#this is strictly an idea

[custom-whats]

This is an entirely unrelated thing, but i had an idea for a “custom” follower forever ago that, if you’d like to hear, i’ve put below! warning: its fucking long and i dont have the time nor energy to make it real beyond thinking it out.

To begin with a few precursor things: i enjoy asshole characters, as we dont often see them as followers and they flesh out the world of the game in a nice way, and i enjoy characters that are relevant to specific plots within the game. If there are personal stakes involved, like serana with her story, it makes it all the more satisfying to look for dialogue and go through to the end of the quest with them.

And i’m also DEEPLY mentally ill about three things: castle Volkihar, moral ambiguity, and a guy named ronthil.

If you’ve never heard of him, i don’t blame you: he’s a vampire bosmer within clan Volkihar that does nothing but serve as a merchant and a speech trainer. His wiki is super fucking small and the unique thing about him is that he’s treated worse than dirt within the clan, making him sleep behind a bookshelf iirc. He’s constantly staying on the good behavior to not get kicked out and making himself available to tasks. ur standard pathetic meow meow, so of course i like him.

Anyway my proposal was to turn Ronthil into a “Serana dialogue add on” styled mod that changed some of his core motivations, re-contextualizing his people pleasing personality, offering players an additional perspective into clan volkihar’s inner workings, provide players who were already vampires a different start to dawnguard (because a vampire hunter approaching a vampire and said vampire going to the vampire hunter’s lair is suicidal stupidity at best), and finally provide a moderate voice for why somebody might wanna be a vampire and stay that way.

so the proposed changes start like this: Whether or not you’re a vampire, you’ll sometimes see a man wandering about at night along the roads. If you’re a human, he basically doesn’t interact with you.

If you’re a vampire, he makes the suggestion that something of value to the both of you has come to his attention recently, and if you were to help him he’d be more than generous with the earnings. Obviously this is an equivalent exchange, as he is considerably ill equipped to take on anything nasty, so you’ll have to do a lot of the heavy lifting as far as fighting goes. If you agree, he leads you straight to Dimhollow crypt and the quest follows as normal. You return Serana home and are given the typical reward offer.

Assuming you accept, you’re given the standard speech and told to get your ass going to redwater den. If you speak to him after (you’ll find him loitering about) he’ll offer to accompany you, off the record of course, if you require him. He will then be available as a follower from that point on

If you’re wondering why a Volkihar vampire is being so charming and so helpful for no good reason, he’s not being; the truth of it is that he’s an intense social climber. He sees that Harkon favors you for the return of his daughter and you’ve already shown off your combat prowess at dimhollow, now with the added bonus that you’ve been given the power of a Vampire Lord. He suspects that rubbing elbows with you in a positive capacity will prove beneficial to him rising up that clan ladder down the line. Though, to be fair, he doesn’t at all suspect that it all leads to Harkon’s death, and you & serana effectively becoming the most powerful ppl at court.

 Still, that’s really all the better for him so long as he can prove useful enough to you to be given a higher position, or at least treated with more dignity.

Ronthil in this version is basically faking all of his niceties, and underneath it all is a calculating little bastard. He wants power and status, typical vampire desires, but wants them for the protection and strength they provide, not necessarily to squash people beneath him (though he’d be tempted were the mood to strike him. I mean, he IS a vampire.) His climb to the position he’s in now, lowly as it is and even with how he’s treated, is still something he fought tooth and nail for, so he’s not willing to risk himself being stupid unless he thinks there’s something better in it for him to be that way.

aaaand i just ran out of creative juice, so thats the general idea i’d cooked up. if you read this far, congrats and also wow i sure hope you like vampires lol.

#no im not doing anything with this #this is strictly an idea #LMFAO #and also i do NOT have the technical knowledge necessary to make this all work #so if you are a modder reading this and laughing then just know this is a stupid dream brought to u by urs truly (<-- vampire enjoyer) #i probably come off as EXTREMELY mentally ill in this #whatever #also for the record if ur asking but whats why does he stick around when u basically betray harkon with serana to get the scrolls and etc #at that point he weighs his odds and decides that you're the better option. #he can either do this because youve proved yourself extremely capable till now #OR he can do this because of an emotional bond you two have formed #in my head ldb is given the option to get to the heart of his motives and such in dialogue trees at which point #even when his social climber persona is still in full effect around you #its different #he cares #but again thats dialogue tree specific stuff so not everyones gonna get that satisfaction #oh and if ur wondering where the asshole bit comes into this #well he is faking his friendship just to get close at first #but if thats not enough for u then he is also entirely into you being listener and any other immoral guilds you wanna join #his pursuit of power and status makes him go YEAAA BABE join whatever u want be the best there ever was youll be the best connection in my #social group !!!!!!! #but also on a personal moral level he's done all youre gonna do and worse before he kicks the bucket probably. so he doesnt care

[puppyeared]

wanna see a magic trick? 🪄🎩

#YEAYYYY i like drawing this guy #now that i think abt it i cant remember the last time i saw a furry with tattoos.... ive decided not to think too hard about how it would #work but i think i like the idea of him getting playing card tats on his ears would be cool ^_^ #apparently anthro species on furth include birds and mammals and i think fish amphibians and reptiles are non anthro #so instead of whipping out doves he would make white butterflies appear out of his hat :o) #its sort of meant to tie in with the ruffles on his shirt resembling a butterfly!!! i thought id make it close to a swallowtail so #that way its easy to see at a glance. i think that would look really cool irl #he looks a lot like joker p5 now that i look at it... it wasnt intentional but the red eyes and black messy hair is obvious huh #oh but the way his hair curls in the front isnt strictly in one direction just so that its easy to draw lol. its meant to curl around his #hat brim a little bc i thought it would look cool #my art #myart #my oc #oc #sleight #laika's comet #laika's comet oc #fan character #furry #furry art #fur

[egophiliac]

Have you heard of the "Crowley is Malleus' dad" theory going around? Where Prince Levan (or whatever his name is) didn't actually die and just went out to get some milk and is now known as Dire Crowley, the silly man? The implications of that theory is absolutely hilarious when you think about it

hold on, we can figure this out, we just need LISTS

PROS THAT CROWLEY IS SECRETLY REVAAN/LEVAN/LAVERNE/WHATEVER:

unspecified fae of some kind, with similar coloring to Mal

the animal masks are apparently a Briar Valley thing

has some kind of big blackmailable secret that was alluded to in episode 4, and then as far as I know never brought up again

(unless this was just Azul bullshitting, which is extremely possible)

based on Diablo, which...maybe means something?

has canonically worn Dad Shorts

CONS:

(gestures to Crowley's entire personality)

NO LISTEN Revaan was the guy they sent off on diplomatic missions and to take care of delicate political situations, and...look, I love this dweeb, but would you trust Crowley to be in charge of negotiating your war treaties

despite my brain insisting on reading his name as "Raven", Revaan's title does imply that he was also a dragon (or super into longan berries, I'm not ruling that out)

currently unclear why Lilia "my closest friend Revaan...he is no longer with us...I used to make fun of him for being kind of a priss about eating jerky..." Vanrouge has somehow not noticed or said anything

Malleus' Aloof Anime ~Aristocrat~ vibe had to come from somewhere, and by all accounts it was NOT his mom's side of the family

???:

turns into a bird in the opening, I don't know if that means anything but it's kinda cool, I guess

all that aside, if Malleus and Yuu are any indication, then the Draconias have...questionable taste in their social choices. so anything is possible!

#art #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland spoilers #twisted wonderland episode 7 spoilers #twisted wonderland book 7 spoilers #disclaimer that this is half joke and half speculation so like. please take it in good spirits and don't yell at me #right now i'm leaning away from crowley being revaan because i think the evidence is currently circumstantial at best #but who knows what the future will bring! #man. whenever i consciously remember that crowley is diablo it also reminds me #that his name is supposed to be pronounced like dear and not like the word dire #which always fucks me up a little bit. this is the worst thing about him bar none. #damnit crowley #anyway every time a new part comes out i rewatch the opening just in case there turns out to be any more foreshadowing #(there never is) #(but that ONE really quick bit where you can see overblot azul means i always have to look) #which is to say i have been carefully reanalyzing all the crowley bits and i have reached the conclusion #that i still have no idea what is going on with him #he may be the world's biggest mastermind or the world's biggest idiot and these are not mutually exclusive #(this is a strictly pro-crowley post btw) #(i'm allowed to make fun of him because i love him dire-ly)

[thwackk]

a while back i started making my own teen titans reboot after watching the show because i just wanted to for fun. and was planning to redesign them all and made some of their character arcs a little better and made gave them slightly different dynamics with each other n everything but i only got dick and raven done. ive drawn starfire’s but it’s uncolored

#i should finish rhe rest them i had a lot of neat ideas for beast boy #this is like strictly the 2003 cartoon universe that i wanted to mess around with #this started because i hated robin’s hair and pants so much in the show that i had to redesign him #raven and robin have that i understand you and trust you and would be happy to sit in comfortable silence with you type of dynamic #i didnt make any HUGE changes just a few little things #raven #rachel roth #dick grayson #teen titans #teen titans 2003 #dc #my art lol

[pkmn-go-to-the-polls]

Just wanted to say, thanks for posting that last poll tournament! Hanamusa was basically my gateway back into the wider Pokémon fandom (I’ve still played most of the core games bar Sword/Shield, but I dropped off the anime around the middle of X/Y), so I’ve got a lot of attachment there, but I learned a lot from seeing all the different pairings and it was really fun seeing people championing them (and I’ll always be an Appealshipping cheerleader!).

I know setting up these polls is what you set up this account for, but I also know it takes a lot of work and setup, so thanks!

THANK YOUUU ;_; THIS MEANS A LOT!! im so happy that people have been enjoying the tournament!!

#also there's never been a better time to get back into the anime. horizons is literally the best it's ever been imo #ill proselytize it to people every chance i get!! first 12 dubbed episodes now on netflix!! first 45 subbed episodes out now on. illegally #also yesss we love appealshipping in this house im so pleased they made it as far as they did!! #asks #y'all have no idea how hard it is to not inundate you all with my pokemon thoughts at all times LMAO but we're strictly business here.

[kirbylord]

i feel like i won’t be able to put this correctly but i love the difference between how azi and crowley express their love and how beelzebub and gabriel express it. like beez and gabriel love each other but they never kiss because they’re not humans, they’re ethereal/occult beings who don’t express love in human terms. and their love isn’t explicitly romantic or queerplatonic or platonic but it doesn’t matter the label except that they’re in love.

but with crowley and azi, they’ve lived among humans for 6000 years, and they like earth and humanity, they enjoy eating human food and drinking and they enjoy human music and dancing and books, and i think overtime they’ve become connected with the human experience. so, when crowley comes to terms that he loves azi and needs to express it, his first instinct is to express how humans do—by kissing him.

it doesn’t mean they’re suddenly explicitly romantic, just that they’re expressly in love, and crowley in his desperation needs to show aziraphale those feelings before it’s too late. but unfortunately, he’s always too late.

#i still like to think their relationship is not strictly romantic #they probably wouldn’t label it anyway #but in my heart of hearts i do love the idea of them being in a queerplatonic relationship #and they express however they see fit without any human expectations #they love each other in their own way and that’s all that matters #crowley #aziraphale #good omens #good omens 2 #good omens 2 spoilers #good omens spoilers #ineffable husbands #ineffable divorce #beelzebub #gabriel

[ria-starstruck]

hollow knight ikea au.

#i have more ideas for an ikea au or whatever the hell this is im doing but. later #i have ideas for a family barbecue au also. yes i know both are anachronistic and impossible and don't suit the family dynamic but it is soo #funny #hollow knight #hollow knight fanart #hollow knight au #ikea au #....if that's a tag #hollow knight ikea au #hollow knight comic #i don't think pale king would actually b a driver. or a good driver #im agreeing w the comic i saw where hornet drove i think hornet would be a good driver #hollow knight would cause an accident by trying to adhere to the laws of the road too strictly. or they would simply not drive #white lady is a pedestrian #ghost would treat it like mario kart #artists on tumblr #traditional art #fanart

[probablygoodrpgideas]

Whenever I see a worldbuilding tip along the lines of "make your borders seem more normal by making them follow natural features" I have to think about the town I grew up in.

It's a relatively small town with only 25k people living there but throughout the 20th century it had multiple nearby villages added to it, presumably to save on administrative cost. This has led to one of the weirdest borders imaginable.

Here's a sattelite map of the town and nearby area witih an x marking the city centre

Tomorrow I will reveal the borders of the town, feel free to post your own guesses

#not strictly ideas? #idk it's more me responding to common advice by saying “yeah sure but have you considered reality is weird and fun sometimes”

[chikahoshi]

I commissioned @tikklil from Twitter/Instagram again to draw 42 Miles/42 Gwen based off @bloody-writing's fic Tonight You Belong To Me. This fic is the reason why I ship them so hard, so I think it's only fitting that I commission fanart inspired by this fic as a thank you. Hopefully, I can do some more commissions based on this fic because there are scenes that I really think is worth seeing illustrated. So fingers crossed. (As a disclaimer, I did get permission to post the commission here.)

#miles x gwen #gwiles #ghostprowler #tempted to tag ghostflower too...but i'm going to hold off from doing so #also...this isn't 100% strictly faithful to the fic... #some of this was due to my fault for not being more prepared to present the details to the artist #some of this I just thought it would be better to change some minor details... #anyways if anyone saw my post where i said i was going to take a break from commissions #depending on how my personal life goes that break might be a lot smaller than i thought it would be... #but yeah...I'm just waiting to see how that goes and if things go the way i hope it will be #then for sure you'll see some more commissions a lot sooner than i had expected :) #i will give a hint though that the next commission idea is going back to 1610 miles and 65 gwen...there's been an idea that's been stuck in #my head for a few months and i really want to see that come to life #it makes me happy thinking about so i hope it will be the same for others too

[fayevalcntine]

Positioning Louis as the "Edwardian wife who becomes trapped by her husband" in a literal sense does no justice to analyzing his actual place and role as a Black man in his society and in his relationship with Lestat. Any interpretation or analysis you do of him when it comes to their relationship cannot be stripped of the racial aspect because it's constantly there. Texts analyzing Edwardian wives (and particularly ones this fandom loves to bring up) typically were white and the dissection of their place in societal rules are always viewed from the aspect of gender that is within these texts only allowed to white women, but never to Black men or even Black women. And gender and race become inseparable when you discuss the latter, no matter how people may view it.

This is why I can't take this approach to analyzing Louis' story seriously because if you don't consider the racial aspect in his relationship even to himself and his sexuality, what's the point? You're still centering the standards that were more placed upon white male/female couples than you're willing to look into the unique structure of Black families, religion, their view of homosexuality and how that sooner heavily influences Louis than the family's "need" for him to be sold off to an Edwardian husband. Even in Louis' own story, him and Claudia being Black is more centered on than any demeaning "housewife" comment he tries to go against from Claudia's perspective. She makes that comment once, whereas we have at least two episodes from Louis' perspective that have very blatant hints and showings of the racism he still suffers from under the Jim Crow era and how it affects his self-worth as well as his relationship with Lestat who doesn't seem to take into consideration how any of the blatant racial aggressions and objections still affect Louis and what he considers to be important to achieve in his own life.

Then there's also the pointed topic of Louis' position as a Black man who is a pimp to the Black women he has as sex workers, as well as how his position as a Black father affects Claudia, another Black girl. If you insist on Louis being centered as this "Edwardian white wife" who is confined by his implicit gender in his marriage, where does that leave Claudia and the blatant misogyny and disrespect she gets from both him and Lestat? Lestat who is her white father abuses her. Positioning Louis within the strict confines of "being her mother" doesn't do her any favors because he didn't hesitate to choke her when he was deeply emotionally distressed, nor does it make him look any better when he's fine with chopping up her diaries and then delivering them on a silver platter so that Daniel, another white man, can read and dissect. Even if he does this under the sole pretense of "doing right by her", how does it in any way help when he also can't face up to his failures towards her?

#interview with the vampire #claudia #louis de pointe du lac #i just feel like all these needless 'Lestat is the patriarchy' discussions; even when done in order to shield Louis #do him and Claudia no favors because y'all keep centering these weird strictly white standards in your interpretations #'Louis is an Edwardian wife' Louis is a Black man who was turned in 1910s Louisiana #the structural confines Edwardian wives were given really aren't the same when you take into consideration the racial segregation #of Louis' time; and I feel like the specific issues that Black men then faced when it came to 'proving' their worth when it comes to gender #are then just sidelined and forgotten as if those aren't the standards Louis grew up with #if you want to discuss Louis' placement in his relationship with Lestat it's kind of really heavy-handed even on the show #that he's a black man and that that heavily affects him foremostly in this relationship #also I'm so confused over this insane idea that Lestat is somehow the patriarchy while Louis is a woman and y'all say this unprompted #without considering how it looks when you call a gay black man a woman and a white bisexual man a guy #i feel like you can evade bad stereotypes of painting black men as overaggressive without veering off into the whole other side #while still sounding vaguely backhanded #and it doesn't make it any less weird when I see other non-black/white fans insist on this interpretation #it just comes off as y'all sooner being able to connect to Louis if you see him in a role typically embodied by white women #than to refer to the actual identity he has as a black gay man

[nat-1-whump]

❄️ Magical cold/comfort

Fantasy hurt/comfort ideas no. 6

Deep in the woods, Whumpee gets injured and passes out. Caretaker carries them as they stumble through the snow, desperately looking for anyone who can help. Eventually they find a lone cabin with someone who is very surprised to have visitors. Whumpee wakes up wrapped in a blanket in front of a warm fire, their injuries treated with some sweet-smelling home remedies. Their head rests in Caretaker's lap as Caretaker gently strokes their hair. Whumpee dozes off again, listening to Caretaker explain their situation to the odd stranger who has taken them in.

Whumpee accidentally covers themself in frost while trying to practice some cold-related spell. Caretaker steps outside to find Whumpee on the ground, practically frozen solid. Caretaker is quick to bring them inside and seat them near the fire, bundle them up in layers of blankets, and make them something warm to eat. When Whumpee takes the meal with shivering hands, Caretaker presses them on why they were trying to practice that by themself. Whumpee's face turns red as they admit they were worried they weren't strong enough to protect Caretaker from Whumper.

Huddling for warmth combined with nonhuman parts, like wings, tails, long pointy ears, etc. Nonhuman Caretaker uses their wings to wrap Whumpee up like a blanket, hugging them tight as they wait for the snow storm to pass. Caretaker tries to thaw Nonhuman Whumpee's long ears by rubbing them with their hands or putting socks over them. Nonhuman Whumpee and Nonhuman Caretaker twist their tails together, rub their wings together, etc to try to warm up. This can vary a lot depending on what species Whumpee and Caretaker are.

Whumpee with fire magic thinks they'll be just fine venturing into the cold, but as they use more and more magic they start to exhaust their power. By the time they get home, their power is depleted and they're freezing cold. Or maybe they don't even make it home, passing out outside where Caretaker finds them and brings them inside. They groggily wake up in front of the fireplace, leaning against Caretaker on the couch. As soon as they're lucid enough, Caretaker scolds them and makes them promise not to be so careless.

Caretaker with ice magic or cold resistance underestimates how dangerous the cold can be to Whumpee. While outside foraging for potion ingredients or doing some quest in the snow, Caretaker assumes Whumpee is right behind them. But when they turn around, Whumpee isn't there. Caretaker frantically goes back along the trail, and finds Whumpee collapsed on the ground, a layer of frost already forming over them. Whatever they were doing would have to wait. For now, they had to find some way to warm Whumpee up.

Whumper freezes Whumpee in an ice crystal as a decoration or trophy. They use magic to keep Whumpee alive and conscious, even as they're completely frozen solid. When Caretaker finally gets Whumpee out of Whumper's lair and breaks them out of the ice, they want nothing more than to get revenge on Whumper. Still, that will have to wait until Whumpee's doing better. For now, Caretaker settles for warming Whumpee up with cuddles by the fireplace, squeezing them tight and promising them that Whumper will never hurt them again.

Caretaker is just chilling (no pun intended) in their house when a portal opens up. Their rival Whumpee collapses through it. Caretaker just barely catches them before they fall face-first on the floor. Whumpee is badly injured, soaked to the bone and shivering uncontrollably. Caretaker is just a little bit tempted to throw their rival back into the portal and close it behind them. Still, they reluctantly decide to warm Whumpee up and wait to do that until after they've recovered somewhat. Caretaker really wants Whumpee to tell them what happened. After all, as much as they dislike Whumpee, not even they would put them in this condition.

Possibly a continuation of the last prompt, rivals Caretaker and Whumpee bickering as Caretaker tries to warm Whumpee up. As they try to get the ice off with fire or a blow-dryer, Caretaker calls Whumpee an idiot. Whumpee's face turns redder, and they snap at Caretaker to shut up and get them another blanket. Caretaker makes Whumpee some hot tea to help thaw them out, but Whumpee refuses to drink it because it's too hot. Both of them want to cuddle, but neither wants to be the one to suggest it.

#i know not all of these are strictly fantasy but I didn't think there were enough of those to warrant a separate post #back from my random months-long haitus. teehee #I wrote most of this last summer but it was sitting in my drafts until now whoops #aspen's hurt/comfort #writing prompts #writeblr #fantasy writing #fantasy writing prompts #fantasy hurt/comfort #hurt/comfort #hurt/comfort prompts #fantasy whump #magical whump #whump prompt #whump community #whump #whump writing #aspen's writing ideas #cold whump #cold hurt/comfort #cold/comfort #hypothermia whump #tw whump #tw hypothermia

[ssouhekii]

ʲᵉˡˡʸᶠⁱˢʰ ᵃⁿᵈ ˡⁱᵗᵗˡᵉ ᵇˡᵃᶜᵏ ᶜᵃᵗ - ☆ .° • . °

☆ ˢⁱᵍᵐᵃ & ᶜʰⁱˡᵈ!ᵒʳᵃᶜˡᵉ!ʸ/ⁿ - * ☆ . °

wc - 4.4k ☆

Sigma didn't go into this month's Decay meeting expecting for them to induct a new member. He really didn't expect this member to be a little kid. He really, really didn't expect this little kid to be staying with him.

warnings: implied/referenced child neglect & experimentation, nothing too serious though, yet, kind of uneventful because it's the first of a series, nobody will tell poor sigma y/n's name and there's lots of awkward pauses

a/n - I haven't written in a very long time, so sorry if it's a bit dry. i promise the next chapter will have more interesting interactions and dialogue. I only wanted the conversations to be stiff for this chapter so that you can feel the tension between sigma and the reader. also, i know the word oracle is used incorrectly. more on that later

The Decay of Angels sat around a white plastic table in white plastic chairs. Behind each of them lay a beige wall, and under their feet a tan carpet.

Fyodor had perhaps chosen the blandest room to ever exist for this meeting, and the worst part was he couldn't even complain.

Sigma had spent their last meeting at Nikolai's elegant Oakwood dining table, stepping over streamers and stray cards scattered everywhere. Each member had taken a seat in a wildly abstract chair, ranging from Fyodor in a bean-bag on wheels to Nikolai, in his dramatic red velvet throne at the center of the table. Sigma had taken his place at a plastic folding chair that he was sure had been taken from a wrestling gig.

So, he had felt a sick sort of relief walking into the most unsettlingly mild room known to man. He listened to a hung-over Fukuchi drone on about that month's objectives, their current business affairs, financing updates, and upcoming social events. Each member of the Decay stood and gave a rushed report of their activity for the previous month, Sigma noting his Casino's gains, Nikolai his undercover diplomatic efforts, and Fukuchi his outlook on the political environment. Bram had nothing to share, and closed his eyes once again in his coffin as Fyodor stood from his chair. He gave a calm glance around the room and closed his eyes, beginning his proposal.

"As you all know, news of a certain ability user affecting affairs with underground organizations have been circulating as of late."

Sigma cast a worried glance to Nikolai, who seemed invested in his dear friend's speech.

Sigma cast a worried glance to Nikolai, who seemed invested in his dear friend's speech.

"It has come to my attention that this ability user is completely unaffiliated with any organization, and is quite out of control. Thus, we must take control of them before another group has a chance to do so."

The casino's manager set his elbow on the table and looked at his fingernails. They were glazed white and slightly pointed.

Sigma hadn't quite expected Fyodor to initiate inducting another member to the Decay. He had a habit of coercing Fukuchi to let talented people slip out of their hands and into the palms of the Rats. Despite the losses, Sigma could never help but be relieved at the Decay's stable member count. Four was enough for him.

Fyodor continued.

"While we already have this ability user in our grasp, it may be difficult to keep them in our hand, so to speak. It is confirmed that the subject has difficulty controlling their ability. However, that should not be a problem for Fukuchi and I to address."

Fyodor opened his eyes slowly and flicked his lashes while glancing to his side, making eye contact with Fukuchi before looking away.

"The difficulty in inducting this.. person into the Decay lies in controlling their temperament."

Sigma's calmness and relief shook itself off immediately. For Fyodor to express trouble with controlling someone meant they were stubborn as a stone, or even a genius on the same level as him.

"A discussion between Fukuchi and I has taken place, and we believe the best course of action should be for a member of the Decay to welcome them into their home. This would be convenient for surveillance, as the subject cannot be left alone for long. It would also benefit training."

The casino manager became even more nervous. It was precisely with his luck they'd announce it was him who had to take in a new member with behavioral issues.

"The subject may also not live alone as they are not... of age to do so. The ability user in question, a child of six years, cannot be trusted to manage their own household properly."

A lump formed in his throat. Deep down, there was a part of him that almost begged to recieve this child. That begged for that almost ill-concieved notion of a family. He pushed that notion down in favor of disdain, and to any unassuming citizen he would almost look sick at the thought of taking in a kid with behavioral issues.

Fyodor continued.

"It is known that some members-" Nikolai came to mind, and Sigma noticed Bram glance to the clown too. "-cannot sustain an environment suitable for a child either."

Sigma was nearly sure this would be him.

"Given Fukuchi's alcoholism, Bram's lack of... appendages, and Nikolai's.. preferred environment, that leaves two options out of the Decay," Fyodor and everyone else eyed Sigma, and he felt like this attack was premeditated. "However, given my circumstances involving myself and those currently living with me, I cannot guarantee the safety of a young child in my household."

"So, you'd want me to take the child in?"

Fukuchi rose from his chair and stood beside Fyodor.

"If you'd be willing to take on this job, it'd benefit the organization greatly. We're willing to use the Decay's funds to pay for any living costs for the subject, including recreation. You are not obligated, but the subject's safety is of utmost importance towards our future plans."

Sigma was pretty sure that "recreation" just meant toys.

"Paying for living costs is no problem. With all due respect, the casino allocates for about three-fifths of the Decay's income, while also sustaining itself. However," Sigma paused, searching for his words. "However, I am in no way prepared to handle a child. I have no prior experience."

"Well, Sig, you can learn! You got a hold of the casino in no time!" Nikolai had broken his silence, no longer entranced with Fyodor's little speech. His encouraging words only set Sigma off.

"Yes, Nikolai, the casino is a whole other issue! I cannot be expected to manage an entire business while watching over a superpowered child with supposed behaviour issues! While I am fine covering financial management for the Decay Of Angels, I was never in any way propositioned to join for babysitting. I do want to stay professional here, but you can't just spring a job like this on me!"

Sigma finished his little rant. The entire table remained still, exactly the same as they had been before. Sigma wasn't even sure when said child would arrive, but he was sure he required some sort of notice before they even mentioned it to him.

He should have known Fyodor would see through him.

"No, Sigma, you were never "propositioned for babysitting" or anything of the like. However, we may very well compensate you-" Nikolai cut in. "Yeah, yeah! We'll raise your paycheck and find more people to cover the casino! We've already got ya covered, Sig!!"

"Thank you, Nikolai," Fukuchi grumbled, clearly holding back a sigh. "We will indeed compensate you and cover both your costs and time lost. As for experience, none is needed."

"Fukuchi, I can't be expected to raise a child with no guidance or skills pertaining to.. to children."

Fyodor made eye contact with Sigma, chilling him to the bone. The rat's sickening smile curled upwards.

"You haven't got to raise any child, Sigma. Just make sure the subject is alive long enough to complete training. Once that is finished, they will sustain themself."

It wasn't until later, much later, that Sigma had realized why the idea of training a living weapon for the Decay made him so, so ill.

"So you expect me to, what, keep a six year old under lock and key?"

"Sure, as long as that works for you."

Sigma, much more unnerved but slightly less opposed to the idea, decided he'd need to shoot more questions. One, in particular, ached in his mind.

"Why is this child so important? What plan is so dire to you that it involves keeping a specific ability user so close?"

Fukuchi leaned forward, and Nikolai whipped his head towards him. "Again, this ability looks to be a danger if not controlled, and an even bigger danger if controlled by a group other than us. As for our plans with her in the future, those remain private."

"Well, what's this dangerous ability, then, and why am I subject to deal with it?"

"As said, you are the only one with a household safe enough to keep a child alive and healthy. As for the ability.." Fyodor narrowed his eyes as Fukuchi finished talking, taking this as his turn to convince Sigma.

"The subject's ability is called, quite simply, Oracles. It can be supposed that she is able to see any place and hear any word without actually being in the area. However, this ability may only view what is going on at the exact moment. In addition, it has been confirmed that the subject cannot control nor will a vision at any given moment, making them completely unprompted."

Sigma cut in as soon as Fyodor paused.

"So how is that dangerous?"

"You know very well how, Sigma."

He had only asked the question to stall a little further. This conversation, the way these people spoke about this child, made him sick. He didn't want to answer their question.

Nikolai tapped his feet, while Fukuchi and Fyodor eyed him cautiously. Bram was asleep. Quietly, Sigma uttered the only question he could think of.

"What will happen to her if I refuse?"

Fyodor's smile faded slightly, but there was no malice in his eyes. Fukuchi's gaze narrowed and Nikolai frowned.

"Sig, don't do that. We kinda need you to do this!"

"It's alright, Nikolai," Fyodor hummed. "I can keep the ability user myself. Though, Ivan hasn't reacted well to their arrival, I'm sure he can adjust. He may not trust their ability now, but he'll warm up as they.." Fyodor was tuned out as Sigma recalled what he knew about Ivan. The tall, unsettling man whom Fyodor had done brain surgery on, making him into some sort of passive servant. Sigma almost shuddered. The thin man had been almost violently obsessed with Fyodor, though not in the way Nikolai was. In fact, Ivan had outright threatened Nikolai more than once for even grazing against his beloved master.

Sigma was sure he understood now why Fyodor hadn't wanted to keep a child near someone like that.

Damn Sigma for being so mild.

He decided to use his last resort before declining the offer. The child would simply have to deal with Ivan's distrust.

"Would it be alright if I could... meet this girl first before allowing her into my home?"

Though Sigma had completely cut in, the room remained unresponsive for a passing moment before Nikolai jumped up onto Sigma and let out some sort of high-pitched squeal. "AHH! I KNEW you'd give her a chance! Thanks for doing us such a favor! I'll go grab her right now!!"

Nikolai disappeared before he could even hear Sigma mutter something about not having said yes.

☆ . ° • . ☆ * .°

The strange tall man with a white braid and striped pants unlocked the door to the room and strutted in, humming a tune. He, not even looking at you, grabbed your wrist tightly and began to drag you somewhere yet again. You'd been in that little beige room for almost twenty minutes now, but it'd felt like you had barely sat down.

"Time to go, kiddo!" He chirped as he almost lifted you out of your metal folding chair with a single tug to your wrist. You had tried not to budge, but the man proved to have incredible strength. So, you walked out with him, struggling against his grasp even though it was futile. In fact, he ignored your muttering and wriggling, continuing to almost skip down the hall.

At last you two arrived at a door, and the strange man squatted down to meet your eyes. You thought he was unsuccessful, as the card covering his own left eye prevented him from looking into both of yours at once. He compensated for this by quickly darting his right eye back and forth.

"You're gonna go meet the man who's gonna take care of you, okay? Yeah? Make sure to be re-e-eal nice, alright? Let's put on a big smile, okay?!"

You continued to stare blankly ahead as the excitable man pushed open the doors and again dragged you into the room. There were more tall men, and your blank stare dropped into a scowl.

While being pulled forwards, you stopped struggling in favor of analyzing the odd characters before you.

Your eyes were first drawn to the pale, grey-haired man, asleep to your far right in a large wooden box. It was lined with some sort of soft-looking red texture, which you were sure you could've fallen asleep in too. However, what caught your attention the most was the man's striking lack of appendages and a sword where his stomach should be. You were sure it must've hurt a lot, and were glad he was getting rest.

You still scowled as you looked to the left of the sleeping man, you spotted two other figures you'd seen before. The grey-haired man in the red coat and the eery black-haired man. The grey-haired man annoyed you. When he had first caught you, scampering around in a forest near the abandoned cottage you had made into your home, he had picked you up and slung you over his shoulder like a sort of package. You had been incredibly frustrated and screamed until your voice gave out, pounding your fists against his back. He hadn't ever responded, and only spoke in short commands like "Stop" and "quiet." Worst of all, his breath smelled sour and dry, like those fermented drinks that the adults always had on rough nights.

You disliked the black-haired man too, but for different reasons. Where his grey friend paid almost no attention to you at all, you could always feel the dark man's eyes on you. He spoke in a saccharine tone and called you things like mishka and little one. His gaze almost felt full of contempt, and he kept physical distance from you like you were some sort of beast.

Looking around, you didn't see the black-haired man's other friend, the one with the bandages around his head. You were glad, because you didn't like him. He had said if you spied on his master he'd throw you out, and then spied on you himself the whole night.

Finally, right in front of you, was a man with choppy hair in half-purple and half-white. The inside of his coat sparkled like the sky when it was dark, which caught your attention. Being speedily pulled towards him by the man with the striped pants, you noticed the half-and-half's gaze on you.

You weren't surprised at his stare, as that tended to be a common reaction to your appearance. You weren't sure why. Maybe it was because your hair hung in your face like vines on the fence of an overgrown house, abandoned for years with no care. Maybe it was because your nearly-empty eyes had deep bags under them from all the times you'd lost sleep after seeing a vision. Maybe it was because you had only ever wore a musty hospital gown, if only for lack of better clothing options. Or maybe, maybe it was just because everyone thought your visions were the most important thing about you, and that you were some mystical oracle that knew their fate.

You gazed up at Mister-two-tone, not noticing his friend mouth "introduce yourself" to him before he knelt down and looked into your eyes, and glanced to the floor briefly before slowly offering his hand to you.

"My name is Mister Sigma. What's your name..?"

His voice was deep and serious, but gentle. You looked at this strange Mister Sigma's hand. You weren't sure what he wanted you to do with it, so you ignored it and kept staring into his eyes. Silence overwhelmed the room. Over a minute passed without your response, and Mister Sigma retracted his hand while you continued to stare him down.

It wasn't that you were shy, or that you'd forgotten your own name, or even that you didn't ever have one. You had been little y/n in your town until the people in white coats took you away and started calling you Subject Oh Thirty Eight, or Zero Three Eight, or even just Thirty-Eight. Then, the sterile white building had been flooded and you had run into a nearby forest, and suddenly you hadn't got any name at all. Or maybe you had, but it didn't really matter that much.

You were drawn out of your thoughts by that Mister Sigma interjecting again.

"So, I uh.. What's your favorite animal, kiddo?"

You had often enjoyed the company of feral cats in your town, and had seen some strange, fat striped-tail ones in the woods you occupied. However, you didn't understand why he would need to know, so you kept silent.

After about fifteen seconds of still staring into his eyes (you counted yourself), you were brought back into focus by his voice breaking the room's silence a third time.

"Is it true that you can see anything, anywhere?"

Oh, you knew the answer to this! Everyone who met you had asked. You noticed the eery black-haired man behind Mister Sigma narrow his eyes at you.

"I can't see the visions you want at will. I'm sorry."

Your voice was scratchy, both from the screaming you'd done the day earlier when the grey-haired man caught you and the fact that you barely talked anyways. This response, however, was easy to say after dozens of live practice sessions.

The two-toned Mister Sigma's eyes softened and he glanced to the side with an almost nervous look before looking back at you and smiling.

"That's alright, I don't need anything. I just wanted to know."

You continued to stare at him as he stood up and motioned his colleagues to come near. Card-face dropped your arm and sped over to the two-toned man along with everyone else, and they huddled around you in a whisper.

You stood silently and continued to stare.

☆ . ° • . ☆ * .°

It was at that moment Sigma swore he wouldn't get attached.

Hearing the first words from a glassy-eyed child be "I'm sorry" formed a new feeling of contempt for the world around him. He almost felt angry, hearing someone so young apologize for being unable to be of use.

Damn Fyodor for picking a child he saw so much of himself in.

Though the little child had seemed a little cold and almost feral, they seemed considerably easier to handle than what Sigma had expected. He'd almost expected a younger Nikolai. However, he wasn't relieved to find that their preferred form of conversation was a cold glare.

"So, Sig? Whaddya think, whaddya think? Don't keep us waiting any longer!!"

Sigma felt his colleagues' eyes on him. He glanced at his feet, then at the child (who made eye contact with him through their messy, overgrown locks. Sigma almost shivered.) then finally moved his eyes across his coworkers.

"I will take in the child," Fyodor and Fukuchi smiled while Nikolai nearly burst into joyful laughter. "Provided that the Decay covers all costs, time lost on the casino, and training efforts. This is my only offer."

"Ah, Sig, we knew you'd take her! Great, great!!" Nikolai sprang onto Sigma and hugged him, while Fyodor clapped politely. Fukuchi gave an almost half-hearted bow, clearly tired from this indecision.

"Thank you for doing this, Sigma. Route me your receipts every month and you'll be compensated. I'll have any documents needed for a front mailed to you soon."

Fukuchi took his leave soon after. Bram was carried out with him. Sigma pushed Nikolai off of him and looked to Fyodor.

"I'm glad I could convince you. Good evening, Sigma." Fyodor also left quickly, clearly wanting out before Sigma changed his mind.

Sigma turned to Nikolai, who had made his way to the little child and was shaking their hand furiously. They squirmed and grumbled.

"Bye bye, kiddo!! Have fun with Sig, okay? I'll drop by soon!"

He leaped up and trotted to Sigma, grasping his hands and staring into his face almost excitedly.

"Hey, Sig, good luck!! Congrats on your first kid!" Nikolai skipped out like some sort of madman, leaving Sigma and the child alone, watching each other.

He couldn't believe what he'd just agreed to.

☆ . ° • . ☆ * .°

As the strange white-haired man finally left, you were left alone in front of the table with Mister Sigma. He turned and stared at you. You kept watching him as you had. The way his hair moved was interesting to you. Every time he turned his head, it made a swishing motion. It was like some sort of fish you'd seen in the aquarium a long, long time ago. You couldn't remember its name.

"Well, it's getting late. I guess we'd, uh, better get going, yeah?" He asked, seeming slightly unsure of himself. He stepped towards you, and you instinctively stepped back.

He held out a hand to you slowly. You weren't quite sure what to make of it. Did he want you to take it? You weren't sure whether he knew that he could just take your hand himself, but you didn't tell him that. You'd had enough manhandling for two days.

He retracted his hand and let out a slight huff, glancing toward you before turning away towards the door.

"Come on, let's go home."

Mister Sigma walked towards the door, and you passively followed behind him. Leading you down the hallway, the only sound he made was the soft clack, clack, clack of his shoes on the floor. The two of you twisted and turned down the halls past several bland brown doors before exiting the building through a set of large glass sliders.

The twilight glistened, though not as beautifully as the inner liming of his coat that swayed along with his hair as he walked. The man pulled out a ring decorated by a large plastic button and a few metal keys. He clicked the button and one of the cars in the lot lit up and let out a quick honk. He turned to his car, a small white Toyota with sleek lights on the front and the back. Its interior consisted of grey leather seats, and a pair of red plush dice hanging from the mirror.

You followed him to the left side of the car, and he opened the front door before looking at you in confusion.

"You can sit on the other side, unless you'd like to sit in the back. This is the driver's seat, though, and I have to sit here."

He spoke cautiously for some reason, stepping over each word as if simply telling you to go sit on the other side was a mortal offense. It wasn't that important to you, but you did appreciate the explanation. You hadn't been told why you had to do something in a very long time, so it was a breath of fresh air.

You paced to the other side of the car, and mimicking how he did it, took the door handle in one hand and pulled it. The door barely budged, and you pulled again. On your third try, you set both palms on the handle and heaved it open.

You stepped into the car proudly, and sat down.

"Could you close the door, please?" Mister Sigma interjected, interrupting your sense of accomplishment. You pulled the door shut with both hands and glared at him. His eyebrows raised slightly, and he squinted a little at you.

"Are you okay?"

"Mhm."

Your mild frustration was dissolving quickly, and you relaxed your gaze. He looked down beside you and raised his pointer finger.

"Could you, uh, buckle your seatbelt?"

You weren't quite sure what that meant. You'd seen cars before, but any memory of being in one was hazy. Lightly tilting your head, you opened your mouth a bit.

"Do you need help?"

You shifted in your seat and nodded. He slowly reached over, watching you all the while, and dragged a large grey belt out of the seat and reached over you, placing it into a button on your other side. It made a little click, and he retracted his hands.

"Now we're ready to go."

Mister Sigma set his keys down beside him and started the car. It made a hum as he pulled out of the parking spot. You watched him closely, paying special attention to how his hair moved as he looked around. You could only see the white side right now, but it didn't matter that much to you.

You continued to watch him, his reactions, his movements as he drove. Whenever another car got in front of him, he seemed to purse his lips. Whenever the big light on the road turned red before he passed it, he'd let out a little sigh before relaxing his grip on the wheel. Whenever he stopped, he nervously glanced to the side. As soon as he met your eyes, he turned away, his hair swishing after him.

About halfway through your little drive and almost a dozen awkward glances, he parted his lips while looking forward towards the road.

"Why are you watching me so closely? Do you need something?"

You continued to watch him.

"No."

"Alright.. if you do, please let me know."

"I don't need anything, thank you."

He kept driving and looking ahead. You kept watching him, and at the next stop he turned to you and met your eyes in an uneasy gaze.

"I'm sorry, it's just... it's a little unsettling to have you watching my every move and I..." he trailed off.

"I'm sorry. I'll stop."

"It's alright, you're not in trouble, it's just that.. I'm just a little confused about why you're watching me so much. We've passed plenty of interesting things on the road, but you haven't taken your eyes off me since we started driving." He looked intently at you.

"Your hair."

"What about my hair? Is it the color?" He seemed to grow a little more nervous.

"It moves. It goes swish, swish when you move."

"Yes, I suppose it does..."

"Are there many people with long hair where you're from?" He seemed to pause at the end, searching for what to call you. The space in his words was filled with another long glance. The car continued moving.

"There aren't many people at all."

"Oh, I see."

The long drive continued in silence.

#bungou stray dogs #bsd #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs x reader #bungou stray dogs x you #bsd sigma #sigma bungou stray dogs #sigma x reader #sigma x you #sigma x y/n #strictly platonic but you get the idea #fyodor dostoevsky #bsd fyodor #nikolai gogol #bsd nikolai #bsd fanfic #x y/n #my writing ☆

[mamath]

Happy New Year!

I want to get my shit together more this year lol. The last...couple have been rrrrough.

#year of the bunny #year of the rabbit #chinese new year #lunar new year #rabbit #hare #i know it's supposed to be year of the water rabbit but i didn't have good ideas for water theme so...stars for lunar new year instead? :D; #and ok strictly speaking i think i drew a hare not a rabbit but LISTEN #i like hares #so #that's that

[laceratedlamiaceae]

thinking about the crew presenting Izzy with the leg. and Izzy doesn't know how to secure it yet, so Fang offers to help him attach it. privately of course, Izzy isn't going to let just anyone see him that vulnerable if he can help it, so Frenchie kindly offers them The Room. Izzy has to take his pants off, then he lies on the bed. As Fang is putting it on, he has to rest a hand on Izzy's thigh for leverage, and Izzy lets out a soft gasp. Fang looks into Izzy's eyes, wordlessly asking him as he gently slides his hand up. Izzy hoarsely says "please" and Fang's hand goes up and into his underwear

#our flag means death #ofmd #izzy hands #fang ofmd #puppylove #lovetug #fangizzy #fanfic ideas #ofmd season 2 #ofmd s2 #gonna cool it on the spoiler tags for stuff that isn't strictly a spoiler

[uncanny-tranny]

It's actually kind of heartbreaking how many people feel their life has ended right after high school or college, and honestly, the heavy romanticization of that period of time is so overwhelmingly predominant that it can be hard to avoid. It's insidious to constantly be told that ages 10-24 are the only worthwhile parts of life, that everything after is essentially meaningless and dull.

It's hard not to look around you and think that your life still is open and full of potential when you're told over and over again that the rose-tinted childhood is the last time you were alive. It's hard to realize that your life isn't over when you walk off the stage of your graduation.

We must realize that we will always be full of potentials. Your life won't be over until you take your final breath, and then? That's simply another chapter in your story, one of many. Let yourself realize that you're alive in the here and now. There will be good and bad, but never a complete loss of potential or hope.

#positivity #it's just... weird when you see somebody your age who says how over their life feels you know? #and i feel for them. i feel their pain and the emptiness of not knowing what's next or what you should do #and that's sometimes the scary part of life. but your story isn't over yet #one day it will be. one day you'll put the pen down and dry the ink on the yellowed pages and close your book of life. but that's not today #you are allowed to be an aimless spirit. you are allowed to breathe in without the crushing weight of productivity #the idea that your only potential happens when you're too young to realize it is wrong #your potential has nothing to do with feeling your youth and how little you know #it is hard to really internalize this and remind yourself to make space for hope and positivity... #...and you might not be ready to internalize this. that's okay. i'll wait with you (in a strictly spiritual sense) #we can wait together and not think about any of it. just to rest and collect our minds and feel the world hold its breath with us #all this to say that your life isn't over yet. you don't have to beat yourself up over not having lived at fucking 18 #allow yourself the compassion to realize that you needed time to grow and mature and explore the world in your own way

[total-drama-brainrot]

do you think that somewhere, deep deep down inside heather, shes kinda into p!noah? (apologies, i’ve just seen the alejandro connection with p!noah and i was trying to stuff alenoaheather in with it)

anyway, ur b pfp messed me up when i was looking for u through who i follow and i was kinda just chanting ophe until i found it TT-TT

I think, deep deep down inside, Heather has a lot of introspective re-evaluation to do before she can even consider admitting to herself that she likes someone. And she's iconic for that. That doesn't stop her from forming crushes on people, mind you.

As for liking p!Noah? Well, (as a Noaheather Enjoyer myself) a lot of Heather's potential romance partners, in my mind at least, stem from the connections she can/does make with them. She's slow to open herself up to people, and really prickly, so for her to have positive feelings for someone else is a novelty. (*cough*gray-aro Heather real*cough*)

If Heather was able to foster some sort of rapport between herself and p!Noah, let's say by offering him something akin to an alliance (since it's only strategic to have a wildcard like Noah's turned out to be on her side- keep your enemies close and all), and see behind the many layers of crazy and deceit? She'd probably have a sense of begrudging respect for him, at least. It takes smarts and dedication to keep up a ruse like his for so long- Heather herself couldn't keep up the "nice girl" act for more than a few episodes- and she knows that Noah's deceptively smart.

Maybe that begrudging respect could blossom into more? Who's to say.

Maybe p!Noah also respects Heather's ruthlessness and cunning, since she was able to scheme and sabotage her way into the final three on Island. She's interesting, and Noah appreciates people who are interesting.

The main drawback of liking someone as eccentric as p!Noah is, as we saw with Izzy and Owen in canon, Heather would need to be able to keep up with him.

Obviously, Noah's not nearly as hyper and fickle as Izzy is, but he's just as impulsive and detached from reality. Heather can appreciate his cleverness and craftiness all she wants- if she can't deal with his callous madness, she'd have very little luck in trying to romance him.

The B pfp was an impulsive choice on my part but I'm not sorry for it because B deserves more recognition for literally carrying his whole team for the first few episodes. I do apologise for any confusion though!

#what i'm trying to say is p!noah could probably go toe-to-toe with heather strategy wise but doesn't because Your Boy is too invested-- #in playing heinous practical jokes on the rest of the cast to dedicate himself to Actually Competing. and heather knows this. #and the only person heather's ever been canonically attracted to is someone who can 'equal' her in terms of strategy so... #though now i've given myself the idea of p!noah allowing heather to 'trick' him into an alliance because he thinks it'd be funny/interestin #playing the part of heather's guileless pawn. she'd quickly catch on to his act though bc she's a smart cookie. #then it'd be a game of Schemer's Chicken to see who calls out the other's 'wilful ignorance' first #it's a good thing this AU is strictly hypothetical because idk how it'd choose between ships. #total drama #psycho!noah au #noaheather #replies