#3rd is up in the air as of now but I'm considering a few

[maareyas]

Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad(?) Werehog

once again feeling impatient, so here's the full illustration that I'm gonna try giving a little bit of animation ✨ so I don't entirely forget how to use DragonBones and After Effects.

The art style for this was once again HEAVILY inspired by Chocobo Tales DS (2006). Which, seems to be one of the more obscure games that have a vicegrip on my brain lol. god i wish i still had a working ds so i can re-experience it properly

[agathaandbrienneslesbian]

Heart of Gold - Part 2

Miranda Hilmarson x Mounted!Police!Fem!Reader

HELLO EVERYONE <3 I finally managed to finish Part 2 of my Miranda Hilmarson Fic. I'm sorry it took so long but it's finally here. I hope you enjoy this little addition to the first part. I'm not yet sure if I should make a 3rd part but if you guys want one, I'll look into it <3

Huge thanks to @weemssapphic for proofreading this part <3

Disclaimer: English is not my first language!

Warnings: Talk of bullying, talk of death and dying, descriptions of blood, death and being shot (I'm sorry... this is an angsty one)

Authors Note: Hurt/Comfort with a shit ton of Angst. I hope you guys enjoy <3

Words: 2'400+

AO3 Link

Taglist

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“Why do you care so much about me?”

You look at her, unable to answer the question. Should you tell her? Should you take the risk and risk the friendship you’ve built? Miranda looked at you intensely, chest heaving from being dragged around. You tried to collect your thoughts but just as you were about to answer, Miranda dropped her head, looking down at her feet. A sigh of defeat left her lips.

“It’s a joke to you as well isn’t it?” she asked through clenched teeth, tears threatened to spill from her eyes any second. You looked at her in shock.

“No! No Mir that's not the case!!! That's not the case at all-”

“Save it!” Miranda looked up at you, eyes red, tears wetting her face as she furiously wiped the back of her hand over her cheeks. 

“I should have known… you’re like everyone else… I- I should have never trusted you…” and with that, Miranda stormed out before you could say anything else. 

The defeat on her face, the betrayal, the way she looked so full of hope only for it to be replaced by pain, a pain you felt right in this moment with her. How could you have fucked up this bad… you should have just told her… you should have just SHOWN her. You had to catch up to her. Without further hesitation your feet carried you through the stables towards the parking lot only to see her drive off in a hurry.

“Shit… SHIT'' Defeated, you return to the stables to gather your things and leave. You’d see her tomorrow! You’d get your chance to talk to her again… hopefully.

—

However, luck wasn’t on your side. Miranda had started avoiding you, leaving the room when you entered, walking the other direction when you walked towards her. And this had been going on for a few weeks now.

It hurt. 

You knew better than to follow her but… it hurt. After a particularly busy day, you went to get some drinks with your colleagues, wishing you were with Miranda. A heavy sigh left your lips as you absentmindedly picked at the label of your beer. You felt sick…

“Hey guys… I’m gonna go home… I don’t feel too well…”

You stood, handing your beer to your friend, and gathered your things. Of course you were met with protest but you just ignored it, and soon enough they figured that it might be best to just let you leave. So that is what you did. 

Exiting the pub you felt the cold breeze on your skin. The air was a bit chilly and it smelled like rain. Cool darkness enveloped you and you stood there for a minute, just feeling the breeze on your skin and the smell of rain. When you opened your eyes again, that’s when you saw her. 

Miranda anxiously stepped on a cigarette she’d just finished. It looked as if she were considering coming into the pub or not. She hadn’t seen you yet. Should you approach her? Go back inside? Before a choice could be made, she looked up, making eye contact. You were expecting her to run away, to flee from your loving and pained gaze once again but…. She didn’t. She held your gaze, waiting. 

“Miranda-“

“Can we walk?”

She interrupted. You looked at her, surprise painted all over your face as she just waited for you to reply. Quickly, you nodded, walking over to her and following.

“Miranda… I am so sorry. If I have done something that hurt you please just let me know I-“

“Don’t apologise… I should-“

The blonde took a deep breath, shoving her hands in her vest pockets and looking down at her feet, kicking some stones around as she walked with you. She had missed you… but she needed time to think.

“I should have let you answer that night… I am sorry…”

Suddenly, Miranda stopped, looking out over the beach and the dark ocean. You stood beside her, your eyes trained on her face. You had to tell her how you feel. You had to let her know that she is worthy of love and affection. That she is beautiful, wonderful, perfect. In your eyes, Miranda was perfect. 

“I care because you’re worth it.”

Miranda was avoiding your gaze, but you saw her eyebrows furrow. This just spurred you on more.

“I care because you are worth the time and energy. I care because you are the sweetest and most adorable and kind person on this planet. I care because you lit up my world when I met you the very first time. You make my days better and I cannot fall asleep or wake up without thinking of you.”

Miranda looked down at you, her eyes, usually so blue and bright now seemed grey, and were welling up with tears. Carefully, you took her hand into yours, giving her a reassuring squeeze with your hands.

“I care because I fell in love with you…. Miranda… I love you”

You said it, admitted your feelings, and it sent a rush of anxiety down your spine, leaving its sticky tingling feeling behind. You were expecting her to leave again, to get upset at you… what you didn’t expect were her lips suddenly pressed against yours, a big hand with long, slim fingers, gently cupping your cheek and pulling you closer.

Miranda had hoped you would say that. It took her a while to realise… several weeks. She simply wasn’t used to it. No one had ever shown her the care and affection you had. And she found herself falling for you. Afraid you would hate her if she admitted it, she kept quiet.

But that night…. She had to know. 

However, as soon as the question left her lips, she felt herself getting anxious. She was terrified. What if you said you pitied her and that’s why you ‘acted’ like you cared so much? So, before you could answer, she pulled away. She ran away. To protect herself, not noticing how much her actions had hurt you. Until she saw how your smile faded, how your eyes stopped shining, how you seemed to have lost your joy. And she hated herself for hurting you so much. 

“I am sorry Y/N… I… love you too. I was just anxious and-“

Now it was your turn to interrupt her with a kiss. Your arms wrapping around her shoulders, holding her close. You didn’t need to hear more. It was no secret that Miranda was oftentimes anxious. Who could blame her… she’s been through a lot. 

“I’ve heard everything I needed to hear Mir… you don’t have to apologise. You’re okay. I am not mad at you. I’m glad you told me…”

Your whispers and words of affirmation and understanding caused Miranda to completely dissolve. Her tears flowing freely as she held onto you, finding comfort in your embrace. She did not know how she deserved you, but she would be an idiot if she’d ever let go of you. You loved her… and she loved you. 

—

And so it happened that the two of you became the cutest couple at the police station (at least according to you two. Who cares what the others think).

More often than not, you brought Miranda a coffee, some treats or even flowers. You started spending almost every waking moment together, only separating to go home and sleep. 

Both of you wanted to take it slow. There was no hurry. You weren’t going anywhere and neither was Miranda. The love you experienced in each other's embrace and kisses was enough to keep you two glued together. No force could ever part you… not even a routine patrol that ended more dangerous for you than expected. 

—

It was like every Wednesday afternoon.

You were patrolling the promenades before going back to the stables and calling it a day. Already excited to spend time with Miranda after work, you did not realise that the altercation you rode towards, would end up being almost fatal for you. 

Of course it had to happen.

You knew you shouldn’t have split up with your colleague. But there was no harm in thinking that if he took the lower road, you could take the higher one and still be close enough to hear each other. 

The second you realised that there was a gun pointed at you, you started calling for your colleague. Reaching for your own gun, you suddenly felt a piercing pain in your shoulder. A BANG was heard and then your ears were ringing. The pain in your shoulder increased, dragging its disgusting talons over your neck to the back of your head, digging deep into your skin. You started feeling faint, head pounding and everything started looking fuzzy and far away. At first you hadn’t even noticed that your horse was galloping towards the stables. Your hand just instinctively grabbed onto the horn of the saddle and your grip tightened. 

Artemis was huffing, whining and neighing the closer she got to the stables. A place she knew was safe. She felt your shift in energy, understanding the severity of the situation more than you. The smart horse she was, she stopped in front of the station, making a ruckus to get the other officers’ attention.

Miranda looked out the window, expecting to see you waving at her but what she saw, sent her into a panic. She rushed out to you and Artemis, gently pulling you from your mare and asking you questions. What exactly she asked, you didn’t know… you didn’t hear. All you knew was that you were in Miranda’s arms and it soothed the pain you were experiencing. 

Meanwhile Miranda tried to stay calm. She had called the ambulance, staying with you and holding you close, trying to stop the bleeding. Her hands, your shirt and her sleeves were covered in thick, dark red, warm blood. Your blood. 

Miranda tried really hard to keep it together, to stay strong for you, but she couldn’t keep the sobs in. Tears coated her soft pale skin, huffs and sobs escaped her lips, frantic breathing accompanied by the fear that she could lose you. She couldn't lose you… Miranda wouldn’t survive without you, she knew that. She needed you. She loved you. 

The next few hours were a blur for Miranda. You were unconscious, the medics doing everything they could to keep you alive as she accompanied you, holding your hand throughout the entire drive to the hospital. There, you were separated. 

But Miranda didn’t let up. 

She waited, and waited, and waited. Minutes turned to hours, hours filled with anxiety, fear and pain. She did not even wash up, her hands, shirt and trousers still soaked in your blood. Now cold, sticking to her skin, as if death itself latched onto her. 

It wasn’t until 4 hours later that the nurse finally went to fetch Miranda. She did ask her to at least wash her arms before bringing her to your room. There you laid, unconscious, but breathing. You were breathing. Miranda immediately went to your side, gently brushing some hair from your face, caressing your cheek, and holding your warm, soft hand. 

“I need you… please don’t leave me just yet…” She whispered.

“I love you. Come back to me…” She begged.

“I can’t lose you..”

She breathed. 

Miranda hoped you would hear her. She would tell you about all the things she wanted to experience with you, places she wanted to show you and future plans she had dreamed about. For more than 48 hours, Miranda sat by your side. The nurses had to force her to at least eat and drink something if she wasn’t going to sleep or go home to get changed. She sat by your side and wouldn’t leave. It was as if Miranda was in a frozen state. Holding your hand and pressing kisses to your cheek and forehead. She was only ripped from her trance as the heart monitor flatlined. She shot up, calling out for help, screaming, begging, sobbing, but no one heard. She was alone… and you were gone… —

“Miranda?”

Suddenly, Miranda felt a soft hand on her arm, another on her cheek, wiping away tears that escaped her eyelids once more. She opened her eyes, finding herself in her bedroom. Her breathing ragged, panic evident on her face, she started looking around. Where were you? “Miranda… darling… It’s okay. It was just a bad dream…” Her eyes shot to the direction of the voice, and she started sobbing. You wrapped your arms around her, pulling her close and kissing her head. Miranda’s arms immediately wrapping around your middle, so as not to hurt your healing shoulder. She pulled you close and that's when she realised where she was. Miranda was at home, in her bed, with you holding her, consoling her.

“I am here Mir. I won’t go anywhere… I promised you I won’t.” Your soft voice brought her peace. This wasn’t the first time she awoke in this manner. Once the nurses and doctors were happy with your recovery, they allowed you to go back home. Miranda insisted you live with her, so she could take care of you and protect you. Of course you said yes. But ever since then, Miranda was plagued by nightmares. One worse than the other, the outcome was the same every time. She couldn’t save you. She couldn’t protect you. You were gone, leaving her alone in her pain and loneliness. 

But it was just a dream. Every night she would feel your arms around her, your soft voice rousing her from the hell she fell into. Every night, you would reassure her that you were still there, that you survived, and that it was thanks to her quick thinking. Every night, you would dry her tears and have her fall asleep with her head on your chest, hearing your heartbeat. You were alive, and you were with her. It would take some time for the two of you to overcome the trauma, the horrors both of you faced each night. But you would overcome it. Together. Miranda could overcome it with your love, and you with hers. And her heart of Gold.

So, just like every night, you reminded her of that. A kiss pressed to her head as you noticed her relaxing in your arms, sleep ready to take her again. You whispered, so as not to wake her again: “Miranda?”

“Hm?”

“I love you”

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End Note: As always, reblogs, comments and likes are well appreciated <3 Taglist: @vivendraws @erinyaya @phexyce @aemilia19 @weemssapphic @gela123 @winterfireblond @Xxmecverxx @unicorniusfallapatorious @gwenistheloml @yourgaeyisshowing @readingtheentrails

[fabuloustrash05]

My Top 5 Favorite TMNT 2012 Ships

5) Mikey x Renet

I feel we as a fandom has come to an unanimous agreement that all the canon romances/couples given to us in the 2012 series are bad/toxic/poorly written/inc3st/etc with THEM being the only exception (I'll talk about that ship soon), however I think Renetangelo is the other exception.

They’re certainly not perfect with their first problem being Mikey kinda “cheating” on Renet with Shinigami (they weren’t together or officially dating so it’s not cheating, but it still felt wrong that it was never acknowledged that Mikey was pretty much a skirt chaser, crushing on two girls at once), but I still really love their dynamic and relationship. Mikey and Renet are undoubtedly cute together, just two silly goofballs having a fun time and enjoying the other’s company with the occasional flirting and kiss on the cheek (which btw SO CUTE). Renetangelo is that couple that I feel works great both romantically and platonically. If you told me they’re best friends, I’d believe it, if you told me they’re a couple, I’d also believe it. That's how well they work off each other. I'm okay with them being a couple or just being friends.

Season 5 also practically confirms they’re together on two occasions with Mikey saying him and Renet are in a long distance relationship in the When Worlds Collide special, and Renet hinting during the Halloween arc that she and Mikey have some kind of future together.

Overall, I really like Renetangelo and I love seeing these two together. From Mikey's puppy love expressions when he sees her to their overall personalities clashing so well together. This ship is very underrated and needs more love.

4) Slash x Alopex

Btw this edit was made by @robins-treasure <33

Yes, this is a ship that exist and I take FULL CREDIT FOR THE CREATION OF THIS COUPLE! I AM THE REASON THIS SHIP IS ALIVE AND SAILING! YOU ARE WELCOME!!

Slash x Alopex (or what I like to call them Slaopex) is my rarepair of the 2012 series and I’m so happy that I’m slowly getting more and more people one board with it. It started off as just a random silly idea of mine, like "What if Slash got a gf?" and then I thought "Well, who could I ship him with?" and then my brain went "What if Slash and Alopex got together? That would be funny". I laughed at the idea, but the more I thought of it, the more I started to like it. I began coming up with headcanons and a story of their relationship, and the more I did that, the more I fell in love with this concept and the potential of this couple. So much that it placed 4th in my top 5!

I fell so in love with them I even ended up writing a short fanfic of how I headcanon they would first meet and the beginning of their blooming romance (you can read it HERE). But in short, Slash runs into Alopex during a late night patrol and helps her beat up some crooks who were attacking her. The two get to talking, sharing a tender moment before parting ways, with Alopex now being the only thing on Slash's mind <3

I also reference this ship a few times in my fanfic Courting a Salamandrian. Consider it a continuation of that little oneshot.

3) Leo x Casey

While everyone else was shipping Jonatello, I was shipping Caseynardo! I was never a fan of Jonatello, I don't hate it, just couldn't get on board nor understand the hype around it, but then one day I stumbled across fanart of Leo x Casey and I thought "Huh... these two actually look cute together!" and quickly sunk into the rabbit hole. Looking up every little bit of fanart, fanfics and edits I could find.

Liking this ship this much for it to be ranked 3rd in my Top 5 favorite TMNT 2012 ships says a lot. This ship really grew on me very quickly, so much so that I wrote a fanfiction on them! I wrote a Caseynardo fanfic before writing a Renetangelo one (you can read it HERE), which is funny cause I've been shipping Renetangelo since the show was airing, and I didn't start liking Caseynardo till long after the show ended! That says a lot about how much these boy effected me! LOL

My whole HC for this ship is that they bonding a lot in season 3 at the farmhouse which led to a mutual romantic attraction. Eventually they secretly date without telling anyone but due to the circumstances and problems going on in Leo’s life, he was unable to keep the relationship going. They agree to just be friends, which Casey promising to wait for him. It’s basically the “right person, wrong time” trope. But I like to headcanon that by season 5, Leo and Casey finally get together officially and made their relationship known to everyone else. The only one not surprised was Raphael who knew about those two since day one, cause he was stuck being their third wheel/wingman XD

2) Karai x Shinigami

I will NEVER forgive Nickelodeon for be too cowardly to make this happen. They'd rather ship inc3st and force Shini to be straight than give us our goth kunoichi lesbians. For shame, Nickelodeon... For shame...

Not to mention that one of the writers of the show, Peter Di Cicco, shipped them! Calling them his "OTP" and referring to Shini as "Karai's girlfriend", and even pitching an alternate ending to the series where Splinter and Shredder make up but the only thing they fight over now is who gets to walk Karai down the aisle during her wedding to Shinigami XD

The moment I saw Shinigami, I instantly thought "Oh that's a lesbian and she and Karai are a thing". I really love their dynamic, their friendship and the potential they have in being a cute couple of childhood friends to lovers. You can see how much they care about each other. The fury in Shini's voice when she confronts Super Shredder, "I will destroy you, Monster! For everything you have done to Karai!". Shini is supportive of Karai and is always the one down to start chaos with you. Makes me wish we could've learned more about these two and their history. I like to think they've known each other since they were little, being childhood friends while training and growing up in The Foot Clan.

My personal headcanon is that Shinigami has had a crush on Karai since they were young, like preteens, and is so loyal to her and willing to help Karai not just because she is her best friend but also because she loves her. However, she is scared to tell Karai how she really feels because she's worried she won't reciprocate and it'll ruin their long time friendship. Luckily, Mikey is there for support!

Not to toot my own horn, but I did write a fanfic relating to this concept that you can read HERE

1) Raphael x Mona Lisa

What have I not already said about RaMona? If you follow me then you know full well that these two are my life. I’ve written multiple fanfics based on them on AO3 (LINK HERE) and have done a few analysis posts about them as well here on Tumblr. They have consumed my life. I love them so much!

Overall, I believe they are the healthiest ship the series offered us, and the best one in canon. I know some complain that they were rushed and how they got together too quickly, but in truth I can understand why Raph and Mona got into a relationship as quickly as they did. They are both warriors with the mindset of "I might die tomorrow" so it makes sense they'd be open and honest about their feelings right from the start just in case something happens to either one of them in battle. You only live once, you know? And I like how open Raph is when it comes to his feelings for Mona. From the very start, the moment he realized he liked her, never once did he deny it. Even when his brothers and friends laughed or scolded him, Raph proudly admitted he likes her with no ounce of shame. Mikey even points out that Mona is "bigger, stronger and a better fighter" than Raph and him responding by saying "Exactly! What a woman..." The boy does not care that she will be the pants in their relationship. He loves that she's stronger than him, bigger than him, a better fighter than him. We even see how excited he gets when she suggests training with him someday. Not to mention how we also learn in the show that these two have written love letters to each other during the course of the season 4 space adventures. Their personailties clash so well together. Both being strong willed warriors who put their loved ones first. Both can be stubborn and jump to conclusions quickly. We even see that Mona can have a short temper much like Raph. Both are ready to kick some ass with anyone who talks shit (Raph defending Mona but then Mona defending herself *chef's kiss*)

It's not talked about often among the fandom/shippers, but the fact that Mona is as much in love with Raph as he is with her is what truly makes this ship great. While the other 2012 ships make it unclear (writing wise) if the love interest truly feels the exact same way towards her Turtle she's shipped with, but for Mona her feelings are obvious. She's the one who makes the first move during all of their kisses/nose nuzzles, she's the one to say "I love you" first" and do I have to remind y'all of the push up scene? XD

These two are obsessed with one another. You can tell and see just how in love they are with one another. Even with only appearing in about 4-5 episodes, they truly left a major impact on shipping in this fandom. I feel it has come to a unanimous agreement that this ship is the best (canon) couple this show gave us. I love them, I love their relationship, I love what these two have done for the show and this fandom. They were able to bring back a classic ship from the 87 series and add so much more to them! I hope we get to see more of this couple in future generations. They certainly aren't a perfect couple, they got their flaws too, but overall they are truly the best couple in the 2012 series. <333

[ohwhataniight]

I'm stuck on your heart - Chapter 2

On AO3

Chapter 1

John cannot count the times they’ve run around London, chasing a criminal, until their lungs hurt.

Once the police have caught the right wing news anchor who got revenge on his wife by replacing her bottle of Dior’s Hypnotic Poison with acid, they’re left trying to catch their breath a few blocks away from Baker Street.

They start walking home, gloved hands in their pockets, their noses red from the cold. The streets are bustling with cars and passers-by, the fairy lights from the shops and the cafes flicker and flash, colourful and loud. John turns to look at Sherlock. “So. Reggie Smith, then.”

“Obviously.”

“This was... horrible. What was even the motive?”

“You’ll find that misogyny is the driving force behind 20% of this country’s crimes, John. Simple. Crude. Runs deep and is quite horrible, as you said”.

“Yes, thank you,” John purses his lips into a thin line. Their breaths come out in small puffs of smoke.

“Will the burns heal?”

"She'll need plastic surgery, but probably. Thank the gods people don’t spray perfume directly on their faces”.

They stand in front of the door of 221B and John fishes in the pocket of Sherlock’s coat for the keys. A tacky piece of artificial mistletoe is hanging above their heads. “She keeps putting those up,” John murmurs.

“At least these are not poisonous, John.”

Molly greets them upstairs, looking rather exhausted. Rosie, who’s only wearing her nappie, is running around the living room with her chubby, wobbly legs, making a toy airplane fly.

“I couldn’t put her to bed,” Molly sighs. “Couldn’t even get to dress her.”

“Don’t worry, Molly, we’ve got this now,” Sherlock takes off his Belstaff and scarf, and with two long strides he grabs Rosie and lifts her up in the air. She giggles and grabs on his face.

“Thank you,” John mouths. “Will you stay for dinner?”

Molly smiles and nods. “So, who was it?”

“Reggie Smith,�� Sherlock provides while making his way to the kitchen to microwave the stew and mashed potatoes they made this morning, after already having put Rosie in her onesie and socks.

“The news anchor?”

“The one and only”.

“It tracks,” she shrugs. “Horrible, though.”

They eat in front of the TV. Molly leaves them after the 3rd episode of the Wallace and Gromit series, full and contented on the couch.

John wakes up freezing in the middle of the night. Bleary eyed, his teeth chattering, he wraps his robe around him, and walks downstairs, where he finds Sherlock lying on a mattress on the floor in front of the fireplace, with a Rosie-shaped bump sleeping soundly on his chest, under the duvet.

“Heating’s broken,” Sherlock whispers. “I wanted to wake you up so that you wouldn’t freeze but she fell asleep on me.”

“It’s ok. Thank you for bringing her here.” John grabs a fleece blanket and makes his way to the couch.

“Don’t be daft!” Sherlock shout-whispers. “This is a terrible idea for your shoulder. You know you won’t be able to move for days. The mattress here is anatomic.”

John considers that, swallows hard. Sherlock is right. He’s not getting any younger and his body hurts more and more every day as it is, picking Rosie up, running around London and all. “Right. Yes.” He checks that the fire is well-protected and that they're lying at a safe distance from it and makes his way to the mattress, lifting the duvet, sliding under it, and lying flat on his back. He can feel Sherlock’s body radiating heat a few inches away from his arm. “Good night”.

"Good night, John".

Sherlock starts snoring softly soon after, but John is unable to sleep. He lies there in the dark, all but the lights on the tree, looking at their reflections dance on the ceiling, listening to Rosie’s calm breathing, feeling the electricity on his skin from the spot where Sherlock almost touches him. He’s holding his own breath, but his heart pounds for hours, so much so that he fears the noise will wake his friend and co-parent and their child.

He wakes up wrapped in an exquisite warmth. The first thing he smells is Rosie’s powdery head, but there’s also a hint of sweet sweat and a faint trail of cologne. There are legs tangled up with his own under the duvet, and an arm resting heavy on his waist. He slowly opens a bleary eye and immediately panicks. Him and Sherlock are cuddling. To be more accurate, Sherlock has wrapped his whole body around him with his tentacles and Rosie is snuggled up between them. “Mo’ning daddy!” She grins sleepily, snuggling up closer to him.

He doesn’t know if Sherlock is awake. If he is, he’s trying to hide it, but John can tell a sleep cycle from another. It seems like it’s Sherlock’s turn to hold his breath.

He brings up his index finger to his mouth, motioning to Rosie to be quiet. Rosie opens her eyes widely. “Sec’et?” she whispers, bringing her own index fingers to her mouth.

John smiles and nods, trying to disentangle his body from Sherlock’s grip. Him and Rosie slide quietly to the kitchen, where he serves her cereal and manually squeezes oranges to provide her with some Vitamin C.

Sherlock walks into the kitchen an hour later, already having gotten up and showered before facing them. John wonders if Sherlock woke up just as hard as he did, whether he remembers any of it. “Morning,” Sherlock yawns, patting his hair with a towel. He’s wearing clean pyjamas and his festive burgundy robe.

“Good morning,” John smiles, trying a bit too hard to pretend like everything is normal. “I’m making eggs.”

“I can see that, John.” He reaches for the kettle and pours some coffee into a seemingly clean mug. “Morning, Watson.”

Rosie hands him a Troll doll with lime green hair. Good girl, not speaking with her mouth full.

“I’ll call Mrs. Hudson to get the heating fixed. We’ll freeze to death,” John tries to sound nonchalant. “How did you even get into the shower? Didn’t you become an icicle?”

“It took a lot of courage, John.”

“Mhmm. What are you doing today?”

“Working.”

“A case?”

“No.”

“Your mystery experiments at Mrs. Hudson’s basement again?”

“Probably.”

“Sherlock, I appreciate you taking your chemistry kit elsewhere to keep Rosie safe, but I swear, if you blow us up...”

“You know your safety and Watson’s is my utmost priority”.

John opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again. “Are you ever going to share what you’re doing down there with the class?”

“It’s a surprise,” the corners of Sherlock’s lips curve upwards slightly. He gets up, ruffles Rosie’s hair. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Aren’t you having breakfast?” John shouts, but Sherlock has already disappeared out the door.

John sighs. It’s a good too much, he supposes. But still, it’s too much.

Chapter 3

[camisoledadparis]

story: Piss Pig new year's night

My hot new year's threeway

New year's night. I was with a 71 year old big cock daddy! He told me to get ass up face down, and spread my ass wide with my hands. So I did. His mate was infront of me wanting his small dick sucked. So used one hand to spread my ass and one to support myself up to get spit-roasted. He slowly pushed into me about 1/3rd of his dick and then thrust the rest in with force balls deep!

He nearly busted me! Three strokes of his big cock balls slapping my balls, and boom! I had an orgasm! I blew as my almost hard cock pulsated and throbbed! Big load all over the bed.

His mate held my head and jammed all into my tongue out sloppy spitty mouthed. Balls slapping my chin. His dick was small but tasty, unwashed! Like I like em.

He shot pretty soon, considering, I took him balls deep, sloppy wet, tongue out, looking at him with eye contact, moaning! Only a little load cause they were fucking before I got there and was empty! I absorbed his jizz, still getting balls deep by Daddy!

The slapping sounds got louder and wetter as my ass juices flowed. I repositioned and put my face into my big load on the bed, and started licking the bed sheets sucking it all up, while daddy, went gangbusters on my now open, sloppy Faggot hole, I looked back at daddy, covered in cum, licking my lips, and said" "Am I a good Faggot daddy" right there he moaned and yelled and started pumping his load into my ass! I said, "oh yeah, daddy, fill that Faggot hole, yeah daddy" he had a big orgasim, and slumped onto me and I slumped onto the wet bed! He almost fell asleep! One of those orgasims! The soul sucker!

I felt his dick soften and Start to slip out. So I said" it's gonna slip out, quick put it in my mouth. He got up, I turned and squatted, and he put his semi hard , cum and ass juice covered cock into my mouth, no hands I slurped gently, and licked up and down till he was not sensitive again. Then I sat him on the bed, told him to lift up his legs and relax! He did! I squatted again, and preceded to give him thick wide tongue lashes from ass to knob and down again! Cleaned his messy man bits groin like a kid eating a melting gelati. His cum dribbled out of my gaped hole cause I was squatting, so I used my hand to grab it as i finished him off! He asked me to squat over him and squeeze!

I did what daddy asked. A few wet squelches and a few drips and it was over! My sphincter slowly closed, my ass throbbed, my face and mouth and body slowly absorbed the stink and I lay back and lit a cigarette. HAPPY NEW YEAR BOYS! All I need his mate was spent. Daddy was almost asleep, I was high on shard and DADDY dick, so I got up, and said, im going into the back yard, and ill be there mouth open until daddy needs to piss! Lol

Suddenly daddy got energy, so too his mate, and we went out back , I squatted, mouth opened, tongue out, drooling saliva, and both of them were pushing to piss in the moment. Cause a piss Faggot Pig, was looking up mouth open needing degradation!

I kept on degrading myself verbally while I waited. " Mmm what a dirty pig Faggot I am," and " mmm, come on guys, finish the faggot off" lol I'm so Verbal! They both stood there trying to piss, and pulling their cocks! So I spat on both their cocks and up into the air into my face, like a pig, and daddy said, "yeah it's coming" " here Faggot, take daddies hot piss". I said YES DADDY!"

I opened and out tongue out and he started slowly pissing but dribbling, so I moved and lapped it flicking my tongue like a dog drinking from a tap! Lol. He built up pressure and I just took it into my mouth! Overflowing it onto myself then swallowing the next fill! Pulling my ROCK HARD DICK, and saying, "mmmm thank you daddy" " please spit on me, please".

He spat and I then put my mouth on his cock while the last flow started to wane. He grabbed my head and thrusting it all into my mouth getting harder again! His mate then fired up! I swapped to him and put his whole cock into my mouth, as he started to piss. I opened wide, started tonguing his nuts, while his little dick pissed into my mouth running out all over me!

They both starred spitting in my face on my head, and degrading me verbally! "YOU DIRTY FILTHY FAGGOT CUNT" "FUCKING PIG" the more they spat and abused the more I got excited! My dick was full raging, throbbing and pulsating! They piss stopped but I didn't! I then sucked daddy tongue out as he held my head and I had his knob blocking my airway! I reached and gagged. But he held on hard, making me pull out hard to breathe, and I brought up hot piss as I coughed! Daddy said, "YEAH", his mate said " YEAH" and I said " YEAH" as I got oxygen in! Then his mate grabbed my head. He was now hard again! Power fucking my head then pushing me back forcefully saying, " Fucking faggot" and spitting in my face! Daddy got hold of my neck and walked me to the outdoor lounge! I lay back, head off couch, upside down, and daddy squatted down and thrust fucked my throat !

I struggled to cope, his 9 inch was full mast. I kept on gagging, and slobbering and vomiting the fresh piss and trying to breath! Daddy was gonna fuck this Faggot pig nasty now. Slamming down and holding down until I nearly passed out and to breath. The verbal was full on. " Faggot, pig, whore, cunt, " the spit was flowing, and I was struggling but lovin' the degradation, and aggressive energy! I was under dick attack then daddy moaned and moaned and pushed down, and screamed full voice," Ohhhhhh you fucking Faggot!" and with all his weight down my throat, his hands holding my feet down, his mate grabbed my arms, and held them back tight. I was like a star fish. Pinned unable to move , his cock Rick hard half way down my throat, weight

Pinning my neck bent back , he unloaded into my THROAT! I felt his pulsating dick, unloading and I started going " gruuuh, gruuuh, gruuuh" trying to breath as my throat tried to regurgitate, but couldn't cause I had 9 inch pumper, blocking it. It was past my Adams apple. Never had a dick that deep. I throat my 8 inch dildo all the way and that's maximum. So I thought. Well the neck muscles are powerful, and I had just enough to pull side ways and out! Instantly I regurgitated, his load, his piss, his mates piss and cum, my ass juices, my saliva, and my stomach lining like a proper vomit! Extreme and not pleasurable in those few moments. I coughed, and my eyes watered, blurred, and I was FUCKED UP! That was it! They let go, I started to recover, and reboot! The vomit was bad but lasted 10. second or so. But everything before that was fucking amazing! As I sat there covered in piss, spit and slobber, blurry eyed, and throat killing me, I looked at them both smiling, and I said, " NOW THAT'S HOW TO FUCK A FAGGOT UP!". LOL. We all started laughing! I said, THANK you DADDY! I swear my throat was sore like I had tonsilitis!

For over a week tender, and 19 days in, still tender! Fucking loved it! SUBSERVIENT, submissive, slave but who was in control? I made it all happen. I went, I serviced, I surrendered, I lead, and even when I was pinned , arms and feet held, cock blocking my breath, it was cause I surrendered! law of attraction applies! Careful what you wish for, cause and affect, all in there, and in control in truth, but I'll claim it as mine! I made it happen!

Now xx that's how to fuck a dirty filthy Faggot! Lol

~~

~~

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: August 2023 ~ 

🕶️ Happy September!!! 🌻

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post! 

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff!  -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 Stay Still - August 1st (Hong Kong)  🌟 Sing My Crush - August 2nd (South Korea)   🌟 The New Employee (movie version) - August 3rd (South Korea)  🌟 Love in Translation - August 5th (Thailand)  🌟 My Personal Weatherman - August 11th (Japan)  🌟 Love Class Season 2 - August 11th (South Korea)  🌟 Only Friends - August 12th (Thailand) ✅ 🌟 Dangerous Romance - August 18th (Thailand) ✅ 🌟 I Feel You Linger in the Air - August 18th (Thailand) 🌟 Friend. Boy Friend - August 19th (Thailand)  🌟 Lucky Love - August 20th (Thailand)  🌟 Casanova Begins - August 20th (Thailand) 🌟 My Universe - August 20th (Thailand)  🌟 Kiseki: Dear to Me - August 22nd (Taiwan)  🌟 My Plantito - August 23rd (Philippines) 🌟 Why R U? Korean Remake - August 24th (South Korea)  🌟 Man Suang - August 25th (Thailand, cinema release) 🌟 Firstly "Like" You (movie) - August 27th (Thailand) 🌟 Crazy Handsome Rich - August 28th (Thailand) 

Monthly likes/dislikes

❣️ Only Friends - I mean. do I have to add anything lmao. that shit has me in a tight ass chokehold lmao. there are a few minor things that I wish were different but overall I'm obsessed and it's nice to have something that lives up to the hype. we don't get that very often. Thumbs in up.

👎🏻 Dangerous Romance - so far I don't like it, let's hope it gets better.

New series & movie announcements

🎥 Fermat Kitchen (manga adaption) - Date TBA (Japan)

🎥 Love Supremacy Zone - Date TBA (South Korea)

🎥 Blossom Campus - Date TBA (South Korea)

🎥 A Secret Love (starring Kimmon W. & Kut T.) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Organize The Chaos - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Iridescent Love - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 The Hell Guards - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Wheels and Axle (movie) - Coming November 17th (Japan)

🎥 Love For Love's Sake - Date TBA (South Korea)

🎥 Ambiguous (high school romance) - Coming early 2024 (South Korea)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ Actor Inn Sarin (The Miracle of Teddy Bear) joined GMMTV. ❗️ The upcoming Domundi BL Middleman's Love as well as the GMMTV adaption of Cherry Magic have commenced filming. Both shows will likely air towards the end of the year. ❗️ Over a year after its initial announcement, the upcoming BL Wish Me Luck (starring Na Naphat & Fiat Pattadon) is now in production. ❗️ The uncensored Chinese BL Stay With Me was renewed for a second season. Further details are unknown.

❗️The Korean BL manhwa The Art of Taming a Tiger is getting a Korean synchronization/dub. Mingyu (Boys Planet), Lee Minwook (My Magic Closet), OBON (BOYS24) & Han Gi Chan (Where Your Eyes Linger) were announced as the main voice actors.

❗️The 2014 Thai BL Love Sick is getting a remake that is scheduled for 2024, marking the 10 year anniversary of the production. The show was Thailand's first mainstream BL and is considered a classic and a milestone in the industry. The remake will be produced by the company Tia51. Further details are unknown.

❗️The GMMTV BLs The Eclipse and Moonlight Chicken won Best LGBTQ+ Programs Made in Asia at this year's Content Asia Awards. ❗️ The period BL Man Suang (starring Mile Phakphum and Apo Nattawin) has made history as the movie with the highest advance ticket sales in Thailand in the last 20 years, grossing over 10 million baht on its opening day alone.

❗️Actor Bright Vachirawit announced that he is leaving GMMTV to start his own entertainment company.

❗️ It was revealed that the GMMTV2024 event will take place in October this year. Every year the company hosts an event where they announce their new project lineup for the upcoming year, including a trailer + a short Q&A with the respective cast. The event usually takes place in November or December. A GeminiFourth BL has already been confirmed by the company a few months back; rumors for other BL mains include PondPhuwin and JoongDunk, as well as a new GL couple. Further details are unknown.

Upcoming series & movies for September

👉🏻 Senior Love Me? Season 2 - September 1st (Thailand)

👉🏻 Naughty Babe - September 2nd (Thailand)

👉🏻 Venus in the Sky - September 2nd (Thailand)

👉🏻 Marry Go Round - September 3rd (Thailand)

👉🏻 The Promise: Honeymoon Lost and Found - September 9th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Our Story - September 9th (Philippines)

👉🏻 You Are Mine - September 15th (Taiwan)

👉🏻 Bump Up Business - September 15th (South Korea)

👉🏻 Right Time, Right You - September 17th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Kimi ni wa Todokanai - September 27th (Japan)

👉🏻 Absolute Zero - September 27th (Thailand)

[worm-wood-dawning]

Sentinel Station: Chapters 1-5 (revised with a few changes but I SWEAR I'll keep things like this and not go back and make a million changes)

Content Advisories - Domestic violence, sexual assault, police violence, sex work (honestly consider that one a standing warning for a while), implied child abuse, mentioned stillbirth, minor self harm, a suicide attempt and a potentially cringe scene of two characters trying to talk through a language barrier.

10,000 words

Chapter 1: Farm Girl

Veniae-di

Colony Outpost 9

2276, 3rd Standard Cycle

Carina, Age 15

Carina adjusted her mask and scarf, turned off her left eye and slid up her dark glasses. They did little against the sunlight streaming down, bouncing fiery off the mix of human and avaki ships docked ahead. She pressed her hands over her ears. They were similarly ineffective against the noise - the murmur of human tongues from the few permitted to speak, the low buzz of waiting vessels, the screeches of takeoff and distant ripping of the sky. Hyperspace. That she’d been able to hear before, and even then she’d never gotten used to the sound of it, to the boom of the opening air and the static hum that emanated from behind it.

Sorry, Rina. A deep, soft voice echoed in her mind. Your implants will settle down soon.

Carina nodded, looking up at the woman beside her. She looked older than her seventeen years, narrow black eyes scanning the crowd and her bottom pair of arms crossed, hands on her hips. With the top pair she twisted stray hairs around her fingers and tapped her violet mouth, one claw clicking against a tooth poking out from her bottom lip. Long grey horns curled out under the veil tied over the dark braids trailing down her back, white with purple trim between her pointed ears. Fine, light blue fur covered her azure skin. A smart brown jacket hung on her wide shoulders and a brown skirt fanned out around her ankles, the tip of a long, striped tail peeking out of it.

No paint and ropes yet? Carina asked, also speaking internally. She kept the thought quick, though she doubted anyone could break into their conversation, or that they would care to.

I'm still a civilian. Tovie rolled her eyes. Wouldn't get much anyway.

Right, sorry. Carina replied. Tovie had tried to explain avaki military structures to her before but she had never quite understood, especially where women were concerned. Are… are you sure we-

Relax, Rina. We're blending in just fine.

Right . She swayed on her feet, trying to ignore the weight of her backpack, or the dull pain in her head. It was just the price of speaking this way. Now, you said I'm…. Nevermind, sorry. The line's moving.

They both fell silent, to the extent they could, and waited as the two groups ahead were scanned and cleared to board. Carina had seen whales in old lesson vids before. They were strange marine mammals that had only existed on Earth, with few analogues on other worlds and none on Veniae-di. The avaki ship reminded her of them, all seamless curves of undulating blue and grey, the metal they were made from like a liquid held in place, a miniature ocean shielding a miniature world.

Alright, we're up. Tovie squeezed her hand. Don't worry, Rina.

Carina nodded. Her hand fell at her side.

An avaki man stood by the ship’s door, his arms crossed. White ropes were strung around them, straining against his muscles, and white paint covered his face and torso, thin and flexible but hard and smooth, with a sharp and intricate pattern made by the bits of blue skin left bare. He looked them over.

“Identification?”he asked aloud. Whether it was because he couldn't attune himself to Tovie, or that he thought his harsh voice would keep Carina in line, no one could be sure.

"As you ask, ve'ek-sen." Tovie held out one hand for the man to scan.

“Let's see.”he said, not returning her formal greeting. “Of clan Kallis, Tovrek. Off to service. Com-sec, too. Rather good, for a woman. Then again, I doubt your clan would accept less. And this one…” He pointed at Carina. “...is your…?”

“My servant.”Tovie said. “She's fully registered. For comfort and general assistance, ve'ek-sen."

“I suppose that is your right. Still, a coms officer bringing a human along….” His lips pursed, two long teeth jutting from the top. 

“Oh don't worry.” Tovie scoffed. “She's a farm girl. Barely literate. I doubt she even understands what we're saying right now, and I won't be getting her a translator.”

The man nodded. “Your chip, girl.”

As they had practiced, Carina blinked and stared wide eyed just past the man. Tovie grabbed her hand and held it out. She forced her breathing to stay steady and hoped the man couldn't hear her heart race, that he couldn't break into her head. Tovie had rewritten her ID chip with a false identity, part outright falsehoods and part the truth of a girl who had recently died. The override would only last so long, if it worked at all. She bowed her head.

“Lisa.” The name sounded strange in the man's mouth, unused to any human language. “Of clan Hall.” He scrutinized his netpad. “Four year contract.”he said to Tovie. “Says she's old enough. Hardly looks it, though. A good find.”

“Appreciated, ve'ek-sen. May we-”

“Yes, yes, go on ahead through the decon scanner.”

“Thank you, ve'ek-sen. Now.” She switched to the human common tongue. “Come along, girl.” The words flowed naturally, stern and harsh.

Still silent, Carina followed her. A blue glow ran over them, concentrating on their bags. It felt suddenly heavier, the frayed copy of 116 like a boulder inside it. Once the machine was sure they carried no contraband, a second door slid up to let them enter the ship. A wave of cold air washed over her. The light changed from blazing sun to a sickly fluorescence on silver walls. A crowd of avaki, mostly men, milled about. Multiple faces turned to them both. She shivered.

“Come, girl.” Tovie took her hand and pulled her down a corridor. Her hooves clicked on the metal floor. “Yes, here we are.” She let go, unlocked the room and nudged her inside. “Quiet.”

Carina obeyed, shifting on her feet and tapping the straps of her backpack as Tovie inspected the thin room. It was all bare silver metal with two panels stuck out from one wall. She assumed they hid a sink and toilet. A small mattress was folded away opposite to her. She watched the door, her heartbeat quick again. None of the men in the entrance had been familiar. No one was coming. She repeated that in her head, running her thumbs over the canvas pressed against her chest.

“Alright.” Tovie stuck a small, translucent disk to the wall. She turned to Carina, her hands moving through the air before her, fingers spelling out words they had spent so many long nights learning together, the only language they had both grasped beyond each of their races’ common tongues. “That should help.”she signed.

“Are you sure they won’t see us?”Carina asked, the words small and close to her chest.

“Not clearly.”she answered. “And translators don’t pick up sign language. By the time they figured out what we’re saying, we’d already be gone.”

Carina nodded and tried to smile, biting her nails.

“And, sorry.”she continued. “For out there, Rina.” Her words were slow. “I had to be believable.”

“I… understand.”she replied. “I'm just glad we're here now.”

“What did I tell you?” She grinned down at her. “Nothing to worry about. I'm just that amazing.”

“You weren't nervous at all, Tovie?”she asked, her movements clipped, lightly chiding.

“Okay, maybe a little.” She shrugged. “But we're fine now. Takeoff soon. And look, we have a window!” She pulled down the bed, leaving them barely room to stand, and pressed a button on the wall. It parted and light streamed in. “Come here, let's watch.”

Carina dropped her bag and knelt on the mattress. It was as hard as it had looked. Tovie pulled her close, one arm around her shoulder. She didn't know if it was an actual window or even a real time display. It didn't matter. She'd been too anxious in the shipyard to even take a final look. Now, green and red and purple fields stretched before her, under the shadows of towering old black trees. There was corn and soy and wheat of course, and rice somewhere far away - all of it heavily modified, but far more of the fields were full of avaki crops, the trees heavy and bright with fruit that humans couldn't touch. Between the fields were chaotic columns of stack houses, tiny boxes of thin plastic that had been unfolded on the spots where they stood. They were little more than walls to guard against the elements, with the upper levels only accessible by outside ladders. Somewhere nearby, just out of view, was the Kallis tower, a citadel of metal and glass that loomed over the human community of Outpost 9.

“Is it… gentler out there?”she asked, trembling. “You… you've left a few times.”

Tovie rested a hand on her head, fingers in her hair, claws retracted, before she signed again. “It is.”she lied. She gripped Carina's shoulder. I… will petition the Spirits for you. And I'm… sorry, Rina, that I couldn't-

"It's… okay."she lied in return.

No, it's not, and-

It's not your fault.

It's not yours either.

Carina didn't answer, staring at the fields. She had said goodbye to her mother. The final word had been met with silence.

May I?

She nodded and Tovie took her hand, a warm and strong grip.

“Takeoff in forty five seconds.”a low voice announced over a speaker.

They each sat, holding one side of the bed. The ship lurched.

“The Station isn't so bad.”Tovie whispered. “It's crowded, but… but it's not the worst place. And I promise I'll-”

I know you won't be able to talk much. Military monitoring. Hard to get around even for you. I know I'll be on my own. She swallowed and rubbed her eyes. “It's okay.”she lied.

“I'm sorry.”

She said nothing. The ship lurched and she fell sideways. Barely glancing at her, Tovie lifted her hand, the air shimmering around it, a Vital field that held her up. Her heart raced, the only part of her that could move, and a cry lodged in her throat.

Sorry. Tovie looked down at her with mournful eyes. She laid her hands on Carina's shoulder again. It's still reflex.

"It's fine."she lied, and watched the fields shrink. They disappeared. The window closed.

Want to sing? No one else can hear.

She blinked. Her mouth was dry. Tovie was the first one who'd listened to her, the first one who hadn't tried to beat silence into her.

"The sand in the wind is... is...." Her throat closed and shoulders slumped.

I'm sorry.

Tovie squeezed her hand.

Are you sure you're okay, Rina?

She nodded. “We're…." We're.... Her voice cracked and mind fogged over. She buried her face in her hands. Tears that had built for days now burst forth. A sob tore through her heart. Her throat tightened. She screamed, shaking in Tovie's arms.

Chapter 2: Poison

Arrae

Svala, Northern Seas

2276 3rd Standard Cycle

Vren, Age 18

Vren coughed, curled up against a warm stone wall. Pale blue blood spurted between his teeth and into his shaking hands. It ran through his fingers and tarnished the water around him. He'd stopped shaking, stopped screaming, but his vision was still blurred, his left eye swollen shut. Kero hadn't broken anything. At least, he didn't think she had, though his whole body was heavy. His bleeding arms pulsed in pain, and multiple teeth hung loose in his mouth.

"Get up." Kero's voice stabbed into his aching head. Her inner eyes narrowed to red slits, the two outer pairs glowing with another. She crossed her arms, floating above him in the dimly lit water.

He hurried to right himself. "K-kero, I-"

"Quiet."

He hung his head. Blood dripped down his chin.

“Fix this up."she said. "Then come to my room.”

"But, Kero, it is-"

"Come to my room."she repeated. “I need to speak with you. And be quiet."

He nodded. Kero turned away, silence in her wake. He looked at the first aid kit tied to the nearest wall, shook his head and turned away. The cuts would heal well enough in time, though they would scar. He tied two old rags around his arms. That would do to stem the bleeding. He didn't bother to fix his face, but just gathered up the shattered pieces. Black polished coral scratched against itself as he tied it into the garbage bin.

He had broken the plate. He knew that, but couldn't remember it happening. His body had been useless before, but now it actively fought him, his limbs stiffening and eyes fogging over at least once a day. Kero had forgiven him, the night he had realized he was unworthy of her. She had accepted that he was used, a damaged thing, but even she could not forgive this new sickness. He swallowed back another scream and finished filtering away the blood. The hallway stretched endless and dark before him. Most of the rooms were empty, as he had borne no children for her, not even sons, and Kero did not yet have other men to occupy her.

He stopped outside her room. It had only been five days since the stillbirth, his third in two years with her. She knew he needed at least fourteen cycles to heal, and over twenty until they could try again.

"Verra."he whispered. Her dead, half formed body filled his mind. It was a strong name. They could not try again. He didn't understand.

"Are you going to stay there and stare at the walls all night?"

Kero looked down at him. She was so tall, imposing and stately in dark grey Tava silk woven with silver, a necklace of pointed teeth strung around her neck. Her deep red eyes bored into him. The tendrils above her mouth raised, and the four segments of her jaw pressed against each other, a smile like a knife, her teeth sharp with want.

He nodded. Eyes glued to the floor, he followed to her quarters.

She undressed, then undressed him. Thick tendrils of flesh unfurled from her back and waist, and her eyes shone bright in the darkness. A soft rhythmic chirping emanated from her throat, punctuated with low clicks - all a wordless desire, one that must be met. He did not respond. Tentacles pulled him close and her tail coiled around him, holding him in place. It hurt, and did not seem to end, even when she pushed him away. He floated there, eyes closed, the water cold on his skin and coarse stone warm behind his back.

“That was… good.”she said. “You'll do well at Sanae’s.”

“What… what do you-”

She sighed. “Your results aren't in yet, and your skin hasn't changed, but you're clearly a Feraath-krii.”she said. “I found a woman who can take you. She runs a… bar you can work at.”

His hearts sank, a chasm in his stomach, but he said nothing.

“You're pretty, if nothing else.”she continued. “At least, you are for now. You'll do alright.”

“Thank you.”he whispered.

She righted herself and lifted him into her arms, carrying him across the room.

Dark purple tendrils clung to the nearest wall, ever moving, ever searching. She pushed him into them and turned away.

He laid there, silent, wrapped in the mass. White heat burrowed into his veins, cutting through the numbness. The water turned blue with blood, a concentrated, vile azure from his arms and down his legs. It blossomed out into pale cyan. More coated his mouth again. He stared at the backs of his hands, eyes tracing the raised scars. It had taken weeks for them to heal correctly. He wondered how long the bleeding would last if he cut them off now, if it would ever stop.

Kero had hit him before. Of course she had. Few women were blessed with mates who never had to be kept in line, and he was worse than most men. She had needed to discipline him many times, but she had never made him bleed before.

He righted himself slowly, his limbs heavy, and tied a black sheet of dyed Tava silk around his chest. Sinewy kelp grew from the floor to the ceiling. Kero hung suspended in it, asleep and alone, much of the tower empty. Vren swallowed down a lump in his throat, watching her. She was broad chested, with bulging shoulders and strong arms. All was covered in black, shining scales, and two lines of flexible spines ran down the top and back of her head, connected by translucent blue skin. The long, thick tail that made up her lower half draped out of the undulating leaves, tendrils folded against her body once more. She was still a handsome woman. He knew that, knew that she was ideal in looks, in temperament and intelligence, that it was those like her who built and upheld erathi society, that he was lucky she had ever even looked at him. Yet somehow he felt nothing now.

He sighed. Love was not the goal of any union. Still, he tried to remember if she had ever been happy with him, if she had ever thought him a worthwhile gift.

He couldn't. It didn't matter. He turned away. The door slid closed behind him. He drifted back to the kitchen and stopped, staring at the largest wall. Bulbs of fungi congregated over the whole of it, black and thick and shining in the center, red and thin and dry at the edges. It pulsed, both with its own life and the worms and crabs crawling in it, forever alive and aglow. Grey, dessicated pieces floated before it, held by fine netting. Aren, Aren-tel and Aren-vae. He reached out with open hands. It still knew him even now, still grew out and spread itself over his skin. It held him, then receded, brightly lit anew. Blood coated his arms. He turned away and looked up.

Jars hung from the ceiling in cradles of black rope, radiating soft blue light throughout the room. He pulled one down, running his fingers over the carved, translucent grey surface. Sharp lines intersected without end along its surface. Tava fish swam inside, round and black. One nibbled at the solid layer of blue fungus inside. New spawn burrowed in and out of it. Lacy fins rubbed against the glass. He closed his eyes and let the sound of it flow through him, a low and quiet music that did not end even in death, for it created new life from its own remains. He opened the jar. The fish slowly flowed out. He let the jar go, and one by one opened the rest. Fish bobbed lazily in the water, gnawing at the clock behind him. Little time would pass before it was eaten away, and less before it was replaced.

Slowly, mechanically, he opened three larger jars full of rocks and coral, pouring them into each other. He shook the contents until they fused into a viscous black liquid. It smelled rotten, a sign he had done it right. He took a knife off the wall, dipped it in and closed the jar, letting it simply glide away.

“Vren?”

Her voice shot through him. He froze. The knife hovered over his wrist.

“Why are…? You should be in bed.”she said. “And - oh, by The Mother what is that smell?”

He did not hear her approach, did not know she was behind him until her rippling shadow overtook his own.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was even and toneless.

He opened his mouth but could not speak, his throat tight. She grasped his arm.

“No!”he yelled, pulled and twisted in her grip.

The knife turned.

Kero's eyes widened. She froze. The knife bobbed away from her open hand.

He would never be sure how long he stayed there, frozen and mute in her grip. One cycle. A hundred. Time distorted. Arms straining, he pulled himself from her and leaned against the wall, staring.

“Kero?”

She did not respond.

“K-kero?”

Again she did not speak or move.

“I… I am sorry.”he tried again. “I… I will put the Tava back and… and sleep. I will… will go to Sanae's. I am sorry.”

Silence stretched. The walls warped inward. She did not move or speak. Blood trailed dark blue from her arm, a haze in the water.

He stood. The knife was clean. The poison was gone. He stared at the jar. There was more left. Kero was dead. Kero was dead because of him. He held the knife.

Kero was dead. Kero was dead and he was alone. He was not meant to be alone. His head was full of static. He was alone.

He screamed. It echoed off the walls, ripping apart the water. The knife's jagged bone edge screeched against the wall, claws inside his skull. She still did not move. 

He drifted, first to his room and then to hers. Grey skirt, grey tunic and grey footwraps. A grey shawl, grey veil and grey mask. It was the garb of a proper man, with only his hands visible. Not even his eyes showed through. A slight haze hung over all, the world through gossamer webs.

He slid a panel aside on the wall. Kero stored most of her money digitally, but she also visited whores. That much was clear now. He keyed in the combination, as much as he could recall from having watched her leave before.

The safe swung open, a cavern of deep red. The coins were heavy, pure carved Sevaath stone rather than coated disks. He swept them into a bag until he could carry no more. Surely that would be enough to pay a ship to smuggle him to the nearest station. Her door slid shut. The sound seemed far away.

In the kitchen she still floated there. He stared, silent, at her stiff body, searching his heart. Where there should have been sorrow, regret or even a base fear, he only found a horrible, unfathomable lightness.

She was gone. She was gone and he was alone. He opened the door and drifted into the world beyond.

Chapter 3: Freed

Sentinel Station

Sector 9, Ward 31, Inorganic Processing Block 6, Threadhall 17

2276, 3rd Standard Age

Tohru, Age 13

A ten legged insect crawled over the fabric wall, dropping from a black thread onto the floor. Its feet clicked on metal. Then silent on the man sleeping at Tohru’s feet. Silent from his hand to his face and down his naked chest. The thing settled. Hairy legs across the man’s skin. It looked up at him. Fangs rubbed its front feet.

“Bite him.”Tohru whispered. The man twitched. He froze. Jaw clenched and throat closed. Tapped his thigh. Counted down from ten. The man lay still. Silent. His stomach untwisted. A deep breath. Safe still. He held out his hand, let the bug settle and snapped off its head. The legs and torso crunched between his teeth. Sweet, but scratched down his throat. Hunger, still. Always. Claws. But sweet. He wiped his forehead. Sweat. Always.

He checked his pockets. A half tube of nutrel. Worse than the bug. A hand length of plastic rope. Nothing else to take. 

He checked his shoes. Plastic soles cracked. Again, and fully in half this time, and they'd run out of tape and string. The damn things hurt anyway. 

He tried to reach out, pull back the curtain. Close. Feet locked in place. Close. Eyes held to the floor. Close. He was still asleep.

No one would know. Or no one would care, not if he did it right. The neighbors might not hear, even through the fabric walls, and it took at least a day for a corpse to start to smell, longer for the smell to matter. If he did it wrong, the neighbors would sigh and shake their heads and wonder if they should have done something.

But he’s so….

Think you’d be better, with a dad like that?

Bet he’ll kill someone ‘fore he’s grown.

Bet he’ll get killed, if he don’t die crawlin’ through a chute.

His foot over the man’s head. A long shadow. Outline to color in red.

He can't fit in the chutes no more. Grew too quick.

You think that's why-

Don't matter. Still fucked up.

But he’s like a damn animal.

But maybe, if we-

Nah. I got enough to deal with.

He shook his head. Workday soon. No extra time. His father would die like everyone else here. Shaky, half blind heap, coughing sludge out of its throat onto a dirty floor. He pulled back the curtain. 

Seventeen levels up. No railings. Scattered, half broken ladders to get down. They were all told to walk carefully. Or be recycled. He ran, barely staying on the thin, rusted walkway. The ladder cut his hands and bare feet. He paused. Five levels down. Low noise through the fabric. Flakes of strangers’ blood melted into his open skin. Metal scraped and clanged. His left. 

“Shut up, or-”

“Oh, shit.”

He glanced over. Two girls tumbled out of a waste chute. Smaller than him, but clearly older. Cuts down their arms and on their faces.

“You… you better fuck off.” One of them stood in front of the other. A jagged scrap of metal shook in her hand, pointed at him. “I mean it.”

He shrugged and continued down the ladder. He could report the girls for trespassing or shirking duty - or more if he was right about why they wanted to hide. A cura or an extra nutrel. Hardly worth it now.

Down. Three more levels. He leapt off, wiped the blood from his hands and searched for a gap in the curtains. A low buzz behind him. He ducked into the nearest room. 

“Hey!”a woman yelled, pulling a sheet over her body. He put a finger to his lips, frantically pointing outside. 

“Oh, sneakin’ around. Well I'll-”

He pushed her to the ground, a hand over her mouth. She grabbed his arm but couldn't move him. He waited, holding her still. The buzzing faded. 

Gone. He stood and ran back to the walkway. Two rooms ahead he finally saw it. Almost hidden. A spiral and five drops of blood. He squeezed between two fabric walls. A gap in the metal. Woven thread poking through. He grabbed it and pulled back, squeezed into the hole revealed. Cold. Dark. Empty. Nothing like the trash chutes. 

A spiral and five drops of blood. Follow to be free. It might be a lie. Jagged metal tied to his waist. It didn't matter. Follow to be free. He crawled. Inched forward on his stomach.

The path widened. Branched. A diamond cut in four. All rust. Almost erased. It could be a lie. Jagged metal in his arm. Blood on his finger. Not erased. He followed. The path widened.

Into a pit.

He stopped. The air burned his eyes. A square and a drop of blood. Along a cable onto a sleek black metal sphere far below. He grabbed on and slid down.

It didn't cut. He balanced on the sphere, heels dug in. It tumbled. Air in his hair. Like the overseer's fans but colder, faster. He shivered. Eyes closed, focused on the air. Sweet. He smiled. The sphere fell, then clattered to the ground. He looked up. Slick walls. Nowhere to hold on. He blinked. The dark was clearer, just enough to see the square, now with two lines from the top. He replaced it and pushed. 

Light.

Light beyond fire. Light beyond death in the overseer's room. He stared through his fingers. Metal. Smooth and white and pale red beyond in the largest room he'd ever seen. Avaki men in paint and boys in tunics and women and girls in dresses and veils. Silent but endless, a crowd weaving around wide pillars. Flashing blue and purple and blinding white with rows of symbols in red and black. 

He scanned the crowd. There should have been humans. Outside, humans could live on their own.

They kept to the walls. Trailed behind avaki men with their heads bowed. A step behind families hand in hand with their children. Like mothers but servants.

He shrank behind the old metal. There was no way back. 

“Ah!”

The first voice above a whisper. A human. Low but soft. 

The furthest wall. A girl. Small and swallowed by a black dress. Avaki men with covered eyes and black paint and guns and sticks and Vital hands. A drone. Blue sphere floating and committing it all to memory. 

The girl clung to the wall. A covered mouth full of words he didn't understand. Wide, dark eyes in a dark face and dark hair all around it like an explosion.

He ran. The crowd parted like curtains. Glares he ignored. The girl yelled again. A man hit her arm.

“Stop!”

The men turned. Faces and guns on him. 

“What, human?” Narrow eyes. More words he didn't understand.

He pointed to the girl and then himself. She shook her head, eyes wider.

A man laughed. A clawed hand around her wrist. A shimmer in another. 

“Coming with us.”

Aim fast. His fist balled up. Blood. Down purple lips and over long teeth as hard feet clattered back and a hand released. Words he didn't understand. A meaning he knew. He reached for the girl's hand.

A stick expanded. Came down. 

Another shimmer. Cold Vital energy from the girl's hand. The men fell. The drone bashed into a pillar. The girl fell. Another drone, and more men. Her eyes were empty. Blood from her nose.

She was weightless on his shoulder. She tried to push him away but her arms were too weak. Weightless through the crowd again and into the strange dark room.

The girl rubbed her eyes and looked up at him. Blood on the back of her hand. “Thank you.” More words he didn't understand. 

“Sorry.”he said. “You okay?”

She blinked, then took something from her pocket. A square of light big as both her hands. Like the overseer, tracking and committing it all to memory. She turned it to him. Strange symbols on the screen. He shook his head. She nodded. Dark fingers danced over the light. More strange symbols. But there was the sign to be free. He pointed to it.

“Understand do you?”she asked slowly, staring at the screen.

He nodded. Her words were out of order. No reason to tell her. His hand stung from the punch and paint.

“Help. Thank you much.”

“Are you hurt?”

She shook her head.

“Good.”he answered. Her eyes were even darker than he'd thought before. “Who are you?”

“Carina.”she answered. “Hall clan. You? Name?”

“Tohru.”

“Clan?”

He blinked, head tilted in a silent question. 

“Clan have no?”

He shrugged. 

She nodded. “Clan name need.” A finger slipped under her mask. Bloody when it came away. “Sato. Tohru Sato. Sato Tohru. Accept do you?”

He didn't know what a clan name was. He didn't know why it mattered. But it sounded good when she said it. 

“I accept.”

She nodded. “Live where you?”

He shrugged. “Nowhere now.”

“Work have you?”

“No.”

She tapped her covered mouth. Her brow creased. “Want? Easy.” She pointed to his bare feet. “Shoes can have. And….” She looked away. “Cover top.” 

He blinked, trying to figure out what cover top was supposed to mean. Shirt, maybe. 

“What type of work is it?”he asked slowly.

“Clean.”she answered. “Drinks make. Time many. Make you tired. Pay many.”

He bit his lip, thinking it over. He didn't know where to go here. The girl's eyes. Helpless.

“Agree do you?”she asked. “Tallov us take.”

“Tallov?”

She nodded. “Man. Avaki. Need human work. He let me no question. Today. Take my things. Not care I new. Not care I young. He let you.”

He ran a hand through his hair. He'd wanted to run. As far away as possible. It was hard to push through a crowd. The work didn't sound that hard. Easier than sorting waste. The girl's eyes. Helpless. Deep like the fall that got him here. Helpless.

He nodded. 

Fingers danced in the light again. The girl took his hand. Warm. So warm. His skin didn't sting as much.

“He us find.”she said. “Overseers stay away. Wait?”

He nodded. She was strange. But her hand was warm and her eyes were pretty. They waited, silent and alone in the dark.

Chapter 4: Morning at the Callisto

Sentinel Station

Sector 17, Ward 29, Club Callisto

2283, 3rd Standard Cycle

Carina, Age 22

Carina held a length of braided rope taut between her hands, wondering if it was strong enough to choke the man beside her. She pushed away the dream with a deep sigh, dropped the rope into the box at the foot of her bed and rubbed her wrists. There were some friction burns, bits of skin rubbed off and cuts scattered over her arms and chest. They were all shallow, nothing cura couldn't fix. Harken of Tallov was a creep, a thief and a conman, but he wasn't particularly brutal in bed. She pulled the blanket up to her neck.

“My payment?”she asked.

The old avaki man sat up, facing away from her. He yawned, stretched and stood.

She sighed. He always did this. She always hated it. He knew that. 

“Your pants are over there.” She pointed to the corner.

Harken dressed, humming under his breath. He stood over her and grinned, all four of his arms crossed. Graying, steel blue fur bristled above his mouth and around one long, chipped tooth.

“Ah, you're always such a treat, Rigel.”

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists around the blanket, sweat drenched fabric between her fingers. “My payment, Master Tallov?”

Harken laughed, gravelly and low. “I guess you've earned it. Little extra from me, too, like always.” He reached into his pocket and tossed three cred sticks onto the bed. “You did well this week.”

“Thank you.”she said drily. “Master Tallov.”

He nodded. “Get some sleep, Rigel. You got a long night ahead.”

“I know.”she said, as if she'd had anything but long nights for the past seven years. 

He left at last. She released the blanket and inspected the sticks, flat blue things with patterns like ancient circuits engraved in them. It was as much as he'd said it would be, with a bit more tacked on since he'd made her fuck him to get it this time. It was less than she had earned. She stowed two of them away, yawned, and opened a door on the wall. A black jumpsuit lay bunched up beside a pile of tubes, three bottles of pills and a flat piece of black plastic. She opened a grey tube and smeared cura over her cuts. It was cold and smelled like vinegar, but it at least dried quickly, smooth and the exact same dark brown as her skin. There were four left. She could probably stretch them through the coming ten day week.

Her stomach twisted. She rolled her eyes, opened one of the clear tubes of nutrel and squeezed the paste into her mouth. The rations on Veniae-di had often been bland, but this was utterly tasteless, and coated her throat in a greasy film when she swallowed. Still, four tubes a day contained enough calories and almost enough nutrients to keep her healthy and active. She could usually afford three. She chewed a gritty vitamin pill, followed by an immune booster and hormone tablet, washing them down with the smallest sip of water. A panel above the sink flashed, indicating she'd used ten percent of what Harken gave each worker for the day. She sighed and turned on the light wand, running it slowly over her skin. It prickled and left a red tinge, but it was better than letting the old man's touch linger. She shivered and pressed her fingers to the side of her left eye. It came out easily. A green light indicated that six days of battery life remained. She rotated it under the light wand, pushed it back in and reached for the jumpsuit. A small grey jar and a pale yellow doll slid out from under it.

She caught them and let them rest in her palm for just a moment, before she focused and lifted them with a small Vital field. Once pain crept into her head she dropped them both, slid them back into the compartment and pulled on her jumpsuit. It was looser than before, and she wondered if the fabric had always been so thin, or when the left elbow had torn. She couldn't afford mending paste but could probably get some thread soon. She shrugged, tied on a mask and pulled her hair into a knitted hat.

Tucked behind the headboard, her netpad flashed. It rested in her hand, a thick grey square before she unfolded it once and pressed a holo button. A pixelated image of a yellow flower filled the screen and quickly faded, deleted. The encrypted channel was active again, the scramblers functional once more and a delivery time to come. She smiled softly and left the room, yawning.

The back hall was quiet as always, the walls and carpet thick to keep any sound from leaking out of the rooms branching off of it. She touched the cold door to the side entrance, thankful when it slid aside, as she wouldn't have to leave through the main rooms of the Callisto. Acid and smoke met her nose, cura and cigarettes.

“Oh, morning, Tohru.” She waved at the tall human man leaning against the opposite wall of the corridor. He hadn't bothered with shoes or a shirt, leaving his broad chest exposed. There was an old, human style waste chute in the yellowed white wall behind him. Refuse spilled from it. A speaker above his head crackled out a news report, something about a recent disappearance and an expedition to the ruins of Earth. He took another drag from the cigarette, snuffed it out on the back of his hand and pocketed it.

She sighed and shook her head. “At least put a little cura on that.”she said in the warm, nameless language of the threadhall he'd come from, able to properly speak it now, not needing a guide of scattered words. "Please."

“Later.”he said, his voice low and scratchy. He pushed away the tube she held out. “Don't want to waste yours.”

“Oh, stop it.” She grabbed his hand and rubbed paste on the burn. It filled the bloody pit and dried as if the skin had never been touched.

Tohru rolled his bloodshot eyes. “Gee, thanks, mom.”

“Oh, please, I'm only two years older than you. At least go for sister instead. Wait, that's… not very funny after last night. To think those guys went home to their stuffy families after that.”

He groaned and rubbed his eyes. “Don't remind me.” He shook his head, shoving away the tube of nutrel she held out.

She sighed, one hand over her face. She didn't know where exactly he got cigarettes, or how he used them without Harken knowing or caring, but she could guess just how much of his pay they ate up. “I think you’re getting thinner.”she lightly chided. “You've got a look to keep up.”

“Right.”he said, the word drawn out. “Cygnus Vex, the mountain every insecure sleaze wants to conquer.” He pushed his dark hair back from his face.

"Don't forget the sad military women."

He sighed. "They're not so bad. Wouldn't mind if there were more of them."

"Not sure we'd be here if there were more of them."she said. "And don't get full of yourself. You're a tree at best. Anyway, take it."

“Fine.” He rolled his eyes again but took the tube. She waited until he'd finished and dropped it into the trash heap behind him.

“Thanks.”she said. “Hey, I'm headed to The Tevell for a bit. Want some coffee?"

He yawned. “Maybe. I've got a morning client, and... my dad said he'd visit today.”

“Oh, I… I hope he does.”she lied. “Still, I'll be there for a while, if you want. Put some shoes on. Floor’s dirty. And, hey….”

“Yeah?”

“Take care of yourself, okay?”

He shrugged.

“And… I'm sorry.”

“Harken's fault.” Tohru looked away. “Really, Cari, I'm fine. Should get ready, though.” He drifted past her, returning to the Callisto's back rooms.

She turned and continued up the dark, warm corridor, past closed bars and clubs and walled off dead shops. There were few people about, and all were quiet, but the lights and noise of the nearest circle loomed in the distance. Closer by, an avaki woman approached, dull eyed in a faded brown dress, wearing no veil. She sped up, keeping her head clear and impenetrable, and just before they collided Carina clutched her netpad and cred stick.

“Varthek!”the woman spat. The word roughly translated to ‘brash weakling’. “Whore!”she added for good measure. The human word fell easily from her mouth.

“Sorry!”Carina yelled back in Aerkaath, the avaki common tongue. She took the last tube of nutrel from her pocket and tossed it toward her. The woman snatched it, glared and stormed away.

Carina sighed and slipped on her translator earpiece. Tovie had been right about her implants settling down, but she still appreciated the noise filter she'd added a few years ago. It had taken weeks to build, and the components had been outrageously marked up, but now as she entered the circle it helped to blunt the speech around her and fully muted the advertisements and warnings.

Still, the walls blazed, as did massive columns placed throughout the dark, open space, neon reds and blues and purples, flashing slogans for products and services she couldn't afford, warnings against loitering and reminders of curfew for each species and sex. Security officers stood around them. A hand in front of her face, she pulled out her artificial eye just long enough to turn it off, then slipped on translucent sunglasses to shield herself from the lights as well. A travel pod whizzed along a track near the ceiling, and a hover car eased to a stop by the nearest landing pad. She pushed through the crowd toward it, staring out the window, though window wasn't really an adequate word.

Sentinel Station had, in the second standard cycle, been a simple fuel depot with a rest stop attached, before trade routes changed and traffic around it increased. First more docking bays had been built, then more depots and stops. Even then, ships had gotten backed up, unable to leave. Slowly, they had connected, first to each other and then to the buildings around them, until they were stuck in place, inextricably tangled, and more came just to dock there.

This square had been a small rest stop, gutted and reformed. She didn't know if the screens had always been there, only that every square had them. The display buzzed and towered over her, a violet morning full of drifting granite clouds. It was a perfect reproduction of the Kiershaan sky, a bastardization of twilight on Veniae-di and the closest many avaki would ever see to a sunrise on their own homeworld.

She unfolded her netpad, twice now so it was just a little larger than her hand. With the press of a new holo button a picture filled the screen, a black and red drawing of a woman's face, sunken and wrinkled and half hidden behind thin, prematurely grey hair. She smiled with chipped, crooked teeth. It was far from perfect, far from a photograph, but it was not a complete lie, and it was all she had regardless.

She held it up to the false sky. A mechanical whirring sounded behind her. She lowered her head. Soon the security drone flew away, a pale blue ball propelling itself above the milling crowd. Nearby an officer shifted on his feet. As intricate as his painted armor was, it was indistinguishable from that of any other officer, like a carved toy soldier. The rifle in his upper hands was real though, a black metal thing that glowed crimson with plasma. A baton and blade were fastened to his thighs, his lower hands hovering over them. He watched the crowd, a thin but opaque red visor over his eyes.

She didn't know if he noticed her. This wasn't her destination. Shoulders slumped, she continued on.

Chapter 5: Afternoon at the Tevell

Sentinel Station 

Sector 17, Ward 14, Kalthan-k’tak Memorial Hospital

2283, 3rd Standard Cycle

Vren, Age 25

A static screech ripped through Vren's head and he gritted his teeth, fingers pressed against his burning eyes. He tore off his translator and powered it down, blinking rapidly as the pain faded and the pale light of the hospital room returned.

“Ketra!”Movrak yelled beside him. The avaki man narrowed his eyes. “Tell the woman her results. You're the specialist here.”

Vren ransacked his mind for words, the few fragments of human language he had managed to take in through the years. The old human woman stared up at them both from her bed, blinking slowly with eyebrows raised.

"You… your test...."he began, his voice thick and stilted with unfamiliar sounds.

"Yes?"the woman asked, then coughed.

He opened his mouth to try again. His throat went dry. A bitter smell surrounded him.

“Leave.”he whispered, the one word he truly knew. Without waiting for Movrak's approval, he rushed from the room and into the hall. His vision blurred. He grasped a railing by the wall just before it faded completely.

He woke on the floor, legs clustered beneath him, fingers still wrapped around the railing and his head heavy. It was horribly bright. A t'ka'et doctor in a blue envirosuit looked down at him, shook her head and continued walking, wheeling a bed in front of her. There was a body on it. He tried to remember who had died, or even why he was here. A series of clicks and harsh screeches sounded from his left. He looked over. Another t'ka’et came toward him, a white sheet folded and tied intricately over the black clinging to her body. She stopped, shifting on her feet, four thin legs radiating from under her torso. More clicks followed.

K'tet. It was just K'tet. Of course it was just her, and he was just at work. He held out the useless translator and coughed.

K'tet tilted her large, triangular head in response, her antennae bent low. 

“Are you alright?”she asked, slowly to be sure he understood. Through a translucent panel her massive inner eyes shone red, the outer pairs blue and white, all like cut gems.

He nodded and she held out her lower, thicker pair of arms. Her hands opened, two huge grasping claws parted.

Vren took them and slowly stood, unable to look at her. She raised her upper arms. With the thin spikes they ended in she pulled down one of his gloves, hiding a patch of pale blue skin. He hadn't noticed it falling. 

Silent and always a step behind, never fully used to moving outside of water, he followed her to her office and sat, eyes glued to the floor. She pulled up his sleeve.

“I should-”

“Nonsense.”she said. “Be still.” She drew a vial of blood. It was the same repulsive pale blue as ever. She hooked it up to a small white machine behind her, then gently pushed him forward. A shock ran through him when she tapped the plastic sticking out at the base of his neck. Rapid clicks sounded from her rigid mask. Of course that had amused her. Satisfied his implant was working, she slid his translator back on. It rested heavy on his head.

“A quarter charged.” She still spoke in her own tongue, but faster now. A static voice converted her words into Svani. “And I'll check the sample.”

“I… I can do that. You should-”

“I should let you calm down.”she said. “I’m quite aware of your capabilities, as you are of mine. Also, there's a hole in your glove. No fever this time at least.”

He sighed but relented. “Is… is Harris still here? That… that is, the woman-”

“It's Miss Harris.”she said. “Movrak finished talking with her. He explained her condition. She was… distressed.”

He coughed. “I… I am sorry.”

“She had more than you to worry her.” K'tet switched off the machine. “I forwarded the results to you. There have been no significant changes since your previous test, but…. Vren, you still haven't been taking your medications. I don't understand why… why you would hasten things.”

He hung his head. Neither of them spoke. She should have understood by now, that none of it really mattered.

“Thank you.”he eventually said. “And, K'tet….’

“Yes?”

He opened his mouth to ask, yet again, how she dealt with her own short life, how any of her race accepted it. He knew what she would say. Take hope and care as the winds would bring them, and return them most freely of all during storms, so you may go easily into the night. She would say the wind would destroy all things if it blew forever, that she'd had a good twenty years so far and only wished to give her best during the final five. He still didn't understand. He closed his eyes in silent prayer, that Veru would extend Her peace and protection, that Aren would still, in the end, let him come home.

“Little one? Are you alright?”

“Yes, sorry. It is….” He looked away from her. “Was Movrak angry?”

“He is often angry.”

“K'tet, I….”

“He is, yes, but-”

“Should… should I… stop? Should I leave before they dismiss me?”

There was a long, quiet scratch, mandibles rubbing against the hard plates on the side of her face in a sigh. “I… will do all I can to prevent that.”she said. “And you worked for five years to reach this point. Is this not what you wanted?”

He reached under his coat, feeling the string of sharp teeth around his neck. He still didn't remember taking it, all those years ago. It was an answer that only came in nightmares, stolen away on waking. “It… it was.”he said. “It was for the best.”

Her antennae lowered and raised in a nod. “You know you can stay with me again.”she said. “Your old room is still there. Really, I hate to think of anyone living out of those miniscule sleep pods. I know you earn enough for better accommodations.”

“They aren't that small.”he said. “I like them well enough. They are better than flop rooms.”

“And you really ought to buy a new translator.”she continued. “Logically, you should have the money for it, whatever channels you go through. Vren, you can tell me if you're in some sort of trouble or debt.”

“I don't need help.”he said. “And I ordered a replacement from a refurbisher. But, K'tet….”

“What is it?” Her antennae pointed outward in curiosity.

“It is good to have met you.”he said. “I… trust you.”

“Thank you, Vren.” She made another soft scratch. “I need to return to work. Come by for dinner sometime soon, if nothing else.”

“I will, K'tet.”

She hugged him, sharp limbs pressing into his ribs, and he was alone again. He checked the clock. 1020 Standard Time. At least the fit had come near the end of his shift. He paged Movrak on his netpad. There was no response. He sighed and left the room.

As always, the hospital was loud and crowded. The lights seemed brighter now. He kept his head down, staying close to the wall. He felt the occasional eye turn his way, but no one spoke to him. That was to be expected, but he was thankful all the same. 

Outside he surveyed the ward twelve circle, glad his episodes weren't triggered by light or noise. Two security officers stood rigid against a colossal pillar, an advertisement blaring behind them. He raised his hood, lowered his head and wound through the crowd to a waist high pole by a narrow door. He hovered one hand over the top and held it there until the pole flashed white. The door slid up to reveal a black sphere, the side open. He coughed and squeezed into it, knees pulled to his chest, and set a course for ward twenty.

The travel pod shut and shot upward, through a dark channel in the ceiling and out. He kept the walls dark, closed his eyes and tried to forget how far above the station floors he was, until at last the pod descended just across from The Tevell Lounge.

The room was lit in low, muted blue. Couches lined the windows before a projected vermillion sky, grey clouds drifting slowly through a projected night. It was quiet as well, and while there was a long line to order, some of the tables were still empty. He knew it was an underserved indulgence to come here, but it was at least inexpensive. He ordered and waited beside a human in dark glasses.

“Dren root tea with vehl!”a voice called from behind the counter. An avaki woman held out a cup.

“My thank-”

He stopped. The cup was hot, and the black substance inside stung his eyes.

“Is this yours?”a high, slightly muffled voice asked. He looked up to see that human, a woman with a fabric mask over her mouth and a gauzy scarf around her neck. “I don't think breakfast tea is supposed to be blue.”the woman continued. "Or gelatinous."

“Breakfast tea?”

She nodded. “That's what you have. They switched our orders by mistake. Here.”

He took his cup in one hand and held out hers. She grasped it but then yanked back her hand. He coughed and his own hand jerked in surprise. Tea splashed down the woman's jumpsuit and blood smeared over her palm.

He backed away. “I… I did not…. Th-that is, I-”

“It's alright.” She took the tea slowly in her other hand. “Just over half left. It'll do.”

“I… I am sorry.”

She shrugged. “It's alright.”she said again. “Enjoy your drink.”

“I should-”he tried, but she was already gone.

“We're waiting.”an avaki man drawled behind him.

“S-sorry.”he said, but turned back to the counter. “May… may I have another of her drink? And what… what food do humans order most?”

“Flatgrain melt with a double worm patty, I think.”the woman answered, her eyes narrow. “I'll warm one up, if you really want….”

“Please. My thanks.”he said, and again he waited, biting into the dren. It did little for his nerves, even with the usual added liquor, and it did nothing for his shame, but it was at least smooth and sweet. He should have been more careful. After what felt like a long wait the food was ready. It looked revolting and smelled worse, like someone had vomited up a poorly prepared fish. Trying to trust the avaki woman's judgment, he searched the room and spotted the human alone at a corner table. The walk there was longer than it had appeared. She looked down at a netpad, scrolling with one long thin finger. Static music crackled from her earpiece, a harsh and chaotic sound. He stood in front of her, unsure.

She paused the music and lowered her glasses, one eyebrow raised. Her large eyes were bloodshot, dull black sunken into a face dark as the deepest sea. She yawned. “Do you need something else?”

“Are you sick?”

She blinked, her eyebrows raised. “What?”

His face burned hot white under his own mask. He hadn't meant to say that. He knew full well that sleep deprivation and low weight were common among humans, especially women. Perhaps he hadn't fully recovered.

“Do you need something else?”she asked again.

“To… to….” He put the alien food down before her. “To apologize for - Ah!” He ripped out the translator. It died on its own and sat heavy in his palm. His shoulders slumped.

“Are’envetlan.”she said. Early greetings. “If you wished to apologize, there is really no need.”

His head jerked up and he stared, wide eyed, at the human woman.

“The cut was small.”she continued. While there was an odd, unmistakably human accent to them that lengthened every syllable, the Svani words flowed naturally from her mouth, with the tone of a woman talking to a stranger who was her equal. Even the short, low clicks some words required were intelligible. 

“It is already fixed.”she continued. “No harm was done, and I know none was meant.”

“That… that is true, however….” He lowered his eyes. “M-may I sit?”

She shrugged. “You… may. And there was really no need to buy me anything.”

He sat across from her. “It… it was an apology, and a replacement for what you lost because of my ineptitude.”he said, speaking as if she weren't a human, with all the defence due. “You were hurt because of-”

“I'm alright .” She sighed and held her hand out across the table. The blood had been wiped away, and while the scent of cura lingered on her, the skin had been fully mended, the wound gone.

“Regardless, I apologize.”

She shrugged again. “Accidents happen.”she said, now in the tone of one among friends. He fought the urge to leave. Maybe she didn't understand. Maybe she didn't care. “Could I take a look at that, though?”

He was silent, unsure of how to respond.

She leaned over the table and snatched the translator from his hand, turning it over. “This is so… old .”she said. “How is it functioning at all? Wait there. Finish your... drink.”

He obeyed, stifling another cough in the crook of his arm. He wished they wouldn't linger so long after a fit. She rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a pile of silver sticks, snapped the thick metal band into three pieces, then pushed each of them apart down the middle.

“These are…. Right, right, I've read about this type. You need to tell me where you bought it.”

“It was a gift.”he said, still speaking as one did to their betters. “My apologies, but I do not know who originally created it.”

“That's unfortunate.”

“My-”

“It's alright.” she said. “There's so much corrosion. You can't forget to clean this model, especially on the sides. No, no. Let me.” Metal scraped against metal. Black flakes fell beside her netpad. She ignored them. “Alright, that's somewhat better. And…. These bits are practically falling off. Frayed wires, too. Wires. What small scale tech has wires now?” She held one piece still. With the silver stick she prodded it, lifting and lowering bits of circuitry with surgical precision. “Even mine isn't as much of a mess. Anyway, here.” She swept the black flakes into her lap and rubbed her eyes. Her cheeks rose under her mask. “I fixed the battery contacts as well as I could. It has a little power now, and it should hold a charge for longer.”

“M-my thanks to you.”

“Is it working?”she asked in her own tongue. The words came through more clearly than usual, the underlying static quieter.

“Y-yes.”he said. “My… my thanks to you, truly. How… how is best to repay-”

“Repay?” Her eyebrows raised. “It was fun, fixing that absolute relic of yours. Wait, sorry, I probably shouldn't call it that. Besides, you already got me another tea. And this expensive sandwich, too. I think that's more than enough.”

“You are certain?”

She nodded. “Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine. And my friend's finally here anyway.”

He followed her gaze to the front, where a large human man stood waiting. The woman waved, though the man did not notice.

“You probably have things to do.”she said to him.

He nodded and stood. He meant to leave but stopped, his mouth half open.

“Are… you leaving?”

“May… may….” It was such a simple question. She probably wouldn't be angry, even if she said no, but still the words wouldn't come together.

“Are you alright?”

“May I see you again?”he asked. Once more his face paled. “M-my apologies. I… I did not mean…. That… that is, you are-”

“Oh.” She laughed and her cheeks rose again, an odd look in her eyes. “Certainly. You can visit me at work tonight.”

“Where-”

“The Club Callisto. It's in ward twenty-nine. Ask for Nova. You can't miss me. They say I'm a good performer, and I'm even better offstage.” Her tone was disconcerting, though he couldn't say why.

“You… perform? What-”

She laughed again, curt and dry. “Don't look like that.”she said. “It's technically illegal here. You know the rules in avaki space. But no one cares if it's just humans.” She rolled her eyes, a uniquely human expression.

“I… I am sorry.”

She shrugged. “By the way, you are…?”

“Ketra Senan.”he said. “W-wait, is Senan Ketra more accurate?”

“Either is fine.”she said. “Anyway, he's almost here. You should go, but…” She met his eyes and he shuddered. “...I really hope you come see me tonight.”

“R-right. I… I will.”he said. Clutching his now warm dren, he left the strange alien woman alone.

[imthepunchlord]

So, going off the last few asks, here's my guesses on the new pairs of the og 7:

Ladybug and Cat (good luck and bad luck) (canon pair) (makes sense to keep them)

Peacock and Fox (opposite colors, blue and orange) (one associated with the air/sky and one associated with the land) one represents truth, integrity, and life, and the other is tied lies, trickery, and ghosts/death)

Ok, now this last one is iffy. It's either butterfly and turtle or butterfly and bee. Butterfly and Bee have some stuff going for them, opposite colors (purple and yellow) and a theme of Chaos vs. Order and Dependent vs. Independent. The Butterfly and Turtle also have stuff going for them. Depending on what color wheel you use, purple's opposite color could be green instead of yellow. They could represent both aspects of provision, protecting and supporting. And lastly their is the thematic parallel of the "main" villain and the "wise mentor" character having the miraculous that go together. Personally, I'm leaning towards Butterfly and Turtle, since going off your reasoning in your old A Declaration of Love fic, the bee makes little more sense to not have a partner. Bees have a lot of symbolism related to teamwork, connections, working with a group, hardwork, and other stuff like that, so it makes sense that the bee instead having one partner is meant to be able to work with anyone.

It's a maybe. It depends on how I do pairs, which I haven't decided yet.

Like do I work off actual animal pairs that do show up in different myths and folklore? Turtle has ties to Rabbit, Crane, and Snake. Also technically Dragon(fly). And there's possibility in doing Lion with Mouse, Wolf, or Tiger. Eagle with Fish, Dragonfly, or Snake. Raven and Dove are also an old pair that have been tied together since Mesopotamia.

Or do I work off themes? As Ladybug and Cat do work off the European themes of good and bad luck. Raven and Rabbit can also work, black and white, Raven's tied to the sun and death while Rabbit is tied to the moon and life. And yeah, Peafowl and Fox do have a nice color opposites and truth vs deception, but that's not Fox's only option, as Bull/Ox often stands for integrity and honesty, and is far more direct to Fox dancing around the bush.

Or do I do a mixture of both? Like, Lion and Mouse could work as a combo on both ideas, as they cover bravery vs fear, pride vs humbleness, power vs cunning, integrity vs deception, dark and light colors, blue and pink, ect..

There's also a debate on do I really keep all of the original 7 together? Despite often promoted together, in actuality, only 3/7 truly need to stay together: Butterfly, Cat, and Ladybug. All the others are honestly kinda removed from them and the show didn't do a good job to validate why these 7 are in a group together.

I am also going to aim for pleasing color wheels, for those that are black and white, their secondary color is what's going to count on a color wheel (blue for Rabbit, pink for Mouse, Horse and Goat are going to be more purple), which sets up Cat and Turtle to compete for the green spot of the color wheel. I don't need two greens and I don't really want to change up the canon colors of the kwamis (at most is just changing Longg to be more orange but it's still a reddish orange; or I could work off Tikki being a reddish pink and just skip out on orange for the bugs).

The other factor is, given how powerful Butterfly is, and the default set up of Ladybug and Cat both being necessary for it (though Cat is a stretch canon wise), I wonder if it should be one of the 5 that doesn't have a counterpart. As, by default, that is set up to be the "leader/diplomat" of the 7, the one who oversees things and acts as the neutral 3rd to the pairs when there is discourse and balances things out.

Though, insect wise, Bee and Butterfly are my top two picks, but I'm not sure I want two insects to make up the 5.

Either way, I do have a lot to think about and consider. At this time, Ladybug and Cat are the only confirmed pair.

[under-the-ladder]

Since all the songs have been here for a few days now, time for my top (for now. I have no doubts this will change until May.) Warning, a wall of text incoming

The middle section was so hard to rank 😫 I'm sure I'll see this tomorrow and say to myself "What did I think yesterday??". Everything's fluid and constantly changing but that's why I prefer tiers over strict ranking with places.

Best:

Netherlands 🇳🇱 - What do I even say? Joost completely satisfied the insane expectations I'd had for him. He was the sole reason eventually I learned how to use a vpn. I consider him my entryway to the Dutch culture, I've known him for almost a year and he's managed to become special to me as an artist, almost like in a completely different tier. I am definitely biased lol but I just love the song lyrically (I already elaborated on it here), musically and trust him as a performer 100%. Televote win is in the air!

Switzerland 🇨🇭 - Now this is, my dear friends, my winner vibes this year (out of the more viable entries)! Jury will most likely tank Joost and I can see Nemo getting high points from both juries and tele. The Code has just a perfect amount of drama and theatricality. It connects pop and opera - a mix that I'm a sucker for and additionally, is lyrically meaningful to me on a personal level. How could I not love this??? I'm impatiently looking forward to Nemo's looks and turquoise carpet!

Belgium 🇧🇪 - If not Switzerland, at least let Belgium win. This has some anthemic quality that draws me instantly. Takes quite a long time to get to the climax but it's soo worth it. The lyrics are a mystery to me and it still doesn't take away from the song. I might be biased because I already explored some of Mustii's discography and I love what I found.

Spain 🇪🇸 - The instrumental is a biiig part of why I love this song so much. Those synths make me euphoric every time, the message is beautifully unapologetic. I am worried about the vocals though. I've read somewhere that in Benidorm Fest the way Mery sang was an intentional nod to some other popular singer but there's no way anyone outside of Spain knows that. And even when I know that I still lack the cultural context to grasp the significance. If this doesn't get changed this aspect will definitely hold them back.

Ps. If I ever get a cat (as Baby Lasagna has been tempting me since Dora) I am naming it Zorra, mark my words.

Finland 🇫🇮 - This is just pure fun and I'm buying it! It saddens me to see people complaining thy're just a copy of Käärijä, they take themselves so much less seriously lol. The descending shorts with fireworks concept AND the eagle sounds are everything. On top of that the guys are already the highlight of this year's backstage. I will be super sad if this nqs but then semis are televote only so there's still hope 🙏

Amazing:

Slovenia 🇸🇮 - There is something magnetically drawing me to this song. I love how Slovenian sounds in it, the harsh "r" sounds and almost bird-like "rrahh" especially. Raiven's voice and stage presence are hypnotizing. Besides, Weronika is my 3rd name and the only one I chose for myself so I feel personally connected to the song. Musically this is not the easiest entry and I don't expect many televoters to get it (please just q a dalej niech się dzieje wola nieba) but I hope the atmosphere of the performance will make up for it.

Croatia 🇭🇷 - I still can't believe Baby Lasagna was a backup entry for Dora. If he ends up winning there should be a little shrine for Zsa Zsa built in Zagreb. Meanwhile the Dora executives should really ask themselves how the hell they initially declined an entry that ended up giving them a chance for the best placing since god knows when. Anyways, the hype for this was the highest around Dora, now I'm busy obsessing over others but this is very solid still. I wish the staging was less messy. I kinda don't believe it can win realistically but I certainly wouldn't be disappointed.

Australia 🇦🇺 - It's crazy how my opinion on One Milkali took a complete u-turn. From "I don't think it's my type of music" to "Gosh, I can't get it out of my head". The song does feel a bit dated but somehow special as well. Perhaps that's because I found other songs from Electric Fields that I fell in love with. I still think their 2024 is not the strongest track from their discography and I'm mentally preparing for an NQ :|

Portugal 🇵🇹 - Well, I'm myself super surprised that Grito surpassed Ramonda when it comes to ballads. I didn't feel anything for the first few listens and then something clicked. I sense until May there might be some shuffles around those positions and a lot will be down to the live performances

Latvia 🇱🇻 - Dons' monumental vocals is what makes this song 200x better. It flows nicely, the staging is lacking but that will surely get improved, right? 👀 He seems like such a fun guy with a distance to himself, the butter tiktoks will be remembered for a long time.

Lithuania 🇱🇹 - It took some time for it to grow on me. Lithuanian sounds nice here, almost like Polish, and I like the bridge(?) with the lyrics about radio. The chorus melody is kinda annoying but the rest of the song compensates for it. Tbh I like either Latvia or Lithuania more based on how my mood changes.

Cyprus 🇨🇾 - I know it's a pretty standard girlbop but I just like it for some reason. Silia's energy is highly contagious. Hoping she can prove the gossips wrong and deliver vocally while dancing.

Good:

Ukraine 🇺🇦 - I think it's a decent entry. When Jerry and alyona won Vidbir they were pretty high in my ranking but with the rest of the entries being revealed that advantage faded gradually. Contrary to e.g. Slovenia, Teresa & Maria felt catchy and interesting at the beginning but the longer I listened to it the more repetitive it became. I can see this being an advantage in the televoting though. With that being said, it's far from being the most winning-worthy song and I'd rather root for a country that didn't score two wins already in the last decade.

Sweden 🇸🇪 - from the first time I saw this I fell in love with the staging. Loreen had a horizontal sandwich last year, this year it's a vertical one for the twins lol. I do admit the staging is a huge part of why it's so high but I do like this song. Hell, I even think it's better than Air. The last part especially, right before the end. What can I say, I hear those synths and I'm sold. It will make a good opener.

Greece 🇬🇷 - I'm still not sure why it's so high. I don't vibe with the idea for the music video (please don't try to adapt it for stage. No more cringey overlays, don't catch this virus from TVP). The parts I find highly enjoyable are the opening and ending sung in this high(?) voice, the middle is more like my guilty pleasure.

France 🇫🇷 - I really liked the trick with standing back from the microphone but even without it it's a powerful enough ballad. Slimane as a singer sells it, that's it.

Serbia 🇷🇸 - For another year I find myself in love with the sound of Serbian language. The words "lila ramonda" flow so well in the chorus and complement each other in terms of sounds. The song is almost like a lullaby, with the forward-backward movement that Teya makes during the last chorus underscoring that even more. Another beautiful moment is when the flower rises from above her at the end. The performance makes this song for me as musically I preferred Lik u ogledalu, which was kinda uncoordinated on stage with those mirrors.

Estonia 🇪🇪 - I was really a fan of this song around January and then something happened, maybe the Eesti Laul final performance? It was messy vocally and staging-wise. For now I can't really pinpoint what else is wrong but one thing is sure: this really fell more than a few places for me :/

Poland 🇵🇱 - I'm so tired of the Polish internet at this point that I'll be cheering for Luna no matter what happens. This is a song I liked from the start and still do and I sincerely hope she manages to pull it off on stage decently, I don't care whether because she' naturally a good vocalist or gets a lot of training or gets tape backing vocals. Seeing how strong this year is I'm doubting whether Karma or Justyna would score much better.

Austria 🇦🇹 - This grew on me a bit, enough to move from average to good. Not seeing the winner hype at all and as I mentioned somewhere earlier her staging is my pet peeve. If this ends up anywhere near how the mv looks like then I'll be seriously disappointed. This is a song about raving after all and making a Chanel-like choreo-heavy girlbop out of it seems so unnecessary.

Average:

Luxembourg 🇱🇺 - The funky droplet sounds(?) are quite up my alley, the song is quite fun on its own. Please change that outfit on stage, it's too dark for how happpy Fighter sounds imo. While the result of the Luxembourgish nf is not that bad I do hope they change it before the next year. Forcibly pairing artists with not-their-own songs almost always ends up badly and come on, why restrict their creativity and authenticity? It's not 2013 anymore.

UK 🇬🇧 - That's kind of a classic example of expectations vs reality. Dizzy is painfully correct and nothing more BUT I think it can still be rescued by the live performance. If they manage to bring the spinning rooms idea to life and miraculously nothing breaks and if Olly uses his charisma which he has plenty of. If you don't believe me watch It's a sin with Elton John or mv to Starstruck.

Italy 🇮🇹 - My biggest problem here is with the instrumental, it's grating and scratches my brain in a very annoying way. I like Angelina's expression on stage and all that but the song is just a barrier impossible to ignore. If Italy wants to win again please, may it be with something better (I wouldn't say no to Annalisa).

Ireland 🇮🇪 - I'm generally very glad Bambie won, this is surely progress made from the last year. Normally I'm not a fan of pagan elements, zodiac signs, etc. but the mv is very aesthetically pleasing. The quieter parts are digestible to my ears, the noisier ones not so much. People keep saying it's a chance for Ireland to qualify but honestly I'm of the opinion it will repel majority of the televoters. It will be very interesting to see how it's going to play live with staging, outfits and turquoise carpet nonetheless.

Norway 🇳🇴 - I think Norway might be the biggest fall this year, or even since I'm more engaged in ESC. This went straight up from amazing to barely average. In theory Ulveham has everything I should love - Norwegian, rock mixed with folk, powerful and charismatic vocalist. I still don't know exactly what doesn't work. It's no mystery I loved Mileo and thought Damdiggida was a letdown compared to other Keiino's songs so I don't think Norway had a better option in the MGP final than Gåte. What I like is the staging, especially the moment Gunnhild bends backwards and leans on her hand (somehow with her vocals remaining flawless!!) but that's not enough to charm me back :c

Weak:

Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 - It's a pleasant ballad but doesn't distinguish itself enough to be memorable. I appreciate the use of Azerbaijani (Azeri?), I don't appreciate the presence of Ilkin Dovlatov. What does he even bring to this song?

Denmark 🇩🇰 - That's just a very competent song with a good vocalist, almost no more things to say. I'm not a fan of the platform she was standing on. Also I have a weird aversion to the DMGP stage, it looks like a waterwell so it will probably be better in Malmö lol.

Armenia 🇦🇲 - As much as everyone seems to be loving Jako, to me it's rather grating. From what I was able to see I appreciate Jaklin's energy live but that's about it. It doesn't help that it's constantly stuck in my head while I'd prefer it not to.

San Marino 🇸🇲 - This just doesn't do anything to me. Feels almost too funky while I thoroughly enjoyed the heavier vibe of Arcadia. Maybe that's unfair to compare so much but I can't help it. In a weaker year I wouldn't mind for Megara to qualify but this time maybe make some room for better songs (Latvia please?).

Iceland 🇮🇸 - Jak do tego doszło nie wiem/How did it come to this? The results of Söngvakeppnin left me speechless this year and the drama afterwards left a very bad taste. Scared of heights is not a super bad song after all but it's biggest mistake is blandness. A sure NQ that I will not cry for.

Bad:

Albania 🇦🇱 - The revamp took all the kick and power out of this. The rap part turned into a shadow of itself. Contrary to many, I don't mind the language change. I can't say I liked the song before, I like it even less now. I do appreciate the mv though, it's so crisp.

Czechia 🇨🇿 - I'm sorry, I just can't ignore the live when judging this. Even if I did I still don't think Pedestal would end up much higher. I don't vibe with the shouty chorus and an nth rendition of the Mugler suit this year, the visuals in the mv are much more pleasant though and I'd like them to go that direction in Malmö.

Malta 🇲🇹 - The revamp broke it, I'm sorry. What else can I say? Didn't like it before, like it even less now. Case similar to Albania.

Georgia 🇬🇪 - This track is so noisy and overproduced that I can't remember the melody line even after multiple listens. Too dynamic, too much of everything all at once. I guess the song is not that bad, I just dislike the fact that it takes effort to make a song this overloaded and yet Georgia succeeded.

Moldova 🇲🇩 - I know I said that was the only option for Moldova but I can't help but skip this one every time it comes up on my playlist. The only catchy part is the chorus melody, all without words. I actively dislike the live performance, there's something disturbing in the way they all look and move the same way.

Germany 🇩🇪 - Eh. Every time I listen to this I physically cringe at the sound of the elephant in the chorus. The supposedly African inspiration feel disingenuous and very 2010s to me. James Newman fate is what I predict awaits this entry.

[blocky-tides]

!! Hello Hello!! Might I suggest number 42 with either qTubbo or Ren and Martyn from 3rd Life? I'm about to absolutely demolish (/pos) all your works so far, I am excited for fics based off of songs >:3

42 - spit in my face! by thxsomuch

a static drone fills tubbo's ears.

why does this always happen to him? why does it always fucking happen to him! fuck! fighting the urge to slam his hands down, hard, on his workstation.

his hands shake as they struggle to piece the fragile parts together, accidentally dropping a gear down the cracks. god fucking damnit. why can't he do one thing right. 

tubbo picks up the machine he was working on, small enough to roll around in his hands. it was a piece of art, a gift for fred before he left, died, got kidnapped.

screaming out in frustration tubbo threw the music box to the wall as hard as he could. wincing at the sudden sound as the music box crumpled into itself, the last few notes of an all too familiar song screeched in the air. the one he shared with fred.

letting another scream rip free, tubbo questioned himself. what kind of person was he? burying his face in his hands, smearing grease all of it, curling into himself as if to get away from everything and anyone.

if he couldn't even protect those he loved. he has an egg now. a daughter to consider. how any of his actions could backfire on fire on sunny.

he stayed in that hunched out position on the floor well, fighting back tears, until the weak morning sunlight shined into the factory filling it with warm light, glinting off the glass fixtures. hearing the distance conversation of fit and pac as they approached the factory, like they always do each morning.

he didn't want to pick himself up, like he always had to do. he wanted to stay on the ground forever, not facing his troubles.

all of his problems would be solved if the federation didn't exist. no one to threaten fred into compliance. sunny could have unlimited lives, not restrained by the two. they could be free.

blinking to himself, that was a great idea. why didn't he think of that sooner? carefully ignoring all attempts of rebellion that he had seen so far.

scrambling up from the floor to chase after pac, who wandered further away from the entrance to his factory. pac would most definitely help him get rid of the federation. a little blood never hurts anyone.

{spotify wrapped drabbles - send me a number between 0-100 with a character or ship and i will write a drabble}

[hadesisqueer]

I don’t really understand this voting thing on OT. Kiki was top 3 last week for favorite I think and she has been in the past a lot too. She has a lot of followers on socials too. But Lucas is leading in a lot of the polls. Idk if those polls usually reflect the actual results or not. I assume they do?

Who do you think will be in the final and predictions for winner and other placements?

The polls in directoot and otactualidad on instagram are usually very accurate, and so far he's winning, though the gap seems to be becoming smaller. The reason Chiara is losing in the polls even though she has twice as many followers on instagram and nearly twice as many monthly listeners on instagram? Easy, 1) most of Naiara and Paul's fans are voting for Lucas 2) the dumb hate campaigns Chiara has unfortunely been through; a lot of locals aren't voting for her 3) that, minus Ruslana's and part of Bea's individual fandoms, the supposed fans of Juanjo and Martin (Chiara's friends, mind you) hate Chiara and they are trying to vote her out, which strategically it's stupid as fuck considering that Lucas is tied in popularity polls with Martin and could easily kick him out in the finals if he stayed. Same with Naiara fans, if Lucas stays, Lucas' fans will vote for him and Naiara will lose votes and won't win the contest, because according to the polls, the winner right now could be either Naiara or Ruslana, because they're both tied. That could change, though. If Chiara is expelled and doesn't make it to the finals, all her fandom's votes would definitely go to Ruslana, which really isn't good for Naiara either.

Now, do I think Chiara will for sure be expelled this week? No, because, for example, the gap yesterday was of 45%-55% in otactualidad and now it's 50%-50% or so I believe; plus, Directoot has posted good things about Chiara today, and Directoot has a lot of influence on the casual fans. We still have a lot of time until Monday and a lot of things can change in a week; look, for example, Cris started off losing 30%-70% and he ended up losing 48%-52% and almost kicking out BEA of all people. Salma started off tied and even winning against Alex and in a week she was gone with like 39%-61%. And listen, I watched OT2017. I saw Ana Guerra stay with 50,3% of the votes against Agoney after the most stressful week of my life. After that, anything is possible and we're campaigning hard and we still have a few days, so I'm not just gonna give up lmao. Keep voting and this could still change.

Now, if Chiara stays, I predict that she'd most likely make it to the finals and a 4th place for her, or a 3rd place maybe due to how big her fandom is, and both Naiara and Ruslana could end up either 1st or 2nd place. Juanjo is definitely a finalist but honestly I'm not sure in what position he'd end up, most of all if Martin is a finalist as well because they share a fandom and they'd divide votes. Martin could get his place easily taken by Lucas if he stays (which is why his fandom is dumb to vote to save him). Paul is definitely a finalist and a possible top 3 or 4 as of now, and Bea is in the air because even though she is one of the most talented people of the edition, her fandom is small compared to the others; if she's not chosen by the teachers to be a finalist, Chiara and Ruslana's fans would definitely vote her so she could be one UNLESS the one also fighting for the spot was Chiara or Ruslana, but you never know with the other fandoms. In any case, what position you end up in the contest doesn't really matter tbh; in fact, a lot of people don't want their faves to he the winner because most times the most successful ones end up being the 2nd place (see: Aitana, Alba Reche or David Bisbal being more famous than Amaia, Famous Oberogo or Rosa López) or even THE FIRST EXPELLED can end up being the most successful (see, Lola Índigo). You never know with this contest; honestly, the ones I see being more successful outside are Chiara, Ruslana, Naiara, Violeta and Paul. The others? Who knows, but in a few years no one will remember some of them; it always happens.

[homesliceadulting]

OMG! This was supposed to be posted on 8/12, but I didn't hit post! Guess who's 30 lbs down in 6 months??? Me! What what! Look at this milestone! Just in case you're just now reading this, on Feb 5th I started a journey to get active, eat better, and lose weight. On Feb 5th, I weighed in at 338.6 lbs. I weighed in today at 308.4 lbs and that makes my total weight loss 30.2 lbs! I'm so happy about this and I'm super proud of myself. At this rate, I'll be down 60 lbs total by next February!

Aside from the celebration, this week has been interesting. On Sunday, I took my dog for an hour long walk around our neighborhood. It was great to explore my neighborhood, get some fresh air, and spend time with Beaux. When we were done with our walk, I had only burned like 475 calories and my heart rate barely reached the fat burn zone. If I do a Just Dance workout for the same amount of time, I usually burn 700 calories and most of the time, my heart rate is elevated to the fat burn category, with some cardio sprinkled in. I will say adding in the walk as a third weekly workout is great and low impact, even if the results pale in comparison to doing a Just Dance session in my house. I will be walking the dog again tomorrow and this time we'll take different streets.

I actually skipped 2 workouts this week--been having a hard time managing my time--but I think I may have made up for it. Last night, I went to karaoke with some friends and while I was there, I burned like 1300 calories. Wtf? I performed twice (sang Kids by Prince & Dream On by Aerosmith) and of course I was dancing and jamming along with the other performers as well. I drank tons of water, I sweated quite a bit, and I didn't even really walk around that much. I am astounded that I burned so many calories in a non-conventional. I earned 115 zone minutes (this is Fitbit terminology)--87 minutes were listed as Fat Burn (heart rate between 122-143) and the remaining 28 minutes were considered Cardio (a heart rate of 144-170). That's literally like 2 of my Just Dance workouts put together. I'm amazed and so happy. I'm going to work out today (Just Dance) to keep the momentum going.

As far as food, this past week was the 2nd week of me meal prepping and I realized I need to be more efficient with it. I made a meal on Sunday, then spent a few hours on Monday prepping the 2nd meal. This Monday prepping is why I couldn't work out. It's becoming apparent that I need to carve out times on the weekend to plan and prepare my meals. The 2 recipes from this week were really good. One of them was a Cajun sausage and vegetables recipe I found online. The other was a chicken/broccoli/potato recipe I found online as well. They were both very good and relatively easy to make, even though the sausage one was tedious. I don't like cooking, so batching my meals sounds as perfect as its going to get.

I've also been worried about my consumption of Baskin Robbins. I've been there way too many times in the past month trying to get the Beach Day flavor. It is SO good. In an effort to curb my cravings and not flare up my lactose intolerance, I've been buying and trying new dairy-free ice creams from the grocery store. So when I want a frozen treat, I eat a third of a pint and call it quits. I'll share my thoughts later. This approach is helping me, though. I find I have more discipline and I'm less tempted to grab fast sweets.

Overall, things are going great. I have 6 more weeks to lose 8.4 lbs--this is the goal I set in my Self Journal. With the addition of a 3rd weekly workout and paying special attention to my diet, I feel confident I can meet or exceed this goal.

[his2023]

Nina Jabar

HIS 111

Prof. Green

April 3rd 2023

Journey to the City of Babylon

I started my journey in my homeland, Media. I traveled through the desert for three days to visit my sister and what a journey it has been so far. I arrived in the beautiful city of Babylon yesterday, and I must say, the city is magnificent. The towering walls, the bustling streets, and the magnificent palaces are all a sight to behold. I feel as though I have been transported to another era of time. I met my sister and her family in their beautiful palace and was thrilled when she expressed she wanted to show me around the city during my visit. We had dinner and stayed up all night drinking and planning my next few days in Babylon. I'm going to write about each day so I'll be able to return to these memories in the future and live in these moments again. 

On my first day in the city, I had the incredible chance to tour Babylon's Ishtar Gate. One of the most impressive displays of construction I have ever seen is this magnificent entry gate. I was struck by the complex carvings and vivid hues as I entered the gate.

The entrance is made of polished bricks and is painted with pictures of lions, bulls, and dragons. The animals are painted in hues of blue, green, and yellow, and as you get close to them, they seem to come to life. The degree of precision that went into making this masterpiece left me speechless.

King Nebuchadnezzar II, who is renowned for his support of the arts and development, fashioned the gate. The gate symbolizes the strength and riches of the Babylonian empire and is dedicated to Ishtar, the goddess of love and fertility.

I could sense the weight of heritage and customs surrounding me as I moved along the gate's walls. I made an effort to picture what it must be like to reside in such a lovely city and be able to see such amazing architecture every day. 

I took a minute to consider the significance of the Ishtar Gate before I left. It is more than just a monument; it is a symbol of human ingenuity and innovation.

All in all, my encounter at the Ishtar Gate will never be forgotten. It served as a sobering reminder of the enormous potential of people and the value of protecting their cultural legacy. 

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, was one of the privileges I had to see today. Today was also my second complete day in the city. I was astounded by the gardens' size and grandeur as I got closer to them. The gardens were built on an immense structure with many terraces, and each level was covered in bright flowers and lush greenery.

King Nebuchadnezzar II created the Hanging Gardens as a present for his wife, who yearned for the lush surroundings of her native country. The king then built this paradise inside the city, and the end result is genuinely amazing.

I was astounded by the variety of plant life as I strolled through the grounds. Exotic trees, fragrant blooms, and fruit trees with ripe, juicy fruit were all present. The numerous fountains and waterfalls created a calming sound as they flowed water, filling the air with their sweet floral fragrance.

The Hanging Gardens are both an engineering and horticultural wonder. Huge stone pillars support the terraces, and a complex network of irrigation tunnels makes sure the plants get the water and nutrients they require to grow. I was in awe of the effort and talent required to create such a masterwork.

I was filled with awe and wonder as I exited the gardens. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are proof of both the beauty and ingenuity of humankind as well as the strength and riches of the Babylonian empire. I am one of the many tourists who are enthralled and inspired by them. 

All in all, my trip to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was an unforgettable one. For years to come, I will cherish the recollections of this incredible site.

It is now the end of my third day in Babylon and what a day it has been! Today I had the honor of attending a marriage ceremony in Babylon. The bride and groom were both from prominent families, and the event was a grand affair. The ceremony was held in a beautiful temple dedicated to the goddess Ishtar, and the setting was breathtaking.

As the bride and groom exchanged their vows, the temple was filled with the sounds of music and chanting. The air was thick with the scent of incense, and the room glowed with the light of countless candles. I was struck by the solemnity and reverence of the occasion.

After the ceremony, we adjourned to a nearby banquet hall for the reception. The hall was decorated with vibrant tapestries and floral arrangements, and the tables were laden with delicacies from all over the region. I sampled some of the local dishes, and they were exquisite.

As the night wore on, the celebration became more lively. Musicians played traditional songs, and guests danced and sang. I was struck by the warmth and generosity of the people of Babylon, who welcomed me into their midst as if I were one of their own.

As the wedding drew to a close, the bride and groom were showered with blessings and well-wishes. It was clear that they were deeply loved by their families and friends, and I felt honored to have been a part of this special day.

In all, the marriage ceremony in Babylon was a beautiful reminder of the importance of love, family, and tradition. It was a celebration of life and all its joys, and I felt grateful to have shared in such a meaningful experience.

Today was my fourth day in Babylon and I had the opportunity to visit the Great Ziggurat of Babylon, one of the most impressive architectural feats known to the region. As I approached the towering structure, I was struck by its grandeur and magnificence. The ziggurat stood over 90 feet tall, with a massive base that covered an area of several acres.

The Great Ziggurat was built by King Hammurabi, and it has served as a religious center for the Babylonians. The structure was made of baked mud bricks, and its distinctive stepped design was intended to symbolize the connection between heaven and earth.

As I climbed the stairs to the top of the ziggurat, I marveled at the sheer size of the structure. The stairs were steep and uneven, and the ascent was challenging, but the view from the top was well worth the effort. From the summit, I could see the entire city of Babylon stretched out before me.

The ziggurat was surrounded by a massive wall, and I could see the remains of several smaller buildings and temples nearby. It’s clear that the Great Ziggurat is the heart of the city's religious life, and I felt a deep sense of reverence and awe as I stood in its shadow.

As I left the ziggurat, I reflected on the importance of this structure to the Babylonian people. It was not just a monument to their power and wealth; it was a testament to their faith and their connection to the divine.

In all, my visit to the Great Ziggurat of Babylon was a humbling experience. It reminded me of the power of faith and endurance.

Today is both the first day of the Festival of Marduk, the god who serves as Babylon's protector, and my last day in the city. People from across the area have gathered in the city to celebrate, and the place is buzzing with excitement. Music, laughter, and applause can be heard resonating through the streets.

This morning I got up early to see the massive parade of the Marduk statue being brought through the city. Professional Way, the street that leads from the temple to the Ishtar Gate, was crowded with locals on both ends. The Babylonians paying homage to their deity was a magnificent spectacle. The statue sparkled in the sunshine and was covered in gold and jewels.

There were numerous vendors offering food, beverages, and trinkets on the streets. I couldn't help but sample some of the local specialties, such as fresh bread and roasted meat. I loved the festive ambiance and the rich, delicious flavors.

I was present at the ceremony tonight commemorating the holy union of Ishtar and Marduk. It was a union of symbols, signifying the fertility and abundance of the country. The ritual was a lovely homage to the gods, complete with music and dancing.

The festivities intensified over the course of the evening. Fireworks light up the night sky, and the aroma of incense fills the air. Drums are audible as people dance and chant in praise of Marduk.

Overall, I had a great time at the Festival of Marduk. The devotion of the Babylonians to their gods and civilization has touched me. I am appreciative of the opportunity to have taken part in this celebration, and I will treasure these recollections.

I had the chance to meet a few locals during my comparatively brief visit to Babylon, and I was deeply moved by their warmth and generosity. Their compassion and humility really stuck out to me. We were able to converse through gestures and smiles despite the language barrier. I consider myself lucky to have had this opportunity to communicate with the Babylonians.

I've had an amazing experience in Babylon overall. I am appreciative of the opportunity to travel to such a significant and culturally significant city and to have witnessed its beauty and culture firsthand.

Works Cited

Van de Mieroop, Marc. “Reading Babylon.” American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 107, no. 2, 2003, pp. 257–75. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40026077  Accessed 3 Apr. 2023.

BOWE, PATRICK. “A DELIBERATION ON THE HANGING GARDENS OF MESOPOTAMIA.” Garden History, vol. 43, no. 2, 2015, pp. 151–67. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24636247 Accessed 3 April. 2023.

Mark, Joshua J.. "Nebuchadnezzar II." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 07 Nov 2018. Web. 30 March 2023

Babylon: Hanging Gardens & Tower of Babel - HISTORY, 2 February 2018, www.history.com/topics/ancient-middle-east/babylon  Accessed 3 April 2023.

Beaulieu, Paul-Alain. “A New Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II Commemorating the Restoration of Emaḫ in Babylon.” Iraq, vol. 59, 1997, pp. 93–96. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/4200440. Accessed 3 April. 2023.

“Ancient Mesopotamia Explained: Sumerians, Assyrians, Persians and Babylonians.” YouTube, 12 March 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZedmncHt3OQ  Accessed 3 April 2023.

Haldar, A. (1972). Mesopotamia: myth and reality. Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis, 6, 31–44. https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67068 Accessed 3 April 2023.

BARKHO, LEON. "Scholars Zero in on Nebuchadnezzar's Ziggurat; Iraq: A Team of Austrian Archeologists has Determined the Design of a Temple the King Built 2,500 Years Ago. He Wanted it to Rival the Tower of Babel, 7 Miles Away.: [Bulldog Edition]." Los Angeles Times, Dec 06, 1998, pp. 34. ProQuest, https://eznvcc.vccs.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/scholars-zero-on-nebuchadnezzars-ziggurat-iraq/docview/421321250/se-2. Accessed 3 April 2023.

Naranjo, Roberto. “Marriage in Ancient Mesopotamia and Babylonia | eHISTORY.” eHISTORY, https://ehistory.osu.edu/articles/marriage-ancient-mesopotamia-and-babylonia. Accessed 3 April 2023.

Rodler, A. S., Klein, S., Artioli, G., and Brøns, C. (2019) Probing the provenance of archaeological glaze colorants: Polychrome faunal reliefs of the Ishtar Gate and the Processional Way of Babylon. Archaeometry, 61: 837– 855. https://doi-org.eznvcc.vccs.edu/10.1111/arcm.12455. Accessed 3 April 2023.

Wordsworth, Araminta. "Treasures of Western Cultural Heritage Lie in Path of War Machine: Iraq's Monumental Riches: [all but Vancouver Edition]." National Post, Mar 21, 2003, pp. A18. ProQuest, https://eznvcc.vccs.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/treasures-western-cultural-heritage-lie-path-war/docview/330214219/se-2. Accessed 3 April 2023.

[princessozera]

Demonus

Warning: Manipulation, illness, vomiting, poisoning, I think this may count as dark content but let me know

Word Count: 1.8 k

They/Them used (3rd ppov)

"It's so nice to get some time alone with you MC," Satan all but purrs as he nuzzles against MC's neck. "My brothers are always butting in, can't they see we just want some peace and quiet? They're always pulling you away from me."

"Shh, don't worry about them. You have me right now don't you?" MC leans back into the couch, petting Satan's head with the arm that was wrapped around him. He scoots closer still, considering just laying on their lap at this point.

"Oh, careful there-" MC is quick to scoop up the cup before Satan can let the demonus spill over them. They put the cup on the side table and guide Satan into laying down. They run their hand through his hair as he gushes over the latest book he read- a brilliant and headstrong protagonist against a cunning philanthropist hiding a dark secret with twists that don't hit you could never see coming. It was a little hard to make out his words, slurring almost unintelligible gibberish as he grew more tired, but MC continued to comb his hair and agree like they understood. When Satan finally stopped raving, MC saw him lick his lips so they open a fresh bottle of golden demonus to top off his cup. They try to hand it to him, but Satan makes a face.

"I dunno MC, I'm starting to feel kinda sick." Satan doesn't realize just how true this was until the words were already out. He was feeling hot flashes and the room was spinning a bit too much considering he was still laying down- just how much had he already had to drink?

"You always feel sick after a few glasses, don't you?" MC gives a half-defeated sigh and puts the cup back down. "I'll get you some water. Maybe I should have started with this demonus after all, I ordered it for tonight because-"

"No, I'll drink it!" Satan lunges over the couch arm rest, elbowing MC in the stomach in the process. He downs the cup before giving a rather undignified burp, " Sorry MC."

"I'll live," they give a breathless chuckle, rubbing their stomach as they pull Satan off. "But let me know if you start feeling worse. Just because you're a demon doesn't mean we shouldn't worry about alcohol poisoning."

Satan tries to speak, but gags on something. He goes to wipe his mouth and pulls away a handful of silver bubbles, no, froth? He gags again and this time he can taste it in the back of his throat- pungent and bitter, as if he had just stuck his head in a tub of bathroom cleaner. It's taking over his senses, filling his mouth and spilling over his lips and into his throat.

Satan vomits on to the carpet, coughing and hacking- trying desperately to clear his airways and get even the smallest bit of clean air. He's gifted no such mercy; it's coming out of his nose, his head's full of cotton, the clothes are constricting him to death and he was all too aware of eyes staring him down.

Satan tries to claw out the bubbles- his tears and saliva now dyed red. He tries spitting, blowing his nose, desperately wiping at any body part that felt like it was leaking. With his heart pounding and no clean air, he was quickly succumbing to the fear of asphyxiation.

Satan falls to the carpet, curling up and rubbing his face against a clean spot as he continues to scratch at his exposed flesh, flinching away from everything that felt unfamiliar and far too agitating for his overloaded senses. He reaches out to MC, but they stand back, watching him convulse on the ground. He couldn't see up to their face, but they made no move to come to him, or get help. Instead, he sees them pull out a thin rectangle from their pocket, there's a click, and a mumble barley audible above the static in his ears.

"15th of March, hour 3. Subject is showing signs consistent with-" is all he can make out before his vision goes black, losing consciousness to a lack of oxygen.

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

Satan wakes up sweaty and still suffocating, thrashing under the covers until he can manage to throw them off the bed. There's a muffled cry from the blankets, but he pays it no mind, attempting to jump out of bed like a bat out of hell, only to collapse on the ground when he can't hold up his own body weight. His head on a swivel, looking for the danger that his body was telling him was nearby, in this unfamiliar environment.

"Shh, it's okay, I've got you." Someone pulls themselves free from the blankets and guides Satan back to sitting on the bed, but he's still looking around. A cold hand cupped his face, and when Satan tried to pull away, another hand forced his head straight. After a few minutes of hyperventilating, MC's face came into focus and Satan's heartbeat slowed significantly. Once he stopped struggling against them, MC let go of Satan's face and wiped away his sweat with a damp washcloth. He let the cool water continue to calm him and help him reorient to his surroundings. Looking around again, he recognized his room, just a bit brighter than normal and smelling of disinfectant. He even let's them change his shirt with no complaints, but takes the glass of water himself, grimacing at the metallic taste it left in his mouth.

"MC, what happened last night?" He takes another sip of water to gargle, trying to get the awful taste out of his mouth.

"You mean you don't remember?" MC gestures to the couch behind them, piled with a small mountain of bottles. "We were hanging out yesterday and I think we over did it with the drinks. You got sick and I wanted to call Beel or Mammon, but you said you just needed to sleep it off and that they'd never let you hear the end of it."

Satan balks at the sight, counting at least 15 bottles on the couch. He's had more of his share of booze when partying with Asmo, or competing against his brothers, but this was another level. He still couldn't remember anything, but throwing up would explain the taste in his mouth, and maybe even the nightmare he probably had while sleeping to cause him to wake up with palpitations. Satan ducks his head into MC's neck for comfort, and to hide his embarrassment for being seen in such a horrid state. "I'm so sorry MC, that was from the special bottle you got me too wasn't it? I promise I'll make this up to you."

"No, it's okay really. I'm just glad you're feeling better." MC wraps an arm around Satan, rubbing circles into his back to soothe his agitation. "And anyways if I had gotten your brothers, Lucifer would have ripped us both a new one if he saw how much we had last night. So really, you helped me." Satan didn't believe them, and was ready to jump straight into planning his big apology. It was going to take a big effort on his part to make it up to them after such a colossal screw up, and MC was still being so caring with him.

"I love you, MC."

"... I love you too."

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

Experiment Catalog 21:

Codename 'Demonus'

Preliminary Notes:

Much in the same way that liquor is toxic to humans, but consumed by the masses none the less, a little birdie let it slip that there is a high likelihood that Demonus contains some degree of holy water. A little bit of time in the RAD food science kitchen verified as much.

The thought that spraying bottle of demonus over a crowd being as effective as using my holy water gun on demons pissed me off to no end, but I digress.

After I was done steaming, the flood gates opened. Demonus, it's perfect. If it really is just diluted holy water, stronger demonus contains a higher percentage of pure holy water and by that logic, it would only take a few bottles to push it into a deadly concentration.

Observations:

Test specimen (those before testing on subjects) took an average of 4-6 drinks before they could no longer identify the more potent holy water drink. Symptoms set in within 30 minutes of drinking the strongest concentration. Symptoms include: fever, chills, uncontrolled muscle spasms, crying, auditory hallucinations, paranoia, heavy sweating, dizziness, and smoke from ears/mouth.

Subject 1 (weight: XXX, Height: XXX): Specimen is larger than those before him and is known to hold his liquor well. 6 cups were given before the elevated dose was administered and seems undetected. 1 hour after dosing the subject finally showed symptoms of fatigue, decided not to risk a second dose for now. Antidote administered by air.

Subject 2 (Weight: XXX, Height XXX); Another large specimen that can hold his liquor well. 6 cups before dosing, but there was also a surplus of food in his system. Symptoms began at about 25 minutes after dosing, taken to my room for closer investigation. Dilated pupils, low grade fever and chills, and sweating. After 40 minutes of observation without much change, antidote was administered with food.

Subject 3: Data inconclusive. Experiment was not conducted in ideal conditions and large doses of unregulated drugs were introduced to the person's system. Antidote administered with more untainted demonus.

Subject 4 (Weight: XXX, Height XXX): Smaller than most before him, but a well seasoned drinker. 5 drinks before the high dosage was given. Seemed inconclusive at first, but upon closer inspection, subject was very good at concealing their symptoms. Of those I could see after the 30 minute mark: increased sweating, auditory hallucinations, dilated pupils, chills, and dizziness. Antidote administered with food.

Subject 5: Experiment aborted. Subject fell ill much faster than all test subjects before him and needed immediate treatment to prevent long term harm and exposure. Antidote administered after only 10 minutes of observation because the symptoms were evolving rapidly.

Ending Notes:

Minimum of 5 drinks need to be administered before attempting a high dose.

Antidote can be administered up to 4 hours after ingesting poison- unless the symptoms are extreme, developing rapidly, or are not in accordance with the most commonly recorded symptoms.

H.W concentration can be up to 75% concentrated in standard 12oz cups.

Death sets in at 8 hours after poisoning.

[plan-d-to-i]

So, I ran into this lovely discussion about the "discourse" between JC and Wangxian after the ending of Donghua and I found this lovely person attempting to explain why "people" started to side with JC and dunked on Wangxian!Donghua??????. Also this will be a bit long.

"JC antis are just an irrelevant minority both here on Tumblr and in general. JC is litterally the 3rd most popular character [after twisting his characters to the point of OCC] of the series after Wangxian and this speaks for itself. The same day the final episode of the donghua was aired, JC was trending WORLDWIDE on Twitter and not Wangxian. Pretty much everyone was taking JC's side against Wangxian because of the way they deeply humiliated him (things didn't remotely go that way in the novel) [But it still ensured JC received the consequence like the novel intended]. If ppl started hating donghua!Wangxian because of that, then I perfectly agree with them"

"Antis love to claim, so lost in their delusions, that the ending of the donghua was the most accurate to the novel but they must've read a different version of the novel because in the book things are completely different [The so-called JC antis knew this very well, they were happy that JC was not woobified and received consequences though, which is still accurate to the novel in term of theme]. If you're guessing who these idiots are, look for the "canon JC tag" and you'll immediately know the clowns to block"

"It was very different from both novel (the original) and Cql, they changed a bunch of stuff, it's impossible to miss. There are very detailed posts about the differences between novel and donghua ending here on Tumblr [Urgh, duh, we knew it before for the last episode, no need for detailed explanations] and how the events of the donghua ruined the moral of the novel [So having consequences for your actions and having a chance for self-reflection are bad now?]. Also, if million ppl rioted complaining about the humiliation JC received (never happened in the novel so wtf are you talking about?), in particular the chinese fandom who knows very well the symbolism of certain behaviors (they consider LWJ's behavior toward JC the ultimate humiliation for a clan leader [and JC deserved it]) that belong to their culture [So because he was a Clan leader, he was free of criticisms and backlashes????], this definitely means something. Btw I'm satisfied by the fandom behavior [Yeah, by shitting on the main pair for defense themselves], we can't change the ending but JC trending that day was definitely a message to the authors." [Like being a bunch of whiny babies?]

"When it comes to the mood of the whole fandom, JC was always the most popular character after Wangxian [Because he got woobified] , but in the specific situation of the Donghua the whole fandom sided with him against Wangxian [uhm, so JC antis were not in the fandom???]. In this moment here on Tumblr there are just a few idiots [lol] using the "canon JC" tag to spread their delusion, but we're talking of the same 4-5 antis and few random other ppl. If one blocks them, the tag is clean."

"I'm not here to discuss opinions about JC's character, especially because I firmly believe one can either love or hate a character but still be objective about a shit treatement said character receive. To me JC is neither a total saint, nor a total monster. He's an extremely fucked up individual like many others in this series and I just tend to appreciate the most morally grey characters compared to 100% good guys or assholes. [But you seems to have problem with morally grey characters received consequences, ex. "humiliation" like JC]. Also I never believed much in the "tsundere JC" portrayal , it's funny to see sometimes [dude, it almost everywhere in this fandom] but in canon I don't exactly see him that way"

"About Wangxian, I've always loved them but the ending of the donghua ruined them for me. [I smelled bullshit in this sentence, just admit you're a JC stan] Donghua authors ruined a bunch of characters tbh. Op wanted infos on the fandom mood about Wangxian and JC after the donghua and I just talked about it. It's not just my opinion, if the whole fandom complained about the donghua epilogue [maybe only the JC Stans complain as I also saw many people didn't give an F about JC's ending and were relatively happy for Wangxian's cottage gore ending] this means that there was actually something big to complain about ["How dare they gave JC . Like, a character (not even the main one) doesn't trend worldwide every day [Wait, WWX also trended on his birthday]. This means that this ending was a general disappointment, Wangxian was supposed to trend that day to celebrate their happy ending but guess what? JC trended because ppl were giving him support. I think this speaks for itself, being a fan of him or not is irrelevant. These are facts"

Yeah, I need helps to unpack this.

HAHHAHA wow. jc stans are deeply deeply DEEPLY divorced from reality ...and the definition of gray morality. Fuck they can't even learn one simple term how are they supposed to understand a whole novel (눈_눈). But love to see all the old favs gathered together :

gray morality

culture

I toTalLy liked WangXian before this >:-/

"if million ppl rioted" 🥴😂...why not a billion? Why not one billion, gajillion, fafillion?! They should go find a story where the mc is another basic, shitty, self absorbed whiner, and just be happy. lol and stop putting out their cringe, unhinged, butthurt ex energy on the internet. oh Wow jc trended 🌝! WangXian is still canon and jc still ends up alone, yk like in the novel. xx ∠( ᐛ 」∠)_

[tiffanylamps]

3, 5, 6, 29?

Turnip, so, I meant to reply to this hours ago, but then I got bought a burger and ate like... half of it... and had to sleep it off. But I am here now, half awake with a very upset cat to keep me company. Thank you for sending me this, I hope my answers are of interest 😊 The ao3 ask game

3) What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)? This is a little hard to answer because I find small accomplishments in everything I write (I need about 3 months of distance to see the good in them, but I do see it eventually haha). But I think the one I should single out is my first fic in... 4 years... Indoctrination. I have tried to read it since publishing and gave up because I don't like the way I wrote that story. But I had given up writing in this style (fiction, 3rd person) for 4 years, sooooooo🤷‍♀️no wonder it's not the best During those four years, I had been mainly writing poetry/more introspective pieces, so Indoctrination is a massive accomplishment that I am proud of... even if I don't think it's all that good haha

5) What work of yours got more feedback than you expected? Easy, 3am. I didn't expect anyone to comment on that piece because it's not.... it's not. But I did receive some positive feedback and had interesting discussions with people, which was nice 😊

6) Favorite title you used This is also hard because giving my fics titles is one of my favourite parts of the writing process. I really like finding something that will highlight one of the main themes of the story. I normally do this through lyrics or quotes. Okay, I can't choose, so I'll just give you my top three (in no particular order): . Your Love's Whore (named after the song Your Loves Whore by Wolf Alice, which inspired that fic. I'm not linking that fic because I don't like it anymore haha)

In Another Moment Named so because of this quote:

“In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.”

- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

. courage to make love known Named so because of this quote:

“...Who could refrain, That had a heart to love, and in that heart Courage to make love known?”

― William Shakespeare, Macbeth

29) Favorite line/passage you wrote this year? I already answered this here. But I will give you a handful more from unpublished works. oh ho ho ho, aren't you lucky? (smh at myself)

Dong Sik bruises Joo Won's poor lips with a kiss, closing both their eyes for good so that look dies between them. Had he by some miraculous sequence of bad decisions slowly ruined this boy? Was his sorrowful plight a contagion? Was it fungi in the wood that rots from within?

-

Joo Won wishes for rain, a torrential downpour. With only rain can he be cleansed. Maybe if he were to embroider his wounds, he can be beautiful again. He knows he’s a liability and not an asset, but how glorious it was to finally not be needed; Dong Sik would be proud. He’s finally learned how to survive.

-

It was a breath of fresh air after a year of cigarette smoke and car fumes.

He knew they looked good together. Joo Won was able to make him laugh and he didn’t mind some of the man’s more annoying quirks. He thanks Dong Sik for that, the older man really set the standard for what Joo Won can now tolerate. The first few weeks of their casual fling were easy, the librarian enjoyed showing Joo Won the town he grew up in, and Joo Won enjoyed learning new things.

They had kissed a few times, mostly just sweet pecks on the lips or a kiss on the cheek. The first time they kissed for real, Joo Won tried everything within his power to not compare. But he knew deep down he didn’t get the same rush as he did with his last par… But that was a good thing, he convinced himself and slipped his tongue in.

-

Joo Won never felt more like dust upon long-forgotten trophies. Once interesting, once beautiful, once a useful item to paint the picture of excellence for a dynasty he brought down to the ground. Kill the boy to become the man. Slay the father to be cleansed of his sin. That man looked like his father. 

He’s a show dog, wasn’t it about time someone put him down? He can’t compete, so what was his use?

-

Dong Sik is his Elpis and Joo Won wants nothing more than to love him.  

It was shocking to him that this decision didn’t feel rash. He knew it was right. Dong Sik deserved to be loved, even if he had a flock by his side ready to do just that. It doesn’t matter, Joo Won decides, he’s willing to try. He hesitates to believe he’s worthy as one of those who loves Dong Sik, but the older man says his name so sweetly and looks at him like Joo Won is the missing piece of a puzzle, the finishing touches of gold thread in his tapestry, the subject of his masterpiece.

Everyone must feel this way under Dong Sik's genuine smile, he had that ability to make anyone feel like they were the only one that matters. Joo Won knows this. He knows better now but it didn’t stop him from vowing to make himself beautiful for Dong Sik's portrait.

-

Joo Won gives his lofty attention to the couple adjacent to his right, the good-looking woman was still whispering in the man’s ear. He was definitely enjoying whatever it is she was saying if his clear arousal was anything to go by. “Inspector Han,” Dong Sik's voice is close to his ear again and Joo Won suddenly understands the state the man is in. 

Dong Sik seems very pleased with himself and Joo Won knows what he’s going to have to do. He scoots himself along with the pink leather until his broad shoulders are shielding Dong Sik from the couple, which he seems to enjoy if his smouldering smile is anything to go by. He’s like a lioness taking a drink at the watering hole and Joo Won is the crocodile stalking in a shallow grave.

-

“I got a lot in return.”

For once Joo Won’s eyes did not look through him - into him - with a dismissive roll or a suspicious scowl, nor do they plead, beg, or cry from the pain Dong Sik created. Instead, they blink and well with understanding. He looks away and his body softens with the heaviness of knowing. 

Finally.

-

Love isn’t a craving. It isn’t a hunger pang that can be satisfied with a good feed. It isn't whimsy that is silly and vacillating, wandering from the urges of the ego to the wanting of the carnal. Nor is it the remedy for loneliness. It’s heartbreak, a bittersweet yearning for something you do not have. The desire to be with the one that compliments you on a level that goes beyond the temptations of guilt, lust, or notions as fickle as happiness. Love is the bonding of souls combining their fears, woes, passions, ambitions and strife- it is irrevocably unifying yourself to another with the hopes that it will last.

Love is fleeting and all-consuming. It’s the need to reach out and touch what could so easily slip into the abyss. It is unavoidable, glorious, and so frightening. More real than a spiritual awakening, more devastating than a missed opportunity. It is nature. It is natural. It is the knowledge that even though it will end (as all things do), whether that be from heartbreak or death, no matter how much that pain frightens you, you are still willing and wanting. It is the absolute trust that you will endure whatever you may face with your partner’s aid, together as a unit, beautifully pushing forward. 

That’s how he knows he doesn’t love this boy. You trust those you love. Nor does he love him back. 

Oh god, what has he been doing?

- Okay, I'll leave that there, as the list is getting a bit ridiculously long. Those are parts from just two fics that I wish to complete one day because I love them so much. They're definitely my longest wips (as in, it's taking the longest amount of time to complete them). Anyway, I hope this was interesting! ttfn 😊