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bitchwhoreofastorm · 10 months

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Prompt fill for the TES fanfic writers' discord weekly prompt.

1E414.

The first time they met Almalexia, she laughed them out of the room. Really, it had been quite marvelous-- the famously serious Almalexia, the grim Queen of Mournhold, the harsh leader of the free Chimeri who had greeted them with a bored scowl from her throne-- she had listened to Nerevar's tale first with a frown, then with a small up-turning of her mouth, a little crinkle of her eyes, and then, when Nerevar proposed to her, she had lost her composure and laughed. She laughed like royalty, clamping her hand over her mouth and turning her face away so that they couldn't see her mirth, though no decorum could hide the shaking of her shoulders. And when she asked her bodyguard to ensure they had lodging 'in payment for the wonderful tale they've entertained me with' she did it through giggles, and when she dismissed them, it was with a childish un-queenly grin.

Vivec was so captivated by the spectacle that he hardly noticed Nerevar-- Nerevar, blushing like a scolded child, Nerevar's mute indignant rage at the giggling girl. He marveled at the whiteness of her teeth, the glossy crimson of her hair, her fine robes, the bright scar that snaked over the high cheekbone beneath her left eye. He marveled until Nerevar dragged him out of the room and then he hung his head and stared very hard at the beautiful tiles they were walking on.

It was Vivec's first time meeting royalty, and being in a palace, and even being in Mournhold. It was Nerevar's first time speaking to the woman he intended to make his wife. When they were outside in the bright Mournhold sun they were glumly silent, Nerevar staring up at the sky and Vivec down at the ground, and they stood for a long time there in the heat.

It was Nerevar who spoke first: "She's a child!" he exclaimed with wroth. "She's a little girl on a throne, an arrogant little girl with a toy army!"

Vivec sucked on his teeth, pressed a bare toe into the corner of one of the courtyard tiles.

After a moment Nerevar added thoughtfully, "She's only naive. She's proud and we're new to her-- of course she doesn't yet believe in me! But I shall make her understand."

It was good that they'd made her laugh, Sotha Sil reassured them later. Their co-conspirator, the Queen's own court wizard, had joined them in the shabby inn they'd made their home. He perched awkwardly at the edge of Nerevar's bed, while Nerevar paced the room, stooping low to avoid hitting his head upon the rafters. Almalexia laughed rarely, Sotha Sil said. And Nerevar's optimism proved true: she could be persuaded.

Vivec crouched on top of the dresser of the corner and watched Sotha Sil carefully. He liked looking at Sotha Sil; Sotha Sil, constructed like a Dwemer spider, all angles and thin limbs and shiny brass artificial legs that somehow seemed more natural to him than his gangly arms. The first time he'd appeared to them it had been by accident, materializing right before them on the Mournhold steps, and this had delighted Vivec immensely. Sotha Sil spoke without looking at them, his wide blue eyes cast vaguely in the direction of Nerevar's pillow, and his little nervous hands fretted at a frayed corner of the blanket all the while.

"She holds no respect for me," Nerevar complained. "To laugh at my face-- after all I have done, after all I told her!-- if she were an older woman and wiser, she would see what a weapon I've brought to her." Here, he waved to Vivec. "She would fall to my feet in gratefulness."

Sotha Sil made a derisive sound. "If she thought you held a weapon that would aid her, she would throw you into a dungeon and take it from you at the point of a sword. Do not be fooled by the fact that her people call her mercy-- she was merciful once and it is a mistake she shan't repeat. No, the best thing you can be to her now is not a threat."

"A threat? How could I be a threat! I have come to protect her from all those that threaten her! Who else but me can lead her from her present peril? Certainly not you, wizard, or you would not be giving her to me on a platter."

Vivec watched a shudder go through Sotha Sil's narrow shoulders, then watched his eyes fall shut. Vivec adjusted himself on the dresser, letting one of his legs dangle, knock against an open drawer. Nerevar stopped to look from the window, ignorant of the blow he'd landed.

"Almalexia," Sotha Sil resumed presently, "Is all too aware of her hopeless situation. She is doomed and so she sees everything as a threat. When she comes to take you seriously, she will also see you as a threat. If for some reason you must insist on--" he paused again, drawing in a breath-- "I mean, if you fail at this… this quest of yours, she will become your enemy. You do understand that?"

"What if I were not a threat?" Nerevar asked, turning from the window. "I need not marry her! I could just offer myself to her as a general. I could join her Guild of Shouts. I could bind myself to her as a slave if it earned her support."

"Then you would become powerful anyways, and you would be a threat." Sotha Sil spoke very plainly. "She would have one eye on you, wondering at your motives, and she would notice the power you're accruing to yourself, and would notice how close behind her back you stand." Then he shrugged. "Of course, she will also think these things if you marry her, but maybe you'll achieve what you seek to before she puts a knife in you."

"You must be the king," Vivec added. He was chiding Nerevar, but his eyes remained on Sotha Sil's hands, which were methodically dismantling the weave of the blanket. "You have to be the Ruling King, that's how I saw it, that's how it must be. The Dwemer will never want to treat with you if you're only a servant-- you have to go to them as king. And to be the king--"

"I must marry her--"

"Or challenge her to a duel."

It was the first time the idea had been voiced between them. Nerevar spun around, regarding Vivec with wide, horrified eyes. Sotha Sil, too, raised his head-- he stared aghast at Vivec for a moment, then looked away, his mouth twisting into despair.

"Ah," Sotha Sil almost whispered, "So there's the stick behind the ash-yam. A duel. That damned duel!"

"Almalexia took her throne from Chemua in an honourable duel," Vivec addressed Nerevar again, but he couldn't tear his eyes from Sil. "By her own precedent you have the right to challenge her for her throne. Seht said that if she doesn't take your hand she'll be your enemy. So…"

"I would not kill her," Nerevar said quickly. Then he blushed, as if ashamed of even entertaining the idea. "I would not kill her," he said again, to Sotha Sil, though whether he was trying to reassure Sil or himself Vivec could not tell. "I know how to disarm an enemy. Or I could wound her in a limb."

"That would be even crueler," Sotha Sil muttered.

"It would not come to that!" Nerevar said frantically, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "I can persuade her, I need only time to win her heart. Our Mother Ayem! She's wise despite her years and will see reason if only I can make her listen. And I will make her listen. She will concede to this willingly, I'll make her concede. I have no wish to… You can help me, right?" He asked Sotha Sil. "Surely you have some other means of persuading her? If she knew you were aiding us--"

"She would hate me," Sotha Sil stated. But he closed his eyes, then, and pressed his finger against his temple. "… There is a powerful Ra'athim woman who she keeps as paramour, who has been known to influence her. This noble has certain ambitions and could be persuaded to support you. I could arrange a meeting…"

Vivec settled back against the wall, content to slip out of the discourse and into the safety of the shadows. But he found Sotha Sil looking at him with a strange expression-- it was a familiar expression, the face of someone who had been surprised by an old friend's uncharacteristic behaviour. When Sotha Sil looked at him, on those rare occasions Sotha Sil seemed to look at anyone and not through them, Vivec felt strangely as if they'd met long before Mournhold, as if they'd known each other all their lives. It made his stomach twist. It made him want to look away. When their planning ended and Sotha Sil used a recall spell to vanish from their midst, it came as a relief.

Nerevar fell onto the bed and stared for a long time at the ceiling, and then he called Vivec over.

"I would abandon this quest you've given me," Nerevar murmured, as Vivec laid himself along that large warm body. "I would pick up a sword and spend my days hunting down every person who has ever harmed you. Every single product of what you call your marriages, I would find them and slay them, one by one. I would make them suffer… I would take so much pleasure in their suffering, I would make their dying very slow." His arms felt very heavy when he embraced Vivec, and his shoulder still smelt like the bug musk they had bought for him, an ugly clash with the caravaneer's odor that permeated him. "What do I wish to drive out the Nords for? It was not the Nords who hurt you. I should pick a different foe. I cannot be the one meant for this… I cannot believe she laughed at me."

"I've a better idea," Vivec replied, nuzzling into Nerevar's chest. "Go fight the moons with an axe, if you want a different enemy."

"Ha, ha. I would rather fight the moons than fight… her. I take no joy in… but there's no other way. There's no other way, Vivec. It must be this way. This is the only way to reach my goals."

"Reach heaven by violence, then." And they fell asleep together all the same.

There were many more firsts in the coming days: Vivec's first time trying a sweet roll, Alandro Sul's first time meeting a Nord. Nerevar held a meeting with the Ra'athim noble that Sotha Sil had referenced, who turned out to be distantly related to him, and schemes were hatched, and plans were laid, and each day seemed to grow a little shorter and darker. They learned Mournhold like learning a new instrument, becoming slowly acquainted with the subtle manipulations that made the Queen's court move. They changed so swiftly they hardly noticed the transformation.

One day they received a loan from the Ra'athim noble and went to the market to buy a gift for Nerevar's would-be betrothed. Vivec stared very hard at shelf of fine daggers and pretended not to hear Nerevar asking the clerk about Almalexia's first duel, her fighting styles, her armor, where one could buy a better sword in town. They came away with a splendid little ebony letter-knife, which Nerevar cheerfully joked his future fiancee could find some peace in keeping, lest she ever decide she need to stab him in the back.

Then finally there came another first: Vivec's first time seeing Almalexia cry. The day came to issue the ultimatum of the hand or the sword.

It was almost more jarring than seeing her laugh. Almalexia did or weep feminine tender tears of royalty; she wept in wroth, anger turning her face as bright as her hair, her brow furrowing, her hands clenching into tight fists as Nerevar once more laid out his grand scheme for the liberation of the Chimer. He presented the future: he, the King of Mournhold, using the authority of office to foster an alliance with the Dwemer. He, using the power and influence of her city and her legend to foster an alliance between all the Houses. A prophecy inevitable, her only choice to make in it between his side or her grave. She sat very still and very straight in her throne all the while, taut as a trapped nix-hound, mute tears running in tidy single-file down her reddening cheeks.

Once more, Vivec only watched her. He watched carefully the quiver of her shoulders, the glint of green in her narrowing eyes. He watched a tear get caught on the gnarl of the scar in her face-- she had earned it at her first duel, Sotha Sil had told them, she wore it like a badge of her own strength-- then he turned his gaze to Sotha Sil, who stood stonily behind her like an executioner. This time he did not hang his head.

So the ultimatum was delivered. Almalexia was silent for ten seconds, then thirty-- then she stood and, quite calmly despite the dampness of her face, she ordered Nerevar to be gone from her sight. Nerevar left with the confidence of a victor; Vivec, however, remained rooted to the spot.

It was then that Almalexia seemed to notice Vivec for the first time. She was trembling when she approached him, and her voice shook:

"I never thought I would see you again," she said to Vivec, who had never been addressed by her before. "Yes, Sotha Sil told me who you are. I believed I would never see you again."

Standing so close to him, Vivec could see that she was not much older than he was; aside from her jewelry and fine clothing, her face was very plain, her chin vaguely Nordic, her eyes more green than yellow and boring into him with the same intensity he sometimes caught in Sotha Sil. He watched her take a deep breath and caught her lip quivering, as if she were resisting the urge to yell at him, or strike him, or simply howl. Words escaped her. She could find nothing to say to Vivec for a long time.

"Do you know me?" she finally demanded.

"I've never met you," replied Vivec, and it was the first time he ever lied to her, too.

#i am so out of practice lol #tw coerced marriage #almalexia #vivec #indoril nerevar #fic #sotha sil

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licorishh · 4 months

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greek man save me......... save me mad scientist save me

#dr ratio #hsr dr ratio #honkai star rail #honkai star rail fanart #artists on tumblr #if you see the mistakes no you don't sigh #i dunno. had fun rendering this one #getting better at rendering i think maybe #last piece of 2023 and first piece of 2024 man startin' off with a bang #i enjoyed this process but i think i am learning that i need to practice the art of doodling because this took so many hours #i can't do THIS much every time i wanna make a finished piece lol i'll go insane #but for now i like how this turned out :)

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stergeon · 3 months

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enbarr, sometime in 1186:

ok so @frozenartscapes made this addition to my post about byleth and edelgard writing each other letters all the time, right:

well i kind of lost my mind and now we're here.

i'm sure this meeting is salvageable :0) hubert's sanity, however,

#fire emblem #fe3h #fire emblem three houses #fe16 #edeleth #byleth eisner #edelgard von hresvelg #edelgard #byleth x edelgard #three houses #sterge.pptx #long post warning #haven't drawn comics in a good while lol #i guess it's good practice for hourly comic day this week #really hope this makes any sense and is remotely legible #i have yet to figure out how to get stuff to look half-decent when shrunk down for tumblr #boy i sure am glad i gave byleth emotions in my fic so i can have her make the dumbest expressions known to mankind #my half-baked Lore Reason is that she's not used to using her facial muscles yet so every expression is Extreme #there's no justification for why edelgard is like this. it's just funny #yeah it's all ooc but i'm a dyke with a pencil and i can do whatever i want

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turtleblogatlast · 20 days

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Don’t think I ever quite said what my LGBTQ+ headcanons are for the boys, so these are my current thoughts! Always changing of course but this is what I feel most strongly right now.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt headcanons #rise donnie #rise leo #rise mikey #rise raph #donnie and leo’s sexualities being practically swapped was unintentional but it works way too well #same with mikey and raph tbh it was a happy accident #anyway I kinda hc raph as the type who doesn’t care about physical appearance just if you fight lol #Mikey’s more than happy with friends and family #Donnie is a BIG romantic but he needs time to sus a person out fully before he gets the hots for them #leo meanwhile isn’t keen on romance unless it’s with someone he grows to really really REALLY trust #I could go on and probably will later (knowing me) but it is late and I am tired haha #turtle art tag #curious as to what everyone else headcanons #the only one of these I’ll defend forever is Bi (female-leaning) donnie and trans leo #all the others can change over time but I really like where they’re sitting right now #I hope these are the right flags too because it was kinda hard to find them #went looking for transmasc flag in particular but I couldn’t find a solid agreed upon version 😭#ngl a big part of why I hc mikey as aro is because of a pun #my phone often misspells aromantic as aromatic and- and you get it- because aromatic herbs and- and Mikey is a chef do YOU GET IT #note that while I hc leo as bisexual (male-leaning) I still think he’s prob closer to demi in that as well just not as far into the spectrum #if that makes sense #headcanons are fun and hard to narrow down at the same time alas #I made this in like an hour can you tell djjdjd #I drew them all from memory so if there’s anything wrong…shhh #and if you’re wondering for April and Splinter #Both are Bisexual (female-leaning) but April is also Panromantic #I almost wanna make Splinter demiromantic too so Big Mama’s betrayal hits just a bit harder

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tj-crochets · 20 days

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Hey y'all! This question came up when I had family visiting, and I am genuinely unsure of how common this is

#the person behind the yarn #I always have a deck of cards in any bag I carry with me #before I had a purse it was in my yarn project bag #before that in my school backpack #now that I have to take a purse when I leave the house for carrying emergency meds reasons #I have a deck of cards in there in case I'm ever bored somewhere and want to pass the time #and I was out with family and pulled out a deck of cards and they were very surprised #I do want to look up the instructions for a few more two or three player card games though #I mostly default to playing Speed and that's kinda unfair to play with kids #well okay maybe not unfair in general but A. I am very very good at that game* and B. the kidlet I was playing with was not familiar #with how the facecard numbers work #so I had to slow down a lot #(*when I had the deck of cards in high school Speed was usually what I played and I got a LOT of practice lol)

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lovesickeros · 4 months

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☆ decadence divine [ act I ]

{☆} characters arlecchino, neuvillette, furina {☆} notes yandere, drabble, gender neutral reader {☆} warnings yandere content, stalking (implied), kidnapping (implied) {☆} word count 2.3k

ARLECCHINO

Arlecchino was wont to leave social gatherings to her subordinates– the private meetings were where she thrived. It was so much easier to lure your prey into a trap when you didn't have prying eyes and ears waiting for the barest hint of blackmail.

She clicked her tongue in distaste, her eyes narrowing beneath the mask of the fox as she set down her cup sharply. It was difficult as it was to draw them from the safety of their bubble– at the slightest hint of danger, her quarry would run. A chase would be fun, but she couldn't risk getting caught here. The political nightmare it would cause..it already gave her a headache. She had to be discreet.

They weren't making it easy, however.

Which is why she never liked crowds. But this chance didn't come by every day. She wasn't going to simply let it pass by because of a little danger. She'd have them eventually, it was just a matter of how. There were already numerous of her own lingering in the crowds, hidden beneath the masks that every patron bore. It was difficult to stand out amongst the flurry of masked patrons constantly shifting around the room, moving from one conversation to another, gliding from one dance partner to another.

Her heeled boots clicked sharply against the tile as she stalked through the crowds, keeping a wide berth yet always lingering nearby– she was sure they could feel the vague sense of being watched, but with the huge crowds..her lips quirked into a grin with the barest flash of teeth. There were a great many ways to break them in– she'd spent a great amount of time and mora to get anything she could for blackmail, if she so wished. She had the backing of the Fatui as well if she played her cards right– it wouldn't be difficult to convince them that they were a valuable target, and none of them would dare to question just what she did with them afterwards.

Perhaps a bit of play, first. Test the waters. She was familiar with playing the polite gentleman, despite her status as a Fatui Harbinger. Stage something for her to intervene, perhaps, to look the hero. The look of shock when she revealed the wolf beneath the wool..she could see it already. That wide, doe-eyed look as they realized the monster they've followed blindly like a lost lamb..she was beginning to see the appeal.

All it took was a few hushed words and subtle signals before the tiles started to fall in place, her hand gliding along their lower back as she leaned over their shoulder with a thin, predatory smile. She'd have to organize for the agent to be released later, her eyes following as the Gardes dragged him out of the room in a flurry of curses, but for now..she tilted her head to peer down at them, polite and almost apologetic.

"You aren't too startled, are you? Now now, there's no need to look so..scared, poor thing. I won't let another lay a hand on you," She cooed in a sickly sweet tone, the husky rasp of her voice whispered in their ear like dripping honey. "You have my word. Now, why don't we get you some fresh air? Come. Allow me to escort you."

Her lips pulled into a jagged grin at the relief in their eyes– the blind lamb following the shepherd as it led them into it's maw. Just a little longer, and she could finally have her own caged bird– a pretty thing to admire, to protect, to possess.

Something no one else would ever touch again. Something hers.

NEUVILLETTE

Neuvillette was not one for parties. The intricacies and delicate handling of public relations he oft left in the capable hands of Furina, rather then himself. It was only at her behest he even attended at all, but he still felt rather..out of place amongst the bodies constantly shifting through the ballroom like a constant rush of water from one end to the other, no rhyme nor reason to the flow. The only thing that kept him afloat among the tides was the mask of the deer obscuring his face– even if it was exceedingly difficult to truly hide himself among the crowds, most passed over him without second thought.

Though he had to be honest with himself, even if he couldn't bring himself to admit it to Furina despite her insistence that his attendance was mandatory. He had his own reasons for coming– selfishness that left a sour taste in his mouth. It was purely by chance he'd seen the briefest glimpse of them prior, and he..was intrigued, that was all.

He refused to let his thoughts linger on the sleepless nights he spent prying every piece of information he could from loose tongues and obscure documents, every moment he managed to squeeze in between trials spent lingering in their most favored locations– cafes, stores, restaurants, the like.

Now a masquerade.

He tried not to let the guilt gnaw at his conscious, but it lingered like an age old scar that still ached.

So he relegated himself to simply residing in the further corner, nursing a goblet of water like a fine wine, trying not to let his eyes stray to the brief glimpses of them through the ever moving bodies filling the center of the room, dancing like puppets in music boxes.

Still, his hand twitched in an instinctual desire– a need to clasp his hand in their own, to touch his lips upon their knuckles, to indulge in a moment of reprieve and unshackle himself from the mantle that bears heavy upon his shoulders. He seeks reverence, worship, but not of himself– but towards the one who had drawn the eye of the dragon amongst the waves of humans he'd seen come and go for a great many years.

No one could compare, he is certain. None have left him as breathless, as hopelessly infatuated, as the one who made him wish only to kneel at their feet in senseless reverence until he could no longer speak. A hopeless man, indeed, if he has never even truly met them.

Instead he's spent his time prying into their life from the shadows. Caution, or simple cowardice?

He dares not ponder.

Yet in his ceaseless pondering he'd blocked out the world without, failing to notice the figure stepping up beside him until their hand brushed against his elbow– just the briefest touch, but it had his pupils narrowing and his entire body tensing like a coiled spring. That touch..bliss. It left him breathless and lightheaded as he tilted his head to regard them, his lips parting in a shaky sigh. They are as beautiful as he remembers– even with their face obscured beneath the mask, he would never forget them.

"Greetings, Monsieur– I hope I didn't frighten you too much." Their laugh made him feel rather faint, just the sound of their voice making his hand tighten around his cane. "..Not at all. I was simply lost in thought." He admitted apologetically, trying to reign in the urge to cup their face between his palms. A dangerous thought. He didn't want to scare them off when they'd provided him a priceless opportunity.

"My apologies, you must have needed something. It was rude of me to have been so absorbed in my thoughts to have ignored you." He continued, gently turning to set his goblet down– offer them his full attention, be a gentleman. The words rang in his skull like a ceaseless alarm, blaring and rattling his thoughts as he gently took their hand in his own. It was a split second decision– an indulgence, but he could simply not help himself. Even with his gloves between them, he felt like he was going to lose his composure just from such a brief touch..

He truly was a hopeless man before an altar, praying for a salvation he intends to bury deep beneath the waves– to keep it hidden in the darkness of the depths that only he can reach. A selfish man, he must be, to even think of it, but it is an itch that he cannot scratch. A need that must be satisfied. He cannot allow any hands but his own to tend to them, to know what it feels to touch them, to hear their voice and see their eyes as he prays– prays like a man starved, devotion born of desperation.

"I hope I did not make you wait too long." He smiles, soft and affectionate, like the bloom of spring beneath the winters chill– yet just as deadly, only masked by the sweet fragrance of flowers.

He had waited too long.

No longer.

FURINA

Furina was right at home amongst the crowds– where the masks obscured the identities of most, it was impossible to not recognize the charming banter of the Hydro Archon beneath the mask of the lamb as she graced the masquerade with her presence, speaking with a silver tongue to any who would listen. A truly enthralled audience fitting for the grandest of performers in Fontaine.

But her eyes lingered not on the people who's praise dripped from their lips like honey– yet so very bitter upon her tongue. Even the mask obscuring her expression did little to hide the longing that had her visibly deflating like a popped balloon. She hated all the eyes on her, really– it was suffocating. She was only putting on a show in the foolish hope that they'd finally pay attention to her. Just her luck, she supposes, that instead she's had to throw herself straight into the role of Archon without a pay off..

They hadn't even spared her a glance! It would be infuriating if not for the fact she couldn't even keep her composure just seeing them across the room. They didn't even have to look at her and she could feel the heat rush to her ears as she forced another smile at the crowd gathered around her. It was unfair how easily they could fluster her without even knowing it– her heart was thumping so hard against her ribcage she felt like it might burst.

Her only solace was the fact none of the patrons seemed to realize she'd clocked out of the conversation, her thoughts and eyes lingering on the distant figure– what a lovestruck fool she makes..it was a chance encounter she'd seen them during one of her outings. That was all it took to enthrall her, evidentially, try as she might to have ignore it for months.

They never left her mind for longer then a day, in the end, and she had to face the fact they had managed to enrapture her so deeply she felt like a newborn lamb learning to walk whenever she so much as thought of them. What an embarrassment! She..she was the Archon, she had a reputation to maintain, she couldn't be seen fawning over a human.

But oh, she still longed for it, beneath the veneer of a God. She'd watched them more times then she'd admit even to herself, wishing to find herself in place of those who'd hands were cradled so casually in their own– to hear their voice, their laughter, as often as she pleased..like a fine delicacy she so badly wished to taste, yet so far from her reach.

Would they think her pathetic for her infatuation? She pursed her lips at the thought, trying to bury the sour mood beneath her faux image of the Archon. Yet it lingered, and with only the quietest of excuses, she slipped into the crowd like a ghost– she needed to leave before she did something..stupid. Neuvillette would surely have a few choice words with her if she did, and she was inclined to avoid such a fate.

She..she just needed a moment to collect herself was all. That was it. She could go back to playing Archon for a little longer, she just needed a moment to herself. At the very least, the balcony had been regarded as off limits so late into the party– which gave her an opportunity to slip out of the public view for the briefest of moments. A welcome reprieve– she was starting to feel suffocated amongst the crowds.

Perhaps on instinct, she reached for the mask, lifting ever so slightly away..only to let out a startled yelp at the touch of a hand on her shoulder, the mask slipping back into place far too easily. It made her lightheaded, even now, but she dared not to dwell on it.

But when she turned sharply on her heel to chew out the person who'd followed her and had the gall to scare her..oh, she was done for, her ears flush with heat. The brief glimpse of their eyes beneath the mask, the curl of their lips as they smiled– her heart stuttered in her chest, and she was certain it had stopped all together when they clasped her hand.

"Y–you.." She wanted to be angry, to brush them off and leave with her rationality in tact, but the warmth of their hands on her skin rendered her speechless. She was no better then a fish on land, struggling to fill her lungs with air as she drew in a shaky breath. "Ahem, you caught me off guard. That's all. Surely you do not make it a habit to sneak up on people?" She huffed in indignation, trying to mask the fluster that threatened to break through her carefully crafted facade.

Ah, what a cruel twist of fate..she'd slipped away to escape their allure, but here they were, dragging her back into their orbit without even knowing how deep her infatuation ran. They were alone, too..it was a chance she wasn't sure she'd ever get again.

Maybe, just this once, she could do something for herself rather then everyone else.

She buried her guilt, the fear– buried it beneath the need to be seen.

"But if you want to make it up to me.."

#genshin impact #genshin impact yandere #genshin yandere #neuvillette x reader #yandere neuvillette #yandere neuvillette x reader #arlecchino x reader #yandere arlecchino #yandere arlecchino x reader #furina x reader #yandere furina #yandere furina x reader #fic tag #pats neuvillette this noodle dragon can be so pathetic #aiming for pathetic desperate and slightly guilty. it gnaws at him knowing he's keeping you like a bird in a cage #esp if you react extremely negatively hes like a kicked puppy #not outwardly but internally hes a MESS. sobbing crying wailing #furina and neuvi sopping wet kittens u found in a cardboard box in an alley #vs arle thinking abt all the crimes shes going 2 commit in the process w/o an ounce of guilt. blackmail? check. kidnapping? check.#a little murder for flavor. as u can see im coping horribly w being practically snowed in rn i need 2 be put down #its like 4 degrees out rn (fahrenheit) and getting colder ueueueue i am dying..........#only thing keeping me going is my furinameow plushie coming. eventually. staying strong just for her.................#also needs 2 be mentioned all the stories r separate ksjfkhdsf #no not everyone in fontaine is yan and trying 2 kidnap sorry for getting ur hopes up..#yet #anyway u cant convince me arle isn't bribing (or just straight up forcing) her agents into doing stupid shit so she can “save” you #and make you owe her #two silly goofy little creatures vs the personification of gaslight gatekeep girlboss (heavy on the gaslight)#also split this up in 3 parts bc. lol. lmao. im not writing 9 characters at once goodbye #also all the masks do actually have significance i have an entire essay on why i gave each animal to specific characters okay

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why-the-heck-not · 1 month

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I have a handle on my procrastination

…. I accessorized Elvis (the sourdough starter)

#look is this in any way practical? no #but ohmygod it brings me joy #somewhere around cutting a pair of sunglasses out of paper to tape onto a jar of flour goo at midnight I had a wtf am I doing with my life #moment but anyways #could sort of use that as a marker to see where the starter was when I fed it but idk if it’ll stay there securely enough we’ll see #I also have some tape there just in case this falls off when I pick it up #sorry I’m talking so much abt the damn sourdough starter lol I swear I won’t be this annoying abt it always #it’s just so fun (?) to me for some reason lol #(I love food that’s alive in a not cruel way (fermentation bacteria etc etc. is super interesting to me))#(also I just fed it so that’s why it’s looking a lil sad & unbubbly)#march 2024 #2024

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cold-neon-ocean · 1 year

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why did love put a gun in my hand? was it for redemption, was it for revenge? was it for the thrill of pushing my hope to the edge?

#Trigun Stampede #Trigun #Vash the Stampede #Fanart #[ gosh I've been sitting on this for a while lol #I wasn't sure how I wanted to render it and admittedly I didn't like it for a while #but aah i am very happy with it now :'D #I tried something new with the hair and I like the outcome a lot #i've never had a style for hair i liked that i felt went with my style but this one worked out #i've never done a paint-over before so I wanna try and practice with it more #anyways im scheduling this before the new ep comes out #i've never used tumblr scheduling so we'll see how this goes ]#Neon Ocean Art

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scificrows · 10 months

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Is there a 300 page essay about Murderbot's armor (specifically the opaque helmet) as a not-so-subtle metaphor for masking in a clearly neurodivergent character already? Because I need it.

The way Murderbot is unvoluntarily without its opaque armor in All System Red in front of the crew (i.e. unmasking) and appears surprised at its own strong facial expressions and other people's reaction to it? The vulnerability that comes with that and how Murderbot spends pretty much the rest of the book wearing or actively missing its armor which keeps it safe from the mortifying ordeal of being known (yet sometimes other characters suggest it might help for it to not opacify the helmet in order for others to see it as a person and to trust it (and in the end idk if it would have achieved the rewards of being loved by its humans and have had its needs met if it hadn't unmasked in this relatively safe environment sometimes)).

Also there's the whole avoiding-looking-directly-at-people-and-using-drones-instead thing which Murderbot usually hides using the opaque helmet, but whenever it doesn't have that people notice it and many react negatively/confused. I think that's a whole neurodivergent-applicable situation in and of itself? Like damn

And then Mensah encourages Murderbot not to wear armor on Preservation station since it would not need it there, Murderbot is hesitant but ends up not wearing any (like 4 books later when we finally get to that bridge) (going for the comfortable clothes it chose for itself instead, with very strong feelings about the whole being able to make choices thing that I cannot go into further at this point because I would absolutely end up BITING SOMETHING OR SOMEONE).

And I'm not going to advocate for unmasking all the time in any setting because hell no, sometimes it absolutely sucks and people are irritated by Murderbot's now visible quirks and are afraid of what they don't know, but many GET TO KNOW Murderbot better and because there are other people that make sure Murderbot is safe and respected and are willing to get people fired for it if they disrespect it (Pin-Lee my beloved) Murderbot can experiment with this situation without being exiled to some abonded part of a planet and other people are forced to spend enough time around ot to learn to respect it and even like it. I just....... It must be so scary and Murderbot is handling so much at once and in this essay I will

PS sorry this is a disorganized mess but so am I and I have so many Thoughts and even more Emotions and so little patience.

#murderbot #the murderbot diaries #all systems red #murderbot diaries #𓄿 #i sincerely hope this post isn't insensitive because i feel like the autism vibes are strong with murderbot and i am not diagnosed with tha #but i have adhd and a fun mix of anxiety and depression #and i've been deepdiving into autism research to help get one of my closest friends diagnosed (not possible at the moment)#and i relate so strongly in many ways and i dont know if its just that adhd and autism can overlap heavily #or my personal cocktail of adhd anxiety depression etc #or if i am on the spectrum somewhere myself #in any case i feel very strong solidarity and i hope i am not overstepping #but the main point here is the masking and that is DEFINITELY something ive been struggling with a lot recently #hence the strong emotions lol #i dont like to unmask. it sucks. but it can be so worth it.#and i am practicing and learning and trying my best #i feel like this fun sideblog for my scifi hyperfixations is quickly turning into a mess of therapy ramblings for myself #maybe thats because i love these books particularly BECAUSE i relate so strongly to these characters #in ways that are not NormalTM. and surprising for me #and ways that really help me figure out who i am and why dealing sith other people is so difficult for me #welp nevermind #all hail murderbot i guess

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tsykku · 7 months

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‘An eye for an eye makes the world go blind, so be wary of whom you may anger’

#qsmp #qsmp art #tubbo #I could not let this moment from tubbo stream go so have a quick drawing/sketch of qsmp taking Tubbo’s sight away for his behavior #my art lol #I am so out of practice holy shit #tsykku art

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akkivee · 9 months

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my hypster magazine finally came in the mail lmao and man the special feature talking about how the world is coping without mics is very interesting??? like:

crime as a whole is at an all time high

within ikebukuro, the police are doing fck all about it so the bb have volunteered their services to making the civilians feel safe

ichiro’s been a mediator within more casual disputes, expressing his desire to talk things thru if possible, jiro’s got his whole high school as a neighbourhood watch and saburo’s set up a huge surveillance system to keep watch

in yokohama, the sea port has been particularly targeted and the report says the police and yakuza have teamed up to protect the flow of commerce. katengumi has stepped up to protect the territory and rio is keeping watch via satellite images and drones

in shibuya, dice complains of disruptions in gambling dens and the lack of real gambling has dulled his senses lol. he’s trying to compensate by making his own gambling game lol and he hasn’t been able to pay his phone bill due to lack of funds so he hasn’t been able to talk to ramuda or gentaro

curiously, neither of those two were mentioned in the article, save for dice using the section to try to reach out to them

in shinjuku, the day is desolate and the night scene is busier than ever. doppo’s company has been particularly hit by logistics nightmares as they’re haemorrhaging money due to lost medical equipment. (doppo’s boss has been accusing him of stealing funds and doppo claps back asking what exactly has he been managing currently lol)

shinjuku central hospital has been at full capacity with patients due to the inability to fend off armed criminals. fragrance has seen a significant uptick in patrons

in osaka, businesses have taken a sharp turn towards maliciousness, with scams at an all time high. sasara and rosho advise not to go out at night alone, and rosho, as a teacher, further explains that adults have a duty to protect minors, especially as a person who has been affected by scams in the past. neither sasara nor rosho have heard from rei in a long while, stating dh is on hiatus because of it

in nagoya, petty crimes are up because there seems to be a restlessness amongst them without the mics giving the populace the power to stand out. hitoya himself watched a dude climb up nagoya castle literally for the memes. the court of law has been barren as of late so nobody is being tried for crimes but he believes justice will prevail in due time

kuukou and jyushi have taken up patrolling nagoya in order to persuade others into not doing crimes and all three of them still practice rap battling together

#this is vee speaking #like i highly doubt they’ll put most of this in the drama tracks #so here’s some worldbuilding for y’all when the tracks come out next week(!!!!!!!!!!!!) lol #i love to see how proactive some of these divisions are lol shoutout to bb mtc and bat lol #dice is very funny but i am very concerned he’s out here in this new world without anyway to contact his support group lol??????????????#like not only it’s scary if something happened to him but what if something’s wrong with ramuda and/or gentaro???????????????#and he’s literally too broke to know lol????????????????#the dh section just like………. murdered me because it ends with rosasa wondering if rei’s just somewhere out there drinking without them #aka drinking by himself AND THEYRE………….. THEYRE AIKATAS GODDAMMIT A WHOLE SET DO NOT SEPARATE #i also think it’s neat both bb and bat are focused on trying to resolve with the power of words ::::)#ichiro’s the only one with rap on the entire album and bat’s the only section talking about their rap practices ::::)#lol and somewhat offhandedly hitoya is talking about justice prevailing in front of nagoya castle #and that’s actually nagoya castle’s catchphrase lol i wonder if that’s a very subtle sign for something lol

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honeyteacakes · 8 months

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The Sandman Icons (feat. Rose Walker again 💕)

#rose walker #rose walker icons #i loooooove her sm #and i think i'm getting a bit better at editing lighting!!#like comparing these to my first rose icons i feel like these are much clearer #and i'm gonna keep practicing and my editing skills will grow even STRONGER 😤#thesandmanicons #the sandman icons #myedits #icons #also i am figuring out what “vibrance” and “contrast” are now i think #and i'm gonna need to keep studying them #because lighting is my enemy and there's no way to adjust it without washing everybody out atrocious-style #so i tried not to do that here but obviously my skills aren't perfect yet lol #anyone can use these btw!!!

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sysig · 2 months

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Bunnies and piggies (Patreon)

#Doodles #Original #Although please click the link! Those bunnies are very inspired by evenlyevi!! They are so cute I love them!!#The yellow lineart and the little nub-shaped body did me in completely ;; They are so cute <3 #It makes me so tempted to design some Just Desserts pets based on fruit silhouettes haha #Or other ingredients but fruits are rather common sweets :0 I suppose Taffy is based on cotton candy but that's cheating ♪#Love bunnies <3 #As for the piggies I've been itching to try and decide a sweet-version I could incorporate to make a JD pig!#I've got a cow - a chicken - sheep as mentioned lol - I need more classic farm animals! And pigs are super cute!#They're probably the one feral-shape that I feel somewhat competent at drawing lol #Still not completely but somewhat! Trotters are so cute #Maybe those curled ribbon candies for the curly tail hmmm #I haven't looked at pig faces enough to know exactly where to put their mouths straight-on - it's right under the nose yeah?#It feels so obvious and easy in profile! Or even the one with her tongue stuck out lol #Gotta get back into drawing Mila just to practice her cute face #I love her dimples too hhghhh cutes!! I am weak!!#So many cute little lads out there just existing #Love that

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pippytmi · 2 years

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If you're still accepting prompts #5 for supercorp?? Please.. no pressure.. have a good day!!!

When Kara gets an invitation to Andrea’s latest art gala, her friends all reach an unanimous decision to RSVP “no fucking chance” via every available avenue.

It would have been creative, really, and impressive—that is, if Nia hadn’t gotten banned from the post office as a result. So in the end it was just a nice thought, if a misguided one; really, Kara is used to Andrea’s antics by now. They had broken up two months ago, but Andrea seemed intent on showing off every chance she could that she had moved on. Kara has never accused her of doing it to be cruel, but she has to admit, sometimes she fantasizes about showing up to one of Andrea’s events with someone else to show she has moved on as well. Just, you know, to even the score. (If they were keeping score).

But she shows up dateless all the same, and everyone is still aghast she showed up at all, but Kara has always been a firm believer of taking the high road even if Andrea won’t. And Alex tags along, if only to glower at Andrea any chance she gets, until she gets distracted by a pretty girl at the bar and Kara ends up alone just as she anticipated.

Well, she consoles herself, at least the buffet is always here to keep her company.

“Excuse me,” a sudden voice to her right suddenly interrupts the slow-motion movie in Kara’s head that has focused mostly on cream puffs. “Are you Kara Danvers?”

“Yeah?” Kara adjusts her glasses and squares her shoulders, already prepared to face the person Andrea has sent to be her “greeter”—she has a habit of sending someone to escort Kara to personally come say hi to her and her new girlfriend, as if she’s too busy to come across the room herself.

“I thought I recognized you,” says the stranger before her. “I’m Lena, I’m—”

“Andrea’s friend,” Kara fills in the blanks, slightly stunned. “Hi.” She’d heard about Lena Luthor, the mysterious boarding schoolmate turned actress, but had never met her before.

“I always meant to come introduce myself, but…” Lena trails off, and the unspoken but then Andrea broke up with you remains unsaid. “Anyway, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I came over here, I was…”

“Curious?” Kara offers, and she feels the corner of her mouth twitch with the effort to withhold a self-pitying laugh. “I know, it’s weird. Here I am, at my ex’s party, just trying to stock up on as much free food as I can. I understand if you want to call security.”

Lena Luthor has a very stoic demeanor which must be a product of practiced professionalism, but when Kara says that, a laugh kind of erupts from her mouth; it’s simultaneously undignified and endearing all at once. “Oh, God, I’m sorry—I just, I have no doubt you don’t want to be here. I know Andrea makes it her mission to flaunt her success to everyone.”

“I guess,” Kara shrugs, “but I could have said no.”

“No, you couldn’t have,” Lena disagrees, and her eyes are undoubtedly searching as they meet Kara’s, her gaze heavy but warm. “I’ve been there, I know what she’s like.”

Kara tugs at the knot of her tie, suddenly wishes it were a bit looser, and then sighs. “Yeah,” she says quietly. “Sometimes I wish I could give her a taste of her own medicine, you know? To—” And then it dawns on her. It’s something Alex would thump her over the head for, and it’s the kind of idea that Nia would wholeheartedly agree on. “Hey. Are you single?”

Lena gives her an odd look. “What?”

“Wait, that’s not what it sounds like,” Kara is quick to assure her. “I meant—if you’re single, and willing, would you maybe want to pretend you’re my girlfriend?”

“Me?” Lena has very green eyes, mesmerizingly green really, and it’s hard for Kara to even form words when they’re trained on her. “That feels kind of…petty.”

Kara deflates. “You’re right,” she mumbles. “I’m sorry, I—”

“Kara, there you are.” Winn, who must be the unfortunate courier of bad news this evening, arrives short of breath. “Andrea wanted me to tell you hi for her. Or, er, she wants me to invite you to…say hi to her? I don’t even know what she’s asking.”

“We do,” Lena cuts in, and before Kara can even blink, there is a hand holding hers, intertwined fingers and all; Lena smiles sideways at her, just about level in her heels, and her smile is so stunningly pretty that Kara can only blink back in response. “Shall we, darling?”

“Um,” Kara says very ineloquently in response, and Winn’s eyes just about pop out of his head. “Okay.”

It is very strange to hold someone’s hand, Kara decides, when you don’t know the person. Lena’s hand is soft and just edging on cold, as if she’d been outside too long before arriving, and all Kara can do is agonize over whether her hand is sweaty.

Andrea is waiting by the orchestra, quite predictably, with her new girlfriend and acting as if she hadn’t expected Kara to walk up to her at all. “Kara, hi,” she says, and normally this is the time she would schmooze and smile without teeth, batting her eyes and stressing how nice it is that Kara could make it. But when she spots Lena—namely, Lena holding Kara’s hand—her smile freezes on her face. “Lena, I didn’t know you were coming. We didn’t see your RSVP.”

Lena tilts her head just so, smiling just bright enough to be polite. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she says, and lets go of Kara’s hand as if practiced to rest against the lapel of her suit jacket. “Kara’s invite had a plus one, so I assumed I could just come with.”

“Of course,” Andrea says tightly. “Though I must say, I didn’t even know you two knew each other.”

“Well, we have you to thank,” Kara says without even thinking, without even forming a story, and judging by the way Lena’s eyebrows raise she is thinking the same thing. “I was, um, working a shoot and Lena was there and she recognized me, from pictures you showed her? So we started talking. And here we are.” Then, because she’s sure she needs to play up the romance, she slides her own hand against Lena’s waist—a mistake for her own sanity, because Lena is in a quite form-fitting red dress and Kara gets a little too distracted when she looks at it.

“You make us sound so dull,” Lena tuts, and her eyes sparkle with a challenge when Kara looks at her. “She won’t admit it, but she was so tongue-tied when we met. Completely head over heels.”

“Okay but who wouldn’t be?” Kara dares her right back, feeling more brazen, and Lena quirks an eyebrow as if intrigued.

“I thought you were cute too, I suppose,” Lena says, and she sways into Kara’s embrace, which causes Kara’s heart to beat embarrassingly quick. “Even if you almost dropped a backdrop on my head.”

“I apologized for that,” Kara plays along, relieved that Lena’s far better at crafting a story; she has never seen Lena act in anything, but knows she has to be Oscar-worthy for this performance alone.

Andrea pointedly clears her throat. “How nice,” she says flatly, looking annoyed, and Kara had nearly forgotten that she’s here.

“Well great party, Andrea,” Kara says. “And thank you for having us, but we have to run—I promised Lena a dance.”

“Lena doesn’t dance,” Andrea says sharply, but Lena is already nodding along with Kara’s excuse.

“What can I say,” Lena says cheerfully, “she brings out the dancer in me.”

Kara has to pretend to cough, then, because that is such an awful line, and Lena pinches her wrist when no one is looking, and really it’s a miracle they manage to get away before Andrea realizes this is all a ruse. In fact, the instant they’re back at the buffet, they exchange a single look and immediately burst into laughter.

“Thank you, for that,” Kara says afterwards, shyly taking a step back when she notices she’s still lingering too close.

“It was your idea, I just brought it to life,” Lena says. “Though you really had me digging for my improv notes, because your storytelling leaves a lot to be desired.”

“I tend to think before I speak sometimes,” Kara admits sheepishly. “Which, uh, I’m sorry about. You know, because the dancing thing…” She pauses. “You don’t have to dance with me though. I’ll just pretend I got an urgent call or something, and Winn can pass on the message that I left.”

“You forget that I’m your date for the evening, now,” Lena warns. “If you leave I’m practically obligated to leave with you.”

“Right, I didn’t think of that.” And with Lena staring back at her, her expression soft and curious, Kara feels brave again. “Well…do you drink coffee?”

“I do,” Lena says, angling just a bit closer, and Kara smiles.

“I know a great coffee shop in the area,” she says. “And they don’t care if we show up looking like this.”

“Are you asking me on an actual date?” Lena bites her bottom lip just coyly enough that Kara knows she’s not opposed to the suggestion, which is what prompts her to respond,

“Yes,” without so much as a pause. “And I can promise I won’t almost-drop anything on your head in this scenario.”

“Well I’d hope so,” Lena says, and Kara laughs, and really it’s the strangest outcome that Kara could have never anticipated. And yeah, it’s as awkward as any first date already, Kara blushing too much and Lena fiddling with her hands as they walk, but—it’s also just about the best night of Kara’s life.

“So why didn’t you RSVP?” Kara thinks to ask, just as they reach the front door, and Lena scrunches her nose in confusion.

“I told my assistant to RSVP for me, I’m not sure what happened,” she says. “I saw her leave to the post office myself.”

“Oh,” Kara says, grimacing. “That wouldn’t have been the one off of 37th street, would it?”

“Yes, actually. How’d you know?”

Kara thinks of Nia’s ban, and the fact that letters are oh-so-flammable, and just shakes her head. “Let’s just say it’s never arriving,” she says, and Lena gives her a confused look, but Kara reaches for her hand again and then everything else kind of fades away.

(Even Alex—who they pass on the way outside—and her shout of, “Kara, what the fuck,” melts into the symphony of car honks and police sirens and shouts of passerby as Kara and Lena disappear into the cool night air).

#ok so i wasnt taking prompts but! anon ...i could not resist for u <3 #💖💖💖#supercorp #supergirl #i need a fic tag #this is for 'my ex is always putting their new partner in my face and to show everyone how absolutely unbothered I am by that #-i get someone i can show off myself'#did this take me forever? yes i am sorely out of practice #ive been glued to my christmas fic for months its hard to do anything else lol

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