#(AND I WAS LIKE 'IT LOOKS AWESOME IN GOLD?????')

[forthelostones]

𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 ➺ 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚢 #10 (𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 1)

anderson construction and landscaping had been parked outside your door since you returned home from university. as if the summer couldn't get any hotter, the business owner works overtime in your area. anderson is collecting new, loyal clients of your neighbors, cementing her permanence in your life for the next few months. what's to come of your girlish crush when she keeps showing up?

𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜. 18+ (mdni); age-gap, young!reader, older!abby, butch!abby, slow-burn, suggestive language, thoughts of infidelity, ellie ft, smoking/drinking, mentions of parents, nickname: sweetheart, and modern au.

𝚊𝚗. guys, you're awesome that's for supporting me. i've recently stopped using grammarly for a more real writing experience. so if things are wonky, just know thats why! no more ai help.

♫ 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝. come see me by jill scott ♫

“Shit, what time is it?” She rubs her eyes.  

“Almost 12, but lucky for you there are no clients on the schedule today. It’s a planning period, remember?” You said, suddenly nauseous. 

Ms. Anderson’s hand grasped her chest and she slowly breathed herself out of the early chaos. In a poor attempt, she rakes a hand through gnarled hair and you stand with your arms crossed like an upset mother waiting for their daughter to explain a wild excursion. 

“Right.” She managed. 

“Nice robe.” You mutter sarcastically. 

Abby’s face contorts in pure embarrassment as she grips her ribcage before scurrying into the hallway leaving you alone with the ghosts of last night. An empty bottle of red wine with a gold label sat on the coffee table in plain view. You scuff, literally, letting out a breath of disbelief because the things you felt and believed were now un-real. You slump down onto the couch face warm from a certain humiliation that you could only associate as conflating her looks and kindness for more. You did it again. 

Abby walks out in a white Anderson and Co. t-shirt with the logo across her back. The fabric stretching across her traps, tightening around her muscles. You admire her ass in those dark wash jeans and her slick bun. Even as you were upset you couldn’t help but admire how her grays shimmered. “Want a cup?” 

Her offer of coffee was tempting after the night you had with Ellie. Being stubborn would make you look even more like a child so you kindly accept with the intentions of not drinking it at all. You follow her into the kitchen and stand in silence, staring at the unwashed pots and empty glasses. 

“I’ve been off my game, I had an unexpected visitor, I promise I’m more organized than this.” She sighed. 

Unexpected visitor.

“It’s perfect that I’m here now then, isn’t it?” Your voice unusually timid. 

She turns away from her machine and closes her eyes as if they weighed a ton. “It seems like once I gotcha, I lost all my senses.” 

A beat fell between two and the coffee drip pulled at the thick tension as Ms. Anderson’s gaze fell on you. You crack a willful smile and then peer at the kitchen floor knowing you can’t hide from her here. 

The time that you spend with Abby seems to go by quickly because by the time you check your phone it’s already 8:00 p.m. You press your hand to your forehead after looking through numbers and endless identical names, small square boxes on digital screens, it was straining on your eyes. You couldn't complain, you needed the distraction. After Ms. Anderson cleaned up her mess and you both settled into her office, the conversation and work flow clicked effortlessly. She listened when you spoke and took time to process every syllable, all while teaching you her customer management systems, and the basics of organizing a comprehensive schedule. The main priority today was allocating tasks to her staff for upcoming projects and seeing Ellie’s name on the roaster made your stomach flip. 

“Listen, I was thinking last night, this is pretty monumental for me as I am shifting into a new level of A&C and you joining me, maybe if you’re not busy we can celebrate?” She asked. 

“Oh,” Is all you manage. 

“Or not? I see you’re tired and had a long day, unpaid time with the boss, I get it.” Her instant defeat was a little adorable.

“No, no, Ms. Anderson I would like that, I just wish I wore something nicer.” You sigh. 

“I think this looks amazing.” She said drinking you in.

You arrive at one of the few standing lesbian bars in the state that invited all female jazz musicians to provide the entertainment. The building was brick and seemed small but spanned all the way down the plot, housing a wide parking lot, shockingly full with cars on a weekday. 

“I won’t tell you how long I’ve been comin’ here.” She smiles putting the car into park, flaunting those kind crowfeet. 

Slipping out of the truck and walking on the gravel you started to hear the grumblings of a drum kit and wonder what the hell you’ve gotten yourself into. As expected she opens the door for you and welcomes you into a private sliver of her world. Given Ms. Anderson’s past of being a bartender it made sense that she’d take you somewhere like this, but it being a lesbian bar, made it all the more interesting. Women, mostly older, scattered around in two main parts, the dining area with small duo only tables, or the bar that was cornered by a stage and dance floor. You had never seen so many lesbians in one place before, studs and butches vying for attention from femmes flaunting their silky legs and ready bodies. 

“Let’s have a bite. I promise it’s nothing like you had in college, sweetheart.” 

Self seating was a blessing as Ms. Anderson picked the prime seat, a booth big enough for two. You slip into the far end and Abby follows suit and reaching to pull out her glasses, but before she could you stop her. “I could read it for you.” 

Her brow rises and she sinks down a bit to spread her legs wider. Wider into yours. Her thighs brush yours and it was sweet, so sweet. The menu was held in a black, clothed book and the options spread from appetizers to dessert. A waiter, about your age, came over with Barbie pink lip and electric blue eyeshadow. “Hi, what do you want to drink?” 

No niceties just direct and you liked that. 

“I’ll have an old fashion and whatever she would like.” Ms. Anderson smiled at you. 

“I will have… that.” 

The waiter looked at you shocked and so did your counterpart. Back to the menu you lean in even though the music was a soft tickle of a riffing piano. “So, how hungry are you?” Looking up into her eyes was dangerous but you couldn’t help it. Abby chewed on the corner of her mouth and shrugged. 

“Hungry enough to eat,” 

You order two appetizers that serve as your meal. Once the drinks came out Abby turned towards you and raised a glass to make a toast. “For my very first and best-est assistant, thank you.” 

In unison the cups come to your lips with unwavering eye contact. Your eyes dipped over the rim to watch the handsome woman lick her lips to digest the flavor fully. Your body jolts from the immediate heartburn, this drink was nothing familiar, which made her laugh. 

“You didn’t have to get that.” 

“I know, jus’ something new when I’m with you. Plus, I need something stronger than a cider right now.” You add. 

“You’re okay right?”

You exhale allowing a tug at your lips, “I will be.” 

The pianist concluded its set before another large brass band started to infiltrate the stage.

“I would enjoy it if you joined me to watch the band.” She muttered, her words a bit stiff as if she had practiced them first. 

“Of course.” 

The image of Ms. Anderson, young and reckless flashed in front of my eyes as she swayed alongside you to the silky sound of the sax. The woman’s lower body rocks in opposition to her shoulders, making a good synchronous bounce to come about. Slightly shocked you watch her slyly rock side to side balancing another thick scotch in her left hand, eyes locked in on the band. Her eyes fluttering, a very subtle indication that she’s nearing intoxication.

Your eyes pace the room, searching for something other than Abby’s nose, that you can’t help but think about. Those lips sat perfectly between it and her chin, pink and damp, stinging from her top shelf beverage. Attempting to appear normal you step side to side and bob your head as the tempo increased. Couples begin swirling around you and Abby and suddenly you were transported to a different era. Legs thrusted out in kicks and ball changes which made your heart bounce. 

Abby leaned back slightly and lifter her glass in an admirable jeer. A slow figure closes in on your left side, taller than Abigail by a few inches and absolutely lofty. The woman had a head full locs, split down the middle, cascading down to her shoulders and skin so dark it had a sheen under the blue stage lights, as if she was glowing. She was probably closer to thirty and her confident was exuberant, you couldn’t help but lean in as she cut past all the flailing limbs. 

“You’re looking pretty nervous,” She chuckles in your ear. 

Her warm breath tickled you and as you adjusted to her body next to yours, you notice Ms. Anderson take an awkward sip, chucking a tight grin in your direction. 

“I need something to make me… less nervous, I suppose.” You reply, nearly yelling into her ear as she bends down, accepting your hand on her shoulder. 

“Your girl isn’t helping?” 

“Boss.” 

It stung to say that, especially with you and Ellie on the fence and an undeniable crush on Ms. Anderson, being in this position felt weird. 

“Shit, that makes more sense, would you like to dance?” 

She was so gentle with her large hand resting just above your hip ever so. You look at Abby who locks in on the stage while nursing the last few sips of drink. 

“Teach me?” You say, as she tugs you into her hips and dips you towards the ground. 

Her strength made you yelp over the clattering of instruments. Directly under a sudden white spotlight, her deep brown eyes focused into view, gold hoop in her nose, and a wide mouth that she wet slightly with the tip of her tongue. 

Once pulled back up, the audience began clapping and the next song began without missing a beat. Your new friend spun you around and twisted you so quick that before it registered that you could even move like this. Something opened up inside of you like a newfound freedom beckoning you to simply let go, which you did. 

꒰ঌ ໒꒱

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

Lucifer cupped his face: Hey, there is so much more to a relationship than just sex okay? You healing and feeling better is more important than having an orgasm.

Adam sniffled and looked up at Lucifer, he sounded and looked so serious.

Adam: But-

Lucifer: No buts, I care about you so damn much. Getting to know you? Spending time with you? I love it, I'm here for it. You are smart, funny, witty, and probably one of the nicest people I have ever met. The world is a better place with you in it.

He brushed some of Adam's hair away from his face. He wished he could just fix his leg with a snap of his fingers.

But he can't.

Lucifer: Alastor did this on purpose, he wanted to ruin what you love most. Why? All because you moved on? Well fuck him. And not in the sexy way, that fucking prick can take a Slapshot to the face.

That made Adam crack a small smile.

Lucifer: If nothing else you might have to just sit the season out. Which I know sucks, but you need to give yourself time to heal from everything. But you can't give up. Show that prick that no matter what he throws at you, you'll just get back up.

He hugged Adam and Adam hugged him so tight.

Lucifer: You're not alone in this. I know what it's like.

Adam: ..... You do?

Lucifer nodded and pulled back: I do. When I was younger and by that I mean ten years ago, you inspired me so much I learned how to skate. For the off chance one day that I could skate on the ice with you. My friend Angel said that I was so good that I should try out for the Olympics. I thought he was joking and when it came time for people to register I did so as a joke.

Adam: You got in didn't you.

Lucifer nodded: I did. I was given a plane ticket to Tokyo and everything. So I figured that I might as well give it my all. And you know what? I won a fucking gold metal for Canada.

Adam smiled: That's fucking awesome.

He inspired Lucifer to do that?

Adam: So, why aren't you getting ready to go to the Olympics in Paris this year?

Lucifer: Well...... It's a little bit like what happened with you. Only I wasn't stabbed I broke my knee practicing for the next one because it was so exciting...... I can still skate, but I've just been hesitant to do anything super fancy. But don't you see? It's because of you and your resilience that I even learned to skate and tried out in the first place. You do a lot more good for the world than you realize.

Ice hockey palyer!Adam meeting fan!Lucifer for the first time when he's smashing someone I to the glass in front of him.

Adam winks at him, btw.

AHHHH YES PLEASE!!!

Lucifer would bring swooning and on cloud nine, his favourite hockey player winked at him!

Angel: Awwww cute! He likes you.

Luicfer: It was just for a second…… but these front row seats were worth it oh my god.~

[mintytealfox]

How are we feeling about affection system Norton? 👁️👁️

I L O V E IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTT

LOOK AT HIIMMMM

He is being so SWAVY LIKE WHAT LOL and the banter between these two was NATURAL as SOON as Alice gets a second to be in the room alone with him LOL They bounce off of each other's words so WELL LOL

----

AND THE GAME IS HILARIOUS!! The ability to BONK the other's crude ore and take half of their resources and send the piece all the way back to the beginning IS AWESOME LOOOL the chances to absolutely SABATOGE EACHOTHER IS -WHEEEEZZZEEEEE-

----

AND LOOK AT ALICE'S FACE AS SHE PLAYS THIS THING

CUUUTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE She is having FUNNNN

----

AND THE THINGS NORTON SAYS TO YOU AS YOU PLAY LOOOL

"Don't get too cocky now" "Ain't this a fine day" "Your lucky day, huh?" "What's the hold up? You think they're just gonna turn into gold or what?" "Look at you, feeling lucky"

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

----

Also these two being absolutely BAFFLED about what the other has just said or is doing -WHEEZE-

Alice being shocked about how he is eating

and then Norton being baffled that she even asked 'low on cash bruh??"

-WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZEEE-

-----

I was legit having the TIME OF MY LIFE PLAYING THIS LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLL

Here is the short edited version LOL I took a ton out so I could fit it under an hour and its still a LOT LOL

[gowerhardcastle]

Three Narrator Voices in IF

When I teach writing, I always teach about "sweet, tough, and stuffy," the awesomely named three major writing styles written about in the 1960s by Walker Gibson.

I think about these all the time, though, particularly when I read interactive fiction and see the way the narrator talks to me. But when one writes in second person, these styles ring out with incredible clarity.

Imagine your character is presented with three doors, and you have to choose which to go through.

The sweet IF narrator talks like this: "So, my dear. I wonder which you'll choose here? Good luck..." And then after you choose, something like "Oh no, no, no! I can't believe you did that!" The sweet narrator is really intimate with the reader.

The sweet narrator is trying to be a character in the story. When people review this game, they are going to talk about how much they love the narrator or they will talk about how cloying and annoying they found the narrator.

The tough IF narrator talks like this: "Three doors. Make a choice." The tough narrator of interactive fiction is down to business. You make a choice, and the tough narrator says, "You swing the brass door open, and there's the treasure room you've been looking for. Are you looting it, setting it on fire, or calling out to your friends?"

The tough narrator is here to propel you through the choices and has no interest in being your friend.

The stuffy IF narrator talks like this: "You see, before you, three doors arrayed in a line. You examine them, and determine that it would be best if you opened one of them. Which door you open, however, is a question that you consider carefully. At last, you make your decision." Then when you open the gold door, the narrator says something like, "The gold door, then. Perhaps lured by the gleam of the precious metal, or perhaps by some dim memory of legends of this place, you swing the gold door open and consider the chamber within."

The stuffy narrator is verbose and in absolutely no hurry to get you to the next choice. There isn't the same sense of very present personality as the sweet narrator--there's a certain detachment about it. This narrator is not your buddy.

Obviously you want to mix and match these when the moment calls for it. But I like having names for these voices--and once you know their names you will see them everywhere in IF narration.

--

Come visit the Noble Gases Club for more chit-chat about game design, writing, and lovely and idealized 1930s era comedy here.

[sayl3m00]

click for better quality

ATHENAAAAAAAAAAA

Second try at an Athena design and I’m happy to report this is much more like how I’ve been picturing her in my head for the past 4-6 years.

Some things and headcanons i’d like to note::

- while I didn’t draw it here, I do imagine some sigil like markings on Athena’s back and arms, representing where her owl wings come out when she chooses to have them appear

- not sure why but i’ve always imagined athena with both gold and silver armor aspects. i think seeing different interpretations over the years influenced that decision, where i couldn’t choose between the two lol. didn’t draw it here but i would have designed her shield the same color as her spear

- gilded boots! again, did not draw them here because the lineart and coloring here already took 4-5 days so wtv. i imagine them mostly gold, looking like your typical grecian armor, with silver accents and snakes carved into them

- i headcanon that annabeth looks very similar to athena in facial features and hair type, that if Annabeth were to ever style her hair in braids, the resemblance would be uncanny (why she sticks to a ponytail instead)

- i know a lot of people design athena with blue elements and while i think that’s an awesome design choice and i don’t disagree with it, my personal headcanons have always imagined athena with more gold, red, white and sunset kinda color themes. while being a goddess of wisdom, weaving, etc. she’s also a goddess of war at the end of the day and i think red really incorporates that well. in my aries design (which i will post eventually) he too has red elements, just a lot more black and bronze.

- the golden string in the background is an attempt at her golden thread in which she weaves with. i actually think more weaving athena representation is in order!! i totally see her using it in battle and overall taking a much bigger presence in her godly abilities!!

ty for reading the yap -

p.s. this is my athena design for both pjo and epic. i personally see them as the same figure.

[kabutoden]

scribbles of theodochia in a pink pony outfit and scorpi with his godtier, lusus and weapon (knight of hope, six-eyed crow+buster sword)(designed by xonn)

[astral-schools]

(linear) time & (empty) space

[coconut530]

mARTch Day 2: Inspirations

I love all these artists’ work so much, highly recommend checking them all out.

[rosecandyart]

My personal rankings of each special splatfest Big Man outfit because he actually kinda slays.

1. Frostyfest

2. Grand Festival

3. Splatoween

4. Summer Nights

5. Springfest

[that-one-loz-nerd]

THEY FOUND THUTMOSE II'S TOMB THIS IS SICK!!!!!

[rice-ballin]

tbh i never really ever post any art of mine anymore cuz tbh nobody care about my hetalia oc doodles 😞😞 butttt here’s smth i cooked up yesterday that i’m pretty proud of

(this isn’t me hating on catholicism or our lady guadalupe i swear my family’s catholic)

[jrueships]

keldon wilder # swagson (johnson) sunglasses emoji 😎.

why the fire emoji.... keldon... enogh.

[ravencromwell]

I come triumphantly back from a lengthy google to inform y'all the genius behind this is one Pat Mandziy, and he has a playlist called Gen Z Shakespeare (I think? that link should work--TikTok is a bastard with screen readers). If it doesn't, just look up his name, and you should see the playlist underneath. The Romeo!!!!!!! one!!!!!!!! is so good!!!!!!!!

this is targeted tumblr content

[coconut530]

I’m having a blast 🦩🖤⚔️

[snowflop]

Yeah you could say my trip to the used book store was fruitful

[bogleech]

Scanning electron microscopy is awesome and I personally think the images it produces are gorgeous but objectively speaking I feel like it doesn't do any favors at all for the "scary" cultural image of insects, because I mean, here's a closeup of a carpet beetle in its true colors:

And here's an SEM image that comes up for carpet beetles on google:

And the thing about SEM images is that they aren't "photographs;" they are computer scans. They're 3-d digital models generated by scanning an object at the molecular level. Color is not preserved by this process, and if it were all the specimens would look like metal anyway (I'll explain this is in a moment), so images like this had to be colored artificially. This isn't done to recreate the true colors, but to make different body parts more visible as study material, resulting in scientific images of wacky blueberry fleas:

The subtly varying transparency levels of living tissues are completely lost as well, which is why the fine hairs of insects stand out more like cactus thorns in SEM imagery, and tardigrades look like opaque leathery things with no eyes:

...Even though a tardigrade actually has eyes, they're just under the surface of a crystal clear exoskeleton:

Another thing that probably contributes to the uncanniness of SEM images is also the fact that they can only show us embalmed corpses encased in liquid metal.

It's not possible to do this fine level of scanning "instantaneously" enough for it to work on anything that's still moving, so even when you see scanning electron images of animals in various lifelike poses, it's because they're preserved specimens that were carefully positioned, or they were live specimens basically "flash frozen" by a sudden dehydration process, mummified so fast they never knew it. Many specimens are then "sputter coated," meaning they're sprayed with a thin (like microns thin) layer of liquid gold, platinum or other fine metal in order for the electrons to perfectly bounce off of every subatomic detail and produce that perfect scan. So this is a live fruit fly:

And this is a fruit fly mummy with probably some sort of chrome plating: