#(and yes I'm adding one more project to my list

[the-words-we-sung]

Young Royals week: day 1 - playlist

S1E1 playlist

Bad - Farveblind Wannabe Ghetto - Fata Boom It takes a food to remain sane - The Ark I see you - Nadia Theran Blah blah blah - Armin Van Buuren

(Inspired by my song analysis serie)

Thank you @youngroyals-events for hosting this event!

[phoenixyfriend]

Star Wars Time Travel Rec List

About time I put together a General Rec List for Star Wars Time Travel, yeah?

Organized by the time-traveling character(s). I'm adding a star for my favorites that imo you have to read. I'm not going to claim that those are necessarily the best, because I feel like that's not objective and also kinda mean to the ones that are good since they might just not be to my personal taste, but they are my favorites.

Obi-Wan

Anakin Skywalker

Ahsoka

Clones

Other Prequels-Era Characters

Two or more people

Luke or Leia

Other

Tagged authors where I could. If they aren't tagged, I either couldn't find their tumblr, they have their settings such that no one can tag them, or they blocked me for one reason or another.

Obi-Wan

It Was Another Time and I Another Man by Pell_Binterhol - under "Groups"

Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Dust by @livsy ~35k+, complete Obi-Wan is a time traveler, mental from the OT. What makes it unique is that the fic is from Anakin's POV. It's a very heartwarming piece.

⭐Take it from the top and try again by @mauverawrites ~170k, series - two fics complete, more on the way Possibly the best way to describe this series is as the platonic ideal of an Obi-Wan time travel fic. Weird Force stuff? Check. Obi-Wan having spent years on Tatooine? Check. Qui-Gon surviving? Check. Obi-Wan doing some shady illegal stuff to get money and infiltrate crime rings so he can save the galaxy? Check. Anakin being adorable as an initiate, and Shmi being saved from Tatooine? Check. Surprise Feemor? Check. It's all the bits you (or at least I) hope for when opening a new Obi-Wan Time Travel fic, and it never feels stale or repetitive or cliche. It's just a Very Good Fic.

The Exchange by @misslearn - under "Groups"

An Abundance of Obi-Wans by The_Last_Kenobi (orphan_account) ~45k, abandoned Unfortunately we'll never know how this ends, but it's a lot of fun while it lasts. Baby Obi is being haunted by three ghosts of his future self.

A Padawan at War (Again) by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars- under "Groups"

These Paths by HiddenEye - under "Groups"

⭐the massive machinery of hope by @killbothtwins 150k, complete Do you want comedy? Yes, you do. This one is great. Go read it. It's one of my favorites for a reason, and the reason is that Obi-Wan is a sarcastic little shit with a billion quips.

Living Memory by elsa3beth 353k, on hiatus, possibly abandoned? Obi-Wan Time Travel, leans a bit more heavily into the distrust and despair surrounding Anakin (due to Vader things from the future) than most.

⭐The Desert Storm/Rise and Fall by @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning ~1.6m (1592k), ongoing This is one of the longest, most consistent, best-regarded time-travel fics in the fandom for a reason.

⭐Reprise by Elfpen ~560k, ongoing Another Obi-Wan time-travel fic, this one using that favored cover story of "Ben is Obi-Wan's biological uncle," and I love it so much for how it explores both characters and political events.

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - under "Groups"

Current of Fate by @feybarn ~195k, on hiatus? It's been so long since I read this one that I can't quite remember what it was that I liked about it so much, and it's too long to do a reread right now... but I do remember loving it, especially when it switches to an outsider POV for the second fic.

Anakin Skywalker

The Exchange by @misslearn - under "Groups"

A Padawan at War (Again) by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

War Drums by @intermundia ~91k, ongoing Vader travels back to TPM. Runs off with Obi-Wan into the stars to Achieve Some Goals to take down Sidious. Gets quick-aged to 19 by some Dathomiri magic. Projected to be Obikin.

These Paths by HiddenEye - under "Groups"

Old Promises by @threebea ~65k, ongoing Time Traveler Anakin panic-kidnaps Initiate Kenobi. Absolute disaster of a man.

An (Un)fortunate Haunting by @kooriicolada, @scarletjedi 3.5k, oneshot Anakin thinks the Vader ghost haunting him is a hallucination. This one is technically more than just Anakin, but it's... mostly Anakin.

⭐Force of Many Sights by DAsObiQuiet ~480k, on hiatus? Vader to TPM, possessing his younger self. This fic has a heavy, and much-appreciated focus on therapy as it functions for someone of Vader's... particular situation. This is also technically a "Groups" series, since it's also got Siri Tachi as a time-traveler, but her POV is much smaller, and it takes... I want to say about 100k words for her to really start playing a more active role in the plot.

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - under "Groups"

Ahsoka

I don't know why all the good Ahsoka time travel fics are her as part of a team, but they do in fact fuck, so. I LIED I forgot to bookmark one of the Ahsoka fics I like.

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

These Paths by HiddenEye - under "Groups"

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - under "Groups"

Living in Borrowed Time by @scribbling-albatross - under "groups"

⭐Although He Smiles by @autumnillustration - ~157.6k, ongoing This one is amazing, it's an Ahsoka main, and she is very funny with Padawan Obi-Wan and adorable with 9yo Anakin. Lovely.

Clones

love is with your brother by Petrichor (Mythmaker) ~8k, complete TCW Rex bodyswaps with his baby self. POV is Ahsoka during the clone wars.

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

These Paths by HiddenEye - Rex and Cody - under "Groups"

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - Rex and Cody - under "Groups"

Living in Borrowed Time by @scribbling-albatross - Rex - Under "Groups"

⭐Dominoes by meridianpony ~380k, ongoing All five Dominoes go back to the beginning, from the points of their deaths! (Disclaimer: Echo's treated as having died at the Citadel. I think the fic started before his survival was revealed.) Technically this is a group, but all five are clones, so...

Other Prequels-Era Characters

there is no death by @ashkav ~140k, ongoing There is something really cool about Cal Kestis time travel fics, especially when he's got a decent amount of knowledge of The General Situations (e.g. Anakin will become Vader) but is missing so many details, like Why and How.

⭐An Echo in the Force (a whisper in a cave by @stardust2flame ~8k, complete Feemor is trapped in a time loop. This was actually written as a gift to me, so it has a special place in my heart.

⭐Mace Windu Fixes the Timeline... And Breaks it in Whole New Ways by AbsentmindedAuthor98 ~52k, ongoing Absolutely choice series based on an AU by @suzukiblu. Mace Windu does some time-traveling. He takes on Anakin as his padawan on an impulse, but he ends up doing his damnedest to be a Good Master for the kid. Depa helps.

Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge by @yellowocaballero - Fox - under "Groups"

Make a Brand New End by @batshieroglyphics ~120k, I think on hiatus Another Feemor fic! This one's not time-loop, just time travel. Lots of juicy Qui-Gon drama.

⭐Not a Good Man by @feybarn ~28k, ongoing Imperial era Boba Fett goes back to AotC. He decides to fix things, partly by trying to get his dad to fall in love with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

a distant fire is burning by e_va ~47.5k, ongoing This is another Cal fic! It's got video game logic in it. Also, Anakin and Cal are both being so weird about sort of being adoptive brothers, it's great.

⭐They Don't Care About Us by @ironhoshi Time traveler Boba! And Cal! They're doing great, sweetie. Their best. Obi-Wan and Jango are mostly just confused. (Has anyone checked on Anakin? Someone needs to go check on Anakin. Again.)

Groups

It Was Another Time and I Another Man by Pell_Binterhol ~200k, incomplete This is a very fun fic that involves multiple time-travelers from multiple points in time. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon from the Legends novels are pulled forward into TCW, and Old Ben and Luke are pulled back from the OT, and some spoilers as well.

⭐The Exchange by @misslearn ~120k, complete A swapping-style time travel. RotS Anakin&Obi-Wan end up in TPM, and TPM Anakin&Obi-Wan end up in RotS. Shenanigans ensue. (Also trauma.)

⭐Can We Start Over? by @triscribe ~22k, ongoing Most of the Jedi have time-traveled from the points of their deaths to about a year pre-AotC. Some handle it better than others. The POV is Aayla, which I find very cool.

A Padawan at War (Again) by @itstimeforstarwars ~183k, ongoing It's technically more of a de-aging than a time-travel, but hey! Still a good read! TPM Anakin and Obi-Wan take the place of their TCW selves, who no longer exist.

⭐Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars ~complicated as the second fic has been hidden, ongoing This is one of my favorite series, but as you can see by the above, it's in a bit of a timeout right now. Bookmark it for later? Also, there's an entire side series called Inspired By One Hundred Hours To Rearrange The Stars.

These Paths by HiddenEye ~90k, complete Our five TCW mains (Obi-Wan, Cody, Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex) are booted forward to the Original Trilogy. The latter three are deaged to their TPM ages (9, 4, baby respectively). Also it's CodyWan.

Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge by @yellowocaballero ~33k, complete Leia and Fox time travel! This one is very dark. That said, it has a comedic counterpart that I love, which is only available on tumblr: ⭐Fox & Leia's Holiday Special

⭐Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel ~68k, abandoned Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex, and Cody, from TCW to TPM. Despite the unfinished state, I cannot deny the oddly intense level of influence this fic has had on my own approach to star wars time travel fics.

⭐Living in Borrowed Time by @scribbling-albatross 118k, ongoing Rex and Ahsoka are time-travelers! They are so, so very fucked up. Sure do wish they had access to therapists that could actually be cleared for knowing their Extensive Lists Of Traumas. This one definitely had a huge impact on how I characterize Rex and Ahsoka since I entered the fandom.

Luke and Leia

Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge by @yellowocaballero - Leia - under "Groups"

There is another Skywalker by WabiSabi ~85k, on hiatus? Time-Traveler Leia! Mentally in the sequels, physically in her thirties, and chronologically in the clone wars. Also Luke's sharing space in her noggin.

Shifting Sands by @chancecraz ~180k, ongoing "Ongoing? But it hasn't updated since 2021!" The last time it updated, the chapter was 65k, after over two years of radio silence. Trust me when I say that the lack of recent updates means nothing for this author. Anyway, Sequels Leia to about a year pre-TPM, hangs out with baby Anakin and Shmi and then neatly inserts herself in the plot.

⭐Of Queens, Knights, and Pawns by @chancecraz ~860k, ongoing Same author as above, same disclaimer for the gap since last update. Sequels Leia does a mental time-travel into her ANH self, specifically the 'being tortured on the Death Star' moment. It's so fucking good.

Old Man Luke by @scarletjedi ~110k, ongoing Sequels Luke to TCW! He is very cryptic, channeling the Jedi who taught him! Fun!

⭐Sith Lord Swell by AMournfulHowlInTheNight ~53k, ongoing Luke and his students (including Ben Solo) travel back in time to a bit before AotC. They decide the best way to proceed is to pretend they are Sith Lords. This is primarily a comedy fic. Luke really enjoys fucking with people.

⭐Don't Look Back by @this-acuteneurosis ~700k, ongoing Post-OT Leia (after the deaths of most of her friends) physically time travels to a year or two before AotC. She is taken in by the Lars family, and then she and Shmi start to head for Coruscant, run into Padme, and join the Nabooan government in Padme's employ. Do you want a fic that feels like 70% politics and logistics and trade routes? Because that's what this is and it's great.

Other

The Way of Conquest by pagination ~76k, ongoing There is something very funny about the time-traveler not even realizing they are about thirty years into the wrong time. Din has no idea when he is. Grogu does, but he's not telling.

[nomorezerocomments]

Blog Introduction

Hello! Welcome to the No More Zero Comments Project! This is a blog dedicated to reducing the amount of fics on ao3 that have no comments at all.

The goal is simple: find fics with no comments, read them, and leave a comment for the author. However, I (this blogs creator) am not in every fandom to ever exist on ao3 so this is not a task I can do alone. That's where you come in!

There are two ways you can do this. One is to go out and find fics with zero comments in your fandoms, and leave a comment. The other is to take a look at the spreadsheet i made with a list of fics i found with no comments and see if there's any fandoms you know. If I did my job right, you should be able to filter it? Who knows, I suck at technology. This spreadsheet will be updated regularly by adding new fics (and removing ones that have now received comments) so there will always be new stuff to see!

So far, the spreadsheet contains mostly fics from @febuwhump collections, as their commentfest is where i got this idea. If you want to submit one of your own zero comment fics for the spreadsheet, you can do so here.

If you read a fic from the spreadsheet and leave a comment on it (or have received a comment on your own fic that is on the spreadsheet), you can let me know here so I can remove it from the spreadsheet (you do not have to do this, I will try to check regularly to see if fics have received comments, but doing it this way will be a HUGE help to me)!

Some preemptive answers to potential FAQs under the cut!

Who runs this blog?

That'd be me, Izak, also known as @lightningzombie! Hi!

Wait, I see one of your fics on the spreadsheet!

Look. I'm not doing this for no reason. Around 14% of my own fics have no comments. In the interest of fairness, I'll only be adding one of my own fics to the spreadsheet at a time. This limit only applies to me as the owner of this blog. Everyone else can have as many as they like on there lol

Do I have to read fics from the spreadsheet?

Nope! It's just a handy tool for if you're looking for something to read, and want to help out an author in need of their first comment. You can go find zero comment fics wherever you usually get fics from

Is there some sort of prize/competition?

Nope! This is just an effort to increase fandom engagement since it fell off post-COVID. You don't have to report to me about it, you just gotta do it!

Why did you decide to do this?

Frustration with the lack of comments on my fics and the death of comment culture in general. Bewilderment when I saw a fic that had 1200 kudos and no comments. The joy that leaving 100 comments and receiving 20+ during the Febuwhump commentfest brought me. Boredom. Many reasons!

Will you do events?

Maybe! If there's enough interest we could do events similar to justleaveacommentfest.

Can I submit other peoples fics for the spreadsheet?

I mean, yeah, of course. But like, if you're going to the trouble of submitting someone else's fic, why not just leave a comment on it?

(edit: if you want to add a bunch of stuff from your fandoms that you don't have time to read/have tags you can't read then go for it!)

I don't know how to comment!

Yes, you do. "I like this" is a comment. "How dare you do that to [insert blorbo here]" is a comment. "<3" is a comment. "KAJSDAKSDHJ WHYYYYY????" is a comment. "I am rapidly approaching your location" is a comment. Just be kind!

Will you be doing this for platforms other than ao3?

For now, no. Ao3 is the platform I've used for a decade and the one I understand. However if you comment on fics that aren't on ao3, that's great! The spirit of the project is so give love to authors so do that on whatever platform you see fit

Happy commenting!

[thehoneybeestings]

𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧

𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫!𝐯𝐢 𝐱 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Word Count: 2k

Content/Warnings: sfw, arcane au in which they're all actors starring in the show, bold vi x clueless reader, reader gets yelled at by a dickhead but vi doesn't play about u, reader doesn't like coffee or beer sorry I'm projecting, reader referred to w fem pronouns and terms

A/N: yayyy here we are with pt 2 of the arcane actor au series! i honestly wasn't planning on writing for anyone else, but if there's someone else you'd really like to see in this universe, let me know and I'll do my best to bring it to life!

i hope you enjoy :)

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐛𝐞𝐞 ୨ৎ

──˚₊•୨ৎ•‧₊˚──

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐕𝐢

୨ৎ So remember that Sevika is the polar opposite of her actress, Nina? 

୨ৎ Well, stick Vi in our world and there's Quinn Lockland

୨ৎ She's a b-list actress, made popular mostly by her giant fanbase of sapphics, because come on; look at her

୨ৎ Looks aside, she’s also known for her big personality (this is a nice way of saying she has no media training and is constantly stressing her management team The Fuck out)

୨ৎ She's most frequently described by her fans as a “puppy dog lesbian”: super outgoing and down-to-earth, himbo energy, sass for days, but also has a huge heart

୨ৎ She's a golden retriever!

୨ৎ And it is very hard not to fall for her… you're quick to learn this during your first few weeks working as a set PA for Arcane’s second season

୨ৎ It's your first time working on a project of this scale, so despite essentially being a glorified errand boy, you're still over the moon to have gotten the opportunity 

୨ৎ Of course, it helps that nearly every day, you share a set with Quinn Lockland, who seems to have taken a liking to you, too…

୨ৎ She's had her eye on you for as long as you've been working on set, but you don't even realize she knows you exist until she comes up one day to officially introduce herself

୨ৎ She walks up behind you, wearing one of those giant puffy coats that actors wear when their costumes don't account for freezing temperatures, and places a gentle hand on the back of your arm to grab your attention

୨ৎ “Hey! Y/n, right?”

୨ৎ Holy hell

୨ৎ She's even prettier up close

୨ৎ Wait… how does she already know your name?

୨ৎ Ugh, don't get your hopes up; she probably just saw your name on the call sheet and needs something

୨ৎ “Y-yeah, that's me,” you say, trying your best to act casual despite being face-to-face with one of your celebrity crushes, “what can I do for you?”

୨ৎ “Oh, no!” She chuckles, and her baby blues crinkle up into crescent moons. “I don't need anything; you're all good. Just got out of hair and makeup early and wanted to say hi.”

୨ৎ “O-Oh..” you chuckle awkwardly (before kicking yourself for being so damn awkward)

୨ৎ Luckily, Quinn is super good at making conversation regardless of how shy the other person may be, so she continues

୨ৎ “This your first series?”

୨ৎ “Oh, yes! It is, I've only worked movie sets before, so…”

୨ৎ “Same here,” she nods. “I think I prefer this. Gives me more time to explore the character and all that nerdy actor shit.” 

୨ৎ This earns a laugh from you, and the smile that breaks out on her face is so fucking warm you nearly melt

୨ৎ She juts her arm out, gesturing to the paper cup in hand

୨ৎ “Coffee?” She asks

୨ৎ “Oh, no thanks; I'm more of a tea person.”

୨ৎ “Noted,” she says-mostly to herself- and before you have time to read into what she meant by that, here comes the 2nd AD barking orders at you

୨ৎ “Need a new lav for Nina yesterday.”

୨ৎ Quinn doesn't miss the snappy tone they take with you

୨ৎ And you don't miss the narrowed eyes she shoots them as you dart off to complete your given task

୨ৎ For the rest of your time on set, Quinn greets you every morning with a coffee for herself in one hand and a tea for you in the other

୨ৎ “I don't know how you drink that shit. No sugar or anything. Tastes like dirt.”

୨ৎ “Quinn, you drink black coffee. I don't think you have room to judge.” 

୨ৎ “ ‘S different.” 

୨ৎ You playfully roll your eyes with a chuckle, and a smirk breaks out on her face as she lightly shoves you with her arm

୨ৎ “Hey! Watch it, you've got hot coffee in that-”

୨ৎ “Y/n?”

୨ৎ You hear her scoff

୨ৎ Surprise, surprise... the 2nd AD

୨ৎ She started keeping her eye on them- more specifically, how they treated you- after that first time she'd seen them speak to you disrespectfully

୨ৎ And Quinn being Quinn- outspoken as she is outgoing- isn't shy about making her growing distaste for them known

୨ৎ If there was one thing she didn't tolerate, it was anyone on set being treated as if they weren't an integral part of the production, regardless of what their title was

୨ৎ She'd been considered a little guy once- an extra on the set of a big movie, treated as if her role didn't matter- and since then, she'd vowed to stand up against any mistreatment she saw

୨ৎ One day, she's standing on her mark as the grips get everything ready for filming and beckons you over to bug you (you love it) one last time before action is called

୨ৎ “What's up?” You ask, assuming she needs something

୨ৎ “Nothing. Just missed you.”

୨ৎ You feel a heat rise to your cheeks, and you chuckle incredulously 

୨ৎ “You're… ridiculous. You know-”

୨ৎ “Y/n,” the 2nd AD suddenly calls, “get out of the shot!”

୨ৎ She's quick to turn her head to them, anger evident on her face

୨ৎ “I called her over here,” she spits, shaking her head as they conveniently back down as soon as she speaks up

୨ৎ “Jesus, are they always rude as shit?”

୨ৎ You choke out a laugh, covering your mouth with your hand

୨ৎ “Quinn,” you whisper, “the mics are on… they've got headphones, they can hear you!”

୨ৎ She shrugs her shoulders as if to say, “Like I give a fuck,” and you roll your eyes, shaking your head in amusement as you walk away

୨ৎ “You’re a mess, Lockland.”

୨ৎ “You love it,” she calls after you

୨ৎ But it all comes to a head when she's walking down the hall one day and hears the annoyingly unmistakable voice of the 2nd AD going in on someone just around the corner

୨ৎ “... and now our actors can't eat until an hour after they were promised and production has to account for a change in schedule because you couldn't even place a damn catering order correctly.”

୨ৎ “I-I’m so sorry...” 

୨ৎ Her eyes widen

୨ৎ There was your unmistakable voice

୨ৎ “I completely understand-”

୨ৎ “No! I don't think you understand! You know, it might be time you consider if you're really cut out for-”

୨ৎ “Everything alright?”

୨ৎ Quinn finally rounds the corner and leans against the wall, her eyes burning into the AD

୨ৎ Their face runs pale

୨ৎ “Y-yes! Everything’s fine, we just-”

୨ৎ “You sure? Because I can't think of a good enough reason for her to be near tears right now.” 

୨ৎ Her tone remains steady and collected, but you both know anger boils just under the surface

୨ৎ “She… she just-”

୨ৎ “Fuck off.”

୨ৎ There it was

୨ৎ She kicks off the wall with a look that could kill, and the AD goes scrambling 

୨ৎ The minute her eyes are on you- shaken up and downright humiliated- she softens, reaching out to squeeze your arm 

୨ৎ “You okay?”

୨ৎ “Yeah, I just… it is my fault; I accidentally placed the lunch order for 1 instead of 12-”

୨ৎ She cuts you off with a dramatic eye roll 

୨ৎ “Oh my god, and now we're all gonna die.”

୨ৎ A soft chuckle manages to escape through your tears, and a smile breaks out on her face at the sight

୨ৎ “I mean, seriously, when has lunch ever gotten here on time? You're fine, love. C’mon, your dirt water is getting cold.” 

୨ৎ So… the 2nd AD doesn't come back…

୨ৎ But hey! You get promoted and take their spot! 

୨ৎ Now, you're much more involved with the filming process and around Quinn a lot more as a result

୨ৎ Somehow, you still don't see that the giant crush you have on her is very much reciprocated 

୨ৎ At least, not until today

୨ৎ It's been one of the longest days on set yet; Quinn is hungry, exhausted, and now, she's filming one of the most devastating scenes that Vi is in

୨ৎ Your brows are knit together in focus, watching through the screen as she lays flat on her back on the giant metal set piece, sobs wracking her body

୨ৎ But when the director calls cut, she doesn't stop crying

୨ৎ You can see her trying to play it off-sitting up, running her fingers through her hair- but she's still crying

୨ৎ You look over at the director, concern written all over your face, and he nods, giving you the go-ahead to check on her

୨ৎ “Hey,” you say gently, kneeling down and placing a hand on her shoulder, “you okay, Quinn?”

୨ৎ Your comfort only makes her tears return in full swing

୨ৎ “I’m just tired,” she says, voice breaking, “and that was a lot.”

୨ৎ “Yeah,” you nod, thumb swiping tears from under her eyes, “it was. You done for the day?”

୨ৎ She chuckles dryly through her tears

୨ৎ “I’m so done.”

୨ৎ The set finally wraps for the day, and you wait outside of her trailer as she changes into sweatpants and a hoodie

୨ৎ “I need a drink,” she exhales, walking down the trailer’s steps

୨ৎ “You need to eat, too,” you remind her with a smile

୨ৎ “Damn, I do… pizza and beer at my place?” She asks

୨ৎ “I don't drink beer…” you shyly admit

୨ৎ “Dude. First, the tea, now this? You're so high maintenance…”

୨ৎ She may feign irritation, but she swings an arm over your shoulder as you walk to her car anyway

୨ৎ Now, the two of you sit across from each other on her couch, half a pizza knocked out, Quinn nursing a beer, and you a glass of wine

୨ৎ “What about Serena? I mean, you guys obviously have chemistry, or people wouldn't like Caitlyn and Vi together so much.”

୨ৎ The of you were on the topic of your love lives now; well, the lack thereof…

୨ৎ “She's taken,” Quinn informs you, “and not really my type anyway.”

୨ৎ “Oh? Then what is your type?”

୨ৎ She throws back the last sip of her beer before placing the bottle on the table

୨ৎ There's a pregnant pause as she leans back, considering what to say next, or rather, if she should say what's already on the tip of her tongue 

୨ৎ Fuck it, she thinks

୨ৎ “I don't know. I suppose I have kind of a thing for 2nd AD’s.”

୨ৎ You throw your head back in a laugh

୨ৎ “What?!” you ask, the comment going over your head completely 

୨ৎ “That’s-”

୨ৎ Oh… now you get it…

୨ৎ Your voice drops, just over a whisper

୨ৎ “Oddly specific…”

୨ৎ She gives you a knowing smirk

୨ৎ “Wait… so does that mean… so just to confirm-”

୨ৎ “Yes, Y/n. I like you.”

୨ৎ The two of you have a good laugh over just how clueless you'd been, and eventually- two glasses of wine, three beers, half a pizza, and one makeout session later- you're passed out on the couch, arms wrapped around each other and legs tangled together

୨ৎ It isn't long after that night that the two of you make it official, and you move in with her after season two wraps

୨ৎ Your relationship is kept relatively private, until one night, Quinn is live on Instagram doing a Q&A for the season’s premiere 

୨ৎ She's in the middle answering a question- ironically, about CaitVi- when you walk behind her, not realizing you're in frame

୨ৎ Suddenly, she's flooded with comments 

୨ৎ “omg who was that?!”

୨ৎ “QUINN U HAVE SOMEONE OVER RN GET OFF LIVE?!"

୨ৎ “mama a girl behind u…”

୨ৎ The last catches her attention 

୨ৎ “Mama, a…” 

୨ৎ Her head whips around in a panic, and she sighs in relief when she sees you standing there

୨ৎ “Oh my fuck, whoever said “mama a girl behind you” is banned, I deadass thought there was an intruder…”

୨ৎ You let out a chuckle at this

୨ৎ “omg who is she!!”

୨ৎ “AWW HER LAUGH”

୨ৎ “WAIT NO DON'T BSN MR PLS”

୨ৎ Quinn reads all of the comments with a coy smile 

୨ৎ “You've been discovered, babe,” she calls out to you

୨ৎ You immediately feel so bad, worrying that you've ruined the live or that you've put her in the position to publicize your relationship before she was ready

୨ৎ “Shit, I’m so sorry!”

୨ৎ She turns to give you a warm smile

୨ৎ “Don't apologize, love. You're fine; you didn't do anything wrong.”

୨ৎ Now everyone’s going crazy over how sweet she is to you

୨ৎ And sweet she is; she is the lover boy of the century, and now that you're public, she brags about you any chance she gets

୨ৎ You two quickly become one of the internet’s favorite couples; a staple conversation topic for your everyday sapphic 

୨ৎ And once a month, you two make a point to have pizza, wine, and beer to commemorate the night that you finally realized Quinn Lockland was just as whipped for you as you were for her

𝐄𝐍𝐃 ୨ৎ

[narastories]

on the topic of writing software

I want to ramble at you about some writing software options. 98% of the time I'm perfectly content with LibreOffice Writer (and previously I used Word, back when Microsoft products were less shitty). But every now and then when I have a new project (like now - more on that later) I start looking for something shiny and new to try. And I fell down into another research rabbit hole lol

I usually don't talk a lot about this bc my needs are very simple, and not sure how useful my opinion is to others, but I enjoy the topic. It's an intersection of creative writing and tech nerdiness and I like both of those things. Also what writing software you prefer really depends on the type of writer that you are, and everyone has a slightly different writing process and I find that fascinating.

Now, as I said, I'm coming at it from a slightly tech-nerd angle. I don't care if the installation is clunky, I'm happy to see the words open-source, and the need to create an account will already mildly piss me off (:

Don't worry, I'm not as intense as the guy writing his novel in Vim. Though fucking respect. And I can't say I'm not tempted to try it even with the steep learning curve lmao (Seriously, if you don't know Vim is notorious among software developers.)

Anyway, things I've tried so far:

Manuskript: this was listed as an open-source Scrivener alternative (though I haven't tried Scrivener. so.). I gave it a go when I was writing heart worth the trouble and it was pretty nice. It helped me when I had to move scenes and chapters around. But overall I think it was made with plotters in mind bc it wants you to enter a lot of information upfront. I'm not a planner/architect type of writer so this type of software is a bit overwhelming for me. Still, the fact that it's open source and works on Linux gets kudos from me.

Wavemaker: I recently played around with this, and I actually surprisingly like the features it has. You can put multiple books in a project, which is very nice if you like to work on different things, like fanfic, novels, etc. The mindmap is a feature I liked, though it's a bit clunky bc it collapses the text fields when you exit, and once I added an image field by accident that I could never remove lol I do like a bit of a snowflake method, so that feature is cool, and the cards are pretty straightforward too. Usually, my problem with these apps is that I don't even want to touch half of the features so they are pointless to me, but the features of Wavemaker were kind of nice. It's a web app that you can download and use offline but it's still working from your browser if that makes sense. That was what I didn't really appreciate. Also, it doesn't give you a lot of options to back it up. You either save the wavemaker file, export it into a document (which is fine, but it adds an extra step to the backup process) or you sync with Google Drive *shudders*

Things I want to try out:

Calmly Writer: now this is just purely a text editor that focuses on being very zen, streamlined, distraction-free, etc. It's pretty and it has typewriter sounds. (Yeah, I'm not immune to a pretty UI and harmless fun features alright? I can contain multitudes :P) It has an online version, but you can also download it, and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. On paper, the desktop app requires a license, but the way they put it is that you can evaluate it for free and the evaluation doesn't have an enforced time limit... So. As good as free. (Though if I really like it, I would totally consider buying a license for 20usd that I can use on 3 computers, that seems fair. I appreciate a license over a subscription model for sure.) Honestly, I think this is the one I'm going to try next bc it just integrates perfectly into my writing process. That being: a multitude of messy, hand-written notes and notebooks + a document editor + backups on hard drive and GitHub (yes, really) ^^"

Shaxpir: This is on the opposite end of the spectrum basically, but out of the "fancy" ones, I kind of like the look of this the most. I like the statistics part in particular. But honestly, I probably won't try it bc it doesn't have a Linux version which would be a pain in the ass for me, and is cloud-based. I kind of don't really trust them, which is my biggest issue with these companies. (Although the creator's heart seems to be in the right place when it comes to AI. Basically, some of their features are based on machine learning and language models. For example, it will recognize passive voice, if it's an adverb with "-ly" or the emotion of a word. Which I think is all cool and fine and shouldn't be lumped in with generative AI. But he also had a website that did this analysis for already published works, and when people pointed out that it was sketchy, he took that down and I can respect that. I'm not sure how much it influenced the actual features of the app, maybe I'll just take a peek out of curiosity. The whole thing does make me have trust issues though lmao) If anyone has experience with it though, I'm interested to hear about it.

Obsidian: not a dedicated writing software, but rather an elaborate note-taking app. I heard good things about it from smart people lol If I really wanted to access my writing on my phone, I would probably use this bc it works on every platform and has end-to-end encrypted sync with version control. I heard you can also integrate it with GitHub which is always music to my ears lol But the setup probably takes a bit of time and I'm not particularly motivated to do that right now.

So yeah, those are the options that appeal to me right now. If anyone used these and has opinions, I'm all ears :D

[eldritchravens]

Welcome Home - Springtime Salutations ! - A collection of every secret I could find

⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD!⚠️

This post is a collection of all the things I discovered during my exploration of the website. I'm not going to delve too much into theories, this is more of a list of curiosities with a pinch of speculation. Buckle up, this will be a long post! Enjoy!

1 - Where's Wally?

Where did Wally go?! Oh No!! It seems our beloved puppet went missing! Seriously, this is very strange, and probably the first thing everyone noticed when loging in. Instead, Julie is here to welcome us. Hello Julie! :)

Most noticeably, Wally is missing from the front page, the Guestbook page and the Welcome Home page. His absence is also alluded to in the Storybook "Sweet Briar". So... Where IS Wally? We'll come back to this in a minute.

2 - The page is still breathing

Look very closely, the image is still... breathing. This phenomenon was added during the homewarming update, however it's interesting to note the image still moves even after the outfit change, and after Wally's disappearance. Very unnerving.

3 - Audio Distorsions

I managed to find 4 instances with audio distortions, specifically in the storybooks.

You can find two of them in "Springtime Salutations" (0:26 & 11:35). And the last two are heard in "The Julie Guide to being Joyful" (4:06 & 5:19)

4 - Missing page

In the storybook "The Julie Guide to being Joyful", here you may notice there is actually a missing page, it seems to have been ripped off! Not only that, but the audio distorts right as we're supposed to read the missing page. This section might have been supposed to be about Frank. How curious!

5 - Goo be upon ye!

That mysterious goo is still everywhere! What I find very interesting is how it always seems to be present where some nefarious, secret stuff is happening. It's like an infection.

6 - New... Friend?

Hello there little guy! You seem... quite curious. The page is burned away you say? Strange, usually the damage is made by paint and ink. Let's keep them in mind for later, shall we?

7 - The Neighborhood

There is our good old familiar Neirborhood, beautifully blooming for spring time! Except... What's this? Look at the center. When you open the background image in a new tab, as ususal, you can see what's underneath Home. Here, it appears that the Welcome Home Restoration Project did their best to block out the black goo from pouring out, by scribbling on the hole. Is this why Wally is missing? Because they're trying to keep him away?

It might not be working as well as intended, because now, some sort of dark void is creeping out of the forest. Look closely That definetly wasn't here before. Something is desperatly trying to seep out of the website. But I digress. Why don't we click on home to see Wally's profile?

8 - Finding Wally

Oh! That is... very much unusual. They took Wally's canvas away, and most importantly, he is not looking at us anymore. Whoever is behing WHRP is doing their darn best to keep him at bay.

But that's not all! His audio changed too! It's a phone ringing for about 40 seconds. Hm, a phone ringing huh? Maybe a hint? Where have we seen a phone we can interact with on the website before?

Bingo. Go to the Toys page in Discoveries, and then click the red button, it will take you to this secret link. We found Wally!

There, Wally sounds... rough. His voice is quite distorted, and Home is there as well. I strongly advise you to listen to the whole thing, our beloved puppet has a LOT of things to tell us. Most importantly, he is sending us on a quest.

"Gather good words from the flowers."

... Hm.

You know where this is going. Here we go.

9 - The Floriography Puzzle

OH BOY OH BOY. We finally arrive at the meat and potatoes of the update. Strap in, this one was quite tough to crack. Let me walk you through the process.

First of all, what is Floriography? Floriography, or “the language of flowers,” was a popular Victorian fad in which specific meanings were attributed to different plants and flowers, specific words.

Knowing this, we are going to need two things : First of all I recommend using this website, it has a solid list to help you decode that flower puzzle. Then, we need the board game cards from the WH website.

Now that we have our decoding tools, we may begin gathering the flowers. To do so, you need to spot them in the website's new additions. Then after spotting them, you need to translate their meaning using Floriography ! Don't worry, I already did the work for you, here's all the flowers I could find :

Storybook - Springtime Salutations : Trefoil, Iris, Oleander = Revenge, Message, Beware

Storybook - Sweet Briar : Quince, Osmunda, Hawthorn = Temptation, Dreams, Hope

Storybook - The Julie Guide to being Joyful : Daffodil, Moonwort, Belladonna = Regard, Forgetfulness, Silence

Food - What makes the Flowers Bloom : Daisy, Bluebell, Witch Hazel = Innocence, Constancy, A spell

Music - "Devotion" Album cover : Helenium, Rosemary, Dahlia = Tears, Remembrance, Instability

There we go, fantastic! But now, what do we do with that big bouquet of words? That one took me a while to figure out : We need to find secret links! The way to do so is rather simple once you figure it out, at the end of the WH web adress, type in the words you decoded from the flowers in order of their appearance.

This will lead you to hidden links! Videos, to be precise. These videos are all part of a story focussing on Julie, I won't say anything else, just watch them! No worries, I've prepared all the links for you, in chronological order too ! Enjoy the show, neighboor :

/revengemessagebeware

/temptationdreamshope

/regardforgetfulnesssilence

/innocenceconstancyaspell

/tearsremembranceinstability

There is so much to unpack here, and there is so much I'd like to say. I'm going to restrain myself though because this post is getting long. Please note though, in the third video at the end, you can hear Wally repeating a line from the "Julie Guide to being Joyful".

That... and...!

WELL HELLO THERE. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU. WHY ARE YOU HERE. (Told you to keep them in mind for later, didn't I?)

10 - Super secret link

One last secret link to find. If you take each first flower word of each link, in chronological order, and then assemble them, you may find one last (to my knowledge) secret link! This link leads you to an image. Frank is looking directly at the viewer. It's not the first time this happened, curiously enough, if you remember the Homewarming update.

11 - Awayfrompryingeyes

Let's end this with a visit inside W's eldritch horror-proof bunker website, Away from Prying Eyes.

Here, you will find three new entries from our mysterious "W". One of them is titled "April 12, 2025" a general update on their situation, which seems to have gotten better according to W.

The second one is titled "Joy", and features W trying out the so called Joy Soda. You can see the advertisement for this drink in the Food section of Discoveried on the main website.

Oh... that's... Hm.

W, sweetheart, we appreciate your dedication to the cause, we really do, but I really don't think drinking something that was made in the 70s is a particularly good idea.

And finally, most interesting of all in my opinion, we have an entry titled "Toy Box". In this, W wrote about this so called toy box, expressing their excitement about recieving such an object. They then post a picture to show us. At first glance, the picture is completely dark... but with a few adjusments...

There it is. From what we can see, there seems to be some kind of green leaf motif here, with the characters "GLE ' " at the bottom, and what I think might be the MARLO logo on the bottom right. Beyond that, we can't really make out anything else. Fascinating, thank you W. Please don't sink further into madness.

___________________________

AND THERE WE HAVE IT FOLKS! I was unable to discover anything else on my own, but please do let me know if you find anything new!! I'd love to know! So please, if you've discovered anything not mentioned in this post, share it in the comments!

Thank you for reading, and Springtime Salutations, neighboor! 🌸

[hpowellsmith]

Chemistry in Project Amble

All my games have slightly different romance structures behind the scenes.

Blood Money has a base level of romantic eligibility that can be gated first by the PC's orientation (so you can't romance Nico if you're a lesbian, for instance), and then by various actions. There are variables describing being in a committed romance and also being ineligible. (Fun fact, I did this in the same way that Baldur's Gate 2 does its romances, because modding BG2 was where I first wrote interactive romances.)

In Creme de la Creme, there are romance_expressed variables which represent having flirted with someone or having started a romance, then romance_locked which means you're committed to a particular character. Then there are seriousbreakup variables for each character that describe having been committed to someone before breaking up.

In Noblesse Oblige, it's simplified, with a romance variable, a friendship variable, and end-romance variables.

In Royal Affairs, there are romance_expressed variables and slowburn variables. This is the first one where there's a dedicated flirt variable tracked.

In Honor Bound, there's an added complication in which you can discuss romance with someone without officially starting a romance, either because you're keeping things casual or the other character is reluctant for whatever reason (the latter is what can happen if you make a move on one of the slower-burn characters early on). I also separated being interested in a character with flirting, so the PC can silently yearn without showing it if they wanted to. There are also different kinds of breakup, like in Creme, where the NPC is more upset with you afterwards if you've broken up under more fraught circumstances.

In starting Project Amble, I've already planned the different possible shapes of the romances. Each character's romance has distinct tones, but also includes a lot of variety in how you can engage with it. So for example, one character is up for having an early fling. It can be a one-off thing, something that remains emotionally casual throughout, or becomes romantic - slowly or quickly. Or you can not do the fling at all and get to know them over a longer period, becoming romantic later on.

I'm keeping the silent-yearning options from Honor Bound as I know players are into it (so am I!), and the potential fraught-breakup variables from it and the earlier games. Project Amble has the most dramatic breakup possibilities of any of my games.

What I'm adding for this one is a hidden chemistry meter. It's separate to the relationship meter, and it tracks when the PC does something that the NPC thinks is particularly attractive. It likely won't gate off starting a romance, but it'll add flavour, so for example if the PC initiates a romance there might be these sorts of responses:

"I can't believe I'm actually thinking of romancing you when you're SO frustrating, ugh, I can't stop thinking about you" - low relationship, high chemistry

"I've been thinking about this but wasn't sure how to say it - yes, I want to be with you!" - high relationship, high chemistry

"I've been really liking how close we've become and - wow, I never thought of it like that but I'd love to see how we can make it work" - high relationship, low chemistry

"You're serious about this? Well. Maybe we can try..." -low relationship, low chemistry

The reason I'm doing this is:

there are characters for whom I want to be able to have more specific interactions based on the sort of things listed above.

various characters will think the PC is doing something attractive... without necessarily liking the PC more.

I love the Dragon Age 2 style friendship/rivalry romance structure and while this is a bit different, it means I can stretch some muscles in that direction

I want to experiment with NPCs developing crushes on the PC and tweaking if/how/when they initiate or flirt with the PC. I did this a bit in Honor Bound with the more flirty characters and built in responses to the PC overtly flirting, but would like to develop this more for Project Amble.

Some of this was inspired by Michelle Clough's work. I'm not someone who necessarily minds a "do sidequests/bring gifts for NPCs and then they like you more" structure, but I do enjoy different ways of doing things and I especially like when NPCs respond in ways you don't expect (or when they cause trouble for the PC even if they're in a romance). I'd very much recommend Clough's Kindness Coins, or Chemistry Casino? for a deeper dive on this subject.

[a-queenoffairys]

Code Lyoko Chronicles 2.0

The Code Lyoko Chronicles are a series of 4 sequel books originally released in Italian in around 2010. Set a short while after the season 4 finale, parts of book 1 recap a story similar to the TV series but with a number of small changes (there's no RTTP for example) while the gang uncover some new secrets in the Hermitage that set them on the path to finding Aelita's mother, Anthea. But XANA survived and is coming back for revenge, and the gang's investigation into the secret history of Franz Hopper, Project Carthage and the Supercomputer puts the men in black on their trail as well, not to mention the shady Green Phoenix organisation who funded Hopper's work.

The books were published in a number of languages, but not in English - so that's where the fans come in. As one of the first translation projects we did for CodeLyoko.fr, finishing in 2014, the original completed English release was pretty rough. 10 years later, armed with more translation sources, better resources and many years of translation experience, I decided to take another crack at it. And after many months of hard work and procrastination, I've produced a version 2.0 that I'm pretty happy with.

Links and notes on the various changes under the cut!

New translations!

My co-translator Kelsey and I didn't have a lot of serious translation experience when we picked up where Rhys Davies left off in his English translation project, and we were definitely prone to making mistakes. And it didn't help that for books 3 and 4, a few things got lost somewhere in the process of the text being translated from Italian > Spanish > French > English. I revised our original translation and this time I referenced multiple sources to try and make sure I got the interpretation right. It won't be perfect, but it's definitely better than our original attempt!

The second half of book 2 was based on the official French version, which I discovered was slightly condensed and abridged to lower the page count. The new English translation expands the text to restore the parts that were omitted. I also changed the title from The Nameless City to The City with No Name - there was never an official English translation, but I did find a marketing document with the titles listed in English, and that was the only one that differed.

Here's a page comparison with a few changes, mostly minor, but one big change to the context of Odd and Ulrich's conversation. With my apologies to Kiwi for the original mistranslation.

New formatting!

I got better at formatting Word docs and realised I should have the text alignment set to justify. The books look a lot neater now!

Accessibility!

I added alt text descriptions to all the images, and the PDFs all have a proper table of contents now so you don't have to scroll to the end of the book to find the navigation.

(Note I don't have a lot of experience with detailed image descriptions and I haven't done much testing with a screen reader - feedback is welcome from people who know more about it!)

New scans!

The centre of each book has several colour pages with images and text to supplement the story, and some of the original scans were quite small or had part of the image disappearing into the spine of the book. And the only way to fix it seemed to be to obtain physical copies of the books (probably in Spanish), pull the pages out and scan them flat. So I did. And I think they look great. (Black lines added to hide spoilers.)

My original intention was to upload these to CodeLyoko.fr, but I haven't been able to do that yet, so for now they'll just be available on Google Drive. This translation wouldn't have been possible if not for the other people on the fanslation team - not just my fellow translators, but also all the people who worked on scanning, formatting and editing. Special thanks also to Rhys Davies for kicking off the English translation. You can read more about the Chronicles and the fanslation project here on the website. (Yes I still need to revise the translation of those pages too. Someday.)

So yeah, it's taken a while, but I'm glad I can finally put out a better version of these books for people to discover. Enjoy!

Version 2.0 PDFs here! (Google Drive) ePub versions coming soon.

[silenzahra]

🫧 Bubbles of love 🫧

Exactly one year ago, a very special game was released for the Nintendo Switch:

🫧 Super Mario Bros Wonder 🫧

And it's a game that I loved and enjoyed so much, that I decided to write a little something to celebrate it! 🎂

As I mentioned here, I came up with this idea when I was trying to fall asleep a few nights ago and wrote it in one go the following evening. Don't even ask me how, because I always take FOREVER to write a story, but in this case, and as shocking as it sounds, this story is short.

Yes. You read it right: short. Again, I don't know how, but without setting a precedent, I was able, for once, to write a story that is actually short 😂

Anyways, thank you so much to those of you who reacted to the aforementioned post to try and guess what this story might be about! You're about to find out... and I'll just say a few of you got it right 🤭 (And those who didn't, you gave me amazing ideas... I may or may not be taking notes for the future 🤭📝)

I hope it's okay that I tag those of you who showed interest, as well as some folks who I believe might enjoy this 🥰 Of course, if I'm wrong, you're more than free to ignore this post, and please forgive me for bothering you 😅

@megamagimugi @pepperycar @peaches2217 @bberetd @itsavee4117 @coffeecat1983 @doodleydoo101 @stripetkattelalala54-gf (no rush at all of course! Take your time 🥰) @smokszyvverstar @eleventhhourfactor @marioandluigi1983 @c-lavanda @zocchini37 @teegeeteegee @akiiame-blog @dragon-fly34 @supergay-64

EDIT: @pinkcreamypeach adding you to the list in case you're interested! 🥰💖

My beloved big sis @vulpixfairy1985 deserves a special mention, as you'll find a part in this story that might remind you of her beautiful story A moment together 🤭🎈 Thank you so much for giving me permission to do so, dear sister! 💖

Without further ado: enjoy! 😄🫧💖

As always, you can continue reading under the cut! Likes, comments, kudos, reblogs and any kind of feedback is always more than welcome! 🥰💖

🫧 Bubbles of love 🫧

Mario can't stop looking at Peach.

He’s been staring at her in rapt attention for a while now. Specifically, since he’s seen her touch the Bubble Flower that has caused her familiar pink dress, which suits her so well and which Mario adores dearly, to turn a shade of purple, though not a very dark one. Peach has immediately begun to throw bubbles to catch the enemies that were stalking them, facing them without hesitation, bravely and keeping every bit of her characteristic elegance untouched.

And Mario has confirmed, once again, that he’s absolutely and irremediably in love with her.

Now, fortunately, the road they’re following is completely clear. They’ve all stopped to rest together in a clearing in Pipe-Rock Plateau, and Peach, her power-up still on, is sitting on a rock and chats absentmindedly with Toadette. Mario is not even aware that he’s smiling wider than ever as he watches her; he’s just reveling in her infinite beauty, her long golden hair and deep blue eyes that resemble two sapphires, and her gestures and expressions, never lacking in sweetness and demureness.

Mario suddenly finds himself lost in thought, his mind filling with the moments they shared together on their first visit to the Flower Kingdom a year ago. How much Peach was surprised when the Piranha Plants started singing, just before she started smiling and clapping as she let herself be carried away by the music, being the first of the whole group to do so. The various races with their friend Wiggler, with whom they had such a great time, despite the dangerousness of some of the places they ran. The unexpected Halloween-themed party they stumbled upon when they arrived at Fungi Mines. How Peach liked to chase him as they dived into Petal Isles, making reaching the finish in the watery areas a fun and always healthy competition. The catchy and lively music with which the Ninjis greeted the whole group when they arrived at their hidden disco in Sunbaked Desert and how Peach enjoyed jumping to the rhythm of their melody.

The wonderful feeling of flying away clutching his cap while Peach did the same at his side, which gave them the opportunity to share a brief moment of complicity and fun that belonged only to them.

A sigh escapes Mario's lips. What he’d give to relive all those moments with his beloved princess just one more time.

What he’d give to muster the courage to go one step further and declare his love to her at last.

A loud laugh startles him and brings him back to reality. Puzzled, he turns his head in search of the source of the laughter. He smiles immediately when he notices Daisy, who, not much farther away, pulls Luigi's hand, who is also laughing, although a little more shyly and nervously. Mario notices that both of them are also using a Bubble Flower, as evidenced by Luigi's pink shirt and hat and his green overalls and Daisy's purple dress. A sudden memory assaults Mario's mind: his little brother, completely blushing, confessing to him, without looking him in the eye, that he loves how well Daisy looks in purple, as according to him, it matches perfectly with the yellow of the edges of her skirt and with her auburn hair. And, besides, it's her favorite color.

Mario's smile is full of tenderness as he watches his beloved little brother being carried away by his fearless princess. Daisy is creating bubbles incessantly and, without letting go of Luigi's hand, she starts bouncing on them, dragging the younger plumber along with her. Mario watches them while he remembers another special occasion: that time when, after taking Luigi to Sarasaland in his Odyssey ship, he began to create bubbles near the princess' balcony to invite her and Luigi to share a moment together. Mario recalls how much fun they both had, holding hands as they danced on the bubbles, the purest and most primal happiness radiating from their every gesture and face.

Mario couldn’t be happier that they’ve decided to recreate the scene they shared back then, this time being in charge of creating the bubbles themselves. Tenderness dances in his chest as he witnesses how his twin, despite his initial insecurity and reticence, gradually gains more confidence, no doubt infected by Daisy's boldness and the self-assuredness she gives him. Mario’s heart fills with joy when a laugh finally bursts from Luigi's lips, showing that all traces of fear have been buried under layers and layers of fun and bliss.

With dreamy eyes, Mario watches as, in a matter of seconds, Luigi and Daisy are dancing in the air, holding hands and surrounded by bubbles that seem to be in tune with their movements. A giggle escapes Mario as Luigi spins Daisy around and then holds her around the waist, Daisy's arms around his neck. His little brother is quite a ladies’ man.

A soft giggle then reaches his ears. Mario's attention is immediately diverted to Peach, who, like him, looks at the couple and seems touched by the happiness they radiate. It is at that moment, watching the princess cover her mouth with her hand, always so restrained, with her golden hair falling in waves down her back and her distinctive heart-shaped bangs crowning her forehead, that Mario gets the idea.

He doesn’t miss a beat and starts turning everywhere. Fortunately, his search soon pays off: not far away, at the other end of the clearing, he spots a block that, he hopes, hides a Bubble Flower. He rushes to it without a second thought, but on the way, he’s assailed by the possibility that it’s an Elephant Fruit or a Drill Mushroom. What will he do then? His plan will only work with a Bubble Flower... Although there might be something he can do for Peach if he finds himself transformed into an elephant. After all, he's pretty good at improvising.

He stops dead in his tracks as soon as he reaches the block and looks at it while giving himself a few seconds to catch his breath. His fate is locked inside that bright yellow box with a white question mark inscribed on it. His mind tries to come up with ideas, options that he could carry out in case he doesn't receive the desired power-up, but Mario has never dealt well with uncertainty.

So, without further thought, he jumps up with his fist in the air.

A beautiful flower with a pink center in which two black eyes gleam, surrounded by purple petals which, in turn, are encircled by other petals, these of a snowy white, welcomes him.

Mario laughs and lets out a shout of victory before jumping back up, hand outstretched to touch the flower at its very center. As soon as he does, he notices how his body absorbs the power-up and performs a small spin in the air as his clothes change color, his blue overalls turning red and his shirt and cap turning pink. Before he hits the ground again, he’s already created his first bubble.

Satisfied, he quickly turns around and makes sure that Peach hasn't noticed anything, as she has resumed her conversation with Toadette. A little further on, Mario is surprised to see that, among the bubbles, Luigi and Daisy are now dancing closer than ever, their mouths very close to touching. He looks away immediately; even though they’re in a clearing with their other companions, he understands that this is a very intimate moment for his brother and the princess of Sarasaland. He tells himself that he has to remember to congratulate Luigi later, but not before teasing him a little as any good big brother would do.

Determined, Mario stands with his back to everyone and begins to carry out his plan. First he creates a huge bubble to serve as a base, and on both sides of it he places two others, also very large. He has to stifle a giggle as he realizes that he’s inadvertently formed a head that reminds him of a certain very famous mouse whose tone of voice is quite similar to his, or so he has always been told. He doesn't think there are that many similarities, but he's gotten used to the jokes.

He shrugs and continues with his task. He continues to blow and originate large bubbles that he places in the appropriate positions and climbs through them as his creation takes shape. He has no idea how long it takes him, but during that time, short or long, only he and his plan exist. He completely forgets where he is and who is around him. He can only recreate in his mind Peach's beautiful face, the living image of grace and pureness, as he works tirelessly. How will she react when she sees what he’s done? Will she be very surprised? Will she be happy?

Will she be... horrified?

Suddenly it occurs to Mario that, perhaps, what he’s doing is too bold, too obvious. He may indeed be taking a big risk. With his hand outstretched and about to blow yet another bubble, Mario thinks for a few seconds. Should he stop? Should he go on? What if it's too much?

However, he immediately shakes his head. He knows he wants to do it, no matter what, and that nothing could stop him. Not when resolve courses through his veins like a fast-flowing river and floods every corner of his body.

Besides, he loves the power of creating bubbles, bouncing on them and feeling himself fly higher and higher, and what better way to finally take the step of expressing his feelings for the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom than to use them?

Mario forces the torrent of tremendous thoughts that appear in his mind to stop and ignores the rapid beating of his heart. Firmly, he finally blows and creates a new bubble with which to perform his plan, and skillfully directs it to the point where he wants to place it.

Whatever happens next, Mario is willing to take the risk.

When, at last, he blows the last big bubble that puts the finishing touch to his work, Mario sits on it with a soft snort, eyes closed, and runs his sleeve across his forehead. He smiles absently and gives himself a few seconds to enjoy the sensation of being high up. There’s not much distance between the ground and where he stands, but it’s enough for him.

When he opens his eyes, however, his serene smile is replaced by an expression full of the most infinite surprise.

At his feet, a large part of his group of friends has gathered. The two Toads and the four Yoshis gaze at his creation with amazement gleaming on their faces. Nabbit is there too, his head tilted back so as not to miss a detail, but the scarf covering half of his face prevents Mario from reading his expression clearly. Even Luigi and Daisy have abandoned their close dance to come closer to watch, and they’re both beaming with smiles full of admiration and eyes shining with enthusiasm. When his glance meets his brother's, Mario smiles sheepishly as Luigi gives him an energetic thumbs-up while winking approvingly.

Next to his twin, Mario spots Toadette, who is clapping enthusiastically, and he waves at her quickly as his brain starts to process that, if she's there, that means...

Indeed, standing by her side is Peach herself, causing Mario's throat to suddenly go dry as his heart skips a beat.

His beloved Peach, for whom he has just built a huge heart made of bubbles.

His beloved Peach, who gazes at the result of his efforts with wide eyes as she covers her mouth with both hands.

His beloved Peach, whose sparkling sapphire eyes meet his own.

Mario is speechless. Are those... tears? He can't tell for sure, as he stands at a certain height, but he could swear he’s seen something glistening in the evening sun on the sides of his princess's beautiful eyes.

To say that his heart is bouncing in his chest would be an understatement.

Embarrassment invades Mario in a sudden surge that sweeps everything in its path. He hadn't counted on having such an audience. He had hoped it could be something private, something to share only with Peach. Of course, considering that the whole group is gathered in the middle of a clearing, he supposes it was too much to ask.

Still, the plumber puts his hand to his mouth and blows again. He sends the new bubble floating gently to Peach's very feet, and she lowers her head for a moment before raising it again, questioning him with her gaze. Despite the insecurity that always floods him when it comes to her, Mario nods, his lips drawing a nervous and somewhat crooked smile, and hurries to blow a second bubble that he also sends down, though at a slightly higher distance than the first one.

And Peach, without taking her eyes off Mario, lowers her hands to grab her purple skirts and begin the ascent.

Mario's heart swells and sings as he notices the wide, radiant smile adorning the pink lips of his beloved princess.

He forces himself to hold back a giggle of joy and keep blowing. His eyes never leave Peach's, who, in turn, can't take her eyes off him. Mario watches as his princess climbs towards him, those deep eyes getting closer and closer, her approaching him as if in slow motion. His rapid heartbeat thunders in his ears, but he’d love to continue living this moment forever, to extend it in time, to never end the sweet anticipation of knowing that, soon, his princess will be with him.

He never wants to stop looking at those eyes, which, as he very well knows, can never, ever have an owner, because of the simple fact that they’re not of this world.

However, sooner than he expected, Mario finds himself having to look up slightly, as Peach has finally reached him. They both gasp slightly, but the princess’ smile is so wide and shiny, brighter than the sun itself, that Mario doubts there can be anything in the world that would be able to erase it. He was about to create a new bubble, his hand outstretched, so instead, he extends his arm a little and offers it to Peach. She lets go of her skirts without a second thought and accepts his hand, her slender, delicate fingers resting gently on his rough, calloused palm.

Mario can hardly believe his luck.

Quickly, he leans to one side and invites Peach to sit next to him in the bubble that closes the heart, which she does with diligence and gracefulness, their hands still clasped together. The instant Mario’s brain registers that his beloved princess has just taken a seat next to him and that their fingers, despite the gloves, remain touching, he feels like he might faint. The outside world disappears completely for him, as does the entire group that continues looking at them on the ground. He barely hears, as if in the background, the voices of Luigi and Daisy as they urge the others to disperse to give the couple some privacy.

At this very moment, only he and Peach exist.

When they look at each other, she seems to want to tell him so many things. Why he has just created an entire heart made of bubbles, perhaps. Why he's invited her up, only her. “You're crazy,” even.

Peach doesn't utter a word, however. She doesn't need to, for her bright, expressive eyes speak for her. Mario senses that they’re communicating, that they’re speaking despite the absence of words, that they’re having a conversation that only they understand, a conversation that springs directly from her heart and reaches into his own.

And yet, despite this, he could never have foreseen what Peach does next.

She raises her hand, causing the touch between them to break. For Mario, it's like having a little piece of his heart ripped out, like his lungs shrinking in size. He will recover, however; for a few precious seconds he’s held his princess's hand between his fingers, and nothing can take away the joy that this brief but intense contact has caused him.

Even so, before he has time to understand what’s happening, Peach's palms rest on his cheeks, so that she’s cupping his face with infinite tenderness. Mario has just short-circuited again, so he’s unable to react. Unless melting inside and feeling his face burning like the fiercest fire counts as a reaction.

And suddenly, with the swiftness of the blink of an eye, Peach's lips land on his.

Mario's heart stops suddenly.

Suddenly he’s no longer there. Suddenly, he’s gone up to heaven and he’s not even aware that he’s done so. Suddenly, his eyes can do nothing but close, his ears cut off from the outside world, his hands rise to rest on Peach's hips with a certain possessiveness that he doesn't know where it comes from, but that he’s unable to contain.

Suddenly, Mario is in heaven and does not intend to come back down.

[thevoicefromanotherworld]

"CAN I...?"

Another fic with him because I need him so bad isn't funny anymore, please just one chance Dave PLEASE I love him

I hope you like it!

You and Dave had been friends for quite some time.

You had gone to each other's houses on countless occasions, but in the last few weeks something had changed between you.

Your best friend ignored your messages and when you were together he would quickly look away from you, as if he was trying not to pay you more attention than necessary.

That's why, tired of that strange situation, and taking advantage of the fact that you were alone in his room in the middle of an afternoon of studying, you decided to leave the notebook on his bed, where you were doing your homework, to look at him.

He turned around when he heard the knock, his blue eyes went from the notebook to you for a moment.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, putting a hand on his chest. "You scared me."

"We both know that's not true," you said, crossing your arms. "Spit it out."

"What?" –he questioned, staring at you intently-

-You've been ignoring me for weeks, Dave –you reminded him, as if he didn't already know- if I've done something that has offended you, I'm sorry, okay? But I can't go on like this –you confessed- I miss my best friend

He left the pen he was holding on the table, while he turned his desk chair around to focus fully on you.

-Sorry, it's just been a few rough weeks and I… –he swallowed hard- yes, that's the reason I've behaved like this

-You're a very bad liar –you murmured, holding his gaze- I know you too well to know when you're being sincere and when you're not, and now you're not –you paused for a second before asking in your most reassuring tone- What's wrong?

He lowered his head for a moment, before focusing on the slippers he was wearing.

-I… -he swallowed nervously- before I tell you, promise me it won't affect our friendship

You raised an eyebrow

-Are you gay? –you questioned, he frowned and shook his head vigorously-

-What? No!

-It wouldn't be a problem if you were –you added- there are a lot of boys in our school who…

-I like you –he interrupted you, making you open your eyes wide-

You blinked a couple of times quickly, as if your ears had gone bad, and you hadn't understood him well.

-What? –you asked, dazed, staring at the way his blue eyes shone-

-I like you –he repeated, looking away somewhere other than you- I'm sorry, I… I wanted to tell you before, but I didn't want to… -he took a deep, shaky breath- I was afraid this would end our friendship

-Nothing is over, Lizewski –you affirmed- you will always be my friend, no matter what

-No matter what happens –he repeated in a low voice-

Now it was your turn to ask

-Since when? –you wanted to know, he tilted his head, sketching a shy little smile that made you want to get up to kiss him-

-I don't know for sure –he confessed- but I think it was since we were paired together in the science project –he explained- Do you remember? you invited me over to your house to do it, and then when it got late you insisted I stay for dinner and the night –he looked up at you again- you were wearing green jeans, a white t-shirt and a black bow to hold your hair back –he listed blushing with embarrassment as he remembered all the details- you were… -he swallowed nervously again before finishing- you were very pretty

-Oh, Dave, I… -you started, but he stopped you with a nod-

-It’s okay if you don’t feel the same –he said- I… I feel better now that you know –he confessed- it was too heavy a burden to carry alone

-I was going to say that I feel the same for you –you confessed, this time you were the one who blushed and he stared at you with his beautiful blue eyes- I’ve never felt this way about anyone –you confessed- and I think… -you pressed your lips tightly before saying- I think I’m in love with you

-Really? –he asked hopefully, as he stood up and sat down next to you on his bed slowly-

-Yes –you whispered, his closeness making all the barriers you had built around yourself to protect yourself from his charm fade away little by little- Are you…?

-Yes –he interrupted nervously- yes, I think so –he said making both of you smile- Can I… -he looked down at your mouth before fixing it on your eyes again- can I kiss you?

-It's not that you can –you whispered unable to take your gaze off his pink lips- it's that you have to

His lips connected with yours delicately, as if he was making sure that this was real, that you were in front of him and that this was really happening.

You returned the kiss following the movement of his lips, at the same time that you placed your hands behind his neck, catching several curls of his brown hair between your fingers.

He sighed into your mouth as you lightly pulled him closer. You felt like you were going to melt just from hearing him.

He pulled away from you to catch his breath, the lenses of his glasses fogged up and his lips swollen from the kisses you had given each other. You couldn't help but smile at the sight of each other.

-It seems that I'm not the only one who had dreamed of this moment -he mocked, sketching a half-smile-

You shook your head as if it were hopeless, before hooking your arms behind his neck again, bringing him closer to you.

-It's possible -you ventured- now kiss me, Dave

And that was exactly what he did

[kaitsawamura]

🪞 🔮 🍅 🧺 🍯 🌱 The Farmer & The Wizard

❦ SUMMARY ❦

You need a change, a big one. When your estranged grandfather passes away and bequeaths you his farm in a little town just south of the middle of nowhere, you take it as the sign you needed to make a change instead of waiting for one.

The farm, while having fallen into a state of disrepair, is just the thing to cure your modern-world ailments. The people are kind and always ready to offer help, if a bit unusual. They have old superstitions, a haunted community center, and a resident wizard. Spoiler alert: those last two on the list take some getting used to.

Yes, things are different here but you have a sneaking suspicion that the slow pace and a certain alchemical practitioner are going to remind you that sometimes, all you need is time and a little bit of magic.

THIS SCROLL WAS LAST UPDATED: 6/1/24

❦ STATS ❦

Pairing: Wizard!Gojo Satoru x Farmer!Reader

Rating: M for Mature, 18+ only minors do not interact

Warnings: Fantasy/Stardew Valley violence, sexual content, angst (maybe like just a tiny lil bit)

Tags: Stardew Valley AU, strangers to friends to lovers, red thread of fate, soulmates (kinda) eventual smut, fluff focused, canon divergent, more tags to come (literally am too excited, I need to get this masterlist post out in the world lol)

Projected Word Count: 100K

Author’s Note: In unsurprising news, I have still been in the trenches with my Stardew Valley hyperfixation. Then, along comes this lovely PC Gojo mod and the fate of this fic was sealed. It's going to be inspired a touch by that mod (which I will link below, full credit to that amazing modder) and will heavily follow a standard Stardew Valley play through timeline. I'm a lil nervous to write Gojo since he doesn't fall neatly into the character type I normally am drawn to but I have WRITING HANDS (like jazz hands but for writers :P ) and so I'm adding another fic to my WIPs list.

Important Note: This fic is part of this blog's contribution to the @ficsforgaza initiative!

❦ LINKS ❦

Fics for Gaza Masterlist <- now linked! ->

GOJO MOD FOR PC'ERS

JJK Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Playlist

Moodboard

❦ TABLE OF CONTENTS ❦

SPRING

Part 1: In Which You Unexpectedly Receive The Deed to A Farm

Part 2 | In Progress | TBL

SUMMER

Placeholder

AUTUMN

Placeholder

WINTER

Placeholder

This work and its digital elements (credit for pixel art to ConcernedApe) are © Kait of @kaitsawamura 2020-PRESENT. I do not own any rights to Stardew Valley and any subsequent settings/characters, but this work is heavily inspired by that amazing game. Please do not alter or copy this work. Please do not repost this work to other platforms without my express permission.

[anundyingfidelity]

I'M A RUIN — Soldier Boy/Ben (Part V)

Series summary: After the events of the Seven Tower, you present Grace Mallory a new secret project you're working on already to develop a cure to Compound V. The only problem? You need Soldier Boy for that.

Pairing: Soldier Boy/Ben x female reader.

Word count: 2.4k.

Warnings for series: set after S3 (spoilers), some OOC!Ben, some depressed!Ben, angst, hurt/comfort, eventual smut, slow-burn, language, PTSD, reader has Compound V (she's no Vought supe tho), Soldier Boy being an usual asshole, reader is a fucking liar.

Warnings on this chapter: some misogyny and shit (you know who), psychiatry stuff, canon gore, blood, heads exploding, and violence?.

Notes: so I'm sorry for any mistakes during the psychyatric process, I go to therapy and take medication myself so that's all I know plus google research. And be aware of the gore descriptions, I tried to do my best I guess lol. Thanks for reading as always!

this fic tags: @k-slla @syrma-sensei @mostlymarvelgirl @cheynovak @drasticemotions @soldirboy @deans-spinster-witch

☕ if you like my writing, support me with a ko-fi !

get yourself in the taglist!

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | | Part VIII

GEN MASTERLIST! — SERIES MASTERLIST!

Part V: Blow Your Mind

With a deep breath, you reviewed the symptoms Soldier Boy barely 'gave' during your session. The list was kind of long on the pages and it read:

Always being on guard for any danger, self-destructive behavior, irritability, angry outbursts, panic attacks, feeling emotionally numb, not trusting anyone, not feeling safe, hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts, fatigue, muscle tension, headaches, back pain...

There was a weird silence surrounding both of you, mostly because of his mood and his change in demeanor from a somewhat friendly asshole to an irritated, unbearable jerk. Once you had started with the uncomfortably stupid questions, he felt threatened. Soldier Boy wasn't actually open to talk about his past and the traumatic experiences he had, and that meant it was difficult to get to know how his body and mind were reacting to all the stress and madness he went through in decades, adding those weeks after Billy Butcher had released him from his nightmare.

He was opposed to speaking directly about how he was feeling, but you knew better that Ben speaking out on his symptoms was not going to happen. So you had to ask each one of them and review some his most harsh experiences directly, in order to receive monotonous responses, limited to: 'yes', 'no', 'I don't know,' and finally 'what the fuck is that?' You took them all as an absolute yes.

He was being defensive and you knew better than to miss anything after he almost burned the whole damn building. And with the small but confident experience you had with psychiatry, you concluded that he needed medication and therapy. As soon as fucking possible.

"Yeah, you have PTSD," you said after a moment and your eyes found his unreadable gaze.

He raised his eyebrows with false surprise. He already heard that shit from Hughie before. "And where's the fucking drugs?"

"For that to happen, you have to stop the weed first."

"I've survived bricks of coke mixed with shit you probably don't know about and you want to take the only thing that's keeping me sane? Fan-fucking-tastic!" he fumed, but you didn't flinch. Not a bit.

"Look, my goal is keeping you safe and making you sane because you definitely are not. Not right now. And since I took you out, you'll follow my process, so stop whining."

He chuckled softly with a bitter grimace on his lips as he shook his head softly. "No, that's not gonna happen."

"I don't care if you agree with that, it's settled," you continued, a triumphant smile plastered on your face.

It was true, you didn't give a single shit. He had to be clean and quit any type of drugs to start the medication but most importantly, to use his blood. Eventually. You were more than aware that he wouldn't die easily, that was proved. And it was just a matter of time to get him to your lab to take samples of his blood and run the necessary research on them while you and your team still continued the studies with the Anti-V prototype. You were only hoping that day would arrive soon enough. Two months sober, that was all you needed from him. And the best part? Soldier Boy didn't have to really know the whole details.

Ben, on the other hand, clenched his jaw so tight and closed his eyes for a moment after hearing your statement. You really were a fucking bitch, letting him fall into the abyss of misery and torture that was his own wrecked mind. He considered your intentions internally, once again for the millionth time. You showed up there all dressed up, playing a rich doctor when in reality you were just a fucking slutty brat, just to tell him he had to stop his usual pot, which you also brought happily when he asked you to. And now, you were taking away the only thing that stopped him from ripping your head off. What a great move.

"That's not smart," he insisted.

"Why not? I have you under my own terms."

Ben tilted his head, studying you carefully. "You can't stop me, doll. None of you can. I'm only here because I find it suitable instead of storming out and catching unnecessary attention."

Ben saw you swallow down, he immediately knew it was because you were angry, not scared. You never really seemed scared of him. And you tried to restrain yourself from slapping him right away. "Are you blackmailing me again, Soldier Boy?"

"Is just a warning," he said, nonchalantly. "Wouldn't want to harm such a pretty thing like you, now wouldn't we."

"Oh well, just a reminder I can also turn on the damn gas if needed," you snapped. The arrogant smirk on his lips fell off and it was your turn to smile back. "We all have hidden cards, right?"

Such an arrogant bitch, he thought.

"So, what's your plan?" you switched the subject to avoid going further into what was troubling him.

"What do you mean?"

"Homelander. You want him dead, don't you? You must be getting ready to fight again..."

His body seemed tense once you pushed him to talk, looking away from you to calm a bit. "Isn't that what all of you want?"

"Any sane person would love that, trust me."

Soldier Boy narrowed his eyes. "Well, I can do it. If I wasn't here... You've seen what he's capable of. Jesus, I've seen it," he bitterly chuckled. "And the kid? He's a fucking menace."

"You've been watching the news, I take that—"

"The fuck I do! Wasn't gonna wait for you to keep me up to date of what the fuck is going on!" Ben shouted, his loud voice roaring in your ears despite the distance.

"I don't want you to stress out more than you do," you said, vacillating. "A lot of things take time, such as you adapting to the twenty-first century."

"I'd love to know when that'll happen," Ben insisted. "Or else, I might just break out."

With a tentative smile, you started to write down the report. "I'm so glad you're talking more during our sessions."

You barely said goodbye to Soldier Boy once you finished your daily session. Your head was aching as you walked down the aisle, barely leaving the empty wing of the building behind. Certainly he was hard to handle and was behaving defensively. Before you left he began asking, or better said, bossing you to get him whatever the kid Hughie told him he needed to learn how to use. Shit like the internet and GPS, he said. You told him he was not ready for it yet.

But you'd give him a golden star for trying and insisting so badly, even if he was against eighty percent of your methods. He was up to something, there was no question for that. He was a soldier, more or less like his given supe name. People like him always had a plan, and underneath his facade, there were more plans backed up with words of honor that you had to track sooner or later.

As you made your way to your office, greeting your lab employees and guards, a disturbing sensation grew up inside. Before crossing the doorframe you subtly looked around, focusing for some reason in the security camera, more time than you'd like to admit. You turned again to finally get inside, facing the entry of your office when hurried steps and a voice stopped you from doing so.

"Doctor!"

Once again you turned on your heels to see your assistant, tablet in hand. Those had to be the results.

"Hey," you began. "You have everything?"

Bianca nodded with a straight face and handed you the tablet. You noticed her tight grip and her somehow trembling fingers when you took the device from her hands. You eyed her a little, she remained with her hands intertwined in front of her, her attention seemed lost. With caution, you continued to check the file.

"Is the patient alright?" you asked, reading the profile of the supe who had the not so good luck of being tested previously.

Solaris was his supe name. And he had the ability to manipulate light and matter with his mind. He had taken part in the program for a month now and this was his first test. As always, each supe you had into the program was low-profile. You were thankful of your team keeping these supes under their gaze to offer them some sort of solution, even after all the deaths you tracked from time to time when a test of the Anti-V was run. More than a solution for them, it was a partial contribution to find it.

You quickly scanned the updated file that Bianca completed for you. He was doing better than projected, his powers were still gone with a forecast of probably coming back within a couple of hours. A deep breath left your lips. Now that was an improvement. It was the first time anything like that happened on any tests. The supe survived, he was weak but the powers were off for a bit. It was a small step closer to your goal. Just a little bit more maybe and it could be done, finally...

"He's resting right now," Bianca interrupted your thoughts. Your eyes were back on her face.

"This is great news, thank you. I trust he's doing okay."

She nodded. "He is."

"Great, I guess I'll see him in a couple of hours," you said about entering your office.

"Wait!" Bianca suddenly closed the little space between both of you. She breathed heavily before stuttering words out. "I, I have- I'm sorry..."

"Are you okay?" you inquired, knowing her behavior was unusual. She swallowed down, turning her gaze away, her hands shaking. Was she sick? "Bianca, what's wrong?"

You tried to reach her cheek with your hand, but she stepped back abruptly, looking at you like if you were a ghost with her eyes red and wet, and a fine layer of sweat adorning her skin.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

You walked towards her, worried about what was going on but every step you took, she also gave it back.

"Bianca, what's happening?"

Her back bumped the wall of your office, and finally, she started to cry. "I'm sorry. You have to go, please..."

Your heart started pounding heavily on your chest. "What—"

"Go now! Please... Please don't hurt me..."

"I'm not going to hurt you, Bianca," you whispered, trying to comfort her.

But she continued crying and mumbled incoherent words with eyes shut, while hot tears streamed down her face. She choked on her sobs as she pleaded for her life. But you didn't understand why. You tried to soothe her, reaching her shoulder with your free hand.

And when you placed your palm on her, everything became red. It all happened in seconds. Ropes of warm blood covered your face in an instant. A loud gasp fell from your throat. You felt every drop mixed with brains on the skin of your face, on your neck, and sliding down the skin under your blouse. It was shocking and equally disgusting. And your eyes remained shut, not brave enough to move or see the horrid picture in front of you.

Your palm was still on her shoulder when the remains of her body fell to the ground with a thud. Your trembling hand wiped some blood from your face to open your eyes anew. The wall was painted with her, as much as you were, and it left a trail of blood from where her corpse slid to the floor. Her head long fucking gone.

"Shit."

Shit. Fucking shit. Was it him? It had to be him. There was no reason to doubt it. It was him. And he complied with his promise. Had Homelander been controlling Bianca? Was she the only one? No. There had to be something more. Homelander wasn't easy and he wasn't merciful with anyone. You had to stop him and get Soldier Boy out of the building. Now.

You tried to control yourself as best as you could, walking away to reach anyone, crossing a corner on the hallway, where a guard was casually passing by.

He stopped on his tracks at your sight, covered in blood and meat. "Doctor?"

"I need your help," you whispered.

He nodded quickly and you began explaining with a low, shaky voice.

"I don't know what happened, my assistant was right there with me when— Fuck!"

You walked some inches away when his head exploded, just like Bianca's did. Luckily, or not, this time was inside his helmet. All the red brains and blood were catched by it. Still, you wanted to throw up right fucking there. The remains of his body fell to the floor with a loud sound.

With a deep breath you continued your way, finding guards, lab assistants and agents. If they were alive, their heads popped into your sight. And if it was your somehow lucky moment of the day, you just found their headless corpses lying on the ground, creating a pool of blood you tried to avoid.

The only thing on your mind was taking Ben out of the building. The alarm had been turned on and the annoying sound of it was driving you crazy. Your head ached more than ever as you made your way to Soldier Boy for the second fucking time during the day.

Since there was no time to open the heavy door properly, you used a force field around the metal, moving the door until it slipped enough to let you in. You found him standing in the middle of the room. Eyes dark and alert, with fists and frame ready to fight. He wrinkled his nose once you entered the place.

"What the fuck's going on?" Ben growled, observing your blood covered face.

"We need to go, now. Take your clothes off."

He blinked, taken aback. Before he answered you continued with an explanation.

"I'll turn you invisible, but can't turn your clothes," you ordered, looking in the closet for a sports bag you knew was inside and picking a couple of shirts, pants and boxers as quickly as time allowed you to. Once finished, you turned to Ben again.

"Mind to fucking clarify?" he insisted. You sighed, closing your eyes for a moment.

"Look, I'll tell you everything once we're out," you turned one of your hands invisible for him to see.

Ben snorted with laughter. How ironic, he thought.

"No fucking way."

"Strip. We're leaving."

[tadpoles-and-daydreams]

A witchcraft basics doc; update, resource call, interest check, and a possible second doc

Bet most of you didn't even know I was working on this >:D

Yes this is a huge post. It's a lot of things.

So, one of my first posts ever on this blog was me mentioning that a friend of mine had NO clue what they were signing up for when asking for the basics of witchcraft. The google doc I wrote took on a life of its own, and the post did as well when people started asking for it. I still plan to tag said people when I post it, assuming they haven't deactivated. The thing is, this doc had become a proper project, and it took a long time for me to have the motivation to work on it again. Now, though, it seems to me like a damn good way to reconnect to my craft after a rut! (which, by the way, is why I've been offline.)

So, my first post back is for a couple of reasons. For one, if you have any resources you'd think would be useful for beginner witches, feel free to shoot me an ask, DM, or comment/reblog on this post! I'll have a list of things I'm putting in the doc (taking recommendations there as well) at the bottom of this post.

The other thing is that I might end up making a second doc, one that's a little less "101" in vibe. It would have a MAJOR MAJOR UPG warning on it, first off, and I'm not sure whether or not I would be marking any UPG either since this would essentially be a second Grimoire/Book of Shadows for me that would be public to others for the sake of sharing information! I can't say I'd call it "advanced witchcraft" by any means, I'm not very fancy lol, but I don't want the basics doc to get too overwhelming. I do, however, want to scream about random witchcraft topics that interest me. So this is also a bit of an interest check for that, as well as the basics doc.

FINAL NOTE: I fully plan on posting this basics doc before it's done. Some sections will be unwritten or unfinished, because if I wait until I find it "finished" I'll never post it. It's going to be added onto whenever I can, but I feel as though getting it out is the best course of action.

A list of stuff in the doc that I'd take resources on (AKA everything planned in it) with * by anything that will be left unwritten/unfinished on purpose until I know more. I will take resources and recommendations on EVERYTHING though. This is in no particular order:

grounding and centering

VOCAB (intention, intuition, UPG/SPG/VPG, appropriation. probably others I'm forgetting.

candle, plant, crystals and safety* (as well as any other tools one might need safety tips for. This is left completely unwritten as I use very few tools of this type.)

deity work* (the whole debate surrounding when to start, as well as information about it. Will include smth about house rules/boundaries. My work is very casual, I'd love to see different POV's of this! This is by nature left unfinished because deity work is so unique to the witch.)

grimoire/book of shadows

tools of the craft* (common tools and how to use them consumerism in witchcraft, etc.)

cleansing

appropriation* (I don't know near enough about this, I just check what's in my own practice. I would like this to include a list of commonly appropriated closed practices, a definition of appropriation and why it shouldn't be done, open pantheons, and common open practices.)

spellwork*

meditation

where someone could go from here* (including sigils, tarot, crystals bc my friend likes rocks lol, maybe astrology but oh god I have nothing about that it makes my brain hurt just looking at an astrology chart /pos. I will probably make a list of stuff that I could add in this section.)

casual/daily/quick/low energy practices and witchcraft

paganism and witchcraft; overlap, what they are individually, why one might be for you rather than the other, etc.*

there'd be a credit section for anyone who wants to be credited for links/resources at the end! If you send me resources plz specify if you want to be included in that or not.

Things I might include in the second doc if I make it:

the craft and mental health and my experiences with it

things commonly touched on in the community (your deities don't hate you, cycles of inactivity and burnout, other things I'm forgetting rn)

deity-specific things, more specific topics of the craft, etc. yet another reminder that this would all include UPG, possibly unmarked, because it would basically be primarily used to give me motivation to research more.

[kittyoverlord]

Finale nails: part 2!

Themed on the many gods of Kristen Applebees.

Close-up pics, details, etc. under the cut

Finale nails pt. 1

-----

Dimension 20 Nail Art Masterpost

I first knew I wanted to do the different versions of "YES!/?" and the rest of the design

There were a few versions of the iDK shirt that I saw floating around, so I decided to do two with different fonts and background tie-dye designs. I used a special magnetic polish to give it a more etherial feel.

After seeing @caitmayart 's drawing of Ankarna, I knew I wanted to do her hair. The gradient design was one I ended up redoing a few times to get right.

For the Helio shirt, I couldn't do the exact design, so I simplified it into a rainbow-gradient stamp (yeah, simple). I can't read Kristen's shirt in the official art, so I tried to come up with a phrase that made sense. Even though this nail was supposed to be smaller and less important, it was one of the more complicated designs so also took a few tries lol.

Kalina is meant to be subtle and blend in. She was a late addition because I didn't know what to put on my last nail, but I'm super happy I added her.

Here are all my mess-ups. This was a multi-day project, but I'm happy with the results.

Base color: Holo Taco - Cool Cat Mom (magnetic), Lavender Syrup, Box Office Bomb.

Stamping: polishes and plates from Maniology. Pulled designs from a lot of plates so if anyone wants a full list lmk and I'll add one.

[py-dreamer]

Ok so I might've gone over time again a lil bit BUT I STILL MADE IT!!!

"Why is it Nezha? First Mk, then Mei, why Nezha? Shouldn't it be Pigsy or Tang or Red Son? Why are you robbing the less popular characters their spotli-"

SHUSH!!!!

Ok so a reason I made Nezha next, is cause I have an upcoming project due soon and I require our 3rd lotus princey over here to come help me.

Look it's an art thingy and the theme is 'Legacy of the gods' and I did chinese mythology not LMK. As such I couldn't pick an lmk exclusive character like Mk or Mei. Furthermore, since it was about the 'gods' specifically, I'm more focused on the deities and less demons the like.

Also a lot of my project has featured so much JTTW, and I'm sure it definitely will in future...So to break up from that and for a bit of variety, I've added in our lotus friend.

(I mean, I suppose I could've done Chang'e but I just decided Nezha had more myths so he was my best bet)

And I couldn't do Wukong. Cause I'm already doing another piece with him, I made two stickers of him already. They will know I have favorites. And I do, I know I do but damn it if I don't wanna show it so obviously!!!

Actually, originally I had like a list of who I wanted to do and it was mostly like main cast of lmk with some fan favorites/my favs here and there and Nezha was towards the bottom but I moved him up due to the reasons above. And I was going to do Pigsy and Tang today but that's not how things turned out, I'll still do them just everyone's gonna have to be moved up in the list now.

Don't ask me what kinda cake it is, if I had to guess some kinda cheesecake with like a thin layer of jelly on top. The pink/red contributes to his main color scheme and the blue jelly makes it look like a pond and all the decorations and lotuses on top look like they're floating in water.

And I suppose it's different from Mk and Mei's cause like the KNY arts have different cakes sometimes why not do the same for these guys? And Nezha is a prince, and the patron god of children! I think he deserves something nice. (I used Giyu's cake for reference)

The filling is strawberries again, hopefully better drawn this time and actually sakura petals instead of lotus ones. I don't know why I used sakura petals, the color is more like lotuses but the shape is inspired after sakura so maybe it's a hybrid.

I do enjoy that it is more detailed than the previous two (especially since I'm using it for a project-)

I actually had a lot of trouble thinking of the sugar cookies cause there's not much associated with Nezha other than his lotus theme and his weaponry. Like at least Mei had her sword and her dragon insignia in different styles! I didn't wanna just do lotuses for like 3 times so I did his universal ring and that golden brick from that one episode. And yes, that brick is an actual thing in the mythos, it's not just a quick visual gag.

I did copy paste the frosting swirls and shells from Mei, don't @ me pls they just looked cool, I needed something to jush up the cake and COME ON THEY LOOK COOL HOW COULD I NOT

No I did not change the color but the minty green broke up all the pink and gold nicely, I think...

I did add the lotus flower and that green thing that triggers ur tripophobia is a lotus fruit. So for those who don't know, lotuses are edible! Not water lilies though. There's a difference. And lotuses can be made into lotus jam and it's delicious! I do recommend trying a lotus jam bao at least once.

Now I know Nezha is a chinese deity and mochi/dango is japannese but Idk what other desert to use and I didn't feel tanghulu fit the vibe...

But yea, those are his flaming fire wheels he skates on, that's why they're on fire, no it's not the rings of the samadhi fire. (I'll be saving that for RS) though now, I do wish I'd just done the outline in a darker shade to make it look like it was an actual image grilled into the mochi rather than a sticker slapped on.

The sneks! Omg! I almost forgot about them! But yea, those are the golden serpent shears we saw in that one episode. They are a bit last minute but I think they turned out decently well. Lil bleps.

Then we have the fire tipped spear and yes, that is Ao Bing. I'm sorry, I know I said I shipped them, and I still do (I see lmk nezha as both mentally and physically an adult don't try me) but damn that idea popped into my head and it was funny. He's fine...I think

(also funny to think Mei's is all dragon oriented and here's Nezha and Ao bing like bleep)

The reason the ribbon is so long is cause it's the goddamn armillary sash that Nezha uses, and it's its own canon magic thing, why not let it be longer and yes I did add some white detail but I just thought it looked more finished and it's a celebration! Let him be festive!

I really like the pose like Nezha receiving a lil present. I think he's the kind of person to not expect presents but be pleasantly surprised at them.

And btw that balloon has lily pads, it's not a globe. I know they should be elevated for lotuses but I can't exactly make the leaves pop out.

So later today should be Tang and pigsy hopefully!

(Also I've noticed a trend in general lmk posts. Ships, duos, trios basically anything with a relationship of some kind always do better than just one character so if I had to guess this like my other birthday posts won't do that well)

Oh and @leesbian42, before I forget, happy almost birthday! If I remember correctly you're turning like 24 right?

[thirstydemisexual]

Hiii, I’d like to request number 7 and 14 for Ghost on your NSFT prompt list 🙏😩 he makes me insane

same honestly, I go feral for the man

also sorry for the delay but university is a bitch

UNIVERSITY PROJECT|| Simon "Ghost" Riley x fem!reader

no beta again because this bitch right here has no friends who would read this

You were so fucking mad. You had a project assigned to your group and it seemed like every other person on it was fucking incompetent. They all did an an half-assed job, or they wouldn't fucking respond to call and it was driving you mad. It was just the more difficult since it was the weekend and you couldn't just go ask them in person and you knew they were taking advantage of you because you'd end up doing all the fucking work like always. You fucking hated people in times like that.

It was almost nine p.m and you were still working on your part and just fucking fuming. Honestly you didn't even bother with dinner because the anger just made your hunger subside. Your boyfriend left you alone sensing it was better in your state but he couldn't just let you skip meals.

You didn't hear the knock on your door as you were laser focused on the project but expecting it Simon just let himself in, plate of chicken and potato in one hand and a coffe mug in the other. You turned slightly at the noise of the door opening and gave him a small smile

Fuck if you loved him

"Hey princess, don't you think you should take a break?"

"I can't Si, this project is a half of our grade I can't just not work on it because of those imbeciles"

"Still you did your part didn't you?" he said coming closer and placing the plate and mug on the part of your desk free from your stuff.

"Yes but fuck they just won't do theirs properly! They are doing everything half-assed!" you said smashing your textbook closed

"Honey they are taking advantage of you"

"Don't you think I fucking know that?" you responded raising your voice, raising from your seat and smashing your hands down the desk making it slightly tremble "But I need a good grade I can't just turn in a shitty project because they won't do their part, it's gonna reflect on my grade too. Better believe I'm never partnering with these morons again after this"

You knew it was not his fault and it wasn't right to raise your voice at him, that he was just looking out for you but you were just so fucking frustrated

"Fuck" Simon replayed, slightly nibbling at his bottom lip "You look so hot when you're mad"

Your faced flushed red as you noticed the rising tent in your boyfriend grey sweats, heat pooling south. "Simon!"

"What? It's the truth" he said coming closer, hand resting on your hip bringing you closer, his prominent hardening bulge pressing against your soft stomach.

"I don't have time for this Simon" you said trying to ignore the wetness that was starting to pool at your entrance at the feeling on him on you and turning around. Which didn't help Simon at all with his little problem as his bulge was now brushing against your ass. He let out a grunt.

"Love you do need a break, Id be very happy to serve as a distraction"

You thought about it, you felt like you had to work but you still had two more days.

"I happen to know just the best way to relive stress my love" Simon's hands sneaked around your waist ad his head dipped into the crook of your neck and started trailing hot kisses.

You swiftly turned around, grabbing his jaw in one hand. His pupils blew wide.

"One round" you said as he smirked "Fuck yeah"

You smashed your lips together, the kiss was passionate, all tongue and teeth, anger still seeing trough your veins. You pushed it toward the bed in the other corner of the room. Simon was a big men, but he did enjoy when you tried manhandling him so he often let you.

"Couldn't let me work in peace could you?" you mumbled between kisses, biting hard down on his lip making him let out a low moan. You pushed him down on his back as you straddled his body, grinding your hips hard onto his bulge. He grunted.

"Words Simon" you pushed away, his body trying to follow but you bushed him down firmly with one hand.

"But how can I leave you alone when you look so hot all worked up love?"

You let out a snort as your hands reached for his t-shirt, hastily tearing it off of his body. And he liked it, he loved when you were so demeaning, so hot and bothered and intend to use him for your own pleasure. You took his bel off next and you teared down his pants hastily, not taking them off completely but enough to let his length pop out.

His hands reached to your own oversize shirt

"Not fair, want to see you princess" you let out a chuckle

"How demanding" you taunted him but complied none the less, taking off your shirt, now remaining only in your panties.

You wasted no time taking them off before reaching for his aching cock, his hips bucking into your hand as he finally felt your touch on him.

"Ride me love, please" his tone was desperate as he whined. you chuckled once again aligning your entrance sliding from his pink tip down to his thick base, your free hand sliding across his chiseled chest and landing on his throat giving a light squeeze, the way you knew had his cock twitching inside of you.

"That's good, love. Keep doing that" he let out already feeling breathless. You squeezed a little tighter as you started to set the pace

Up and down

Hi hands landed on your hips helping you as your thighs started to shake, but you quickly rejected them.

"Hands on your sides or I'll stop" he groaned but complied as your trust got sloppier and your breath heavier.

You were both close, you could feel the knot in your stomach building up as you became a panting mess

"Let's come together, on my three, got it?" you said squeezing his throat a bit harder

"Fuck yeah"

"1...2...3!" you finally let go as Simon essence painted your inside white, your combined fluids pooling on his abdomen, creating an equally obscene and arousing sight. You let yourself fall onto his chest, exhausted as his arms came around you. His length still buried inside of you.

"Now you just need to eat love ok? No skipping meals alright?" He said kissing your temple, still breathless.

"Alright"

sorry this is shorter than usual but again, university is a bitch