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parachutingkitten · 8 months

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Fireflies

Proving that he didn't kill his dad, or at least assist in his assassination proves to be a difficult task for Benthomaar, and with a public quickly turning violent, he decides that retreating into hiding is his best option at the moment. Luckily the ninja have a great secluded contact to send him to. ~2800 words

Vania hesitated a moment before knocking on the door. She knew this was going to be a difficult situation to navigate. She wanted to talk to him, she wanted to lend an ear, but she didn’t know if he would want to talk at all. After all, he had only just arrived this morning, and he certainly had a lot to process. Circumstances were grim, but there wasn’t much point in letting him wallow in it. Regardless, she had come prepared… with cookies. Everyone could always use a cookie.

It was only a few seconds after she knocked before Benthomaar answered the door. “Oh! Queen Vania! I didn’t-”

“No, it’s nothing,” she waved it off. “I just brought you some fresh baked cookies!” She smiled, raising up the plate she held.

She was met with a largely blank stare and a slow nod. “Of course, come in.” He welcomed her inside, his figure turned around before she had even made it through the frame. Vania carefully stepped inside, closing the door behind herself. “I’m sorry I haven’t had much of a presence.” He plopped down on the edge of his bed, running his fingers through his hair. “I’ve been… a bit out of sorts.” His gaze was distracted, his mind obviously not entirely present.

“You don’t need to apologize. You’ve been through a lot.” Not knowing quite what to do with the cookies, she continued to hold them in the least awkward way she could manage. “I’m honestly surprised you’re as composed as you are.” I suppose death threats and assassination attempts are somewhat expected for royalty, but she had never had to deal with it before.

“It's just…” he paused, his eyes stuck in the middle distance. “A lot to consider. I’m not even sure I’ve processed that I’m here yet.”

Struggling still to land a connection, she turned to her life preserver. “You know, the cookies really are best when they’re warm.”

He finally snapped out of his daze, a soft smile finally gracing his lips. “Right.” He took the plate, grabbing a cookie from the pile and taking a bite. His face exploded in surprise, his eyes growing wide. “You weren’t kidding! These are delicious!”

Vania chuckled. The cookies had worked.

“Here, you want one?” He offered one to her.

“Oh, no.” Vania shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“You said it yourself, they’re best when they’re warm.” He grinned before taking another bite.

She took the bait, sitting down next to him, and gladly munching on the snack. “They really are.”

“Well, thank you for being so accommodating on such short notice,” Benthomaar set the plate down on the bed between them, the tension now significantly broken.

“Of course!” Vania shrugged. “Any friend of the ninja is a friend of mine.”

“You all are close?”

“We are!” Vania smiled, genuinely excited by the thought. “I honestly can’t believe it sometimes.”

“Really?” Benthomaar laughed.

“Yeah, I idolized them like crazy before I met them! You know, I had the biggest celebrity crush on Cole.”

“You don’t say?” Benthomaar’s eyes narrowed as he took another bite of his cookie.

“Yeah, and he’s great,” Vania mused. “A lot different than I imagined, but it still boggles my mind that we’re as good of friends as we are.”

“Well, I’m glad they were able to put in a good word for me.”

“Sure, I’m glad to have you.” Vania smiled, her eyes shifting down as the mood in the room once again sunk. “It sucks that you have to be here in the first place though.”

Benthomaar sighed, reaching for another cookie. “Well, it is difficult to rule people who want nothing to do with you.” He broke the cookie in half, defeated.

“It’s so ridiculous! I mean, you risked your life trying to defend your kingdom, and yet you get labeled a traitor!”

“Well, it’s complicated. There isn’t any real evidence of what happened to my father. Only the sudden appearance of outsiders right before his death, and my siding with them.”

“The ninja could testify, right? They saw what happened. And some of them are robots, you could compel them to tell the truth!”

“People just don’t trust it. They’re wary of the technology. It comes from surface dwellers.” His words sounded rehearsed, as if he’d gone over this talking point dozens of times now.

Vania took another bite of her cookie, sitting in thought for a moment. “You know, I have an excellent magic consultant. I know he’s produced visions before. I could ask if he might be able to summon one of the past.”

Benthomaar’s eyes perked up. “That… could be helpful.”

“Well, I can certainly look into it,” she smiled.

“I appreciate it,” he nodded, his mind again wandering far from this room.

Vania studied his expression, still hoping to make a connection. “What do you miss most about it?”

Benthomaar again looked up, a smile sneaking onto his face as he pondered. “It’s going to sound terribly obvious.”

“Shoot,” Vania shrugged.

He drew in a breath, still a bit hesitant. “Everything here is so much… drier.”

Vania chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

“I mean it!” he insisted. “Even just the air, when you’re used to high humidity, is so noticeable! And it’s all around you, all the time.”

“Well, maybe we should bring up a humidifier for you!” Vania giggled.

“Really?” he asked.

“Sure, I don’t see why not.”

“That would be nice,” he sighed, quickly jolting back up. “Not that you haven’t been plenty accommodating already, I mean this room is fantastic.”

“Oh, it’s definitely the best of the guest rooms,” Vania agreed. “Have you seen the view out of your balcony?!” Vania jumped up excitedly.

“Just out the window from here-” Benthomaar muttered.

Vania picked up the plate of cookies, already headed for the doors. “You’ve gotta see it!” Her feet had already taken her halfway across the room before Benthomaar had found the ability to stand.

She threw open the doors to the cooled air of the night, placing the cookies down on the small dining set which lived on the balcony.

“It really is the best view in the castle!” she boasted. “Of course, you can see everything a little better by day, but right below us are the palace gardens, and a little further out you can see the east tower-”

She continued as Benthomaar took his first steps outside, his eyes instantly drawn upwards.

“Of course, you can see the palace gates, and the guard houses.” She leaned over the balcony, craning her neck to stretch her sightline along the castle’s wall. “And if you lean far enough out, you can even see my room!” She smiled, finally turning back to see her guest.

Benthomaar had also made it to the railing, his weight comfortably resting upon it as his gaze still sat firmly above, his expression in awe. Vania felt a bit foolish at her ramblings now. He had already found the best feature of the view.

“There’s so many of them,” he marveled, his voice almost a whisper.

She smiled at his wonder, joining him as her eyes too turned upward. “When I was little, I thought that once I got my wings, I’d be able to fly up to the stars, and catch one in between my hands like a firefly.”

“Firefly?” Benthomaar asked, eyes still stuck on the vast expanse above him.

“Have you never seen fireflies before?” Vania asked.

“I can’t say I have.” Benthomaar shook his head.

“Well, I’ll have to show you sometime,” Vania decided.

“They seem so close from up here. They’re so much brighter,” Benthomaar sighed.

“I wouldn’t really know,” Vania shrugged. “I’ve never seen them from anywhere else.”

Benthomaar’s eyes finally strayed from the sky back to his companion. “I don’t know why you don’t just spend all your time out here.”

“I wish I could,” she giggled. “But you know, I’ve got stuff to do. Kingdom to run. Not much time for stargazing.” Her tone dropped in tone as she spoke, the weight of her responsibilities obviously sneaking into her mind.

“Is the new job hard on you?” Benthomaar asked.

“Not as hard as it’s been on you,” Vania noted. “But it’s been a lot. The whole kingdom pretty much doubled in population, so just working out relocation and basic distribution of resources has been difficult. Not to mention trying to work around cultural differences and pre-existing social grudges.” Vania turned away from the railing, her image now facing the castle. “On top of that, a vital source of income for the kingdom is now a complete non-starter, meaning our economy is mostly shot, and trying to get any sort of outside revenue back is difficult, because our kingdom has historically been incredibly reclusive, so it’s not exactly like we have great connections to lean back on. And between the complete social upheaval and the broken economy I just… don’t know what I’m doing!” her eyes had fallen to the ground as the strain became more evident in her voice. “I was nowhere close to completing my training, I wasn’t supposed to be doing anything like this for years, let alone be thrown in at the deep end like this, and I just… I can’t do it! I’m not mentally capable! I’m not-”

Vania sighed, her eyes finally returning to Benthomaar.

“I’m not my dad, you know?”

Vania pushed off from the railing, Benthomaar’s vision following her as she left for the table instead, quickly melting into one of the seats and staring at the cookie plate.

Benthomaar was quiet for a moment, adjusting to the shift in the conversation.

“Have you…” he hesitated, unsure if it was wise to take the topic where his mind had gone. “Have you talked to him at all? After he was put away?”

He studied her as her body shrank inwards ever so slightly.

“You don’t have to answer if it’s not-”

“No, it’s okay,” Vania interjected. “I, um…” her eyes glanced over at him. “I haven’t spoken with him at all since the incident.”

Benthomaar fully leaned back against the railing, pondering her answer. “You know, I’ve been thinking about all the things I would want to tell my brother, if he had made it through the battle.” His eyes wandered as he thought, caught again in the middle distance they had been stuck in through most of the day. “All the things I’d want to confront him with, prove to him, scream at him. All these words that I have caught up in my head that don’t have anywhere to go anymore.” His eyes finally stabilized on Vania again. “But if he were still here, and I were given the chance to talk to him… I don’t know if I could actually do it.”

Vania sat up a bit, her eyes now lost. “You know, I’ve thought about it,” she admitted. “I’ve thought about it a lot. I was trapped with that man my whole life. He was putting on a facade for me my entire life. Everything that I thought was love and affection was this twisted other thing. He was the most important person in my entire world, and he was never really there. And that does things to you when you realize. And you keep on making realizations, for weeks, months afterwards, how thoroughly every piece of what you thought was your life is a lie, and you’re forced to just sit there and watch as it all disintegrates. It breaks you.”

The two now faced each other, their eyes locked. “I have so much I want to say to him. But when someone’s in your head that deeply, when someone’s been able to hurt you that much, the idea of opening up that line of communication again, even one way, is… terrifying.” Her voice shrunk as she continued. “Because even just admitting to them that you’re still thinking about them, in any capacity, it lets them back inside your head.”

The air between them sat unmovable as the tension reached its peak. “My father adopted me after I was abandoned by my birth parents,” Benthomaar started. “He was the only one who really ever cared for me, and he died in my arms. Kalmaar knew me best of anyone else, and he’s gone, and now even my own people don’t want me.” Vania could see a gloss begin to envelop his eyes. “I’ve never felt so completely alone in my whole life. So, to cut ties with anyone at this point… seems like such an impossible idea to me.”

His eyes had wandered to the ground by now, but Vania’s impulses took her upward. “You’ve got me.” She stood, rather suddenly.

Benthomaar’s eyes glanced up, a bit confused. “What?”

Vania reached back to the table, picking up a cookie as she strode forward.

“You’ve got me.” She held out the cookie to her puzzled companion now just inches from her, his hand, hesitantly moving forward to accept it. “Maybe I don’t know you very well yet, but I certainly know what you’re going through. I’ve lost and been betrayed by people I love. I’ve been saddled with an insane amount of royal responsibility at very short notice. I’ve been through a life altering piece of trauma before being thrust into an unreasonable amount of stress.” His hand had taken the cookie, but his mind was so fixed on her sudden burst of confidence that its presence was now an afterthought. “And I know it’s tough, but I’ve been through the first bit of this, and I’m here for you. And for the rest of it, we can figure it out together, which is a whole heck of a lot better than trying to figure it out alone. So, please don’t think that you’re alone, because I won’t let another person go through what I’m going through by themselves if I can help it.”

Benthommar stared at her with a gaze he hadn’t felt leave his eyes in a while. It seemed impossible to look away from the woman who had so quickly come to defend him from his own downward spiral. There was a pure sense of hope that filled him for the first time in days now. Vania shrunk back in a moment of realization. “If you want me. I don’t mean to be imposing, you don’t really know me.” She shook her head, her arms crossing over her chest.

“No,” Benthomaar stopped her. “I feel like I do,” he pressed. “Well enough anyway.”

His gaze softened her demeanor, a soft smile gracing her lips. “Well, I’m glad I could earn your trust so quickly.”

“For the record, I think Shintaro is very lucky to have a leader as charming, kind, confident,” Benthomaar found the list of adjectives coming to him quicker than he could speak them. “brave, welcoming, honest, thoughtful, and beautiful as you.” Their eyes remained connected, trapped together in a trance which seemed unbreakable. A slight blush crept onto Vania’s cheeks accompanied by a feeling she had never quite felt before.

Benthomaar was snapped out of the daze as he realized what exactly he had just said.

“And such a wonderful baker!” he added, lifting the cookie still in his hand. He quickly took a bite, attempting to mask his nerves.

The chill of the night air filled the space between them as the two darted their eyes away from one another.

“Right!” Vania chuckled. “I do a lot of baking when I’m stressed, so I’ve gotten a lot of practice lately.”

“Anyway, I should probably let you get some rest,” Vania started. “It’s getting late, and I’m sure you’re probably exhausted.”

“Yes, of course,” Benthomaar sighed.

“But…” Vania’s eyes again found contact with Benthomaar’s. “Maybe I’ll see you for breakfast?”

“I’d like that.” He nodded slowly, his voice soft and gentle.

Their eyes remained connected a moment longer before Vania began to turn. “Well, goodnight. Sleep well.”

“You too,” Benthomaar returned as she approached the balcony doorway. “And,” he blurted out, his impulses stepping him forward.

She turned around in the door frame eager to hear him, her hands latching onto the divider in the middle. “Yes?”

Benthomaar’s lips parted, still a bit hesitant. “Thank you… for everything. It feels really good to smile again.”

Vania could sense the longing within his words, and feel her heart reach out in equal measure. “Of course.”

There was an unspoken pulse of understanding passed between them before Vania slowly turned, making her way out. Benthomaar’s eyes trailed her exit for a moment before he once more faced the balcony, his gaze turning upward. His mind was caught in a fog of feeling which he wasn’t eager to leave. There was a unique air of enchantment around him that he could only attribute to her. As his eyes danced across the stars, he found himself with a new impulse, imagining what it might be like to cup one in his hands, to hold that great a light so close to him. He smiled, his mind now wildly curious.

“...Fireflies.”

#my goodness this one has been a long time coming #ninjago benthomaar #ninjago vania #raincloudshipping #writing #one shot?#idk I've got ideas #none of them are fully formed though #ninjago

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welcometogrouchland · 2 months

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[ID in ALT] I've made posts before about Talia/Dick co-parenting Damian moments (will never happen but let me dream) and this came to me in a vision. Took me ages to finish for some reason 😭 and then even longer to post

#dc comics #dc #damian wayne #dick grayson #talia al ghul #batfamily #dc robin #nightwing #anyway. yes im a self-indulgent ''dick as damians secret third parent'' truther #like i DO think it's way more complex and nuanced than the schmoopy affectionate fan portrayal of it #they're brothers they're father and son they're partners they're the dynamic duo except only in past tense etc etc #but consider! I'm not immune to schmoopy affection in fanworks. it compells me despite itself #anyway it's technically not that crazy when it comes to dick and damian. they hug! often! at least they did #it's not as big a leap to these types of scenarios #also talia ''somewhat absent for complex reasons on both her and damians part but very loving and loved by her son'' al ghul #you will always be famous to me #son of the demon origin...bwahhh #anyway. someone made a comic kind of like this/like a post i made abt this topic #but way funnier bc dick and talia starting trying to beat each other up #so go look at that as well #anyway. it's been a somewhat difficult few weeks so I'm. desperately trying to take it easy #i got some reading with me (first vol of kevin smiths GA run that i found second hand and jaimes BB run vol 2!)#so we'll see how far i get through those. considering there's demons in my head telling me to re-read things (LET ME OUT!!!)#when i finish GA and BB i do plan on rereading robin 2021. as a treat to myself #it's a run I've really warmed up to as time went on #I'm keeping up w/ the current b&r run even though it is. admittedly very slow w/ some weird dialogue #i read it for the damian content more than anything. also nikas back so that's neat :]#idk I have a feeling that after absolute power shakes out we might get some more creative team switch ups #so if anyone at dc is interested in taking over the reigns on b&r...that could be very neat #(it's me they should hire me. please DC i have ideas listen to my red hood pitch PLEASE-)

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ruubesz-draws · 2 months

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I couldn't resist... sorrynotsorry

(Maybe I'll make more if people like it??)

#godzilla #godzilla x kong: the new empire #kong #shimo #scar king #mothra #shitpost #redraw #sorry not sorry #i've been wanting to do this #i'll do more it it gets enough attention ig?#idk #got so many ideas hhhh #anyway canNOT WAIT FOR THE MOVIE AAAHHHH!!!!#do not repost #my art

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attleboy · 3 months

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Heard that Ragatha played the cello while Zooble can play the drums

i ALSO heard, anon from [checks calender] december.... a little late to this but better late them never, eh? :D enjoy two pieces with vastly contrasting vibes!!!

i play neither of these instruments so i reallyyyy hope everything looks okay :')

#note: zooble's drumset is supposed to say digital hell... idk if hell would be censored but it's the best i could think of #i've got ideas for that hypothetical band but i'll leave that till another time. or never. shrug. sorry i got a lot going on #the amazing digital circus #tadc #ragatha #zooble #my art #ask response

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silvers-starrway · 1 month

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So the wildest thing happened where @mactheactor decided to dub over (if that's even the correct terminology) the Chaos Sonic animation I made!!!!

I'm still in utter awe about this like, hands down the coolest thing ever I've been thinking about this non-stop. Hope y'all enjoy it as much as I do!!

#starrway art #sonic prime #chaos sonic #okay now that the nice text for the post is done AHHHHHHHH!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!#I've been screaming about this for the last 24 hours and the shock of it has worn down just enough for me to post this #NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED THIS WOULD HAPPEN IN A MILLION YEARS????#Sonic Prime is what got me on this long hyperfixation in the first place and I've met so many cool people in the fandom #and generally having a blast making art and it's been such a great time #so to then have Deven Mack come in and think that my stuff is awesome is such an insanely cool thing #it means a whole lot is what I'm trying to say haha #I do have to like microdose on this video because it makes me so incredibly happy that I get very overwhelmed by it #In a very good way though it makes me want to run laps outside #thanks to everyone I've met/interacted with so far being some of kindest people y'all are awesome #idk if this post is even like coherent I've been writing it in my mind for the past day because I have no idea how to even go about this #ok good night hehehe

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smoosie · 4 months

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Your 3 part series of The South Downs Cottage are incredible!! I keep coming back to look at them, and my mind keeps spinning with all possible outcomes. It would be amazing if you were planning on part 4… is there still hope somewhere?? For the part 4, for THEM??? It’s devastating and breathtaking at the same time. Gorgeous work!

There you go !

nah jk

or am I ?

#thank you ;)#good omens #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens fanart #mine #fanart #ask #anonymous #part 3 was already not meant to be in the first place and I like the idea of keeping it kind of mysterious #but I like the series so mmyeah perhaps ? idk I've got a lot of other WIPs waiting for my attention D:#if there's a part 4 do not expect something mindblowing tho I'm making it up as I go haha I'm not a fic writer I'm afraid #but it would be some kind of conclusion I guess #I'm not making much sense ok thanks again good night

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wilchur · 4 months

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The photoshop legit took longer than the mod, but here it is lmao

#i was like “why would i even make this it's literally just two notes” but then i had the thumbnail idea and just...#had to #i've got no idea what the og painting is called tho #the name listed does not lead to it so if anyone knows that would be swell #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #is it?#idk #enver gortash #bg3 mods

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deoidesign · 10 months

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The real reason Adam learned magic was to avoid awkward conversations with his mom

#digital art #my art #my ocs #artists on tumblr #adam #art #comic #webcomic #webtoon #ttawebcomic #time and time again #oh yeah I forgot to like ramble in the tags like always. I'm tired #I've had this idea for months now ngl #I just never got to it cause... idk I didnt wanna draw the background #and I feel like you can still tell.#that I still didnt want to draw the background.

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master-gatherer · 1 year

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#mass effect #kaidan alenko #ashley williams #urdnot wrex #tali'zorah #liara t'soni #garrus vakarian #jumping on the bandwagon #i have yet to see someone else do this #which tells me we're either slipping as a fandom or i've successfully avoided the bulk of it #idk if i'm gonna do the rest of the companions though #do you have any idea how hard it is to find transcripts or even quote lists from these games #and my forgetful ass needs the reminder #took way too long just to look those up #the actual pics were easy though they got a generator :p

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trensu · 29 days

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Heyyy, long time no post, huh? I'm dropping another chunk of stasis in darkness for you guys! And I wanted to remind people that these posts are basically rough drafts. The final product will hopefully be more polished but in the meantime please enjoy!

After Steve convinced the old man he meant no harm, he’d been allowed into the home. The Lord of Night hadn’t been super specific about the purpose of his quest, only that Steve had to bring him to Wayne Munson. Steve discreetly looked around the home as he entered it. The old man was obviously unwell and had been for a while, given the state of the house. Steve had the creeping suspicion that the time limit the Lord of Night mentioned was linked to the man’s health.

“What are you doing?” Wayne Munson asked suspiciously once he had returned to the kitchen with Steve in tow. He had sat heavily in one of the old worn chairs at the table but Steve, instead of joining him, began to clear the table on impulse. Steve halted awkwardly.

“This ain’t your house, boy,” Wayne said with a scowl. “I can take care of myself.”

Steve did his very best not to look at the scattered mess in the kitchen or living room. It was not the mess of a dirty, careless person. It was the mess of someone tired and overwhelmed. It was the mess of someone in pain who was too proud to ask for help. Steve took in Wayne Munson’s watery eyes, wan skin, and the clothes that were plain things, tattered from use, but mostly stain-free. Steve quickly added all these details and came up with a plan of attack. He set the plate back down.

“Yes, sir,” Steve agreed easily. “I’m aware, but I serve the Lord of Night and he sent me to you specifically. In our god’s name, I must assist you in any way I can.”

Wayne’s expression wavered. Steve pushed again. He lowered his gaze in a slightly embarrassed manner, letting a note of uncertainty color his words.

“I don’t know what else to do until nightfall,” Steve said. He rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. “I don’t want him to think I’ve neglected you.”

“What happens at nightfall?” Wayne asked.

“It’s when the Lord of Night wants to see you,” Steve said. Wayne blinked.

“Me? He wants to see me?”

“Yeah! So, if you could please let me,” Steve said, putting on his most endearing smile, “I’d like to take care of you until then. You know, make sure you’re comfortable and get the place ready for a divine visit. If it’s not too much trouble, sir?”

“Uh, no, that should be fine. Is…is there anything I should do?” Wayne asked dazedly.

“Not really. All I know is he really wants to see you tonight. Oh, maybe you’d like to rest until then? A nap, so you’re not drowsy when he arrives.”

Wayne nods, still in shock at the news. He didn’t protest when Steve helped him out of the chair and let him lean his weight on him as they navigated to the bedroom. Wayne sat on the bed as Steve drew curtains closed over the room’s single window. The curtains were thick enough to dim the sun to a pale yellow glow.

“I didn’t know there was anyone else who followed him,” Wayne said as he lay himself down over the covers.

"He told me you’re the only one left, besides me,” Steve told him. “And I only discovered him a month ago by accident.”

“By accident?” Wayne asked with a wry grin.

“My friends found a holy text when we were researching other gods. It was the only one of his in the city's whole library. Then we had a hell of a time trying to find his last shrine. When I finally found it, it was falling apart. He’s been forgotten,” Steve said. At Wayne’s troubled expression, he hurriedly added, “But now that I’ve pledged myself to him, I’m going to make sure people know him again.”

Wayne did not appear convinced, but he finally settled to rest after Steve promised to wake him before sunset. Steve took the opportunity to clean. He hadn’t been lying to Wayne when he said he wasn’t sure what to do until nightfall. It didn’t help that Steve also liked to keep himself busy. Being idle made him itch.

The house was small. Aside from Wayne's bedroom, there was only a cramped kitchen and a modest living room. From the small window of the backdoor, Steve could see a short, worn path to an outhouse.

Given the size of the house, though there was a mess everywhere, it didn’t take Steve very long to clean it all. When it was done to his satisfaction, there were still a few hours left until sunset so he wandered outside. The porch railing was covered with broad green leaves from intertwining vines but Steve left that alone when he saw the small garden nearby. It was full of ripe vegetables that Steve assumed Wayne had been unable to pick himself given his condition.

By the time Steve had picked the vegetables, pulled the weeds, and watered the garden, the sun hung low in the horizon. He cleaned himself up the best he could in the kitchen sink and took one of the chairs from the table to the bedroom before waking Wayne.

He told Wayne what he accomplished during Wayne’s repose. While Wayne expressed his gratitude politely enough, it was still apparent to Steve that the old man was irritated at having needed the assistance at all. To keep Wayne from dwelling on that, as well as to satisfy his own curiosity, he coaxed Wayne into conversation.

“Can I ask, uh, how you–I mean, how did you know? How did you know the Lord of Night existed?"

Wayne laughed at Steve’s befuddled tone. The laugh turned into a coughing fit. Steve quickly fetched him a glass of water and put it on the bedside table after Wayne had a drink.

“My family’s a bunch of no-good criminals,” Wayne croaked. “Were. It’s only me now. But before, each generation of Munsons took it up. Like a family tradition.”

“Criminals?” asked Steve cautiously.

“Thieves and con men. Some ladies of the night, if you catch my meaning. They knew of our Lord of Night and passed the knowledge down,” Wayne sighed sadly. “The life of a criminal ain’t what you call stable. We lost bits and pieces of him with every generation. Like his name. No one’s known his name for a very long time. Is that why he wants to see me? Did I fail him?”

There was genuine distress in Wayne’s question so Steve hid his disappointment. He had hoped the Lord of Night’s last worshiper would at least have a clue about where to start the search for the lost name. He focused, instead, on reassuring the old man.

“I don’t know why he wants to see you, but he wasn’t angry when he sent me. He sounded excited.”

“I suppose that’s a good thing,” Wayne said uncertainly.

“Definitely,” Steve assured. Before Wayne could sink into his gloom again, Steve said, “I know you said you’ve lost some knowledge, but do you know if the Lord of Night has any prayers? I haven’t…I mean, I’ve tried to worship him but I don’t think I can do it right without a prayer. I’m kind of new at all this.”

“My ma used to say our Lord didn’t have patience for formalities,” Wayne said, brow furrowed. “They bored him so he only had a few official prayers. There was one where we’d thank him for any dreams he gave us. I think there was another one that asked for dreams to bring inspiration or something of that sort. I don’t really remember those–ma would be boxing my ears for that if she was still around. I remember the one for protection, since we used that one a lot. It goes:

Lord of Night, Guide us through all phases Of the moon; May the dark be free of All dangers, While your many stars burn.

Wayne’s voice cracked into a coughing fit near the end. Steve hurriedly offered him water again once Wayne had caught it again. Wayne took a few mouthfuls and repeated the prayer again so Steve could learn it. It took a few tries, but Wayne was patient and by the end of it, Steve had it memorized.

“Is that the only one?” Steve asked, hoping to learn more. Wayne grimaced.

“It’s the only one I really remember. The Lord of Night prefers stories. My ma would tell us the best bedtime stories. Said they were for our god as much as for me and my brother. I was never good at coming up with new stories, so I retell my favorites or tell our Lord about my days and give him a little offering.”

Steve wasn't much of a story teller. He supposed he could do as Wayne did until he met up with Robin and Dustin again. They constantly chatted about books they’d read. Steve couldn’t help but notice how, once again, his friends seemed a better fit for his god than he was; all Steve could give his god was his shield and sword. It was discouraging. He had to figure out a way to make up for it somehow.

“What kind of offerings?” Steve asked.

He wanted to give his god more; he wanted to give the Lord of Night something he’d actually like. It wasn’t lost on him that the Lord of Night took him under duress. Who else would’ve been able to complete this quest?

“When I was young, it was horse shoes,” Wayne chuckled at Steve’s confusion. “Thieves are supposed to give him a part of their loot but my ma and pa were horse thieves. They got horseshoes and would leave one for each horse they stole, tied with a braid made of the stolen horse’s mane.”

“You stole horses?” Steve said, unable to fight off a grin as he remembered the conversation he had with the Lord of Night about it.

“Me and my brother, before he passed,” Wayne said with a weak nod.

The sky had darkened by now. Steve pulled the stone out of his satchel. He carefully unwrapped it from the cloth and set it gently on the bedside table next to the glass of water. Wayne eyed it quizzically.

“It’s from his shrine,” Steve explained. Without any further fussing, Steve stood up and went to the door.

“Don’t leave,” the Lord of Night said.

Steve turned to see the god, hooded in his cloak of constellations, sitting in the chair Steve had vacated. The Lord of Night had not even glanced Steve's way when he spoke to him. The god’s attention rested solely on Wayne.

Steve hadn’t seen or spoken to the Lord of Night since he’d been accepted as his holy warrior. The god had needed to conserve his energy, he explained to Steve, so that Steve could complete his quest. The god’s cloak was as mesmerizing as the first time. However, this far from the shrine, the god did not look as solid as he had during the nights he spent with Steve.

“I wanted to give you two some privacy,” Steve said softly.

“I think Wayne would appreciate not being alone,” the Lord of Night said.

The old man stared at the god unblinkingly. Wayne’s expression was one of awe and fear, so Steve did as he was told and stayed in the room though he chose to lean on the wall furthest from the pair. He was still close to them in the tiny bedroom, but it provided the pretense of privacy.

“My Lord?” Wayne’s voice was barely audible.

“Hello. I’ve wanted to meet you for years,” the god said.

#trensu tells stories #steddie #stasis in darkness #stranger things #i'm gonna be honest #i absolutely have no idea how prayers are structured and i've got like zero experience in poetry #i do NOT like how the prayer turned out but #i did my best okay?#steve is so eager to use holy words #i had to give him SOMETHING #also #i'm starting to think i should've been like numbering these posts or something #but it's not like they're actual chapters or have a consistent length yknow?#so idk

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adelrambles · 5 months

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Tips on Writing Bishop

I've been asked a couple times for advice on how to write a good (03-style) Bishop, and I'm well-aware he can be a bit tough to get a grasp on. As someone who's studied him specifically to learn how to write him as accurately as possible, I figured I'd compile some thoughts in case it'd be helpful to anyone else. I know a lot of Rise takes on him are basing off the 03 version, so maybe this could help generate ideas, too. SO!

Big Overall Points!

At the core of EVERYTHING Bishop does are two primary motivations. The first: the protection of the earth. What this means to him can get tricky, because it doesn't necessarily mean protecting the people, at least not all of them. But it will be better understood alongside the other:

The second: The protection of his sense of safety. Bishop has been deeply traumatized, and everything he does is born of a want to avoid that pain ever again. In his mind, earth is a safe area, a controllable factor, and anything outside it is a danger that must be eliminated. This is why he will still be willing to put himself and other people on the line in service of this; any sacrifice is worth the greater goal. (It's worth noting, Bishop will claim the first as his motivation freely, but is likely not consciously aware of the second.)

Bishop deals in Big Picture ONLY. Another reason Bishop will willingly throw away anything, including the lives of the people he claims to protect, is that he seems incapable of understanding things on a small, individual basis.

Bishop is a cold personality. He does not have strong displays of emotion. He does emote, but for the most part it's muted, so I recommend using emotional bursts very sparingly. (In my own writing, as an example, I try to limit my use of exclamation marks in his dialogue as much as possible.)

At his core, Bishop is afraid, and his response to fear is aggression. This also makes it particularly difficult to talk him down, if he's put in an emotional state. His response to not being in control is often violent retaliation.

With those basic tenants understood, let's move next to some major personality traits:

Bishop is a controlling personality. This is a direct result of his trauma response. Things that can be controlled are safe, therefore he must control everything. If something cannot be controlled, it's a threat that must be eliminated. If he doesn't know why something happened, he becomes angry (including even when it benefits him.)

Bishop is very low-empathy. When writing him, I try to keep in mind that he cannot put himself in the perspective of others. (Or if he can, he doesn't care to.)

Bishop is a sadist. He gets personal enjoyment from hurting others.

Bishop likes fighting, but only when he's winning. He will quickly leave if he can't see a guaranteed victory.

Bishop is paranoid. This is probably self-evident, but it's the reason he's often so well-prepared even when things don't go to plan.

Bishop genuinely seems to enjoy science. He's shown to be far more lenient with scientist characters than anyone else, and he seems to involve himself in his scientists' projects to a degree. Enough to, at the very least, understand their work. (Given he was the one set to dissect the turtles, it might also be argued he has some medical or biology background, himself.)

Bishop is an opportunist and scavenger. He can roll with failures as long as he can find something to get out of it. If he's presented with an opportunity to stab someone in the back, and he has something to gain? He'll take it without a second thought.

Bishop is deeply self-blind. For all his perceptiveness and strategic prowess, Bishop is not very self-aware in the slightest. He is completely blind to his own hypocrisies, and thoroughly confident in his own righteousness.

Bishop adapts fast. He accepts situations for what they are and acts (Though he may still be angry about them, or what have you.) This is likely a skill developed via longevity; the world around him has changed rapidly, but he doesn't feel out of place at all.

Bishop will take extreme risks and thinks wildly outside the box. Also self-evident, if you're familiar with the plans he enacts throughout the show. He'll put a lot on the line if he thinks the reward is worth enough, and he's willing to go to extreme lengths to get what he wants, even if his plans would be considered crazy by normal standards.

Bishop is persistent. If he wants something, he won't stop until he gets it. If he fails, he'll retreat, make a new plan, and try again. It is very difficult to convince him to back down (and certainly not on moral grounds.)

Habits and triggers I've noted:

Being restrained of any sort puts Bishop in a panic. He is more likely to have an emotional response in these scenarios, and seems to have (an albeit muted) desperation to escape. (See: Leatherhead restraining him in the first encounter; His reaction to being trapped on the surgical table in Head of State.)

When being duplicitous or suppressing a reaction, Bishop will go to adjust his tie. This could possibly be considered his tell.

Bishop seems to have a particular fear of aliens blending in as humans. His slayer project was built around the assumption that this is a common threat. (Worth noting: This makes The Shredder the model of the exact threat Bishop is afraid of. Technically, Bishop himself may also fit the description of a threat shaped like a human.)

Writing considerations:

In 03's narrative, Bishop is EPF and EPF is Bishop. Narratively speaking, any organization Bishop is head of acts as if it is an extension of his will and character.

Bishop is shown to strike fear and/or discomfort into most characters he interacts with. Anything beyond this is an outlier, and will draw a reader's attention.

Dialogue-wise, Bishop is generally succinct and blunt. He does dabble in gloating, though, and especially likes to upset others. If he's given a chance to be mean, he'll usually take it. It can help to consider he has a Mission Mode and a Normal Mode. When it comes to Mission Mode, he gets straight to the point and hates unnecessary talking. Otherwise, he's still not very talkative, but will take the time to make pointed jabs or talk through a plan. A lot of his sense of humor seems to be rooted in how He's Better Than You (And You're Going To Die Painfully.)

It's a common pitfall that Bishop is depicted as seeking out the turtles. In 03, once he gets their DNA, he's done with them. Any encounters after that are incidental. Bishop does not care about anything that won't effect his greater goal. If he's targeting another character, it should have to do with a greater plan.

Bishop is an extremely competent combatant, shown to be able to handle up to 7 opponents at once. For a breakdown on his fighting style check out my other post on that!

Bishop is hard to kill, and oftentimes he accidentally contributes to his own defeat. (The hook from Bishop's Gambit is an example I get a LOT of mileage out of, as a perfect symbol of his self-defeating prophecies.)

We almost only ever see Bishop in the context of his work. While it could be construed that he depersonalizes himself, it's much more clear that the narrative depersonalizes him. As far as we, the audience know, Bishop's work is all that he is.

It's unclear if Bishop was released from his abduction or escaped. Depending on which you ascribe to, this can have ramifications for his mindset on how to deal with the alien threat. (Personally, because so much of his inability to cope hinges on a feeling of helplessness, I believe he was released. If he escaped on his own power, that undercuts it, somewhat.)

Thematically-speaking, Bishop parallels both his own torturers and his own victims at the same time. He has perpetuated the cycle that traumatized him in the first place by trying to fight fire with fire. (In that vein, I don't think he's capable of understanding that, not seeing aliens as people in the first place, just dangers. Considering how deeply ingrained his trauma is in his worldview and actions, it would probably ruin him, if he were ever able to actually grasp it.)

Bishop and EPF are likely a commentary on the military of the time 03 was coming out. This can be something worth keeping in mind, when figuring out his greater themes in your story, though it can just as well be discarded if it doesn't fit.

Adding to that, Bishop has an extensive american military background. His skills and knowledge will reflect that.

Bishop also plays on and references a number of real-life alien conspiracies. It can be worth digging through conspiracy history to drum up ideas and themes, too.

The ethical and philosophical quandaries of Bishop's body-hopping and humanity tend to not hold too much weight, because Bishop, himself, doesn't seem to care.

If I think of more I'll certainly be adding on to the reblogs of this post! Or, if you have more thoughts, please feel free to add! If you're in the mood for more Bishop ramblings, that's practically most of this blog atm, but this post is a particular favorite. If you're interested in Fast Forward!Bishop, specifically, consider this post! (also read Taking Pawns. slipped in that self-promo, nice.)

#agent bishop #tmnt 2003 #tmnt 2k3 #teenage mutant ninja turtles #And man I still gotta make an analysis on 2012 Bishop #my man is so underrated #There are only a handful of fics out there that include him at ALL and for the most part I find he's blended with 03's characterization #Which takes away what makes him fun in his own right and muddies 03 Bishop's character basis imo #anyway I had this post on the backburner for a while and finally got the motivation to finish her up #And of course if ever there are more questions on characterizing him I'd be happy to help! I love rambling about this guy ad nauseum #oooh stray thought I should do one for Rat King too. Went through that guy's episodes recently theyre GREAT #I've also been very tempted to compile most of these posts into a big ol video essay. idk if I could pull it off but it sure is an idea

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the-ace-of-fools · 5 months

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“I thought there might be some measure of hope still left for you.”

“Hope?” The word was uttered with disdain. “I thought you were smarter than that, elf,” Miraak said, turning his ethereal form to the surrounding peaks. “I don’t want it. I don’t need it. I would sooner spend a second eternity in Apocrypha than allow it to poison my mind.”

He turned to Solinar again.

“There is no hope, only action.”

#the elder scrolls #tes skyrim #skyrim #tesblr #miraak #tes oc #dovahkiin #this is from a fic i've been writing for a year and a half now #unfortunately haven't gotten around to actually posting it yet lol #the bubble-less version isn't particularly more detailed so not gonna post it i think #kinda wanted to draw him maskless as i usually do but at this point he would still be wearing it so #did not do that #idk if it's noticeable but the orange thingie coming from miraak's hood is hair.#i have no idea how he wouldn't have at least some of it stick from under the hood/mask if he had it longer than shoulder length #oh also he's supposed to be see-through (hence the 'ethereal') but i didn't like how that looked so he got a halo of sunrise instead x)#so there

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welcometogrouchland · 3 months

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ANOTHER SKETCH DUMP! Featuring more of me playing with lineless art. Batman reborn era trio (dick, damian and steph) I miss you...when will you return from war. Also featuring Steph designs bc I've seen ppl dissatisfied w/ her current look, some good mom Talia, and Jason Todd poetry club. Duke is confused not that Jason would start a poetry club but that he'd have such mid poetry opinions. (ID in Alt)

#dc comics #batfamily #damian wayne #stephanie brown #dick grayson #talia al ghul #duke thomas #cassandra cain #mine #woo new art tag. please god let me keep this up all year #uhh anyway yeah! still a big backlog of sketches but i got burnt out which means i had time to collect some #i feel like my art looks. extremely different w/o lines compared to with? idk i worry that's it weird/off-putting #but hey at the end of the day I'm hardly worrying about my brand integrity on tumblr dot com #duke and cass being at poetry club is based on them canonically being into poetry and for a good while duke and jason got along well #Steph is there for both jason and cass' emotional support (unfortunately there's a design flaw. she can't do both simultaneously)#(which is fine bc cass is fleeing the scene at the idea of having to casually hang out with jason)#(they're the exact amount of similar and more importantly different that it's like putting two firecrackers together. bad)#i really like the steph mask designs... it'd be fun to do something with them but idk what y'know?#I'm just like. if we're assuming that her mask has to be different from both babs and cass then this is what I've got as alternatives #i mostly wanted to practice character interaction with the talia and damian one... and also i love them #looking at james gunns batman movie proposal. you keep your hands OFF HER MR GUNN #please if shes evil in a movie they're never gonna let her be good in the comics again 😭#dc when you inevitably cave and do your next big reboot let the ppl finally have the son of the demon origin (w/ tweaks of course)#idk it's canon in my heart. heartcanon if you will <3 #anyway yeah uhhhhhh enjoy?

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becca-e-barnes · 9 months

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Thinking a whole lot about how good it feels to see someone after the anticipation has been building for a while. There's not much I love as much as a good sexual tension.

Maybe it's been a while since you last saw your dad's best friend but now he's here in front of you, you're counting down the minutes until you can get him alone.

It's hard in a room full of people though. He's just walked into your parents' kitchen, a beer in his hand and as soon as you realise he's looking at you, you look away. You know yourself well enough. Maintaining eye contact with him would leave you fizzling and it's much too early for that.

He doesn't look away. No one would have noticed he's staring but you can't help wondering what he's thinking about. Is he imagining the last time he saw you and how pretty your face looked painted with thick stripes of his cum? Or is he imagining how it feels to slide into you, burying himself to the hilt in your warm, wet, fluttering cunt? Maybe he's imagining the way you beg him not to pull out; the way you clamp your thighs around him and make sure there's no chance of him cumming anywhere except inside you.

If he wasn't thinking about any of that before, you're convinced he must be now. He's leaning against the kitchen counter, ignoring a conversation going on around him with a smirk on his lips and you have to wonder if he can read your mind.

'I'm going upstairs, follow me in 10.' You send the text and leave the kitchen without even looking at him. You have yourself convinced that if you look at him, people will know. They'll know everything. They'll know you think of him every time you touch yourself and they'll know that doesn't even come close to actually being with him.

You've been settled in your room for 14 whole minutes before the door opens.

"Couldn't even hold it together a couple of hours?" Bucky sounds smug and he has every right to.

"I could but I didn't want to. Why should I?" You're on him in seconds, tugging at the collar of his shirt, using it to press his lips against yours.

It's a frantic kiss, all tongue and teeth and breathy moans, hushed as much as possible.

"I want to go back downstairs with your cum dripping out of me." You don't have time to waste so you might as well get right to the point.

"Sweetheart, we both know that's not what you need." Bucky's fingers trail up the inside of your thighs, under your skirt. "You don't need me to cum. You need me to take the edge off."

The soaked fabric of your panties only proves his point. He watches you while he trails his fingers in concentrated strokes against your clit, enjoying every tiny gasp he earns from you.

"I can treat you properly later like we planned. Just let me help you out." His eyes are trained on yours while he slips your panties down your bare legs. With your cunt exposed, he presses you back onto the bed, kissing from your knees, up the inside of your thighs.

One finger sinks inside you, followed by another before his lips seal around your clit, his tongue flicking beautifully.

You've gone from no stimulation to so much at once and it's making your head spin. God, he's good at that. He needs this just as much as you do and it's lovely to be with a man who gets off on eating you out the way he does.

The way his fingers curl inside you is truly breathtaking. "You're going to have to be quiet, angel. At this rate, the whole house will know I'm up here making you cum against my mouth."

#becca's thots #becca writes spice #dbf!bucky #dad's best friend! bucky #dbf!bucky smut #I started writing 4 different ideas before I settled on this one #I've had so many thoughts this week #idk what's wrong with me #my brain needs pressure washed #but I'm going out for drinkies today #and I'm really looking forward to it #I've got a cute new dress #and I'm doing something different with my makeup #and I'll have time to do my hair #it's nice to go out and feel good about myself

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