#why is everyone so mean to me - skadi. probably

[minka-cola]

just had a gartic phone session with my wife and friends, and they kept turning my skadis with just the face and hat barely drawn into marisa, black mages and generic ass wizards. fuck

#minka says #i think i failed even ActualSkadiArt basics #sure wish i saved any of this. only thought about it afterwards #why is everyone so mean to me - skadi. probably

[raguna-blade]

So i’ve had this floating in my head for a while and well...There’s going to be some obvious straightforward “That’s absolutely not what they intended, I can’t envision it as a thing cause I mean it’s that.”

But I wanna talk about the way the gacha mechanics reflect on the story of Arknights.

So here’s the thing. It’s all about trust. Literally it’s all about trust. One of the things that Arknights makes really clear in it’s story is that there is a very very real problem with people just taking things on faith and listening to each other. The big central conflict, as of now, with the issues between the infected and the non? All of it is based on a massive breach of trust because the infected to a man know that the uninfected are going to make their lives a living hell, even if they’re a model citizen. Hell even if they’re part of the big wig nobility upper class it’s basically a crapshoot if catching the in game plague is going to torpedo you to the depths of the pecking order and ruin your life or “merely” have you waste away from a degenerative disease that causes rocks to grow out of your skin, is horrifically painful, and can cause wild and terrifying super powers that can have you control temperatures wildly, suddenly start reading peoples minds, or create a horde of zombies (although admittedly these require training to use, let alone use in combat but it does seem true that the powers kinda work without it albeit probably much worse)

So trust is a big thing here obviously, and that leads me to the next point.

The Doctor is the sketchiest motherfucker I have ever seen in my life. They’re this mysterious person wrapped up in a coat that exposes exactly none of their body, they down sanity potions like water, they’re a super tactical genius the likes the world hasn’t seen, and also save for your scary Medicine Boss Lady and Their Adopted Kid (who runs your hospital knight order) nobody knows anything about them at all.

And the few people who DO know the doctor from the past seem keen to stay the hell away from him (excluding Boss Bunny, which actually considering what the Doctor was like right before their amnesia should PROBABLY be more concerning?)

And the last point before I start tying this all together, from all indications story wise? Any and all Operators that you choose to use are already there. They’re already working with or are a part of Rhodes Island proper. They’re in the background sure and they may not know the doctor personally but they are already there is the important thing.

Barring certain event characters tied to certain events they’re already part of Rhodes Island in some way.

Which leads me to my little gacha connection.

The Gacha here indicates a willingness to trust the Doctor (and perhaps if we’re gonna dive into this further, a broader connection and willingness to support RI’s cause, and an active display of trust because you know this dude is going to be sending you into a combat zone. In a story where people sometimes just hot die because sorry bro it’s a war story at least in part)

Now i’ll admit the specifics of the gacha don’t work for this perfectly because you’re calling back the same people sometimes which has weird implications (although I think you could chalk it up to doctor getting to better know people and how to pull the very best out of them if we wanna keep the story mechanic connection strong.) There’s only so much you can do with what is mechanically just rolling the dice a bunch...

Except...The Pity Mechanics have neat little implications too! There’s the Guaranteed 5/6 Star mechanic, as well as the guaranteed 6 star after I think it was 100 Rolls, as well as the Guaranteed Limited Character when you roll 300(???) times on their banner.

And Recruitment via the papers works here too.

One sec lemme order the thoughts a bit better

The Headhunting and Recruitment Rolls are, in universe terms, a character actively signing on to work with the Doctor Specifically, as well as signing on fully with Rhodes Islands objectives and ideals. It's not enough to have a business deal with them for treatment of you or your people. It's not enough to have a roof over your head. It's not enough to simply have another place to fight, or access to the person you want to fight.

You are trusting this mysterious no face no history manipulator to put you into combat situations with utter monsters and you're trusting them to either see you through it alive (which is a thing they're eeriely good at) or at least to have your death really tangibly mean something (also something in short supply on Terra). You're trusting this organization that simultaneously wants to heal the world of a horrifying disease, protect those who are infected, and also seemingly really make the world a better place (fat chance)

Not to mention the counseling the Doctor also seems to provide which you know...

That's absurd. It's insane.

And it's reflected in both Rarity Level, as well as the manner of recruitment.

Tag Recruitment pulls mostly from a pool of people already associated with Rhodes Island, with the vast majority being low level recruits. Basically all of 3* and below come from RI, and of 4* up only about half do.

That is to say, using the method that costs you the least amount of money and effort (Originium is, in universe, actually pretty valuable and useful if also you know the source of the plague) most of the people that you can actually recruit already sign on to RI's whole thing for one reason or another and everyone else is there for a variety of other reasons.

The people recruited are also generally unskilled, owing to largely being newbies or generally just not being super tough, but then this also plays into it.

RI is in general, or at least ideally anyway, a Hospital First and Military anything a distant second. Ideally, but it doesn't necessarily play out that way (or at least we as players don't get to see it, and there does seem to be a general work if you want treatment but the portrayal so far scales the work to what you can do. Kids gotta work too but for them it's like...Make some Origami, play and go to school and that's your work which could be sinister sure but seems mostly not)

But even accepting that conditions for infected are awful basically everywhere, leaving your home is a big ask, and fighting for people who may in fact end up fighting against your home is also a big ask. It's not something you're gonna see low level folks do by and by.

But the people recruitment DOES pick up who are those higher level folks? They're generally sent specifically to Rhodes Island if they didn't come specifically because they're some of the foremost scholars on the subject of Originium Infection and so on. A lot of them don't have a choice.

Understandably, no matter how skilled or powerful or conneted they are they're not gonna wanna work with you or put themselves in danger for no real reason

And then you have the cases of people who are or were leaders in their field, arguable or actual royalty, people who hold massive amounts of power who are just...Not going to trust like that. They're wise to the world, and they know what's up.

That they're also massively personally powerful is perhaps a side effect of being so high up in the ranks because when you have people who can and do hop out of planes for a snazzy entrance with no harm and at least 8 kinds of completely uninfected Juggernaut Nightmares not being absolutely shredded when you're the big leader of a place is a liability.

Which ok that tracks, but Headhunting? Headhunting is where you start finding people like Skadi who are just...Absolute freaks of nature being honest. You start seeing people who have even less reason to want to have anything to do with Rhode Islands, more guarded, more independent, less reason to be actively into RI despite being there (like Popukar who's a kid)

And then you have the limited pool characters like W and Nian who have ample reason to not want to deal with the Doctor or are just kinda bumming around and Could Help but don't want to (with secret implications to being basically a Kaiju)

And getting them is difficult and painful and nearly impossible because they don't WANT to interact with the Doctor or perhaps really want to put the effort in to do anything at all.

All of this I think is pretty sound so far. Generally speaking, higher ranked characters have less need or want to deal with the Doctor and the Larger Rhodes Island, in addition to be just being from other locations entirely.

What I think makes this more interesting though, and continues on the gacha story link is the pity mechanics.

So, going with the idea that recruitment is more or less deciding to interact with the weird person who tries to eat originium slugs(!?) it makes the decision of various high ranked operators deciding yeah you know what I'm going to go talk to this weirdo. A LOT of people seem to trust him and that's perhaps concerning, but also well...It's a lot of people. People I know (in all probability. Especially in the case of banner rolls where there's usually one or two people who know the high rank units), and even then there's some wild folks in there deciding to put their faith in them...And Heck I'm already here so why not.

And of course that feeds into the trust mechanics too mind you. The more a unit is used, the more the doctor is demonstrating their small extension of trust is proven a good decision. The Increasing potentials is understandable as the doctor coming to a greater understanding of the individual (indeed they're all tokens of trust in some way shape or form aren't they? Things that Mean something to the Operator, even if they're implied to be things that they hate to think about or be connected but still unfortunately mean something that they can't let go of). And or, for that matter, the Operator becoming more open around the Doctor. Becoming more willing to show their full strength, and honestly, playing on the trust angle, isn't it interesting that so many of the operators talents don't come into play until they've been upgraded once or even twice? But hey if we look at it through the lens of Do I trust this person, some of these talents suggest really impressive things which maybe you don't want this guy who you barely know but you're at least willing to work with to know just in case it doesn't work out. TO say nothing else of the fact that upgrades COST. It's a massive investment of money time and supplies to get an operator up there.

Which, to come back to gacha and the pity mechanics, for the two limited characters to call for (at maximum mind you. Luck as always is a factor but you know) truly EXCESSIVE amounts of rolls, and rolls that call for you burning a massive amount of supplies? It can read as, honestly, an attempt to reach out to this isolated person. Mind it's just an extension on the pity bit from before, but given the limited nature it could also be read as a “I am trying to get to know you please respond?”

And For Nian and W that may well mean something. It's a degree of effort that could read as interesting and or alarming given their respective personalities and histories.

But well..that's about as far as I can pull this I think. As always there's going to be an aspect of well “it's monetization don't think too hard about this it's for that cold hard cash” which is absolutely and unfortunately true. Still, I think it's interesting that it DOES line up as well as it does here. If it's intentional that's really cool actually but still.

#Gacha Mechanics #Story and Gameplay Integration #Arknights #W Arknights

[ace-malarky]

Word Find Tag #11

Oops I found more

@loopyhoopywrites  wrong, tea, and open.

@zmlorenz  choice, future, straight, morning. deny, work, scandal, diamond 

and we’re just going to keep using the nano doc bc like. there’s a lot of words in there.

WRONG (Apocalypse AU)

"That's good?" *Dust says cautiously, not quite sounding like herself.* "But I don't need /thanked/ for that, I don't think that's on me."

"If you hadn't got me out, then-"

*Wilder sighs, loudly.* "/Why/ are you /talking/ about me in the wrong language?"

*Dust laughs and ruffles their hair.* "Go check on the bike.*

*Wilder races off.*

*Ashes steps back, releasing Dust.* "I - I will see you again, won't I?"

TEA (Expect to Fly)

“No Mark?” Kari asked

“He’ll meet us for tea later, but then he’s going to a film with his friends.”

“So he figured he’d just skip the whole day. Classy.” Kari grinned.

The exhibit halls were cool and dark. Casey and Jen went haring off looking for interactive displays, and Thornton hurried after them.

“This is... different,” I murmured, reading the first information display. Changed histories.

“I thought you hadn’t been here before?” Katie was beside me, not Kari.

“I - haven’t.” I looked up. “I mean – it's... different from what I expected?”

OPEN (Expect to Fly)

Kari narrowed her eyes as she studied Cooper. “You’re not about to get it.”

“I think I do. Your friend said he brought up your father. Amongst other things.”

I felt Kari tense beside me. “That is none of your business.”

“At the moment it is. Ifernia’s case is still open, and the two of you are related.” Cooper was unruffled. “You’re - sixteen, right?”

“Old enough for juvie.” Kari nodded, and met her gaze with a glare of her own.

“He’s been following me, did he say that?” I jumped in. “Ever since I started at school. In and out of school. And he’s saying things like they’re threats, like he and... someone else have something planned.” It sounded weak. This couldn’t sway anything, but it had to be said.

CHOICE (Expect to Fly)

Thornton took us back up and into the piano room, so yes, it had been her watching. Subtle. But I was probably the only one that had noticed; this world’s people very rarely looked up, and Vechtir... well, e wouldn’t comment if e had seen, but I also didn’t think e was the type to try and see in through windows. Just me that had that reprehensible habit.

Kari poured herself a cup of coffee (“black, like my soul,” she’d said the first time I’d seen her make the choice, all the while adding at least three sugars to it) and settled onto the couch.

“Tea, please,” Vechtir said, gently reminding Thornton as she hesitated over the tray. “No sugar, a splash of milk.”

FUTURE (Dorks ‘n’ Disasters)

“Then we get rid of them,” Badazz says. “We mix everyone in. We make this work and if she comes calling, we will face her as one town.” He offers her a hand.

“Thank you.” Ehild takes his hand quickly, almost like she thinks he’ll pull it back before she can. “I’m sorry I didn’t try harder.”

“Try harder from now on,” Badazz replies.

The party, as Ehild and Badazz start to talk steadily of plans for the future, draw back almost unnoticed to the door and then back out.

STRAIGHT (Dorks ‘n’ Disasters)

Nakai swings his flail at one and misses as it strides past.

Alaric unsheathes his swords and steps up, whipping his swords along its side. One draws a thin line of blood, and the orc growls at him.

Skadi fires an arrow and smacks another straight in the eye, sending it rocking backwards.

Ophi conjures another spell and drapes it over one of the last two orcs, misting its senses over.

It turns to the orc beside it and roars a challenge.

MORNING (Apocalypse AU)

*Aurora laughs.* "Well, when you put it like /that/." *She glances across the square as they reach it, marking the line of motorbikes that belong to the couriers. T's a queue beside them, of people wanting to send packages and messages.*

*The remains of the fire is still there, too, though it's just a mess of soggy ash and mostly-burnt wood.*

"You want more fire, huh? They don't look so good in the morning light." *Aurora laughs, gently.*

"That does not look revivable, in any case."

DENY (Expect to Fly)

I dropped my gaze to my hands, now that she’d let go of me. “I... don’t think he likes me much? Him or Ken. Chaucer’s kinda got ok, but-”

Kari sucked in a breath. “Hn.”

“You... aren’t denying it.”

“Stupid to try. It’s a little bit obvious?”

“Oh.” My shoulders dropped.

“Yeah, I thought they’d at least try.” Kari snorted. “Chaucer’s alright, though?”

WORK (Expect to Fly)

“See, that’s weird.” Kari glanced sideways at me, sticking her hand out for our bus. “He probably won’t try anything during school.”

“What is there to try?”

Kari shrugged again. “I don’t know how he works,” she said, stepping onto the bus. “Thanks man.” She showed the driver our tickets and he waved us on. “But we’ll keep an eye on him or something.”

I nodded. I couldn’t have given anything away, could I? We’d only spoken around it, not of it, not while we were around others.

SCANDAL

DIAMOND

Well, didn’t quite have all of them, but that’s still a lot of words.

#tagged and bagged

[johannstutt413]

(requested by calligomiles)

“One! Two! Three! Four!...One! Two! Three! Four!” Dobermann was putting Gummy through her paces at combat practice; as per the usual, the chef would hit the dummy twice, but on the third swing would absolutely devastate it and spend the fourth moving to another target. The goal was to help her distribute her force more evenly, but after weeks of trying to do so, it was almost more worth it to just get her used to longer fights and more consistent use of that third swing.

Frankly, it was rather pathetic to Skadi, who as a mercenary with substantial combat experience under her belt was primarily only joining in on the training to keep her skills sharp and more or less following her own curriculum. Not that she’d take any instruction if it was provided - her field performance was enough proof of that - but after watching the Ursus batter away at training dummies with her frying pan, the Abyss Hunter decided to step in. “Dobermann! I’d like to spar with that one.”

“With Gummy?” The Perro gestured to her pupil and received a nod from the challenger. “...Gummy, do you accept Skadi’s challenge?”

“Um, sure!” Gummy, red-hot pan still in hand, hoisted up her vault d- shield and met the Abyss Hunter in an area with enough space cleared for them to have a respectable duel.

Her opponent assessed her with a glare and a scoff. “Do they honestly believe sending children into the battlefield will end in anything less than disaster?”

“Hey, I’ve fought plenty of people!” The chef cracked her neck. “Besides, I’d be a second year by now if I was still in school...”

“Excuses unfit for a soldier. You claim to be a Defender? Who could you possibly protect?”

The normally kind-eyed Ursus, well, she hadn’t had an amazing day before this, and something about this lard-thighed whale of a woman’s words was getting to her. Her brow furrowed, and her face hardened into a steely expression. “I can protect the people who matter to me, and that’s all that matters.”

“Who, those other Ursus girls?” Skadi shook her head. “The only thing worse than a schoolgirl who thinks she’s a soldier is a whole troop of them-”

“Are we gonna fight, or are you just going to bitch at me for not being a sad-sack loner like you?!” Gummy couldn’t bear any more of this.

The Abyss Hunter grinned in self-satisfaction. “We’ll fight.” And immediately afterwards, she charged-

-Correction: she evaded a wildly-swung frying pan as her opponent had closed the distance without her even realizing it. The hell?! This was a child barely half her age with a DOOR and a SAUCEPAN for armaments! How had she moved so quickly? Well, fortunately, her aim was shit, so Skadi simply swung in her usual upward arc - and her weapon slammed into the Defender’s shield, not even moving her opponent as the second swing came down. It bounced off the mercenary, barely even noticeable, but the impudence of it made her second stroke, a crushing downward blow, hit that much harder, resulting in a bright ringing tone that echoed in everyone present’s ears. Gummy grunted as she bore the brunt of the attack, but with a savage roar, she unleashed her almost guaranteed to be lethal third strike…

...and the Abyss Hunter took it squarely to the shoulder. There was an audible cracking sound, monstly likely her shoulder blade, but that didn’t stop her from swinging her sword again - hard enough to toss Gummy’s shield out of her hands and a few feet away, the metal crumpled in at least an inch. The chef didn’t let that stop her as she simply swung again, a nearly ineffectual blow to Skadi’s empty skull, leaving her open for a counteratt-

“Stop!” Dobermann roared, and suddenly, the pair found themselves unable to follow through further. “That’s more than enough damage, both of you.”

“...I haven’t even injured her yet,” Skadi observed.

The Perro gestured to the Ursus’ shield arm, which was, on further inspection, firmly out of socket. “An arm for an arm. Both of you, infirmary, now...and leave your weapons there.”

“But Miss Dobermann,” Gummy interjected, “I need this to-”

“INFIRMARY. NOW.” Even the Abyss Hunter couldn’t refuse the full power of a Columbian drill sergeant...and given that she was rather close to the Doctor as well, it didn’t seem wise to push any further.

As they made the trek, both with an arm hanging uselessly at their side, Skadi sighed. “You’re stronger than you look.”

“I know.” There was a dark cloud over the usually cheery chef, plainly visible to all. “I had to be...I have to be.”

“...The hell could possibly leave a schoolgirl in a place to have that demanded of them? That third swing of yours was something else.”

She shook her head. “I’m not telling you...not after what you said.”

“Look, kid-”

“Gummy.”

“...Gummy. I goaded you so I was sure I would face you at your full strength.” Skadi couldn’t believe she was apologizing to a child. “I didn’t mean any of it personally.”

The chef look at her with an emotion the Abyss Hunter would recognize anywhere: sorrow mired in self-loathing. “Promise me you’ll never say that about my friends again.”

“I promise.”

“Alright. Now we can try again.” Gummy took a moment to collect herself, and the cloud disappeared. “So! You’re Skadi, right? The ‘walking Catastrophe?’”

She was honestly taken aback by the personality shift, but she wasn’t about to show weakness in front of what was clearly an apex predator in her own right. “...Something like that.”

“Let me guess - you like to think you can do everything yourself, right? Strong, independent woman, takes nothing from nobody and how?”

“Again, something like that.” It was Skadi’s turn to be annoyed by a tone - the saccharine sweet blended poorly with the cutting psychological analysis. “The hell told you-”

The chef carried on. “Probably left a trail of corpses in your wake, right? Enemies, friends, family...lovers? You’re attractive enough, I guess-”

“Do you think you’re the only person who’s experienced pain? Loss? Hmm? You don’t have any right to judge me.”

“Oh, I’m not judging; I just want to know what I’m dealing with.” Gummy flashed her a smile. “You’re scared of the same thing I am, Skadi. That means we can be friends.”

Skadi stared at her blankly. “What...what do you mean?”

“Neither of us want to lose people close to us ever again; the difference is that my friends are the reason I’m here, and you’re here because you had nothing left but your possessions when you found Rhodes Island. We’ve seen so much death between the two of us...it’s kinda spooky, honestly, how many ghosts we have following us around.”

“Ghosts?” The Abyss Hunter looked around. “...Good, they aren’t acting out yet.”

The chef’s face went pale. “Yet? I didn’t mean literally...”

“Regardless. You...we’re really that similar in your eyes?”

“I mean, we deal with the pain differently,” she admitted, “but if I squint, I can see me in you...I understand why you chose to cope the way you do, and honestly, it makes me sad. I mean, like I said, you’re...well...” Gummy blushed as feelings she’d buried since Chernobog reemerged with a vengeance.

Skadi flipped her hair behind the ear closer to the chef. “When both your arms are working again, I’ll let you touch my hair.”

“It’s not your hair I want to touch...”

“...You Ursus start young, don’t you?” For the first time in months, she chuckled. “Trust me, I take great pride in how luxurious my hair is. You’ll want to touch it. As for the rest, that will take some time.”

Gummy was still imagining a very different form of contact than Skadi was, she was certain. Her face reflected her rich internal life as she thought aloud. “Time...Skadi? Does time really heal you, like people say?”

“I don’t know, Gummy...I suppose we’ll have to find out together.”

The Ursus closed the distance between them and wiggled about so the hand at the end of her broken arm found it’s way into Skadi’s still-working palm; without a second’s hesitation, the Abyss Hunter took it...and Time began its delicate work.

#arknights #gummy (arknights) #skadi (arknights) #everyone has a limit #this was gummy's #arknights fic

[penaltybox14]

Decofiremen: Soon Be the Dawning Days

@darknight-brightstar @zeitheist Every single one of my attempts to write pleasant holiday-oriented things ends up ass-deep in character dissection and plot exposition.  @squad51goals @its-skadi

In this installment, we talk about seasons, changes, and things to celebrate.

December darkens the days, and sharpens the nights.  There is frost every morning, and the sun is a pale consumptive, waking feebly and slipping weakly into evening.  The potbelly stove in the dorm is always burning, always someone up in the night to tend it, every hour.  The lads spend a productive few hours one off day re-arranging their beds, recaulking the windows, and hanging curtains.  When Josiah asks what they are up to, they explain the lads at the ends of the rows have been getting cold in the night, and they are trying to fix it up so that either everyone is warm, or everyone is cold.

"You mind, Captain?" Jules Menlo asks.  He and Bertram Cochrane have taken up the lead, since Antoine and Ellis left for the City.  They are raw to it, but they are learning yet. 

"Not at all, boys, carry on."

Josiah is pleased with them.  Neat and natty rows of beds can go to hell, the lads are making a fine hearth for themselves.  They make sure to vent it properly, and Lufty nods approvingly at their work - a house inside of a house, a canvas-flanked beast breathing and snoring in the wind-snipped nights.  Josiah only scolds them once, when he catches Davey at three in the morning carrying wood in for the stove.  Sure, he is wrapped up tight as a beetle in a sack of flour, but Josiah reminds them that he's just a boy, yet, and needs his rest.

Young Cleary had stumbled a while, the days after Antoine and Ellis were graduated.  Eddy had given him a scorcher of a talk for forgetting to include Davey in the proceedings, and he deserved it.  That responsibility is still so new and giddy to him - where now, he can remember his own graduation, and think well on it, and not always be so bitter - and he had left the boy bereft.  Fool that he is.  Even Silky would've cuffed him for it. 

My true friend Silky, he writes, one glassy morning when the sun had lost the strength to lift the frost from the grass, you would not believe me or maybe you would.  Do you remember the day the bell sounded for us, at breakfast?  In the good cheer of sending my lads to the city, I left out the boy who needs us most, our young Cleary.  Your god, my friend, would smote me off the earth.  It was a terrible mistake, for I frightened him so badly.  I had to set him down later in the day and explain all the proceedings and the ceremony.  I am not yet sure he forgives me.  I am not sure I deserve it.  Here he is, a boy who has already lost one family, and I am to take another from him.  You can be sure Eddy let me have it. 

yours irresponsibly, Birchy

In those following days, after Antoine and Ellis depart on the train from Troy, his heart aches, something like a tooth you want to forget, something a body can't escape from.  The long hallway is there in his dreams, in the boy's dreams, and now he hears the piano, and the distant laughter.  He smells the books in the study.  When he wakes, he feels the far-off gaze of a man much his senior, cool-eyed but in such a way as a lake when the summer days grow taut about the city streets.  An expectant look, a waiting.  Far off down that hallway, as far from the boy now as the Bronx for him, as the dorm he once sweat out his sear in.  He would want to look away, as the village folks and the oakbellies look at his scars and his brace.

He knows that hallway, and that's just the trouble, for young Cleary has walked it alone, trailing his fingers along the green wallpaper, and Josiah, trembling for the thought of the beam waiting in the ceiling, has not followed.  Coward, he thinks.  To let the child walk his hallway and stumble, smoke-wrecked, to his wide lawn, alone.  A one-legged and half-hearted coward.  Davey looks at him askance often in those following days - doesn't come to read with him or practice his Latin, doesn't follow the lads out on their drills no matter how they coax him.  He walks down the pathway past the brambles and into the woods, his too-large coat down past his knees and his collar up so high it leaves just his dark curls tumbling out in the sharp wind, and when he comes in for dinner, he is quiet and small among the lads. 

It is one of those long, weary twilights when the winter rattles like dry bones, and his leg aches.  He is fixing the ledger, making notes, and Silky's reply is on the edge of the desk.  Davey slips in so quietly he only hears it with his sear, so startlingly that Josiah leaves a blot on the end of a row. 

"Capper?"

He puts his pen down and smiles like he imagines Silky would at an Antoine or an Ellis.  Truth to say, he has missed the boy, even the sometimes frantic, fledgling winging of his sear.  He is far too young to grieve such an emptiness as that long, black hallway and the smoke-torn sky.

"May I ask a question?"

Times, the boy's genteel raising surfaces, softly like the wave on the shore.  Times, as now, he holds his cap in his hands as if he's in a holy place, and his eyes are the shyness of moss on a shadowed ledge. 

"Course.  Always."

"Eddy said firemen don't take holidays."

"Come sit.  What're you onto?"

"It's almost Dawning Days, that's all..."

"Oh, ghosts above, Davey - " Josiah has to laugh.  " - no, that's not how Eddy meant it.  He only meant that fires and accidents and all our work, it can happen any time."

Davey sits in one of the clutter of chairs in Josiah's office, kicking his legs, the gesture of a younger boy, an apologetic sort of gesture. 

"I don't mean to laugh, young Cleary, but we do know the Dawning Days."

From the sundown on solstice to daybreak on New Year's - the time of spirits, the time of the seasons shifting, the time to do good and remember that the sun is only resting for a grand debut.  The oakbellies throw a grand to-do at New Year's, all the officers invited to come at their most festive.  He has not gone - and the oakbellies are likely to be glad of it, he figures, for he would not cut such a charming figure in his full dress and a tin of polish on his leg.  They would, as they did at his promotion, shuffle and swallow hotly above their stiff collars.  He would probably stand the whole night out of pride and spend the week after in bed.  Perhaps it would be worth it.

"Do you have a party?"

"As many as we can."

"And lights?"

"As many as the sills will hold.  The lights and the cups left out for the ghosts.  Eddy has probably got another little tree to plant - you know, that stand of maple by the stables, that's his handiwork."

Davey is looking as delighted as Josiah has ever seen him.  His eyes are younger, now.  He is more the boy that he must have been in golden days, before his long dark hallway. 

"And you already know Bertram and his fiddle, and save us all, we've heard the lads sing."

"They taught me the fireman's song."  Davey grips the chair, and then pauses, as if lost of a sudden.  "Lyddie would've liked that song, I suppose.  Mother scolded her because she called the music our teacher brought her 'musty old tunes'."

From far away, in the marrow of his bones, Josiah feels the soft carpet of the parlor under his shoes.  Dark walnut bookshelves and rich, salmon-colored wallpaper embossed with an intricate pattern, the sort of thing a child would run their fingers over.  The books are less a rainbow than a late-summer forest, greens and smatterings of red and orange.  The girl playing the piano, with the bow in her hair, likes to spin cleverly from the plodding strains of an old mass to the bright chirps of ragtime and dance.  The brother laughs. 

The oak floors in their dormitory had what seemed to be a century of wax and polish creating glistening currents in the low lamplight.  They could have greased the bedsprings with a gallon of lard per man and the damned things would've screamed like witches every time a man so much as thought of rolling over.  A cold night outside, and a warm hearth within, each coat and helmet hung on its hook, each woolen blanket tucked neatly around each mattress corner.  The brothers are singing and the brothers are laughing. 

"Antoine wrote me a letter," Davey says, quietly.  "He says he got his sear."  Davey bites his lip.  "He says everybody looked after him, and his captain Jack Prince gave him a pocketwatch.  Does it hurt so much, always?"

"Every man is different.  It's a hard hand of days.  But we look after each other." "I don't remember, exactly.  I hurt so long, I was in bed and the lady wanted to call the doctor, I think.  I hurt so long, and then - then it just felt like - "  Davey leans forward, puts his arms on the desk and his head in his arms and sighs.  Muffled, he whispers, "I felt like - "

Like wandering, Josiah thinks.  That strange stillness when the fever breaks, before you come around to your mates watching over you, before you pull yourself out of your bed weak and stunned and brand-new on foal's legs.  A fresh and open field, the shaded place where the last dollop of snow lives nearly into June. 

"I know," Josiah murmurs, and lays his hand - his scarred hand - on young Cleary's shoulder.  "I do know, son, I do."

"I wished Antoine didn't have to hurt that way.  Or Ellis.  Or Jules or Betram." "I dunno what it was like - " Josiah sighs.  " - but for me, I had my mates around, and my pal, we got it together.  I never would've got through it, without him."

"Thomas."

Josiah starts.

"Sorry, Capper.  I read it on the letter.  Eddy talked about him once, too."

"Silky."

"Capper?"

"Silky.  That's what we called Thomas."

"Why?"

"I don't remember, really."

"What's he like?"

"Oh," Josiah says.  "I'll tell you.  You'd like him a sight better than me - for one thing, he's got two entire good legs and he could take you down to the fish pond.  Second - "

Davey is kicking his legs again, scuffing the toes of his boots on the wooden floor. 

"Well, I'll tell you.  The day I met him, here at Wynantskill, he very nearly ran me down with a horse, a big old dapple grey gelding we called Chubby..."

Davey leans on his hands. 

Silky's letter, half-unfolded, is by his elbow.  I never really got the brothers' whole forgiveness bit, it says, but I do reckon it's a little bit like when you turn over the ash of a building, and you find a little green thing growing underneath.

#decofire #decofiremen #yes I realize that's an 11 day span #and yes sometimes that's an eleven day food alcohol and music bender #but you also get plants

[ener-chi]

Update time!

Life has been so crazy for me lol I’ve been insanely busy with school; midterms were this week. Oh I definitely need to talk about this. I have an older car, and it had some problems that I knew should probably get addressed. Well this past week I finally got around to taking my car into the shop, and... it wasn’t pretty lol. I put the minimum money necessary to keep it functional, but I’m going to have to be very careful driving it now.

But it’s interesting, because prior to this week I did food delivery as a part-time job. But now... with the stuff going on with my car... I don’t see that as a possibility. But when I first had this realization... there was some resistance initially, because I loved doing it. But I also recognized... this feeling, that it was meant to be this way. It felt like I was being gently nudged by the Universe towards a different direction, to do something else. I’ve decided not to fight it, and just let it happen as it needs to happen. But I am interested to see where I end up working next.

Anyways... RAMA started this week, and so far it’s going really well!! I have a great class; I’m very excited to delve deeper into the course with my students. It’s fun hearing their insights and how they see things, and it also helps me better suit the course for their needs.

Spiritually... things have been interesting, for sure. Just because I’m thinking about it, last night was Samhain. I didn’t end up really doing anything for it, although I did notice that the Veil was definitely thinner; I kept getting flashes of other realms, and memories... I had like this one particular flash of two other versions of me sitting under the same moonlight... 

You can tell I’ve been doing more past-life work. It’s just so... interesting to me. The whole experience... the way it feels, how it’s experienced, trying to figure out what it means, the way that they are starting to thread together, the crying every time. For whatever reason, I just like... cry, even when I get glimpses of them. The crazy thing is that historically, and even now - I’m not a crier. It takes a lot to make me cry. But with past lives stuff... I’m just out here weeping lol.

Anywaysss I’ve been spending a decent amount of time in the Astral, but I haven’t really had a whole lot of control. Well... I’m in control of myself, but I don’t really have control as to where I go. I’m kind of getting tugged too and fro, between places. I spend a lot of time in the cosmic place, doing past life stuff. Lately, for some reason I’ve been going to this like... water place. It kind of looks like a salt-flat place covered in water. I can walk on the water, but it looks like it’s just an almost infinite horizon of just flat, still water. It also kind of looks like that one part of Spirited Away, where the train is on the water... except minus the train. Anyways, I find myself there a lot for some reason. I’m not sure why; I don’t really know where it is, and there’s not really anyone else there. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’ve also been working with Skadi more. Her power and presence grows each day, as it gets colder and closer to winter. Today she actually kind of gave me an energy upgrade while I did a long meditation session. I go back to my hometown soon, which I’m excited for because it gets a lot of snow and I’m excited to work with Skadi in that aspect.

I’ve been feeling kinda weird and like somewhat irritable all day... I thought that I was just having an off-day or maybe I slept weird, but I realized like half-an-hour ago that it’s actually the full moon lol. It’s like... exciting my energy in a weird way. But now that I’m aware of it, I should be able to not let it affect me as much.

Hmm... I think that’s it for now. I hope that everyone has a great rest of their night.

Blessings!

#mine #journal #11.1.20 #path #astral #astral travel #pl #ep #sk #witchcraft #witchblr

[stawscweam]

The Ultimate Persona Bang List-REDONE

Don’t act like you’re surprised I made a Persona bang list. It was only a matter of time before I became a Personasexual. I’m using the wiki as well, so they will be split up by their Arcana type. I’m including both 3 & 4 Personas since those are the two I’m familiar with. Let’s get to it~

EDIT: Same reason as my Stand Bang List, I deleted my Standalous blog, so this dumb shit was gone, so I’m reposting it. I’ll need to update it for Persona 5 tho!!!

Fool

Orpheus

Pros: He’s the cutest little thing oh my god I love Orphy so much

Bang?: Hell. Fucking. Yeah. Would bang

Slime

Cons: what even the fuck, i dont want no goop in my cooch fuck that

Bang?: Hell no, would not bang

Legion

Cons: *pukes*

Bang?: Would not bang

Black Frost

Pros: 500x cuter than Jack Frost, once you go black, you never go back

Bang?: Ye, would bang

Ose

Bang?: Yiff yiff motherfucker

Decarabia

Bang?: Banging a star ye, would bang

Loki

Pros: Mmmmmmmmmmm so fucking hot

Bang?: PLEASE. YES. Would bang

Susano-o

Bang?: Would bang

Orpheus Telos

Pros: The babe tho

Bang?: YES. Would bang

Izanagi

Pros: Everyone can go home the main bae is here, I am in LOVE with Iza DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED

Bang?: Is that even a question, YES, OBVIOUSLY WOULD BANG

Obariyon

Bang?: Would not bang

Shiki-Ouji

Pros: Whoa. Baller design

Bang?: Ye, would bang

Magician

Hermes

Pros: One of my favourite designs you don’t even know

Bang?: All night long, would bang

Trismegistus

Bang?: Would bang

Nekomata

Pros: She cute

Bang?: Yiff yiff motherfucker

Jack Frost

Pros: I mean, he’s cute but like Black Frost is where it’s at???

Bang?: Would bang

Pyro Jack

Bang?: Would bang

Hua Po

Pros: She is so tiny and beautiful oh my god

Bang?: Yeeeeeesssssss, would bang

Sati

Bang?: Yeah, I mean, I’ll probably get burned but worth it, would bang

Orobas

Bang?: NO. Would not bang

Rangda

Bang?: Uh. No. Would not bang

Surt

Pros: *fans self* well fuck me

Bang?: He can do whatever he wants to me, would bang

Jiraiya

Pros: Nice design

Bang?: Would bang

Takehaya Susano-o

Bang?: Would not bang

Dis

Bang?: Sure, would bang

Jinn

Pros: A genie named Jinn

Bang?: Would bang

Mada

Bang?: ????

Priestess

Lucia

Pros: She’s so cute!

Bang?: Would bang

Juno

Bang?: Would bang

Apsaras

Bang?: Would not bang

Unicorn

Bang?: WOULD NOT BANG

High Pixie

Bang?: Eh, why not, would bang

Sarasvati

Bang?: Would bang

Ganga

Bang?: NO, would not bang

Parvati

Pros: Be still my heart

Bang?: Would bang

Kikuri-hime

Pros: Persona chicks need to calm down and stop being beautiful

Bang?: Would bang

Scathach

Bang?: Would bang

Konohana Sakuya

Pros: HOLY, SHE’S SO BEAUTIFUL

Bang?: Would bang

Sumeo-Okami

Pros: GODDESS

Bang?: Would bang

Tzitzimitl

Bang?: I am scared

Empress

Penthesilea

Pros: She is honestly so beautiful and she reminds me so much of Aqua, I’m weird I’m sorry

Bang?: Mmmmm oh yeah, would bang

Artemisia

Pros: MY QUEEN

Bang?: Would bang

Leanan Sidhe

Bang?: Would bang

Yaksini

Bang?: Would not bang

Lakshmi

Bang?: Would not bang

Hariti

Bang?: Would bang

Gabriel

Bang?: Sure, would bang

Mother Harlot

Bang?: No thank you.

Skadi

Pros: Bruh. Her design is amazing

Bang?: Yeah, would bang

Alilat

Bang?: ?????!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Senri

Bang?: Would not bang

Gorgon

Bang?: Would not bang

Emperor

Polydeuces

Bang?: One of those rare cases where I would rather bang the user than the Persona/Stand, but can you blame me????, Aki-senpai yes, Polydeuces nah, would not bang

Caesar

Pros: Huge improvement

Bang?: Would bang

Forneus

Bang?: …

Oberon

Pros: He’s so pretty!!!

Bang?: Would bang

Take-Mikazuchi

Bang?: *shrug* Would bang

King Frost

Pros: MY KING

Bang?: Uh yah, would bang

Raja Naga

Pros: He’s actually pretty hot tbh

Bang?: Would bang

Kingu

Bang?: what the fuck is that

Barong

Bang?: Mmm let’s not

Odin

Pros: I don’t know why but he reminds me of Meruem???

Bang?: Ye, would bang

Dairoku Tenmaou

Pros: That design is killer

Bang?: I have no idea how, but yes, would bang, our love will find a way

Takeji Zaiten

Pros: This is too much for me

Bang?: Yes, would bang

Pabilsag

Bang?: Begone foul demon

Hierophant

Castor

Bang?: Another one of those rare cases and I ask you again, DO YOU BLAME ME?, Shinji is my main man, Castor nah would not bang

Omoikane

Bang?: Esidisi making a cameo in P3 holy shit, would not bang

Berith

Bang?: I guess, would bang

Shisa

Bang?: no

Flauros

Bang?: *steps 500 feet away* Nope.

Thoth

Bang?: No.

Hokuto Seikun

Pros: He reminds me of Netero-san. I’m sorry, I don’t know why my brain is like this pls forgive me

Bang?: Would bang

Daisoujou

Bang?: Nah.

Kohryu

Pros: SICK. HOLY SHIT.

Bang?: Would not bang tho

Anzu

Bang?: what

Hachiman

Bang?: Would not bang

Lovers

Io

Pros: Cutie pie

Bang?: Mm sure, would bang

Isis

Bang?: Would bang

Pixie

Bang?: Would bang

Alp

Bang?: Would bang

Tam Lin

Bang?: Would bang

Narcissus

Pros: Beautiful men are my weakness

Bang?: Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaase, would bang

Queen Mab

Bang?: *shakes head* No.

Saki Mitama

Bang?: *sigh*

Titania

Pros: No seriously, why are Persona chicks so beautiful?

Bang?: Would bang

Raphael

Pros: Well hello there

Bang?: Would bang

Cybele

Pros: whoa. A+ Persona tiddies

Bang?: Hell yeah, would bang

Himiko

Bang?: Uhhhh. No…

Kanzeon

Bang?: Uh still gonna go with no

Kouzeon

Bang?: Yeah. Still no

Undine

Bang?: Would bang

Ishtar

Bang?: Would bang

Chariot

Palladion

Bang?: Nah

Pallas Athena

Bang?: Yah

Ara Mitama

Bang?: Enough.

Chimera

Bang?: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH NO.

Zouchouten

Bang?: Would not bang

Ares

Pros: I love his design so much

Bang?: Dominate me. Would bang

Oumitsunu

Bang?: Sure, I mean why not?, would bang

Nata Taishi

Bang?: No

Koumokuten

Bang?: Would not bang

Thor

Bang?: Loki is hotter, would not bang

Tomoe Gozen

Pros: Sick design

Bang?: Would bang

Suzuka Gongen

Bang?: Would bang

Haraedo-no-Okami

Bang?: Would bang

Triglav

Bang?: I’ll pass

Kin-Ki

Bang?: Mmmmm no.

Futsunushi

Bang?: Would not bang

Justice

Nemesis

Bang?: ????

Kala-Nemi

Bang?: !??!?!?!??!!?!?!!?!?

Angel

Bang?: Would bang

Archangel

Bang?: Would bang

Principality

Bang?: Would bang

Power

Bang?: Would bang

Virtue

Bang?: Would bang

Dominion

Bang?: Would bang

Throne

Bang?: Would not bang

Melchizedek

Bang?: It looks like something from Power Rangers, would not bang

Sraosha

Bang?: Nah

Hermit

Yomotsu Shikome

Pros: Hair game hella strong

Bang?: Would not bang

Naga

Bang?: Would not bang

Lamia

Bang?: Uhm. No?

Mothman

Bang?: No.

Taraka

Bang?: Would not bang

Kurama Tengu

Bang?: Would not bang

Nebiros

Bang?: Would not bang

Kumbhanda

Bang?: What. is that

Arahabaki

Bang?: *laughs*

Ippon-Datara

Bang?: He scares me, no, would not bang

Hitokoto-Nushi

Bang?: Pig looking motherfucker hell no, would not bang

Ongyo-Ki

Pros: He looks really cool

Bang?: Would bang

Fortune

Fortuna

Pros: Beautiful

Bang?: Would bang

Empusa

Bang?: Nooooooooooooooooooo.

Kusi Mitama

Bang?: No.

Clotho

Pros: MY GIRL THO

Bang?: YAAAAAAAAAAS, would bang

Lachesis

Pros: Beautiful Persona women will be the death of me

Bang?: PLEASE, would bang

Atropos

Pros: I can’t take this

Bang?: Ugh you don’t even know, would bang

Norn

Bang?: ?????????

Sukuna-Hikona

Bang?: Would not bang

Yamato-Takeru

Bang?: Would not bang

Yamato-Sumeragi

Pros: Yoooooo

Bang?: Would bang

Strength

Cerberus

Pros: Design is hella bitchin’

Bang?: But nah son, would not bang

Valkyrie

Bang?: Would bang

Rakshasa

Bang?: Mmmmm sure, would bang

Titan

Pros: Pretty attractive actually

Bang?: Would bang

Jikokuten

Bang?: Would not bang

Hanuman

Bang?: Would not bang

Narasimha

Bang?: Would not bang

Kali

Bang?: Would not bang

Siegfried

Bang?: Yas, would bang

Sandman

Bang?: *laughs*

Oni

Pros: Awww cutie

Bang?: Would bang

Zaou Gongen

Bang?: Would not bang

Hanged Man

Inugami

Bang?: Fuck no.

Take-Minakata

Pros: He’s pretty hot to be honest

Bang?: Ye, would bang

Orthrus

Bang?: no.

Vasuki

Bang?: WOULD NOT BANG

Ubelluris

Pros: I bet his abs are ROCK SOLID, I’ll be taking my leave now

Bang?: Would bang

Hecatoncheires

Bang?: Non.

Hell Biker

Pros: I didn’t know Ghost Rider was a Persona

Bang?: I want to bang Ghost Rider, yes, would bang

Attis

Pros: Bruuuuuuuh, he’s like a mummy holy fuck

Bang?: Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuh, would bang

Yomotsu-Ikusa

Bang?: NO.

Makami

Bang?: NO.

Yatsufusa

Bang?: NO.

Taown

Bang?: NO.

Death

Ghoul

Bang?: No thank you.

Pale Rider

Bang?: There’s a “I want to bone him” pun that I’m not clever enough to make better so yeah, would bone

Loa

Bang?: Who wouldn’t want to bang a skull head amirite?, would bang

Samael

Bang?: No

Mot

Bang?: ?????????

Alice

Pros: She’s adorable

Bang?: Uhhhhh, she’s a like a little girl so would not bang

Thanatos

Pros: *squirms* AHHHHHHHHH LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I’M IN LOVE WITH THANATOS OKAY LIKE NO YOU DONT UNDERSTAND OH MY FUCKING GOD I JUST WANT HIM TO KILL ME REALLY REALLY BADLY. ONE OF THE HOTTEST PERSONAS I’VE EVER SEEN. BLESS EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM

Bang?: OF FUCKING COURSE WOULD BANG SHUT UP DONT LOOK AT ME

White Rider

Bang?: What makes you so better than Pale Rider

Matador

Pros: Best design.

Bang?: Yes. Would bang

Temperance

Nigi Mitama

Bang?: Uh no

Mithra

Bang?: HELL NO

Genbu

Bang?: no

Seiryuu

Pros: Sick ass dragon

Bang?: But would not bang

Okuninushi

Bang?: Would bang

Suzaku

Pros: It’s like a fucking phoenix holy shit

Bang?: But would not bang

Byakko

Bang?: Would not bang

Yurlungur

Bang?: ???????????? no

Sylph

Bang?: Would bang

Xiezhai

Bang?: It’s a sheep thing, would not bang

Devil

Lilim

Pros: What a cutie

Bang?: Would bang

Mokoi

Bang?: What even the fuck is it, would not bang

Vetala

Bang?: NOPE.

Incubus

Bang?: Nah, would not bang

Succubus

Bang?: Meh, would not bang

Pazuzu

Bang?: No

Lilith

Pros: *sweats*, oh wow

Bang?: Uh, duh, would bang

Abaddon

Bang?: GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME

Beelzebub

Bang?: What kinda bug looking thing, jesus, fuck no, would not bang

Ukobach

Bang?: what

Belphegor

Bang?: what

Belial

Bang?: uh

Tower

Eligor

Bang?: Mmmmmmmm sure, would bang

Cu Chulainn

Bang?: Ye, would bang

Bishamonten

Bang?: Nah, would not bang

Seiten Taisei

Bang?: Would not bang

Masakado

Bang?: Would not bang

Mara

Bang?: By far the most terrifying Persona in existence, if anyone fucking asks me if I want to bang Mara I’m kicking your ass, HELL NO. WOULD NOT BANG. DON’T EVEN PLAY WITH ME LIKE THAT

Shiva

Bang?: Yes pls, would bang

Chi You

Bang?: Would not bang

Tao Tie

Bang?: No

Yoshitsune

Bang?: Would bang

Star

Neko Shogun

Bang?: Would not bang

Setanta

Bang?: Would bang

Nandi

Bang?: NO

Kaiwan

Bang?: Jesus, what the hell is that, no, would not bang

Ganesha

Bang?: Would not bang

Garuda

Bang?: No.

Kartikeya

Bang?: Would not bang

Saturnus

Bang?: Hot Personas are great, would bang

Kintoki-Douji

Bang?: *laughs*

Kamui

Bang?: *LAUGHS LOUDER*

Kamui-Moshiri

Bang?: really.

Fuu-Ki

Bang?: Would not bang

Moon

Gurr

Bang?: No

Yamatano-Orochi

Bang?: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Girimehkala

Bang?: Would not bang

Dionysus

Pros: SWEET MOTHER OF GOD I LOVE HIS DESIGN SO MUCH

Bang?: OH MY GOD PLEASE, WOULD BANG

Chernobog

Bang?: No

Seth

Bang?: Uhm. Uhm. *sweats*

Sandalphon

Bang?: *shrug*, would bang

Andras

Bang?: no.

Nozuchi

Bang?: no.

Sui-Ki

Bang?: Would not bang

Alraune

Bang?: Would bang

Sun

Yatagarasu

Bang?: I’m not fucking a bird what the hell, would not bang

Quetzalcoatl

Bang?: Oh another bird thing, would not bang

Jatayu

Bang?: Another…bird, what the fuck, would not bang

Horus

Bang?: CAN WE STOP WITH THE BIRDS, WOULD NOT BANG

Suparna

Bang?: ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME

Vishnu

Bang?: Oh. A pleasant surprise, would bang

Asura

Bang?: You know what, I’m desperate, would bang

Gdon:

Bang?: Would not bang

Jester (Hunger)

Baphomet

Bang?: Would not bang

Magatsu-Izanagi

Pros: *wheezes*

Bang?: *WHEEZES* PLEASE

Judgement

Anubis

Bang?: Ohhhhhhhh yeah, would bang

Trumpeter

Bang?: Would not bang

Michael

Bang?: Would bang

Satan

Bang?: JFC NO

Lucifer

Bang?: Would bang

Messiah

Pros: PRAISE

Bang?: Would bang

Aeon

Uriel

Bang?: Would bang

Nidhogg

Bang?: NO

Ananta

Bang?: NO

Atavaka

Bang?: Yeah sure, would bang

Metatron

Bang?: Would bang

Ame-no-Uzume

Bang?: Would bang

Kushinada-Hime

Bang?: Would bang

Lakshmi

Bang?: Would bang

Kaguya

Pros: HOLY. HER DESIGN IS UNREAL

Bang?: WOULD BANG

World

Izanagi-no-Okami

Pros: ASLK;DFJLKA;FJLKSJFLKJL WHAT THE FUCKING SHIT, HOW DID THE BAE GET HOTTER WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK

Bang?: PLEASE OHMY GOD PLEASE, WOULD BANG

#persona #persona 3 #persona 4 #personacest #deadass i cant remember if personacest is a thing but i will make it a thing #mark my fucking words #rambles

[raijinhasverybigpecs]

smite high school au (part 2)

part 1 - agni to erlang shen

part 2 - fafnir to odin

part 3 - osiris to zhong kui

notes

the school is a fancy private school with the gods playing a major role as important students and teachers at the school

the gods are not the only employees/students - there are many other students and teachers at the school to fill in the gaps

uniform is like this, but in the emblem colours (i’m too lazy to search up another image, give me a break lmao)

gods have no divine power but keep certain skills, talents and traits that they had with their powers (raijin doesn’t have lightning powers but he’s still good at playing the drums for example)

gods are mostly in human forms and they actually look like people - no super wild claws or fur or any of that shit (aside from cama and baka i think)

just a general note: this isn’t final or anything, and i’d appreciate any feedback or if you wanna add something or change something then please tell me, i’d like everyone’s opinions to be considered :>

(also the image might have a few mistakes, i’ll fix them up when i care enough to make an effort :P)

roster (part 2: fafnir - odin)

(short descriptions/headcannons of gods below)

fafnir - management

works the front desk, taking phone calls, sending out papers, and dealing with parents

handles budgeting requests

an asshole but good at his job so everyone puts up with him

fenrir - student

angry all the time

releases that anger by doin sports

looks after his sisters, very very protective (if you’re gonna try to talk to him you’ve gotta get in hel’s good books as well)

actually a giant nerd, shy about his interests

freya – arts and hpe teacher

teaches most of the arts subjects + hpe

coach of the tennis team and fencing team

definition of Sexy Teacher™ , extremely aware of it and loves teasing the other teachers and students

ganesha - teacher

goes off on tangents often when teaching, has a million stories to tell about everything

teaches literally everything

Dad™

also works as a guidance councillor

extremely smooth

bad puns all the time

geb – guidance councillor

Dad™ part 2: electric boogaloo

good at hugging

patient and kind

sometimes fills in for geography teachers

guan yu – history teacher

experienced and knows what he’s doing

the most organised teacher, never late, always calm

hachiman - history and hpe teacher

looks as if he’s about to go on a holiday in the bahamas at any given moment

“please do up those buttons hachiman, this is a private school that has a reputation to uphold”

“but it’s so hot-”

“it’s snowing outside”

“ah”

archery coach

secretly judging all the other teachers, trying outdo them

hades - deputy principal

does all the dirty work behind the scenes

has a worrying amount of connections with all sorts of people

does all the interviews for students and teachers

runs an incredibly tight ship, making sure halls and students look immaculate

teaches a few classes, if you’re lucky you’ll be in his class

he bo - librarian

knows the title and author of every book in the huge library

often seen talking to ganesha and thoth

surprisingly good at swimming, helps the swim team at times

hel – student

for this au hel will be a pair of twins :>

polar opposites but they’re always seen together along with fenrir trailing behind them

dark side is good at sports while light side is good at art

hercules – hpe teacher

Dad™ part 3: sad dad club

depressed but he won’t show it (or he’ll at least try to not be a unkempt mess)

usually spends nights at the school due to his divorce

loves working with younger kids, finding it harder to adjust to older kids

got the job due to odin’s recommendation

hou yi - student

archery club member (duh), wins prizes and whatever

shows off a lot, bit of an asshole in that respect

stupid but he means well

hun batz - art teacher

very passionate about what he does, runs a very unconventional art class where students do whatever the fuck they want

always has paint or something on him yet his art supplies are super organised

isis - science teacher

helps out with the school nurse

lovely dovey with osiris all the goddamn time, they often get caught out by students and other teachers

izanami - parent

scares the shit out of all the students when she shows up

“is that really ama’s mother? jesus christ she looks like the girl from the ring”

“better watch what you say lest you end up like all the others”

in a custody battle with izanagi, kids have to switch between parents every week

if you bring up izanagi she’ll trash talk him at any given opportunity

janus - student

awkward nerd, doesn’t get emotions

too nice to people

very good at science, will talk off your head about space at any given moment

makes cute chiptune music in his spare time

close with chronos, chronos is very protective of him

jing wei - student

annoying but gets on with everyone

strangely close friends with thanatos

very fast runner even if she’s short as hell, pole vaulting master

kali - hpe and history teacher

flips from calm to angry in a flash - when she says to stay quiet she means it

actually super chill and nice otherwise, really good with shy and quiet students bc she’s very supportive

nu wa’s right hand, if teachers or students want to fuck about kali is here to make sure that they stay in line

Sexy Teacher™ part 2, male teachers wish they could get with her

age is unknown, she’s been at the school for a very long time

gets on with chronos, the two can be seen gossiping at lunch

khepri - school councilor

Dad™ part 4: the reboot, very supportive and nice, knows everyone

organises all the school events with the help of kumba

right hand man to hades, the two always turn heads because they look like polar opposites

secretly has a stash of scotch (that nu wa and hades know about) to get him through days where the staff are acting like headless chickens

big, strong, will protect you - did weight lifting in his glory days although he’s gained a lil weight since then

kukulkan - science teacher

talks a lot with ah puch

sarcastic, will call you out and won’t take any shit

“so now we’re gonna display how gravity works” *walks over to hou yi and stands behind him*

“sir what are you-”

*pushes hou yi over* “and that’s how gravity works kids, turn to page 76 and i’ll get you to write the definition down in your books”

kumbhakarna - school councilor

Dad™ part 5: birth by sleep, him sleep lots but whenever he’s awake he’s very good at his job

will sleep through anything

kuzenbo - school mascot

this is what you get for being a bad character

fuck you

loki - parent

protective, will fight for his kids

doting father, embarrasses them constantly

shows up to the pta meeting in a tuxedo, shows up to the school recital in a singlet and boxer shorts

medusa - former teacher

art and history teacher

no one’s too sure why she got fired but rumours have gone around that a male teacher was cheating on their wife so it got covered up

keeps in touch with neith as well

mercury - student

loudest person in the room

good at science and running (duh)

face of a 5 year old with a body chiseled out of clay

ne zha - student

soft baby face, stronk muscles

crazy flexible, does all sorts of flips

 shares clothes with jing wei, the two are very close to each other

neith - teacher

art teacher mostly, can teach other subjects

Sexy Teacher™ part 3, unaware of it

kinda out of it sometimes

stares into space a lot, gets caught in thought

bad memory, tries getting presents for all the teachers but always forgets

friends with everyone and always perky, other gods are jealous of her energy

seen around with nu wa and khepri a lot although she’ll try to spend time with every teacher

nemesis - student

blind, has a guide dog called invidia

law student, very menacing but is super nice and gets flustered easily

also part of the debating team

close friends with skadi (dog buddies!!!!)

nike - teacher

ALWAYS SHOUTING

GO TEAM

SMOOTH, TERRIBLE FLIRT ALL THE TIME

HPE AND MATHS TEACHER

SEXY TEACHER™ PART 4, GOOD ASS MUSCLES

nox - parent

somehow the most hardworking and least hardworking mother at all times

sneaks in wine during pta meetings

Cool Mum™

nu wa - deputy principal

better than you in all aspects

in control of every situation, strict but super nice

crazy ass past with some wild shit that pretty much no one knows about

teaches some classes as a substitute

Sexy Teacher™ part 5, none of you hoes can deny how fucking hot she is like jesus christ i’d go straight for her any day

odin - teacher

teaches history, very by the book and traditional - if you’re in his class you’ll have to get a new book by the end of the semester bc of all the writing you do

probably has fought a bear before, has cool scars and can tell really interesting stories about his life

#high school au #it's been 3 weeks but i got the 2nd part done #oops #it look a bit but we got there lmao #yay me

[imaginethatalena]

Kylo Ren, Jason Todd, and Damian Wayne Dad Headcanons

Thanks @skadi-winterfell for requesting ❤ These are my first headcanons and I would love to do more! I’m still figuring out how I want to format them, so hopefully my next set will look better. 

Tag List: @epicfallenismine @theyoungestschuylersister

Request: Hello! Thank you for sharing your wonderful writing. Mom has something to do and dad stays babysitting. Dad played by: Kylo Ren, Damian Wayne and Jason Todd. If it helps you: 85. “We bet and you lost, so you have to do it.”” 45. “Welcome back. Now fucking help me.”

45. “Welcome back. Now fucking help me.”

85. “We bet and you lost, so you have to do it.” 

Prompt List

Rules for requesting.

Kylo Ren babysitting his twin toddlers:

You discovered you were pregnant when Snoke was still alive.

Snoke’s death was the only way to be sure you and his child would be out of danger for good.

He wasn’t surprised when you had twins, being that his mother is one.

You’re a senior officer on the ship he was assigned to command alongside Hux, which means you’re constantly working on the bridge.

Despite his new role as the Supreme Leader, Kylo makes time for himself, so he watches the kids when you can’t.

Fatherly duties are often a convenient way to escape Hux’s nagging.

Babysitting two toddlers should be easy, but two Force sensitive toddlers are another story.

Toys soaring through the air to hit their father and each other.

One time accidentally activating his lightsaber.

Him being unable to use a mind trick to get them to take naps.

The twins seeming to share a Force connection like Luke and Leia.

You coming back to your chambers to face either utter chaos or all three of them being sound asleep after a day of play.  

Jason Todd babysitting his newborn son:

Jason had thought raising a son with you would be easy.

He was wrong.

He would rather take on all the criminals in Gotham than try to figure out how to take care of a baby.

Jason is the definition of a hot mess.

Especially when he babysits.

You get calls at work every half hour from him in the middle of a panic attack.

“I changed his diaper and I still don’t know why he’s crying!”

“He’s probably hungry.”

“How do I feed him? I can’t breastfeed!”

“That’s what the formula is for, babe.”

“…I knew that.”

One time you bet that if he could get through the day without a phone call, you would call off work the next day. 

Surprisingly, he managed without you. 

“Welcome back. Now fucking help me.” 

“I don’t know. You did so well today I’m not sure if I have to.”

“We bet and you lost, so you have to do it.”

Damian Wayne babysitting his young daughter:

He spoils his daughter rotten.

The granddaughter of Bruce Wayne deserves only the best.

Despite her fortunate childhood, she’s a sweet and generous child who loves everyone.

He’s determined to make sure you knew you had two loving parents from the beginning, so he spends as much time with you as possible.

Whenever you’re busy at work, he stays home to babysit her.

Babysitting your daughter is an absolute dream.

She likes to play “Batman and Batgirl,” which is basically hours of the two of them having a pretend adventure around the manor fighting imaginary villains (unless Uncle Tim comes to visit).

Buy me a coffee?

#star wars #dc comics #star wars headcanons #dc comics headcanons #batfamily headcanons #batfam headcanons #kylo ren headcanons #damian wayne headcanons #jason todd headcanons #request #headcanons

[notconsolation]

.... answer... all of the herbs and spices👀💓

@stalk-softly also asked: would it be awful if i were to just… request that you answer all your own questions in the ask meme… i feel like i am again, robbing your fans of the opportunity to ask you things… but you could maybe also answer this ask last?

sorry it took me a while to get back to you guys here you go my faithful darlings, i never cease to be amazed that you guys want to know these obscure things.

mint - what is your favourite herb?

thyme

oregano - write a sentence about yourself that starts with the title of the last song you listened to.

Stuck on the puzzle but it’s okay cause it’s soothing me all the same.

cumin - what’s your earliest memory?

hanging upside-down from the bar of the swings on a playground near my childhood home. I was wearing a t-shirt with butterflies on it and the grass was very green. I think I was 4?

caraway seeds - in what type of environment do you feel most safe?

deciduous forests or orchards.

coriander - what character trait most holds you in thrall in others?

answered previously

turmeric - what is your favourite spice?

either cinnamon or smoked paprika

dried ginger - how often do you think about stars?

at least once every few hours

cinnamon - you live in a world where you can get tattoos that project 3d hologram around you - what do you get?

answered previously

nutmeg - what was the most recent dream you remember having?

I think I dreamed something about an angry mob last night but i really can’t remember specifics

allspice - what’s your opinion on ABBA?

its a love-hate relationship

aniseed - what would you be most likely to buy from an antiques shop?

answered previously

thai basil - are you very different when you’re alone to when you’re with other people? if so, what are the main differences?

I think so. I don’t mean to be but I tend to be trying much harder to exist either more visibly or less visibly than is entirely natural to me. when I’m alone i let myself exist to an appropriate extent more easily

basil - if you could get a one-way trip ticket anywhere, where would you go?

Tokyo. then I’d make my way in a general westerly direction from there and see what happens.

bay leaf - finish the meme: what in ______?

answered previously

cardamom - do you believe in determinism?

answered previously

cayenne - which of your senses would you most willingly give up?

answered previously

clove - if you were someone’s muse, what type of thing would you inspire?

tears? eh I would hope maybe something like haunting piano melodies or ice ukulele tunes or something.

curry leaf - have you ever encountered any mythical creatures in a dream? if so, what?

a talking fox was a character in a recurring dream i had as a child but more recently I’m pretty sure i had a dream with charybdis in it

dill - if you were a type of alcohol, what would you be (or tag a friend and say what they would be)?

methanol.

kaffir lime leaf - is there any phrase/lyric that always gives you goosebumps? what?

so goddamn many but right now this phrase is dangling its legs over a balcony above my brain:

and then I felt chills in my bones

the breath i saw was not my own

i knew my skin that wrapped my frame

wasn’t made to play this game

and then i saw him, torch in hand

he laid it out, what he had planned

@twentyonequasars I’m curious what yours is

lemon verbena - what scent shower gel/shampoo do you use?

lavender body wash, argan oil shampoo, conditioner depends on what there is in the shower cause mine always gets used up by everyone else quickly so I just use theirs.

smoked paprika - are you a drunk texter?

nopppe

lemongrass - what way do you face in the shower?

towards. the. water. (guys I’ll be real the only reason I made this ask is so that I could spread this question because it doesn’t get asked often enough)

mustard seed - If you could get away with a single crime, what would you do and why?

fuck, i don’t want to get political with this one. shit. but like. maybe overthrow the dictatorship in North Korea? or else um.. well i don’t want mike pence to be president so fuckety fuck this shit I’m out.

sweet paprika - how do you show affection?

answered previously but it has become apparent in the meantime that the way I actually show affection is through a montage where we teach each other survival skills and dissociate peacefully together.

parsley - if you came back as some form of the undead, what would it be (e.g. ghost, vampire, zombie etc)?

answered previously

pepper - what’s your personal theory on why cartoon animal characters wear gloves?

answered previously and i recommend you think about this one carefully because its a deeply philosophical topic.

rosemary - what’s a specific image of situation you associate with a specific song?

Taxi Cab is associated with driving through the desert at night for me, despite the fact that i’ve never actually done that.

rue - tag a mutual and say what mythical/fairytale creature they remind you of.

@noahcantsleep you’re an imp, a pixie, mothman or thunderbird. I can’t quite decide. @acadjonne you’re a dragon or a siren that’s all for now folks contact me if you want to know yours

saffron - if your life took place in shades and tones of a single colour, what colour would that be?

hmm I want to say grey so it’s just a greyscale world then but something is pulling me towards yellow despite the fact that I dislike the colour yellow. I’ve probably just got mustard on the brain and I’m wishing for some golden sunsets or something. Although pink would be interesting too I guess.

sage - how old do you want to get?

Ask me again in 40 years but for now I’m saying 80.

szechuan pepper - if you were a member of a pantheon of gods, who would you be in which pantheon?

so first off I absolutely loved the Norse pantheon and Norse mythology as a kid so that one’s special to me but I love the concept of shakti from Hinduism. I don’t think I’m quite as empowered as she is though. So then going back to Norse Skadi is super cool and badass but also kind of rude and standoffish and prefers her wolves to people but again I felt she was too Accomplished and Together, so I’m going with half born Hel cause I always vibed with her.

thyme - do you want to be buried/cremated/something else etc?

I don’t really want to remain anywhere? you know like if I’m cremated I want my ashes to be scattered. Viking funeral if the apocalypse happens before I die and that kind of thing becomes acceptable again. If not I probably want to me used as forest fertiliser or something. I like trees.

vanilla - what position do you sleep in?

on my stomach mostly, fetal sometimes. depending on how many cats there are around, i may have no choice because they like to lie on me and i am a slave to their will-

zaatar - what would you love to have the freedom to do without repercussions of any kind?

previously answered

#'fans' #nice one christiana #you know full well we prefer the term 'pride of rabid vaguely homicidal humanoid beings' #ask

[johannstutt413]

(requested by anonymous)

“Alright, that’s all for today.” The Doctor stretched in his chair. “Made pretty good time, too.”

“Mmhmm.” Schwarz acknowledged his comment.

He stood up, throwing on his jacket. “You wanna grab a drink? I’ll buy.”

“You’re still trying?” She shook her head. “I won’t say no to a drink.”

“Before you fully agree, though, one condition: you tell me how you got to where you are today. I’ve heard something about you taking out an entire clan, and I want to know how much of what the rumor mill fed me is true.”

Schwarz thought for a moment. “You’ll buy the whole night?”

“The whole night,” he agreed. “Get whatever strikes your fancy, I’ll foot the bill.”

“Alright. You, me, two bottles of good whiskey, and I’ll tell you my story.”

The Doctor nodded. “Sounds like a fair trade to me. To the bar.”

-

“So, yeah...that’s my story.” They were at a table in the bar, several bottles of whiskey in front of them (one half-empty, the others fully drained). “Like I said, it’ll keep you up at night - took awhile for me to get over it, I know.”

“That is a nasty one...I wonder if the old me would’ve batted an eye, though. From what I’ve heard, I’ve been a part of similar events, both the winning and losing sides. Did you get the clean break you’d wanted?”

Schwarz thought for a moment. “Mostly. I don’t have any guilt about what I did, but...I still carry that training, those scars, the pit in my heart covered over with others’ blood and Ceylon. That poor girl - she still thinks I can be saved. Imagine that.”

“She’s not the only one,” the Doctor smirked. “This might be a bit rich coming from me, but I bet there’s still hope for you.”

“You really mean that, Doctor?”

He nodded. “I do. There’s your connection with Ceylon, which you might laugh at me considering, but...honestly, if you were truly heartless, you couldn’t even have forged that bond, and for it to have become this strong over the years since? You still have a sense of right and wrong - a rather precise one, even. Look at Lappland, look at Spectre, look at Skadi; the truly far-gone don’t have an understanding like that. And then, there’s...eh, maybe that’s too far a stretch, even if it matters to me.”

“While we’re in a spilling mood, Doctor,” Schwarz replied, “I’d prefer you do your fair share.”

“Alright, then. Well, Schwarz, the fact that you were willing to come and talk to me like this. I know you go out to drinks with the other mercenaries and whatnot every now and again, but the fact that you were willing to go into this with me, it...it made me happy.”

She shrugged. “I make Ceylon happy as well. Usually by accident.”

“Fair, but...” He was drunk enough he knew he had to be more careful about his choice of words, but also drunk enough for that definition to slip. “Is she attracted to you? Like, romantically?”

“I...I’ve never asked.”

The Doctor smirked. “That’s one big difference, then. I certainly am.”

“Hmm.” Schwarz poured another glass for herself. “Another glass, Doctor?”

“Sure.” He went to grab the bottle, but she still had her hand on it, and they ended up touching as she poured into his glass.

The Doctor pulled his hand back even as she was unfazed. Schwarz set the bottle down and gave him a look. “What is it about me you find attractive?”

“Oh boy, where do I start...” He drained his glass faster than it’d been poured. “Well, let’s be frank - you’re beautiful. I’m sure you’re more than aware of that.”

“...” Dead silence.

The Doctor responded with a disbelieving look. “Surely, someone has told you that by now. Ceylon, the Mayor, some trashy mercenary - I’m not the first person to tell you that your combat outfit leaves very little to the imagination but still leaves me fantasizing, or that your hair shines like silver and your eyes like gold, or that-”

“Doctor.” Schwarz waved her hand to tell him to stop, brightly blushing. “Please.”

“You wanted to know,” he shrugged, grabbing the bottle for himself and pouring another glass.

She sighed. “I didn’t expect you to have so much to say...”

“Have you really not been told?” The Doctor shook his head. “That’s a real shame. Besides, I didn’t even get to the harder stuff.”

“The harder stuff?”

He smirked, leaning forward. “Your faraway expressions as you fight your demons, the ones that remind me of my own at times despite the attached memories being long lost; your glare, that go-to-hell expression that doesn’t really mean malice so much as a warning to keep your distance, because everyone around you gets hurt and everything around you burns; your naturally stoic face that demands someone spend substantial time by your side to read your true emotions, something I wish I was better at...Sorry, I got lost in your eyes again.”

“Again...” Schwarz truly couldn’t believe him. “Is that why you lose your train of thought when talking to me?”

“They strike me to my core, as if they’re baring my entire soul to you...even though they clearly aren’t if you didn’t know all of this already.”

She crossed her arms and set them on the table, resting her chin on them to stare at the now-empty bottle with her ‘stoic face.’ “We’re out of alcohol.”

“I can get us more,” he shrugged. “Unless that was simply an observation?”

“...We’ve probably had enough by now.”

The Doctor nodded. “Much more and I won’t be able to work tomorrow. Can I tell you something else?”

“While we’re on the subject.”

“I’m really trying to not bring up every little thing, I promise,” he blushed. “It’s just...there’s so much about you to love.”

That seemed to be the final straw. “So much to love? Doctor, I am a shell of a person after the life I’ve led; I am a monster, bound to the shadows of the battlefield where I can mete out a life as a professional killer, a bodyguard and contract assassin who found her way to RI because of the person who freed me from my worst servitude in exchange for a lighter-than-deserved sentence. What is there to love about a person-shaped dark patch, hmm?”

“...Do you really think you’re the only monster here?”

“They’re children,” she retorted. “Children, misguided idealists, people with hope and life in their eyes-”

The Doctor’s voice picked up volume. “-Veterans.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Veterans,” he repeated. “Child soldiers, experiments in Originum compatibility gone wrong, revolutionaries, outcasts, vagabonds, warriors who should have been able to put down their swords long before now. There are Operators who have been abused, brainwashed, cut apart and sown back together, betrayed, bought and sold, cast out from their homes, stabbed, backstabbed - and that doesn’t just go for the Infected, like you and me.”

Schwarz had long since fallen silent. “Like you or me?”

“That’s right; at some point, I joined the Infected myself. If all the stories are to be believed, I’ve been a scholar, a tactician, but first and foremost a warlord cruel and unrelenting. I’ve led criminal enterprises, genocides, mass exterminations, and utterly despicable acts of sabotage and treachery in the name of some master I’ve long since forgotten my attachment to. It took losing my memory to start over, but you know what else it did? It left me a shell of a person as well, always minding my manners to not offend someone whose back has had my dagger in it once or a thousand times before, always looking for new tidbits about my past self so I can avoid being the disaster of a man I used to be, always wondering if the Operator I’m hiring on has suffered either at my hand or because of something I did in my past life. Reincarnation like this doesn’t mean my past is forgotten...it simply means I’ve forgotten it. Many of us, including yourself, don’t get that luxury...or that curse.”

“I’d...” She stared at him. “I’d never thought of it that way before.”

The Doctor sighed, standing up and donning his jacket. “I’ll walk you back to Ceylon’s.”

“I can’t let you do that; what if something happens to you on the way back?”

“I’ll say the same right back to you,” he retorted. “You know how I feel; imagine how terrible I will if you get hurt because I got you this deep into the bottles.”

Schwarz sighed. “I guess we’re spending the night together, then.”

“I guess we- what.”

“I can’t let you out of my sight,” she continued, “and you don’t want me out of yours for several reasons, so we’ll just have to spend the night together. I’m assuming your place, because Ceylon might learn something about you it’d be best for her not to figure out.”

The Doctor simply could not process this information properly. “Right, right...my room, then.”

“Let’s be on our way, then. Here - we should help each other stay on our feet.” Schwarz put an arm around his shoulder and pulled his arm around hers, and then they were off. It took some time, thanks to the staggering they were doing, but they made it to his room in one piece.

“Not that I’m ungrateful,” he managed, “but um...what’s happening tonight?”

She blinked, slowly. “You and me, sharing a room.”

“Right.” The Doctor shrugged it off, opening the door.

“Nice place.” Schwarz strolled in, a little shaky but still mostly in control. She collapsed onto his bed. “So.”

Still in the doorway, he steadied himself on the frame. “If you want the bed-”

“I want you in the bed with me.”

“Oh.” The Doctor stumbled forward, turning a fall into a tumble and standing afterwards. “Alright, then.” He shed his shoes and coat (which she had done while watching his display) and joined her.

For a few moments, nothing happened; eventually, she put a hand on his chest and gave him a probing stare. “Well?”

“...I dunno what I’m doing. One thing to dream about it, another-”

“I thought I was hopeless.” Schwarz’s statement wasn’t really a response to him. “I love Ceylon like a sister. Tonight, I want to know if I can love you like a woman.”

He collected himself - which took a moment. “Well, let’s give this a shot, then...”

He told himself he’d stop at a kiss; he was drunk, she was drunk, no guarantee if they’d remember any of what happened tonight afterwards. He told himself that would be enough, regardless of how much he wanted more. Take it slow, take it slow, take it-

Their lips met, and suddenly, the world was moving a thousand miles a minute.

#arknights #schwarz (arknights) #she's a hard nut to crack #might've mentioned that before #but we gotta remember: our doc's done some shit #everyone at RI has done some shit #with maybe one or two exceptions #but that doesn't last long thanks to reunion and other threats #so treasure what innocence you have #don't chase the future like it's the water to quench your thirst #because one day we'll all end up in the dirt #c'est la vie #arknights fic