way leaving Tanaka alone and disappointed and leaving yourself confused and a little hurt.

“Hey Tanaka…” You greet the wing spiker before looking over his shoulder before you continue “Is Nishinoya mad at me? Did I do something wrong? He hasn’t walked to me in days.” you pout with your eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“He’s not mad at you, [name].” Tanaka puts his hand on you shoulder as he sighs “Noya just- he’s just in his head about something but it isn’t my place to tell you about what just try to talk to him? Please?” Tanaka says and asks making you nod in response before he walks away.

You think about what Tanaka says and become determined to talk Nishinoya even more than before so one day at lunch time, you quietly follow Nishinoya to the rooftop where you found out he’s been going since he stopped talking to you. Once you reached the rooftop, you watched as he went to where he would look over the school’s courtyard from the holes of the wired fence and took this as your chance to corner him.

“Why are you ignoring me?” You blurt out making Nishinoya jump out of terror and shock.

Once calmed a bit, Nishinoya turns to look at you, up at you and he sighs before going back to looking at the rooftop view. “I’m not ignoring you.” He says flatly hoping its enough for you to leave him alone but of course, it isn’t enough and you grab his shoulder to force him to look at you.

“Yes you are! Everytime I call out for you you run away or say you’re busy!” you shout with a slight pain in your voice but after a second you take a deep breath and regain your composure “Tanaka said something’s been bugging you but he wouldn’t tell me what it was and considering that you’ve been distant, I guess it has to do with me. So spill.”

Nishinoya looks into your eyes, thinking of what to say but nothing is coming to mind leaving you both in dead silence with only the distant sound of laughter and chatter of students enjoying their lunch.

A minute passes and you sigh and look at the ground before turning to look back at Nishinoya’s face. “Okay fine. You don’t want to talk to me? Then don’t. I’m leaving.” you say as you grab your bag that at some point fell on the ground and turn to walk away but are stopped when you feel a hand on your arm.

“I like you, [name]. I have since the moment I first saw you play volleyball.” Nishinoya starts as he pulls you closer to him, making you look at him again. “And everyday since, I have fallen harder for you. Whenever you automatically take a sip of the drink I bring you, everytime you come give me snacks at my practice, when you hit my head to wake me up when im sleeping in class. I am always finding more things to love about you but it hurts. It hurts knowing you’ll never feel the same way about me.” Nishinoya croaks out his feelings, leaving you shocked and speechless. Nishinoya waits for a reply but when he doesn’t get one, he lets go of your arm and sighs “So yeah, forgive me if I want to distance myself from you before I get hurt by you not liking me back.”

“Who said I didn’t like you back?” You finally say, a serious tone taking over.

It was now Nishinoya’s turn to be shocked. “You like me back?” he asks and you nod in response. “But I’m shorter than you how could you like me ba-”

“What does you being shorter than me have to do with any of this?” you interrupt his rambling with a look of genuine confusion and all Nishinoya can do is blush.

“Well, I don’t know really it’s just that Tsukishima said that someone like you would never go out with a shorter guy.” he looks down in embarrassment as he explains what Tsukishima had told him.

“That tall blondie? Now why would you ever listen him?” you ask Nishinoya and all he can do is shrug and you just shake your head before pulling Nishinoya in for a quick hug before looking at him again “I don’t care how tall you are, if you're shorter than me or taller than me. I like you for who you are. Your personality is one of the brightest ones I have ever seen. Your dedication to volleyball is amazing and I admire how you play on the court all the time. Everything about you is perfect, Nishinoya. Nothing can change my mind. Not you, not Tsukishima, not anyone.” You tell Nishinoya all the things you love about him and you can see his face get a little redder. “So does that mean you’ll go on a date with me?” he finally asks (more like blurts) causing you to giggle before grabbing his hand and nodding.

“I would love to go on a date with you, Noya.” you accept his invitation and then smirk “but first let’s go tell Tsukishima that he was stupid and that you’re all I could ask for.” you suggest going to look for the person slash reason Noya didn’t talk to you and ask you out sooner and he agrees and jumps in joy because he finally has the girl of his dreams.

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu x reader fluff #haikyuu x reader angst #haikyuu angst #nishinoya x reader fluff #nishinoya yuu fluff #nishinoya x reader #nishinoya yuu x reader #nishinoya x reader angst

[severussnapeconfessions]

funny scenario where Severus is cool with some Slytherins in their 7th year so , he catches the student smoking weed outside of the building near the whomping willow tree and joins them (keep in mind this is his first time getting really high).

It was a Hogsmeade visiting day. Hogwarts had only a few students remaining, either those who did not get authorized to go, or those like Severus, who simply wanted to enjoy the castle and it's grounds with some peace.

Late in the afternoon right before dinner Severus decides to wander nearby the whomping willow. That place was intriguing, and he did not fully erase his memories of it yet. Slowly, he wanted to make peace with the tree and understand it's behaviour.

Until he realized he wasn't alone. There was a sound that did not quite belong in nature, and Severus quickly recognizes it as muffled laughter. He disillusioned himself and approached, following the sound. His prefect badge would come in handy, he was sure of it. There was a group of 3 slytherins, two boys and a blond girl, sitting near the base of the tree, almost entering an alcove that sunk into the ground. They were looking quite relaxed and seemed to be passing between themselves some sort of rolled tobacco, that provoked bouts of laughter after inhalation.

Smirking at the sight, Severus removed the incantation, wand at the ready, pointing at them in case they got startled.

"30 points from Slytherin, and I wish you were Hufflepuffs." - he said smoothly

The group froze momentarily, exchanged looks with each other, and to Severus dismay, they began to cackle loudly. He knew them well and he always thought they missed a synapsis or two once in a while.

"Are you out of your mind?" - Severus asked, confused and lowering his wand. There was no way any of them would move from their spot, nevermind reaching out for their wands.

"We are a bit... everywhere..." the girl said, grinning at him

Severus eyed them disdainfully, but curiosity hit him as a bludger.

"What in Merlin's name is that? Acids?" - he asked

"No mate, just weed. Wanna try?" - asked one of the boys

"What are the effects?". Curiosity was getting the better of him.

"Everyone reacts differently. Sio has been laughing at her socks for an hour." Explained a boy

Severus looked at the girl, Siobhan, and saw that her socks were in her hands. She was making her very own Muppet Show.

"I can smell the colours too" she added

"Yes, Francesco here thinks the clouds in the sky are just pigeons glued together and everytime a cloud passes over us he protects himself to avoid the pigeon shit"

Severus snorted, amused

"What about you, Murr ?" He asked, seeing that the boy was not as affected as his mates

"It calms my nerves and quells my anxiety. I have panic attacks quite frequently and weed helps me to deal with it. But I take it slow and in small quantities so I am not smelling colours or avoiding pigeons" he said, winking at him, taking another puff and offering it to Severus.

Still not fully trusting his actions but relaxing somehow , Severus crouched down to sit at their level, propped himself half sitting next to Murr who was still himself and took the blunt from his fingers.

"Go slow if you haven't tried it yet." He advised.

"How do I know what 'slow' is?' Severus asked.

"You'll find out. Go on, before we have to light it again."

Severus rolled the unfamiliar shape between his index and thumb, studying it for a second, and pressed the butt of it to his lips.

"Inhale through your mouth, exhale through your nose" the boy instructed.

Severus did. Smoking was unfamiliar to him, so instantly he felt the smoke everywhere and began to cough.

"Fuck-" he cursed between coughs. The other two were laughing hysterically.

"That was too fast. Try again but inhale slowly" Murr advised, chuckling

Slowly, he dared another try. The smoke was directed to the right places this time, and he exhaled slowly through his nose, thick fumes coming from his nostrils and some from his half closed mouth.

He returned the joint to Murr and looked at the sky.

"I don't see pigeons." He said simply.

"You have to believe it. You are not a believer." Said Francesco.

He stood quiet for a while, accepting the rolled balm when offered, embracing the relaxation that was slowly starting to soothe his nerves. He realised that he was practically always on edge and anxious, nervous about something. And for a moment he simply felt nothing. He played with the grass between his fingers, and continued to look at the sky.

"I think we're almost out of it by now. It's time to go back to the castle. Come on guys." said Murr, motioning the rest to get up.

Siobhan got confused with her socks on her hands and cartwheeled away from the tree, laughing madly.

Francesco covered his head with his robes, muttering "Fucking pigeon shit" under his breath.

Murr was looking rather calm and peaceful.

"Severus, are you coming?" he asked, offering his hand.

For the first time, Severus took his eyes away from the sky and looked at Murr, perplexed.

"Is it possible to remember something that hasn't happened yet?" he contemplated, looking dreamily at Murr, who barked a loud laugh and dissolved into a fitm clearly amused.

"Oh you're the existential crisis kind. I will make sure to invite you for the next session, Sev."

Finite.

#severus snape #snape confessions #i have never tried weed #so i dont know if this is remotely correct #but i tried and it was super fun to write this #thank you for asking !

[teethkid67]

PAYDAY

aka a valentine for the lovely @itsnotmystic / @corvids-calling - fanart for stars fic of the same name, which you can read here !!! i really enjoyed this concept and wanted to do some art for it :3 hope you like it because i REALLY loved your work & i hope this shows that !!! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY !!!!

this is also a loose love-letter to the wonderful @arginnit 's crazy background-drawing-ability and style/skill at portraying environments . wadds your stuff is insane and i love it

happy @mcyt-valentines exchange !!!!

#mcyt-valentines #things i make #c!wilbur #wilbur soot #wilbur soot fanart #dsmp wilbur #blah blah blah WHO CARES. I LOVE YOUR WRITING #i read your little um um superhero slash las nevadas Theft fic as well it was so fun :3 #AND I okay maybe this is creepy idk i backscrolled ur blog to hell and back lmfao #UR PAINTING OF TECHNOS CABIN IS SO SWEET AND CALM AND PRETTY i was originally going to do something with ctechno but the art just wouldnt c #come to me #i did get one (1) ctechno design/doodle out of it though its my most recent post before this one in my things i make tag #idk i hope youre having a good day you seem super cool and. ya #AND TO WADDS. idk i love your art so much . i think about some of your pieces literally all the time #your um. backrooms drawing with tommy & charlie & ranboo i love the warped perspective i tried to reflect that in this #your painting style anddddd yeah. your composition your everything its so good #happy valentines dayyyy

[cepheusgalaxy]

@clickerflight @whump-art-exchange

Image ID: An ink drawing of Kolt, naked, from the whump series Fallen. He is bruised and looks away as the chain attached to his collar is tugged. He is inside what appears to be a cell, with multiple eyes on the walls watching him intensely. /end ID.

Ok, so, I tried to do this like two times and it took me a while to lay the sketch. I had an idea for what to do--i went to give the series a shot, once i noticed this buddy here is a part of one so i could get better context--and so the idea i had was for making something from his villain days! It appears that Kolt as a villain was very intriguing (at least for me) but I couldn't make a sketch I was satisfied with, so I decided to go more whumpy! I remember a part where Kolt is in his recovery and he remembers when multiple people were watching and mocking him....couldn't get this over my head. Overall, I haven't finished it yet, but Fallen is a great series! They write it so well!

Art taglist:

@for-the-love-of-angst

#whump_art_exchange_2024 #my art #described #others ocs #whump #whump art #fanart #<- yea i became a fan #pal your writing rocks #hehehe the photo was good #managed to take some good shots #natural daylight is the best i tell ya #tw bruises #tw partial nudity #man at first i had like the hardest time figuring this out #i first tried to translate his design to my style but it wouldn't get good y'know #managed to in the end #but didn't rlly matter lmao #had a hard time figuring his facee #and hair #but now. theres a ref from when he's in captivity and his hair was significantly longer #like this #so i used that #also i tried this new shading method which is like so fucking super fun #bruising him up was fun #ty clickerfight for giving me the opportunity to draw him! #im rooting for ivan rn (ive already picked favorites) #but boy how this lil man is special #😌 #what a whumpee

[notoneglance]

So today I found out through this amazing art post by @sonomomoyi​ that the episode 15 notes included this bit:

Translation:

Momoi Tarou/Ahh Momoi Tarou/Momoi Tarou..... --Sonoi, A Haiku of the Heart (a forgery)

Which is insane and I am losing my mind!!

See, because that poem is a reference to an actual poem by famous haiku poet: Matsuo Basho, you may have heard of him.

So this is like the most well known Japanese poet of all times, right? And even when he was alive, he was super revered and respected for his poetry. He traveled around Japan and wrote poems based off the places he went and the sights that he saw.

But when he went to Matsushima, he was so stunned by its beauty that all he could write was, “Matsushima/Ahh Matsushima/Matsushima’

(Actually, double checking this with google, apparently this story isn’t actually true, but it is the story that is in the Japanese cultural consciousness which is all that really matters when it comes to references)

WHICH IS PRETTY GAY OF SONOI TO REFERENCE THE ‘STRUCK SPEECHLESS BY BEAUTY POEM’ IN REGARDS TO MOMOI AND THEN TITLE IT ‘A HAIKU OF THE HEART’

Especially considering that ‘Momoi Tarou’ does not really fit the 5 mora count lol

#i mean it's close enough and i've seen other poets fudge it a little when it comes to long vs short vowels but whatever #this poem is also referenced when jirou tries to come up with a haiku to impress saruhara #fun fact: the reason i know this story is because when my mom was in school she had to write a haiku about winter #and one of her classmates wrote 'winter break/ahh winter break/winter break' pff #donbrothers #momoi tarou #sonoi #my post #sonomomo #super sentai

[yououghtaknow]

genuinely kind of terrified as to what will happen to me when i see bare live in three (three!!!!!!!!) days. i will either go fully insane or transcend mortality or perhaps both. either way i will most likely end up full weeping.

#going to see bare with my mother will be on par with seeing deh with her in regards to our [gestures vaguely] relationship #we will hold hands. we will cry. we will have emotionally intense conversations on the walk back to the hotel. #but guys. i genuinely tried to listen to a clip of just an instrumental from the show and teared up. #bare is just. Such a big part of who i am. i literally wouldn't be anything like i am today without it and the people it brought me. #and i laugh and joke but this is Such a full circle moment for tvp nation. #like i am currently about to self-produce a workshop of my play that has professional theatre companies interested. #and all of that started from writing a silly little show about bare when i was 14 to make cool people online laugh. #and since then the plot of bare (peter's version) Has Happened To Me Twice but i have been so so brave about it #i haven't listened to the full soundtrack since last year and i've been going cold turkey in Anticipation #i just Know my ***** is going to have the most insane reactions on it. #god. it's so crazy to me. what if you were gay and catholic and an angsty pop rock punk opera teen and you grew up to be happy. #anyways. in my feels. going to have lunch and listen to bway breakdown before class. #BECAUSE I GO TO A CLASS NOW!!! EXCITING!!! it's for writing and marketing stuff :) which is super helpful and fun #anyways haven't done a tumblr rant in a while. miss you guys in my phone <3 if you're reading this i love you forever mwah

[cloud-somersault]

Sorry, I just feel like the prose should have a personality 🤷

#im sure everyone's like “wtf do you mean” #and i mean like....the introspection. the descriptions. they should have personality too #like..idk maybe back the character into all aspects of your writing #do you notice how he always describes things beautifully?? #so that when you switch perspectives it's apparent #when you read constellations do you notice how Wukong always pays attention to the weather and the elements? #i lean into that when im writing him because i believe Wukong learned to appreciate beauty on the journey #and he tries to see it no matter where he is #this will become more clear when the epilogue is out. because Macaque is not that way #he focuses more on expressions and voice #anyway i wrote this post bc im reading a book that has super dry prose #like... where is the personality #where's the fun???? not here LMAO #sorry for misspelling im on mobile 😭

[sonicstorybook]

The King’s Champion

A SatBK AU where Shadow is the one sent to Camelot and Sonic is the doppelgänger- the one and only King Arthur!

Chapter 1/2

Summary: Arthur the Hedgehog pulled the legendary sword Caliburn from the stone, and he became King Arthur, the ruler of Camelot. Shadow the Hedgehog appears in a flash of magic in the middle of his banquet hall, and he becomes Arthur’s problem. As the sun rises over the kingdom, a pre-dawn conversation between both hedgehogs also helps them reach... well, not quite a mutual understanding, but progress is progress! 

(Shadow doesn’t know where he is, what’s going on, or why he’s there- but it doesn’t matter. He’s Shadow the Hedgehog, the world’s ultimate life form, and he’s going to play this weird game by his rules.)

Contains: Pre-relationship/platonic Arthadow (Arthur the Hedgehog x Shadow the Hedgehog)! 

Rating: G

Word count:   4,289

Note: Dedicated to my pal Smash ( @teamxdark ), whose fantastic Arthadow stories have been living in my head rent free until I finally had to try my hand at their dynamic. Hope this helps scratch your Arthadow itch. <3 

And a very special thank you to my good friend Essy ( @messedupessysonicsheit​ ) whose encouragement, enthusiasm, and marvelous ideas helped give this AU life! C: Thank you for being forcibly recruited as my beta reader, lol!

-----

‘Be careful what you wish for, Arthur, because you just might get it!’

Sir Ector had told him that so many times as a child when he complained of all his tedious chores and boring lessons. Arthur would much rather dream of adventure and glory as a knight, powerful and brave and noble! Back then he was always running, always rushing to get to this point in time.

Sir Ector was right, of course. His foster father was right about many things, it turned out. Who knew that a normal human being could understand the heart of a blue hedgehog so accurately?

Strange. How strange that he should think of childhood dreams and idle wishes now, making his way up the winding staircase to the tallest tower.. and his guest.

Arthur takes the steps two at a time, impatient to get to the top where he knows Shadow the Hedgehog is brooding.

Probably. It’s difficult to anticipate what the stranger is doing since he is completely unpredictable.

It had been an omen that this Shadow had appeared in a whirlwind of strange magic, materializing out of thin air like a ghost. And like a ghost, he had disappeared just as quickly, dislocating Lamorak’s shoulder and bloodying Sir Hector de Maris’ nose in his haste to get away.

For two weeks, this hedgehog with Lancelot’s face and his frantic energy had wandered throughout the kingdom, lost and confused and very clearly looking for something. While a bit careless with his strength, and very destructive, their strange guest only lashed out when provoked or cornered. (Which was probably why this Shadow favored the castle towers so much. No walls or ceilings to trap him. This was one of Arthur’s favorite places to run away from his duties, too.)

None of his knights had been able to bring Shadow the Hedgehog back, neither by strength of arms or skill of speech. It wasn’t until Camelot’s king himself sought him out, bested him in a duel and coaxed with gentle words did the mighty warrior finally agree to come to court.

(Arthur still isn’t sure how he was the one who managed to connect with this Shadow the Hedgehog. Gawain has the strength of ten men and Percival a patient, silver tongue. Shadow shows a clear disdain for authority and doesn’t seem particularly impressed with Arthur’s laurels, so what? What is it? Is it because they’re both hedgehogs?)

The cloak on his shoulders feels heavy and itchy, and how he longs to take it off- but he does not. Arthur pushes the trap door open, and finds Shadow the Hedgehog on the embrasure. He’s sitting on one of the raised rocks that circle the tower like a crown, one knee pulled against his chest. The other dangles over the side of the wall.

“Hello, Shadow the Hedgehog,” Arthur calls out, adjusting his cloak around his neck to protect from the early morning chill. He kicks the trap door closed behind him, and makes his way to the stone next to the other hedgehog, using it as an armrest as he looks into the gloom of the pre-dawn.

The darkness of night slowly recede as the first spot of distant orange light starts to peek over the tree line, dark purples and blues bathing the emerging silhouettes of the castle town. Shadow’s profile is barely illuminated by the growing light, but his red eyes glimmer with an unnatural light of their own.

“How did you sleep?” Arthur tries again when Shadow doesn’t respond, tilting his head thoughtfully, “Your quarters were comfortable, I presume?”

“What do you want?” Shadow asks brusquely, eyeing him with a guarded suspicion. In cheerful temperament, particularly so early in the morning, Shadow and Lancelot are perfectly matched. (Shadow’s own fault- Arthur had a perfectly decent guest room prepared for him, and his strange visitor hadn’t stepped one foot inside!)

“I want to know how my guest is enjoying my hospitality,” Arthur answers back just as dryly, “And if he needs anything. Clean towels, perhaps?”

“I’m fine,” Shadow looks back to the sky, but his attention is on the straggling stars that are disappearing in the growing morning light. He looks so very lost like that, searching for something he can’t seem to find.

“Are you?” Arthur asks quietly, but just as he anticipated, that snaps Shadow out of his pensive mood, “You don’t act like you’re fine.”

“Don’t you have a kingdom to run?” Shadow fixes him with a fearsome scowl, quills bristling in annoyance.

“Run where?” Arthur grins with a shrug, turning so his elbows are leaning against the stone nonchalantly, “I think it’s doing pretty good here. Where would do better? On the banks of the Misty lake? In the depths of the Crystal Cave?”

Shadow doesn’t look the least but amused with his teasing, frown somehow deepening, “Ugh. Surely there must be something more important you should be doing than bothering me.”

That comment hits a tender part of his heart Arthur had long forgotten, when he was half this size and went by the epithet ‘Wart’ instead. Perhaps not much has changed during that time. Perhaps he’s still just an annoying little boy trying to be what he is not.

“...I suppose there are other matters that need my attention,” Arthur concedes after a long moment, remembering himself and slipping back into his more poised and measured royal voice, “But it is also true that a good king cares for his people.”

Kings had to look forward, not back. He gives Shadow a pleasant but bland smile, focusing on the here and now,  “And a great king extends that hospitality to all his subjects, and all the visitors to his lands. I apologize if I have disturbed you.”

Shadow opens his mouth to argue, a strange emotion flashing in his eyes, there and gone like a bolt of lightning- but he doesn’t do or say anything. He just crosses his arms over his chest and glowers at the forest in the distance, “...Whatever.”

The first rays of the sun are just starting to peek over the horizon, pinks and oranges stretching out across the pale blue sky. It bathes his kingdom with a warm, almost magical glow.

It has been a long time since Arthur has taken the time to see the sunrise. He enjoys the stillness of the sleepy morning. In another hour or so, his kingdom will be bustling and awake, bringing new problems for him to solve. But for now, it’s serene. Calm.

“The sun rises on yet another day, and as the kingdom wakes and goes about its duties, so too must its king,” Arthur pushes off the stone and clasps his hands behind his back, projecting the calm confidence his people have come to expect from him.

“If you are feeling more sociable today, breakfast will be served in the banquet hall. We would be most delighted to enjoy your company, if you are willing to grant it,” Arthur has learned to be careful with his word choice and tone, since it carries much more power than he realizes. An invitation could be read as an undeniable request, and a request a threat.

“Tch. Yeah, right,” Shadow scoffs, mouth twisting into a grimace as he rolls his eyes. Clearly not an issue with this Shadow the Hedgehog, “Just leave me alone.”

Such a remark could have been interpreted as treasonous if Arthur was a less patient man. (As it turns out, this flippant disregard for his position is delightful, making Arthur feel more like a person than a figurehead, for once. Even Kay’s barbed teasing and affectionate insults had lost their bite the moment Arthur the Hedgehog became King Arthur of Logres.) Arthur allows himself a small smile.

“And so you shall be!” Arthur shrugs, forgetting himself for a moment, “Enjoy acting like a gargoyle! You’ve got the fearsome scowl down perfectly.”

Shadow’s eyes flicker to him briefly, but he doesn’t respond

“If you should need anything, ask me directly, please. My knights are proud, and they won’t forget or forgive that they lost to an unarmed and unknighted knave-“

“I'm only going to say this once,“ Shadow crosses one leg over the other as turns to give Arthur his full attention, “I’m not a knave or a churl or a boor or whatever strange terms you guys insist on using. I’m a hedgehog. Only a hedgehog.”

“That’s not what that means-“ Arthur starts to try to explain, but Shadow cuts him off.

“I don’t care.” Shadow tosses his head imperiously, “Whoever calls me anything but hedgehog is going to get a kick to the head.”

They stand in silence a moment longer, watching the sky continue to lighten.

“I’ll pass along your message, but I can’t promise my knights won’t try to use this knowledge to challenge you,” Arthur turns and starts walking to the door, waving a hand over his shoulder, “Well then. Good day to you-“

Just as Arthur is about to go back inside, Shadow speaks up.

“Wait.”

Arthur pauses, ear swiveling backwards before he turns to face Shadow again

“I have... a question,” Shadow says slowly and carefully, crossing his arms over his chest. There’s a tension to his shoulders that looks like wariness, almost like he’s bracing himself for a negative reaction. “Tell me the truth.”

Arthur has long learned to keep his facial expressions bland and approachable, never giving too much of his inner thoughts away- but he feels his heart beat faster. It feels like Shadow is about to ask for a boon, and this one probably isn’t as simple as granting him a year-long apprenticeship with Kay in the kitchens or the company of one of his knights on a quest.

Arthur isn’t sure he’ll be able to give this stranger what he’s going to ask for.

“Ask freely, sir,” Arthur chooses each word deliberately, carefully, used to this verbal dance. He taps his foot against the stones at his feet, trying to rid himself of nervous energy, “You have my word that, should I not know, my knights will venture forth to seek whatever answers may be available.”

Encompassing enough the petitioner feels like they are being listened to but narrow enough to be feasible.

“Am I... Lancelot?”

“Huh?” Arthur is not usually at a loss for words, but all he can do is stare. He picks at his ear discreetly, certain he must have misheard, “Um. I fear the wind carried off your words before I could hear them-“

“Am I Lancelot?” Shadow repeats, annoyed, turning to face him with a defensive hunch to his shoulders.

“I don’t know,” Arthur answers honestly, like he promised, crossing his arms over his chest as he scrutinizes Shadow head to toe, “Let me see.”

Though physically very similar, there are a few small but significant differences.

Shadow’s fur is short and sleek, and there are no scars visible anywhere on his body, certainly none over his eye. The divide between his red and black fur is precise, like it was stitched together by a tailor’s skilled hand. It’s nothing like the wild, asymmetrical streaks of red enchantment on Lancelot. They both have strong, proud shoulders, but Shadow’s have a sag of doubt to them. For all his faults, for all sins, Lancelot has never doubted the convictions of his heart and soul. (Arthur hopes he never sees the day his dear friend’s shoulders carry the heaviness of weary regret like that. He misses Lancelot dearly, wishing him well wherever his latest quest has taken him.)

“No,” Arthur answers at last, nodding definitively, “You aren’t Lancelot.”

Shadow doesn’t acknowledge his answer, and he doesn’t look back at him or move. When Arthur is just about to repeat himself, however, Shadow asks quietly, “How do you know?”

What a strange question! Intrigued, Arthur decides the castle can spare him for a little longer. He sits next to Shadow, dangling his legs over the side of the embrasure like the unusual hedgehog. It’s exhilarating, sending a warm thrill to Arthur’s soul that he didn’t even know he craved. Shadow tenses next to him, but does not move.

“Well, for one, Lancelot would never wake up this early,” Arthur answers, lightheartedly, kicking his feet pensively, “Lancelot is sleep’s favorite knight, and when he is in her embrace, she is reluctant to give him back to the world of the wakeful.”

“What are you talking about?” Shadow looks at him like he grew another head, tone confused and angry. (Shadow seems to be angry a lot.) “What does any of that mean!?”

Impatient, impatient! Shadow and Lancelot share that in common, too. Arthur laughs despite himself, shrugging airily with a mischievous wink, “It means he’s a heavy sleeper and would never get up to see a sunrise. It also means I'll give you a better answer if you ask a better question.”

Shadow looks slightly taken aback, something flashing through those vivid red eyes of his. It’s gone just as quickly. His eyes are like storm clouds, Arthur thinks distantly, never calm even when he’s still.

“You say you’re King Arthur,” there’s a hint of a sneer to Shadow’s tone, like he’s stating the obvious, “You should know exactly who your best knight is.”

“I do know Lancelot,” Arthur concedes, amused by this challenge, “I know Lancelot well! He’s a good friend and an even better knight! “The way he moves on the battlefield is captivating! He’s so fast it’s like he’s not even moving!”

He takes great pleasure in watching Lancelot fight, gesturing with his hands as he gets swept up in the story, “Just appearing and disappearing like- like lightning! He’s got such a reputation that most knights are afraid to challenge him directly- with good reason!- so he disguises himself to get a fair fight!”

Arthur sighs in dreamy acknowledgement, wishing his place was on the field instead of the throne, too, “He is truly worthy of the title of ultimate knight.”

“Hmm,” Shadow manages to make a wordless grunt sound derisive, looking incredibly unimpressed, “That’s not useful at all.”

“Like I said- if you ask better questions, I’ll give you better answers,” Arthur arches a quizzical brow in Shadow’s direction, matching the other hedgehog’s condescension, “I am not privy to the thoughts in Lancelot’s head or the emotions in Lancelot’s breast, save those he chooses to share with me.”

Shadow‘s scowl deepens, “I don’t have time for your riddles, hedgehog.”

“Riddles, Huh?” Arthur leans on the stone to his side, looking up at the sky as he feels the sun warm his back. There’s a pang of longing for his wild, old mentor, who disappeared from his life as quickly as he came. Poor Merlina has some very big shoes to fill… If Merlin was truly gone.

It’s possible and entirely probable the wizard was responsible for Shadow’s sudden arrival, and would be by to check on him eventually… if Merlin realized whatever he was trying to do worked. Or didn’t work. It was always very difficult to tell with wizards.

“Anyway!” Shaking his head free of thoughts of Merlin, Arthur gestures to the well-groomed patch of fur on Shadow’s chest, “You are in a better position to judge if the heart that beats in your chest is also that of Sir Lancelot of the Lake.”

Shadow doesn’t look satisfied with that answer, glowering at the landscape below again. He doesn’t say anything back.

“You asked for my opinion and I gave it to you. You are not Lancelot,” Arthur repeats, confused, “Does this answer trouble you?”

“What? No, of course not, don’t be ridiculous” Shadow says it quickly, more like he’s trying to convince himself than Arthur. He shakes his head as if dislodging his doubts, “It doesn’t matter. Nevermind.”

Shadow swings his legs back up to stand on the lower stone, crouching down to look at the ground below. He looks like he’s trying to calculate the distance- Surely this hedgehog isn’t mad or desperate enough to throw himself down?!

“Wait, stop! I’ve got a question for you, too!” Arthur interrupts Shadow’s thoughts loudly, sincerely concerned this stranger is about to hurl himself off the tower. He moves towards the center of the tower, away from the edge in the hopes Shadow will unconsciously follow him. (Shadow does not.) “Why the change of heart?”

As hoped, Shadow is distracted and back looks up, “Huh? What do you mean?”

“You were very clear in asserting yourself as ‘Shadow the Hedgehog the world’s Ultímate Lifeform’ when you first arrived in my castle’s halls. You were insulted at the idea that you would be compared and mistaken for another! Absolutely adamant that you were not Lancelot.”

Arthur pauses briefly for a moment, waiting for a reaction, but Shadow doesn’t give him one. Not very emotive, this fellow. “If you were so sure you arrived here as Shadow the Hedgehog, the ultimate life form, why do you think you’ve become Sir Lancelot of the Lake?”

He doesn’t think Shadow is going to answer him. The other hedgehog clenches his hand into a fist, tight enough it looks painful, before finally responding, “Everyone has been calling me Lancelot.”

It’s said softly, like an admission of guilt, but it seems innocuous enough.

“You bear a striking resemblance to him. Does this trouble you?” Arthur prompts gently, not sure what to make of this... revelation? It seems very minor and insignificant, but it’s obviously important to Shadow.

“They seem sure that I am Lancelot,” Shadow continues, crossing his arms over his chest looking up to the sky like he may find answers or comfort among the clouds.

They? Who’s they?

“And… their conviction outweighs your own?” Arthur continues, tapping his chin thoughtfully, only pausing when Shadow fixes him with an offended glare.

“No,“ Shadow snarls like it’s pressing on a tender wound, gesturing impatiently at the scenery, “It's the environment that matches their conviction.”

“I see,” Arthur agrees even though he really doesn’t understand what Shadow is talking about. Is he trying to say he comes from a world devoid of forests and magic and castles and lakes? How dreadful!

“It all has the right physical properties and endurance,” Shadow continues almost like he’s distracted, suddenly kicking at the arrow slit under his previous seat. The thick, solid rock breaks under the force of his sabaton, the entire left side of the opening falling to the ground with a thud. Shadow picks it up like it weighs nothing, chucking it over the edge of the tower. They both watch the rock plummet to the ground until it is nothing but a small dot shattering into hundreds of smaller specks, “Everything follows the laws of physics.”

“Hm,” Arthur gives a noncommittal grunt as he runs his hand against the now much bigger hole, impressed at Shadow’s strength. He might even have Gawain working up a sweat!

“Water corrodes metal at the same rate. Plants die if they are snapped in half,” Shadow moves so he’s standing again, still uncomfortably close to the edge, “Things that are broken or damaged remain that way until they are repaired or replaced.”

Although Arthur still doesn’t quite understand Shadow’s monologue, something clicks.

“Is that what you’ve been doing since you came here?” He asks, thinking back to the reports of the half-mad hedgehog doing nonsensical things with a frightening intensity and ferocious strength. Apparently there was a purpose to his carving varying lines on the trees in the forest, leaving an assortment of strange items in a pool of water and examining them days later, and interrogating the locals on the present and near past. “Conducting tests?”

“Of course,” Shadow looks at him oddly, as though the question is inconceivable, “Why else?”

Arthur knows a verbal trap when he sees one, even the inadvertent ones, and he sidesteps graciously, “Why play such coy guessing games when the truth is easily obtained from the one in front of me?”

“Hm,” Shadow doesn’t look convinced but strangely enough, he doesn’t argue. There’s a weird tension in Shadow’s shoulders again, but why would ‘truth’ elicit such a reaction?

Arthur moves on, “And what have you determined, friend?”

“Physical sensations and wants don’t change my perception of this world, and there are too many details that go beyond my frame of reference, so it’s unlikely it’s a dream.”

“...Physical wants?” These remarks trouble Arthur greatly, scrutinizing Shadow more closely. There’s no bags under his eyes and his fur looks healthy enough, but... “When’s the last time you slept? Are you hungry?”

Shadow rubs at the back of his neck with a sigh, not listening or choosing not to reply, mostly talking to himself at this point, “I may be back in stasis, but that’s always been dreamless... unless my memory is being tampered with again. But that’s a delicate and complicated procedure, and certainly wouldn’t be wasted on something this meaningless-“

“It’s not meaningless! And I would ask you to never refer to my kingdom as such again, Shadow the Hedgehog,” Arthur interrupts sternly, using the commanding tone he has mastered but is still loath to use.

Shadow looks up sharply like he is broken from a trance, blinking at Arthur owlishly like he doesn’t understand the outrage. The king gentles his tone as he gestures to the castle grounds, “Camelot is the dreams of peace and brotherhood made real. My knights, my people, and all our forefathers have made tremendous Efforts and suffered many sacrifices to bring it to fruition.”

He makes eye contact, every word spoken with conviction, “Even if this dream only lasts a moment, it was worth it. Even if the impact is as fleeting as the sands of time, it was good.”

Arthur puts his hand over his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart, “I am proud of what we’ve accomplished and what we will accomplish. And no matter how treacherous the path, even if my heart shatters into a thousand pieces and the bitterest tears wet my cheeks at the closing, I will never regret any of it.”

“...”

Shadow doesn’t look away. He looks at Arthur as if seeing him in a new light.

“I understand. That is your conviction, and I respect it,” Shadow gives what Arthur supposes is an apology and acknowledgement, although it isn’t either. Arthur is a proud man, too, and the lack of a clear repentance grates on him-

“Thank you, Arthur,” Shadow closes his eyes as if in thought, and for a brief moment, he looks like he’s at peace, “You reminded me of something important I had almost forgotten.”

Shadow smiles. It’s a beautiful thing, small but genuine, like sunlight peeking through dreary storm clouds, “Even If my memories and environment are artificial, I’m still me. I’m Shadow.”

He opens his eyes again, looking determined, “And I will do what I must to keep the promise I made. Wherever I am.”

Just like that, Arthur’s irritation is quickly overtaken by a bloom of warmth in his chest. Shadow is terse and cold, but his soul is noble and his heart is devoted. He may not be Lancelot, but Shadow has the makings of a fine knight. He will undoubtedly achieve great things, too, and Arthur hopes he’ll be able to at least hear about them.

Arthur knows that he’ll break the serene spell Shadow is under if he speaks. He wants to savor this moment, commit it to memory forever- but he can’t help himself. As impulsive as when he took that weathered sword out of a rock, Arthur blurts out, “You have a beautiful smile, Shadow the Hedgehog.”

“...Hmph,” Shadow frowns at him disdainfully, although there’s no heat in his scowl. It seems primarily for effect, like Shadow’s not sure how else he’s supposed to respond to a compliment like that. What a strange man, unable to apologize or accept a compliment!

“I hope this will not be the last time I am acquainted with it,” Arthur tells him sincerely, noting but not commenting on how Shadow’s ears twitch, “It suits you.”

“Yeah, well, don’t hold your breath,” Shadow tries to sound annoyed but it comes out amused. Unfortunately the frown makes a comeback rather quickly as Shadow crosses his arms over his chest. Ah Well. The sun has already risen enough that the telltale hustle and bustle of the morning is coming from the courtyard, even if it’s very faint at this height. He’s spent too long away from his duties already.

“Join me for breakfast!” Arthur offers Shadow his arm, but the other hedgehog looks at his arm then at him blankly, like he doesn’t understand the gesture. Perhaps they don’t do that where Shadow is from? “Follow me. It’s a bit of a walk, perfect for building up an appetite-“

“Walk?“ Shadow repeats incredulously, looking somewhat disturbed by the notion, “You?“

“My legs work just as well as yours, Shadow the Hedgehog,” Insulted, again, Arthur crosses his arms over his chest, arching a brow disdainfully, “Would you prefer I request a litter to carry me like I was grievously ill? Perhaps call up two of my strongest knights to parade me around on their shoulders like an infant?”

The blue hedgehog shakes his head incredulously, tapping his thigh as if to demonstrate its physicality, “I got here on my own two feet, and I’ll leave here the same way!“

Arthur has an incredibly childish urge to stick his tongue out at Shadow that he is barely able to resist, “Unless you are volunteering to carry me down yourself, then I intend to use them!”

“Fine,” Shadow doesn’t back down from his challenge, gaze steady as he holds his hand out, palm up, “I’ll do it. Come here.”

#satbk #sonic and the black knight #satbk au #satbkified #satbk king arthur #shadow the hedgehog #writing #fanfic #shipping #arthadow #sonic the hedgehog #sonadow #this was very fun and very indulgent and shadow is super grumpy lmao he's so surly and arthur tries so hard ahaha #super happy with this au hope y'all like it too!!! C: #the little banner took me forever they are tiny but its lineless and has so much paiinstaking detail lol but i'm really happy with it!!!! #kings champion au #why is it called the kings champion au roo? *smeagol voice* you'll see you'll see!!!!!! C: #rook mispelled my own name SIGH #anyway i hope u like it smash <3 pt 2 coming eventually ahaha

[thevillainsfangirl]

Stans who try to turn sadistic, cruel, violent, deranged characters into Poor traumatized little beans who were abused and/or never actually wanted to do those things when canon literally says otherwise are actually just so fucking BORING.

Not only are they delusional, but they’re also just so fucking boring. Like... why the fuck do they want them to be a totally different character? These are stans, not fans; they don’t actually like that character, they like some 100% AU version of them to project on. (Or to thirst over, but they’re so delusional that they believe liking a fictional villain disrupts their real life morals, so they have to make them into someone entirely different. 🙄)

#This was basically the 'Joker' movie but thankfully I don't see many people acting like this with J in general. #ethan landry #amber freeman #stu macher #quinn bailey #billy loomis #harley quinn #patrick hockstetter #slashers #(Just the slasher community as a whole. 😒) #I'm not going to go into an entire thesis but: Every single one of these characters I'm tagging CANONICALLY wanted to harm/kill people #and LOVED DOING IT. #Stu and Amber and Ethan are the most sadistic GFs so far. (Aside from super brutal Charlie.) #They all were CLEARLY having the most fun! #And the writers themselves have confirmed that the murders WERE AMBER'S IDEA! Richie didn't make her do shit! #That's honestly such an insult to Amber. I mean it's RICHIE ffs! 😩 #Sure he'd played Samantha like a fiddle but AMBER IS SMARTER THAN SAM! #The girl who started dating some random dude less than a year after her ex tried to kill her! 🥴 #(Okay so maybe I DID write a thesis! 🙃) #rant #text post

[thefanciestborrower]

Yo yo, regarding the prompt thingy. XD I forgot what it was called and I'm on mobile. Anyway, I'd like to see you write something to this-

“Please stop licking me, I’m trying to focus.”

Thank you!!!!!

Keep prospering, peep!!!!

Yo thanks!! Okay okay so I know this was a pred prompt but I just had the funniest idea so whoop here we go-

“Please stop licking me, I’m trying to focus.” James groaned for what felt like the tenth time, pushing Ben’s face away from his arm. “You know I won’t taste like anything to you anyways so cut it out.” 

Ben simply shot back a cheeky grin in response, unfazed by being stared down by an annoyed giant. “Aww, you’re no fun.” He groaned, dramatically flopping against James’s side. “We’ve been working on this for hours and I’m bored! You can’t really expect me to just sit here and be boring can you?”

“We’re not being boring. *I’m* working on a very important presentation and *you* are being annoying.” James quipped back. “I didn’t ask you to come over you know. You just sorta invited yourself, so it’s not my fault you’re bored.” Ben just huffed in annoyance, practically slithering his way into James’s lap and displacing the laptop he’d been using.

James frowned at this, completely unamused by Ben’s antics. Really he should have expected him to get like this, but that didn’t change the fact that it was pretty irritating. Still, Ben wasn’t likely to leave him alone any time soon...unless... With a rather devious little smirk he moved the laptop completely to the side, rolling his eyes as Ben started to twist around to try and lick his arm again. Weirdo. “Okay you know what, fine. Maybe I am a little bored. But lucky for me I’ve got the perfect pick me up sitting right in my lap.” 

Ben stiffened, tongue just barely sticking out of his mouth in that stupid little blep face as he looked up at James. He didn’t remain frozen for long however, and the second Jame’s tongue dragged across his face he started to wiggle and protest. “Wait wait wait! I don’t have my console-“ Too late. His voice was cut off abruptly as his head was unceremoniously stuffed in James’s mouth and promptly squished into his throat with a loud swallow. 

Now normally James preferred to take his time when eating someone, but today it was clear he just wanted Ben down and out of the way. In no time the struggling human’s shoulders, then torso, then hips were gulped down and crammed into James’s flexible stomach, bulging it outwards under his baggy sweater. There was a reason said sweater was one of his favorite things to wear. Finally his teeth clicked shut behind Ben’s feet and with a final swallow Ben was gone. Or...moved to a slightly more convenient location as it were. James sighed happily, rubbing a hand over his stomach as Ben began to squirm inside. 

“You less bored now?” James asked with a contented sigh, licking his lips and reclining a little. 

“Yes!” Came Ben’s muffled response. “You didn’t let me grab my switch first so what am I supposed to do in here now!” 

James shrugged, grabbing his laptop. “I don’t know, but it’s not my problem.” Ignoring the offended spluttering Ben now seemed to be doing James simply plugged in his headphones and went right back to work, contentedly full and free from distractions. 

#it’s super short but hey at least it was fun to write #ending kinda sucks but I was tired of staring at it so whatever #enjoy my homemade blorbos being silly #soft vore #safe vore #half size vore #vore writing #oc vore #ask #luckyshotwrites #they are stupid your honor #Ben was the kid who would lick your hand if you tried to cover their mouth #vore prompt #oc Ben #Oc James