"By you, I am forever Undone"

"You kept me like a Secret and I kept you like an Oath"

[grishaverse-only]

I feel like ppl over exaggerate how emotionless Kaz really is so, when Freddy Carter played him with actual emotions they said it was inaccurate. Guys he literally humors half of Jesper's jokes in the books, he's really not that serious. He has a sense of humor, he shows appreciation for those he loves. Freddy's Kaz is more open with his words (even then he's still unable to truly open up) but the guy is not inaccurate just bc he refuses to play Kaz Brekker as a non chalant dark romance love interest who only cares about Inej.

[aconfusedspoon]

The heart is an arrow. It demands to land true. She clung to the wall, but it was purpose she grasped at long last, and that carried her upwards. She was not a lynx or a spider or even the Wraith. She was Inej Ghafa, and her future was waiting above.

- Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Chapter 25

[formerlyluckymanticore]

Reblog if you will never. Ever. Use AI in your writing.

[rippahwrites]

Re- reading A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and even at the 8% mark, the vibe of book Pip and show Pip and just all the other characters is so different.

Like they changed so much. And its bugging me a little bit ugh but nvm.

[rippahwrites]

Update: season 2 was such a huge improvement. I can't wait for season 3

[themangledmess]

[cuppydogshane]

that is actually my main principle of explicit fic is that the personalities stay On during sex.

[stillnotmollified]

some of you weren’t around for the fan fiction dot net purge of 2002 (when they banned explicit content and mass-deleted thousands of fics) and the livejournal purge of 2007 (when they deleted hundreds of blogs, disproportionately targeting queer & kink content) and it shows

this kind of policing is why ao3 was created

remember, kids, the three laws of fandom are:

- don’t like; don’t read

- your kink is not my kink

- ship and let ship

[rembrandtswife]

your kink is not my kink *but your kink is okay* don't forget that part

[the-haiku-bot]

your kink is not my

kink *but your kink is okay*

don’t forget that part

Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.

[sailortongue]

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: MAX AFFINITY LEVEL REACHED

pairing: valko x reader

summary: your closest in-game friend wants to meet in person and claims to be the chairman of the company that designed the full-dive gear. now he just has to prove it

wc: 4k

content: just a normal tech company, virtual reality, online friends to lovers, fluff

A soft, twinkling chime rang in your ears as the glowing blue mushroom dissolved in your palm, a floating green notification popping up in your field of vision: [Lunar Fungus x3 added to inventory].

The full-dive tech was so flawlessly advanced that you could feel the lingering cool dampness of the soil on your fingertips. It was a complete escape from reality.

You reached up, lightly rubbing the tip of your elongated ears. While you had kept your avatar’s body as similar to your real-world self as you could to avoid the jarring switch between bodies, you had allowed yourself this one fantasy trait. Under your fingertips, the cartilage felt completely real, twitching slightly in response to the ambient rustle of the digital forest.

A sudden glass-like shatter interrupted the calm, immediately followed by the metallic clinking of dropped loot hitting the forest floor. You looked over at the commotion in time to see a hulking figure step out from the brush. It was HowlKo. His massive, muscular frame carried a greatsword like it was nothing more than a feather. He would have been an impressive sight if it weren’t for the way his heavy burgundy tail thrashed behind him the millisecond his golden eyes locked onto your form still kneeling next to the patch of mushrooms you had spent the last hour foraging for.

“Hey, Ko,” you said casually, turning your attention back to your task, continuing to pluck the fungus from the root.

The frantic wagging of his burgundy tail stopped dead, and his golden eyes blinked at you in disbelief, his jaw dropping open. He lowered his greatsword, resting the heavy tip against the dirt.

“‘Hey, Ko?’” he repeated, his voice carrying an offended whine. “Really? That’s it? No ‘Thank you, Ko, for saving me from those goblins’?”

“I do not sound like that,” you protested.

He continued as if he hadn’t heard you. “I defeated the whole mob for you, and all I get is ‘hey?’ Unbelievable.” His fluffy ears pinned back against his hair, pouting. You rolled your eyes, a laugh bubbling in your throat at his antics.

You put on a grandiose voice. “You’re my hero, Ko! How can I ever repay you?”

He pretended to think about it, but he already had a request in mind. “Gimme half of those mushrooms.”

“No way!” you objected, the playful tone dropping instantly into a horrified hiss, clutching your inventory pouch close to your chest. “Do you have any idea how long it took to find these? Find your own!”

“They would have been forfeit if that mob had gotten you, so I could be asking for all of them,” he rebutted.

“That’s assuming I couldn’t handle them myself. Which I totally could have.”

“I have way more attack points than you—“

“And I have more hit points, so what’s your point?”

“Just gimme the mushrooms,” he pleaded. “I’ll trade you half the goblin loot.”

“No deal,” you hummed, popping the last of the mushrooms into your inventory with a victorious chime. “I don't need rusty goblin armor, and I have plenty of gold. I need these for my alchemy level.”

Ko let out a dramatic, exaggerated groan, throwing his head back so hard his fluffy ears flopped pitifully against his hair. He stomped over, his heavy boots rustling the grass, and plopped his massive frame onto the dirt next to you. He didn't even bother to sheath his sword properly, letting it clatter to the side. “You're so mean to me,” he whined, his tail giving a singular sad pat against the earth. He leaned sideways, heavily dropping his shoulder against yours. “I log onto this server every day just to be your personal bodyguard, and you won't even share a few measly mushrooms.”

You laughed, the tip of your sensitive ears twitching at the sudden warmth of his avatar leaning against you. “If you're so starved for attention, why don't you go bother the players in the town square?”

Ko huffed, his golden eyes narrowing as he turned his head to look at you, his tone shifting from whiny to something softer. Tentative, even. “Because they aren't you. Besides, you come over to my cabin all the time to cook and log off. If we’re going to spend hours bickering over digital mushrooms…” he paused, his tail giving a nervous twitch. “...why don't we just do it over actual dinner? In the real world?”

Your smile dropped as the weight of his question settled between you. You looked at him, at the golden eyes staring at you expectantly, the ones you had come to be so familiar with, and felt a pang of guilt in your chest.

“Ko…” you started softly, shifting your weight on the grass. “You know I love spending time with you here, but I don't think I’m comfortable with meeting in person.”

His burgundy ears perked up in a flash of confusion, his head tilting. “Why not?” he asked. “You already know me.”

“I know HowlKo,” you corrected. “But the real world is different. You could be literally anyone behind that avatar, and reality doesn't have the built-in player protections that Whispering Woods does.”

A heavy, stunned silence fell over the clearing. Ko sat frozen. He looked heartbroken, his fluffy tail dropping flat against the dirt with a pathetic thump. He let out a long sigh from behind the mask. “Okay, fair point,” he conceded, his tone shifting to something hopeful once again. He reached up, his large, clawed gloves unlacing the leather straps at the back of his head. “But what if you already know exactly who I am?”

With a soft click of the game’s apparel physics, the wolf snout mask dissolved into light. You blinked, tracking the movement as the pixelated shower of light dissipated. With the mask no longer blocking his features, you could finally see the strikingly sharp jawline, the perfectly sculpted lips, and the flawless symmetry of Chairman Valko—the very man who headed the tech company that had designed the full-dive gear you were currently using.

For a few seconds, all you could do was stare at the newly revealed lower half of his face. Then, a snort escaped you, followed by bright, airy laughter that echoed through the clearing. You leaned back on your hands, shaking your head in amusement.

“Oh my god, Ko, no way,” you giggled, completely missing the pouty expression on his gorgeous features. “A Valko mod? Are you serious? You really customized yourself to look like the EonCore CEO? How much real-world cash did you drop just to roleplay him?”

Ko’s jaw slackened— a handsome jaw, you had to admit, even if it belonged to a counterfeit billionaire. His virtual wolf ears drooped so much they practically disappeared into his hair. “I didn't buy a skin—”

“Sure you didn't,” you laughed, reaching over to pat his ridiculously perfect cheek. “It's a great prank, really. 10 out of 10 for originality.”

“But—” he started again, but you weren't listening, your attention instead taken by the timer you had set popping into view.

“Gotta go, Ko. Have food in the oven. See you tomorrow!” you said cheerfully, logging out before he could respond and leaving him in the clearing to ponder the best way to prove his identity to you.

— — —

When you dived back into the server the next evening, HowlKo was already waiting for you, his wolf mask back in place. He was pacing back and forth, his heavy tail thrashing behind him in a blur of agitation. The moment your avatar materialized, he stormed over.

“I’m gonna prove it to you,” he declared, skipping any sort of greeting.

You raised an eyebrow. “Prove what? That you're a secret billionaire?”

Ko didn’t answer. Instead, he swiped his hand aggressively through the air, summoning a glowing gold developer console that regular players absolutely did not have access to.

He typed in a command, and, with a deafening crash, a veritable mountain of rare items dropped to the ground, more than you’d ever seen in all your time playing the game combined.

“See! Look! Just a few clicks and I can have anything! Other players can’t do that, but I can.”

You gazed in awe upon the assortment of gold, gems, potions, even mythical weapons and armor. “Wow, Ko. You’re a skilled hacker,” you commented, totally missing the way his shoulders slumped in disappointment. “Seriously, though, be careful, or the actual chairman is going to ban your account, and I don't want to lose my favorite foraging partner.”

Ko felt like he was going to scream. What would it take to prove it to you? A small, pathetic whine escaped his throat. “Just…keep the loot,” Ko groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose right above the snout of his mask. He gestured to the fortune surrounding you. “Consider it a gift.”

You immediately took three massive steps backwards, putting as much distance between you and the contraband Ko had summoned. “No way. What if you get me caught for cheating, too?”

“Not how it works. And it’s already here anyway, so just take it.”

You staunchly refused, and Ko stared at you, his fluffy burgundy tail drooping. He looked so defeated that you caved, only a little, and plucked a health potion from the pile. It appeased him, if only a little, a small smile spreading under the mask. “If you really need to get rid of it all, I know this dragon player that would love to take it off your hands.”

Valko hummed, but didn't argue that the items were intended for you. He acquiesced and asked what the player ID was, pulling up that strange navigation console. He almost scoffed when the ID pulled up one of the most pretentious usernames he had yet seen, and he had seen many. “Abysm Sovereign?” he laughed, reading the name aloud. “Just who is this guy?”

His contagious laugh ignited your own. “You should see the rest of my friend list,” you giggled, already pulling up the list. Ko’s eyes scanned it, reading names such as PntMeLk1ofUrFrnchGrls, PommePommePilot, StarBoyLumiere, and, disappointingly, Dr. Z.

With the wealth transferred to a now very pleased dragon, you and Ko set off for his player residence, a gorgeous, secluded cabin tucked away in a seldom-visited corner of the map. The property, like all player residences, was restricted to those who hadn't been invited by the owner.

Once inside, you beelined to his alchemy table, eager to use those mushrooms. While you pulled items out of your inventory, Ko threw himself on the plush velvet sofa nearby. He finally removed his mask, tossing it onto the coffee table. His large frame took up the whole couch and then some, his feet propped on one armrest while he threw an arm behind his head as a makeshift pillow. His golden eyes tracked your avatar’s every movement, his gaze unbearably fond.

“You know,” he rumbled, “you're lucky I let you use my crafting tables for free. Most alchemists have to rent those.”

You didn't even look up from your stirring, the corner of your lip twitching into an almost-there grin. “I’m still not sharing the mushrooms.”

“Oh, come on,” he groaned. “You can't spare just one?”

You shook your head, not even trying to hide your smug amusement, airy giggles filling the room and embedding themselves in Valko’s fluttering heart.

By the time your brewing level flashed a celebratory [Level Up!] notification, it was getting late. You stretched your avatar’s arms, yawning. “Alright, Ko, I’m heading out for the night. It’s getting late.”

He sat up on the couch, his expression suddenly shifting into something serious, his intense gaze locked onto you. “Tomorrow at noon,” he began, his voice uncharacteristically serious. “There is a global EonCore Tech broadcast. Watch it.”

You blinked, throwing him a confused look, but agreed all the same.

“Promise?” he asked, his burgundy ears giving a sharp twitch.

You smiled softly at him, still wondering why he was so adamant that you watch. “Yeah, yeah, I promise,” you laughed, waving a hand at him. “See you tomorrow, Ko!”

You woke up with a groggy yawn, the phantom sensation of pointed ears still lingering as you rubbed your eyes. Glancing at the clock, your eyes widened. 11:58 AM. You scrambled for your tablet, quickly tapping onto the livestream you had promised Ko that you would watch.

The screen flickered to life, displaying a massive auditorium flooded with press. At the podium was the real Chairman Valko, so much more intimidating than your foraging partner. The one at the podium wore a suit that could probably cover your rent, his hair perfectly styled and golden eyes scanning the crowd. He also lacked the pointed ears and fluffy tail that you had become so fond of.

“As we move into the new fiscal year, EonCore remains dedicated to the safety and experience of its players,” Valko spoke, his smooth voice echoing through the speakers. It was the same voice that usually begged you to share potion ingredients, but here, it was devoid of any hint of playfulness.

You watched him, leaning back into your pillows. You almost scoffed. As if Ko could really be-”

“However,” Valko continued, pausing as he looked at the center camera lens. “With our recent update to the servers, we advise our players to exercise caution when playing the new events. You never know what kind of stray dog you might find. You may find the Lunar Fungus not worth the risk.”

Your jaw dropped, and the tablet nearly slipped from your grasp. The press in the auditorium didn't even blink, his vague warning likely sounding like a teaser for whatever new event was being added, but you knew better. A breathless, horrified gasp left your throat as your mind flashed back to the day you had first come across the wolf hybrid avatar.

Valko had wanted to test the gameplay personally, and thus HowlKo was born. The only problem? He was a disaster. You had been slowly but surely making your way through a dungeon when you heard a series of crashes. Turning around, you had found a towering, clumsy player with a wolf mask surrounded by level-two slimes he couldn't figure out how to target and bits of armor that had, up until a moment ago, been neatly displayed as a full suit.

You had sighed, easily slicing the slimes away and helping him up. From that point on, he hadn't left your side, clinging to you like a remora. He didn't know the map, he didn't know the crafting recipes, and he refused to leave your side, following along behind you everywhere you went.

“You're like a stray dog, aren't you?” You had joked back then, watching his tail give a hesitant, hopeful wag. You’d been inseparable since.

Back in the real world, you stared at the screen, mortified. Valko, Ko, adjusted his expensive cuffs, gave a polite nod to the press, and stepped away from the podium.

You couldn't get the VR set on fast enough, the sensory transition passing in a blur of blinding white pixels until your feet hit the wood floor of Ko’s cabin’s front porch. It was your day off, which meant you had a completely open schedule. Unfortunately, this also meant that you had nothing to distract yourself from dwelling on the fact that you had been calling a tech mogul a stray dog to his face for a year. Or that you'd accused him of hacking.

You didn't even bother going inside. Instead, you dropped onto the top step of the porch, wrapping your arms around your knees as you waited for him to log in. For twenty agonizing minutes, you sat there, staring at digital grass and felt the simulated breeze blowing through the clearing Ko’s cabin was situated in.

Suddenly, a chime interrupted the serenity, signaling the arrival of the owner of the cabin. In a blur of burgundy pixels, Valko’s avatar materialized just in front of the steps leading up the porch. Your head jerked up, watching him materialize in front of you.

He was wearing his wolf snout mask again, his massive greatsword securely strapped to his back. The second his boots hit the dirt, he registered your figure sitting on his stoop. A look of shock crossed his face.

“Did you watch the broadcast?” he asked, his deep baritone carrying a smug amusement.

You buried your face in your hands, groaning, more embarrassed than you cared to admit. God, you couldn't believe you had accused him of hacking.

“And what did you think?” Valko prodded.

“That I’m an idiot,” you lamented, your voice still muffled by your hands.

He chuckled, leaning down to pull your hands away from your face, the pout on your lips so endearing he felt his heart skip a beat. With your hands still in his, he pulled you up, leading the way into the cabin.

Your cheeks flamed. All you could focus on was the way his warm hand encapsulated yours so perfectly.

Inside, he removed the mask, letting it dissolve in a cloud of pixels, revealing the sharp curve of his lips in a smirk, his fangs flashing. “Y’know, I think you should make it up to me for calling me a hacker and a liar,” he teased, gearing up to once again pester you for those damn mushrooms.

You frowned, the floor suddenly the most interesting thing in the room. An uncomfortable guilt settled in your chest from your previous words. “‘M sorry, Valko,” you mumbled, barely looking up from the floorboards, like a child being scolded by a parent.

The grin fell from his face. He wasn't trying to actually make you feel bad, especially over something he wasn't even mad at. He certainly didn't want the first time he heard you say his name be because you were apologizing to him. “Ko,” he corrected bluntly. “I’m still your Ko. The version that you know is the authentic one. Nothing has really changed if you don't want it to.” He spoke earnestly, desperate to rectify the slight miscommunication and salvage your image of him.

You looked at him properly this time, searching his eyes for any hint of dishonesty. Finding none, you sighed, your shoulders slumping. “Why did you wait so long to tell me?”

He considered the question for a moment. “Because then you would have treated me like the EonCore Tech chairman.”

You were taken aback by his answer, but considered his earlier words. He was still your Ko. “For someone who wanted to avoid being recognized, you sure didn't change much about your avatar.”

The return of your sly grin lifted a weight from his chest. “That’s what the mask is for, duh. I’ve seen you almost every day for a year, and you never suspected it. Even when I showed you my face, you assumed it was a skin. So obviously hiding in plain sight was a great plan, thank you.”

You rolled your eyes, happy that your companion was here to stay.

“In all seriousness,” he began again, the brief levity broken as soon as it had been established. “I thought about what you said the other day. I’ve proved who I am, and I was serious about wanting to meet you in person. But if you're still not comfortable, would you be open to a virtual date? We can do whatever you want, right here on the server.”

His tail gave a small, hopeful wag, his eyes wide and sincere as he awaited your answer. Warmth bloomed in your chest and spread across your face to the tips of your ears. Slowly, you shook your head.

Valko’s shoulders dropped instantly, his ears drooping and his tail becoming listless. He couldn't hide the abject disappointment fast enough. “That’s alright,” he said, forcing a smile, wishing he had never opened his mouth.

“No, Ko,” you laughed gently. “I’m declining the virtual date.”

He snapped his head towards you, his ears perking back up. “You mean-”

You nodded. “In person,” you confirmed. “If the offer still stands.”

A beamed at you, his bright smile lighting up his whole face with unbridled joy. “The offer absolutely stands.”

— — —

The bell above the door jingled as you stepped inside the restaurant. You had half expected some over-the-top, expensive restaurant with a month-long waiting list. Instead, Valko had sent you the address of a dimly lit, likely family-owned hole in the wall. It was cozy, the decor outdated and the booths a little worse for wear.

“Do you recognize it?”

You turned around. Standing near a corner booth was Valko— the real-world Valko. He was dressed down in a sweater with the sleeves pushed up his forearms, looking impossibly handsome despite the casual clothing.

You blinked, looking around the exposed brick walls and checkered tablecloths. “Oh my god,” you breathed, a bright smile breaking across your face. “It’s the tavern in the city center.”

Valko nodded, thoroughly pleased that you not only recognized it, but that it made you happy. The dinner passed in a blissful blur. Any lingering nervousness you had entirely dissolved in the first ten minutes. He was the same doting and slightly needy partner you had spent the better part of the past year falling for. He poured your drinks, pushed the bread basket closer to your side, and listened to everything you said with rapt attention, his eyes soft and full of unwavering fondness that made your cheeks flush.

As the night finally wrapped up, he offered to take you home. You guess you shouldn’t have been surprised that he had a personal driver, but you were still flustered when Valko himself held the door open for you, sliding in beside you.

“So, Mr. Chairman,” you hummed. “You kept your identity a secret, hid a message in a global broadcast, and built a replica of one of your favorite restaurants in-game. Any other surprises up your sleeve?”

Valko hesitated, diverting his attention to the passing streetlights before looking back at you, so pretty in a way your avatar hadn’t been able to capture. “Maybe one or two,” he chuckled. He redirected the conversation back to you, not quite ready to reveal the rest and wanting more than anything to arrange another date to get to know the you behind the avatar who taught him the mechanics of his own game and so jealously guarded her inventory.

When the car pulled up the curb in front of your apartment building, Valko reluctantly slid out of the seat, holding the door for you and offering his hand.

“Thank you for tonight,” you said. “I had a great time.”

Valko nodded enthusiastically. “Of course. Would you, uh,” he faltered, red spreading across his cheekbones. “Would you want to do this again?”

You giggled, over the moon that he seemed every bit as enamored with you as you were with him. “I’d love that.”

He let out a relieved huff, the nervous tension visibly leaving his shoulders. You bid your goodbyes, but you’d hardly taken two steps before you stopped wrestling with your own cowardice, shoving it down as you whirled back around to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. With a final, whispered goodbye, you hurried into the building, leaving Valko to stand there with his fingers lightly grazing the skin your lips had been on just moments prior.

His heart fluttered like a trapped hummingbird, soaring high as he climbed back into the car. His mind kept wandering back to what it felt like to have you close—for real this time, not like when you’d cozy up next to him on the couch of his cabin.

He ran his hand through his hair, his cheeks beginning to hurt from how much he had been smiling. As he watched the scenery pass by, he wondered when and how he should tell you that the fluffy ears and tail he wore as HowlKo weren’t just digital accessories.

[snoevergarden]

Love and Plushiespace

⤷ A metaflux fluctuation from a funny protocore caused them to turn into soft chibi plushies, a little bigger than the size of your palms. But don't worry they will turn back normal in 3 days. What happens those three days when you're stuck with the plushie version of them?

Caleb

⤷ You pick the chubby little plush version of your boyfriend and see the cheeky little smile on his face. Hmm maybe this won't be so bad.

You place him on the kitchen counter and prop him up on an apple and let him watch you cook, and he does so happily. Occasionally plops down so that your attention goes towards him.

You carry him around inside a little plushie bag you obtained from an event and he fits in perfectly and goes about the day with you everywhere.

“You're so cute even as a plushie,” you say pinching his cheek and give him a big kiss on his little face, imprinting your lipstick on him and he's just so happy to have it.

You're watching TV? He's in your arms. You're playing games? He's propped up on your lap. You're scrolling through your phone? His watching you do that laying on your chest.

Before falling asleep, you gently place him next to you and put a hand on him and fall asleep nudging his little head and giving it a kiss.

When you wake up though, the next day, he's not beside you? Strange. I put him right beside me. You feel something extra squishy in your chest and pull your t-shirt/night dress collar and see Caleb in there. ??? How did he get there? Smiling in there with that cheeky smile.

You also order some cute plushie clothes for him and put him in different ones and take pictures. Put small accessories on him and he's all ready for your plushie date with him to a cute cafe.

He feels very loved and cared for since you always take him everywhere and keep him close. Loves watching you do anything. Very clingy. If you do forget him somewhere, he magically appears right next to you out of nowhere. His smile line becomes straight if you text someone else on the phone without giving him attention. He needs ALL your attention.

Rafayel

⤷ Oh boy.

Your first day at the beach together, a seagull swooped in, snatched and took flight with him between its beak. It took you a good long run and search around the beach when he washed up on the shore to you, completely drenched covered in a seaweed with a huge frown.

The next day you gave him a nice bath, dressed him all nice and decided to take him to a cafe. Correction, a cat cafe. I mean he is a plushie so it shouldn't be an issue right? Boy were you wrong. One of the cats almost put a tear on his face. Another almost tripped hot coffee on him, it was a disaster. Not just a frown now, he looked angry and scared and you immediately took him home.

You cuddled his small frame and gave him some playful nudges as an apology but it seemed like it wasn't enough because your fishie plushie was still not smiling. Tired, you called it a day, kissed him goodnight and placed him right next to you.

The next morning you find him on the floor and you swear you could almost hear in Rafayel's voice, “Oh so NOW you remember. Do you know what time it is? It's been 800 years. Jellyfishes are walkin' naked. Sea turtles-” You shake your head and quickly pick him up. If you didn't know any better, you could say his face is more frownier and angrier than before.

You pepper him with kisses and apologize and just decide to spend the day at home. You paint with little Rafayel by your side, show him to Reddie and take cute pictures of him and post them to your moments.

You sure had a field trip with his plushie form, but it wasn't so bad when you look back at all the funny memories and your gallery filled with frownie Rafayel and blurred pictures of him being taken away by the seagull. You're definitely getting a polaroid of that one.

Zayne

⤷ Zaynie came with an extra accessory, his glasses and the iconic black shades which you immediately hid away. With his deadpan expression, he looked ever so cute.

Zayne in plushie form is the cutest. Even while being a plushie he somehow reminds you of the important things. You almost forgot to take your meds when you find him near your medicine box. He will randomly appear beside your water bottle to remind you to drink water as well. Another time you found him beside your calendar where you marked the date of your period and it was...Today?! And you were right, you got your period.

You took him to a new cafe, putting the new clothes you got for him and placed him on the table beside all the cutesy desserts and milkshake. His deadpan eyes bored into you while you were munching away on the new limited edition macarons. You nudge one onto his face lightly, “Can you taste it? I'm sorry but that's all I can do.” and give his head a kiss.

You hug him to sleep but wake up to an empty bed? Huh? He was right here? Only when you move your butt, do you find Zayne. His face squished and got wider and shape a bit distorted but happy nonetheless. A little pink in the cheeks. “Did I sleep on you like that all night? I'm really sorry.” You take him in your hands and squish him to adjust his shape and hug him and kiss him.

You took him everywhere you went in a cute little bag. Your friends and coworkers were very welcoming of him and even made him a little workspace beside you, with a tiny desk and chair.

One time, you forgot him in a hurry and came back to a distressed Zaynie lying on the floor in a dark empty apartment. He looked so lonely just lying there in his dark coat (dawnbreaker?) You picked him up and cried for a good long hour and just hugged him and apologized and promised never to leave him again like this.

When you take off your clothes to change in front of him, plushie Zayne plops down onto his face to hide his face maybe. Such a gentleman even as a plushie. You prop him right back again give him a big fat kiss, staining him with lipstick. “Here, how's that?”

You have him help you choose outfits for you and he will cutely plop down on the ones he thinks would look best on you. “Zayne should I wear the green skirt or the yellow one?” Plop! You're matching green with him.

Sylus

⤷ He's a menace even as a stuffed plushie. Has that teasing smirk on his face and will appear at the most random places.

One morning you woke up and couldn't find him anywhere and when to the living room to see him on the couch? With the TV turned on as well? You don't remember turning the TV on last night. How did he- “Did you turn it on by yourself?”

Another time you left him on the bed to go take a shower. You wrapped a towel around you and pulled away the shower curtains to see him on the bathroom counter. How did he even get here? “Have you been here the whole time I was showering?” He just sat there with that annoying smirk on his face. “Pervert.”

Another time, Mephisto took him away out of sheer jealousy and you had to fight that mechanical crow to get him back and another time you left him in care of the twins and they sent you a picture of him with a gun bigger than himself “We on a mission with the boss man.” Oh no YOU'RE NOT. You immediately hurry to pick him up and give the twins a good scolding. “What if he blew up to pieces? We would never get him back again!” “We just wanted to have some fun~” They whine in unison. “Aw man it was my turn to carry him too,” Kieran says and sulks. Mental note to never EVER leave plushie Skye with the twins.

Back home, you were doing your skincare routine and saw him staring at you from the bed. “Wanna join me?” you ask and pick him up and put a tiny piece of facemask on him and add some cucumbers on his eyes. “Perfect.” He's all ready and chilling with you and you take a picture holding Sylus plushie next to your face with matching facemask and cucumbers. “We look perfect.”

Xavier

⤷ He becomes a soft being. Extremely clingy too. You wake up one morning, short of breath, to find him literally on your face. Guess being beside you wasn't enough for him, he needed to be inhaled.

Plops down on his face whenever you look away or don't give him your time. He needs your constant attention.

He was the perfect plushie for your collection so you decided to place him next to your Lumiere plushie. Worst decision ever. He did NOT look happy. The next morning you couldn't find your Lumiere plushie anywhere. “Xavier, what did you do with him?” He just looked back with those tiny innocent round eyes. Welp there goes your limited edition Lumiere plush.

Since he needs your constant attention, you decide to take him to forbidden territory, the kitchen. C'mon it's not like he's going to be doing any cooking, what could go wrong? My condolences to you. You turn around to check on the pot on the stove and find- smoke como from XAVIER'S LITTLE ARM???!!! You rush towards him and take him away from the stove. A little part of his arm became black from the burn. Oh no... You were on the verge of tears, heart almost leapt out. Maybe ordering food these three days would be the best choice.

A little bird once landed on your balcony while you were watering the plants you and him grew together and pecked little Xavier who was sitting at a corner watching. It seemed to take a liking to Xavier because it flew away and came back and put a tiny flower on his plush head. It was so heartwarming you had to take a picture. It is now your phone wallpaper.

You also read to him from his favorite book before going to bed.

Valko

⤷ He disappears a lot.

You swear you fell asleep holding him and woke up in empty arms. You later found him on the couch and don't know how he got there. And another time you placed him on your table while you were getting ready and he disappeared from plain sight.??? You then found him in your closet.

You took him to a dog cafe and the dogs absolutely loved him and went crazy over him. He almost got ripped apart but safe to say as a plushie he's very flexible.

You got him a new wolf hoodie and he looks absolutely adorable in it. He looked happy too. You placed him next to your girly dolls and figurines and he fit in perfectly next to Fluttershy.

He's very soft so you rub his face and ears a lot and you swear you could feel him melt in your palms. Loves to be carried around in your bag.

Funnily enough the second night with him was a full moon and his plushie turned into a complete wolf form. How unique.

Sorry if Valko's part is too short. I still don't know anything about him so I tried my best with what I had. I also apologize if some parts are longer than the others. I tried my best.

[syn4k]

"it's so fucking over" yeah dude it's 11pm it's the end of the day it's time for you to go to bed. and tomorrow you'll be so fucking back because you'll be awake. go tuck yourself in dude you'll be ok

[blackjame]

[podcastwizard]

LIKES TO CHARGE REBLOGS TO CAST

[the-goddess-of-annoying]

you people aren't CASTING

[the-goddess-of-annoying]

NO

[mooned-knights]

is anyone else annoyed that "ai" encompasses both chatgpt and tools we train to do repetitive tedious work for us. and by the ripple effect of articles like "scientists develop ai to detect cancer early" that make people argue for the merit of chatgpt or become anti-medicine. and by the general state of the world and society

[nick-spiegel]

his reaction to learning he's not in 6.0 :(

alt version

[feastofdesires]

Valko had no idea what to expect getting tangled up with you.

That you were in bed with Onychinus literally and firguratively was hard to wrap his head round at first. Especially when you had only good things to say. About how much a criminal organization felt like a family.

It was absurd.

But his pack wasn’t so different, really. His blood binds him to his aunties and cousins. To the oldest and the youngest. He could see how it was similar, belonging, even if it wasn’t by blood. Maybe that’s what made it even more special: the existence of choice.

Meeting Sylus… also wasn’t what he expected. Maybe it’s all the rumors surrounding the enigmatic king of the N109 Zone, but Valko hadn’t expected him to be so…

Calm. Calculating. Firm, but not wholly unkind. He didn’t use violence for the sake of it (Valko still got carried away in the bloodlust sometimes). What got him was the unflinching loyalty. When he listened to how the twins found themselves as loyal henchmen (their own proclamation), he was still shocked that Sylus would let anyone that tried to kill him live. Then again… they’d only been kids. And the way they followed after Sylus was just like his younger cousin with himself.

And then there was you. You, who would rush into a wanderer firefight without a second thought because to you protecting innocent people was just your natural instinct. You, who packed as much ferocity into your tiny (to him) body as much as you cared kindness and compassion. You, who did not show fear or shame at your uglier emotions.

And the way Sylus looked at you… he had no idea someone like that could look so soft. You affected Sylus the same way you affected himself. You inexplicably soothe this beast inside him that he can’t help but wonder if Sylus hid a similar beast within.

Valko didn’t anticipate being drawn into either of your orbits. He figured he wasn’t the type. Neither you or Sylus ever pushed.

“I’m willing to accept many things for a fussy kitten.” Is all Sylus had said on the matter, but Valko had never scented anything antagonist regardless. And then Onychinus went and provided resources to him and his company with vague suggestion of it just being a smart investment.

Now…here he was.

Valko hadn’t meant to find himself in the bed of Sylus, but when he carried you in after falling asleep on the couch, you stubbornly tugged at his arm, asking him to not leave and he just… how was he supposed to deny you? You were deeply asleep now and he’d been resting his eyes for a while now. He was… comfortable. Content. You were snoring slightly and clinging to a little crow plushie “Grump Crow” you had announced.

Your scent was perfectly intwined with Sylus’s in this space. He saw part of you left all over the place where you’ve inserted yourself. Would you do that with him too? Irrevocably mark your existence in his life?

While sleep was hardly pulling at him, Valko had nearly fully settled into something like a deep meditation (something he’s taken up to help temper the wild beast inside him). That was until the near silent open and closing of a door, mechanical fluttering, and a harsh scent of gunpowder and blood hit him.

He nearly sat straight up before remembering you were still haphazardly thrown over him. That’s when he had to carefully escape your grasp. He took a moment to slip off his sweatshirt at least so you could keep his scent. After that, he slipped out of the room and followed his nose to the source.

In the hallway he saw a trailing bloodstain lead into the bathroom and his ears pinned slightly. The blood was starting to overpower all other scents now, but the natural musk of Sylus was beneath it all.

Without thinking, he pushed the cracked bathroom door open fully.

“What happen-“

Valko’s voice trailed off when he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun and Sylus the one holding it, shirtless and bleeding, with a first aid kit strewn about the counter.

The two men stared at each other quietly, Valko with his ears pinned and an instinctual snarl pulling as his lips and Sylus with a cold passivity. Finally, Sylus flicked the safety on and set the gun aside, grunting softly from the movement. Several bullet wounds ripped through the muscle on that half of the body’s ribs.

“Is she asleep…?”

Valko’s ears perked when Sylus had spoken. Quietly. Calm. Always calm.

“Uh… yeah. She was falling asleep during that weird show of hers. The one with all those people on an island trying to figure out who should be their mate- anyways- I tried to move her to your bed then she just kinda dragged me down with her…”

Sylus huffed softly, unable to help the small smile already pulling at his lips.

“She sinks her little claws in deep.”

Valko shifted slightly. Normally you were the buffer between the two of them.

“The bullets’ still in there?”

Sylus gave him a sidelong glance, as if trying to take Valko apart piece by piece to figure out what made him tick.

“That is why I’m in here, yes.”

“Let me help.”

Sylus grimaced at the suggestion.

“Sure. Go back to bed before a little kitten figures out she’s alone.”

Valko snorted before carving out space for himself next to Sylus. To his credit, Sylus was only slightly glaring holes into Valko’s face.

“Don’t be stupid. My evol can get them out quicker than painfully digging for them can and the sooner you’re cleaned up is the sooner you can go lay down and be all wrapped up in a sleepy kitty-cat.”

Valko didn’t outright touch Sylus, but the wolf made it stubbornly clear that he wasn’t just going to take no for an answer with the way his tail had slightly wagging and a cheeky grin grew.

“You’re enjoying this.” Sylus drawled before sighing and turning his injured half towards Valko. Valko wasn’t offended when Sylus kept the gun in easy reach.

“Only a little. I like helping- in general.” Valko placed a careful hand a few inches off of the main wound area, unable to help himself from noticing the way Sylus took in a breath, making the torn muscles flex against his hand. “And while you might not be my pack- family- it’s still important to help other members…”

Sylus watched in poised silence as Valko used his evol to draw the metal bullet casings from ruined skin. The pain was manageable, the evol control was exceptional.

“Holy fuck. Your lung should be Swiss cheese. Those fuckers were deep.” Valko looked at Sylus with wide eyes, holding the bloodied bullets in his palm.

“But they aren’t. I’ll heal the rest later.”

The two stared at each other a while longer.

“You need to eat.”

“I’ll eat later.”

“No, you should eat now. Your evol is really energy intensive.”

“I manipulate it.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that your body had to use a lot of it to do so.”

A metaphorical spark danced between their two glaring eyes. Then Valko’s tail started wagging again.

“She won’t be happy if she finds out you put off eating.”

A beat. Then a sigh.

“Well played.” Sylus drawled before tossing a roll of bandages at Valko. His tail wagged faster as he stepped closer to help bandage the wounds.

It was by the next hour that Valko has Sylus patched up and getting comfortable on the couch with a nice plate of food. He remembered you mentioning Sylus liked texture over flavor, so he fried up a veggie medley with some shredded chicken. Nice and healthy. Valko plopped down right next to him when Sylus put on the show you started falling asleep to earlier.

“It’s important to know if the male focus this episode makes the right choice.” Was all Sylus had divulged with a shrug.

Several hours later when you shuffled out to the living room, you were absolutely tickled to see Valko quietly curled up with his head in Sylus’s lap and Sylus running lazy fingers through the clipped strands.

You snapped a silent picture, but when you looked you noticed Sylus had still caught you, but a quirk in his brow and a tug on the corner of his lips made you grin just as much as you giggled. You moved quickly to join the cuddles when Valko’s ears pivoted around to follow your noises.

Everything really was perfect.

[leemoonaid]

🐦‍⬛Sylus is s tough guy~ more on Patreon

[aglayannar]

YOU FOUND AN ABANDONED PUPPY AT YOUR DOORSTEP. YOUR REACTION?