A Strand Of Gold

Leo | artist | 30’s | queer | they/she | 18+ | art shop | personal: @ragingdumpsterfire | general art: @leodoodlesstuff

[astrandofgold]

About me:

I’m a 34 year old, non-binary artist from the SF Bay Area. I enjoy cosplay, drawing furiously on my iPad in unhealthy poses, and gaming in my spare time. I tweet shit on Twitter and sell my prints on Ko-fi.

Personal side blog: @ragingdumpsterfire

Art side blog: @leodoodlesstuff

[pandora-writes-stuff]

Hi there!! I've been absolutely obsessed with Higgs since playing DS2 🥵 I'd love to read a enemies to lovers one shot with f!reader. Reader is a badass with military training helping Drawbridge connect Australia. Higgs starts tormenting her, hoping to stop them from connecting the continent, but at some point her hate for him turns to lust. Explicit or not, up to you! Thank you so much!

Fuck yeah!! That's such a rad idea, I love it! 💪💪💪 we stan a badass bitch.

I'm pretty sick right now with a stupid gnarly cold, but once I'm feeling more "normal" I'll definitely be all over this.

Thank yoooou! 🖤

[pandora-writes-stuff]

IT'S FINALLY DONE!!! POP THE CHAMPAGNE AND THROW ME A PARADE!! 🥳🥳🥳

(Except don't really pop the champagne because it's gross. Don't @ me. Parade is optional🤣)

Fun fact: this damn fic almost killed me with rage because tumblr decided to eat it rather than save it as a draft and then proceeded to lock me out the post. 🙃🙃🙃🙃 A lot of swearing, giving up for several days, an existential crisis and a password change later, I finally got back into the post!

So here it finally is and I hope the anon is still around to see it! ❤️

><><><><><><><><><

Your gun is hung low over your shoulder, ready for anything that may come your way as you step carefully over the rocky terrain. The ground shifts quietly underneath your heavy duty boots, creeping ever closer to the bandit camp you were staking out. They had stolen important terraforming tech and you intended on getting it back, the desert dwellers were counting on it.

You raise your binoculars, making mental notes on enemy position and potential entry points when suddenly a large pair of gold rimmed blue eyes pop up right in front of you. You startle for a second, recognising the twisted laughter that follows all too well. The supposedly dead terrorist, Higgs Monaghan. You let the binoculars drop, your gun raised as quick as a flash but Higgs is faster, teleporting directly behind you, his own golden machine gun now pressed against your neck, pulse racing against the muzzle which digs into your skin.

"Let me go," you snarl, struggling against his tight grasp. Higgs just chuckles, his voice low and rough in your ear.

"Now why would I do a stupid thing like that? I finally got y'all where I want ya, such a pretty feisty little thing. Bless your heart."

"I mean it, I'll-"

Your words are cut off by his tongue dragging along the meat of your cheek, wet and flat. You let out a noise of disgust, even though your cheeks flush a little pink.

"You're disgusting," you all but growl.

"And you're delicious," he chuckles. The muzzle of the gun dissapears from your neck, the smell of chiralium fills the air once more as he teleports to a large boulder a little ways away instantly alerting every guard in the outpost.

"We'll meet again, sweet heart. If you survive."

You shoot at him in frustration and anger, everyone already knew roughly where you were, no point in hiding anymore. His chuckle reverberates around your head as the first shock stick lands a little too close for your liking. You ready your bola gun, this was going to be a long day.

* * * * * * * * * *

The tension between the two of you has been building for weeks, tracking Higgs down far and wide across the fractured UCA and beyond. You don't know why you agreed to the stupid bounty in the first place, Higgs was like a slippery eel, impossible to pin down. Still, you tried your damn hardest. Your stubborn streak fueling you to persevere, or perhaps you simply longed to wipe that smug smile off his face once and for all. Or perhaps, a small voice whispered in the back of your mind, something about him intrigued you.

Whatever it was, it had now found you following Higgs to The Beach. You'd never been on one before, at least not the "gateway to the afterlife" kind anyway. It feels real though, a little too real. The sand wet and almost slippery, the sea salt brisk and sharp in your nostrils. You'd almost say it was nice if it weren't for the rotting sea life corpses that littered the shore.

Your eyes keep a sharp look out for the terrorist pest, Higgs, as you creep your way slowly along the Beach. Eyes peeled for a single flash of anything. The only thing you can hear is the gentle lull of the waves, a little unsettling without the usual wildlife or even any kind of sign of human life. It was just...desolate.

Then it happens, the whoosh of a ciral jump, the feeling of someone now directly behind you. Before you can even react, he has his signature golden chiralium blade at your throat. Why was this a occurring experience with this guy??

"Well well well, what have we here...? A little porter turned bounty hunter far from home."

You struggle against him for a moment till he pushes the blade further against your skin. Not enough to break the skin but close. It was cold and oh so very sharp.

"Oh sweet heart," he practically coos in your ear. "You ain't going no where. See, I've noticed you following me all over the damn place like a dog with a bone. It's doggone cute."

You growl in response, but make no effort to move, you have no doubt he'd easily spill your blood on the sand without blinking.

"And I ain't nothing but generous." He suddenly let's go, pushing you forward a few steps. "So how about it sweet heart? Let's you and I finish this once and for all."

He dissapears like always, you quickly circle around trying to spot him again before he reappears a few feet to your left. You lunge, only to land face first in the sand, jumping back to your feet quickly, shaking off the loose granules.

"Guess you're just a little slow there, doll face." He appears a few feet away again, a shit eating grin on his face. The small voice in the back of your mind whispered that he's handsome without the golden mask but you shove that aside.

"I'm gonna kill you if it's the last thing I do!" You snarl.

"I'd like to see you try," he mocks waving the gold knife he'd held at your throat moments before in an almost playful manner.

You stomp your way across the sand towards him, anger fueling your movements and clouding your judgement. He waits till you're close, almost arms length before chiral jumping again, his taunting laughter echoing around the Beach.

"You fucking coward!" You yell, voice reverberating along side his hideous laughter. "Stop jumping all over the place and actually face me!" You pause but he doesn't appear. "Or is that why you don't? Because you know you can't win? You're just some silly little boy playing dress up who doesn't know shit, except how to spread terror from a distance because he's too much of a chicken shit to do the dirty work himself!"

There's a pregnant pause, even the very sir seems to still after your very heated words. Nothing happens for a good few minutes, but still you wait. You know he heard you.

Eventually he does return, eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, a spot of angry red flush high up on the apple of his cheeks.

"You had to push it, didn't you?" He grinds out. "Couldn't just keep things fun, oh no! You had to have your little speech! Coward? I have seen and done things that you wouldn't believe. But if you really need your ass kicked that badly, fine. Let's do this. One round, one life, no continues."

He throws the knife down onto the sand, you think about making a grab for it but he sees the glance of your eyes and kicks it away.

"We're doing it the ol' fashioned way, sweet heart." Higgs walks slowly forward with his fists raised, his bright blue eyes almost like steel in the way they laser focus on you. You brace your frame, digging your feet harder into the muddy sand, your own fists now raised.

He doesn't hesitate to swing a punch at you, your body swerving to avoid it as his knuckles skim your shoulder instead. You hook your foot to try and kick his knee out but it doesn't quite work, he wobbles but stays upright. Your boots shift in the sand, almost making you loose your balance but Higgs doesn't hesitate, taking the chance to lunge himself at you, knocking you both to the ground. You're both grappling with each other, your fingers and nails digging into his shoulders for dear life as he tries to get his hands around your throat. Eventually you manage to wrap your legs around his waist, boots sinking into the sand once more, just enough to give you the leverage you need to flip you both over. You're straddling him now, the apex of your thighs pressed tightly against his.

If either of you notice then you don't react to it, his fingers close around your throat as yours meet his. His hands were larger than yours, wrapping around your throat easily. But you had sheer stubborn pride on your side, mixed with furious anger and a hint of something you'd rather not think about. You both continue to grapple and grunt, your face flushed and sweaty with exertion, Higgs threatening to topple you both over again with his struggling, your thighs still locked around his waist tightly. Then you feel it pressing very unmistakingly against you, thick and HARD. Your strength falters, hands loosening around his throat without fully letting go. Higgs let's out an exhausted chuckle, deliberately rolling his hips up into yours, hands moving to hold your hips tightly so you still couldn't move away.

"A-are you getting off on this?!" You choke out in surprise, an odd warmth spreading through your body that you were still trying to ignore.

"You're not?" He counters with an infuriating smirk.

"You're disgusting!" Somehow the words sound hollow even to your own ears. The terrorist underneath you laughs like it's the best joke he's ever heard.

"Disgusting, really? That the best ya got, sweet heart?"

"No!" You reply far too quickly. "You're vile a-and evil and childish and...infuriating an-" Your words get cut off by Higgs yanking you down by your shirt and into a kiss. You should punch him, scream, fight, anything! Instead you melt into the kiss, like an inevitability you finally give in to. His lips are surpringly soft and sweet, you try not to think about the fact he tastes like pizza.

You stay like that for an embarrassingly long time, his hands creeping unfre your shirt to explore your torso before the sound of an incoming call snaps you out of it.

"Fuck, I-" he silences you again with another kiss, this one much shorter but just as sweet.

"That's my cue to get goin," he murmurs, large hands giving your ass a squeeze for good measure.

"Till next time doll face. I'll be interetsed to read how you explain this in those fun little reports you send to Bridges on my whereabouts. I'll be reading this one with extra interest. Maybe I'll print it out and frame it." Higgs disappears into a cloud of chiralium, your hands landing into the soft wet sand. You can feel his lips on yours long after he leaves.

[leodoodlesstuff]

Happy, uh….happy Valentine’s Day

[leodoodlesstuff]

Somehow an entire year has passed by. I didn’t get anywhere near as much art created as I wanted to in 2025, but the reason was because I was busy in other parts of my life, doing things that made me happy. So, in a way, it all worked out okay in the end. Here’s to 2026, and maybe getting a bit more time to work on art 😅❤️

[xcallmesaturn]

It’s the soft “okay, okay” for meeee 😩🥵

[leodoodlesstuff]

It’s that time of year again! Visit my shop through Monday for 20% off of everything! Support an indie artist and get yourself a little something something for the holidays ❤️🥰 use code BLACKFRIDAY25 at checkout, or follow this link!

[astrandofgold]

The Strands of Harmony concert was absolutely beautiful, and it was so amazing being surrounded by so many fans! I got the VIP pass, so I got to meet Ludvig Forssell, and he was so nice (and hilarious) 💀👍🏻🌈☔️🐋

[astrandofgold]

Hi Leo, I hope you're well!

So, I'm seriously considering selling my art online, probably as stickers. Do you have any recommendations for sticker/print companies or websites to sell on? I know Etsy has some issues. Any info helps.

Thank you so much!

Leah M.

Hi!!!! I’m so so sorry for the long response time, things have been chaotic over here 😅

As far as sticker printing goes, I used Vograce, and they were pretty good. The quality was great overall, but with the current state of tariffs, I’m so afraid of what the new cost would be to import. I got a sample pack from StickerApp and CustomStickers.com, and both were pricey/good quality, but at this point, they might not be any more expensive than an imported sticker order.

All of my prints are done in house on my ancient Canon printer, so unfortunately I don’t have any suggestions on that. If any of my art moots have suggestions, please feel free to share!!

I left Etsy a while ago because I was racking up monthly fees, and not selling anything. It was ridiculous. Now I sell primarily on Ko-fi, which isn’t the best commerce platform for small businesses, but it’s at least free to list items. It’s extremely difficult to organize items, there isn’t any bulk editing, shipping profiles have to be changed item by item, which is a HUGE pain when you realize you’ve made an error on one 😂😭 It relies primarily on you as the shop owner for exposure, so you have to have a digital presence elsewhere, and if you let it slack, nobody will show up to the shop. But again, at least it doesn’t cost anything to do so.

I wish you all the best on this journey, and if you have any more questions, feel free to send them!!! I promise I’ll get to them eventually 😂❤️❤️❤️

[savage-rhi]

ಠಿ_ಠ ...

[savage-rhi]

KINDA SUS.

[savage-rhi]

❗❗️❗️❗️❗️

[savage-rhi]

\(˚☐˚”)/ I'M SCREAM—

[astrandofgold]

[leodoodlesstuff]

This guy is now in my shop 🫶🏻

[astrandofgold]

Happy birthday, Leo!!

Thank you so much!!! 🥰🫶🏻

[knightcraves]

Happy Birthday to @astrandofgold ! ❤️💛

I promise the cake isn't pizza flavored- unless you really want it to be 💀

[astrandofgold]

AHHHHHHHH OH MY GOD OH MY GOD HE’S SO BEAUTIFUL THANK YOU!!!!!! 😍😍😍😍😍

[studybuggirl]

Bitches will play a whole ass game for like 3 cutscenes with a character they love just to feel something

[astrandofgold]

I ALREADY SAID IT IN TAGS OF UR LAST ARTS BUT HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! 🍕🎉🥳♥️

hope you have a wonderful dayy >:)

AHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! 🥰🥰🥰

[astrandofgold]

Hey buddeh!! Happy level up!!!

Thank you!!!! Sending you a big ol hug and some timefall porter!! ♥️♥️♥️

[leodoodlesstuff]

Happy birthday to me ♥️💛🍕

[pandora-writes-stuff]

True Affection

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A/N: Guess what?? It's my best girlie's birthday!!! 🥳🥳🥳❤️❤️❤️

@astrandofgold Leo, while I can't be there to celebrate with you, I can give you Higgs. And that'll have to be enough. 😂😂😂

Happy birthday!!! 🎂🥳❤️

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

"Higgs, where the hell have you taken me?" You chuckle, the blindfold over your eyes made it impossible to see, but he'd definitely teleported you somewhere outside. You can feel the cool night air on your skin, metal tapped under your feet as you take a few unsure steps forward. Higgs has his hand on the small of your back to lead you safely, chaotic as he could be, you know he'd never intentionally put you in harms way.

"Patience is a virtue, sweet thing," he snickers, a hand coming down to playfully swat your ass before his other hand leaves. your back, and he takes a few steps away from you.

"Butthead," you mutter under your breath, but there's no real heat to it. Higgs simply chuckles a little mischievously, the click of a lighter (you think anyway) doesn't give you anymore of a clue as to what's going on.

"Ready?" He purrs in your ear, making you jump a little. You hadn't heard or felt him teleport behind you. Sneaky bastard.

"As I'll ever be."

Higgs unceremoniously whips your blindfold off, you have to blink a few times for your eyes to adjust to the dim light from the stars.

"What the..." you were on the roof of his shelter from the looks of the terrain, a picnic blanket spread over the time fall proof metal. You can't help but half laugh, half aww as you see the heart-shaped pizza with a small candle stuck in the middle, alongside some timefall porter beer cans.

"Did you really do all this for me?"

Higgs shrugs, cracking open a can and handing it to you.

"Ain't like I can mosey into town and buy you candy and flowers now is it?" He teases with a little smirk.

"True, I suppose not," you sigh before carefully walking over to wrap your arms around his waist. He always smelled like coffee and chiralium, with something uniquely Higgs thrown in to.

"Thank you," you murmur, leaning up on your tip toes to kiss the corner of his mouth. He wraps his arms around you, holding you tightly to his chest.

"If I can't spoil my sweet thing on their birthday, then when can I?" He mumbles against your hair as he kisses the top of your head.

"Happy birthday, sweet thing."

[astrandofgold]

🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹😍

OH MY GOD THIS IS THE CUTEST STORY EVER!!!! Thank you for the gift of Higgs 😍♥️