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fourraccoonsinacoat · 2 months

Text

Faint of Heart | One Shot

Pairing: Astarion x The Dark Urge

Chapter Count: One Shot | Read on AO3

Word Count: 7,816

Summary: Takes place during the events of Baldur's Gate 3 during Act 2. Explores the romance between Astarion and the Dark Urge as Astarion struggles with a confession. Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Humor, Idiots in Love, Confession of Feelings, Mentions of Violence, Soft Astarion, Spoilers for the Dark Urge and BG3 in general, Dark Urge as Original Female Character Rating: Mature

Author's Note: Back on my bullshit with these two. This is a one-shot based on the same Durge MC, Eli, as my other fics. I took some liberties with Astarion's confession scene, taking into account the background of the Dark Urge. It's all somewhat self-indulgent, and I wanted an excuse to write sassy Jaheira and practice writing from Astarion's POV. It's angsty, it's fluffy, it's soft and Karlach is the greatest wingman of them all! Thank you for reading my nonsense.

She stood, looking to everyone else in the Inn like a conquering hero ready to head out once more and face the darkness. She smiled with Rolan, laughed with Cal, chatted with Lia, and no one was the wiser.

Except him.

In their time together, Astarion had picked up on some of Eli’s tells. Behaviors that slipped past her mask of composure and enthusiasm, exposing the truth beneath her carefully constructed veneer.

She was exhausted. He could see it in the slight sag of her shoulders, in the way she kept having to blink and refocus on whoever she was conversing with, in her tired yet reassuring smile…the one she always had at the ready for anyone who came to her with yet another ordeal to hang around her shoulders.

A sudden and fierce burn of irrational anger flared in his chest as he continued to watch people flit around her. It brought to his mind an image of bees sucking the nectar dry from a gorgeous wildflower. They would use her until there was nothing left because that was their nature. They were desperate, all of them. The tieflings, Jaheira, Barcus, Counsellor Florrick…they were all starving for a savior, and Eli was that succor. They’d use her up until nothing was left. They’d watch her kill herself in the name of their ambitions, then hail her as a hero rather than the kind fool she was, always taking on other people’s burdens in some mad, desperate attempt to redeem whatever darkness lay coiled in her past.

Nevermind the fact that Eli’s kindness was exactly what he’d set out to manipulate from the start.

He was just as bad as the rest of them, looking to use Eli for her protection and capabilities. He was just as guilty. He’d seen her compassion as weakness and immediately dug his claws in, hooking into her like a parasite. Seducing her into his bed, stoking affection and twisting feelings – both hers and his – until he couldn’t tell truth from fiction.

And that was the problem.

Somewhere along the way, more and more truth began to slip into the words he used to charm her. He wasn’t sure when it started, but sometime between their passionate nights and hard fought days, genuine feelings began to stir every time he thought of her.

And, gods, he’d hated it.

On that first day after the nautiloid, when he’d discovered he could walk in sunlight and was out of reach of Cazador, he’d swore to never allow anyone control over him again. He’d rather drive a stake through his own heart than be a puppet tethered to someone else’s strings. And yet…here he was, allowing the very first person he’d met after making that oath to have sway over him. And he was utterly terrified he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

And so he sat at a far table in the bustling lounge of Last Light Inn, watching Eli and growing more and more perturbed as people buzzed around her.

Couldn’t they see how tired she was? She’d done enough for them today, breaking Wulbren and his compatriots out of Moonrise alongside the tieflings…well, those tieflings who’d survived the assault in the Shadowlands. Eli had been battered, bloodied and in desperate need of a healer, and yet the moment they’d come upon the prison, nothing else had mattered except freeing those being held captive.

She hadn’t said as much, but Astarion knew her well enough by now to recognize the shadow of devastation that drifted across her expression when Dammon described the attack that had scattered the refugees while on the road. She’d grown close to many of them, back at the Grove, often allowing conversations to drag on far past their welcome as some poor sod carried on about their insignificant struggles. It had frustrated Astarion to no end. They didn’t need to hear all about Bex’s absurd dream of owning a little orange cat with a bell on its neck! That knowledge did nothing to aid the process of driving steel through goblin guts.

It had all come to a head when she’d given Mol gold in exchange for absolutely nothing, spouting off some bullshit about wanting to back the next great thieves guild of Baldur’s Gate. Astarion had pulled Eli aside then, hissing about futile charity and asking her if she intended to bankroll every guttersnipe with a sob story.

She hadn’t missed a beat with her retort.

“Don’t worry, you’re still my favorite of all the guttersnipes I’ve come across. Thank the gods you only ask for blood and not gold. Otherwise, we’d be deadass broke.”

She’d leveled a stare at him that spoke volumes. He’d rolled his eyes and tried to hide the smirk threatening at the corners of his lips. Of course he was her favorite.

Still, it was mind-numbingly infuriating, how far Eli would go to help someone she cared for. What was worse was that Astarion knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that she’d do the same for him. That she’d throw herself thoughtlessly into pain, torment and suffering for his sake. At one point, he could not have cared less whether she destroyed herself for his gain.

But those days were gone, and he was now forced to reckon with the fact that he’d grown attached…that he cared. That he’d slit the throat of anyone in this room who tried to take advantage of her. That he’d once been the person trying to take advantage...

The thought now stirred something uneasy and almost nauseous within his stomach. He hated thinking about how he’d treated her, and yet it seemed to be something he was incapable of forgetting. Whatever was between them now, it was founded on something rotten. It had grown out of a lie, and regardless of how he felt now, a part of him knew that in order for anything to continue he would need to confess the vile intentions that had started all of this.

He owed her that, and she deserved it. She’d likely hate him, and all of this would come crashing to a disastrous end…but she deserved the truth, Astarion’s feelings be damned. She deserved to be with someone who would treat her with the same honesty and respect that she showed to everyone else. She deserved to be with someone who would protect her, not lie and manipulate her. She had so many burdens of her own, and yet she kept piling the burdens of others atop them. She deserved someone who would help steady her, not someone who would only get in her way and cause her to stumble.

She was going to hate him. He knew it as surely as he knew the sun would not cut through the gloom over the Shadowlands tomorrow morning. But he couldn’t keep living this farce. He couldn’t keep bedding her and enduring all those feelings of guilt and self-hatred as they mixed with the longing and ecstasy of bringing her to the brink and watching her come undone. It was too overwhelming. He wanted to be with her honestly and openly and not have their time together tainted by his wretched memories.

He wanted something real with her, built on the foundation of what he felt now rather than the putrid intentions that had started all of this.

It wouldn’t happen, he knew. Astarion wouldn’t want himself, either, all things considered. And that was okay. She deserved the opportunity to hate him for how he’d treated her. Gods knew he hated himself for it, it was only fair she hate him, too.

The fact that she didn’t already was astounding. He was a wretched thing, ugly in all ways except for appearance and so useless that he had to manipulate others into fighting his battles. He had ruined so many lives over the past two centuries. He’d been used up until there was nothing left of him to offer. And yet she was always near, never shying away and never overbearing…just always there, always at his back. She didn’t flinch away from him, didn’t pity him, and she made him feel things he’d forgotten how to feel.

The first night they’d spent together had been unexpectedly enthralling and pleasurable, something he had not experienced in he didn’t know how long. And he’d wanted more, despite his confusion and the messiness of his feelings, he wanted more of that connection. And so they’d spent more nights finding comfort and pleasure in each other. Those nights were little moments of solace in a world gone mad.

Those nights had been about more than sex; they were nights where she told him beautiful words that weren’t made for people like him.

“Seldom do I find so little fault with someone. I hope it lasts.” A cool voice caught Astarion by surprise as he sat lost in his darkening thoughts.

His head snapped around, hand instinctively twitching towards a hidden blade at his hip.

Jaheira stood beside him, arms crossed and face unreadable and she pinned him in her stare. Her eyes flitted momentarily to the hand at his waist, and Astarion brought it back to rest on the table he sat at, dagger still fastened to his belt.

The ghost of a self-satisfied smirk flashed across her face as Jaheira glanced away from him and back towards the subject of her comment. He followed her gaze towards Eli and hummed thoughtfully, settling into a more relaxed posture that he hoped did not betray the swirling mess that currently haunted his mind.

“You should tell her as much,” he mused, watching Eli as she pushed a strand of her silver-white hair behind an ear.

The sight caused his mind to pull a memory forth, unbidden. It was tactile and soft, the feel of his fingers tangling in that hair…of his lips caressing the shell of her ear as he whispered ravishing praise for only her to hear.

He took a grounding breath and dashed those thoughts from his mind.

“She thrives on pretty words and compliments,” he quipped.

Astarion wouldn’t elaborate that the reason for it was because Eli had a desperate desire to escape whatever monster dogged her broken memories. She thought of herself as something tainted and corrupt. Something unworthy. He’d got a glimpse of that darkness on the night she’d woken him, panicked and breathlessly ranting about how she feared she would harm him.

At first, he’d thought she was still in the throes of one of her many night terrors, perhaps sleepwalking. The truth had been far more grim, and Astarion was still haunted by images from that night. Images of Eli struggling against the bindings Astarion had put her in, for the protection of them both. Eyes feral as her nails dug into the flesh of her palms, mouth snarling as she spat all manner of vile insults at him. She had lost herself to whatever thing she was keeping at bay inside herself, and Astarion had come to realize that the fear which hounded Eli on both sleepless nights and in nightmares was well founded.

That fear had spread to him, too. Fear of losing her, of watching her be overtaken by this madness. He understood the depravity he saw in her eyes, the mania that was a loss of self when hunger took hold and choked all other sensibility from your mind. He hadn’t felt empathy for another soul in nearly two hundred years, and suddenly there it was, raw and wounding and utterly terrifying. His thoughts screamed back to that year of starvation and darkness, locked in a tomb as he slowly went mad with hunger. Those recollections were an undertow, threatening to pull him down and drown him.

But she’d needed him, and so he’d wrenched himself free of his clawing subconscious and watched over her until morning when she returned to herself. A lot of things changed that night. They’d been changing already, but the lies he’d been telling himself about how he felt simply could not survive the blistering reality of the situation at hand.

There was still some life left in his cold dead heart, and he had no idea how to reconcile with that knowledge.

The sound of Jaheira clearing her throat brought him out of his brooding and he turned his head to find the druid eyeing him curiously, a hand outstretched towards him. A key was held between her fingers and Astarion glanced at it before meeting her gaze, perplexed. Jaheira sighed and took a seat opposite to Astarion at the table, setting the key down on the worn wooden surface of the hightop and pushing it over to him.

“Seems Karlach was speaking truth when she said the two of you were a pair of emotionally-stunted lovesick fools,” Jaheira said, leaning back in her chair and pointing from Eli to Astarion. “You completely tuned me out, staring at her like a wolfhound salivating over a piece of raw steak.”

Astarion tensed at the remark, frowning before he slipped back into his casual and roguish demeanor.

“Yes, yes, make your jokes about the monstrous vampire. How dare he pursue the charming and morally upstanding hero.” Astarion snorted, eyeing Eli ruefully. “I’ve heard it before. Wyll likes to especially harp on the subject.”

He made a mental note to tell Karlach not to be such a gossip.

Jaheira huffed, a noise that could possibly be construed as a laugh, except Astarion wasn’t sure he could picture the stern woman laughing.

“Please,” she said, almost dismissively. “I am not familiar enough with your little band of hedonists to form an opinion on your social dramas. And even if I were, I doubt I’d care.”

The druid turned her head to gaze back towards the bar.

Bex and Danis had joined the group situated around Eli, and Astarion noted that another bottle of wine had recently been opened. Eli was turning down offers to refill her glass and Astarion felt a sudden urge to grab her and whisk her away to the quiet sanctuary of his tent back at camp. And not even to do anything sexual, though if that’s where the night took them, he’d happily oblige.

He just wanted to give her a space of reprieve, somewhere she could rest and escape all this chaos.

“What I do care about,” Jaheira continued, drawing Astarion’s attention back to her. “Is that one’s wellbeing.” She tilted her chin towards Eli. “She is our way into the cult. Our way to get close to Ketheric. She is our key to putting an end to this blight of the Absolute.”

Astarion didn’t reply. He wasn’t sure he trusted himself to open his mouth in that moment. Jaheira was loading more burdens onto Eli’s shoulders, and his desire to hide her away – to protect her – was only growing.

He knew the druid spoke truth. Eli had a connection to all of this that none of them, including her, understood. What they did know was that Ketheric Thorm recognized her when they showed up at Moonrise. He’d addressed her as a comrade, and it deeply unsettled her. What secrets were lying locked away behind Eli’s fractured psyche? A part of him honestly didn’t care…he just wanted her safe…

“So,” Jaheira said after the silence between them lingered for a moment. She tapped the key still lying on the tabletop in front of Astarion. “That is a key to a room upstairs. As well-meaning as the rabble down here is, what Eli needs is rest. The days and weeks ahead will not be easy, and opportunities for respite will be few. Make her take this one.”

Astarion opened his mouth, intending to ask why the hell Jaheira didn’t just go over there and say these things to Eli. But she was well ahead of him and held her hand up in a motion to silence him.

“I have no sway over her. I will only come off as overbearing and fussy, even if I do speak truth.” Her tone took on a hint of amusement, that of an elder and learned lioness affectionately chiding a cub. “I have been informed by Karlach that the two of you are together, yes?”

Astarion stiffened, his mind swirling around all the complications involved with his and Eli’s relationship. Guilt rose up in his throat and he swallowed it down uneasily as Jaheira eyed him curiously. She bullied past the question, not waiting for his affirmation.

“Take Eli upstairs and away from all of this,” Jaheira said, rising from her chair in a motion to leave, her piece said.

She then paused, considering something, before turning back to Astarion.

“It is not my place to say this, but I will, anyway. You seem conflicted about something concerning her. And I don’t want details,” she added hastily, noting Astarion’s discomfort at being called out. “However, I know all too painfully the grief of leaving things unsaid. This life you currently lead, it is one lived day-to-day, and those days will run out. Sometimes, much sooner than expected. Don’t wait until you have nothing left but regret.”

Once again not waiting for a response, Jaheira turned and made her way towards a group of Harpers who were chatting near the Inn’s central firepit. Astarion was left alone with the echo of her words and the key she had provided.

Something squirmed uncomfortably in Astarion’s chest as he rolled what she said over and over in his mind.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit!

She was right, of course. He needed to talk to Eli about them. About whatever this was. About how he’d manipulated her.

Used her.

Astarion groaned softly and ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly - a nervous habit.

Enough! Enough thinking, you wretched pathetic cowardly moron!

Rising from his chair, Astarion grabbed the key and made his way towards the bar, stepping up behind Eli who was currently providing Rolan with a play-by-play of their Moonrise prison break. Gently, he wrapped an arm around her waist and brought his other hand up to rest on her shoulder, pressing a light kiss to the side of her neck as he did so.

Astarion felt Eli’s pulse quicken beneath his lips and smiled as she leaned back into him. He felt a smug sense of satisfaction as he caught Rolan frowning at him, indignant as Eli’s attention shifted away from him and to the vampire.

“Hello, my dear,” he whispered softly into her ear, ignoring the tiefling wizard who looked as if he wanted to set Astarion on fire. “I’m sorry to interrupt you and your adoring fans, but I have some adoring of my own that I need you for.”

It was so easy for Astarion to slip back into his charmingly seductive mannerisms, so much so that he felt a pang of guilt twist in his stomach.

Truth be told, Astarion wasn’t exactly sure how to approach the type of conversation he wanted to have. He’d never done this before, asking to talk about a relationship, so he was winging it and using what tactics he knew to get her away from the crowd and to a more private location.

Eli turned her head to meet his gaze and grinned, placing a hand on the one Astarion had at her waist and intertwining her fingers with his.

“Really, now?” she said playfully. “And what does this adoring entail? Because if a hot bath and a massage are not included, I’m not going.”

Eli’s eyes shined with mischief as her expression settled into a teasing smirk. She kissed him lightly near the underside of his jaw – a reassuring gesture. Eli would go with him, regardless, but she always did enjoy a bit of banter.

“Arrangements can be made,” Astarion quipped as he turned her in his arms and began leading her towards the staircase to the upper floor.

Apprehension was beginning to roil in his gut, but he forced the alluring façade to stay in place.

Eli allowed him to direct her towards the stairs, tossing a wave to Rolan and calling over her shoulder.

“Sorry, Rolan! We’ll chat more later, as I’m currently being commandeered.”

Astarion couldn’t help the smug expression that crossed his face when he heard the tiefling’s miffed response.

“Mmhm, you seem like a very unwilling captive,” Rolan grunted.

Eli laughed.

“What can I say? I’ve got a weakness for pretty words, great sex and a man I don’t have to share snacks with,” she said.

Astarion tried to hold back the surprised bark of a laugh that bubbled up from his throat and failed miserably. He felt eyes on them, some scandalized and others amused - and heard Rolan’s agitated groan - as he led Eli up the stairs.

They reached the second-floor landing and he pressed a hand to the small of Eli’s back, guiding her towards the room.

“Where are we going, anyway?” she asked, trying to stifle a yawn as she spoke.

Safe from the greedy, peering eyes of the mob below, the shift in Eli’s demeanor was almost instinctual. She sagged a bit, weary and leaning into his touch. Hey eyelids fluttered closed for a moment and she drew in a deep, steadying breath.

She truly was exhausted and Astarion began to second guess himself. Maybe this wasn’t a good time to broach such a sensitive topic. She needed rest, not more burdens. Was he being selfish? Trying to offload his guilt just so he could feel better?

But the way she pressed into him, slightly leaning on him in her fatigue and suddenly so disarmed and at ease the moment they were away from the crowd…it caused a gnawing self-hatred to burn deep in his bones.

She trusted him. She felt safe with him. She shouldn’t…he didn’t deserve her affection.

“Jaheira, like the meddlesome elder she is, secured us a room away from all the nagging unwashed masses so you can finally get some peace and quiet,” Astarion said, stopping in front of a door which had the same designation as the key he had been given.

“Astarion, we are the unwashed masses,” Eli chuckled, glancing down at the battered scale mail she wore which was currently spattered with grime, blood and who knows what other less-than-savory substances.

Astarion expression pinched into one of mild disgust as he considered his own leathers which were equally smeared and foul.

“Yes, well, perhaps whatever contemptuous god is overseeing our day-to-day lives has seen fit to grace us with a private washroom? You know, as a way to apologize for all the horror and trauma that surrounds us every second of every day,” he bemoaned in that haughty, vain manner that only Astarion could pull off.

Unlocking the door, Astarion held it open and motioned with a gentlemanly flourish for Eli to enter. She did so, and the pale elf had to suppress a snort of laughter when she called out to him not five seconds later.

“Holy shit! I’ve never had such an emotional reaction to seeing a bar soap before!”

“I would hope we have not become such heathens that soap merits this much enthusiasm.”

“It smells like eucalyptus, Astarion! Eucalyptus!”

-------------------------------------------

There was, indeed, a private washroom.

Eli and Astarion took turns getting cleaned up. Soaking in a tub of warm, soapy water was a scarce luxury. Most days, their motley group was resigned to bathing in cold river water with minnows nipping at their toes as they tried to cleanse themselves with whatever natural herbs and ointments Halsin was able to scrounge up into a paste.

In truth, Astarion couldn’t recall the last time he’d been afforded the opportunity to simply enjoy a bath. Cazador certainly didn’t allow his spawn such niceties, and while he’d visited his fair share of taverns and hotels with rentable rooms while prowling for victims to bring back to his master, he was never able to just…be. To relish in the comfort of it all.

The warm water was soothing, banishing the endless chill of death sunk deep in his bones that was his constant state of being since the night he turned. Eli had washed before him and was now situated on the large plush bed across the room from the tub. A privacy screen blocked their view of one another, but they’d been chatting idly throughout the evening about nothing in particular.

Now, in a lull of silence between them, Astarion’s mind was wandering as he rested with his arms and head propped against the sides of the tub, eyes closed in a moment of calm that was all too fleeting these days. He lazily imagined having Eli in the water with him, her warm body pressed up against his which, for once, wouldn’t be cold and pallid to her touch…wouldn’t be greedily stealing the heat of her skin to warm his corpse.

But, he’d still be stealing her trust to warm his dead heart…

He sighed, feeling the ease of the moment slip away like the tendrils of steam coming off his bath water. He needed to own up to his manipulative intentions. Now. He couldn’t stomach the thought of holding Eli in his arms that night while she slept, peaceful and trusting. Holding onto him like he were something to be cared for, to be cherished. Unsuspecting of the truth…that he was deceitful and lowly.

That they never would have been here, in this room, had he not set out to use her for his selfish gain.

If he didn’t approach the subject now, he may not get another chance for some time. Their days were so overwrought with hardships and schemes that finding a moment of quiet was nearly as difficult as figuring out how to subdue the shadow curse.

Resigned to what he needed to do, and with an icy weight of dread sinking into his gut, Astarion rose from the tub and towled dry. He dressed in his typical casual outfit, a black ruffled shirt and dark trousers, and rounded the privacy screen to see Eli sitting on the bed, legs crisscrossed as she drew in a small leatherbound journal. She’d picked it up in the Emerald Grove, exchanging a dagger with Mattis for it that she’d picked up off some decrepit corpse or another.

Eli had taken to writing rather extensive notes in it about anything and everything; from information about the cult to descriptions of acquaintances and even hand drawn maps of the various areas they trekked through. She’d confided in Astarion that she feared what memories she’d made since the nataloid could one day be lost to her, just as her past was lost. And so she wanted to ensure, should that happen, she had a record she could refer to in order to hopefully reclaim some of what was gone.

Eli had even showed him several pages full of details about him. She’d written down all manner of notes, from little preferences he had – such as the style of embroidery needle he liked to use – to reminders such as: “You’ll figure out he’s a vampire pretty damn quick, Astarion is absurdly terrible at keeping secrets. Don’t be weird about it, he’s cool. He can get a bit whiny and obnoxious when he’s hungry, so make sure to keep him fed, especially if there isn’t much wildlife around. The wrist is for everyday use and the neck is for sexy times. Don’t believe him when he tells you that the inner thigh provides the best tasting blood. This is a kink and he is a liar! RATION ACCESS!”

That had made him smirk.

She’d also shown him two pages of detailed notes describing his appearance, from hair to foot. Eli wasn’t much for artistic talent, but she had a flair for the written word despite the copious amounts of vulgarity that shot from her mouth like dragon fire. The attention with which she’d described him and the complimentary nature of it all had caused his breath to catch at the back of his throat. He’d read the words over and over, actually able to picture his face in his mind’s eye as described. A strange sort of familiarity settled over him as he pictured the details on the page, and when he finally found his voice he’d stuttered a bewildered thank you, unused to the kindness she’d shown.

Now, as he sat on the edge of the bed, he felt a desperate fear burn to life inside himself. What if he never got to experience something like that again? What if their time together over the past weeks was all he ever got? Just a few brief flashes of respite among centuries of misery…

“Feeling better?” Eli asked, jolting Astarion out of his thoughts.

He blinked at her for a moment before clearing his throat and running a hand habitually through his hair.

“Yes…yes, I always feel better when I’m not covered in other people’s bodily fluids,” he said with a halfhearted chuckle that caused Eli to frown curiously and set down her journal.

She could sense something was off. And so with one last internal curse to himself, Astarion launched into one of the most anxiety-inducing things he’d ever done.

“I’ve…been meaning to talk to you. About us,” he said, tone soft and hesitant.

Eli shifted her weight on the bed, turning her body to face him. Her brows had furrowed only slightly, unsure whether she should be concerned about Astarion’s sudden shift in demeanor, yet fully open to listening attentively. Trusting. It made his gut twist.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes, of course!” Astarion responded reflexively, instinctively jumping to make light of any tension. He bit back anymore reassurances before he could spit them out and cleared his throat, voice taking on a more serious tone.

“Except…not really,” he backpedaled.

Eli’s expression grew more worried and Astarion could see her already beginning to play through scenarios in her mind, trying to sort through what she may have done. What wrongs her broken mind may have committed. He sped forward, wanting to absolve her of any notion that she was at cause for anything.

“Look, I had a plan,” he began, turning towards her on the bed. “A nice simple plan. Seduce you, sleep with you, manipulate your feelings so you’d never turn on me,” he chuckled nervously, swallowing down the bile threatening to rise in his throat.

“It was easy…instinctive. Habits from two hundred years of charming people kicked in. All you had to do was fall for it…” His eyes dropped, unable to hold Eli’s stare as her own eyes searched his face, taken aback and confused by the sudden confession.

“And all I had to do was not fall for you,” he continued, glancing back up to her. Desperate for her to hear this next part. “Which is where my nice, simple plan…fell apart.”

Astarion paused, gazing at Eli with a mixture of trepidation and guilt as she watched him silently, stunned and not without a little hurt bleeding into her eyes as his words caught up with her brain.

“You’re…” he started, unsure how to put a voice to the storm wheeling inside of him. He wasn’t as eloquent as Eli, and never had he felt so incapable and inadequate at translating what he felt into words than he did right now. So he said what had been tearing him up from the inside out for days, and braced for the inevitable fallout.

“You’re incredible.” He couldn’t help the touch of a sad smile that came to his lips, or the nearly awed tone of his voice as he said the word like it could encase inside of it everything Eli had come to mean to him.

It wasn’t enough, he knew. No word would be enough. Nor would a thousand words. Because he didn’t understand how to express the way his heart seemed to flutter when she looked at him, despite it being cold and useless in his chest. He didn’t know how to explain the way her smile made him feel like someone worthwhile. Or how when he held her in his arms he thought that maybe…maybe some god somewhere had finally heard his desperate pleas.

“You deserve something real,” he admitted, with no small amount of shame, before adding, “I want us to be something real.”

Confessing to something he wanted, out loud and to someone else, was an experience he was woefully unfamiliar with. It was an experience he fully expected he’d come to regret, but he said it anyway and waited for the pain that was sure to follow.

Eli was quiet for a long moment, peering at Astarion with an expression he couldn’t quite read. He saw confusion and sadness, but there was something else, too. A flicker of something not unlike…understanding?

No, he was surely mistaken…

“So…” Eli said softly, working through her words before she spoke them out loud. Trying to parse through the influx of information coming at her.

“So, this hasn’t been real? Us? Everything we’ve been through. Our nights together…they didn’t mean anything to you…” she trailed off, almost as if she were talking to herself rather than asking it of him.

“Of course they did!” Astarion was quick to correct the assumption.

Gods, he didn’t want her to think that. Of course they had meant something to him, more than he’d thought they could. He’d chosen to be with her, even if it had initially been out of less than innocent desires, he’d chosen it. He hadn’t been forced to seek her out and lure her somewhere. She wasn’t a mark or some wretched experience he wanted to forget. He’d acted of his own free will, and even if the reasons hadn’t been as genuine as he’d made them out to be at the start, it was still the first decision he had made in nearly two centuries that wasn’t directed or forced.

That meant something to him. Those nights meant something to him. And, gods, so did she. That was part of the problem…

And so he explained as much, describing how he was used to twisting intimacy into something to be used rather than felt. How his past experiences with sex were bleeding over into the nights spent with her and that he didn’t have the faintest idea how to fix it. How he had trained himself to be numb, to wall himself off. And how, when Eli had finally, gently dismantled those walls he didn’t know what to do next…

“I don’t know how else to be with someone. No matter how much I’d like to…” Astarion concluded, feeling about as small and insignificant as he’d ever felt.

The silence that followed his confession made his skin crawl with ill ease. He stared at the bedding, terrified to look up and see the fury Eli surely felt. This was it; this was when she’d tell him to leave. And he would, quietly and without fuss. It was the last kindness he was capable of giving her.

“Astarion.” The calm softness of Eli’s voice nearly made the elf flinch. “Please look at me.”

Not a demand, but a request, spoken with care.

Confused, Astarion looked to her and instead of anger or hate or rage, he only found…her. Just Eli, looking back at him with thoughtful consideration. She should have been furious, but instead she simply took a steadying breath, scooting a bit closer on the bed so she could place a hand lightly on his knee.

He didn’t move, didn’t breathe as Eli looked at him and carefully began to speak.

“I care about you, Astarion.” She said it as if she were trying to convince him of the truth of her words, and he was stunned.

“Really?” he asked, breathless and unsure. But hopeful, too. Hopeful that maybe, just once, something in his miserable life might not end in disaster and pain.

“Yes, you beautiful fool!” she nearly laughed, squeezing at his knee.

Eli smiled at him and…gods above, it was the most dazzling and gorgeous thing he’d ever seen.

“Neither of us was looking for anything more than a night of comfort, and maybe some fun, when all of this started. We both had our own self-serving reasons,” she explained, before chuckling lightly. “Hells, I barely had more than a few weeks' worth of memories in my head at that point. Trying to rope anyone into a meaningful relationship was so low on my list of priorities I would have burst into flames on the spot had anyone mentioned the idea to me.”

Astarion couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face as Eli looked at him with an adoration that made him dizzy.

“But, things change. We changed. And, I’m glad that we did. I came to care about you in a way I don’t remember caring about anyone ever. And while that may not be saying much, considering…” Eli laughed and Astarion’s dead heart soared. “You’re special to me, right now. Regardless of how this started.”

This was certainly not how Astarion had expected this conversation to go, and he had never been so overjoyed to have his expectations usurped. He was entirely out of his depth, and so far outside his comfort zone that he was reeling. Words kept building up in the back of his throat and yet when he opened his mouth, he was struck dumb. He was overwhelmed, in the best way possible, but he hadn’t the slightest notion of what he was supposed to say or do next. And so he defaulted to what he knew.

“Well, I mean, of course I am, darling,” Astarion’s voice slipped into a silky tone. Anxiety was roiling inside of him and he tried to claw his way out, using the tools he knew best.

“The unyielding praise I am able to coax from your lips during our nights of passion has made it more than apparent,” he leaned in towards Eli, the tone of his words easing back into sultry familiarity.

Eli just shook her head with a breathy chuckle, meeting his gaze with a genuine affection in her eyes that made Astarion feel known in a way that was comforting.

“That’s not what I meant,” Eli chided with a tenderness that caught Astarion off-guard. “I mean you, Astarion. The person that you are. The person who cares about me enough to watch over me all night while I go mad. The person who is forgiving enough to not hate me the next morning. The person who makes me laugh after a long and painful day.”

Carefully, Eli raises a hand and gently presses it against Astarion’s cheek. He leans into the touch, expression softening and relaxing as his red eyes stay locked in to her own.

“The person who is being honest with me, right now. Who I appreciate more than I can say.”

Astarion was quite certain his brain had seized. He sat frozen, frantically searching her face for any hint of a lie and finding none, to his utter astonishment.

“That’s…” he started, then faltered. He knew he should say something, but his chest currently felt as if it was being wrenched open and no words would suffice to express his amazement.

“I don’t know what to say,” Astarion admitted after his stunned silence wore off. “Which is quite the accomplishment on your part, my dear.”

Eli smiled, warm and without expectations. It was beautiful.

“Thank you,” he breathed, closing the small gap between them and resting his forehead against her own. “For trusting me, and listening. For everything.”

His words were woefully inadequate, and he feared they always would be. But, Eli didn’t seem to mind and that brought him immeasurable relief.

“I’ll always listen,” Eli reassured him as she stroked the side of his face with her thumb. “Considering who you are, it’s kind of hard not to,” she teased.

His expression took on a somewhat sheepish hint as he took her hand from his cheek and held it reverently between both of his. He sat up a bit straighter as Eli pulled away, silently watching him run his fingers across her palm with a light touch.

“What do we do now?” he asked, hesitant and unsure.

Astarion looked to Eli for some sort of direction. He hadn’t thought this far ahead and honestly figured the conversation would have ended in tears or bloodshed or both by now. He didn’t know what a way forward with Eli looked like, but he knew he wanted her with him. Maybe he could ignore the confused and unsavory feelings that intruded upon their nights together? He wanted to enjoy her, to satisfy her without the shadows of past hurts creeping in. Perhaps he could figure out how…

“What do you want to do?” Eli responded, turning the question back onto him and taking him by surprise.

Astarion looked back to Eli, brows raised at the unexpected question. He considered her for a moment, thinking through how to answer. What did he want?

“I’m not sure…” he said honestly. “No one’s ever asked me that before. About anything, really.”

Eli waited, smiling reassuringly, though with a hint of sadness at Astarion’s words. It was freeing, somewhat, to be given the space to think about what he wanted and a chance to put a voice to it. But, it was also a little overwhelming, and truth be told he wasn’t quite sure how to figure it out.

“I know I don’t want to lose you,” he affirmed, squeezing her hand in his.

He did want something real with Eli. The problem was, he didn’t know what real looked like. This was unfamiliar territory for him, and he didn’t even know how in the hells he was supposed to get his bearings.

“I don’t want that, either. You know, we could be together without sex. For however long we need,” Eli suggested, a small smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. “I don’t think I have the best associations with it, either, considering the…things that sometimes pop into my head. Maybe we both could use time to work through those things.”

Astarion considered the idea, a cool rush of relief overcoming him as it truly began to sink in that Eli wasn’t only interested in him for his body and the way it roused it her own. They were good together, really fucking good. But it was becoming more and more difficult to reconcile what he had done in his past, under the subjugation of Cazador, with what he did with Eli now. He didn’t want to treat her like a mark or just another one of his conquests. She deserved better than that from him – to be cherished and worshiped, even ravished, fully and completely and without the haunting presence of ghosts that lurked in the corners of his mind.

“Why that almost sounds like a challenge,” Astarion said, trying to slip back into his sultry mannerisms yet failing to hide the appreciation he felt.

His tone then shifted into something quieter and more tentative as Astarion asked, “Can we…still share a bed? I think I’d miss sleeping in your arms.”

He cleared his throat, eyes darting to the side. The vulnerability behind his question was uncomfortable for him, but he thought maybe he could manage if it kept them from spending their nights apart. He’d grown fond of drifting off to sleep with her near, lulled by the low beat of her heart and the soft sighs of her breathing. It was a comfort he had never imagined himself longing for, and yet with Eli he’d quickly come to miss her warmth on the nights they slept in their own tents. Her absence at his side becoming a chill he’d rather not endure.

“I’d like that,” Eli agreed, giving his own hand a soft and appreciative squeeze.

“Well,” Astarion sighed, tension easing out of him as he leaned forward suddenly and wrapped Eli in an embrace that quickly had them tumbling back onto the bed. “No time like the present!”

Eli laughed and Astarion pulled her close, reveling in the easy solace of having everything between them out in the open rather than eating away at his insides. He rolled onto his back, tugging her up onto him so that her head was resting on his chest, just below his chin. His fingers idly stroked through her hair, eyelids drooping as the stress of the day finally caught up to him.

“This is nice,” he mumbled a bit more sleepily than intended.

A contented hum was the only response he heard from Eli before sleep took him completely.

___________________________________

In the morning Karlach gave them a knowing smirk as they descended the stairs and Eli began rummaging through the Inn’s cabinets for something that could pass as breakfast.

“You two look happy,” she remarked as Astarion took a seat across from her at one of the low tables near the central firepit. “Seems a night on your own did the both of you some good.”

The tiefling eyed Astarion pointedly as she raised a mug of coffee and sipped, eyes twinkling with more than a bit of self-satisfied mischief.

Astarion clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair, feigning disinterest as he began to study his nails.

“You know, Karlach,” he began, flicking a speck of dirt from the tip of a finger. “For someone without a heart, you sure do seem to get invested in the romantic affairs of others.”

Karlach nearly spit coffee across the table as a boisterous laugh leapt up from her chest. She managed to contain herself, half choking and half coughing into her mug before she set it aside.

“That’s rich, fangs, coming from the likes of you,” Karlach giggled with good nature. “Honestly, I was just getting tired of the constant pining and lovesick angst between the both of you. For a pair of bloodthirsty murderhobos, you two are adorably dense when it comes to interactions that don’t involve stabbing something.”

“And for a professional killing machine from the hells, you are a hopeless gossip,” Astarion replied, shooting Karlach a sidelong glare before he glanced across the room to where Jaheira was consulting with a pair of Harpers as they studied a map.

He cleared his throat and pointedly did not look at the tiefling, speaking low for only the two of them to hear.

“Anyway…thank you. For meddling,” he said somewhat stiffly, though there was a timid genuineness to his words that made Karlach beam.

“Always happy to meddle, fangs.”

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viviennevermillion · 1 year

Text

Sharing a tent with him ♡

author's notes: set during vargas camp. unfortunately i never found a full translation of the second one so if anything here contradicts canon, just roll with it. spontaneously writing this at 10pm after vowing i'm gonna go to bed early today so i can go to work earlier. oops. also picsart gold is making me go off with the headers so I'm making these for literally every character because i have no life. contains: malleus draconia x gn!fae!reader, cuddling warnings: none

Malleus, as always, is happy to go on a trip outside of Night Raven College; especially if he gets to share the experience with you and in this case Lilia as well. To be honest, you weren't exactly excited about spending your days in the woods near the creepy dwarf mine, engaging in sports and camping activities; but the presence of a certain fae prince made you look forward to it at least a little.

That feeling only multiplied when Vargas announced the students would be sharing tents in groups of 2-3 people and Kalim and Cater excitedly asked Lilia to have a Pop Music Club sleepover. "I'm sorry you two, but I think I'll have to decline. I'm sure Malleus-" "I'll share a tent with Malleus", you blurted out and the dragon fairy raised an eyebrow at you but immediately shot you an amused grin. "You seem quite eager", Malleus put his hands on his hips and smiled at you, "very well. I'll allow it. Just be sure you won't be frightened halfway through." You could tell he was joking and Lilia chuckled at Malleus's obvious excitement about the matter.

Malleus absolutely adored the fact that you wanted to be close to him and spend time with him; that you even felt comfortable enough to fall asleep around him. He sucked up every piece of evidence for that like a sponge, already craving the next instance of you expressing how much you valued him as a companion.

You let out a long sigh after Malleus broke the tent pole for the third time by hitting it too hard with the hammer. "Here let me be so courteous as to help you", you teased and put the pole into the ground, firmly hitting it with the hammer a few times until you felt that it was firmly stuck in the ground. "So, what do we do now?", Malleus seemed at a loss, trying to inspect the instructions on the information sheet Vargas had given you, "why do they explain these things in pictures? Why not put words too? I have no idea what this means." You could see him pouting and took the sheet from him with a laugh. "Be glad you'll never have to put furniture together yourself because that's just like this but worse", you sighed and inspected the pieces for the tent, "okay so....uh....I think this big thingy goes onto the pole and then we....uh-" You tried building the tent and helplessly watched the pole tip over and your "tent" sink to the ground. "You know, on second thought, maybe we should just sit down and wait until Vargas does it himself", you gestured awkwardly and sat down on a tree trunk.

"Oh but we are supposed to do it ourselves. After all we won't be able to understand the feelings of humans once they experience the joys of camping after all the hard work it takes to prepare it", Malleus smiled. "You're too eager for your own good", you took a deep breath. "You were the one who wanted to share a tent with me so badly", he grinned and it was clear he was relishing in the fact that you hadn't hesitated even a second to suggest pairing up with him for this trip. "You're making me sound desperate", you shook your head in disappointment and Malleus chuckled, reaching out his hand to you.

"I'm sure this is going to turn out to be quite pleasant if we commit to it. Once we're finished with our work we can be proud of the result. It might not be perfect but it'll be ours and we can share it for the next few days like a temporary home for just the two of us-" His words made your heart flutter and you took his hand and got up. "How could I say no when you put it like that?", you sighed and continued trying to build the tent.

You enjoyed a nice evening with Malleus and the other students; grilling marshmallows over the campfire and listening to the others talking about experiences they had with camping so far. There were fireflies surrounding you, nothing too unusual for being around Malleus, and the atmosphere was a peaceful one that made both of you feel happy and content.

The two of you were the last ones at the campfire, watching the embers as well as the stars above. You rested your head on Malleus's shoulder as a shooting star passed the night sky. Malleus leaned his head against yours and closed his eyes, a peaceful smile on his face as well. Malleus put out the fire and the two of you went to bed, turned to each other in your sleeping bags.

You watched curiously as Malleus pulled out something from his backpack. It was an enchanted lamp, shaped like a rose. Small, soft lights were dancing across the petals, bouncing off the ceiling of the tent. "These are quite popular in Briar Valley. I thought you might like it, so I brought it along", he smiled and put it somewhere where both of you could look at it. The conversation about the lamp evolved into a quiet talk about Briar Valley; Malleus telling you all sorts of stories about his homeland and mentioning a variety of places he was going to show you if you wanted to visit. He spoke with fondness until both of your words had turned to mere whispers.

If you don't pull the good old "I'm so cold" trick to try and be closer to him, he definitely will.

Malleus was amused at how almost dramatic you were about it. "It's so icy in this tent... I'm going to freeze to death....whatever shall I do?", you sighed with a sorrowful expression on your face and Malleus looked at you seriously. "I could make a fire to warm-" "GOD NO", you gestured wildly as you felt Malleus's fire magic manifesting within the tent. He put the flame out just as fast as it had appeared. He seemed to ponder the predicament further, then smirking at you. "Of course...you could always come closer if you dare", he teased, "I won't mind." "You don't have to tell me that", you smirked back.

That was how you ended up snuggled against Malleus in his sleeping bag, your own sleeping bag long discarded to the side. You had your head rested on his chest and your arms wrapped tightly around him. "This is a strange feeling....but not unpleasant. I like it", Malleus mused and absentmindedly started drawing circles on your shoulders, "although something tells me you had intended for this all along." He smiled as you confirmed his suspicion, a little flustered from the fact that he had seen through you. "There's no need to shy away from me", he clarified, "you need only ask. I don't mind being close to you." He breathed out and closed his eyes, leaning his cheek against your forehead.

The two of you remained silent for a while, until you weren't even sure if he was still awake. "Malleus?", you whispered; a quiet "hmm?" signaling that he wasn't asleep. You hesitated for a moment, your fingertips running up and down his arm. "I just wanted to say...", you took a deep breath, "I've really grown to treasure your presence in my life... You've become very important to me and being around you....well....makes me happy. I'm glad to have met you. I hope you know that." You could hear Malleus's heart beating faster against your ear and you felt him trying to pull you even closer.

"That means quite a lot to me", he whispered back, his lips grazing your forehead as he spoke, making you wish he'd just press a kiss to your skin already, "I feel the same about you. Thank you for being part of my life." You squeezed him gently in your embrace, making him smile.

You remained silent for a few moments, thinking about what you should say next. "You know.... I've spent all my life going from place to place; meeting all kinds of people and experiencing the brief but meaningful moments that life among humans had to offer, but I never really stuck around anywhere. There was nothing that I felt could capture my interest forever; just a century even. The people I met were just as fleeting as my time spent with them. I never had any reason to settle down", you whispered and took his hand into yours, running your thumb across his soft skin, "but now that I've met Lilia, Silver, Sebek and especially you, for the first time I'm certain I want to stay. Do you think there might be place for me in Briar Valley?"

Malleus was awestruck, his eyes widening with every word you spoke. Surprise made him incapable of even replying for a minute. His heart fluttered and there was a feeling of warmth and love in his chest that he didn't even know he craved this much but that henever wanted to miss out on again. You really wanted to stay...with him...as if it was the most self-evident thing possible.

Malleus's expression turned into a soft smile eventually and he squeezed your hand back. "I'm sure that could be arranged", he whispered with an adoration in his voice that was hard not to pick up on, "got anything in mind already?" You closed your eyes, focusing on his chest rising and falling and the soft sound of his breathing. You knew what you wanted. But you didn't dare say it yet. "We'll see." Malleus nodded. Perhaps you could be a guard. Or an attendant. Or an advisor. Or perhaps...the idea he undoubtedly liked the most: You could stand at his side, watching over the country alongside him; forever united in the love you felt for one another.

"Yes. We'll see", he confirmed and wrapped his arms tighter around you; the dreams you two shared remaining unspoken for now. But Malleus knew just as well as you did where he wanted to take the bond you had. Just say the word and I'm yours, he thought, falling asleep with you in his arms and a peaceful smile on his face.

#twisted wonderland #malleus draconia x you #malleus x reader #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader #malleus x y/n #malleus x you #malleus draconia headcanons #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader

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lunatic-pudge · 20 days

Note

Hi, I was wondering if you could do a Platonic Tf2 crew x reader who struggles with S/H. I totally understand if you don't take my request but I think it could be good for others who see's these characters as comfort characters.

Many thanks

-Springy

Gotta be honest, I've been slacking with asks but I felt like I needed to make this one cause:

1.) I relate to it, especially since I've been going in a downward spiral recently

2.) I can use this as a chance to talk about the Mercs and their mental health as well. Not only have some of them had such terrible childhoods, but also killing your doppelganger and dying constantly in a neverending cylce has gotta be absolutely damaging to their mental health, especially the first time they respawned

So yeah, this is gonna have a huge TW on it. So please proceed with caution. If this is something you aren't comfortable with reading, please don't. Take care of yourself. <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mercs and (Platonic) Reader who Struggles with Self Harm

Scout:

-Now with Scout, he'd try to be a comforting person, but it's gonna be hella awkward.

-I full believe this poor thing has some self-esteem issues, so he'd very understanding in that aspect. But as for SH, that's where he's kinda lost. Why would his best friend wanna hurt themselves? Why do they feel the way they do about life and themselves when they're such a cool person who's put up with hum for so long?

-This would definitely be one of those times where he puts his ego away, removes the cocky facade, goes from Scout to Jeremy. A boy who grew up with no Father, bullied by his older brothers, and learned that the only way to get away from his problems is to run

-He may not be good at talking about his problems, or giving you advice, but he knows how to put a smile on your face. Scout would do everything in his power to make you smile and laugh.

-He would be wanting to spend more time together as a way to help you with SH. He views it as, "If I spend time with them and get their mind off everything, then they won't wanna hurt themselves" sort of thought. I had it but immediately forgot, I'm sorry :(

-But yeah, Scout's trying. He's not good with these thing but he would genuinely wanna help you. He knows life sucks and things aren't easy. But he wants the best for you and just wants you to be happy

Pyro:

-Now Pyro is interesting to me. I fully believe that they are one of the few Mercs who self-harms, but no one knows cause they never talk about it and are constantly wearing such thick and concealing clothes all the time, even in the worst of heatwaves. And even then, if they did show skin and showed some SH marks, no one would really be batting an eye, maybe Medic and Engie being the only exceptions

-So when you come to them for comfort, they would panic. They don't like that their friend is hurting themselves and they would be at a loss for words. The only thing they'd know what to do in the moment is give you a big hug, maybe even shed some tears with you

-After some time though, Py would open up about their own SH, they probably wouldn't be comfortable with showing their scars though. If you have any fresh injuries, they'd clean you up, being rather knowledgeable on first aid care

-They would let you vent out any and all frustrations. Trying to offer help when they can, even if some of it is concerning. Pyro knows better than any other Merc with what it's like to have such a deteriorating mental health, so they'd be very understanding of how you feel and such

-They'd probably wanna trying helping each other going SH-free. Words of encouragement, being there for each other when things get rough, setting milestones and giving gifts when those milestones are reach, etc.

-There would be some bumps in the road, but Py would be the most supportive friend ever. They want the best for you, no matter what. And maybe this is even the start of them being able to get the help they need and get better

Soldier:

-Now Solly is dense. He wouldn't grasp it at first. Like, you'd say it, he'd go "Huh?", and then as you're repeating yourself, it dawns on him what you said and he's immediately springing into action.

-He's definitely got some PTSD and paranoia. You've seen how he lives in the WAR comic, and in the main comic, you see how quick he is to snap necks, accuse people of being Commies, thinking that there's listening devices around, etc.

-So with him, I see him as someone who unintentionally suicidal? I don't know if those are the words I'm looking for. Like, he believes that his whole purpose in life is to fight for his country and die on the battlefield. I don't think he could handle dying any other way. Solly's ready to give up his life for his country, at any cost, no matter what

-He's kinda like Scout in the sense that he isn't the best at comforting. He is very good at giving motivational speeches and trying to hype you up. Though, he might sound mad at you for self-harming, he isn't. Yeah, he's upset, but he's not mad

-He'd make you go to Medic to have any wounds taken care of. He'd be like a loyal dog and stay by your side, ready to fight Medic if he asks a question that might make you uncomfortable

-He would have you come to him any time you feel like you're gonna hurt yourself so he can help take care of you. He'll get you anything and everything you want, no matter what. He wants to make you feel comfortable and safe. Hell, he'd even kill for you if asked, even if you're just his friend

-If he can't be available for you, he'd ask Demo to go check on you. Demo wouldn't know why though, he just thinks that Soldier wants to make sure you're okay. But he does trust that Demo would keep you safe when he can't be there

Demoman:

-Gonna be honest with ya, Demo would probably cry if you told him that you SH. He would feel so horrible and wouldn't know what to do other than to hand you some alcohol and drink your woes away

-Demo had a rough childhood, I don't think he had ever been able to accept the fact his bio parents were so quick to abandoned him and take him back one he start honing in on his demolition skills.

-I can see him as someone who has self-harmed before (if you don't count the alcoholism), but it was only when he was younger, like as a teen. Though, you can count the alcoholism as him self-harming, cause technically he's slowly killing himself that way. He's only gonna be a Merc for so long, and Medic can only do so much. So if being a Merc doesn't kill him, it's gonna be Cirrhosis of the liver that does

-So he'd be understanding of why you hurt youself. He'd let you tell him everything, being a listening ear and offering help and advice. Afterwards, he'd take you out to destress, whether it be hitting up the bars or blowing stuff up.

-He may be drunk almost all the time, but he knows how to give good advice. He's a master at comforting and his hugs are to die for. He'd drop everything he's doing to help you if you're having a bad mental health day. He WILL make sure you're okay. He'd even stay up all night with you if that's something you need

-And my last point in Soldier's applies here as well. If Demo can't be around when you need someone, then he sends Soldier to help fill in the void. He'd probably tell Solly to check on you and make sure you're safe from the Commies or something. But even then, he and Soldier are great friends and would help each other out no matter what, even if it's heelping another friend in need

Heavy:

-Heavy may not be good with his words (in English cause it really do be a struggle), but his actions make up for it. He's another merc who will get you anything and everything you want if it means making you feel better

-If anyone knows what it's like to have a rough life, it's Heavy. Growing up in a prison cause of his Father speaking out against the government, losing said Father, having to become the man out the house at such a young age, and taking such a dangerous job overseas to help support his Mother and sisters. He knows how rough it can be

-Homie know how to be there for a person. Though, he might ask Medic for help on this situation cause he's never been one to SH so this is new territory for him. But he's trying his best though!

-I don't have much to say for Heavy. He's more of an action person rather than a word person. He's fine with even just sitting in silence and reading if that's what you want. He truly does want the best for you, even if he doesn't show it

Engineer:

-He's such a dad friend. For real for real. Where was this man when I was a child?

-He helps Pyro through their episodes so he's very much ready to help you. If you have a specifc way you like to be comforted, he's right there to help. If you need to vent, he'll take you somewhere private so you don't have to worry about prying ears

-Now with Engie, I'd say he has a decent upbringing. I don't think he'd be one to SH either. even though he literally cut his own hand off... But he really is one of the more "sane" Mercs. So while he has never SH, he know that there's reasons people do it and how to help them through it

-Plus have you heard his voice?! It's as sweet as honey. So imagine him conforting you with that voice of his! Telling you how you're such an amazing person, how things will get better, and how he'll always be there for you. For real, I'm an Engie and Sniper voice defender til the end!

-Again, in my very biased opinion, he is the BEST, MOST PERFECT person to go to for help/comfort. You know that if he can help Pyro, he can help you. He's the perfect person ever, platonically and/or romantically

Medic:

-Immediately goes into doctor mode. Checking you're wounds, cleaning up any fresh one, asking about what is causing you to do this to yourself. It's all clinically at first

-If you need any anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds, he'll give them to you, though it will be under his supervision cause he wants to make sure you're safe. Don't ask how he got them. Just trust him

-Medic is another Merc who's had it rough. He is very well aquainted with SH. Though I also do see him doing it for sexual reasons but I ain't gonna get into it. Let's just say that Medigun comes in handy quite a bit.

-He'll become more observant with you. Paying attention to even the littlest of details. He'll become more observant during routine checkups, making sure you aren't hurting yourself. But if you do, he'll patch you up and tell you it's okay.

-He may be a mentally unstable man who will put a baboon uterus in you for his own "research" (making mpreg real) but he does mean well and will want the best for you. He'll even let you take your anger and frustrations out on a cadaver if it means you not hurting yourself

-Homie's got his doves ready to help comfort you as well. They're his emotional support animals :D

-This goes for all the support class, they're all good people to go to if it's late at night and you need someone to go to. None of them know what a normal sleep schedule is so they're perfect to go to and just hang out with them, talking or not

Sniper:

-Poor thing would feel for bad when he finds out you SH. He wouldn't even know what to say at first. Offering an awkward pat on the shoulder and to hang out in his camper

-You gotta give the poor thing time to digest all this info. He's also one that's not good with words. He'll tell you that it's gonna be okay. He'll try to help and offer some advice. But again, he's very unsure of what to do and say in this situation. He doesn't wanna make things worse or have you angry at him

-Poor baby was such an outcast his whole life. He may claim that he's used to the isolation, but god when those moments of loneliness hit, it hurts. So he definitely knows what it feels like to be lonely.

-But as for SH, that's where he's kinda lost. I don't think he's ever been one to SH. I just ain't really seeing it, to be honest. You might need to help him understand it all. Once he knows what to do to help, he's a very helpful friend

-He's always available to be there for you. You wouldn't have to say anything to him for him to know why you're there. Whether it be in his camper or his nest. It's not hard to find him

-He'll take you out on a little getaway if you want. Sometimes you just gotta get away from everything, and he's more than willing to help you with that

Spy:

-I'd say Spy is by far one of the most understanding in this scenario

-I've said it in my SWF alphabet with him, he SHs, whether he still actively does it or not, I'll leave it up to you. He's very knowledgeable in this area of life. He might show you some of his scars if he feels comfortable enough

-Definitely someone who had a rough upbringing as well. I see him as someone who grew up poor with parents who could care less for him. It is still something that effects him.

-Usually he takes the stress away with chain-smoking and drinking. Yeah, he knows he shouldn't, but with how long he's been doing it, he'd rather not deal with the withdrawls and such.

-He's good at being a listening ear and giving some solid advice. Being his age, he's been through quite a lot. He's rather surprising with how he handles the situation. He'll let you hide away in his smoking room and drown your sorrows away with some alcohol.

-Don't expect any sort of physical comfort from him. He doesn't like being so touchy with people. Just please don't touch him, okay? Okay

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bestdeadbeatmilf · 24 days

Text

Round One, Bracket Three

Propaganda under the cut!

Kenjaku:

Submission 1: Kenjaku. Absolutely. Experienced the miracle of childbirth to have a son (for purely the purposes of being a vessel ) they did not bother to get to know- going quite a bit past being a deadbeat mother, what with murdering his father and leaving him to grow up raised completely by his grandfather. Actually, forget being a deadbeat mother to one son, try all nine of his siblings as well, all ditched immediately after birth! But they’re not really done after leaving the scene, and have lovingly taken the time to bodysnatch the ex of their son’s teacher, happily ruin their son’s life by making his head a roommate for an ancient sorcerer that gets him on society’s death row, barely bat an eye at the deaths of nearly all their sons, try to kill one of their sons, set up circumstances that nearly get their other son killed, and run into one of their son’s friends only to cheerful tell her they’re grateful she got along with their son. And then died housing their ex’s fetus in their man-made womb. Wonderful.

Submission 2:

Kenjaku is a genderless brain thing that took over the main character's (Itadori) mom and got laid by the main Itadori's dad in order ot enact her evil plan for the future. Truest deadbeat mom in the world she leaves soon after giving birth and Itadori doesn't know who his mom is. But wow she's kind of hot I can't lie. She's got game, she's hot and she's ambitious with her goals in life? Queen of my heart.

Extra notes: Wins both hottest deadbeat milf and dilf award in my heart

Lee Sookyung:

Submission 1:

Without spoiling too much, she kinda sorta maybe went to jail for murdering her abusive husband, and then maybe sorta kinda wrote a bestselling book about it thereby ruining her son's life by forever associating him with a murderer and then kinda maybe sorta doesn't ever address what happened and instead continues to pull the "mother knows best card" even though she hasn't spoken to him in like 20 years. SPOILER WARNING: For that reason she also is sorta maybe kinda the reason the apocalypse happens but we're not playing the blame game here she just sucks

Extra notes: I am legally required to tell you to read ORV

Submission 2:

murdered her abusive husband <3 then she wrote a book about it <3 accidentally ruined her sons life because of her refusal to speak to him/convey solidarity about the book and press attention with him + taught him that the only and best way to communicate your love for your child is to leave. when it was prophesied that he was going to be killed by the person he loved most she kidnapped and trapped him in a recreation of their childhood house and killed him. it didnt even fulfill the prophecy. shes so cool and leads an entire gang of female prisoners in the apocalypse and her sponsor/god is also a mom (and a bear. and the mother of the founder of korea). she hates her sons favorite character so bad for raising him where she didnt. you could make an argument that she gets into yuri with her sons friends if you want.

#kenjaku #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #lee sookyung #omniscient reader's viewpoint #orv #poll tournament

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teecupangel · 4 months

Note

Hello! first time asker! I've only just recently got back into AC and you're pretty much the only AC blog I've followed so far (after reading your fantastic Eagle of Alamut fic) but the thing that happened to me seems very much something you'd enjoy.

Which is the Altair Jumpscare I got

to preface, I'm an ad blocker extraordinaire and put that on pretty much everything - except my mobile games. But even so, with how much i adblock the ads i DO get are very generic with very generic characters.

EXCEPT FOR ONE BIZARRE AD

A Tap-Away ad that for some inexplicable reason had Altair in it where he waved his arms like a wacky inflatable tube man and was then promptly sucked into the tapaway cube.

I was so caught off guard that i didn't nab a screenshot and I have been trying and failing to get him to show up again after 3 weeks of doing so much more Wordscape than I've ever had before to no avail😭

But it did spawn the idea of Desmond, with a burner/stolen phone, playing a mobile game and getting that Altair Jumpscare like i did which, with some digging by Rebecca because why the hell is he in an ad??? find a breach in Abstergo's database which they can exploit.

Welcome to the fandom! I hope you enjoy your stay (don’t mind the missing exit).

Aaahhh, Wordscape. I used to play you but then you keep interrupting my time with ads so I deleted you… like all the others who dared to give me ads that takes majority of the screen.

Ngl, I would have tried that game because it dared to show Altaïr to me. Then promptly delete it after a few hours XD

Alright, for this one, we’ll set it during AC2. He’s not that close to anybody yet so he sorta kinda stole Lucy’s burner phone while she was looking.

He always had a knack for stealing, probably the only thing that didn’t make William Miles say ‘again’ more than five times.

It only became so much easier when he started reliving Ezio’s memories.

The Bleeding Effect, right?

That’s what Lucy called it.

Regardless, Desmond figured it would be alright to play it anyway. It had a cell service and he always returned it to Lucy’s bag before she notices anyway.

It was during one of his free time (Rebecca said the Animus was acting fussy for some reason), he figured he can play one more level before they tell him to go back in.

The level wasn’t anything new, kinda funny that one of the words was ‘imprison’ and he got a bonus for trying out ‘prim’ (primo was a no go though and it took a moment before Desmond realized it was because it wasn’t English, fuck, was this the Bleeding Effect as well?. Just when he cleared it, the phone let out a loud static sound.

Which was weird because (1) the game’s audio was set to mute and (2) the phone itself was set to full silent with 0 volume on any kind of media.

They all turned to stare at him and he would have apologized, had he not heard someone shout his name coming from the phone.

“Desmond!”

It was Altaïr.

It could only be Altaïr.

The voice was the same voice he heard back in the Animus.

And he shouting at Desmond, staring at the screen as he slammed one hand against…

The screen?

Golden wisps wrapped around him, dragging him to the darkness behind him as he shouted, “Desmond! Find us! We’re-”

The ‘ad’ disappeared.

And Desmond was now staring at the next level.

He could clearly see one of the words was already filled out for some reason.

‘Breach’.

“Desmond…”

“Sorry, Lucy.” He handed the phone to Lucy as he said, “I was just playing ‘cause I was bored.”

Before Lucy could grab it, he pulled it back and pressed it over his chest as he asked, “Did you guys hear Altaïr too?”

“We heard him but, more importantly, Desmond…” Rebecca glanced at Lucy before she said, “None of us should have any phones at all. Abstergo could track us.”

“It’s not mine!” Lucy immediately said, taking a step back as she said, “I don’t know why you think that’s my phone, Desmond.”

“What?” Desmond blinked, “But… I took this from your bag…”

“Shit.” Rebecca’s eyes widened as she realized, “Did… Did Abstergo plant that in your bag, Lucy?”

“What?” Lucy turned to stare at Rebecca.

“That’s not possible. We’re the ones who brought that bag here, remember?” Shaun reminded Rebecca, “And we’re absolutely sure we didn’t put that phone there.”

“Then… who did?” Rebecca frowned as she mumbled.

“We need to get out of here.” Shaun said, “Desmond, turn that phone off and give it to Rebecca. She’ll check it.”

“Wait-”

“We don’t have to tell Bill about this.” Shaun said, “That phone could have easily given Abstergo our location. We need to move.”

Lucy’s eyes widened when Desmond gave the phone to Rebecca and she said, “We need to destroy it then. To keep us safe!”

“What? No!” Desmond stepped forward to cover Rebecca.

No.

To cover the phone.

“Altaïr just used it to contact me. We need to know how it was able to do that.”

“It’s a risk but he’s right, that Altaïr could have just as easily been a trap but we need to be sure.” Shaun was already taking down the papers on his corkboard as he said, “Come on, Lucy, let’s pack as quickly as we can. We can contact Bill on the move.”

Desmond frowned.

Lucy looked pale.

Was she afraid that Abstergo already knew their connection.

“Hey.” Desmond placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling her freeze. He smiled at her as he said, “We’ll be fine.”

His smile grew as he said, “I’ll kill any Templar coming our way, okay?”

#was the phone something that appeared due to the change of calculations?#was it lucy’s actual secret phone?#shrug #it is connected to abstergo’s network though #what is altaïr though?#shrugs again #he did say ‘we’#so you know he’s not the only one trying to contact desmond XD #assassin's creed #desmond miles #altaïr ibn la'ahad #ask and answer #teecup writes/has a plot #fic idea: assassin's creed #lucy stillman #rebecca crane #shaun hastings

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crystallizedday · 2 months

Text

Well

This idea has been in the works for long enough, so I think it’s about time I finally present it.

Fellas

The hyperfixation was too strong for me, and I decided to make something wonderful with it.

I present to all of you nutcases

SAMURAI JACK: DUO OF DOOM

An AU concept I’ve been refining for the past month or so that follows Demongo and Scaramouche as the main characters.

It takes place roughly a few decades after “Jack and the Baby,” but instead of following the timeline set up by season 5, I wanted to take the universe in a bit of a different direction

The AU is organized into 2 seasons, each having 13 episodes, JUST like the original show.

While not all 26 episodes have been fully fleshed out just yet, most of the crucial ones HAVE been, so I wish to share with you all what I have so far…

Season 1:

This season puts us in the shoes of Scaramouche, a full-time assassin looking to make it big.

While the job isn’t EXACTLY something he was passionate about, it pays the bills, so he decided not to be too choosy. He at least enjoys the fame that comes with it, even if his mechanical heart is still rooted in music.

However, he isn’t the only one looking to make it big in the assassination business.

There seems to be an entire group of assassins, a syndicate, who aren’t too happy about an “outsider” trudging through their terf, and they aim to put a stop to it.

While Scaramouche feels he is more than capable of handling these wannabes, one of his squabbles with them led to him stumbling upon a creature that proved to be quite a nuisance, a soul-eater who keeps swooping in and stealing his kills.

Even after the initial battle, this entity, Demongo, chooses to follow Scaramouche in his endeavors, certain that such a clumsy fool would lead the demon to more powerful warriors for him to imprison.

Episode 1 — After being cornered and losing the upper hand, Scaramouche is “saved” from being turned into scrap by Demongo, who steals the soul of the worn-out assassin to add to his ever-growing army.

Episode 2 — I don’t have anything specific planned for this episode outside of the two bickering for the majority of it and only coming to an agreement at the end of it: Demongo can take the souls of their bounties, and Scara will take the credit so he can get the money from it. Demmy doesn’t care about money anyway, so he’s fine with this outcome.

Episode 3 — While I don’t have the details down just yet, I have a few loose ideas for it. By now, Scara only has a boring-ass flute, a boring-ass scimitar, and a boring-ass knife, so Demmy decides to lead Scara to a place where he could get that pathetic little weapon of his upgraded. I can see Demmy picking a fight when he shouldn’t have, almost getting his ass beat when Scara saves him (the guy helps rank in the money, so why let him get squashed?).

By the end of the episode, Scara is worn the fuck out, and immediately assumes his soul was gonna get snatched by Demmy cause of it… but it doesn’t happen. Instead, Demmy just tells him to suck it up so they could get a move on. Demongo probably knew he could’ve easily taken Scara’s soul by now, but chose not to. Interesting…

Episode 4 — I don’t have anything for this episode yet.

Episode 5 — Ezekiel and Josephine Clench are the main antagonists of this episode, wanting to snatch a bounty from Scara and Demmy (the bounty probably being some poor passenger on a train, just so the setting can match the one the divorced couple originally appeared in). The only issue is Ezekiel and Josephine keep trying to betray the other to claim the bounty, which lead to both of their inevitable defeat. Even if they also have their disagreements, Scara and Demmy can at least recognize that working together certainly gave the two the upper hand, and squabbling like the Clenches was PROBABLY gonna get them killed as well. This is the point where the two start becoming decent friends.

Episode 6 — We get to see where exactly Scara has been crashing this whole time at the start of the episode, which is… a weirdly isolated lil home, something that certainly surprised Demongo, who assumed the big guy would be living a more social, lavish personal life. Regardless, since Demongo was entrusted to stay here to begin with, he decides to return the favor and try enchanting Scara’s scimitar to be a little more useful in battle, fucking up the entire thing thanks to Scaramouche running his mouth and scatting in the middle of all of it. The scimitar now only responds to his scatting SPECIFICALLY, which Scara doesn’t seem to mind, even if Demmy certainly does. Ah, and this is also the episode featuring two of my ocs, Spunk & Clunk, who are mainly there to encourage the two knuckleheads to try combining their fighting styles to get the upper hand & catch their opponents off guard.

Episode 7 — This is a filler episode where Scara decides to take Demongo with him to spend some extra cash they snagged. This is where Demongo has his first outfit change (since Scaramouche was not letting this fucker walk another step wearing nothing but a vampire cape). This is where Demongo gets acquainted with modern society, since bro knows jack-shit about it thanks to “growing up” in the Pit of Hate. Needless to say, bro quickly finds out he has a sweet tooth.

Episode 8 — The two are looking to find a way to enchant Scara’s prized flute as well so it can be used in battle. In trying to find the right place to get it enchanted (since Demmy doesn’t trust himself to not fuck shit up again after last time), they find themselves being stalked by someone hired by the syndicate to get rid of them. I like to think this mysterious person is Mira, the Princess looking to free her people. Perhaps she was promised a way to help her people by the head-honcho of the syndicate. Really, I just wanna use as many og characters as I can and make sure they’re used in meaningful ways... oh and the flute does get enchanted at the end. Forgot to mention that.

Episode 9 — This is another filler episode, cause I like the idea of Scara teaching Demmy how to properly dance and I wanna see that shit happen. I’m sure Demmy will find a way to make use of that talent in battle. At this point, the two have become VERY close, and Demmy has let himself loosen up quite a bit. I have nothing else figured out about this episode.

Episode 10 — This is a funny fuckin idea. Thanks to alcohol being flammable, I can absolutely see Demongo being a lightweight, so I’m thinking Scara makes the terrible mistake of taking Demmy to a tavern (probably the same tavern Da Samurai was seen in all those years ago). Thanks to his intoxication, Demmy gets the two of them in a shit-ton of trouble... There’s definitely a bar fight scene here, cause I think they’re funny.

I AM considering throwing a lil curveball in here at some point. Y’all familiar with the idea of being intoxicated makes ya more susceptible to talking about things and thoughts that you’d normally keep under wraps? I’m thinking about applying that here, where at the end of the episode, Demmy (still very much intoxicated) out of nowhere asks Scara why the big guy is being so damn nice to him. He asks this not just because the two were not on the best of terms just a few months ago, but also because he is under the mindset that he needs to repay that kindness, a mindset that came about due to working under Aku (even if Aku’s “kindness” more so comes in the form of being allowed to live or be apart of his higher ranks and shit). He starts rambling about how he feels he can never fully repay that kindness and is stressed the fuck out about it. Of course, Scara reassures him that he doesn’t need to repay shit, and he chooses to be nice to him cause he likes hanging out with the lil guy. Saying this confuses Demmy is an understatement, but Scara tells em that they’ll properly talk about it once bro is actually sober. The episode ends with Scara taking him back home (probably carrying him cause I like being self indulgent like that IWNWKWMWOSKSOS).

Episode 11 — The episode starts out with Demongo attempting to play Scaramouche’s flute, and failing miserably. Since Demmy does not have ANY experience with modern media, Scara decided it would be a funny idea to take the lil shit to go see a movie. Unfortunately, Demmy doesn’t understand when to keep his mouth shut and ends up getting the both of them kicked out afterwards. This doesn’t bother the lil shit though as he starts laying out how he would’ve written such a thing, seeing the original piece of work as a “flawed, uninspired mess” and such. However, he accidentally lets a few things slip, such as his questionable stance on authority and his fear of failure. Before Scara can ask about any of this, the two of them realize that Demmy no longer had Scara’s flute, losing it at some point. Demmy, in an extremely vulnerable state, zips off in a panic, but is quickly found again by Scara, who talks with him about what’s going on.

This is where the real meat of Demmy’s character gets revealed (even if hints of it have certainly popped up here and there in the past). He reveals how he was sent back to the Pit of Hate to be punished after failing to kill Samurai Jack. He was only able to leave once he regained the strength to bust out of there himself, and fears what his ex-master would think if he ever found out about this… which is something that Scara isn’t sure how to feel about, especially since he’s been wanting to climb the ranks to get Aku’s attention ever since he became an assassin.

Demmy feared being punished for slipping up yet again, letting down another individual he admittedly looked up to. TLDR, bro is NOT doing okay, and Scara decides to comfort the lil guy. Once Demmy is able to pick himself back up, the two try to head back to the theater when another character stops them. This fella (definitely an oc I need to design) appears to be a fellow music-lover, and (not recognizing who these two were) decided to return the flute to its rightful owner. The fella decides to let the two know about this one village where hundreds of people gather to party and dance and shit, thinking the two would be interested, which leads us to…

Episode 12 — The rave episode. This is where shit gets FUNKY… and extremely self-indulgent.

Donning some flashier outfits, Scara and Demmy decide to head to this “rave” to see what it’s all about, just cause. However, throughout most of the episode, Demmy struggles to tell Scara something and does not know how to approach him about it.

The details here get a lil fuzzy since I haven’t really mapped out how the middle section of the episode goes, but eventually, a few assassins from the syndicate track the two down and attempt to be rid of them once and for all, but with all the bright lights and dancers about, it makes things more difficult than they wanted it to be.

Eventually, the assassins get their chance to attack, but the duo handle the situation with ✨style✨, and it’s only NOW when Demongo finally musters up the courage to confess to Scara (via gestures, since Demmy couldn’t find the words for it and ultimately just said “fuck it”). Scara reciprocates the gesture, but advised that the two of them take care of the dudes trying to kill them first before talking about the subject any further, which Demmy agreed on.

Once that’s all said and done, the episode ends with the two heading home, taking a moment to talk about what they are now and where do they go from here.

I don’t care how self-indulgent this is, but RIGHT as the episode’s about to conclude, I can see the two sharing their first kiss!

Look

I’m shipping trash.

This was inevitable WJJWJWSNWIKSOSMS

Episode 13 — I WISH I had a fully fleshed out version of this episode prepared, but at the moment, all I know for certain is that this is where the two finally decide to face off against the heart of the syndicate and get these guys off their back once and for all, thus allowing them to take the title of the world’s greatest assassins… by technicality.

Season 2:

A few months have passed since the last episode as the two start to adjust to their new life as a couple.

The start of this season focuses on the two retrieving the old souls Demongo had lost during his first battle with Samurai Jack, the two eventually deciding to seek out the samurai so they can defeat him once and for all.

But things do not go as planned, especially since Demongo is still hesitant about immediately going back to serving his old master.

Episode 14 — The Titan Demongo once controlled has been running amok in a populated area, and while Scara & Demmy initially did not care to take care of it (assuming Jack would come in to save the day), when the beast kept raging on with no one else stepping up to the challenge, the two decide to take care of this beast before it causes any more problems. Plus, Demmy could really use the extra strength provided by such a beast. After all, in this universe, Demmy can harness the strength and abilities of the souls he collects, a power that will come in handy down the road…

Curious as to why Jack did not arrive to the scene, the two decide to make it their mission to find Samurai Jack for themselves, actively seeking out people who might know a thing or two and interrogating them on the subject.

Episode 15 — The duo seek out the four distinct souls that Demongo used to fight Samurai Jack all those years ago: the knight, the white tiger, the four-armed warrior, and the black samurai. None of them no longer being in their prime certainly made defeating them rather easy, even if each of them had their own special… quirks that delayed the inevitable…

Like the knight guy. I wanna give him Don Quixote vibes.

Episode 16 — I have nothing planned for this episode at the moment.

Episode 17 — I only have the main idea for this episode thought out, which is how the two come across the three singing sirens that once hypnotized Jack long ago. However, their singing does not work.

Why?

Because this version of Demongo is absolutely gay, and Scaramouche (despite being pan) is far too prideful in his own singing to fall for somebody else’s.

And this pisses the sirens OFF.

Episode 18 — I’m not sure EXACTLY how I want this episode to go, but all I know is that THIS is where the two find the Scotsman along with his… INCREDIBLY large family, and decide to fight him to interrogate him on the whereabouts of Jack.

I want the Scotsman to survive this fight, so I’m thinking what happens is his daughters (who are like… still VERY young at this point) enter the fight as well to protect their father against his own wishes (and perhaps the others in his clan also chime in), forcing Scara and Demongo to retreat… but not without at least a LITTLE bit of vital info as to where Jack could be (even if I’m unsure what it would be just yet).

Episode 19 — This episode is a bit of a parody of the “Jack and the Baby” episode. The duo stumble across a random-ass baby and, despite Demongo being so incredibly disgusted by it, Scara does not have the heart to abandon the poor thing, so they keep the lil thing until they can find someone else who will take care of it for them.

Needless to say, neither of these nutcases should be fathers.

Episode 20 — This is where shit hits the fan.

The two find Samurai Jack, but he’s barely recognizable. Age has certainly taken a toll on his physical appearance, and he has dressed himself in armor that made it almost impossible to tell it was him.

Before the three fight, Demongo notices how “the fire in his soul had dwindled” since the last time the demon has faced off against him. This made Scaramouche realize that Jack’s sword was nowhere to be seen, and while he and Demongo at first suspected he was simply hiding the sword, they eventually put two and two together to figure out Jack no longer had the sword. However, even though Scara wanted the details on what exactly happened (so he can make fun of Jack for it), Jack attacks, starting the fight.

At some point during the battle, Scara gets badly wounded, and Demongo stops fighting to try and patch him up the best he can. This surprises Jack, not knowing a demon like Demongo could express such concern for another living being like this. Of course, Demmy is incredibly offended by this assumption.

However, Jack then proposes something. He tells the two how they may put themselves in danger by taking him out and submitting to Aku. Scara brushes it off at first, but Demongo…

Knowing what would happen if either of them ever failed Aku again…

Demongo hears Jack out, fearing what Aku would do to Scaramouche in a worse case scenario.

Jack offers the two the chance to take his side, to stop Aku once and for all.

While Jack does not have his sword (as it got destroyed at some point, much like in the comic), he has been searching for decades for a way to get it back, and is confident Demongo could help in some way.

Scara refuses at first, finding disgust in the idea of working with a guy that wants to erase centuries-worth of history and everyone in it just to save whatever the past was like for him.

But Demmy quietly proposes to Scara that they simply get rid of Aku first, then Jack. Scara is still confused as to why he of all people would want to side with Jack, and while Demongo despises the idea as well… he simply cannot trust his old master to not harm Scaramouche in the future.

The two decide to take Jack’s deal, even if they’re not entirely happy about it.

Episode 21 — The daughters of Aku make an appearance in this episode, but instead of being nine twins, almost all of them are from different mothers, all training under the head cultist to become stronger. Only two of them are twins that came from the head cultist: Ashi and Aki. They are the youngest of the nine, and by that I mean they are actually just children that are being indoctrinated to be merciless warriors. The other sisters are much older and have heavily-varying body types to make them a little more distinct from one another, and in accordance to their signature weapons. The weapons themselves are actually why Ashi and Aki are twins, since they wield the same weapon in canon. None of them have the essence of Aku in them because that whole plot point is just plain silly to me and causes WAY too many plot holes for my liking.

Meanwhile, Jack has recruited the Scotsman to help the gang out, and the big guy is NOT happy to be working with the two assassins that tried to kill him… ESPECIALLY Demongo.

I’ve been looking into the topic of the fae recently, and I thought it would be a funny nod to its lore for the Scotsman to genuinely think Demongo was part of the fae and insult him as such, which Demmy take GREAT offense to.

What none of them realize is that there was someone else following the group in secret, which turns out to be one of Scotsman’s daughters, Flora. Despite not even being a teenager yet, she still had the fiery fighting spirit of her father, and wished to be sure her father would be safe from the goons that attacked him before. Of course, she tries to ensure her father doesn’t suspect her presence, knowing he’d disapprove of her risking her own life for his sake.

However, the main gang’s squabbling is interrupted when the daughters and the head cultist arrive, the latter being there to personally ensure the death of the samurai.

While Jack handled the head cultist and the duo handled most of the daughters, the Scotsman found himself up against the two youngest twins, who he just did not have the heart to fight, even if the two were more than willing to tear him apart.

This is when Flora makes her presence known, defending her father from the twins, much to Scotsman’s disapproval. However, seeing someone their age fight for someone she deeply cares about, the twins start to reconsider their alliance. Scotsman actively telling his daughter how he refuses to let her fight and get herself hurt is the final nail in the coffin for the twins, since their own mother was not nearly as considerate. This is where they start asking questions, such as why would the Scotsman refuse to let his child fight in battle and such, all culminating to the big guy letting the fatherly instincts kick in and deciding he was going to be a MUCH better parent to these two than the head cultist ever was… much to Flora’s displeasure.

By the time this is said and done, the other three have taken care of the of the daughters and the head cultist, Jack wishing they could’ve found a way to get through to the other daughters as well… but Demongo immediately dismisses that thought.

The demon at LEAST tries to butter up the Scotsman and try to make a proper alliance, but the big guy still hates his guts, deciding to take Flora and his new daughters home… especially since the former was MOST DEFINITELY grounded for that little stunt she pulled.

I can see Demongo just shrugging it off, telling Jack “Well, you can’t say I didn’t TRY” cause I feel like he’d rub it in Jack’s face how him trying to be nice for once absolutely failed KWMWKWMWOSMWOD

Episode 22 — Scara, Demmy, and Jack come across an old house seemingly in the middle of nowhere, most of which being covered in a botanical mess of plants and vines and shit. They were going to ignore it when Scaramouche felt interested in investigating the residence, and so the three proceeded inside the home.

While they dig deeper and deeper into the home, Scara keeps getting brief and vague flashbacks to something, but he can’t quite remember the details too well. It’s only when he alone eventually discovers the miniature lab underneath the home when his memories become active again (ya know… like a computer booting up old videos and shit).

He starts remembering the first few moments of becoming active, with his creator welcoming him into a world. As present Scara starts going back to all the weird shit the three of them found, he starts to recover more and more memories, up until he recalls his creator’s last words to him. Present Scara stops to stare at a broken window, a piece of cloth still being stuck in one of the many shards. Judging from the barely visible insignia featured on it, it appeared to have once belonged to one of the members of the syndicate from season one.

His creator had a bounty on his head.

Demongo has been asking if Scara was alright throughout the entire ordeal, but ultimately, Scara simply tells him that this place just reminded him of some simple, distant memories. Demmy, while still suspecting something major was up and thus trying to be as supportive as he can, accepts the explanation for now.

Before they depart, Jack eventually chimes in to ask if Scara knew what this place was and who used to live here, the big guy eventually replying with “No.”

Episode 23 — The episode starts with Jack briefly parting ways with the duo so he can get some answers as to how he can either return or replace his sword. Since Demmy and Scara weren’t too fond of going on such a boring journey, they’re happy to stay behind. After Jack wanders about, coming across all sorts of oddities (like maybe stumbling across the Grim Reaper, the one from Billy and Mandy making a brief cameo thanks to how THAT universe is seemingly connected to all other CN properties). Eventually, he stumbles across the portal guardian, who has grown old and frail, but NOT from proper aging. He tells Jack about how “the timeline has shifted”, and how he can no longer see into the future like he used to. He is uncertain of what will happen next, and tells Jack to be careful, for nothing is certain anymore. Jack returns to Demmy and Scara, who SEEMINGLY have just been goofing off for the entire episode. Jack is absolutely traumatized by what he just witnessed… but decides it’s not worth talking to these two about it. Plus, the two don’t seem to care anyway.

Episode 24 — This episode starts with the EXACT same setup as episode 23, but instead of focusing on Jack’s perspective, it focuses on Scara and Demmy’s perspective. After the two have some silly banter, Demmy decides to talk about his “upbringing” and how he is quite literally the only one of his “species” due to how his creation required not only PLENTY of resources, but also VERY precise conditions. He throws some little nuggets of information in there, like how he is basically made entirely of carbon, more so than any human or similar organic creature. Scara is fascinated by this, but gets a curveball thrown at him when Demmy asks about HIS creation.

At first, Scara is VERY but hesitant, but eventually gives in and tells Demmy about his background, his creator, and even the last conversation the two of them had. Demmy is quite fascinated by the idea of Scara seeing the old man as “his dad”, especially since Demmy himself doesn’t have any equivalent to that. Can’t have a parental figure if you’re just a weird creature that just POPPED out of the ground one day. However, Scara reassured him that it probably was for the best the small demon never had a parental figure.

He tells the lil guy about how his old man wanted the big fella to live a good life, and he good to others in turn… and feels a bit gross knowing that he eventually turned to the same kind of job that got the poor old man killed, and he doesn’t know what to do about it. Even if Demmy is not the best with comforting (in fact, I’d wager he’s typically kind of shit at it), he tries reassuring the big guy that the two of them are at LEAST doing some good NOW. Even so, Scara knows all this was just temporary, and admits he is a little afraid of trying to start a clean life if they were to ever take down Aku.

Demmy, who had once thrived off of the idea of being a menace to others, decided he was willing to at least attempt to be better if it meant helping his big tin can partner out, which is something even Scara is surprised to see, but he doesn’t reject the idea. Ultimately, the two decide to try and “wing it”, see where this plan to take down Aku goes. The two start gushing about one another when Jack finally returns, which mirrors how the previous episode ended. Neither party knows what just happened, nor do they care to tell each other.

Episode 25 — I’m not entirely sure what this episode will entail either, but I’m at least certain it will involve Jack gaining “his sword” back, or at least a spiritual rendition of it, much like what happened in the comics. However, this alone would not defeat Aku once and for all, and Jack knew that well, so he still trusted Demmy and Scara to help him take down the big guy for good.

Episode 26 — This is the episode where the big fight with Aku happens.

I dunno how it starts, but I sure as hell know how it ends.

While the three are able to decently weaken Aku, they are unable to do the finishing blow. The battle keeps going, wearing out the three while Aku keeps on fighting.

However, due to Aku’s weakened state, Demongo gets an idea, a DANGEROUS idea.

He decides to try and take the essence of Aku himself, which

To everyone’s surprise

Actually works!

An Aku-shaped skull forms on Demongo’s chest, solidifying his control over his former master.

While Jack is hesitant as to what Demongo would do next, one of the first things Demmy does is harness Aku’s powers to provide a portal into the past, offering Jack a chance to go back into the past and right Aku’s wrongs. Despite it being the main theme of the original show, Jack refuses, choosing to stay in the present and help the people that still needed his aid here.

Demongo was extremely relieved to hear that, not only cause he didn’t want to risk himself and Scara being erased from existence, but also because Demmy KNEW someone was going to have to take Aku’s place as ruler, and he… weirdly didn’t want that.

The old Demongo would have dreamed of this day to come, but not THIS Demongo. He just wanted to live a simple-ish life with Scara, finally feeling content with himself.

Eventually, the two make a deal.

Due to Demongo having Aku’s essence, he would become the new public figure, donning a new emperor outfit & everything. However, he alone would not be the one to make the big decisions and shit.

He of course had Scara, who he��d ensure would live a more comfortable life by his side, but he didn’t wanna put any kind of pressure on the big guy to help him out.

No.

That kinda power would be put in Jack’s hands.

After all, he IS the son of the original emperor.

Despite this, Jack spends most of his time traveling the land and helping those in need, ensuring peace throughout the world…

…

Also, if there would be any kind of epilogue of sorts, it would DEFINITELY involve the two dorks getting married, because I’m based like that. :))) KWMWKWMWOSM

Alrighty!!

Now that the entire AU’s basic outline is out of the way, I wanna share some art I made exclusively for this AU so far!

First off, since I plan for Demongo to have alternative outfits as the story progresses, I made 3 additional default outfits for him to don.

All three of these outfits were initially designed by @tigerarainbowra-blog while I only tweaked them a bit, so you can thank her for these AWESOME outfits!

This one with the BEEG shoulder pad jackets is a favorite of mine (making its initial appearance in the rave episode), and is definitely the one bro is seen the MOST in throughout the entire AU.

Meanwhile, this last one is only seen halfway into season 2 once he gets used to being around Jack.

Scaramouche also had alternative outfits as well, but I haven’t gotten around to designing them just yet, so :p

Aside from additional outfits, I also have whipped up some designs for some original characters that’ll appear in this AU!

These two, Spunk and Clunk (named by the lovely @aceofcards0715 ), were heavily inspired by the two jester robots seen in the GBA game “Samurai Jack: Amulet of Time”.

The diamonds on their arms are supposed to be in relation to the syndicate, even if I haven’t quite figured out the details or it yet.

I was fascinated by just how similar these two looked compared to Scaramouche, so I doubled down on that idea.

You can see these guys as like

Newer models that were created using the same schematics for Scaramouche himself.

Cause I’m sure those schematics are out there SOMEWHERE…

Speaking of Scaramouche, I felt like giving the fella a BIT of a backstory, so I decided that instead of, say, being created by a bunch of evil scientists…

He was instead built by a retired one, who left once he had enough of the twisted work Aku put him through.

He is where Scaramouche gets a lot of his more humane quirks, even if the big guy doesn’t really remember his creator all too well.

The details are fuzzy…

Tigera also was the one to originally make Fern’s design.

Honestly, she’s been a BIG help with this AU, both with the designs and the episodes themselves, I couldn’t thank her enough for it!

Go check her out if you haven’t already! She’s SUPER talented!

Anyway

I have plenty of more original characters I want to properly flesh out, and a lot of new designs for some familiar faces (since this AU DOES take place a few decades after season 4 of the original series), so this will NOT be the last time you hear about this AU.

Oh no…

THIS is just the BEGINNING…

Although, please do keep in mind that this is just a concept I made for funsies, so I don’t plan on actually doing anything BIG with it.

Additionally, some details are subject to change…

HOWEVER, despite all of that, I hope what I CAN provide is still overall engaging!

I MIGHT just write out some of these episodes in the future, if I can garner the motivation for it…

For now though, I hope you all enjoyed this brief lil glimpse into the funni shit that occupies my brain on a daily basis! KWNWKWMWOSMOSDM

#samurai Jack #SJ #samurai Jack au #SJ au #samurai Jack duo of doom #sj DoD #DoD #Duo of Doom #Demongo #Scaramouche #samurai jack scaramouche #sj scaramouche #scaramongo #fandango #cd au #cdverse #cd art

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best-underrated-anime · 2 months

Text

Best Underrated Anime Group F Round 3: #F5 vs #F6

#F5: Tiny princess torments an entire castle of demons for sleep

#F6: Normal school until stuff happens

Details and poll under the cut!

#F5: Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle (Maoujou de Oyasumi)

youtube

Summary:

The Demon Lord Tasogare’s castle is a dark and frightening place, filled to the brim with various monsters. Any soul unfortunate enough to be imprisoned here is sure to be terrified by the horrors within. However, the human princess Aurora Suya Rhys “Syalis” Kaymin is a different case. Rather indifferent to her situation, Syalis worries about one thing and one thing only—sleep. Ever since the demon lord kidnapped her from her kingdom, she has not had a single good night’s rest.

To alleviate her dozen dozing issues, the princess makes do with what she can find in the castle. Whether it be the fur of fluffy demonic teddy bears or the silky, blanket-like bodies of ghost shrouds, everything is but a means to ensure a peaceful slumber. With so many potential materials to craft items that can help her sleep at her disposal, nothing will stop the sleepy princess—not even death.

Propaganda 1:

This show is probably the single most charming parody of a fantasy RPG setting I’ve ever seen. It takes an extremely generic premise and flips it on its head with a simple shift in protagonist. The characters are all fun in their own right, but Princess Suya steals the show through extreme slapstick violence against her captors and a nonchalant attitude towards literally everything that isn’t immediately related to sleep. While it’s easy for a plot like this to quickly become comedically stale, the show is careful to avoid exhausting its premise by introducing new characters that serve as unique obstacles to Suya’s goals as well as by ramping up the audacity of her actions. Additionally, we get occasional glimpses at the hero’s party as they quest to ‘rescue’ the princess, scenes that serve both as story progression as well as a nice change of pace from the princesses antics. While the premise may not be for everyone, this show executes on its concept flawlessly for anyone who finds the premise amusing.

Propaganda 2:

The art style is cute and the character designs are quite pleasant and even the side characters are entertaining. the main character is tiny princess with purple hair and pronouns who’s actually glad to have been kidnapped by the demon king because she gets sleep but oh no, the bedsheets suck and the pillow feels cheap. she goes to find material for new bedding and pillow and ends up tormenting several demons.

Trigger Warnings: None.

#F6: Talentless Nana (Munou na Nana)

youtube

Summary:

Fifty years ago, horrific creatures dubbed as the “enemies of humanity” suddenly appeared around the world. To combat these threats, teenagers gifted with supernatural abilities called “Talents”—such as pyrokinesis and time travel—hone their powers at an academy on a secluded island.

Nanao Nakajima, however, is quite different from the others on the island: he has no Talent. With many “Talented” teenagers around him, Nanao is often a target for bullying, but even so, he still strives to complete his training. Soon after, two transfer students, the mysterious Kyouya Onodera and the mind-reading Nana Hiiragi, join the class. But just as everyone starts blending as comrades-in-arms, mysterious disappearances begin to threaten the class’s entire foundation.

Propaganda:

I’d like to start off by saying that this is NOT a copy of My Hero Academia, even though it sounds as such. It’s kinda hard to explain the show without spoiling a major plot point, but it’s pretty much as the summary says. Honestly, if you want to watch this, don’t look up anything about it—you will get spoiled right away, and it does ruin the experience. I started this without knowing anything about it and I think that’s for the best because it’s plot twist after plot twis,t and you’re not sure what to expect next. That’s honestly something I really liked about it because you don’t know where the story will take you. Anyways, highly recommend because more people should know about this series.

Trigger Warnings:

Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore

There’s a Nazi-coded character who does eugenics, and he’s also the reason for the child abuse tw

Sexual assault attempt on main character

Necrophilia (there’s a character who controls another person’s corpse and act like they’re dating)

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

#anime #best underrated anime #polls #poll tournament #tournament #anime tournament #animation #group stage #group stage round 3 #tournament polls #group f #sleepy princess in the demon castle #maoujou de oyasumi #talentless nana #munou na nana

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reyesstrand · 6 months

Text

20 questions for fic writers

thank you for the tags @welcometololaland @strandnreyes & @alrightbuckaroo <33 this was a much needed distraction tonight!

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

335,298

3. what fandoms do you write for?

predominantly 911 lone star. the only other thing i’ve dabbled in recently was the old guard

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos? (i’m going to exclude prompt collections here!)

like a bright new dream (first i love you)

wanna be still with you (2x08 coda)

lit the spark (that set a fire) (firefighter!carlos au)

take me back to the light (1x08 coda)

to be reborn (3x04 coda)

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

i do!! even if it takes a few days (where i’m likely just staring at nice words in my inbox and using them as fuel to brighten my mood) i love having that connection, and seeing maybe what stood out to someone who read my silly little story

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

any of my codas that i wrote immediately after an episode aired—my 3x02 spec fic some and now none of you, or my 3x07 coda/3x08 spec fic not a victory march—simply because we didn’t know the outcome for these storylines yet, and i let myself get angsty.

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i think 95% of my fics have happy endings but to shout one out in particular….hm. i’d say got real love maybe—truly just. fluff. and the boys coming home to each other and making that official. i also think the proposal bliss in (not afraid of) living on a fault line has got to be up there as well

8. do you get hate on fics?

nothing major

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

i’ve always stuck to very implied levels of smut in my fics….idk i always worry i won’t be able to make it sound good when there’s people out there who do it brilliantly. however i’m challenging myself with food fic which does have some smut (with feelings. oh the feelings)

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

crossovers aren’t really my thing!!

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

nope, would be honoured though!

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

love helping with brainstorming bits, but have never actually co-written anything

14. what’s your all time favourite ship?

tarlos brainrot always and forever

15. what’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i have tons of ideas that i never commit to, which sucks. off the top of my head…the andrea & tk fic that i just never got into a flow with

16. what are your writing strengths?

i think i’m strongest when it comes to setting a scene; when exploring what that character is feeling. i like to think i can kind of evoke a mood through imagery? i’m most comfortable when it comes to introspection and exposition and general narrative

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

i tell myself i’m getting better, but i’d say dialogue is the constant thing that throws me off. i also worry i over-write sometimes

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i like it, if it’s being done with good intentions and suits the character. i’d imagine for heavier dialogue it would make sense to ask for someone who speaks the language to read it over to make sure it’s accurate

19. first fandom you wrote for?

i think the get down, back in like 2017

20. favourite fic you’ve written?

i can’t choose, so i present to you two wildly different honeymoons. first, dream this night away—almost 8.5k words after a seven month gap between posting when my writer’s block was at an ultimate high. then of course, to which there is no reply—i’ve been growing happier and happier with my writing especially with these last few fics of mine, and this one is something i’m just super proud of, and the support on it definitely brought me to tears a bit ajdnskdn

no pressure tagging @carlos-in-glasses @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @paperstorm @tailoredshirt @theghostofashton @inflarescent @birdclowns @liminalmemories21 @rmd-writes @heartstringsduet @freneticfloetry @orchidscript @tellmegoodbye @safeashousespdf and leaving an open tag as well!! <333

#tag games #my fic #think i’m getting a cold so time to pass out on some cough syrup 😞

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acourtofthought · 2 months

Note

When sjm said hofas would have hints for future acotar books, what do you think she meant? Gwynriels are taking it as confirmation that Azriel's book is next.

I think HOFAS does set up for future ACOTAR books but where those books actually fall in the lineup is up for debate.

ACOMAF set up Vassa's disappearance "Do not trust the others. The sixth queen was not ill."

ACOWAR set up Vassa's curse with Koschei and had Elain as the one who had visions of them.

ACOMAF gave us the first hints that Lucien was not Beron's son when he used light to break free of the Kings shackles.

ACOWAR confirmed that Lucien is Helion's son.

ACOFAS confirmed that Feyre still hadn't said anything about that fact to anyone but Rhys.

In ACOWAR we learn that Eris wants to take over as HL of Autumn and wants the NC to support him when it's time for the bid to the throne but we still haven't seen this happen.

So in books 2 and 3, SJM set up future storylines for Vassa, Elain, and Lucien and in book 3 she set up something for Eris but SJM still did not resolve these in SF. Though she confirmed in interviews that she left seeds for Elain's journey way back when, she still hasn't told Elain's story.

Some don't even think she she's going resolve them in the next book (if they do feel Gwynriel is next) so they must believe on some level that just because SJM hints at something in one book, it doesn't mean SJM will close out that plot in the very next one.

But when it comes to Gwynriel's book I have noticed that there is the mindset that because she introduced something in SF, it's definitely getting resolved in the next book. Or just because something was introduced in an entirely different series, it'll definitely be handled in the next ACOTAR book.

Could she decide to introduce the crossover stuff into the very next ACOTAR book from an Az POV and deal with the Valkyrie / Illyrian plotlines in it? Sure!

But could she also decide to first tackle all the plots that were introduced in books 2 and 3 and give us Elucien's book which could close out the issues in Spring / the continent / Beron and then move to the Gwynriel book at a later point which would deal with time travel and threats beyond their world? I think it's also safe to say "Sure!".

CC introducing future storylines into the ACOTAR world doesn't mean those storylines are to be handled in the immediate future.

SJM said when you get to the end of SF you'll know who the next book is about and some take that to mean Az because of his POV. But it was in Feyre's Bonus that we learned Elain is probably capable of more than they've been giving her credit for and perhaps they'll see a different side of her emerge. It was in Feyre's bonus that we learned Elain is still dealing with trauma which the others haven't been paying attention to and that while growing things results in something beautiful it involves getting ones hands dirty along the way. It was in Feyre's bonus that she thinks back on Lucien's gift to Elain and how if Elain had been wearing them nothing would have pierced her. It was in the book that Amren said not to underestimate Elain, that we learn the NC sucks the life out of Elain, that Nesta said Elain decided to grow claws and maybe she'll become interesting at last, that Feyre said Elain has Az beat for secret keeping, that Elain offered to search for the Trove which we all know to be a dangerous and scary thing, where Elain declared she was part of the court and would do whatever was needed. It was at the end of SF that Nesta "released" Elain's rose carving out into the world after first placing it next to a figurine of a goddess.

SJM has laid groundwork for the possibility of many characters having the next book. Hell, she put a lot of buildup into Eris in ACOWAR and SF which means if she wanted she could him a POV or could at least be telling us that Lucien is about to be getting a POV with Eris playing a main side character role in his book (as Eris and Lucien are brothers and Eris has shown a desire to reconnect with Lucien I think it's safe to assume anything we learn of Eris can be strongly connected to Lucien considering Lucien is still of Autumn Court descent through his mother).

We have many interviews saying many things and multiple books that can be used to argue in favor of our ship being the next POV and I think anyone claiming with certainty that theirs is the one who is confirmed is maybe too hyper focused on their own ship rather than looking at the bigger picture?

Whether Gwynriels turn out to be right or Eluciens turn out to be right when the next book is announced, I don't know that it's fair for anyone to say, "SEE?? THEY were the delusional ones for thinking it was going to be them!" It's really not that difficult to guess a coin flip accurately. I think it's only fair to acknowledge that both sides had really valid reasons for believing what they believed.

#elucien #pro elucien #elucien book

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warmaidensrevenge · 1 year

Text

Moving on

Pairings: Joseph Quinn x plus size reader x Evan Peters

If you want to read my other work you can find it HERE

A/N: Hey everyone. I am back. Still working on some fics and it's taking me longer to come up with endings. Seems like I'm at a writers block for two of my fics. If anyone has any ideas to help I would really appreciate it. Update: life sucks but I'm doing better. I have a trip coming up to see the love of our lives and I'm so nervous. I think I might be too in my head to comprehend that I'm going to meet Joseph Quinn. Hopefully things will get clear when I do. Anyways, this is a request I had sitting in my inbox forever. Thanks @generouspuppypuppy. It is different from your exact suggestion. But I still hope you like it. Thanks for reading. As always feedback is greatly appreciated and ask/comments are always welcomed. Kay love ya bye.

Word count: 3,250

I do not give permission for my work to be used or published anywhere else. Please be respectful to all creators.

Warnings: 18+ hurt/comfort, cheating, heartache with a happy ending.

Summary: One mistake, time apart, new love and a baby.

🖤

You sat there in disbelief in what you just heard. You were just so happy this morning. Your boyfriend of 3 years just got home from filming. He had gotten a part playing a new character on Stranger Things named Eddie Munson. After 6 long months Joe was home. And he was sitting across from you on the couch, telling you he cheated on you with his co-star Grace. The moment you heard it, all the air was sucked from your lungs and your heart sank. Not knowing what to say so you just sat there.

" Love. I'm so sorry. I never meant for it to happen." Joe grabbed your hand.

That's when you finally looked at him. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. With tears rolling down his thin cheeks. It's been a while since you've seen him in person, and all you could think of was how skinny he was.

You felt tears fall and you looked away from him to wipe them away.

" Love…please say something."

You didn't look back at him. You pulled your hand away and went to the room. Joe followed.

He watched you grab your duffle bag and started shoving things in.

" No." He said, grabbing your hands. " Please. I can fix this."

You jerked your hands away and continued packing. Joe sat on the bed and cried harder. His eyes follow you back and forth throughout the room. He tried to talk but you weren't listening. Once you had everything you went to the door and stopped. With your back towards him you sniffled.

" I'm gonna stay in a hotel…I need time."

He stood up and started for you but you practically ran away. Joe caught your eye as you closed the door.

"Love?"

" Goodbye Joseph."

His heart sank. You never called him by his name. The only time you had was when you first met. That was almost 6 years ago. He noticed you immediately while he was on the set for Howard's End. He honestly thought you were so beautiful. He remembered seeing you in a lot of small stuff. Mostly just plays. But he thought you were talented. And he was in love. Though at the time he thought being from 2 different countries that your paths would never cross. But boy was he happy to be wrong. Your part in the show was small. Which surprised him but the few lines you had were well done. His part was small as well so you guys spent a lot of time together. Before he knew it he lived part time in the US. He started off as your roommate. Then that turned into dating. 3 years later and he was never happier. He was ready to get married and start having kids. But he fucked all that up. A drunken mistake caused you to leave him standing in your guy's home all alone. He knew you all too well. When you were hurt or when you guys argued, you shut down and walked away. Later coming back to figure things out. And though he was breaking down, he hoped that tomorrow he would get to talk to you. But that's not what happened. One week went by and then another. He hadn't received word from you. On the third week he came home after a meeting with his agent and found that all your things were gone. Your side of the closet was empty. All your drawers were emptied and your side of the bathroom sink was bare. Joe leaned on the wall and sank down to the floor. Burying his face in his hands.

He cried harder than ever. " What have I done?"

A good 20 minutes passed when he finally calmed down enough to call you. He went to the living room and saw an envelope on the coffee table. Inside was your 1 month move out notice. Joe's heart shattered. 6 years of friendship, 3 years of a life together and it was over just like that. That wasn't going to happen. You were his everything. So he called you. You had agreed to meet him later on and he had hope.

When he arrived at the coffee shop you were already there. The moment he saw you he could feel your heartache. You had a frown fixed on your lips and dark circles around your eyes.

What have I done to you my love?

He approached you and you quickly glanced at him. Then looked at your cup of tea. He sat down and took off his jacket.

" I took the liberty of ordering you tea." Your voice was lifeless and distant.

" Th-thank you."

You didn't look at him but gave a thin lip smile. He took a sip of his drink. When he put his mug down, that's when you pulled out a magazine from your bag and set it in front of him. Turning to the page you wanted him to see.

" I got this that night I left…it says there that you and Grace admitted to having a crush on one another."

Joe felt the blood drain from his face and his heart started to race. You finally looked him in the eye and all he saw was sadness.

" I thought we had an open door relationship."

" We-we do." He stuttered.

" If that's true then why did I hear about this in there and not from you?"

" I-I…"

You sighed and brought your hand up to wipe tears away.

" Joseph, I love you. And I came here for that reason and that reason only."

Joe winced hearing his name. All he wanted right now was to hear you call him Joey.

" What can I do to fix this? There has to be a way."

You shook your head. " There isn't."

" No! Love please."

He reached for your hand and to his surprise you didn't jerk away. Instead you just stared at your hands for a minute.

" The only way you can fix this is if you could go back and have one less drink. Or if you left early and came home to me."

" I…" his voice trembled. " So this is it? You're going to let one mistake throw everything we worked for away?"

You pulled your hand away and met his tear filled eyes with yours.

" It wasn't me who decided that for us. That was you. Not being honest with me from the start is what broke us. How can we be together now? I can't trust you…I love you. I really do. But I can't be with you anymore."

He watched you get up and grab your things.

" Take care of yourself Joseph."

He hung his head. " I love you Y/n. And I always will."

" I will too."

…

A year went by and you got the role of a lifetime. Starring in a new show called American horror story. Acting side by side with Evan Peters. He was amazing. His range inspired you. You guys had worked so well together that in seasons to come you and Evan were offered roles as each other's love interests. After the break up you and Joe kept in touch. When Stranger Things season 4 came out, Joe didn't expect the amount of fame that he would get. Suddenly his life was turned upside down. It was incredible, but overwhelming. He did so much and traveled everywhere. He was happy, but very lonely. Since you there had been a few flings. But none that he wanted to pursue. That was because he had already found the nice girl he was looking for. He knew that you had moved on, however he couldn't. Seeing you with Evan was awful. You looked at Evan the way you used to look at him. Which hurt him more than words could describe.

Evan was ring shopping. TMZ had caught up with him outside a jewelry store. Not wanting you to find out that he was in fact buying you an engagement ring, Evan went to the store next door. Evan knew from the first kiss you and he shared that he was going to marry you. At that time you were still hurting over Joe. Rightfully so. So he chose to be your friend and help you through the pain. And once you were better he asked you out on a date. First it was weird for both of you. But at the end of the night you kissed him. After that you guys became inseparable.

Now it was a year and a half later and Evan was ready to make you his wife.

Joe and Jamie were both good friends with you and Evan. So when Joe and Jamie received an invite to watch season 3 of American Horror Story. They were excited. Joe hadn't seen you in months and knowing that you and Evan were together, he was going to try and talk to you. Maybe he could get another chance.

When he and Jamie went to your loft, he was extremely nervous. Then you opened the door. You looked more beautiful than he remembered. You greeted them with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. That's when Joe saw the worst thing ever. He saw a beautiful diamond on your ring finger. He was in such a state of shock he froze there in the doorway.

" Common Joey. " You said with a smile.

You grabbed his hand and pulled him along to join the party. Turned out not only was it a watch party, but an engagement party. You had said that you didn't want any presents or anything like that. That's why you disguised the party. You wanted not only to share the success of the show but to celebrate the happy news with everyone you loved.

Joe was wrecked. He tried his best to fake a smile. But as the night went on his heart broke over and over again. He saw how truly happy you were and part of him was happy for you. But he couldn't help but remember when he made you that happy. He sat there watching you with Evan. Seeing that twinkle in your eyes again. He wanted to drink. But since the break-up he stopped. Jamie was talking to your brother Bill when he saw Joe in his head.

" Hey Bill. Are you on good terms with Joe?"

Bill looked at Joe and nodded.

" Is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

Bill looked at you and you were cuddled up with Evan on the couch. Laughing away.

" Yeah. Let's go out to the terrace." He said.

Jamie got Joe and went to join Bill outside. They all lit up cigars and started talking. Bill had a heart to heart with Joe. And he admitted that he always thought he would be going to yours and Joe's engagement party. Joe was grateful for the conversation. He and Bill were on the outs after the situation. However, Bill forgave him once you did. Joe always thought of Bill as a brother he never had. Well the whole Skarsgard family was on a whole nother level when it came to famous family's. But all of them were close. And Joe loved that. He loved how family oriented you were. And the fact that Joe's mom absolutely loved you. She had never liked any of his previous girlfriends. But the second she met you she immediately approved of you. Maybe it was because you weren't selfish, or full of yourself. Sure you looked nothing like the women he had dated before. But you were still very beautiful. You were kind and very humble. Everything about you screamed wife material.

As he stood there burning out his cigar, he regretted the 3 years he waited to ask you to be his wife. He regretted his mistake and losing you. So he decided to put the plan to win you back aside and apologize to you. Jamie had to leave early due to an early flight. So he left Joe to grab an Uber. The party started to simmer down and Joe was going to leave. But he asked if you would walk him out. Which you happily agreed to.

You guys silently walked down the hallway to the elevator. Joe pressed the down button and smiled half heartedly at you. The doors opened and he held out his arm for you to go in first.

You smiled sweetly up at him. " Thank you Joey."

Joe felt his heart flutter hearing you call him that. A nickname you gave him a long time ago. Once you were both in you reached over and pressed the ground floor button. It was quite a ways down but the silence you shared was nothing but comforting. It always was.

Joe cleared his throat. " Did umm did you have a good time?"

You looked away from the red numbers that said the floor you were on to him.

" I did. I'm so happy you and Jamie came."

" Me too…just wished I could have brought you a present."

You scrunched your nose a little and let out a nose laugh.

" Joey, you being here was better than any present you could have given us. Besides, we don't need anything."

Joe nodded and looked at the numbers counting down. That's when he noticed the music. The song was an elevator version of Dreaming of You. He looked at you and saw your head slightly nodding to it. It's been so long since the last time you and he randomly dance somewhere. Those times were usually abrupt but so special to him. Every time he swore he fell deeper in love with you. Now not being any different. He grabbed your hand gently and twirled you. You laughed softly and beamed at him as he pulled you into his arms, swaying you back and forth. For a minute you guys danced until the doors dinged and opened. Joe reached for the close button and continued to dance with you.

In a whole year, this was the first time you and he were alone. And he wasn't ready for it to be over.

" Love, I'm really happy for you."

Your smile got bigger and your eyes were just slits. Joe's heart melted all over again.

" Thank you Joey."

He twirled you once more, pulling you closer than before.

" Love, I know that I've apologized countless times for my mistake. But what I failed to do was apologize for not saying that I would never do that again…I did not apologize for breaking your trust and for ruining our future. I never apologized for the tears you shed because of it or the hurt and betrayal you felt…for all of that, I am truly sorry. "

You were quiet for a moment and both of you stopped dancing. You then lifted to your toes and placed one soft kiss upon his cheek. After, you planted your feet back to the ground.

" I've forgiven you a long time ago Joey. There's no need sorries again."

Joe hung his head. "I-I know. I just…I just need you to know if there was anything I could do to take it back, I would have done it in a heartbeat."

You cupped his face causing him to look at you.

" I know you would have Joey. And I love you. I promised I would always love you. No matter what happens from this day forward. I want you to be happy. I want you to move on and forgive yourself."

He nodded and felt tears coming. " I love you y/n."

You kissed his cheek again and gave him a hug. When you tried to create some distance between you two he squeezed you gently once more before taking a step back.

" I better let you go. Your fiance might worry that I've stolen you away."

" Can't have him thinking that."

Joe gave you a half smile and pressed the button to open the doors. He took one last look at you and waved.

" Travel safe Joey.

He gave you a nod and took his leave.

I will love you forever. He thought

…

That night when everything was cleaned up you and Evan changed into your jammies. Evan was getting the bed ready when you left for a minute. When you came back you were holding a single vanilla cupcake.

" What's this?" Evan grinned sitting down on the bed. Holding his hands out for you.

You blushed and went to him. Sitting on his lap.

" It's for you….there's a surprise inside."

You lifted up the sweet treat and peeled back the lining.

" Take a big bite Eban."

Evan chuckled. He absolutely loved when you called him Eban. When he first met you, you thought his name was Eban. And he just thought it was so adorable that for 3 months he let you call him that until someone finally corrected you. But after that he insisted you keep calling him that.

He kissed you briefly and then took a very big bite. When he looked at you, your eyes were wide and started to fill with tears. He quickly cupped your face.

" What's wrong pumpkin?"

You laughed a little and sniffled.

" Eban, I'm pregnant…and according to this blue filling." You lifted the cupcake showing him. " We're having a boy."

He stopped mid chew and mumbled a 'w-what?'

" I…you know how I don't have normal menstruation?"

He nodded.

You looked down and brought your hands down to rest on your thick thighs.

" Well turns out I'm four months pregnant. We couldn't tell because I'm…well big… and umm remember the one month where we thought I had a bad case of the flu?"

Evan started to chew. " Mmhmm."

You met his gaze. " Morning sickness."

Finally getting the cupcake down he licked his lips. " Pumpkin, you're not joking are you?"

You gave him sad eyes and frowned, shaking your head.

" Oh My God!"

Your eyes widened again and he pulled you into a kiss. After, he kissed all over your face and your neck.

" Baby, baby, baby! You're having my baby?"

You giggled and squirmed when he kept kissing your ticklish spot on your neck.

" Y-yes…. Eban…y-yes."

" Oh pumpkin. I can't! I'm so…fuck! Kiss me baby."

You laughed again before you did.

" Mmmm….yes… you're making me a daddy baby?"

You smiled against his lips. " Yes I am Eban."

He kissed you over and over again until he abruptly stopped.

" Shit pumpkin. Do you want to get married before or after the baby comes?"

You gave him a tender kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck.

" Hmmm. Do you think if we have an officiate come this weekend, it would be too soon?"

Evan kissed you once more and slid you off his lap and went searching for his phone.

" What are you doing, Eban?"

" I gotta call our moms. They are gonna be so happy."

Your eyes followed him and he paced calling everyone you and he knew, to tell them to come over on Sunday for a wedding. After every call he would come to you and smother you with kisses. About an hour later he finally came to lay down. He put his hand on your belly and started running his thumb back and forth.

" Can…can I make love to you?" He asked in his sweetest voice.

You leaned in and before you pressed your lips against his you whispered.

" Always."

…

@salenorona23

#fanfic #joseph x y/n #joseph x plus size reader #joseph x reader #joseph quinn #joseph quinn x plus size reader #evan peters #evan peters x y/n #evan x reader #evan x plus size reader

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