#sum of all our sirens :)

[gizmo-writes]

The Witch | Siren!Wilbur Soot

This is a sorta au from the fanfic Tommyinnit's Clinic for Supervillains. I read this fanfic and absolutely fell in love. So I like wanted to make my own character and she is called 'The Witch' she is based off scarlet witch because i love her. But yeah. Tommyinnit's Clinic for Supervillains was created by @bonesandthebees i highly suggest you read it!

The Witch was a well known supervillain even if she was new. No one knew exactly who or what she was. She was able to control people's minds, was able to make them see things that weren't there and was able to make them do things they didn't exactly want to do.

After getting into a fight with Dream, everyone knew she was bad news. She hadn't exactly defeated Dream, no one had ever defeated Dream. But she was able to make him freak out thinking he was surrounded by a swarm of wasps before getting away. She had made Dream look like a complete fool, he had become the newest meme on the internet. And because of that, she was now Dreams number one target.

She didn't work with the syndicate and as much as they wanted to get in contact with her, they were unable to. She would just disappear into a cloud of red before anyone got the chance to even look at her. And no one knew if that cloud of red was some sort of mind manipulation or if she had some other powers people didn't know about. She was a complete mystery.

That was until The Witch had run into Siren, Zephyrus and Nemesis. They had gotten into a fight with Dream and 404, of course. After everything that happened between Flame and Nemesis, Nemesis had a pretty big target on her back. The Witch wouldn't have stepped in if she hadn't felt the need to. Knife after Knife had been thrown at Siren and even though he wasn't too bad at dodging, he still cut cut right in the arm. Nemesis and Zephyrus had been focused on Dream but it wasn't going to well. As Nemesis was about to use her powers, she was tackled to the ground by Dream. And as Zephyrus had gone to pick Dream up, a knife had gone right into his wing, sending him to the ground. The Witch wouldn't have stepped in, but she felt like she needed too.

As Dream got up, ready to destroy Zephyrus with all of his strength, The Witch stood right in front of him. Dream was about to punch, but his hand was stuck in the air and wasn't moving. He stared at her with anger but The Witch only smirked, "I heard you weren't a big fan of the wasps, how about something different?" She said. And as she stepped back, her magic flowing through her hands in a bright red light. Dream began to panic. "What the fuck! What the fuck!" He began to scream, it looked like he was trying to get things off of him. Once again he looked like a fool.

As she was about to turn away, and disappear right into her cloud of red, a knife was thrown. "Watch out!" Siren had yelled but it was too late. The knife had gone right into her neck. She was sure she was a goner. She fell to her knees. She was angry, pissed. She didn't care if she was about to lose the last of her energy, she was going to make 404 pay. With all of her energy, she summed up what looked like a ball of red light before sending it right at 404. One the ball hit him, he was sent into the wall of the nearest building. Siren, Zephyrus and Nemesis stood in silence. She didn't hear anything else before she passed out.

"Come on, Tommy, you can fix this." Siren said, pacing around as he watched Tommy's hands go to The Witches neck. "I'm aware I can fix this but with you hovering over me like a goddamned fly is not helping," Tommy said through gritted teeth. "Siren, calm down." Zephyrus said. "Calm down? Did you see what she was able to do? She's powerful, we could use her on our side." Siren said, looking at Zephyrus. "She did kind of save all of our lives.. the least we could do is save hers even if she doesn't want to work with us." Nemesis said.

Tommy's hands were on The Witches neck. He closed his eyes, focusing his energy on healing the wound. After a few minutes, he stumbled back. His head pounded and his neck hurt like a bitch. It burned like someone had scratched it. "I'll get you water," Nemesis said before walking off. "Thanks," Tommy muttered before leaning back against the counter. "She's not waking up," Siren said. "Give it a few minutes, she was just stabbed in the neck, im not even sure if she can talk." Tommy mumbled. Nemesis came back, handing him a glass of water which he downed within seconds.

"How long should we wait? It's been like 5 minutes," Siren said, growing anxious. "If you're so scared, use your powers. That woke Niki- Nemesis up pretty fast." Tommy said. Siren nodded, "Wake up," Siren said. Immediately her eyes flew open. "Jesus fucking- JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" She yelled, her voice was gravely. She quickly moved back away from the group, her hands started to grow red. "I swear to god if you touch me- I-I will end you," she said, jaw clenched. She was prepared to fight. "No, no, we don't want to fight. We just saved you," Siren said. "Saved me? You saved me?" She asked. Tommy held up his bloody hands, "I got magic fingers." He said. She looked at him, confused but they couldn't see her face. "Did you see my face?" She asked, her hands still glowing red. "No, no absolutely not. We would never do that." Siren said. She stared between all four of them. "Why the hell did you save my life?" She asked. "Well, you saved our lives. If you hadn't shown up, I'm sure Dream would've beaten me to a pulp," Nemesis said. She spoke softly. It confused The Witch, how can a girl with such a soft voice almost have killed someone.

"Okay... can I leave now?" The Witch asked, her hands now turning back to their normal color. "Uh, not quite.. we would like to talk to you," Zephyrus said. "And you probably don't wanna stand up to quickly, you might pass out again." Tommy added. "If you're going to ask me to join The Syndicate.. I'll kindly decline. I don't work well with others." She stated. "You don't work well with others?" Siren asked. "No, I do not. So I will ask again, can i leave?" She asked once more.

In reality.. she worked greatly with others.. she just grew attached to easily. She had learned the hard way to not get attached to people, especially not other supervillains.. because 9 times out of 10 they end up dead. She didn't want to go through that again. "You're free to go.. but before you leave, let me give you our number." Zephyrus said. "Your number? Why?" She asked. "Because, we owe you one. So if you're ever in trouble, give us a call." Zephyrus said. "You owe me one? I think we can call it even. I saved your lives and the child saved my life." She said. "I'm not a child!" Tommy groaned. "Sorry, teenager," she corrected herself with a giggle. Tommy threw his hands up in defeat, "whatever." He said. "Then, we can call it even. But still, we aren't one to turn down a fight." Zephyrus said. "Okay... I guess it could be useful if i need the teenager again." She said. Tommy groaned at that. She stood up slowly, using the wall for support. "Uh, I'll see you guys around," she said awkwardly. "Be safe out there." Zephyrus said. "What? Do you think I plan on being dangerous?" She joked. "We don't exactly know what you plan on doing," Siren chuckled. "Good, the more mysterious, the better," She said. Then once again she disappeared into a cloud of red smoke.

"I'm confused," Tommy said, after The Witch had left. "About?" Wilbur asked as he took off his mask. The coast was clear so he wasn't exactly worried about being himself again. "So.. you said she made Dream see things.. then you said she threw 404 into a wall.. and now she just like teleported out of here.. how many powers does she have?" Tommy asked. The group went silent. That was a great question. "Well.. so far it seems like she has Mind Manipulation, Telekinesis and teleportation.." Phil said. "So.. she's like some super supervillain.." Tommy said. "Or she's a mutant?" Wilbur asked. "A mutant?" Tommy asked. "Mutants don't exist, they're like some fable created by Hero's to scare people about supervillains." Niki said. "So.. maybe she just has some power that includes all of those other powers?" Tommy asked. "Maybe.. but I'm not sure exactly what that could be." Phil said. "Me neither.. I've just never seen someone as powerful as her.." Wilbur said. "Ooo sounds like someone has a crush!" Tommy said, with a laugh. "What? No I don't! I don't even know her!" Wilbur defended himself. "But you want to know her don't you? You wanna take her on a date and kiss her and hug her-" Tommy said. Wilbur cut him off by kicking his leg. "Boys," Phil said sternly making the boys stop. Niki giggled at this. "Sorry, I just don't have a crush on her." Wilbur said, slightly pouting. Tommy continued to make kissy faces at him. The rest of the ride home was filled with Tommy bugging him about his supposed crush on The Witch.

#tommyinnits clinic for supervillains #wilbur soot #wilbur soot x reader #wilbur soot fluff #wilbur soot x y/n #wilbur soot x you #wilbur soot fanfic #wilbur soot angst #wilbur soot fanfiction #wilbur soot blurb #wilbur soot imagine #clinic!wilbur #siren!wilbur

[sheloves-toomuch]

The Spawn and the Siren

Chapter 5: Down by the River

NSFW 18+, explicit content, mentions of violence

Astarion finally orchestrates his plan with the siren, but Zeno was a complication he didn't see coming. This chapter reveals flashbacks to their early meetings, confessions, and game-related plot spoilers. Flashbacks and inner monologue are written in italics.

As the days passed following their surprise encounter with the devil Raphael, it was clear to the others that something within Zenosyne had changed. She spent more time gazing off into the distance absentmindedly, thinking to herself quietly, often unblinking. Her thoughts were perpetually elsewhere, and she seemed always unbound to the present moment. Her face seemed pained now and again as she seemed to sift through her thoughts one by one, as though she were being presented with uncomfortable realizations each time she would retreat into her own mind.

In truth, she was coming to many harrowing realizations by the minute. The company she had kept before she lost her memory spoke volumes to her character. The butler, Sceleritas Vel and his eagerness to please and encourage her bloodthirsty wants- and the sly and scheming Raphael- son of Mephistopheles himself. He was the prince that had haunted her visions within the mirror, and the prince that Ethel had threatened to offer her up to in her magical slumber.

“Copper for your thoughts, Zeno?” Karlach asked finally, trying with careful words to coax Zenosyne out of her silent musings. She poked at the fire where they all sat, encircling the embers that snapped and licked towards the night sky.

Zenosyne inhaled sharply at her own name, and let out a long, deep sigh.

“That devil, Raphael. He was the one Ethel spoke of- the one she said she might get a pretty sum from had she revealed my whereabouts to him… and he seemed very… familiar with me, to say the least when he brought us into his sanctum for a moment there.”

“It’s no question that devils collect souls like trinkets. He clearly has been wanting yours for some time.” Wyll offered up.

“I don’t know if he wants my soul- or if I even have one.” Zenosyne muttered sharply.

“Well, of course you have a soul!” Shadowheart laughed uncomfortably, her eyes darting between Wyll and Zenosyne. Shadowheart’s voice was always sweet to hear- and that put a little tension into Zeno’s mind, although she could never understand why that was. “You may be a rare creature but I don’t see why not.”

Zeno stayed quiet, leaving a heavy silence in the air that held them all captive.

“I killed that bard, didn’t I?” She finally said, and in that moment everyone wished that the silence had remained. An uneasy shift settled across the party. Wyll adjusting his seat by the fire, Lae’zel sitting more upright than before, Astarion’s ears perking up slightly but noticeably. Gale’s brow furrowed at her words, and he was the next to interject into the uneasiness-

“Yes, you did. You’ve slain an innocent in our own camp, but it’s evident that there is something else that’s battling for your soul within your body. I won’t say that I’m altogether comfortable with what happened with Alfira, but it provides some semblance of reassurance to know that you clearly had no intentions of killing her that night.”

Zeno’s mind went wild with all the anxieties of their journey thus far. They were so kind, they were so accepting, so helpful and she hated them for it, in a way. She loved them all and she hated that she had nothing to hate them for. She knew so little about herself, but she did know that she wasn’t good.

“I didn’t just kill her, either. Did I?” Zeno challenged, her chest heaving with warm breath that threatened to bring forth tears. She hadn’t. There was a cloud of evil that covered the camp from that day forward. Alfira’s blood still stained their consciousness. It crept everywhere- visions of her eyeless skull and empty torso seeping into their nightmares. “There’s so much brutality in me. Even in my softness there’s whispers of death.”

“There’s brutality in all of us right now.” Shadowheart said, “We will find out what it is that haunts you.” She encouraged. Did she even believe her own words?

Zeno stood up and rolled her shoulders to ease the tension in her long-hunched body. She let her gaze fall briefly on Astarion- and flashes of memories jumped into her electric mind. The sting of her wounded neck throbbed. She’d been all too generous to help out the vampire who she saw as an understanding equal. Night after night he had made his way over to her tent to quietly drink from her. His small sighs of contentment would leave her quaking whenever he let himself get carried away in his nightly indulgence- but he hadn’t ever gone any further than that. She felt a desire to help him from the moment he had told her he was a monster, like her. Even more so when he had told her he was not afraid of her. She had to show him she was not afraid of him, either.

The confession that he quietly whispered to her the day after he first tasted her blood had left her breathless.

"I've... had this condition for two centuries. But, truth be told... you were my first." He said. His words went from careful and slow to rushed. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, looking away.

"Come now, do you really think I'd believe that after 200 years?" Zeno had teased, certain that he was telling her yet another beautiful lie to leave her mesmerized by him. She was always afraid he was telling her beautiful lies.

"It's true. In all these years I've only ever fed on beasts and... drinking the blood of a thinking creature was never permitted under Cazador."

He spat the name of his former master, the cruel vampire that had sired him into this world of endless night. Zeno had quietly nodded, afraid that she had offended him. The look on his face said that he did not want to share this, but he kept going. In his mind, he was battling with the pull between speaking his haunted truth and the fear that dragged him down at the thought of letting her in. Nobody, not even the other spawn that Cazador had called his family had heard him speak like this.

“I think I’ll go lay in the river.” She said, her hair still damp from the last time she had retreated past the camp to lie in the rushing blue waters by the Emerald Grove. For some time the ground crunched with leaves and grass beneath her sandals as she listened to the call of the rushing waters on the rocks, urging her forward to the loud river she found refuge in. It’s cold, crashing waves shocked her to the core- it kept her mind sharp.

She heard nothing else, though, for as sharp as she was, she couldn’t hear the rogue that was stalking in the shadows. She threw off her shoes, only to hear Astarion clear his throat to politely make his presence known to her before she went any further.

She turned to see him there, emerging from the trees. His white ruffled linen shirt was slightly open, the peaks and valleys of his unnaturally pale chest glowed in the moonlight that danced off the water in a delicate pattern. It gave off a light blue halo of light around him that seemed to illuminate his pallor all too well. All these thoughts were dancing around in her head as he approached with care.

“Evening, siren.” He said sensually. He waited for her response, expecting more from her than the nod he got in reply. Seeing her by the water reminded him of the old book, The Blushing Mermaid. A trashy novel, if there ever was one. It was a favorite among lonely hearts.

Zeno’s thoughts were always haunted by him. He knew she couldn’t hide her excitement whenever he would sit close by, saying something clever to her in hopes of getting her to respond. Sometimes, he even brushed a thumb over the most sensitive skin of her wrist as he passed by her- once, even, gently reaching out to touch the curve of her bare waist as she fell behind the party in their trek. That touch still ghosted over her skin now.

“If you want to be alone, I can go.” He offered.

“No.” She said, pointedly. “Stay. You can jump in if you want.”

She tossed off her skirt, and the weave of beads that remained covering her body. She let her long hair down from it’s perch atop her head to fall in waves at her waist, the deep green curls blending in effortlessly with her surroundings in the night. She stepped into the river, finally. Goosebumps rose over her flesh as she waded in, either from the icy water at night or from the thought that Astarion was right behind her- and she let her siren form manifest once again.

“Is it safe to follow a siren into the river at her behest?” Astarion teased, his eyes darkening at his shameless flirting. Nevertheless, he kicked off his boots while keeping his eyes locked on hers. The ruffles of his shirt soon brushing over his silver curls as he pulled it swiftly over his head.

“Not quite a behest- more of an offer… and for you, it is safe.” She replied with a small smile, barely perceptible.

Her eyes continued to wander now. It was rare to see him like this- as far as she could tell he wasn’t so vulnerable with the others, despite the occasional flirt at Shadowheart now and again. It echoed in her already troubled mind. She had a feeling that she was the object of his interest in this moment, at least.

He walked slowly, carefully over to the spot where she had entered the water, standing ankle deep for a moment. His icy cold skin found the water to be temperate. Yet, the look on his face betrayed his reservations about coming any further.

“Running water is new for you, I know.” She acknowledged, proving to him that she was ever vigilant to his needs. The sunlight and the rushing waters were all a newly bestowed gift to the ancient vampire, thanks to the power of the tadpoles.

“Trust me?” She reached out with a gentle hand that dripped with the glistening diamonds of water.

“I, ah, wouldn’t mind just…” He leaned up against one of the wet boulders, perching one leg up slightly onto it. “Getting used to it slowly. As I admire you in your natural habitat.”

She let her hand fall with clear disappointment, but let him stand there, nonetheless. She tried to busy herself with swimming back and forth, gently diving down now and again beneath the surface- her back followed by the glimmering curve of her elegant tail. The dark green scales blended seamlessly in with her long hair, and with the lapping waves that kissed her skin. Sometimes she would bring something back up with her, laying them on the boulder that Astarion was propped up against, at his feet- as if worshiping his quiet presence with her. She put a shiny, opalescent oyster shell by his feet, and held it closely to his skin.

“That’s your color, I think.” She said, looking up with big, round eyes that he knew spelled trouble. For anyone else, at least. It was the first time that she allowed herself to fully make her feelings known. He knew, of course, already. It was plain to see she was wrapped tightly around his little finger by now.

“Is it really?” He teased, letting her elaborate some more. Instead, he was left waiting for a moment. If it weren’t for his keen and amplified senses he would never have heard the quickening of her pulse- the pace of her heartbeat now matching the hum of the crickets that sang mating calls into the night. But he did hear it, and in that moment he knew that he had won at this game already. He was finally safe with the siren, and her bloodthirsty vigor would protect him just as he had planned. Even with this security, he found himself thinking more about how he wasn’t the only one she coquettishly teased.

She’s a siren, she lures them in. It’s in her nature, he thought, each time she would playfully splash Gale as she washed clothes in the river or reached out to grab Shadowheart’s wrist and pull her under the waves with a light, airy laugh. He remembered one night they had all been camped out by the waters, and she wrapped her arms around Shadowheart from behind- claiming she was chilly and needed warmth. Shadowheart had laughed, obliging her, and they were playfully floating around for some time. It had been then that week he had decided to speak up himself.

“Shadowheart… Such a dark name for such a beautiful flower.” He had said as they were passing through a blighted, empty village.

“Please try not to look so closely at my neck when you say that, Astarion.” She’d replied flippantly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zenosyne look back, and observe their faces- trying to pick up a clue as to what the nature of their little flirt really entailed.

Zenosyne broke his reminiscence in an instant when she took in a gentle breath, and leaned forward to his ankles. She looked at him with those doe-like eyes again, and slowly closing them, she reached her warm lips to the inside of his ankle- a gentle kiss at first along his freezing skin.

Oh, that’s why her heart’s beating so fast. She’s ready to take the next step, he thought.

She let a few feather light kisses trail along his ankle, then, a small nip at the drops of water that fell back into the river from his skin. She lifted her eyes up again, waiting now for him to say something- anything- to give her an idea what was going on in that breathtakingly beautiful head of his. He remained quiet, just as she had. The only thing she could tell was from the way he stared, a coy smile played at his lips as he looked down at her. She sat up a little, pushing her long hair back behind her, out of the way of her bare chest.

She’s making a show of it too, he noted.

“Another offering at your altar, then?” She said, finally, placing the open-faced shell back at his feet. “Would you grace me a little further, tonight, by joining me in the river?”

He chuckled darkly, not because he was playing along anymore- but because he couldn’t help himself any longer. He knew he was handsome- hells, he knew just how alluring he could be thanks to years of perfecting his approach. It was the fact that her words seemed to be of genuine adoration and not the drunken proclamations of love he was used to hearing each night in the city streets that broke his defenses.

She loved him, he thought.

I love him, she thought.

He finally stepped carefully into the waters- his fear of the current still evident despite his attempts at masking his trepidation. She reached out both arms to grab his shoulders, steadying him for a moment before she helped him lower himself in. He let out a long breath that he didn’t know he had been holding.

“That’s it.” She quietly encouraged, just above a whisper. She let her hands trail just over his chest, both palms resting there for some time as he let the new sensations of the river water wash over him. With time, she let them fall and rise- sliding across his skin suggestively as she watched his eyes dart between hers.

“Are you hungry?” She asked.

His eyes widened for a brief moment.

“Very much so.” He whispered, now letting a low grunt escape his lips. He turned his gaze to the already bruised spot on her neck he had grown accustomed to.

She wrapped her tail around his waist, and the flowery thin ends of her fins popped up beside him in the water. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling her warmth. She shivered in the cold water and in his icy touch. Together, they left her trembling.

His feeding on her had always been polite- he never did more than drink from her.

You’re a gods damned fool. You’ve been letting yourself drink from her and now you think you’ll can do this without getting too close? You’re getting too close…

…and with a surprisingly shaky gasp he bit down without hesitation.

You’re getting too close.

He kissed the spot he had bitten, enveloping her in his arms and keeping her quiet. He pulled her in tightly and squeezed her closer as he lapped up her blood. He let the sound of his tongue pierce her ears and his little low sighs of approval sing to her.

You’re getting too close.

He buried his nose into the crook of her neck, and she curled even closer into his tight grasp. Were it anyone else, she would feel so very threatened by his suffocating hold. He kept her from moving a muscle- and she sighed into it.

You’re getting too close.

He quieted the nagging voice in his head by rolling her over onto her back, both of them half submerged in the rushing waters. The slow grind of his hips into hers was hidden under the water- and the way her tail twitched underneath him.

He got his fill and broke his connection with her all at once. He stared down at her eager face- blinking away the drops of water that fell from his silvery locks into her face. She panted, expectantly. He found himself gasping in rhythm with her.

Hells, you’ve really gone and done it now. You’re in too deep. You’ve given too much.

Astarion let his lips crash into hers, finally, the weeks of tension finding respite here and now. He let the metallic taste on his tongue ease into hers, then let it explore with careful precision for the very first time. The siren didn’t seem to know just how to match his passionate kisses. She was at a loss, for once. She melted into him. Her tail melted away, and her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, her knees and legs just breaking the surface of the water they laid in. She let him take the lead- her bold advances suddenly disappearing.

Astarion’s mind reeled,

She probably drowns them before she gets this far. You’re a gods damned fool. Dammit.  

Berating himself mentally over and over again, he let his hands wander lower to her waist as his lips continued to collide in a gentle dance with hers. His eyes finally locked into her gaze and he asked,

“Is this what you want?”

“Yes.” She cried out with no hesitation. “Please. Plea-”

He quieted her calls with his kisses, hungrily seeking more of her until he found himself beyond salvation. The voice that held him back all night was finally quiet- acquiescing to defeat. She was so warm beneath him- not that this was new to him- he always noticed just how warm living bodies were when entangled with his… but never did he get the rush of adrenaline he did in that moment when he finally allowed himself to let go and make love to her. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he was excited at the idea- tantalized by it even.

As her hips reached upwards to meet his- to accept his love and his passion, she whimpered and gasped. The stars were reflected in her wet eyes- and they grasped at each other wherever they could. Their arms and legs were a tangled mess, and she pulled playfully at his wet hair. Her gentle tugs and cries were the motivation, the guidance he needed to explore her body further.

“Oh, my love- I”

Zenosyne cried out louder now, her inability to contain herself any longer was apparent. It had been difficult, for the very first time, to keep his climax at bay.

“Go on-” He whispered, but his voice trembled.

“Go on, siren.” He tried to speak again, regaining his composure and asserting his calm and sweet dominance. He looked deep into her eyes, trying to keep her focus on him alone. “I have you. I won’t let you g-”

“I- I love you!” She screamed, throwing her head back, crying out in ecstasy. Her hips stuttered, and her thighs shook beneath his tight grip. The night sky blended into an ocean of lights as she closed her eyes, letting herself feel every beautiful sensation that she could find in his hasty ministrations.

Her confession was carefully timed- and she knew it would be a risk. She knew she couldn’t just say it at any moment and get away with it. But she wanted him to hear it- and to know that she meant every word she uttered. No kind word she had said to him went unpunished by his casual flippancy, so she cried out in the only way she knew how- by baring her soul naked in front of him and parting the veil that stood between them. She cried it out again-

“I love you!”

I love you.

Each time she said it he faltered. He became dizzy with want and his chest ached with the realization that washed over him. She loved him. She loved him. He couldn’t say it back- not yet. Not even at the height of his untamed pleasure, when he cried her name into her ears like sweet nothings- he couldn’t say it just yet...

They both fell limp onto the ground, still holding on to one another- still joined together intimately. They lay like that for some time, just letting the waters pass them by. Astarion rested his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat. It was racing, racing, until finally it slowed down to a more steady rhythm. His pointed ear twitched beneath her gentle touches, and he found himself sinking into a trance as she hummed a sweet melody. Her face was towards the stars, tracing the colorful clouds of astral dust that swirled in the endless cosmos above. His eyes closed, he pulled her wrist close to his lips and nestled a few chaste kisses to her sensitive skin.

“You don’t have to say it in return, if you can’t.” She whispered. His kisses stopped a moment- and his eyes opened. He didn’t turn to look up at her, but she felt his lashes flutter against her chest.

“I’d wait forever, you know, if that’s what it took.” she said, still gently stroking the shell of his pale ear atop her chest.

Oh what a fool you are, Zeno. He thought to himself, Run away from me, gods, please! Tell me you can’t do this anymore… Tell me you hate me, even… tell me anything but that.

#bg3 astarion #astarion fanfiction #astarion x durge #astarion x tav #astarion x oc #astarion romance #astarion baldurs gate #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate #baldurs gate astarion #baldurs gate fanfiction #astarion

[raayllum]

TDP and Water Symbolism

With Book 5 all but being confirmed as Ocean, it made me want to take a look back at what water represents in the series in general. Most prominently, of course, for Rayla for obvious reasons, but also where and how water symbolism pops up for some other characters, such as Ezran and Callum, scattered throughout the show. 

Water often symbolizes healing and rebirth, rivers with pathways, destiny and drowning (particularly for women, such as Ophelia from Hamlet and the Lady of Shalott) and the Ocean unpredictability, power, chaos, and the depths. The Ocean is also often the site of obsession (Ahab and Moby Dick) as well as desire (siren myths) and the struggle to find your way home (Odysseus). There are some tenets of all of this throughout TDP, but we’ll work our way through as well as discuss the limited specifics of what we know of the Ocean primal from Tales of Xadia and additional information from Callum’s Spellbook. 

Water as Reflection 

Lujanne: This is the Moon Nexus. It reflects the moon perfectly. When the moon is full, its light completely fills the lake.

This is the one that’s most overtly related to Aaravos, perhaps, as well as in line with Ocean and Moon’s direct connection in show. Water/ice reflects, mirrors reflect, and tether the two together. The characters who are most heavily associated with reflection in this manner are Viren and Callum, of course, with Rayla as well, although Claudia, Soren (with his sword), and Ezran (with his father’s sword and eventual crown) have their moments as well. 

Moreover, all of this moments of reflection for Rayla are moments where she feels like she’s failing, or has failed. “I guess I was just afraid of being afraid” / “But you didn’t run. They have it all wrong” “Does it matter?” / “I’m not good enough and I never will be.” While many other characters are tied to reflection as noted above, Rayla (and Ethari and Callum with her) are the only characters we see be reflected by water in this way.

However, there are even more ways water is woven into Rayla’s arc, so let’s talk about it

Water as Fear, Bravery, and Shame 

Rayla’s first test as an assassin takes place in the rain, but she is unable to go through with it. This is a ‘failure’ that haunts her even into season four, perhaps best summed up in how she mirrors Runaan in these conversations from 1x01 and 1x08 respectively. 

Rayla: The human looked up at me and I saw the fear in his eyes. Runaan: Of course he was afraid! But you had a job to do!

Ezran: Yeah, but then you saw he was scared, and you knew he was a person, just like you. Rayla: That shouldn’t have mattered. I had a job to do. 

Rayla’s relationship to fear reaffirms the idea that recognizing personhood - her own or anyone else’s - is also a signifier of weakness (laid out more directly, perhaps, in the S1 novelization), and is incredibly Moonshadow of her: “Moonshadow elves aren’t supposed to show fear, ever.” Which is why Rayla is typically confronted with the water-shame duality when she is trying to either ignore someone else’s personhood, or is having her own erased, best seen with her crossing the river in 1x02 on her way to try and be a proper assassin.

Which is why 1x05 is when the shift between what she’s supposed to be - an assassin - and who she truly is - a hero starts to transform water as only a weakness to a showcasing of bravery.

C: That was brave, Rayla. R: No, I already told you, I’m afraid of water. C: I know. That’s why doing what you did was so heroic. R: Oh... Thanks.

And why the assassin pool bearing the literal symbol of shame - the symbol of her just surviving when it was dictated that she shouldn’t have - is what justifies literally erasing her, and turning her into a Ghost. Which, we’ll return to the pond more later, don’t you worry.

If you’d like more thoughts on Rayla with water in this specific trifecta (+ bonus Callum feels), I’d recommend checking out this old but very worthwhile meta I wrote on the subject a couple months after S3 came out and back before I had a water motif tag (like a fool). Through the Moon adds some layers to this, with Rayla being driven into the portal out of fear, primarily, that Viren is still out there, as well as out of love for her family and Callum. But again more on TTM as well later, because I want to talk about the real kicker, I think, which is 

The River As A Symbol of Destiny

This is something that ATLA actually used beforehand (mostly purely as a metaphor) that was then brought more directly to TDP as both a metaphorical and now literal/motif thing.

Destiny? What would a boy know of destiny? If a fish lives its whole life in a river, does it know the river’s destiny? No! Only that it flows on and on, out of his control. He may follow where it flows, but he cannot see the end. He cannot imagine the ocean.

—Avatar: The Last Airbender, 1x15, the Deserter

V: Life is like a river. R: Oh great. That’s exactly what I was afraid of.  V: You can’t see too far ahead. I can’t see at all, as I might’ve mentioned before. You don’t know where the river of life will bend and turn. You don’t know where it will go at all.  R: How is that supposed to helpful? V: Don’t try to control where the river goes. There’s one thing you can know and control: yourself. Look at yourself. Who are you, Rayla? What do you stand for? Once you know that, then wherever the river takes you, you’ll be right where you were always meant to be.

We see Rayla seemingly answer this question for herself by using something Callum told her as a basis for a new worldview: breaking the cycle. “Saving that dragon doesn’t just feel like the right thing to do, it feels like the right thing for me to do. It’s where I’m meant to be.” However, this is precisely the choice we see her walk back in 4x05.

So the River is tied to Destiny as a concept and having choice and self actualization for what you can control. This is tied, then, to Callum helping to give her a path forward for the choices she wants to make, tethering this to their relationship in general and the importance of giving each other agency.

But this specific connection to the River of Destiny, per se, is imo solidified in Bloodmoon Huntress with these panels. 

There’s a few in-universe reasons for this panel/callback, of course. The first is show that Rayla wasn’t always afraid of water and that nearly drowning in BH is what likely created that fear. It’s the first instance in the graphic novel of Rayla’s heroism and loyalty, her desire to protect/save other people before Suroh, a Skywing boy in big trouble, comes barrelling into her life - even if it’s just a tiny Adoraburr who is basically her best friend in an increasingly peerless childhood.

And, of course, at the time of BH’s release, we all assumed this was largely a reference and setup to Rayla’s choice to leave at the end of Through the Moon in order to, in her eyes, ultimately protect him (even at great cost to herself and their happiness together). This is because, of course, Callum is famously her best friend with a big speech in 3x01 all about it: “He’s my friend... My best friend.” 

This has taken on an even deeper meaning thanks to season four, though, following Aaravos taking control of Callum, his worry over a path of darkness, and Rayla’s associations with light.  Because, of course, there is every implication that Aaravos’ prison is 1) under the water in the Sea of the Castout and 2) that Callum already tends to get swept up in things unintentionally / without thinking. 

All of this to say, of course, that Aaravos and his prison are the river that Callum has already been swept up by, symbolized by all of the above as well as the Ocean rune on the Key of Aaravos being displayed at particularly opportune times. 

So Rayla, here, is not just speaking of her future desire to protect him in Through the Moon, but not even necessarily to keep from playing into Aaravos’ hands (which is what killing him would do) but to guide him and keep him safe, no matter what it takes. Which reflects the framing of the shots when she arrives: “Then take another path, dummy!” The River of Destiny is fast, but she won’t let him get swept away.

Even if choosing Rayla (and subsequently breaking out of the brainwashing) may not be enough to fully stop Aaravos’ plan (as he still has to get out, after all — this is one river that’s inevitable). 

Drowning 

Of course, alongside destiny and shame, etc. there is also the dark side to water, re: drowning. We see this most prominently featured for each of the trio, with Ezran almost dying in 1x06, Callum’s dark magic dreams in 2x08, as well as Rayla nearly drowning in both BH and TTM, anchoring her childhood and much of her subsequent present day trauma tied together with a neat little bow, ready to unravel at a moment’s notice.

The fact that Callum’s use of dark magic also ties itself to drowning, directly, when it could’ve been anything (something choking him, perhaps, to hammer home / foreshadow Aaravos’ future grip over him) is also interesting to me, precisely because it ties the two so together. And that, thus far, we haven’t seen this drowning motif extended to anyone outside of the main trio, either. 

The fact that both in and outside of the dream scape, Callum smashing the primal stone is what causes him to at first metaphorically, and then literally begin drowning, is particularly apt, symbolism wise. Down to Berto, a winged creature, lifting Villads from the wreckage only for Callum to realize that he is the wing once he has a guiding presence in Sarai. This is a lovely parallel between the boys as well, with Sarai guiding Ezran under the ice in the book one novelization, and makes me think about love as a guiding force through the storm; Sarai for her sons, Rayla on either side of the storm for Callum, and Callum for her in TTM, and how this may be repeated in Book 5, whether it’s Rayla’s parents saving her somehow, Callum, both, or something else entirely.

(It should also be noted that Callum and Rayla mutually save each other in TTM as well. Callum goes in after her when she’s in danger, but loses the phoenix feather to guide them back on the way down. He manages to help Rayla grab it, and then she goes back for him, and they swim out together, toward the light.)

The Ocean Arcanum

(Almost) last but not least I want to talk about the associations given canonically to the Ocean arcanum in the series’ extended material from both the Primal Source quiz, Callum’s Sketchbook, and Tales of Xadia.

Like all rivers flow to the sea, you know everything and everyone is connected. A peaceful soul, you value friendship, love, and family above all else in life. Empathetic and outgoing, you make friends easily, and people are drawn to your personality. In life, you’re willing to go with the flow, and you can adapt to pretty much anything and keep a cool head. You wear your heart on your sleeve, and with love so easily given, betrayal and lies strike you deeply — you are icy and unforgiving only to those who dare strike at your big heart.

Flexibility, Transformation, Flow, Awareness, Navigation, Surface Level V.S. Depth

This is reflected in the magic that Ocean mages wield: dynamic, forceful, reaching everywhere and anywhere, within and without. It can also become surprisingly powerful in rain, giving this primal a powerful synergy with the Sky primal. Ocean magic also includes ice magic, giving mages another powerful offensive and defensive tool.

All of these were released years apart (the primal quiz shortly after S1 in 2018, Callum’s Spellbook after S3 in 2020, and Tales of Xadia in 2021) but they all have similar common threads. There is an emphasis on connection, ice magic, flexibility (change), as well as tantalizing teases regarding the Sky arcanum. And of course as previously touched upon, the Moon famously affects real life tides. 

But like, how do we know that this stuff is going to be consistently carried into the show, and it’s not just padding for supplementary material? Well, that’s because It Already Has.

Navigation and Transformation 

Are perhaps the most direct ones we’ll see in S5, building upon prior associations with water the show has displayed, particularly in S2. The Ocean is tied to Callum’s journey of discovering sky magic, as he learns the winds from Villads on the ship of the Ruthless, and then later is directed into his own consciousness by a similar manner. He’s learning how to navigate and Villads’ advice to Callum mirrors the exact advice he gives to Rayla about the river, too.

Don’t try to control where the river winds go. There’s one thing you can know and control, yourself your sail. 

This is jointly reflected by a con skit performed in 2019 to hype up S3 by Callum and Rayla’s VAs. While again this would be easy to write off, I hesitate to for three reasons: 1) we know thanks to TDP’s production schedule they were already working on S4 at this time, 2) the skit is called Written in the Stars and although silly, some of what is discussed matches up thematically and helped me call the Rayllum “light and darkness” motif months in advance, and 3) there are things from the S4 star chart referenced in the skit, such as Garlaf and his bandolier of skulls, the mama / baby banther, etc and most notably, the South Star, which Callum says: 

What about that? Brightest star in the sky. A single point of light. We call it the South Star. Humans used it to navigate, you know, to find their way in the endless darkness of the night.

So it seems pretty clear that Season Five, with Callum and Rayla now getting to navigate their relationship, in addition to water’s ties to Rayla’s emotional state (the surface vs depths reflecting both her and Aaravos’ possible pasts, his watery prison, etc) all being compounded together. Either Aaravos or Rayla (or maybe both of them) will be his South Star in S5. And, in addition to Callum’s Spellbook, this is the only real time navigation is brought up in series, so I’m gonna take it.

Now that that’s ‘settled’, let’s look at Ocean / water as Transformation. This is of course seen in how Callum goes into the water in his dreams in 2x08, but then resurfaces with help from his mother and is reborn in a sense, literally filled with new breath, as he comes to understand the Sky arcanum. We also see this idea of Transformation being tied to the Ocean and Moon arcanums an equal amount in something like Phoe-Phoe, and as well as in TTM in general.

The Moon Arcanum is all about change.

Phoe-Phoe is reborn on the water. The water transforms Rayla’s fear to bravery. Rayla’s talk with Villads helps give her direction as much as he gives it to Callum, each unlocking how they are going to break the cycle; for Rayla, it’s being a protector and defender (even if still at cost to herself, but that’s a meta for another day). For Callum, he becomes a sky primal mage.

Which is to say, if you’ve been keeping track, Sky and Moon are uniquely tethered in series to the Ocean in ways none of the other primals currently seem to be. Sky and Ocean share overlap in spells and associations (drowning, navigation, breath, travel). Ocean and Moon likewise share overlap in association (transformation, reflections, depths, etc). So it would be exceedingly fitting if S5 is when Rayla and Callum end up fully reconciling, given that Ocean seems to, magically, be where Sky and Moon meet halfway. The water and experiences at the Nexus is what broke them apart, so of course water will also be what brings them together.

Water as the Cycle

More generally, due to its varied associations, Water is tied to Life ad Death throughout the series. In some ways, it is probably associated with the Cycle directly as much as Moon is, both tied to inherently cyclical things that may change, but always come back to themselves. TTM makes this connection overt

But it is there in other places as well. An assassin’s flower, placed in a circular pond of water, floats so long as they live and breathe. Rayla leaves and returns, consistently, like the tide, leaving over and over again, but also returning whenever she can (or whenever Callum chases after her to bring her back from the brink). 

In a lot of ways, Callum and Rayla both do this to each other, leaving and then returning, always circling back to one another or moving in patterns. 

Every time they walk away (die) they also return (live). This element of perpetual ebb and and flow and rebirth is also seen in other characters like Sol Regem, and even indeed the longstanding associations of boats and the underworld in Greek and Egyptian myth in particular, ferrying people to the afterlife (Greek myth a cited inspiration for the series, with the Egyptian mythos more sneakily woven in). 

Seen perhaps most prominently in Callum reckoning with his stepfather’s death and reading Harrow’s letter in the belly of Villads’ boat. 

Conclusion

Book 5: Ocean is gonna Slap, and I cannot wait, thank you goodnight. 

#tdp #the dragon prince #tdp rayla #rayllum #tdp callum #water motif #tdp meta #analysis series #analysis #multi #the cycle #parallels #might honestly be some of the most fun i've had working on a meta #bc they surprisingly/unsurprisingly worked their way in #personal fave #every separation is a link #devil and the lovers

[berryhobii]

maybe a lil sum sum with this AI pic🤭🫣

Ahhhhhh I couldn’t help but think of merman!Yoongi with this and I actually made this a little more angsty than I intended hehe😭but I do have a spicy idea for the Taehyung photo you sent me. Please enjoy this very sweet longing romance

~

The moon shone down on the water, the reflection rippling and distorting as its gravitational pull worked on the water.

You felt relaxed under its gentle beams, ears picking up on its siren song—quiet as the dawn and soothing as a mother’s hand. Eternity suspended under its call and your body electric as you neared the cascading water.

Its waves lapped at your toes, a pleasant thrill going up your spine. The need to just dive in overwhelming you but you stayed strong. For fear that if you entered, you’d never leave. You left once already….who knows what would happen if you allowed the water to whisk you away….

“Starlight….”

That voice….

“What a lovely night to be out. The moon is gorgeous.” You breathed out.

“It is but it pales in comparison to you.”

You smiled, kneeling down to sit on your knees, the wet sand sinking under your weight. “You are a poet with your words, my love. They enchant me.”

He slowly moved through the waves, his large tail flapping and splashing. Under the moonlight, the colors were dim—navy and lapis blue, scales glittering and sparkling. You remember how they look in the sun, how they reflected its light and blended him with the bright water. You always said his tail was water—how it changed and moved. He was the water.

His dark hair was long, wet strands hanging in front of his face like a dark curtain but not even his hair could hide the sparkle of his eyes. Those beautiful irises you’ve stared into for decades still as iridescent and full of love as always. But now mixed in was a hint of melancholy and yearning. You were sure yours looked the same.

“You enchant me, my starlight. How I’ve longed to gaze upon you again.”

He hauled himself up onto the shore, enough so that he could dive back into the water if need be. You doubted anyone would be walking the beach this late though.

His head came to lie on your thigh, your hands resting on his hair, sighing in content now that he was touching you.

“Have you been well, Yoongi, my love? Winter is approaching so you’ll need to move to warmer waters soon.”

His head lifted from your lap to gaze into your eyes and you could already guess what he would say.

His brow furrowed and a part of you wanted to kiss it away. “I am not migrating without you. How could I when you are up here among humans?” The venom in his voice was thick and you couldn’t be upset with him for it. You two held a disdain for humans but the ones you had interacted with had shown you that there were more to them than greed. There were also kind humans and humans who loved the ocean. You’ve explained this to Yoongi but he didn’t care and you never tried to force him to. His opinion was his own and that was okay.

Still, you wished he could see your side.

“I’ve made a good life up here among the humans, Yoongi. You could be happy up here with me.”

That seemed to hurt him, judging by how his eyes changed.

“Were you not happy with me in the ocean? With our people? Everyone misses you.”

You sighed again. “Of course I was happy, my love. I didn’t come here because I wasn’t happy.”

His tail flapped against the water. “Then why did you? Why would you come here? Why did you leave me?”

A single tear trailed down his face. You knew that wasn’t a droplet of ocean water.

You reached out your hand to cup his cheek, leaning down so that your foreheads were touching.

“What did I promise you before I left? Tell me.”

He sniffed. “That you’d return one day.”

“And?”

“And…….and that you loved me.”

“I do love you.” You leaned back, pushing his hair back out of his handsome face. “I promised to protect you and the pod. That starts with getting the humans on our side. Once that happens, all of us will be able to return home.”

Yoongi understood the real reason you left. Humans had threatened your home, polluting your waters and chasing the food away while destroying the delicate ecosystem. You’ve seen it firsthand and you wouldn’t stand by anymore and watch it happen. So you ventured from home and joined the humans, learning their ways and dialect and working your way into their society. Now you’ve managed to find a sure fire way that your waters would no longer be taken advantage of by humans. A little more time and Yoongi and your people could return home.

You could return home.

“Do you trust me?”

Yoongi’s glittering eyes locked with yours, all the love and trust in his body swirling within them.

“With everything I have.”

Your lips ghosted over his, “then I will make our waters safe again and bring the pod back home.” The kiss you shared didn’t dissipate all of Yoongi’s worries, yours either but it did let both of you know that your love was strong enough to handle this. That you’d be together again. Forever.

“I love you, starlight.”

“And I love you. More than the moon.”

He hummed. “Could you join me for a swim? While I think you’re beautiful no matter what, I prefer your tail over legs.”

That made you laugh. You’ve been on legs for a while and they were still weird to you.

“I’d love to.”

And as you swam with your beloved, that familiar feeling settling over your body, you knew that you were doing the right thing. It hurt a little but you’d push through.

You felt Yoongi’s hand brush against yours, your head turning to flash him a smile, him reciprocating. You opened your palm to intertwine your fingers, squeezing his hand in yours. Your tails swished past one another, his deep blue contrasting your bright lavender.

You’d protect all of them. You’d protect him.

#askberryhobii #bts x black reader #yoongi x reader #bts #bts fic #bts drabble

[mariacallous]

Morning: day 659 of the full-scale invasion

From early, picket lines are set up near the walls of Kyiv’s city state administration. My friends and acquaintances are protesting, demanding that the capital’s budget be directed not to the repaving of roads, but towards the purchase of drones and FPVs for the battlefield. People close to me are saying: “I don’t want new roads; I want my friends to come back alive.”

A deputy from Kyiv city council has the audacity to suggest that the cities have enough on their plate: let the state take care of the war budget, he argues. Cities need their budgets for maintenance. And this perfectly sums up the widening gap between civilians and the military. Every day the same discussions take place – who should be mobilised? Who is ready to enlist? Can we live our lives for anything other than the war?

We are not even talking about replacing the hundreds of thousands of military personnel who have served in the army for almost two years now. Not to mention those who were already defending the country before the invasion. The latest mobilisation is a question of somehow restoring the military after daily losses.

The night before last, Kyiv was woken up by our air-defence sirens. But they began to sound after the first explosions, which meant that no one had time to run to the shelters. Russia had fired 10 missiles and 10 attack UAVs (drones). Our air defence forces shot down all of them, but the debris fell in four Kyiv districts. Fifty-three people were injured, mostly with lacerations. Nine of the victims are children.

The Russians are targeting infrastructure to deprive civilians of heat and electricity. The harsher the winter, the more missiles we can expect. And this expectation, the psychological threat, has been going on for three months.

Noon: day 659 of the full-scale invasion

A Russian cyber-attack targets one of the major phone networks. About 20 million Ukrainians are left without mobile connection and mobile internet for three days. On social networks Ukrainians post messages of support and gratitude to the network operator for its efforts.

For three days I have been catching a signal in wifi hotspots. I think about those areas where mobile is the only way to access the internet. Finally, on the afternoon of the third day, the phone connection reappears. I call my mother. I ask whether everything is OK, whether she has been worried. She says everything is fine, it is just wartime.

Every day there are reports of the deaths of artists at the front. Friends of friends. Within one week, several members of the film community perish. A cameraman, an actor. Not for the first time, I think: Russia is knocking us out one by one, dozen by dozen. Civilians, military. Cinema, literature, visual arts, agriculture, architecture, education, economics, sports – pick any field, there are irreparable losses everywhere.

The full-scale invasion turns social media feeds into endless obituaries of black-and-white photos. And at any moment in time, when it seems that the heart can no longer contain the losses, there’s another newsflash and another death appears.

Afternoon: day 659 of the full-scale invasion

A broadcast with Vladimir Putin is on at the Kremlin – a media spectacle during which the dictator allegedly speaks to the Russian people live. And while the tsar is talking to his lackeys, he is also sending a message to Ukraine – a MiG-31K is taking off from a Russian airfield, and Kinzhal missiles are flying in our direction. Those missiles will reach Kyiv in three minutes, and Kharkiv in two.

Despair and rage.

A video appears of Russian military using captured Ukrainian soldiers as human shields. The Russians attack Ukrainian positions, hiding behind the Ukrainians.

Despair and rage.

We discuss Oleksii Anulia’s story about his time in Russian captivity. The catalogue of torture inflicted on him is unfathomable. In civilian life, he used to be a kickboxing champion and an elite sportsman. He used to weigh 102kg; he lost 40kg in captivity. Oleksii also lost 6cm in height. Barely a single organ in his body remains intact – the Russians made sure of that.

Among other inhumane punishments, prisoners had to stand still for 18 hours a day. Holding their hands behind their backs with their heads lowered, they had to splay their fingers and were not allowed to move. They cut the tendons on his thumb with a rusty knife, saying: “You were shooting at our military with this finger, killing our soldiers.”

Once Oleksii brought in an earthworm from outside. He put it in the toilet cistern and after a week he had a whole brood of them. This is how he got his first portion of protein in a long time. Another time, he was hunting a little mouse and had to shove the not-yet-killed pest into his mouth and eat it alive so that the guards would not take his nutritious prey from him.

Despair and hatred.

Evening: day 659 of the full-scale invasion

At one of the many new bookstores that, despite everything, have opened in Kyiv this year, a “book of the year” ceremony, awarded annually by editorial staff of BBC News Ukraine, is taking place.

The fifth air-raid alarm of the day sounds. The organisers suggest that in keeping with their security protocols, we should go to the air-raid shelter. To which one of the members of the jury, a respected professor, replies: “Let the BBC be scared, we are not.”

The ceremony carries on uninterrupted, but most of us have phones in our hands. Mobile internet has been restored, and we monitor Telegram channels tracking Russian missile and drone launches.

Just another day of full-scale invasion, packed with pain.

I look around the event; these are my friends and colleagues, representing several literary generations. And as has become a habit in recent months, I simply cannot help but imagine all of us dead. All. At once.

In the rest of the world, hearts are hardening. Attention is divided between conflicts. Activists’ focus is absorbed by the rise to power of populists and rightwing conservatives. But two important things remain constant in the beating of these hardened hearts of ours.

The first: Russia always strives for chaos and for rightwing politicians to be in power.

The second: what Ukrainians have had to accept – is that there will be no other life. This is the way it is. And when you hear the promise of a politician who, instead of fighting for democracy and the future, promises you a return to stability, be sure to check who is financing him. Perhaps this is another Russian puppet.

Late evening: day 659 of the full-scale invasion

News breaks about discussions on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. What started nine years ago on the Maidan is now being decided on the battlefield. The future of Europe, in which the question will be determined: where will Russia stop?

Soldiers’ canteen. Eating with a colleague. It’s the 22nd month of my service in the military. Every time I scoop up the soup, I feel like I’m sipping my own sadness. I tell her about my anxiety before missile attacks, about my anger at those who dodge serving in the armed forces, and those who desperately pretend that the war is not about them.

She listens to me, puts her plate aside, looks me in the eye and says: can you imagine Ukraine without Kharkiv? Without Kyiv? Sasha, we might lose the country. And I will be in the armed forces until this threat goes away.

These are simple, clear words. But someone has to say them out loud. And when I think about the coming year, what 2024 will bring, I realise once again that the issue is not about my personal lack of hope, burnout or my non-existence.

The question is whether my country will still be there.

And when will the F-16s finally soar in our skies.

Morning: day 660 of the full-scale invasion

9am. As it does every morning, the country stands still, for a minute of silence in memory of the dead.

The thought occurs to me that by the end of my life, these minutes of silence will add up to 24 hours of silence for those who are no longer with us.

For those thanks to whom we still exist.

Translated by Maryna Gibson

Oleksandr Mykhed is a writer and member of PEN Ukraine. His book Language of War won the George Shevelev prize on 17 December 2023 and will be published by Allen Lane in June 2024

[infolane]

ARC V MONTH DAY 5 - Action Magic - Overpass

@arcvmonth​

Supreme Dragon Queen Ray. 

There was a time when she was friends with Zarc. They bonded online over the shared experience of perceiving objects as alive. His cards, her trinkets. It was an overture to tragedy, really, as she gained much fame in the dueling scene.

Flower-Bearing Dragon, destined to become Flower-Bearing Pendulum Dragon, held onto loads of lillies. The dragon whose tears mark where living ends and grief begins.

“This is a sad, sad world, Ray. Everyone cries, everyone is hurting and then they hurt one another for it. They have made happiness into a zero sum game. There are only funerals here. Funerals for walking people. For waking ghosts.”

And so it was said.

Vulture-winged XYZ Dragon soared up and high, covered in as many scales as it had feathers, sounding like a distant warning siren. Always knowing where death is near, but never in time to save a single person.

“This is a sad, sad world, Ray. No matter how closely you follow misery, trying to help or at least console and comfort, the wave is always much too powerful. Those that can, they never face it, always flying south, until the day there are only cold selfish people huddling in the snow.“

And so it was said.

Typhoonbound Synchro Dragon soared with violent winds at its feet. Always much too close, much to violent, much too dangerous and so, alone and looked down upon.

“This is a sad, sad world, Ray. There is no amount of effort, no amount of love that can save those rejected by all. No grand feat to change one’s lot, no way to claw to the top so as to be loved. Luck has died in a ditch, as will we if nothing changes.“

And so it was said.

Now last, Moon Eclipse Fusion Dragon stood quietly, with the world around itself covered in long shadows distorting all one might see. Unable to grasp any truth, all it could do was trust others- but having been led astray over and over, the distrust grew into barbed wire and thorns covering it.

“This is a sad, sad world, Ray. People lie, people betray, people cheer and cheer for more pain and more hurt, just as long as it isn’t them. Our friend has been getting violent, and violence is what this world craves.”

And so it was said.

Having thought it over and over again, Ray grew frustrated, then bitter. She’d ask her friend for his opinions, but he grew isolated and distant. Even someone that kind and truthful in his want to make others smile, being chipped away like this by the world-

Unforgivable, she thought. There is no way a place this rotten with people this horrible could ever, ever, be worthy of him and our friends. It should all disappear and be reborn, being left to our toys, being left to inhuman things untainted by all of this.

And her dragons purred their agreement.

Ray, let’s try again, before his heart turns to stone. Ray, let’s give it another chance, let’s break it all as one. Ask him- “Break me to pieces and become broken as well, because I love you too much to let your wounds fester in this dump.”

And they rushed into the mix, lifting their heads to see her expression up close. A monster, a messiah, an ending, a lock, an egg, again.

“Zarc, I need you to promise to chase me and be by my side. I want to meet you again and again, however many times we may need until we can just chat and laugh and rest without needles in our hearts.“

His yellow eyes. Her grand wings, the very sky chipping and breaking away, swept by the emotions at the bottom of the well-

And just like that, nothingness was cut into fourths.

#arcvmonth2023 #arcvmonth

[telomeke]

5 Songs Tag - QL Shows Edition

I was tagged by @recentadultburnout and am excited to play along; thanks for tagging me! 🥰

Before going further, I should clarify that @colourme-feral also tagged me on a different musical tag game, and I was just about to respond to that when this one came in. So am combining my responses for that one with this one as well; hope y'all don't mind! 😚💖

Credit to @troubled-mind for starting this off with their post linked here. 😍

Here are the rules:

When you get this, list 5 songs from the Asian QL shows that you actually listen to. 🎶They do not have to be custom-made for the series. 🎶Non-western tracks only. Let's support Asian music and languages! 🎶Feel free to tag anyone who may be interested in participating. 🎶Add #5qls tag to your post for others to find the new favourites!

But I'm going to bend the rules a bit because I can't stick with just five. Here are my choices (extra details for the top five, and the more unusual ones listed after):

1. 遠い国/Tooi kuni sung by Ueno Daiki (上野大樹) – the closing theme to Bokura no Shokutaku (Our Dining Table)

This gently lilting song perfectly captures the essence of the hesitant, winsome waltz between Yutaka and Minoru as they orbit ever-closer to each other around radiant little Tane-kun in this heartwarming gem of a series. I can't listen to it without the tears welling up, sentimental fool that I am. The laidback time-signature (a somewhat unusual choice) and hauntingly plaintive key changes really set this one apart. If you'd like a glimpse into the meaning of the lyrics, @isaksbestpillow has a post linked here that translates them into English – the lines are poetically indirect and yet still find some way to pluck at your heartstrings in new and unexpected ways, just like the show itself.

Although the tempo is different, I find this song reminds me so much of the theme to the 70s family series The Waltons, with its old-timey 3-4 (or is it 6-8?) vibes of nostalgia and home truths being shared over steaming bowls of homecooked goodness (also calling to mind Yutaka and Minoru's meaningful exchanges during their many simple but oh-so-delicious meals together).

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2. เพลงที่เพิ่งเขียนจบ (Our Song) sung by Nanon Korapat – PatPran's theme in Bad Buddy Series

Nanon isn't one I would call a gifted singer, but his schoolboy tenor and unembellished vocal delivery suit the simple message of this piece really well. It's an unassuming little love song that sweetly encapsulates Bad Buddy's Episode 11 storyline and the theme of living the truth of your love (and by extension that of your identity too) without any need for great flourishes or grandiosity to glamorize the picture; you and your truth are enough, no matter what you may think or what others may tell you. (More write-up linked here.) 💖

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3. พรุ่งนี้ (Tomorrow) sung by Ford Arun – the closing theme for Moonlight Chicken

A quiet, hope-filled ballad that softly reminds us (as Moonlight Chicken did) how life will always be fraught with struggle, disappointment, sadness, bereavement and mistakes – and despite it all, the dawning of each new day is also an opportunity to cast off the burdens placed on us yesterday and reshape the present and the future in any way that we wish. We are more than just the sum of our past missteps, and we can find our way to a life of fulfilment when we move forward beyond the shadows of our immediate despair. Ford's rendition, set against an end-of-year Christmas backdrop, tenderly nudges us with the message that whatever it is (within reason) that we seek – happiness, purpose, love – the promise of it is wrapped up in the days to come, and is always ours to take and make real.

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4. รักติดไซเรน (Love Siren) sung by Ice Paris and Pearwah Nichaphat – from My Ambulance

My Ambulance isn't strictly a QL but it has a BL side couple played by Billkin and PP Krit, so I'm counting this one in (also because it's a relentlessly feel-good and catchy confection, everything you want in a breezy pop song). Everyone's really pretty, and you can spot some familiar faces dancing back-up. I've watched this so many times I immediately recognized the filming location when it popped up in Our Skyy 2 x A Tale of Thousand Stars and Be My Favorite. (Don't understand the unnecessary toilet break at timestamp 3.27 though. 🤷‍♂️)

Almost forgot to add the multilingual version – if you've not seen this before, get ready to have your mind boggled at the different languages they sing in, and maybe watch out for your own to make an appearance: 👀😍

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5. ไหล่เธอ (You’ve Got Ma Back) sung by Fourth Nattawat, Ford Arun, Satang Kittiphop and Winny Thanawin – from My School President

A cheery teen anthem to togetherness and the support of friendships, very much like My School President itself. You can't help smiling and singing along because you know it's all about positivity and living worry-free when those around you care and protect you too.

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And for the also-rans – these are not in any way inferior (some are even arguably superior musically), but they're not up above simply because they don't have as heavy a rotation on my playlist (and I'm listing them here to spread awareness): 🤩

ไม่ยอม (Be Mine) from TharnType, the Kaownah version (very strong melodically, and this performance converted me into a fan of Kaownah who's excellent here; the song, singer and actor deserve to be associated with a better series).

รักคุณยิ่งกว่าใคร (I Love You More Than Anyone), from Cutie Pie 2 You, sung by NuNew Chawarin (hopelessly, somewhat ironically and unapologetically cheesy, this paean to the pageantry of Thai country music or luk thung is so joyful I can't help loving every jangly, bedazzled melisma; I love it as much as the Build Jakapan cover and the Got Jakrapun original – all so addictive, like too‑sweet candy).

คนที่เสียใจคงไม่ใช่เธอ (The One Who Will Be Sorry Is Probably Not You) – theme from Bad Romance The Series (amazingly this works either as the hard-driving original replete with wailing guitars and screamy rock-god vocals by Pete Pitipong, or the soft ballad cover by Tul Pakorn – both have a grip on my heart).

The theme to KinnPorsche by Slot Machine – this is like the theme to Bad Romance but with no brakes at all, racing to the cliff edge and you don't care; with soaring, almost operatic vocals and a relentlessly pounding rhythm that shifts unsettlingly offbeat midway, the Thai original (เพียงไว้ใจ/Just Trust) is already so many kinds of amazing, but the English version (appropriately titled Freefall) is surprisingly not only more than credible, it also screams primally with lyrics that embody the full-blooded, breathless, all-stakes-committed rush of KinnPorsche's action sequences and darker dramatic moments (when the series wasn't unfortunately tripping over its own shoelaces or galumphing about in a clown car).

นิทานพันดาว (Theme to A Tale of Thousand Stars) – but it's the Torfun version sung by Aye Sarunchana that's won me over. 💖

ฟัง (Listen) from My School President, sung by Lookwa Pijika, Fourth Nattawat, Ford Arun, Satang Kittiphop and Winny Thanawin – you can give this treatise on love so many readings, but my favorite is when it incarnates the love that Mrs. Ratchanee has for her little Gun of a son; the original by Sin Tosaporn Achawanuntakul (featuring โอม Cocktail) isn't half bad either, with the music video also dallying with LGBTQ+ themes, but Winny absolutely does a better job of the bridge in the MSP cover.

คิด(แต่ไม่)ถึง [Same Page?] by Tilly Birds – not too sure this counts as a song from the world of QL because it was only in the original, not-quite-canon Bad Buddy trailer but not in the series itself (except for the one line Pat sings on the terrace of his apartment during his Ep.12 drinking game with Pran); still I'm including it because it's an aural experience like no other, starting out hollow, off-kilter and dissonant before its various polyphonies interweave into a delightfully solid pop song.

Inwza by Panpan Yeeyee – once again, not sure this counts as a song from QL but the made-up word Inwza (not so much the song itself) was mentioned as part of Pat's chat ID in Bad Buddy Ep.1 (significance explained here); nonetheless looking up the word got me connected to this wistful little synth-heavy indie pop number that makes for a refreshingly quirky listen.

เพื่อนเล่น ไม่เล่นเพื่อน (Just Being Friendly) – the My School President version by Fourth Nattawat, Ford Arun and Satang Kittiphop is just as good as (and maybe even slightly better than?) the original by Tilly Birds featuring Milli, but this flawless mashup of the MSP version with NuNew's is also amazing and I rotate between all three. No favorites here; all so boppy and guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. 😍

เลี้ยงส่ง (Farewell Party) by So Cool – this is what Pran references during Bad Buddy's Ep.12 drinking game as the first song he learnt the chords to; totally old-school (dates from 2005) and makes me think of a pre-teen Pran struggling to learn guitar, practising the chords on a song that was already a Thai rock classic at the time.

Stand by หล่อ by New Country – this wasn't in any QL as far as I can tell but the MSP boys performed it in their Prom Night concert and Bas Asavapatr also confirmed having danced to it during one of the Be On Cloud games, so I'm including it because it's so infernally catchy, has roots in Thai luk thung, and the dance video is really SHINee-slick.

Tagging @pandasmagorica, @isaksbestpillow, @colourme-feral, @dudeyuri, @ranchthoughts...

...@chickenstrangers, @lurkingteapot, @airenyah, @dribs-and-drabbles and anyone else who wants to play along. Apologies if you've already been tagged!

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#5qls #YouTube

[numb3reddays]

Hi I’m your Spotify doctor and here’s your prescription:

I Dropped Out by And The Kids*

All U Wanna Do Is Dance by Dreamgirl*

Space Song by Matt Watson*

This Night Has Opened My Eyes by The Smiths

Passiflora by Archer Oh**

How can i forget you girl by 87dance**

Yung Bubblegum by Petite League**

Peacemaker by Odd Sweetheart

Unrequited Love (& Other cliches) by Breakup Shoes**

Strawberry chainsaw by JAWNY*

All I Ever Wanted by Futurist**

Love, Me Normally by Will Wood

Away by Lucas Stern*

the sum of all our sirens by nelward

Dedicated To The One I Love by The Mamas & The Papas**

Bold and * means take 2 times a day Bold and ** means take 4 times a day

‎‎‎‎‎.‎ Feel Better SOON .

This Prescription is dedicated to @theleafypoet @weepingdays @v0idify @indecisivesharts (and somehow @cooikemint)

#spotify recommendation #spotify doctor #positivity #my music #positive thoughts #music #healing #spreading positivity thru music #And The Kids #spotify #Dreamgirl #Matt Watson #Archer oh #87dance #Petite League #Odd Sweetheart #Breakup Shoes #JAWNY #Will Wood #Lucas Stern #the mamas and the papas #Nelward #feel better soon

[cubicpeebles]

#23. A song you think everybody should listen to?

Ooh, this is a hard one! If I had to narrow it down to one, I think I'd go with the sum of all our sirens by nelward. It's a really good song, and I think that nelward is super underrated, so any chance to recommend him is great!

Some other choices could be ghost, also by nelward, Bike Ride by The Brobecks, or Aurora Borealis by Lemon Demon. These ones are amazing too!

[gothamxwattpad]

This Is GothamX

GothamX.

Chapter One: The First One Pt. One

Word Count: 2147

——————————————————————————————————

How did we get here? And I'm not talking about how our parents met and did the things that led up to the big mating ritual. I mean, for fuck's sake, we're up to our knees in snow, blood-splattered snow. 

I will ask again; How. Did. We. Get. Here? Was it the consequences of our actions or was it all going to happen anyway? I know the answer but it's a long story. And as much as I would like to say that it's my story, I can't.

No, this is. Gotham's story; its past, present, and future. Like I said, it's a long story, some of the best ones usually are. Do you plan on sticking around? I'll guess we'll find out. 

August 1st, 2018

This is Gotham, man years after the rise and fall of its best and worst, the city, it teems, or it's trying to. Gotham, winters are brisk and drawn out, dismal and beyond the bounds of hope. It's a miracle if we even make it out alive. Winters in Gotham push people to their limits and then further. And like thin ice, people crack under too much pressure and they fall into chilly, deep depths and drown.

But it's Gotham summers that catch people by surprise. Between the noise; AC units and fans, the mix of loud music and people yelling, slamming doors, car horns, sirens, and gunshots. And the hellish temperatures that make pavement blister and test the tempers of all beneath the summer sun.

There's a reason why most prefer the city nightlife. On nights like tonight, we scatter across the city but mostly within the Shallows, a small section of Uptown that's nestled in between Crime Alley and the Bowery.The Shallows, appropriately named by Gotham's strays because of the idea that the city is like an ocean. The Shallows is where the small fish swim among slightly bigger fish and hope they avoid being eaten or in our case, drown.

Yes, the Shallows. My home and home to many. Me and many strays and street kids, Gotham's forgotten youth. Bruce Wayne once donated a large sum of money to the city for the kids in the system. But it dried out years ago and according to them, there are too many of us to support so they no longer try. And they have the audacity to question the authority issues that we have after they beat, starve, and ignore us. 

Most nights we gather at a small skatepark within the Shallows. We call this place Anarchy Row. There's no origin to the name, it's just a place that exists for us to congregate.Anarchy Row makes up three corners of a wonky concrete triangle. The spiky-haired crust punks with their battle vests and spray paint. The corner that's occupied by Uptown's gang kids, one of them being the daughter of the infamous Andre Scott. The skaters take the middle, an assembly of young and old, doing tricks and trading decks and stickers.

The final corner; the corner of the lost and miscellaneous; my corner. It's a little different than the other two due to the set of metal bleachers that sit right beneath the brightest lights in the park. I understand why the others choose the shadows. The bleachers are too open and well-lit even if they have the best view of the park and surrounding area, like the empty grassy lot that's between us and the road.

I hear my name called out over the music and noise, "Aurora!" 

Crossing over from her corner is Brandy Scott and her older cousin just a couple paces behind her like a protective guard dog. 

"Where's your boy tonight?" She asks as she nears the bottom of the bleachers.

She's referring to my best friend, Zachary, who is usually never too far away from me. But tonight’s weather is decent, clear skies, moonlight, and not too hot. He’s running the streets with the rest of the street artists.

“That’s a good question. He’s probably close by.” I answer as she takes a seat. 

“Probably? You two are almost inseparable.” She replies with a smile, “I hope you don’t mind me joining you for a bit.” She adds.

Brandy Scott; she and I met in juvie last year, butting heads until we settled our differences. The thing that bonded us was the night a group of girls from Midtown cornered us in the bathroom. They aimed to inflict harm on us until she told them who she was. Her last name means something to those who run the streets, like me.

“Brandy, these bleachers are for anyone who wants to sit.” I say with a light laugh. 

She nods her head and relaxes, taking off her mini backpack, “My parents have been asking about you a lot lately. Maybe it's time for a visit.” She says, digging around in her bag. It has been awhile since I’ve seen them, I used to come and go almost daily.

“Yeah, I should drop in and socialize for a bit.” I tell her as I watch the corners mix and mingle.

Andre and Monica Scott are nice people, despite their extracurricular activities. They welcomed me into their home after we got out of juvie. They kept my stomach full, clean clothes on my back and gave me a safe place to sleep when I needed it.

“It’s really quiet out here tonight, huh?” She comments, breaking the silence.

“Brandy! Bro, that’s not something you say aloud!” Her cousin exclaims as he too joins us.

He’s right though, it’s like telling the universe to spice things up a bit, and it’s never in a good way.

I catch something moving in the corner of my eye, a figure crossing the grassy lot towards the park.The first thing I notice is the spiky mohawk, then the attire; it’s Zachary, in his usual regalia of black leather boots, ripped jeans, a denim jacket and some sort of graphic tshirt with questionable designs.

Tonight’s shirt is white with a hand gesture of a middle finger. And a red stain down the front- blood.

“What happened to you, man?” Brandy’s cousin, Trey, asks as Zachary strolls up.

Unbothered, Zarchary just smiles and shrugs before making his way up the bleachers to me.

“There appears to be a new group in Crime Alley.” He announces with more enthusiasm than I believe one should have after being bloodied.

“A fair sized lot. Territorial, as you can see by the blood stain that I may never get out of this shirt.” He adds, still with an odd amount of enthusiasm. 

“Nobody wants to play by the street rules anymore.” Trey complains, shaking his head.

“What were you doing in Crime Alley?” Brandy asks with sass.

Crime Alley, that’s deeper water than the Shallows and if you’re not a strong enough swimmer you can easily be swept out further.The tide changes are unpredictable too. Zachary is lucky that’s all he left with.

“I was looking for something, a wall.” Zachary answers vaguely, as he often does.

It’s a habit that he has, it comes and goes, on and off. It usually takes him time to break the habit after he sees his parents. They ask too many questions.

“I hope that wall was worth it.” Trey pipes up again.

“It was actually. Check this out.” He replies, pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket.

I watch him tap in his password and swipe around and with a massive grin he hands me his phone.

The wall; a white painted brick wall, home to a massive mural that must have taken a significant time to paint.

“Holyshit.” I say aloud, realizing what it is, a piece by the anonymous street artist only known as the White Rabbit.

The White Rabbit is the name of a comic book series that popped up in early spring, a story of a young woman trying to survive in a city under tyrannical rule. She dons the mask and identity of a former vigilante hero, the White Rabbit, to help inspire the people of the city to fight back against their oppressor.The comics flew off shelves almost immediately, it was a story that felt relatable to Gotham’s youth.And like the great Bat that used to watch over Gotham back in the day, the White Rabbit artist did too, until tonight.

“The White Rabbit is back.” I sigh as I pass the phone down to Brandy and Trey.

The wall was painted in various reds, oranges and yellows. It was a mask made of burlap and complete with a colorful background of either a sunset or sunrise. It felt like a message, a vague one at best. The artist is known for it, leaving massive pieces of art in different places in the whole city.Little signs of life and color.

“I guess this is worth a busted nose.” Brandy sighs, handing the phone back to Zachary.

I just want to know who punched my friend.

“Aurora’s making a face.” Trey says with a chuckle. 

“Stop making the face.” Zachary grumbles at me, even though his face is fighting off a smile, “We’re keeping the peace tonight.” 

Keep the peace. He knows me well enough to know better. Brandy and everyone else knows it, I’m not one who just simply keeps the peace.

“Aurora, are you going to keep the peace or not?” Trey taunts.

I’m thinking about it. For the most part, Zachary James Martin is the peace. He doesn’t enjoy conflict and fighting. I am the opposite. I am the chaos.

“So, you bumped heads with the playground kids?” I joke, trying to ease his concern.

That’s how we met, as kids, on a private school playground. Zachary was being pushed around by some older boys, and me being me, picked up a tree branch and swung it around until the boys got the idea.

“That’s my favorite thing about you, Aurora, you have jokes. You always have them.” Zachary replies with a laugh.

“Something’s going on in Midtown.” Trey announces suddenly, looking down at his phone.

There’s a shift in the mood around Anarchy Row. The corners are packing up their belongings and turning off the music. 

Zachary pulls his phone out to find a breaking news bulletin, “Bank robbery in Midtown.” He says to me.

We watch the footage of Gotham City Central Bank fully surrounded by GCPD and SWAT teams with armed vehicles. Helicopters with spotlights flying above the bank as people gather at the barricades to watch.

A large armored truck speeds down the street towards one of the barricades. The bystanders and police scramble to dodge the oncoming truck as it breaks through and drives up the stone steps in front of the doors. 

A small handful of armed men exit the building with duffle bags and climb into the truck and for a moment all is dead silent.

A loud explosion takes out part of the wall and doors of the bank, causing a panic as a cloud of smoke and dust blocks the view of everything.

A single large figure emerges from the hole. The dust clears and the figure becomes clearer to see. The individual dons a clown mask; pasty white face, badly painted lips and wild green hair.

“Holyshit!” I blurt out as they step forward into one of the spotlights shining above from one of the circling helicopters. 

The person removes the mask and drops to the steps at his feet. 

“He’s back!” I exclaim just as all live footage is cut off. 

He’s back. The Mad Clown. The Clown Prince of Gotham. The Joker.

We can hear the sirens in the distance. Northern Gotham police are heading south to assist, leaving Uptown to fend for itself.

“Now what?” Zachary asks once things calmed down.

Only a handful of skaters and punks remained in the park and there was thunder in the distance. The night’s social activities were coming to an end.

“Mom and dad are going to want me home soon.” Brandy says with seriousness, “Aurora, come with us.” She insists.

“Yeah, I should probably head home too. My parents are going to be calling and wondering where I am.” Zachary replies, “You should go with them tonight. Stay up late, paint your nails and do that weird face goop stuff that you girls do.” 

After rolling my eyes and losing the fight with Brandy’s convincing puppy dog stare, I nod and come down from my spot on the bleachers. Giving Zachary a hug goodbye, I follow Brandy and Trey across the park to the car, listening to their sibling-like bickering about not staying up all night laughing and such. 

I relax into the black leather seat as we head south, watching the world blur by as it begins to rain.

#Chapter One #GothamX #Fanfiction #writing #writeblr #lgbtqia community

[lgbtlunaverse]

wip tag game

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

tagged by @woobifiedvillain @frodo-of-the-nine-fingers and @tavina-writes

... ALL of them?

i mean i guess i could just forcus on ones i've recenly worked on but that's BORING let's brave the depths! Also, you guys have a wip folder? I have 3 folders organized for different fandoms that countain maybe 30% of my actual wips, the rest I just rawdog in the "recently opened" page of google drive. a good number of these don't even HAVE titles

WELL.

OKAY.

SURE.

honorable mention to my very much finished and NOT wip fic "red string wrapped aorund your throat" which has never actually been titled that in docs. the document is titled "package deal but in a bad way" which sums up nieyao quite nicely.

in no particular order: here are the actual wips. i'll number the ones with no title to differentiate them.

-

In another life

untitled document (number 1)

krknhn au

togachako spidergirl au

triple cultivation au

untitles document (number 2)

the cyberpunk au & where else to go <- (i'm grouping these together becuase they're the same fic just different documents.)

3zun reverse au domestic tidbit

untitled document (number 3)

polycule from hell

there's an engagement ring in my apartment right now

nie parents prelude

chapter 3 warped rail fic

untitled document (number 4) & togachako timeskip au exerpt <- (these are just the same fic again)

an unauthorised fan treatise on the nature of the relationship betweem jin guangyao and lan xichen

character motivations and analyses chapter 3 warped rail fic

warped rail fic layout (outline) <- i'm not sure if the previous 2 count as wips because they're like. supplementary documents?? but just to show you how much chapter 3 fucking haunts me. this isn't even the last doc specifically pertaining to that chapter.

patho fic clara

short story fuyumi

untitles document (number 5)

Siren au

an interesting team (kurodai)

ushiiwaoi royalty au

iwaoi fantasy au <- this one's just a prequel to the previous one. and also finished?? has been for 2 years? maybe i should post it

born with everything snippets

loveless in grace

ushiiwaoi childhood friends au

bnha fic ideas

what would you trade the pain for & nielan side tangent <- (same fic)

untitled document (number 6)

untitled document (number 7)

helpless (kiyoyachi) perspective

ushioi college fic (chapter 3)

the secret behind these doors

ushiiwaoi soulmate

born with everything snippets <- (look it's warped rail fic again i'm not even gonna bother to group these)

dabitwice prequel fic & dabihawkstwice fantasy au

our flag means death fic

deltarune au

arcane fic

family doesn't end in blood

ushisaku single parent au

living up to the name

fuyumi pov extra (chapter 3) <- (IT'S MY NEMESIS AGAIN)

kenhina valentine's day

atsukage wip

ushisakuatsu thread

MA chapter 8 & the nakano meiko arc <- (these are both from montem ascendes. every single Ma chapter has its own doc i am not listing the posted ones)

all seijoh and stz captains are gay, it's the law

wlw bang kiyoyui au

songxuexiao pathologic au

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HONORABLE MENTIONS PART 2: COMPLETELY 100% EMPTY DOCUMENTS THAT HAD TITLES THAT WERE CLEARLY FIC TITLES BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE:

maybe all first loves are like this

i'll wait for you,

-

So in doing this i've found out that A SIGNIFCANT number of my unpublished haikyuu wips do not in fact contain themselves in my google drive folder but on the notes app. On my old phone. That doesn't work anymore. :) If you wanna ask about any of these, feel free to do so while I let myself be consumed by the void.

I am NOT tagging as many people as I have wips. absolutely not. have you seen that list? i'm not sure I even have 51 writer mutuals. i'm tagging 5 people: @layzeal @clementinecoastline @transhawks @jecook @aphrodaisyacs

#tag game #BEHOLD: THE HORDE #this was very fun but also AAAAAA #pro tip one of the untitled documents is just literally all my other mdzs fic wips together. fun new game: find that one #fic writing #wip wednesday #except it's thursday #who cares time isn't real #if you see this and wanna do it but weren't tagged: consider yourself one of the 46 people I technically still have to tag and do it anyway

[ausetkmt]

Funk. It’s not just the notes and it’s not just the rhythm. It’s the feeling. When you’re listening to a band or a song, you shouldn’t have to do too much thinking to tell if it’s got the funk. You’ll feel it. And if it’s got the funk, ipso facto, it is funky.

Funk bands and funky music have recently, I’m pleased to report, experienced a bit of a resurgence – that is if one is to believe the august New York Times, who on November 3rd ran a lengthy article in it’s Sunday Review section entitled, “The Glorious Return Of Funk.” Oddly, at least on the surface, the article’s author, professor and musicologist Nate Sloan, cited as his first example the song ‘Sucker,’ a current Top 40 hit by the decidedly un-funky Wyckoff, NJ trio (and all-time favorite of my daughter, Mary), the Jonas Brothers. But sure enough, precisely 1:55 into the tune and for the succeeding 14 seconds, comes the moment Sloan described as a “stupefyingly funky drum break.” I’ll be damned if I didn’t feel it. With reflections of academia, Sloan went on to explain funk’s elusive heart is in its syncopation. “(It’s) The art of placing rhythmic accents in unexpected places,” he expounds. “The cognitive dissonance created every time a drummer, a guitarist or a group of horns strikes a note on the offbeat has a way of generating a propulsive power that can’t be denied.”

Current renaissance notwithstanding, what can similarly not be denied is that such funky syncopated power was at its peak in the groovy era of the 1970’s. Earth, Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Sly and the Family Stone, Kool & The Gang, The Gap Band, The Brothers Johnson, The Commodores, The Meters (later The Funky Meters), and certainly Parliament-Funkadelic, were just some of the roster of gigantic ‘70’s bands delivering the almighty funk.

Invoking the unlikely pairing of Descartes and the aforementioned Parliament, professor Sloan further attempted to ascribe scholarly meaning to the subject with the moving, sensory description, “The olfactory nature of the name ‘funk’ suggests the music was all about sweat and sociality. And it is. But it’s also something greater. Funk insisted that physical release begets mental salvation and vice versa, a collapsing of Cartesian mind-body duality summed up succinctly in the title of a 1970 Funkadelic album: “Free Your Mind … and Your Ass Will Follow.””

That’s heady stuff (and, I suppose, booty stuff). More directly, James Jamerson, acknowledged recently as the “most influential bass player ever” by Bass Player magazine, was known to have said, “The funk is in the funk.”

Personally, I just know it when I hear (and feel) it. And probably no band (outside of James Brown and The Famous Flames) put that feeling across quite like The Ohio Players. Originally formed in Dayton, Ohio in 1959, The Ohio Players reached their zenith in the ‘70’s with gloriously funkified hits such as ‘Love Rollercoaster,’ ‘Skin Tight,’ ‘Funky Worm,’ ‘Jive Turkey,’ and, undoubtedly their greatest ever, our featured song, ‘Fire.’ The video clip, taken from a 1975 live performance on the beloved late-night musical variety series, The Midnight Special, is over nine minutes long, but well worth the time.

Right from the marvelously incongruous introduction by funk-less ‘I Am Woman’ Aussie, Helen Reddy, the Ohio Players launch into an elongated funk-fest that would almost seem to be parody – or an outtake from the Will Farrell flick, “Semi-Pro” – if not for the fact that it’s so damn awesome. There’s a lot to follow here: smoke, bubbles, sirens, afros, denim ‘n diamond-bedazzled outfits, flame-licking graphics, runway strutting, O-H-I-O chanting, the sudden appearance (then re-appearance) by a crew of pop-and-lock dancers, all happening while the band keeps churning away at its mighty funky business. But I do especially hope you’ll stick around until the end when (beginning at 8:24) double-neck guitarist Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner – that’s right, “Sugarfoot” – does a mind-blowing, pretty much indescribable scat/guitar finale that in retrospect seems like the only possible way to bring the entire eccentric exercise to a conclusion.

Of its madcap mayhem, a YouTube commenter astutely wrote, “Caution: this is straight funk, please warm up with lesser funk before watching. Side effects may include uncontrollable urge to get down, get it on, or get on wit’ yo bad self, randomly begin shouting and whooping, and possibly, in severe cases, set fire to your house in honor of the funk.” To that, stretching back from the Ohio Players on up to the Jonas Brothers, all I can think to say is “Funk yeah.”

#Ohio Players #Ohio Players “Fire” (1974) #funk #funk bands

[conniebunny]

The first kiss

A/n: heyaaaaa so i‘m in a writing frenzy and this was completely inspired by the song Sonne by Rammstein. Since i‘m german i see the same image everytime i hear this song, i decided to make this song into a Fanfiction bc hahahaha i can

Sypnosis: The reader‘s ability is basically called Angel‘s kiss. So basically when they kiss someone they get immune to their actual ability wich can basically start an apocolypse by singing. Like in the song there‘s this part where there‘s (i think) a siren or sum singing and yes that‘s the typa singing i mean. Like they can make the sun stop moving and then everybody (everything) freezes until the reader is either killed, sleeps or passes out. 

TW:  kissing obviously, also like nikolai is a pervert, sex jokes and stuff like that but no actual smut, swearing, passing out, hitting people with a pan

The DOA had always seen you as a last choice of weapon. An exit plan. 

It was a normal evening in the DOA Base. Kamui was still gone and with the hunting dogs while Sigma was in the Casino. Fyodor was with the rats in the house of the death, he said he had a Business talk with someone called Ivan. Or at least you think so. So it was just Nikolai pulling his little tricks on you while you tried concentrating on your book. Well it got a bit to far when one of nikolai's portals together with his hand started appearing under your skirt. 

You took his hand and held it firmly. 

„Your explanation?“

“Hehe…. Well i wanted your attention! I really didn’t wanna resort to this but you gave me no choices!“

“you could have called my name and said that you wanted attention.“ 

„[NAME] i want attention“

you sigh and let his hand go.

„well okay then what kind of attention do you want“

“play a game with me“

“no“

You turned back to your book and focused on the words again before Nikolai cuddled up to you and hid his face in the crotch of your neck. But seriously? At this point you didn’t even care anymore.

About 3 hours later. It was midnight by now and Sigma returned to see that Nikolai was cuddled up to you and sleeping.

“Don‘t. Even. Dare. Ask.“

Sigma didn’t know if to go to his room and cry or scream or just ask what the fuck was going on right now.

„B-but-…. You? A-a-and Nikolai? A-are you two-…“

“NO! God no! He just suddenly cuddled up to me and i let him in an attempt to calm him down because he kept annoying me!“

“I-i- o-ok…“

Sigma‘s face was pale as he went to his room. 

About 1 more hour later Kamui came back and was kind enough to carry Nikolai off of you. He put Nikolai back onto the couch before telling you to meet him in his office.

“So, [NAME], if you haven‘t realized, We slowly need your help in our little mission!“

His Voice was strong like the roar of a lion yet it was natural. 

„Yeah… i have realized.“

“So! Even though Bram may be the vampire king he is still weak and mortal to your ability. Since i was gonna wake him up anyway i thought i‘d take you with me to cure him for when you use your ability!“ 

You nodded. You weren‘t meeting Bram for the first time. You had accompanied him a lot of times when he had to stay awake. Those were the times kamui was gone with the hunting dogs and you had to make sure Bram finished doing his job. But well… you hadn‘t seen him in a while. And you probably wouldn‘t see him often anymore as Kamui was planning to get rid off the hunting dogs as another step of his plan to erase all ability users.

You quickly went to your room to put on something nicer than the blue dress you had been wearing because it was sort of wrinkly from Nikolai laying on you for like 4 hours or so. 

Putting on a nice yellow and white checkered shirtwaist dress with a white blouse underneath and some white socks you went downstairs. At the door was kamui already waiting. You quickly put on your black oxford shoes and went after Kamui to follow him to King Bram‘s coffin. 

As you fixed you half up mermaid kind of hairstyle that had a yellow bow in it you got called over wich left you to leave your hair open (i am so sorry if ur bald)

“Well then! I‘ll leave you two alone for now. Take your time and come back when you please [NAME].“

Kamui said as if it wasn’t already 4:30 in the morning. 

Well as soon as Kamui left, you sat down at the edge of Bram‘s coffin.

“sooo…. Um… do you wanna…. Just get it over with and never talk about it again or…?“

“…that certainly does sound very nice. Although i do have to ask. You are not married are you?“

“first off, i think i would have told you that, second off i wouldn’t be here right now if i did and third off screw cheaters!“

“So you would not be committing adultery then?“

„….Bram i‘m not gonna have sexual intercourse with you….“

„Right we are just going to kiss….“

You sighed as you fixed your dress and slightly leaned forward. 

„You comfy?“

“Let us just finish this as soon as possible.“

“right….“

the kiss was quick yet long enough to actually count as the cure.

Soon after you turned away and started getting ready to leave again, with that i mean you stood up and walked to the door, the bow tie still in your hand. 

„Well then goodbye Bram…. I‘ll see y-…. Actually i don‘t know if i‘ll see you around. I might kill myself if Nikolai touches me again and you kinda have a sword up your ass"

“I certainly agree to that type of reason for unalivement. Yet i do have to say. My bottom half was cut off. I do not have an anus."

Having to walk back home because you forgot your phone was torture. But soon enough you arrived at the base at 5:30 in the morning…. It had been a long night and you were ready to sleep…. Yet you got stopped by Nikolai who held both your hands and had you face him.

“How was the kiss?! Was it long? Sloppy? Messy? Good? Bad? Slow? Fast? Tell me everything!“

“Jeez Nikolai. You almost sound as if you wanna kiss Bram yourself just to find out.“

“Maybe i do who knows? Anyway! I learned a new trick today!“

“oh really? If it‘s another flirting try of yours i‘ll leave. If it‘s a bad flirt i‘ll come back-„

“and do something with me?~“

“-and hit you with a  pan i will get from the kitchen“

“awe man! Well okay. Did you know i can make my dick disappear and make you scream my name?! You just gotta take of your-„

that‘s the point you left. Well what means left you went to the kitchen and got a pan only to go back to Nikolai and hit him with a pan. That morning he passed out and you didn‘t even care enough to drag his body somewhere else than the hard wooden floor.

A/N: SO THIS WAS THE FIRST CHAPTER? UM I WANTED TO MAKE LIKE A ONE SHOT BJT THE SEXUAL TENSION GOT ME SO INTERESTED IMMA WRITE A WHOLE ASS BOOK- ANYWAY BYEEEEEEEEEEE

#bram stoker #bungou stray dogs #nikolai gogol #fyodor dostoevsky #bsd fyodor #bsd nikolai #bsd sigma #kamui #bsd kamui #Ability reader

[defensivelee]

With the beginning of October, I'd like to announce that I have a new AU (someone stop me), called To Find God's Light. The story's just as fucked up as most of my stories are, but this one will be told a little differently-- it's specifically meant to be an October-only roleplay event played on a friend's discord server as well as privately!

Still, I wanted to announce it here too just for funsies and maybe I'll update the events here as they happen! This was the original promo and summary:

Our story is one of horror and suspense. You will interact primarily with our two heroes: Maria Beatrice, an ancient feminine-presenting vampire who wishes to atone for her sins, and Father James, the priest who is here to cleanse her soul in the eyes of God using any means necessary. Other characters present include James’ daughters like sirens Mary and Anne, the penitent sinner and prisoner John Churchill, nicknamed ‘Marly’, and the magistrate William who is perhaps not everything he seems. With every choice, you can decide whether or not you will help each of these characters, whose goals often contrast. Please note that this game contains heavy topics that may be triggering, possibly including depictions of physical, mental, and sexual abuse, violent/gory imagery, torture, religious trauma, and guilt-tripping, all of which you may be subjected to and are able to subject another character to.

That about sums it up! Our players are @itzjayfeather, playing as Lucia and a member of the laity assisting James, and @incagnitoriverlol, playing as River and also a member of the laity. So I'll probably update their progression here, it'll be fun to see what horrible things they get up to 🥰🥰 ...or who knows maybe they'll save Maria we shall see we shall see

#to find god's light #everyone clap for my beautiful wife and husband

[fairyofagony]

Chapter VI : A Sheet of Life Savers

After you read this page and you found we have the same taste on music, would you like to be friend on spotify? we can share our playlists && doing a spotify session together.

I fancy listening to all of pop punk songs. I enjoy while listen to Greenday, All Time Low, Good Charlotte, Bring Me To Horizon, Avril Lavigne, Sleeping With Sirens, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Blink-182, Pierce The Veil, Mayday Parade, Sum 41, Foo Fighters, Falling In Reverse, The Story So Far, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, A Day To Remember, Simple Plan, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory, Yellowcard, Ramones, Real Friends, and countless bands.

I'm fond of Radiohead, The Strokes, Feeder, Nirvana, The Cure, U2, Evanescence, The Smiths, Blur, Pulp, R.EM, Aerosmith, Skid Row, Dido, Feeder, The Police, The Beatles, Carpenters, The Cranberries, Scorpions, The Killers, Bon Jovi, Gun N Roses, Acdc, Motley Crue, The Clash, The Offspring, You Eat Me At Six, Muse, Cage the Elephant, The Rolling Stones.

My Current Fav Song 🎧💐

I'm a casual listener of Tame Impala, Mitski, Girl In Red, Beabadobee, Clairo, Slowdive, Gracie abrams, Phoebe Bridgers, Cavetown, Novo Amor, Men I Trust, TV Girl, mxmtoon. Fiona Apple, Conan Gray, Keshi.

Playlist 🎎

Besides that, I fancy Japanese Musicians such as Miki Matsubara, Junko Ohashi, Back Number, Ichiko Aoba, Lilas Ikuta, Yoasobi, Yuuri, King Gnu, Masaki Suda, Ikimonogakari. I often listen to V-kei bands. For instance, L'Arc-en-Ciel, The GazettE, Kiryu, XANVALA, Ashmaze, Exist†trace, Girugamesh, lynch, FEST VAINQUEUR, Dir En Grey, XAAXA, Initial'L.

K-pop ✩°｡ ⋆⸜ 🎧✮

Uhm . . I just stanning Stray Kids, Tomorrow x Together, Xdinary Heroes!! ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა My L♡VE LiST : Hwang hyunjin, Kim Seungmin, Lee Know, Han Jisung, Bang Chan, Seo Changbin, Yang Jeongin, Lee Yongbok, Choi Beomgyu, Kwak Jiseok, Han Hyeongjun.

I love to listen to Day6, The Rose, Itzy, Twice, Loona. (⁠๑⁠♡⁠⌓⁠♡⁠๑⁠)

[exitiumhq]

✧ ━ ACCEPTED ━ ✧  welcome to new orleans, ezekiel 'zeke' padilla, choi 'tj' tae-jin, finn mikaelson, valentino alverez, aaron campbell, cinder storm, sabrina lewis, hazal evcen, kiro kevin hwang be sure to send in your account within twenty-four hours or your role will be reopened. don’t forget to look over our checklist and make yourself comfortable. tommy martinez, wi ha-joon, justin h. min, danny pino, dominic sherwood, baifern prinachok, meltem akcol, margot robbie & cha eunwoo are now taken!

[justin h. min | he/they ] Another face is seeking safety in New Orleans. Make sure to welcome FINN MIKALESON to the home of the resilient. Rumor has it that they are an 1,000+ year old HERETIC, who is one of the RETURNED but we’ll keep that a secret. They are said to be VENGEFUL, but that’s all a façade to cover up their STEADFAST nature. We’ve heard that they can be found listening to WANTED,WASTED by MORI CALLIOPE x TAKUYA YAMANAKA, which sums them up pretty well. Let’s hope that they can find a way to survive this harsh new world. ( min )

[ tommy martinez | he/him ] Another face is seeking safety in New Orleans. Make sure to welcome EZEKIEL ‘ZEKE’ PADILLA to the home of the resilient. Rumor has it that they are an 32 year old WEREWOLF, who is one of the SURVIVORS but we’ll keep that a secret. They are said to be VEXATIOUS, but that’s all a façade to cover up their DILIGENT nature. We’ve heard that they can be found listening to NEON GRAVE by DAYSEEKER, which sums them up pretty well. Let’s hope that they can find a way to survive this harsh new world. 

[ Danny Pino | he/him ] Another face is seeking safety in New Orleans. Make sure to welcome VALENTINO ALVAREZ to the home of the resilient. Rumor has it that they are an 49 year old HUNTER, who is one of the SURVIVORS but we’ll keep that a secret. They are said to be RECKLESS, but that’s all a façade to cover up their CHARMING nature. We’ve heard that they can be found listening to SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL by ROLLING STONES, which sums them up pretty well. Let’s hope that they can find a way to survive this harsh new world. ( Sushi )

[ dominic sherwood | he/him ] Another face is seeking safety in New Orleans. Make sure to welcome AARON CAMPBELL to the home of the resilient. Rumor has it that they are an 29 year old WEREWOLF, who is one of the SURVIVORS but we’ll keep that a secret. They are said to be SARCASTIC, but that’s all a façade to cover up their CONFIDENT nature. We’ve heard that they can be found listening to FAVOURITE KIND OF HIGH by KELLY CLARKSON, which sums them up pretty well. Let’s hope that they can find a way to survive this harsh new world. ( adam )

[baifern prinachok | they/them ] Another face is seeking safety in New Orleans. Make sure to welcome CINDER STORM to the home of the resilient. Rumor has it that they are an 28  year old SIREN, who is one of the RETURNED but we’ll keep that a secret. They are said to be MANIPULATIVE, but that’s all a façade to cover up their ALLURING nature. We’ve heard that they can be found listening to TSUNAMI by FINANA RYUGU, which sums them up pretty well. Let’s hope that they can find a way to survive this harsh new world. ( min )

[ Margot robbie | she/her ] Another face is seeking safety in New Orleans. Make sure to welcome SABRINA LEWIS to the home of the resilient. Rumor has it that they are an 33 year old WITCH, who is one of the SURVIVORS but we’ll keep that a secret. They are said to be SOFTHEADED, but that’s all a façade to cover up their ALLOCENTRIC nature. We’ve heard that they can be found listening to CAN YOU FEEL MY HEART by BRING ME THE HORIZON, which sums them up pretty well. Let’s hope that they can find a way to survive this harsh new world. ( it’s me the dumbass )

[ MELTEM AKCOL | SHE / HER ] Another face is seeking safety in New Orleans. Make sure to welcome HAZAL EVCEN to the home of the resilient. Rumor has it that they are an 23/200 year old FAIRY/WEREWOLF HYBRID, who is one of the SURVIVORS but we’ll keep that a secret. They are said to be SHORT-TEMPERED, but that’s all a façade to cover up their CARING nature. We’ve heard that they can be found listening to RESCUE ME by ONEREPUBLIC, which sums them up pretty well. Let’s hope that they can find a way to survive this harsh new world. ( I’m still a dumbass )

[ cha eunwoo | he/him, they/them ] Another face is seeking safety in New Orleans. Make sure to welcome KIRO KEVIN HWANG to the home of the resilient. Rumor has it that they are an 22 year old KITSUNE (UNTRIGGERED) , who is one of the SURVIVORS but we’ll keep that a secret. They are said to be OBSTINATE, but that’s all a façade to cover up their STEADFAST  nature. We’ve heard that they can be found listening to PLAY DICE by HAKOS BEIZS, which sums them up pretty well. Let’s hope that they can find a way to survive this harsh new world.

#exitium.accepted