#A fun read! Thank you. Every day I learn to appreciate things I didn't know I had.

[sbk-confessions]

evil alternate universe I peeked into where sbk has a big enough fandom for DramaTM:

-people hate on kittrix for her warden shenanigans despite it happening, like, twice

-ship war over viking/avid vs marm/avid but enemies to lovers

-discourse over whether or not trog should be allowed on sbk bc theyre the creator of skyblock infinite. this gets 1000000x worse after the dragon egg auction

-everyone gets mad at artemis and elffe for starting wars for no reason. cmon guys theyre just being silly lol

-people take the "they forgot the end kingdom" thing seriously

-the joke about avid only tubing queer people gets REALLY out of hand

-through it all, the sakura spouses are forgotten </3

You've taken a glimpse into the darkest timeline.

[bcacstuff]

A Thank You

To start with a thank you to all the people in the comments on my previous post, and all the Anons, all the kind words, showing your support and appreciation for my blog. I received some very sweet and lovely messages which I will cherish and look again at when things get so negative that I start to question myself why am I doing this.

Snapped

Yes something snapped, after a long time ignoring all the harassment, negativity, toxicity, name calling and recently even threats in my inbox. Telling me, oh we all know how toxic this fandom is, isn't realistic. Logging on here and first being confronted with it personally as it is in my inbox, takes the fun and pleasure out of things. It's like getting home, but you first have to clean out your doorway because the neighbours dumped all their trash on it. At some point you will address your neighbours with this bad behaviour, wont you? (and probably not in the nicest way)

I ignored them all the time, trashed them right away stopped even reading them, as the content had not any substance. I wondered often, why do people do this? Does it make you feel better? Do you feel a hero hiding behind an Anon? Do you go tell your friends what you just sent to a person you clearly don't know the first thing about. Do you think it is justified because you don't like what I post or what doesn't fit your narrative?

It is never justified, no matter what, to do these kind of things to another human being. Never!

There are people that call me obsessed. When I see multiple harassment messages all similar, simply recognizable coming from the same person(s) on a daily basis in my inbox, lurking around on my blog just to get off on every post I publish, the second after I post it. Running to the Anon button to mock every word and purposely give a false interpretation of the things I write, or write on a daily basis on your blog about it, that is not obsession? But when I do what everyone does here, look at some IG accounts is obsession?

You know, posts on IG accounts stay there forever (most of the time), no matter when you look. Stories are published for 24 hours, and even forever when an account also puts them in their highlights. You surely know about that don't you? There is no need for me to watch every minute of the day an IG account, I don't refresh it every minute to see if there is something new. It's your biased imagination that makes you unable to see it in a normal way. I do not sit 24/7 in a cellar with 5 screens around me watching people. I also do not sit in my car for hours and hours in front of someone's house to wait till someone comes out of the house or arrives. That is stalking, watching someone's IG account isn't.

And perhaps I look at a few things more related to an IG account, like the analytics, as an interest because of my marketing background, using a simple tool available for everyone, doesn't make me obsessed or a stalker either. There is no need to watch it every minute of the day either, I can refresh it whenever I like, the numbers from a whole month (and more) are still there.

Saying I keep track of every move he does is a false interpretation. I don't know what he ate for breakfast this morning, or what color socks he wears today. I don't know all the time where he hangs out, what he is doing or whom he is with. I don't know, I know as much as you all! I simply use my logic, can see like you all can at what times he posts, and as he has his habits and patterns (which you learn easily over a bit of time) it is no rocket science to see when these times shift and he likely traveled to a place in another timezone. That doesn't justify calling someone obsessed or a stalker neither.

And then, on top of it all, I learned some things about his activity last weekend, which was perhaps the last drop. Yes I added that part, because it was part of why something snapped in me at that moment. Perhaps my reaction would have been different if it didn't came on top of all this negativity and toxicity I already deal with for a long time and only got more. Oh yes, I could've simply stayed quiet about it and perhaps I would have if not for above reasons. People that like to say I did mention it because I was just seeking attention, are just ignorant. Gosh the (negative) attention in my inbox is overwhelming, I don't need it and actually wish it wasn't so OTT. But since I mentioned it, I will address it in a separate post, but don't get too excited. I will share how I learned about it but wont elaborate on my personal thoughts which I choose to keep to myself. I also will not share any name or any other details.

If you don't like my blog, don't like to read about some things I post, don't like me as a person; Remember instead of running to the Anon button to lecture me and give me unwanted (and very unneeded) advise about how I should run my blog or live my life after you called me out, you also have the option to scroll on or move to another blog. You don't need to read my blog, I don't force you to come to my blog, you are here on your own free will and can leave whenever you want.

Anon

As a result of all this bad behaviour, I have switched off the Anon option. It's a bit with a heavy heart, as I prefer to keep my blog open and accessible to everyone who wants to be here and send messages to me. You still can send a message, but only with an account which will be visible to me. You can of course ask me to hide it when I choose to post your message, I will absolutely do so. For me it is just a way to finally prevent the cowards to send hateful messages to me.

I feel sorry for the ones that do not have an account on here and always gave me useful tips, and sent constructive messages. I hope you'll understand and consider to create an account. I don't mind if there is nothing on it, I don't see empty blogs necessarily as a sockaccount like some do.

I have to say, since switching the Anon option off, I received 0 messages. (that tells you a lot about how brave the Anons are) I enjoy the calm, the positive feeling instead of the negative feeling that I first need to clean out all this crap when I log on. So I will keep it this way at least for a while, and perhaps even forever.

Let's just try to keep the good and positive atmosphere here again, have some fun, some good discussions in a respectful way and exchange our thoughts on things.

[mysteria157]

Chapter 2

Pairing: Nanami Kento x Black Fem Reader

Word Count: ~3.6k

CW: More profanity, reader’s best friend being a brash pervert

Summary: Flashback chapter. That first day when you meet him, you’re bright eyed and ready to work alongside him, filled with so many ideas that will benefit the company. Him, Nanami Kento, a highly esteemed director that always made your stomach flip in desire. But it turns out, he’s not what you thought. 

Notes: Hi! Thank you all for sticking through. Reblogs, likes, or comments are always appreciated but not necessary <3 I hope you enjoy reading!

Divider: @cafekitsune

Previous Chapter | Ao3 | Next Chapter

It Had To Be You Masterlist

Everything was always bigger in Tokyo.

With ten times more people than your modest city of Sendai, it was always a wonder when you got the chance to visit. It wasn’t like you didn’t have the means, but it was still too far for a weekend getaway so you couldn’t go as often as you liked.

Marketing agencies from all over Japan had gathered for the weeklong excursion to celebrate accomplishments, announce future ideas, and collaborate with one another to strengthen cross functional bonds. Your marketing agency was currently bringing in the most revenue, with the Tokyo branch sitting at the forefront. Naturally, they were given the opportunity to hold the annual summit of what intended to be the biggest event of the year.

For Ome, it was a chance to get away from her ‘boyfriend’. Normally, that would raise alarm for anyone else. But when she caught her boyfriend balls deep in his secretary after she tried to surprise him for lunch, leaving the city was better than setting his office on fire.

For you, it was another opportunity to network and get your name out there. The Tokyo branch was the headquarters for the marketing agency you worked for. Anyone who held any sort of higher distinction walked the halls of the building.

“You look fucking fantastic, stop fidgeting.”

You glowered at Ome, cheeks heating in embarrassment before smoothing down your ensemble for the 10th time in the elevator. A baby pink long sleeved mock top tucked into white high waisted office pants seemed like a safe option. You had your long spiral curls tucked away into a low bun, small stud diamond earrings and a modest gold necklace to complete the look.

“Did you spend all night trying to put that together?”

You rolled your eyes at her comment.

“No.” Yes.

“Stop making fun of me, I’m fucking nervous.”

She scoffed before walking in front of you, placing her hands on your shoulders. Of course, she looked gorgeous in her airy button up long sleeve shirt. Of course, she could pull off the skirt that stopped right at her knees and hugged every natural curve of her body. Her twist out was flawless and was pinned on top of her head, thick kinky bangs framing her face.

Natural African beauty wasted on a deadbeat boyfriend.

“Listen to me. You’re the smartest woman I have ever bothered to keep in my life, you’ve worked hard to get to where you are, you know who you are, and you know what you do. Be yourself and don’t try to be a hero. It’s annoying.” You snorted, smiling softly at her before wringing out your hands.

“Plus, you’re hot as fuck, if words don’t work just push up your tits.”

You smacked her hands off your shoulders, the action only making her chuckle.

“Don’t worry, your little office crush will definitely see that fat ass of yours.”

“Jesus Christ, Ome!”

Her chuckles ripped through the air as the elevator doors finally opened.

Being on the 48th floor of a 50 story skyrise definitely felt different from your office in Sendai. A simple receptionists desk was the first thing you both saw. Large and decorated with a fresh bouquet of roses, a woman with a name you didn't have time to learn and bright blue hair greeted you both and directed you past her. The small hallways leading away from her desk gave way to the rest of the entire office floor which was bustling with activity. It was so much more spacious than your own; intricately designed to have many cubicles up against the floor to ceiling glass windows and hallways leading to private offices and breakrooms separately. The center of the floor was open and complete with rich brown couches and a coffee table in the center to make for an open relaxing area for coworkers and visitors. The walls were decorated with minimalistic design, plants and flowers adorned corners and climbing vines wrapped around the cubicles. Even though everyone seemed to be so busy, it felt quite cozy for an office.

Jin rose from one of the couches when he spotted us, his pink locks like a beacon.

“You both look beautiful. Let me show you to the conference room before the rest of the team arrives.”

The Tokyo office had rented out a venue for the summit to house all their events for the week, but Jin wanted his team to actually meet with the branch a day before the festivities were set to begin. Today would just be a meet and greet on a more personal level. Even though that personal level would include various directors and the Vice President.

You smoothed your hands down your pants again as the looming anxiety slowly began to pull its way up your legs. No one looked your way as you walked past them, which should have been more than enough to calm you down.

“You’re looking pretty good from back here.”

Ome’s quiet voice mocked, her words curling around a good natured chuckle as her heels clicked on the floor behind you. You whirled around to glare at her, an elegant brow arching back at you in challenge.

“Quit it!” you hissed under your breath.

“Don’t frown, y/n. You don’t want your boo to see you so upset.”

You gaped openly at her before turning back around in silence, your face heating instantly. It’s not that Ome’s words were mean. They were blunt, just like her because you knew she was only acting this way to make you see how stupid you were being. You knew your stuff. You could probably walk into that conference room and take over if you needed to.

You were going to be fucking fine. And as far as the ‘crush’? It was completely illogical.

For all you knew, Nanami Kento had no idea you even existed.

The feelings were miniscule and stupid to entertain. He was serious in almost every interaction when it came to work. Monthly company video calls gave you a glimpse of the man behind the deep but distinctive voice. He was quick and to the point, never beating around the bush, and always one to express his disdain for open ended questions. He didn’t rise to his position out of sheer luck.

Nanami had never spoken a word to you. Never sent an IM to ask about project plan updates. Never called you on the phone to praise you on the last account you brought to the company.

But he had the most detailed reports you had ever read in your life. He wore odd glasses from the chances you could glance at him through the computer camera that always seemed to make your stomach flip. He seemed to be disconnected from the people around him but incredibly steadfast and involved with his work and the quality it brought to the company. Smart, efficient, and handsome as hell.

None of your current emotions made any sense.

Just a stupid teenage rom-com crush that would probably not have the happy ending of the guy finally noticing you and deciding to ask you out on a date.

But that didn’t stop you from putting together an outfit that was modest enough to show how professional you were but form fitting enough to show off your body.

If your words don’t work, show off your tits.

Dammit, Ome.

The cold air from the conference room shocked you out of your thoughts. The adjacent wall was complete floor to ceiling windows, brightening the large room and making it feel less sterile. The small group of people already present stood upon your entry and bowed gently.

“Welcome!” The voice was loud and gruff, the source a tall and well built man with sharp and rough features. Dark brown short hair that was shaved on all sides but spiky at the top, thick dark brown eyebrows and an even thicker mustache and goatee.

Stopping in front of you all, he smiled, the delightful gesture a sharp contrast to his serious exterior.

“Masamichi Yaga. It’s so wonderful that you all could join us today. I hope this week will be as exciting as we made it out to be in the itinerary.”

Jin shook his hand.

“I’m sure we will. The rest of our team should arrive shortly. For now, these are the two I told you about who keep everything smooth and efficient. Omelia Obeje, one of our Data and Analytics Specialists…”

Ome bowed politely, a gentle smile on her usually serious face.

“Pleased to meet you sir. Itadori-san likes to boast us both but,” she tilted her head towards you. “She’s the real brains of the team.”

You widened your eyes minutely, the anxiety that was sliding at up your legs now coming back alive to inch its way up your stomach with the intent to wrap around your throat. You bowed to cover your expression.

“F/n, L/n, sir. Jin and Omelia are incredibly modest, but I’m pleased to meet you.”

Yaga introduced you to everyone in the room. Everyone was polite and offered conversation, even going as far as to ask you about life in Sendai. But the brightest of the group were three interns that Yaga was doing his best to tutor. The most excited of the bunch, Itadori Yuji, was a stark contrast to his father’s calm and gentle demeanor. He bowed a little too sharply, his pink locks such an odd sight to see on someone else besides your boss. His friend, Kugisaki Nobara, took every opportunity to cut him off, speaking over him and lifting her chin with every exclamation as a means to assert dominance in the trio. The tallest was the most quiet, deep blue locks in natural disarray as he bowed politely and introduced himself in an equally quiet voice as Fushiguro Megumi.

You could feel your nerves settling slowly, and whatever body language you were giving off was enough for Ome to slide back next to you after a lull in conversation, quiet and withholding.

“You’re doing well.” She was teasing again but the hint of affection was enough to make you roll your eyes and smile at her. “Have you even thought about what you’re going to say to him?”

You furrowed your eyebrows, the question making your mind stutter as you scrambled for an answer. “You know…besides ‘Hello, my name is y/n. I’m the best at my job, I have a fat ass and I could rock your world if you let me.’”

You rolled your eyes for what felt like the 12th time of the morning, the corners of your lips curling up into a smile before you snorted at her.

“I’m serious, y/n. Any man would be lucky to even ask you out on a date. Be confident in yourself.”

That was the odd thing about Ome. As much as her words were blunt and cold, she could make you also feel like the best person in the room. At least she did with you anyway.

You hadn’t really had luck with relationships in the past. And it was simply because you never had the time. College was just as busy as high school. Your spare time was often spent on small hobbies, hanging out with Ome and other friends, and working part-time to pay your bills and stay ahead in every aspect of your life.

When you did entertain the thought of something with a man, it was always short-lived. You were too rigid with giving into compromise, too work obsessed, too busy thinking ahead and not living in the moment. At least thats what they told you. The one relationship that was long-term had ended so terribly that you didn’t leave your apartment for a month. So by the time you had graduated college, you were resigned to entertain a one night stand a few times a year and the comfort of your vibrator that never failed you.

Whatever words Ome was speaking to you at the time seemed to ebb into the background as a tall man—or probably the tallest man you had ever seen—walked up to you both. His snow white hair hung loose on his head, falling in layers and covering a fresh undercut. His face was soft, but his jaw sharp with full lips and smooth skin. But the most jarring were his eyes. Bright blue orbs that seemed to glow even in the sunlight, thick eyelashes that matched his hair color framed the exotic orbs as they gazed at you and Ome both. He was probably the most beautiful man you had ever seen.

He introduced himself as Satoru Gojo, Director of Product Management, and like all men who manage to breathe the same air as Ome, was transfixed with her immediately.

“Are you single?”

The question made you chuckle sharply. A high executive blatantly flirting with a colleague was ballsy. But he seemed like the type to do exactly what he wanted and give a shit about it some other time. Or just not give a shit about it at all.

Ome simply raised a brow at him.

“It’s only 8am, how very desperate.”

His bright eyes seemed to flash with mirth. “I’m just surprised there aren’t more people over here trying to talk to you.”

If it was an attempt to flirt, he wouldn’t get far with her.

“I hate vague innuendos and I’m not interested. Do you mind moving out of the way, Beanpole? You’re blocking the sunlight.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, trying desperately to not laugh as you watched Gojo gape at her in shock, confusion, and then outright joy as he smiled pearly whites down at her.

“You think I’m tall—”

“Gojo, bothering our colleagues is not the most logical way to spend your time.”

His voice made your stomach drop instantly, the hairs on the back of your neck rising but not our of fear as his tall frame stopped next to Gojo. He wasn’t as tall as Gojo, but you could hardly tell the difference. His blonde hair was fuller than you thought now that you could see him in the flesh, with locks combed back perfectly and parted along the side. The same odd glasses you remembered from video calls sat perched on his nose and you could just make out brown irises through his dark frames thanks to the sunlight. A hard cut jaw and cheekbones, and full lips pressed into a relaxed line made his expression just as serious as you remembered. A muscular but lean frame sat beneath a rich ensemble of deep tan slacks and a blazer, a navy blue button up with a spotted yellow and black tie.

Jesus fuck.

Nanami Kento bowed to you both, introducing himself as the Director of Strategic Partners. You knew. Of course, you knew. You had seen his fine print on many reports from recent projects next to Yaga’s name. To be so actively involved with the Vice President had to have been an honor.

After Ome introduced herself, she jerked her head in the direction of Gojo.

“Is he always this thirsty?”

“Unfortunately. Please ignore him.”

He shifted away from Gojo’s protesting form, eyes falling on you. You cleared your throat and bowed softly as you introduced yourself, willing your voice to remain even and smooth as you felt his steady gaze.

Be confident. You got this. Say something.

But before you could even open your mouth to utter another word, Yaga and Jin had called the room to settle.

You managed to avoid Nanami for most of the day. When he was in your vicinity to speak, it was always in observation as he watched others engage with you instead. Ome kept her mouth shut, too busy insulting Gojo at every opportunity that he managed to speak to her. It was intriguing to watch and even funnier to realize he was probably bringing her the most entertainment in a very long time.

Ome was having the time of her life, however your current source of stress lay in front of you in the form of mahogany doors. A gold name plate gazed back at you, K. Nanami.

After an hour of intense work that you were given the ability to draft, Yaga and Jin had practically shoved you out of their office with the documents and the opportunity to work closely with Nanami for the week to learn from his point of view. It was perfect for you. You could gain more experience and try not to have a heart attack in his close proximity.

You made it a point to avoid Ome on the walk down to his office but now you couldn’t deny her words of ‘encouragement’ may have been helpful in this moment.

You clenched the manilla folder in your hands, taking a slow breath before squaring your shoulders and knocking on his door. His deep voice answered from the other side, beckoning you in.

The inside of his office was warmer than you were expecting. The room was clean and crisp, a large bookshelf against the wall filled with texts that you would have to look closely at some other time. A tall and well cared for Monstera Deliciosa was growing in another corner under the bright sunlight, and his walls were filled with plaques, certificates, and artwork that had your mind racing with intrigue. His own desk was large for you but seemed to suit his tall frame. And he sat behind it, his blazer off and hanging on his deep red chair, elbow resting on his desk and his chin resting on his fist, Nanami sat. His stature radiated indifference and you tried not to let that shake you as you closed his door and walked to stand in front of his desk.

“Itadori-san and Masamichi-san thought it would be a great opportunity if we worked closely together this week. I look forward to working with you.”

He didn’t respond immediately, harsh eyes analyzing you to a degree that had your hands gripping the manilla folder a little tighter.

“May I have those?”

The large hand propping up his chin folded out towards you, long fingers crooking back towards him as a means to hurry you along. You gave him the documents, throat dry as you struggled for something else to say. He seemed to really…not want you here. And as excited as you were to be in his presence, the indifference was enough to second guess walking in here.

“While I understand Yaga and Itadori-san's intentions, I’m afraid having someone else working with me this week is not feasible.”

Immediately, you felt your blood run cold, your face falling minutely.

“I don’t under—”

“Having someone else working with me is not feasible. It’s a very easy statement to grasp.”

All hints of anxiety seemed to fizzle out immediately, your crestfallen face slowly shaping into a glower.

“I don’t think I’ve done anything to you to warrant this kind of harshness, Nanami-san.”

You tried to smooth out the expressions on your face. There was no doubt he could clearly see the anger on your face. You had done everything right, had been nothing but polite to him. Even if he was busy with work, this kind of reaction was completely unnecessary.

He pulled in a deep breath, broad shoulders rising with the movement as he looked away from you and instead flipped through the documents you had given him.

“I’ve already allocated the resources that I need for this week. Your assistance isn’t wanted. Perhaps Gojo can show you how things work, because I’m unfortunately quite busy.”

He managed to spew it all out without looking up from his desk, long fingers idly pressing against the paper to help guide his eyes as he read. Your assistance isn’t wanted.

The indifference in the room quickly gave way to tension, making your stomach clench and twist as the anxiety began to make itself known again.

And almost immediately your patience had worn out.

“I know how things work—”

“I mean no disrespect.” He cut you off again, flaring the anger in your veins. “This happens every year when Yaga tries to push someone into my office during the annual summit and I have to walk them through the basics.”

You clenched your fists against the sides of your pants, red beginning to cloud the edges of your vision. Walk you through the basics? As if you were an intern fresh out of college, desperate to learn but lacking any of the skills necessary to succeed.

You suddenly didn’t find him very admirable at all as he opened his mouth to speak again.

“I don’t have the time—”

“Saying it twice doesn’t make you sound smarter.” The harsh tone coming out of your mouth shocked you, but you didn’t let it show as you glared at him. “I can see that you’ve already made up your mind about me even though you’ve hardly said a word to me.” His eyes widened minutely before narrowing. You jutted your chin out toward the papers beneath his hand.

“When you’re done looking at the same word over and over, you’ll find the content schedule, marketing plan, and a partially drafted work agreement.” He gaze didn’t falter, but you could see the slight ruddiness in his cheeks. From what, you didn’t really care to try and figure out. What a stupid mistake this was.

“Don’t look so put out. I put it together and Masamichi-san approved them. That should check a few things off your list. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to see if Gojo-san has ‘something for me to do’”.

You didn���t bother to look at his reaction as you whirled around and walked briskly from his office, slamming the large door on your way out.

Like you said before. Your emotions towards him made no sense at all.

After all, this wasn’t a fucking teenage rom-com.

[within-your-eyes-if]

A Few Updates

Hello everyone!

I have some exciting news and a few thoughts I want to share. Another long update, I'm sorry!

Codex Update: As you know, I've been working on updating the Codex. I've put a lot of thought into each entry, balancing new ideas with existing lore. While a lot of elements were already established, delving deeper into some topics has inspired some new ideas, and I want to ensure everything fits seamlessly. With this in mind, I'm considering releasing what I have so far while I continue to ponder over some of these newer concepts and refine older ones. In the next few days, I'll be going through more feedback to address some issues found before I plan to release the update.

New Story: I'm excited to share I've released a prologue and first chapter for From Here to Again! Writing something different is meant to help me grow as a writer and expand upon things I might not have considered before, especially when writing Twine.

I will not be making a Tumblr for this story right now, sorry!

I know I've shared other stories that I planned, and here are some updates on those:

Nautical Lost would definitely benefit from a later release as Within Your Eyes grows, as this story will expand upon the world lore and some events that will happen.

The Innkeeper (a working title), I decided to hold off on because I'm terrible at management games, it seems. It was meant to be a fun little story with shenanigans. However, I do want to revisit the idea later.

Short Stories: I've expressed I want to make some short stories, but I feel like there's a point in WYE I want to pass first before getting into them. But I do have one I'm working on that I want to release alongside Part Two that delves into the past.

Worries About Burnout: I know some of you are/might be worried about burnout, but I feel like I have a good system for myself. Writing is a journey I haven't explored much before. I did write, but it's something I didn't think I was good at because, honestly, I was told I wasn't. I know I'm not the greatest, but I want to grow and learn as a writer. I've been taking breaks to focus on other things I enjoy, even if it's still writing out ideas for other stories.

I appreciate all of the concern in this regard, not just for my well-being, but also for the love of my story. To see it abandoned would be heartbreaking not just for my readers, but for me as well. 'Within Your Eyes' has been an idea long in the making, shifting and growing. It's something I've always wanted to share, and I'm so happy I have!

Time for Questions: I'm ready to start answering some of your questions regarding Part One. Enough time has passed, I believe, to start delving into these. To respect those who haven't caught up yet, I'll include any spoilers under a 'Read More' tag. However, be mindful that some questions themselves might contain spoilers.

Regarding certain asks/scenarios, I think that discovering the answers through the story rather than in a post might be more rewarding. While I may still respond to these, I'll be thoughtful about placing them under a 'Read More' tag as well.

Regardless, I've been thinking more about how I should approach questions, not only in a way that's satisfying to you, but also benefits the story.

Closing Thoughts: Sorry again for the long update. I've been very reflective after releasing a second story, and I hope no one sees this as me diverting from WYE. I'm grateful for every one of you and for all of your words of encouragement and love. I hope you enjoy From Here to Again (if you decide to check it out) and continue to look forward to our Warden's journey.

Thank you!

[punkeccentricenigma]

might I request some headcanons for the rise! boys with an S/O who was born and raised out in the country? I just love the idea of country! reader x city boys (especially since the todd scouts episode)

please, and thank you <3

Rise!Boys with Countryside!Reader

Relationship status: Can be read as romantic or platonic

Reader prounouns: They/Them

TW: Leo being dumb as always, Some aspects described here may be different from the countryside in your countries, Some grammatical errors because english is not my first language.

Author's note: Honestly for the last few days I was just thinking about this idea, because I live in the countryside myself, and now at least I have a better excuse to write about it, lmao. Enjoyyyy!

Leonardo

◇ Leo respects your down-to-earth mentality and your ability to find joy in simple things in life.

◇ However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows right away.

◇ When Leo first met you, he secretly judged you and thought that because you come from the countryside, you seemed boring and uncultured. LOOK AT YOURSELF, LEO.

◇ He tends to subtly highlight your lack of knowledge and city life experience whenever it comes up in conversation.

◇ He secretly compares his urban lifestyle to yours and sometimes feels superior to you.

◇ He might occasionally come across as insensitive and indifferent to certain issues and circumstances you've encountered or witnessed as a person from the countryside.

◇ However, over time, some of these things have lessened or faded away. All thanks to Dr. Feelings

◇ He finds your passion for nature and outdoor activities adorable.

◇ He appreciates how the ethics of hard work and practical skills can balance out his more carefree and humorous nature.

◇ It slightly shocks Splinter, but whatever, lmao.

◇ He admires your sense of adventure and willingness to try new things, even though you come from a rural background.

◇ Leo loves hearing your stories about life in the countryside and thinks they make you even more charming and interesting.

◇ He believes your close connection to nature and respect for animals are endearing.

◇ But if he ever catches you talking to animals or imitating them, you'll get the "weirdo" label.

◇ But he's a bit of an ignoramus himself, bringing up this one scene:

"Wow, [Y.N]! I didn't know you had a swan!"

"...Leo, that's a goose..."

◇ He enjoys hearing about your tight-knit community back home and loves learning about your rural traditions.

◇ Leo appreciates how your ability to adapt quickly and be resourceful in unfamiliar environments can help him broaden his perspective and become more versatile.

◇ You'll have to train him in this at Raphael's request.

◇ Sometimes he'll want to visit the countryside, especially if he's feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being the new leader and after a Kraang invasion. Then, climbing onto the roof and stargazing is a must!

◇ He doesn't quite understand all the talk about plants, but if you have orchards, he'll pick every fruit to try.

◇ Please, give him homemade cherry juice, HE'LL FALL IN LOVE WITH IT.

Raphael

◇ Raph finds you incredibly interesting.

◇ But he's not sure if you're up to date with modern technologies and practices. Despite your exposure to television and the internet, he sometimes doesn't think you have a broad understanding of them.

◇ Besides finding you fascinating, Raph is somewhat surprised by your accent and way of speaking because he's never met anyone quite like you.

◇ Of course, he doesn't make fun of it if you have such an accent.

◇ Raph is genuinely curious about the history of your hometown and the people you know.

◇ He appreciates your rural atmosphere, and the lack of city knowledge doesn't bother him. He actually likes it when he guides you or explain things.

◇ However, he can get irritated sometimes when he asks you a question, and you respond in a way that's clear to you but not to him.

◇ Usually, you use rural slang if you have any.

◇ And sometimes, he can be impatient when trying to explain something to you, and you don't understand. This is where his anger issues come into play, but he's more likely to take it out on himself than on you.

◇ Sometimes, he'd like to go on a trip to your countryside and meet the people who shaped you, but because of the ‘whole situation’, he'll have to settle for the area around your home and fields.

◇ If he manages to find a moment, he'll come. He'll gladly let you guide him and explain everything.

◇ He'll probably start bragging about the skills he's acquired from Todd's training, whether they're useful in your parts or not.

◇ He thinks your conversations with animals are cute and will start talking to them himself.

◇ Except the goose will start chasing him, wanting to nip him.

◇ Plants aren't his strong suit, but like Leo, he'll start picking some fruits from your orchard, asking for permission beforehand.

◇ He loves walking with you in the forest, especially in the approaching evening. That's when he feels the most masculine, protecting you from potential wild creatures.

Donatello

◇ Despite everything, Donnie respects your connection with nature and finds it admirable.

◇ However, despite his ultimately good memories of Todd's teachings, he wasn't that inclined towards topics related to the countryside until he got to know you better.

◇ Donnie might sometimes underestimate you because of your former rural lifestyle and simplicity (using the phrase "common sense tells " literally), considering you now live in the city. However, he realizes that you're equally intelligent in your own way.

◇ He really appreciates that you're willing to listen to his explanations about his new devices. Bonus points if, in subsequent conversations, you remind him of potential solutions based on previous information.

"... And you know, I think when you combine this with that, it could give a good result-- Donnie, what's with your face, are you crying?"

"No, I just looked at Leo's face and felt disgusted!"

◇ He has definitely been moved by the fact that you haven't completely ignored him.

◇ Donnie finds your rural lifestyle and your knowledge of plants and animals intriguing.

◇ You'll probably drag him to the countryside for a few days if he pulls another all-nighter due to his ambitions.

◇ Expect some grumbling of discontent, like that of a five-year-old.

◇ He won't complain about the lack of Wi-Fi; after all, it's the 21st century, and some households have internet. Instead, he'll complain about the weak signal.

*Donatello rocks back and forth, watching a spinning loading wheel on YouTube*

You: *visibly wtf*

◇ If you have animals, you'll likely enlist his help.

◇ He's one of the few who won't think poorly of you when you start talking to the aforementioned animals in his presence. Whether you're having a small talk with a cow or imitating a passing duck, he'll probably do the same.

◇ He'll boast that he can communicate with animals using sign language to impress you.

◇ The Weird Duo.

◇ Ohoho, if you have orchards or gardens, he'll be thrilled!

◇ He loves botany, so ever since he saw the first cherry tree, your conversations always start with botanical topics and curiosities.

◇ In my country, such competitions are rare, but while watching The Incredible Dr. Pol, I noticed that there are frequent contests for the best-grown vegetable/fruit, etc. Expect Donatello to help you with that.

◇ And he might accidentally overdo it with his assistance, hah (those worms from the end of season 2)

◇ Donnie partly considers the peace and quiet of the countryside a welcome change from the city's hustle and bustle and all the stress it puts on him.

◇ But in the long run, it's not for him. He misses the excitement of the city.

◇ And he laments the lack of interesting attractions nearby.

Michelangelo

◇ He appreciates your unique straightforwardness. I don't know how it is in rural areas in other countries, but where I come from, people from the countryside can be incredibly direct and won't hesitate to say anything. This meshes perfectly with his Dr. Delicate Touch persona.

◇ Mikey often teases you about your rural roots, but in a typical friendly manner. You, on the other hand, have permission to tease him back. No mercy.

◇ He really enjoys your accent and dialect if you have one.

◇ Mikey finds your accent adorable and charming.

◇ Michelangelo likes listening to your childhood stories from the countryside.

◇ Michel finds it cute when you use rural sayings and expressions.

◇ Every time you crack a joke or make a wisecrack, Mikey laughs and finds it endearing, even if others don't always get it.

◇ Honestly, he's probably the least judgmental of the four, but he still has his quirks.

◇ Mikey can sometimes find your lack of refinement due to your rural upbringing slightly annoying, especially if you're too slow or don't understand something.

◇ Mikey might find it frustrating when you're afraid or hesitant about new experiences or things you haven't seen before.

◇ BUT, that doesn't mean he won't help you get acquainted with new things; he'll just have to push you as if you were learning to skateboard for the first time.

◇ Oh, and Mikey once taught you how to skateboard.

◇ You fell off the vert ramp.

◇ Anyway, he seems to have some strange attachment to forests and the areas around them, which is why he wanted to go there almost immediately when he heard about your upbringing.

◇ And when he got there, he was thrilled with everything.

◇ Starting from the decoration of the house, through the fauna and flora, to the atmosphere of the place itself.

◇ If he had an art block, this place would definitely unblock it. So, be prepared for frequent visits from the youngest of the turtles.

◇ He thinks it's cute when you talk to animals, but yes, he'll tease you about it a little too.

◇ He'll probably offer to help you with fruit or vegetable picking.

◇ He'll definitely start calling you "pumpkin" or "wild goose," whether you have them with you or not.

◇ He's not a big fan of homemade foods like juices, etc. The kid is used to mechanically processed food.

[indras-wife]

hii, it's nice to see your blog and the uchiha writings especially the nsfw(s) TwT

if I may request some nsfw, can you write about izuna's (you may add indra :3) scenario with an older otsutsuki woman s/o? like, the woman has more power than them but is very submissive in bed and simps for them without any hesitation

thank youu and have a nice dayy

Hi anon!! Thank you so much for the nice words. Being new in writing NSFW content and my works being appreciated makes me so so happy! And thank you for such an interesting request too~!!I had fun writing this request<3<3.Hope you like it and have a nice day too!

Indra

Indra is usually not the type of man who is bewitched by a woman, especially when she is stronger and older than him. During his life he didn't come in contact with many woman who were older than him so he typically does not know how to interact with them and frankly doesn't want to talk with them as well.

His perspective of women in general is very low: they are just baby making machines and nothing else. Sometimes however, he also views them as a way to relieve his sexual frustration. This man has crazy sex drive and needs to release it from time to time. Masturbation helps, but he loves having sex more.

His opinions however start to change when he meets with the beautiful woman who came to the compound one day, claiming to be a friend of his father. The moment Indra saw the woman, he felt her strong chakra, which was even greater than his. This made him feel..jealous. How dare she be stronger than him? She is just a woman! It really made him angry.

As he found out later, the woman, Y/n, was supposed to stay there for some time. Indra for some reason was more agitated upon hearing the news. He really could not bare being close to a woman who was making him feel so inferior. The woman however, wanted to learn more about him, as she was trying to strike conversations with him very every chance she got.

Indra, being the detail-oriented man he is, could not help but notice that with him, she was different. She was not as brave he thought, in fact she was the quite opposite: shy, unable to look at him in the eyes and very hesitant. She was not like that with others, but Indra did not want to spend time thinking about her behavior. He had other things to deal with.

Much to his surprise though, they did get closer. It started when Indra discovered Y/n in the library late at night, reading one of the books his father wrote. They bonded easily with discussing the written ideologies. He couldn't help but admit that she was a very smart woman and he really liked it. He was wek for smart women and Y/n was VERY smart, smarter than any woman he came in contact with.

Slowly, their new found friendship blossomed into something more when one day drunk Y/n, confessed her feelings for him. It was not a simple confession, more like a declaration of lustful wishes. Y/n, in her extremely drunk state, could not help but tell him how much she wanted him to take her and how she has been imagining doing all sorts of things with him ever since she came to the compound. Indra knew she was too shy to tell him that and he guessed the reason for her drinking was to confess her desires.

The older woman, despite being few years older than the man in front of her, felt embarrassed confessing to him. She was expecting that Indra would be angry at her, but oh how surprised she was when Indra grabbed her jaw, turning her face to him and kissing with such passion she has never ever seen. Little did she know, the man was burning in lust for her as much as she was.

Their makeout session turned longer, both of the unable to keep their hands off each other. The lust was too hard to ignore, and they soon fell in the arms of lovemaking, becoming one with one another. Moans and loud sounds filled the room.

Indra was not expecting to feel that good with Y/n, who was making such erotic faces and noises under him that were driving him to the edge. She was so submissive, that Indra couldn't believe she is a holder of such power. She was listening to his every demand and order, getting into positions the younger Otsutsuki was desiring. Indra, who usually would not leave any mark on a woman he was having sex with, was burning with the desire to mark Y/n's body.

In the morning, they both woke up in the same bed, cuddled together. Y/n, upon waking up, did not have any memory of last night, so Indra had to explain it to her, while kissing each hickey he placed on her body. Y/n, now blushing madly, listened to him calmly. Of course, their talk prolonged because Indra wanted to fuck her more and of course taste her. Their age difference was not stopping him and in fact he did not care about it too. As long a Y/n remains that shy, submissive woman he love, he will continue to gladly fuck her to oblivion.

They agreed to continue their meetings, which usually resulted to making love for hours and pleasuring each other however they wanted. Indra was able to train Y/n to go down on him, as he enjoyed watching her be on her knees, his throbbing cock in her mouth. He also loved going down on her, as her shyness, her attempts at trying to cove her moans, was making eating her out even hotter.

Overall, they both found what they desired in each other: Indra, a submissive and shy woman who let him do whatever he desired to her body, and Y/n, a man who was driving her crazy with everything he did and said. A very happy couple indeed with lots of sex drive

Izuna

Unlike Indra, Izuna is a ladies man. Oh this man ENJOYS having sex whenever he can and with whoever he can. Age and the power gaps between them was not holding a critical point for him. The only thing that mattered to him was getting his balls empty and his cock sucked till he got tired of it.

His first meeting with the older woman was when he came to his usual brother, angrier than usual. A general fucked up during a meeting and it got Izuna more irritated than it should. His anger could also arise from the fact that he did not get any new woman for some time and was starting to get tired of the ones who he was sleeping with.

That day upon his arrival, as if a gift from heavens itself, he was greeted by the older Otsutsuki woman, who instantly grabbed his attention with her very long greyish hair and emerald eyes, a combination he doesn't see frequently. Her soft, honey dipped voice even sent chills to his body, intriguing his interest even more.

Wanting to spend more time with her, Izuna ordered for others to not interfere and that only Y/n should serve his needs. This of course, surprised everyone, but they didnt dare to question Izuna's decision or else they would lose their heads.

As Y/n was on her knees, a position Izuna himself ordered, serving sake to him, he kept constantly looking at her, asking questions about her life and why he had never seen her before.

"I am new here my lord...Arrived a few days ago.." she spoke softly. "Very well...I assume you then know what this place and why men like me come here, Y/n" he spoke, putting a finger under her jaw and raising her head, his charcoal irises meeting her emerald ones.

"Yes my lord...if you allow me.." she slowly got up, anxiety rising in her chest. During the few days she was here, she never slept with a man, and Izuna would be the first one she has to sleep with. He looked to be a young man, around 20, and Y/n, being in her thirties, felt that she was too old for him. She sighed, unbuttoning her kimono and letting it fall on the floor.

Her naked body looked ready to be devoured, and Izuna was getting impatient at the sight. Oh how he loved new meat~ He pulled her to his lap hard, earning a small moan from her. Y/n could not bring herself to look at him, as she was very shy. Its her first time with a man after all.

"Are you scared of me..~ Maybe shy..?" Izuna asked, nibbling her neck as his hand found its way between her legs. He felt her heartbeat increase, which made him chuckle. He could tell this woman was not an ordinary one, but why was she so shy around him? A woman who was working in a brothel was shy to let a man touch her. Absurd.

Izuna however was no monster. As much as he wanted to just plunge himself in her, to feel her tightness and pound her hard as if there's no tomorrow, he held himself back. Instead of his usual tactic, Izuna decided to first calm her and reassure her. He put her on the bed, caressing her body and planting soft kisses. His skillful finger were rubbing her clit, earning few moans out of her.

The more he rubbed and fingered her, the more she relaxed. She was stills shy, closing her legs from time to time and trying to cover her naked body. Her attempts were futile of course, as Izuna stopped her each time. When she reached her climax and released hard, moaning his name sweetly, Izuna decided she was ready. He was throbbing the whole time, his cock ready to get out of his pants and plunge in her tight cunt.

He got rid of his clothes swiftly and thrusted hard in her, pulling her legs on his shoulder at the same time. It took some time to get adjusted to his size, but she was soon a moaning mess, her nails digging in his back and her begging him t fuck her harder and faster.

Oh how could Izuna ignore such sweet pleas? He would never forgive him if he didn't satisfy her, so he kept fucking her like there was no tomorrow. Her feminine energy was turning him hard, making him fuck her for the whole night. Izuna usually would not sleep with someone that long, but she felt so right to him that he could not stop himself. He fully emptied himself inside her, his cum running down her thighs and legs, a sight he is never tired of seeing.

When they woke up in the morning, Izuna felt more satisfied than he ever did with anyone. Y/n, was happy that she could satisfy him, but in her heart she still felt anxious. What if he gets mad upon finding out how old she is. And her origin as well. She was able to disguise as a mere mortal by masking her chakra, but she could not keep it for a long time. With guilt in his heart, she confessed her age and her origin to Izuna, explaining how she is in her thirties and that she isn't even human, but an alien.

"Alien pussy is really good then. I must be the only man who fucked a hot alien! And for your age...sweetheart I could care less really. You being older doesnt matter at all, after all I loved fucking an older woman like you more than others in my age range" he spoke calmly. This brought calmness to Y/n, as she did not have the need to hide her true self anymore.

From that moment on, every time Iuzna visited the same brother, Y/n already knew he would desire her and each time she would waste no time running to him. She was still embarrassed every time, but it didnt stop Izuna from fucking his now favorite woman.

A little bonus thingy~

Both of the men, being head over heels in love with their older women, asked their hand in marriage. Their families, Hagoromo and Madara, were of course against the marriage, but Indra and Izuna did not care one bit. They wanted to spend their lives with women who matched their vibes and completed them, and that's what they did in the end.

No disapproving glares of his father and no discouraging words from his big brother were able to stop these two men. After all, they both get what they want, even if the world is against them.

[xshybutdeadlyx]

Questions for the demiromantic and demisexuals out there

Ok, so I've recently found this term thanks to an aroace character from a show I watched. I knew of the sexuality but I didn't really know the specifics because I always thought I was bi but now looking into it I didn't know how aroace was like a literal umbrella and there was so much more to it then meets the eye. Which I'm 30 I feel like I should know more than what I do. But with doing research into it trying to understand it better, I learned about all the terms, and I learned about demiromantic and demisexual and it really resonated with me. But I wanted to ask for advice, I guess? Like I like romance I love reading it seeing art and what have you but when it comes to romance for myself I'm not a big fan? And maybe it's because I literally have to unlearn so much romance equals a, b, and c when that's not really true. I literally been in only one relationship in my life and it consisted of hand holding small kisses (no tongue, honestly I have an ick with spit and the only reason I "wanted" to do deeper kisses with the boyfriend I had at the time was because I felt like it was a requirement) but I honestly didn't feel attraction towards him until after getting to know him and being friends with him for months well into almost a year. And he's the only one I ever felt that way for I hardly ever had crushes or when I did I almost kinda forced myself into having them if that makes sense? It was "natural," and every kid was supposed to have crushes. Nothing ever came from the "crushes" though.

Now, like I said, I'm well into my 30s, and the relationship I just mentioned was the only relationship romantic wise I've ever had. I have had strong feelings for two of the friends I have but one friend is straight as they come and the other is married lol the one that is married though we have a strong bond that I wouldn't trade anything for. She tickles my hand, and she lets me cuddle her all the time, and we just spend nights just playing games together, just like when we were in high school. I love her so damn much, and I'll cherish what we have even when we are both dead and gone. She is my forever person.

Sorry, I went into a mini rant about my platonic love, but she's the best, and when I start talking about her, I have to gush lol, but anyways back to my sexuality crisis

So anyways, when there is even a chance of someone having an interest in me, I honestly kind of freak out. Or like if someone tries to set me up with someone, red neon flashing warning signs pop up for me. I don't know that person, and honestly, I get put off by big romantic gestures. Like, I appreciate it, but I don't think it's necessary? Can we just go get McDonald's, sit in the parking lot, and just shoot the shit? Play some games? We can watch movies or shows too.

I've also been on the dating websites and such as well, and I'm just always immediately put off. "Hello beautiful," ugh. "Insert pickup line here." please God why. "Unsolicited romantic or sexual advances right after a day of talking." Haha, no. There was literally one guy I thought was cool and we kinda flirted but it was really just talking everyday about the games we were playing I feel like if given time a connection could of been built but he ended up finding someone else immediately. Which honestly was fine I was kinda bummed but like if he wanted romance immediately, I wasn't gonna be giving that to him. I wanted to still be friends, but apparently, we had "too much history," so he ended up blocking me. lol oh well.

I've also literally only have had two "crushes" in like in a 5 year time span (only because this is what I can remember lol) one of em was so goofy and seemed so fun but then it seems like they turned out to be very self absorbed instantly done the other had baby mama drama wasn't into that. Honestly, those things seem to be things that could be worked through? Maybe? But once I just see something off-putting, it's all I see, which seems more like a personal thing because of past traumas.

As of now I'm honestly content with no romantic relationship but I feel like I do want one but I don't want one with just anyone and it just doesn't seem like many people out there are willing to wait or willing to be friends first and want to hop into relationships immediately when I very much don't. It takes me a while to be comfortable with people, and I want to get to know them as a person.

For a long time I felt like I just wasn't doing things right or that I had to actually change something that I was doing. I thought I was wrong or that I should just force myself into the uncomfortable situation of being someone's girlfriend immediately but then if it turns out I just don't have those romantic feelings then there the whole process of hurting them which is just anxiety inducting.

Also, with all that I'm saying, it does go into the demisexual portion, too. I've still never been with someone sexually because even in the one relationship I have had, I haven't met someone I've trusted to give myself to. The thought of one night stands or anything of the like just makes me wanna crawl into myself. I don't mind anything sexual but I want to be with someone sexually that I trust and care about with my whole being, not some dude Craig or some chick Wendy from Tinder. I'm content with that, but a lot of the times, I'm almost made to feel bad because I haven't done anything sexual. But boy, can I read all the smut on Ao3. Like it all in theory, but dunno about in practice lol I just don't have much of a drive in general, but I don't know if that's just because I've never been with anyone before? I keep getting told, "As soon as you're with someone, your sex drive changes," and like, does that shit really happen? Lol

All in all, I really feel connected to the terms demiromantic and demisexual. Even when I just said I'm bi, it just never felt right, but for once, I feel like I finally found something that I felt connected to and finally found me. But I guess I also wanna feel like I'm right in assuming so? I dunno I feel like it'd be disrespectful in using a label that isn't really you? Which doesn't sound right because everyone has the right to find themselves, and sometimes people go through a list until they finally find themselves, which is what's happening to me right now. But my feelings also just get jumbled up and I have a hard time distinguishing what's been conditioned in me, like how you date, you get into a relationship, ya do couple things, then you get married ect. When all I wanna do is get to know you, really know you, then actually date but even then I feel like a lot of my stuff is more on the platonic end? Like, I like cuddling and kissing, and I do like romance but on a more tame level? I kick my feet when reading "he bought her all these extravagant gifts then he swept her off her feet and dipped her into a kiss" so cute but like if I was actually in that situation like bro put me down for real and I'm so awkward when given gifts lol

I dunno I'd just would really like to discuss this with others who have found themselves because I don't really have anyone else to talk to about this. I've talked to my friends and they of course support me and love me but I feel like they don't really get it? And my family just chalks it up to " Ya just don't have a lot of experience it'll all change when ya get out there and mingle with people"

Thanks in advance for reading all this if ya made it this far I know it's a lot of word vomit as I like to call it but I don't have very organized thoughts and I just kinda write what I'm thinking in the moment lol

[carrickbender]

Sunday 7-

I had 2 drs appointments on Friday, one of which was a CT that was supposed to help figure out why I have so much pain in my right testicle(TMI). It saw nothing, so now we get to keep guessing. Boss told me to "take weekend off", but was doing the morning orders/teams call every day between 5-7, trying to fix stuff and do reconciliations. Glad they trust me with this, but wanna give a 'high five' to my imposter syndrome telling me im gonna get fired any day.

- had to take Henry to urgent care on Saturday, and it turns out he has the start of pneumonia. Wanna give a big shout out to the ARNP who told me she really thought he should just 'ride it out' after 10 days of awful coughing and that their kids 'were still in it after a month'. Yeah, the PA said there was no way he wasn't leaving without antibiotics. Made me feel like an asshole parent... he's on day 2, and already more of himself.

- I went back up there today for me, and I have pretty severe bronchitis. He put me on a different antibiotic, more steroids, refilled my inhaler, and actually listened to me. I mean, I appreciated his care and actual concern. Fun situation: while I was there, a tree fell across the powerlines and tripped off most of town, so they had to go to back-up generators. There was a hall full of people, in a brown out, that the staff were managing like pros. Seriously, we are lucky to have that place.

-after today, I have 4 payments left on my car. 4. I think we will wait till June, and then it's 4 door vehicle time. The lunabug is getting taller, and we want to go see my dad/stepmom in Eastern Wa in something that has space. Everybody and their dog has sent me one of those damn, "interested in a new car loan? It's OK to check your rate, and won't hurt your credit" messages and as soon as my credit union chimes in, I'm sure we'll have something to talk about.

- speaking of something to not talk about, I learned a new term and joined a subredit today called 'dead bedrooms', and yeah, checks out completely. I don't have a therapist yet, so it's not a bad sorce of info or me trying to figure out what I have messed up(apparently, yet again).

- so I had to stop at Walmart(yay for small business destruction by a corporate giant!) for meds/a few groceries and this dingus in an f250 with a WA st license plate celebrating wrestling decided he needed to back into a compact space that was in front of me. He almost hit the first car on the way in(who had to stop and back up), but then he literally backed his 'not a farm truck but a penis extension' into the compact space in front of me, and thanks to me backing up knowing he would have been sticking out if I didn't, he took 3 feet of my spot and his hitch was literally 4 inches from hitting my car. In my space. And that entitled piece of shit didn't even look to see how close he was, he just walked away like he was the king of backing up. Look, I have no problem with wrestlers, but the only one who matters in my life is John Irving, and I think he would have been sensitive enough not to be a shit bird like that! (Part 1 of 2 rant)

- I wanted to share a thought or 2 about something I've seen going about on here for a little bit, because I think i need to say avfew things:

I love that I have so many people I follow here who take stances for the poor, marginalized, POC, and other underrepresented communities-not just in a perfunctory way of saying 'I support you'; but quite a few of you are actually involved in helping bring about change and strengthening communities by being unselfish hands that help heal hearts- you inspire me to be a better person, really. As a person of faith, I see you doing the work that many faith leaders of old spoke of when they talked of when they said, "serve as you have been served, and love as you have been loved"- and seeing that faith in action, it has made me read more about liberation theology and revisit the works of the Rt Rev Bishop Desmond Tutu, Dietrich Bonhoffer, and Dr Martin Luther King jr(and of the later, 'Why I oppose the war in Vietnam' is just as relevant now as it was then). I thank you all for this inspiration and work.

But what I have really come to realize about myself is that I am a person of privilege. I am a white CISmale, straight, accessed a good education at a young age, had a huge extended family that helped raise me when my mom had me at 17, have never had to worry about my gender causing me to be looked at differently, have a good job(for now), have access to clean water, don't live in a food desert, and save for the fact that I understood discrimination at a very young age thanks to my last name, I know that I have lived a mostly privileged life.

But there is one privilege I will never take for granted, and that's voting. And yes, I don't always vote my conscience because at heart, I am a democratic Socialist. But I always vote in my local and state house election because it is in places like your local school board or your city council where you can stop the spread of groups like 'Moms for Liberty' or any of the other neo-fascist organizations that seek to change education or change for the worse how cities deal with their population experiencing homelessness. If I stay home from these elections, I feel like I'm spitting on my great grandmother's grave(whose name I found on the voting roll of the first year that women could vote in Basin, Montana). I feel like I'm not being a good parent or a community member for sticking up for my sons right(or other kids rights) to read books in the school library that have a rainbow(let alone letting kids see representation for non-traditional families that are just the same as everybody else!). So please, if you're feeling crappy about the election, this right here is the biggest way to affect change if you don't know where to start or affirm.there is something you can do to really make a difference. Don't see enough representation of POC on your city council, especially in multi-ethnic communities? Hear a trans voice that would make for a great representative for all people? Fill in those boxes, act locally, and get those folks elected! It works if you work it!

I hear a lot of voices talking about Joe Biden these days, and I feel numb and angry about a lot of things that have been done in our names too: I hate HATE what is happening in Gaza(PBUT); I hate our support of Saudi Arabia and the proxy war in Yemen; Our jaunts in Zaire and Jordan; I hate that we are no closer to universal Healthcare, but I understand that that road and others lead through a Republican congress. I love that child poverty is declining, but programmes that were designed to make this a reality are sunsetting. We have a barbaric and truly archaic policy on immigration, and every time(that's not hyperbole, either), every goddamn time a good bill has been proposed to deal with the issue, the bill has been met by the xenophobic forces on the right and their deep pockets fueling the media and it is destroyed out of fear. And let's not forget student debt forgiveness, the continued dismantling of public education by states like Texas and Florida, Our goal of dismantling of the prison industrial complex, the protection of reproductive healthcare, and the dire need for nationwide police reform.

Yes, our laundry list is long, but it is full of necessary things that need to change or be codified in order for a great change to happen for generations and the continuatonof this great experiment called the U.S.A.

And for all of this and more, I ask: where are the leaders of our generation on this? Where are the ghosts of John Lewis, of Paul Wellstone, and of Shirley Chisholm? Thankfully, our leaders and the ghostsbof their forebearers are there- they are doing their best, and thankfully we(those of us on the progressive side) are represented by POC women who will go to the mat for these issues and more, being inspired by those who came before them. But the more that I think about it, it's time that we offer an ultimatum: we'll give you our voting block, Joe. We'll help bring along the majority of the 9 million new voters who are coming of age this year, so you will have a supermajority with which you can put forth truly transformative legislation. Sure, you'll get us- for now. But if it's businesses as usual, if we are not knocking over the tables of the money changers, and if we are not investing more in programmes of social uplift than we are for the military industrial complex, then we strike. Not in 2028, as one of my absolute favourite people on here suggest, but in 2026, in early summer. Because it is people like me, those of us who have know privilege and continue to know it, who are finally waking up to the truth that we need to do the work. We need to do the heavy lifting. I'm willing to make that offer, and I hope I'm not alone, because there either needs to be a change in the way our political system operates, or we walk away and start our own political entity. I hope I'm not alone in the way I feel, and I hope that we can all make the proposition. We have the leaders, we have the people, now it's about courage. It's time.

But for today, if you can pull the lever for democrats nationally, I totally get it. But consider what I said about voting locally, and in local races and elect people who represent your values. It matters.

- ok, rant over: if you made it this far, know that I love you all and I hope this week brings good things for you. Remember what Pete Seeger always said: "Take it easy, but take it". Much love yall!

[strangersteddierthings]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I was tagged by the ever wonderful @slavicviking. Thank you SO much!! I kept seeing everyone do it and wanted to, but I wanted to be tagged so thanks!! :D

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

30, and 29 of them are Steddie fics lol

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

138,437, holy smokes. Steddie really got me writing!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Steddie. I won't even pretend it's Stranger Things because I'm not nearly as hype about the show as I am just Steddie so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Class of '85

Assuming Makes an Ass of You (And Me)

Bad News First, Eddie

Shovel Talk(s)

The Interview

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes. I didn't at first, but I respond to every single comment I get now. Either to thank them for commenting, or answer the musings people have, or just to respond with a heart so they know I saw/read their comment and appreciate it. 'Cause I do. I appreciate every comment I get, even if it's just a lil heart emoji or them saying the word 'kudo'.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't do angsty endings. Angst with a happy end or bust!! However, I did post this lil thing about Steve thinking about karma and the balance of the universe and how he's happy to give up all the good things he has in life if it means Eddie will get them instead.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

They all have happy endings but I'm gonna go with Bad News First, Eddie simply because of how sad the beginning is.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not that I'm meant to see, but Tumblr's tag system is garbage so sometimes you come across a post not meant to been seen. Saw people trash talking The Interview before the last chapter was out, and seemingly having missed the 'unreliable narrator' tag.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not typically. I've written suggestive themes and one explicit BJ but for the most part, no. If I wrote longer, chaptered fics I might write more smut, but I just write oneshots where it's because I had a specific scene in mind, or minor conversation to have, and I don't ever just want to write smut for the sake of smut.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Nope. Never crossovers. I will do other media AU but it will never be about including the characters of a different media. I just want the worldbuilding from a different show/movie sometimes.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. How do you even go about learning if your fic was stolen??

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Kinda??? @rebelspykatie wrote an angsty lil thing that made me sad, so I wrote the start of how it could be fixed, and @steviesummer wrote the wonderful ending. We didn't plan to write the fic together but I think we did an awesome job.

Also I am always down to colab/co-write a fic. I've never done it before but might be fun to do!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Steddie. Obvy

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oh this questions just here to drag me through the mud, huh? I have a very ambitious Outer Worlds-esque AU I've planned out but starting the writing process has been.... hard. It may never see the light of day and I'll be sad forever about it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I don't know? Never really thought about it.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Being able to tell a long-form story. I just don't have the patience/capabilities at the moment to tell an entire story instead of just the scene that's in my mind.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Oh. Can't say I have given it much thought. The only fic I've written with another language in it was a conlan (Tolkien elvish), and it wasn't in dialogue. So I can't say I have any thoughts in particular about this.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Digimon. I loved Digimon Adventure as a kid an as a little girl, I was sad that their wasn't more Hikari in the show. So I wrote my own fic that featured her and Tailmon becoming best friends with my self-insert and her digi-partner, which was Wizarmon reborn.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Oh, that'd be Porcelain Steve. A completely self indulgent fic with the fairy tail element to it. I had so much fun writing it!

This was fun!! I'm gonna tag: @i-less-than-three-you @nburkhardt @afewproblems @skepsiss @finntheehumaneater @steddierthings @rebelspykatie and @steviesummer (sorry if you've already been tagged/done this)

[zhongrin]

my dearest patrons, thank you for your patience! i am officially back on tumblr and will slowly get to answering asks/reblogs/mentions - just with a little caveat.

starting march, i will be taking periodic breaks from tumblr every last week of the month. this means i mostly won't be around within that period of time, since i will be deleting the tumblr app from my phone.

it gets a bit ramble-y below so you can skip it if you want; the most important information was written in the last paragraph!

the reason why i'm taking this action is because i want to be more productive for other irl things. honestly speaking, managing this blog occupies quite a lot of my time (the ebg week was really an eye-opener haha but to reiterate, it was super fun, so it was worth it!!), and i learned this the hard way when i did the tumblr detox this week. without answering asks, reading fics, and writing, at first, i felt lost and not knowing what to do with my spare time.

.... but then, i started to do other things.

i got back into exercising. i went strolling around the neighborhood. i noticed an increase in productivity at work. i actually went out to buy fresh fruits and bread and milk. i took my fifth vaccine shot. i finally washed my darn sneakers after repeatedly forgetting to. i got around to washing my blankets and plushies. heck, i even fiddled around with the mic i bought months ago because i was curious about voice acting, but never got to touch because i thought i didn't have the time.

it was refreshing. it felt good. i felt happier.

so i want to do it more.

to clarify, this doesn't mean i'm leaving the genshin fandom or anything - as of now, i have no intention to do so just yet. i can't say that i will never do so, because no one knows what's in store for us in the future. but as of now, i'll be sticking around >:)

so yeah. that's about it, i guess. and if you're reading up to this point, thank you for doing so! thank you for caring, and thank you for your continuous support. honestly, i've learned that having people see you as an actual human being behind a content blog is a privilege these days, so i truly appreciate the sentiment.

take care, stay safe, drink your water, eat your meals, and i hope you're having a good weekend!

much love, ✽ meirin ✾

[pimento-playing-hopscotch]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers! Spread the self-love 💞

Thank you for the ask cig 🥰🥰I appreciate you very much 💝💝

Growing Up, Strand Style - Rated: M Word Count: 309, 336 (and counting)/Canon-Compliant AU - A very, very in-depth look at TK's childhood in New York; canon compliant with one caveat; he has a sister Sophie, who was born when he was five. When their parents divorced, TK is eight and Sophie is three. Sophie arrives in Texas in what would be season two; chapters weave between New York timeline and Texas timeline. I don't even know where to begin- this fic is everything to me. It is the embodiment of you have to write the fic you would want to read. Basically, I love the Strand family so much. I love how much they love each other so much. I hate how little time we have with TK's mother in canon. I wanted to fix that. Also I loved the idea of TK being someone's big brother. And I love my OC so, SO MUCH. I wasted so much time trying, literally begging people to read this fic-I'm finally done doing that. I am very proud of this fic. It’s 's very long. I don't know how to shut up. I don't intend to be done with it any time soon. There are a lot of pop culture references that are era appropriate. The last ten posted chapters all run at least 10K. If you do take a chance and read it, I promise you will have my heart forever.

Close Call - Rated: G Word Count: 4,044 - Hurt/Comfort - When TK's car is being repaired, he takes Carlos's car to visit a new friend. Carlos worries when TK doesn't come home on time. Inspired by beautiful artwork done by @heartstringsduet, which once I had seen it, it didn't leave my head. Very fun to write because Carlos is very much a worrier and his husband is not. And because Carlos loves that car; but nothing matters as much to him as his TK does.

You Learn Something New Every Day - Rated: NR Word Count: 3,056 Fluff/crack/humor - TK notices that Carlos is stressed their place is too cluttered and offers to help. Carlos learns that "help" means that TK has been selling things on Facebook Marketplace. Carlos learns this from a stranger who shows up at their place to buy something from TK. This is just fun and silly and inspired by this bit from Nate Bargatze- because TK loves his husband and wants to help, even though that usually means raising his husband's blood pressure unintentionally.

Captain Judd - Rated: M Word Count: 6,743 Discipline fic - When Judd is acting captain and TK disobeys his orders on a call, Judd deals with it. Turns out, these fics are really very fun for me to write. TK is such a brat in the best way, and Judd (and Carlos) both just have authority coming out of their beautiful pores and much concern for keeping TK safe (I very much understand this is not everyone's thing. If it is your thing, I think this is my best one of these/ but there's several others as well).

Sometimes Love is Lizards - Rated: NR Word Count: 5,908 Fluff/Humor - TK cajoles Carlos into accompanying him to a reptile convention. When they attend, TK is on cloud nine; Carlos is... not. I have about six of the TK and animals fics but I feel this is the best one. Carlos loves his baby so much and wants to see him happy, and meeting people with lizards makes TK happy... but Carlos can still draw the line at bringing anything home with them. I think I did this right/ come check my stuff out - I just think it's neat.

[nordic-language-love]

Hello! I hope you’re doing well! I was wondering if you could give me some advice when it comes to furthering my language learning. I’ve been learning Norwegian on Duolingo for almost 5 years now but I feel like I’ve barely made any progress into actually learning the language. I’ve seen you mention that Duolingo isn’t the best way to learn a language, just on its own. What more can I be doing to actually learn Norwegian? I appreciate any insight you might be able to give. Thank you!

Hi there!

I actually think Norwegian Duo's not that bad, especially compared to other courses. It got me to A2 level without my really using any other resources! But of course, A2 is still only the top of beginner level, and from thereon out it's pretty ineffective on its own (although I still used it even at B2 level as a way to refresh vocab I'd forgotten or just do a little practice every day when I didn't have the time or energy to do anything else).

There are a lot of different ways you can study Norwegian. Here are some things I did (it's an essay lmao I'm so sorry):

1) Listen to Norwegian radio. You'll probably think I'm mad when you first try it because you'll probably understand very little other than the odd word here and there, but I promise it gets easier and you'll get used to the rhythm of the language in a way Duolingo doesn't prepare you for. Try to shadow the speakers (repeat what they say just after they say it. You don't have to know the words they're actually saying; just approximate the phonemes and the melody and the stress patterns. I promise you your pronunciation is gonna get SO good)

2) Take to Youtube. Check my resources list here for some links to channels that teach Norwegian.

3) Norwegian podcasts! I made a list of some beginner/intermediate-friendly ones (check the link in point 2). The plus with podcasts is you can slow the speed down to half-speed too. Again, don't be discouraged if it's difficult at first; just focus on the rhythm and stress of the language

4) Norwegian TV. You're gonna struggle at first but you need to struggle to improve, so don't be discouraged even if several months pass without you feeling like there's any improvement. Intermediate level sucks I'm afraid. Some shows I like that don't require a VPN (as of the time I'm posting this) are Fra bølle til bestevenn (it's got dogs in it), Hva feiler det deg (game show where normal people with internet compete against doctors to guess a patient's diagnosis), 113 (documentary following paramedics in Trondheim - try not to cry at the dialects), Klassequizen (quiz show with 10th graders, pretty A2/B1-friendly), Side Om Side (popular sitcom, sometimes the second-hand embarrassment kills me but mostly it's pretty funny) and Superkrim (did you know that crime stories around Easter time are a Thing in Norway? They make a new season of this one every year but it's accessible year-round, and the language is a lot simpler than a lot of shows, and it's pretty fun and a bit silly)

Note: subtitles are in Norwegian only, and half the time they match the nuance but not the actual words being said. I recommend trying to listen without them first, then listen with them, then listen without them again and see if you can catch a few more words.

5) Textbooks, if that's your jam. I recommend The Mystery Of Nils (you can jump straight to book 2: Mysteriet om Nils if you think you're ready. It's a bit of a jump but no point wasting money/time on something that you won't enjoy) and Norwegian Tutor (from the Teach Yourself series. The first few chapters will seem pretty basic but it's great at explaining nuances and prepositions in later chapters).

6) Read things in Norwegian. You can get short stories for beginner/intermediate level online, as well as read news articles (even if you can't read the whole article, just try the first paragraph). When I was about A2 level I would print things out and go through them just translating them, highlighting new words, words I'd encountered before but couldn't remember, words I could work out from context, particular grammar patterns and words I couldn't figure out and needed the help of a native speaker to work out.

7) Follow Norwegian accounts on social media. Here's a list I made earlier.

8) If you have some extra cash, investing in an italki tutor can be helpful. I've had lessons with a number of tutors so feel free to send me a message if you want help deciding which one to go with.

9) Keep a journal in Norwegian. Look up words you don't know and write them in a different colour. Maybe try to use words you learned that day and write them in a different colour too (even if by using them you're literally just writing "jeg lærte ordet «______» i dag. Det betyr ______")

10) You can also try creative writing. I started out by writing fiction largely in English but with Norwegian dialogue. I then moved on to writing short articles and then essays, then short stories and fan fiction.

11) You can try apps like HiNative and HelloTalk to find native speakers for language exchange. If you only know English though it might be difficult to find people because Norwegians typically speak really good English and aren't looking to learn/practice.

12) Listen to Norwegian music. Get on spotify and search "norsk (music genre of your choice)" and find some songs you like. Listen to them and pay attention to the lyrics. Then find the lyrics online and listen with the lyrics. Then try to translate the lyrics on your own. Finally, look up someone else's translation and see how close they are. Then try to learn the song and visualise meaning it with your whole heart as you sing along.

13) Practise speaking to yourself. It feels super awkward when you first start, but I always manage to get into the flow pretty quickly. You can have GT in front of you so you can look up things if you need to, or you can just write down words you don't know/couldn't think of as you go along, then look them up once you're done (I prefer this method; having GT in front of you encourages your brain to be lazy and not try to actively recall the information you need). Not sure what to write? Try my Speaking In 20 Challenge prompts.

14) Flashcards. I put this one last because really flashcards are only useful as a supplement to learning through other methods. They help to keep vocab fresh in your mind until you see it in context again (and it's the seeing words in context that's gonna cement the meaning in your brain. I've never heard anyone say "oh, I know that word because it was in my flashcard deck that I reviewed every night before bed", but I hear people say things like "oh, I know that obscure word because I watched cooking shows in my TL and the host said it aaaall the time" or "it's in a line from one of my favourite songs" a LOT).

Okay, that's it, essay over 😅 Hope I gave you some ideas! Best of luck with your Norwegian-learning journey!

[jillsandwhichs]

Heart on my sleeve

A Valenfield Story , Chap 4 , Bonding

Masterlist

Pairing: Jill Valentine & Chris Redfield

Summary: It is now Wednesday. It has been a couple days since their jog and breakfast. Since then, they've grown closer. Today, Chris trains her in marksmanship.

WC: 3.2k

Type: SFW

A/n: Hi! Hope you all enjoy. Please check out my masterlist, there's a lot of stuff there. You can get to know me, you can see the rules of my blog and then you can see all of my fanfictions. You'll be able to find the previous chapters to this fic and upcoming ones. You'll also be able to find my Wattpad & AO3. Comments, reblogs & likes are appreciated. Thank you. Art Creds is unknown so please comment if yk who made it, thanks

Art Creds: AC

The office was more upbeat today than usual. The radio set on the spare desk was playing some funky tunes, enlightening everyone's moods. People in the office seemed more chatty too but also actually did their work properly. Even Captain Wesker of all people seemed giddy. Maybe the weather, considering it isn't snowing today, is having some sort of positive effect on everyone today.

For Jill, that is the case.

She woke up bright and early and was ready to conquer the day from the beginning.

Ever since her jog with Chris, she's been a happy girl. She doesn't really know nor understand but being around Chris does something to her. It uplifts her spirits completely. There's just something about him, something that draws her to him. Chris is a great guy so far.

Currently, Jill & Chris are at their assigned desks, doing whatever boring & plain work Albert gave to them. Jill was already almost finished, she doesn't know about Chris though. He definitely tends to work a tad bit slower than her; That isn't an issue though. She just likes to talk to him a lot and when he's busy, it's hard to refrain herself but she's getting better.

Every so often, Jill would steal a glance at Chris. He is quite attractive. She really enjoys being around him. He makes work life a billion times easier.

Until she's done though, and he as well, she'll leave him be. They have work to do.

-

It didn't take Jill long, as she presumed.

Chris is still working though, but also making conversation. He is a much better multitasker than she is.

"Her new motorcycle is totally rad, maybe if I ever learn, she'll let me take it for a spin." "Maybe so." Jill chuckled, hearing Chris rave about Claire's new motorcycle she revamped and remodeled. So far, Jill knows quite a bit about Claire and one of the things she's aware of is the fact she's big on motorcycles. The girl can practically build them up from scratch; It is very cool.

"Do you have any plans for the weekend?" "Not necessarily-no. I was thinking about doing some book shopping, I've read literally everything on my bookshelf." "Ha, course you have. I plan on seeing that new comedy with my sister, hopefully it's good. Also, hey, you heard about the event happening not this weekend, but next?" Event? What event? "Uhm, no, I haven't. What is it?" Jill asked Chris. "Every year, the R.P.D hosts thing anniversary event. It just celebrates each year this place has been established as a Police Department." "Ah neat."

Jill heard somewhat about this.

Each year, it's this big party.

Food, drinks, dancing, meetings and more! It's hosted primarily in the main hall of the department but workers can go just about anywhere. Workers are also required to attend, it brings bad reputation if someone doesn't show up.

"What day is it and what time is it?" "It's Friday evening, starts at five and lasts til eight." "Makes sense. Cool, sounds like a plan." "Yeah." Chris replied.

Jill will definitely have to rummage through her formal wear. She doesn't own a lot. Rarely has she ever had to attend a fancy event such as this. It could be fun though, playing some dress up!

"I'll let you finish your work, Chris." "Alright but y'know I enjoy talking to you while working." He snickered. "Oh I know, but get your stuff done." Jill giggled. To pass the time, she'll finish re-reading one of her favorite books-The Shining.

-

She was only able to read about four chapters until she was stopped by Captain Wesker who needed to ask Chris a favour.

"So, as you know, Jill needs some training in marksmanship. She told me all about how it's something she wants to improve on and considering you're the best we've got, how about you give her some lessons?" Albert asked Chris. Chris nodded, his lips curved, "For sure. Just tell me a time." "Now. The range in the basement is already prepped." "Oh, okay. Yeah, sure. Jill, you want to right now?" You were surprised by how quickly Captain Wesker bounced into action with this.

When she initially brought her problems with firearms to Wesker, she assumed he'd train her personally or give her times to practice alone. What she didn't expect was that Chris would be the one helping her. It is a happy surprise!

You've also never been in the basement area of the department yet, you're excited to slightly be able to explore.

"Alright then, you two have til two in the afternoon, then you both better be back here." "Yes Sir." Chris then stood up, pushed his chair in and began to lead the way. Jill followed behind him, knowing he'll be able to get the two of them there.

Exiting the S.T.A.R.S office, Jill stood right beside Chris as he led the way. The hallway felt cold-Jill couldn't help but shiver. The entire Police Department has been cold lately. It is that time of year so... "Do you train in the basement often?" "Here and there. I prefer actual shooting ranges but it'll do." Jill wasn't aware of the fact Chris was such a sharp shooter. This is news to her. It's actually nice to know. Jill enjoys learning about Chris, he's great.

"Now how is it that you graduated from a Delta training course and yet, firearms are a weakness for you?" "Well, they aren't necessarily a weakness of mine. I'm good with them. My issue is-I want to improve. I wanna know different tricks and strategies. That's all." "I'll be able to help, no worries."

He is reassuring.

They both jogged down the large, wooden staircase. It's long. It always makes Jill out of breath, comically. "You'll also be able to see the dogs down in the basement. They're locked up but they're cute." "Oh I'm sure." The department has an entire unit of dogs. There are many upon many. Sometimes, while working, you can hear them barking and howling. While they are trained, they are still dogs and will be a nuisance sometimes.

Any time the two of them walked past someone, they said hi to Chris or they nodded their heads at one another.

Honestly, it makes Jill feel like she doesn't fit in. Chris knows literally everyone. She is still new though, it'll take time. At least she's had the time to bond with each S.T.A.R.S member-they are all the kindest of souls. Within time, she hopes to make more friends, especially with other women. She swears half of the workers are men and that's why the building has a musty odor sometimes...

"Is there a specific firearm you'd like to start off with?" "Definitely just a handgun of some sort, nothing too major yet." "Gotcha, I have a whole set down there that you can take a look at and decide which to use." "Awesome." It's good to know Chris is prepared.

In a way, Jill is nervous. She doesn't want to appear as a fool. She understands this is training and therefore, she won't be perfect but still, she doesn't want to make an embarassment of herself, especially in front of Chris. He is so cool. To be made a fool with him is a fear.

Walking through a wooden door, Chris held it open for her. This made Jill slightly blush. "What a gentleman." She teased. "Mm, I try." He snickered. Getting a glimpse of his jolly face, Jill couldn't help but admire him. He has this permant stoic look to him but in a way, it's also such a soft, touching gaze. She has caught onto the fact he tends to only have it when they're together but maybe that's just a coincidence.

They entered the Main Hall and had Tom check out. Here at the R.P.D, if you're headed somewhere that your unit doesn't usually attend to, the front desk lady must be told so she can file it down. In this case, two S.T.A.R.S members will be going down to the shooting station in the basement.

"Hey Brandy. Me and Jill are going down to the basement for some extra training, make sure to tab that, yeah?" "Sure thing, be back before two." That's a rule; You can only spend a certain amount of time away from your assigned role.

"Are we close to the basement?" "Yep, we just head East and near the break room, down the stairs and through the parking garage. We'll be there shortly."

Jill hasn't been to this side of the station yet.

Surprisingly, it was much cleaner. Through the blinded windows, Jill could see different men and a singular woman at work. The East office was meant for lower class officers and researchers but they still do their job well-the R.P.D wouldn't be able to run without them. Jill was just appalled by it's pristineness. Eventually, they reached the break room area and the staircase.

This area had an ominous feel to it. It was dark-gloomy. It seemed to be deserted. "Is this section used often?" "Here and there. It's mainly used by the dog keepers, they go in and out a lot." Jill nodded in response. Who knew you could feel unsafe in a Police Department.

They slowly made their way down the steps, each one creaking beneath them. It was cold in the garage, very cold. Jill felt shivers, multiple, slither down her spine. "You okay?" "Mhm, it's just a bit chilly." "I may have a jacket in my locker, you can have it." He is so kind, very thoughtful. The garage was large. It was packed to an extent, squad cars & vans scattered around the cemented establishment.

There were multiple doors on each side of the garage as well, some of them being accommodated by an electronic lock on them-very techy. "I got a key card, no worries." Chris stated. Jill followed directly behind him.

Just through the door and another, they were in the shooting range. The two of them being completely alone now. It was a bit echoey, not a lot being in the grey tinted room. The light was buzzing as well, it was quite agitating but Jill was able to ignore it well enough. It was colder in here though than it was out there. "Here." Chris grunted, opening up his locker and tossing her his black jacket-it was warm and soft. "Thanks." "Anything for you." He hummed in reply.

Jill giggled.

Slipping the jacket on, she watched as Chris began to click open a black, hard, plastic box. It looked heavy too and it was loud, the entire room being filled with the clanking of it. "What's in there?" "The best of the best handguns you could ever imagine." Chris chuckled, "They are radical." He added on. Him and his funny terms-it's cute.

"Are you really the only person who uses this place?" "Just about. I know some dude named Kevin does but I rarely ever see him." "Okay." Jill nodded, glancing at the range itself. It was set up neatly, great for training. "Ready whenever you are, by the way." "Yeah, sure. I just have a few questions first?" "Sure. Shoot." Chris took a seat on one of the metal chairs and patted the one beside him. With a giggle, Jill ambled to it and sat down, crossing one leg over the other.

"Firstly, how should we train or rather, how do you plan to train me?" "Well, I'm gonna show you the basics of the gun, some positionings with your body and more specifically your hands and I'll let you take a shot at the range itself. Deal?" "Yeah, deal." Jill smiled. That was a great set-up. She doesn't feel as timid about this all anymore either. If anything, she's pumped. The adrenaline is getting to her surely.

He pulled out an all black handgun, it looked fancy as hell. "What is that, what's it called?" "It's a Beretta, pretty basic but smooth and fast paced-perfect for you." "Ah, nice." Jill whistled as she took it from it.

In hand, it felt nice. She's picky with her weapons and this fit well. "Want to practice with this handgun first?" "Sure." They both stood up and picked out a random lane. Chris stood behind Jill and watched as she analyzed the gun. "It is loaded and the safety is one, don't worry. I assume you know how to turn the safety off?" "Yes, I do." "Good. Would've been odd if you didn't." They both had a laugh.

"Did you have another question?" "Just one more. If this training session ends well, can we do another?" Jill asked him. Chris chuckled, "Yes, we can, anything for you." Such a sweetheart.

After a minute or so of getting used to the gun and everything about it, Jill was ready. "Alright, like I said, first thing is positioning. Stand straight, arms at your side." Jill listened. She kept her finger off the trigger too. Just because it's on safety mode doesn't mean you shouldn't take extra precautions. From behind her, Chris grabbed her hips, causing Jill to breathe in deeply. The touch was unexpected but she knows he's just adjusting her. "Sorry, should've gave a warning." He snickered, squeezing her waist.

Chris kept her hips straight, his hands never leaving them. "Okay, now let me see how you hold your gun. Pretend there is somebody directly in front of you-a person of danger who must be stopped." His words painted a picture in her head; Jill did exactly what he told her to do. Chris looked at her posture and positioning. She did it well, very well. "At least you won't need help with that." He teased, admiring her grip. "Glad you think so." Jill whispered, her face fierce as she looked in front of her.

"I do want to try something though." Chris stated. Still behind her, he took his hands over hers and straightened her arms out a bit more. "How does that feel? Better or more uncomfortable?" "My comfortability doesn't necessarily matter in a life or death situation." Well, she isn't wrong. "I mean, yeah, true." Chris chuckled. "I just meant for right now, I want you feeling hyped, that's all." "I am, thanks." He brought her hands down a little lower too, just a smidget though.

Not saying a word, Chris walked over and clicked a red button. In the range itself, a target flew at Jill and sat in place.

"Show me what you got." Chris stepped aside, keeping a fair distance away for his own safety.

Jill took a deep breath and began. She knew her accuracy wouldn't be perfect. Her accuracy has always ranged above average but not amazingly. She began to shoot though. The first few bullets went near the throat of the board, then two into the head. From behind her, Jill heard Chris whistle and boy, did that boost her confidence. She aimed downwards a bit more, shooting at the abdomin, hitting greatly in that entire area. "Now that's what I like to see." Chris praised. Jill brought the gun down, putting the safety on immediately.

"How was that?" "Great, your aim is good, but I can definitely help you improve further." "Good to hear." Jill responded. She was happy with his response. Knowing he thought she was good meant so much to her. "Go again but this time, the targets will be moving?" "Already? Damn, okay." "Do you not think you're ready?" "I do, I do. I just didn't think we'd be moving that fast." "You got it, you're a very smart girl." Chris set his hand on her shoulder, earning a smile from her. "Yeah." Jill had a determined tone.

Getting into stance, Jill stood back as she was and had the gun up, safety off too. Chris jogged over to the button and clicked it but also clicked another one that caused the targets to move. "Just relax and try your best, you got this." Chris said softly, backing up and crossing his arms. Jill let out a sigh. She was going to do as best as she can whilst trying not to embarrass herself.

The first couple shots were a bit more on the uneven side, hitting the neck line and in random chest spots. It was hard, truly, but this is what you have to train for when working in this field. Jill did this exact course when training for the Delta Force. She's still so appalled by the fact she graduated it-she's truly skilled.

She actually got a few headshots and one in the heart-she was improving by the second.

"Just a few more." Chris shouted over the sound of gunshots and the targets flying around. Jill heard him though and was eager to finish up this set to possibly start another one.

The last target was perfect-right in the brain. She did well but there's always room for improvement and that's why she is here. All of the loud noise dissipated and Jill turned the safety on the Beretta, setting it down on the counter. "Nicely done, you did great." "Thank you. Any possible tips?" "Just one. Make sure you don't look around everywhere. I know multiple boards moving at once can be stressful but you can't get distracted-focus is key." "Got it." "Atta girl." Chris smirked, picking up the gun and putting it back in the case.

Jill crossed her arms and admired the little range. It was cozy, in a way? Maybe that is just because she's alone in here with Chris. Jill sat down on the metal chair again, her leg tossed over the other as she let out a huff. "Everything alright?" "Yeah! Of course! My ears a ringing a little." She chuckled. "Ah, yeah. Next time I'll give you proper muffs and glasses, I totally forgot." Chris laughed, sitting beside her.

The two sat in silence momentarily. Jill felt at peace, hopefully Chris too.

"Thank you for training me." "Yeah, yeah, anytime." Chris nodded, leaning back a bit. "I just really appreciate it." Jill expressed. "Anything for you." "You always say that." Jill tittered, gazing at him. "Yeah well, I mean it. You deserve anything you desire." That made Jill feel all warm on the inside. "I do?" "Mhm, you do." Chris hummed. That meant a lot. To Jill, she often feels worthless and undeserving of really anything. To know Chris feels differently and views her as a positive asset, it means so much.

It felt a bit awkward after that exchange. It feels like there is some unsolved tension between them. Not bad tension necessarily, moreso words that haven't been said yet. Jill hopes it goes away soon.

"What do you say we go for another round?" "Oh definitely, I wanna practice as much as I can." "Good."

Chris stood up and got out a different handgun.

"Here." He handed it to her.

"Let's get to it."

[the12thnightproject]

12 Lies and 3, 4, 6, 14, 15? :o

Hi Lorei!

Thank you for the ask! I can never talk too much about "Twelve Lies..."

3. Favorite Line of Narration... From Chapter 42, "In the Weeds" because it encapsulates one of the big lessons Katsuko had to learn for character growth...

Toshiie loved his wife, his family, the things he had built here in Ikuno. That was evident in everything he did. That didn’t mean he didn’t have regrets. Nor did it mean that he would ever get over his captain. Maybe we’re not meant to get over people. Maybe we’re meant to take with us the things we learned, the joyful memories, and use the pain to become kinder versions of ourselves.

4. Favorite Line of Dialogue...

This is from Chapter 4... and it represents the moment that Katsuko (who is still disguised as a young man at this point) begins to fall for Shingen, and the moment that Shingen begins to take an interest in training Katsu as strategist:

When I re-opened my eyes, Shingen was still silently regarding me. I wondered if he had ever – well, that was a ridiculous thought. He was the leader of the Takeda clan – he had to have killed many in battle. “Does it get easier?”

Yukimura shook his head and responded first. “No. Never has.” He cleared his throat a couple of times, and gulped down his tea.

But Shingen had a different answer. “Killing? Yes. You learn to put what must done in one part of your mind, separate from the you that lives through every day, walled away from your heart. You have to, or one day you’ll no longer be able to function. But it’s still within you.” He tapped his chest. “It’s still within you.”

I understood. I was going to have to live with this. I was going to have to learn how to live with it.

Shingen sighed, and raked his hair out of his eyes. “I won’t insult you by telling you this man was a criminal and probably has harmed or killed many others. You know that. You also now know what it’s like to kill and that will weigh upon you.”

It did. I appreciated the fact that he didn’t tell me to get over it, or offer a cliched platitude like, ‘war is hell, kid.’ He was treating me like the young man he thought me to be – and I needed to respond accordingly. “Yes, sir, it does.”

His eyebrows lifted at my return to formality. “I would have respected you less if it didn’t bother you.”

6. What makes this fic special/different from all my other fics?

It's my first completed longfic (and it is very long, at 150,000 words). I didn't realize I could write that much, or finish something this long. Also, Shingen is my favorite Ikesen Character, so I wrote something that I would want to read, and it makes me happy whenever I revisit a chapter and recall the feeling I had while I was writing it.

14: Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic?

Not especially? I mean, I did want readers to appreciate Shingen, and see what I see in him, but more than that, I wanted people to enjoy it. Also, I wanted people to like my OC and enjoy her point of view. But initially, I just wanted to write something entertaining.

15. What did I learn from writing this fic?

I learned how to have fun writing again - I had the worst case of writer's block in my screenwriting, but while I was writing this, I also managed to write a spec pilot (and have written a couple more since then). I realized that it is possible to write a story without being completely certain what is going to happen next, and I was reminded that creating and editing are two different parts of my brain, which should be used at different times in the writing process.

[therentyoupay]

Hey Kris 🥹 I’m in the process of re-reading my fav of yours TON. I’ve always wondered how you came up with that prompt and if you always had an idea of where you were going with it? And if you always knew it would be this big/long of a monster. Also what drew you to the ship of Tahno and Korra? But also how are you doing? How’s data collection and your summer going? Have you been doing anything fun lately? 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 I hope you’re taking care of yourself!

HELLO MY LOVE. thank you, nonny, for your ask and for all of your sweet, thoughtful, considerate, lovely questions. 🥹💕 also, please know how much i deeply appreciate your ask and you still sticking around through all of my back-and-forth across fandoms! 💕😂 i always love and really appreciate that readers of my tahnorra, miraculous ladybug, and jelsa fanfiction are so willing to wait through the storm of rotating seasons (and sometimes, quite literally, as you know 👀🍁🍂🍃).

i made a post the other day like "this is it, it's autumn now, i have lit the apple wreath candle" and, as you might have surmised (and as you might similarly feel), this means we are officially heading into tahnorra season and that one night! 😂 time to drink café mochas (extra hot) and think about dissertations and crunchy leaves and autumn vibes!! 🍁🍂🍃☕️

i am already starting to feel the itch to finally write the last arc of that one night again, as soon as i finish the glorious, heart-consuming, soul-satisfying jelsa collab project with the gorgeously talented @callimara. ✨ and how beautiful it will be to finish this fic the same year as when i, personally, defend my dissertation???

could i have known back in 2012 that i would one day be wrapping up this mammoth of a fic 12 or so years later while finishing my own ph.d. program? (definitely low-key manifested my doctorate through this fic, i tell you 😂)

I’ve always wondered how you came up with that prompt and if you always had an idea of where you were going with it? And if you always knew it would be this big/long of a monster.

a monster, INDEED. 🤣

like at the center, it started as a series of micro-fic/drabbles/one-shots/single scenes occurring within the same AU! at that time in my life when i was first posting, i was wrapping up my undergrad, and transitioning to full-time work, so i didn't have a lot of time to write full-scale, plot-driven long!fic; however, in undergrad, i learned a very valuable lesson while attending one of our professional development trainings, which really proved to me the necessity of allowing myself time to dabble in creative hobbies like writing, even if i could only produce a little bit every day.

quick reminder and anecdote to PRIORITIZE and KEEP UP with your hobbies for your mental health (and the exact moment, 13 years ago, when i realized how truly important this really is):

at the life-changing professional development training, we learned strategies and framework-driven ideologies for how to spot concerns re: our residents' mental health, especially with the first-year college students who were in my building. at one point, the lecturer pointed out a fact that really resonated with me, based on my first three years of my undergrad:

in many cases, when a person moves to a new environment (new "life" or "lifestyle"), as is the case with many young adults moving to an independent college-based lifestyle and being on their "own" completely for the first time, the first things that "drop" from people's minds/behaviors/habits/lifestyles are their hobbies, especially if individuals associate their hobbies as part of their "old" lives or their "younger" selves.

i sat in the audience, totally shocked. "that's me??"

my middle/high school friends and i had been writing handwritten fanfiction to each other on fancy paper for christmas and birthdays for years (i still have all of them!!). i had written from age 11 to age 18 and then when i got to college i got so caught up in the "college life" (social life, academic work, parties, NEW hobbies), that i completely........ let go of writing creatively...... i hadn't even thought of fic in months.

that night, after the workshop, i went home and opened up FFNET for the first time in 3 years, and i read until like 3 in the morning. three months later, i got a comment on an OLD harry potter fic asking if i would ever update, and i posted a new chapter a few weeks later. 💕 and i have not stopped since! 😂

so the reason that stories like that one night and at the center exist is because i was trying my best to take the lesson to heart, to make sure i was always writing a little bit, all the time, (almost) every day. i started with an AU premise, i opened my tumblr askbox for prompts (in the case of that one night), i let myself imagine what kinds of scenarios could happen in this AU at this stage in the characters' development, and i thought of all the connections i could make between various characters/canon plot points/rapport-building between characters/backstories, and i wrote a little bit every day before and after work, and posted them pretty much immediately. 😂

the problem with cool thing about this kind of thought experiment, however, is that you end up accidentally creating rich, full, detailed mental landscapes and emotional contexts and goals and hopes and fears for the characters in them, and then before you know it a plot develops (and 14 more wild sub-plots appear!!!) and you're suddenly 100k 200k 300k words deep into the lives that you've constructed for these characters. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 and now you've accidentally created a full-length, long!fic over the past decade, with extensively detailed slice-of-life!worldbuilding by accident!

thank you so much for letting me know that you RE-read that one night! 😭😭😭😭😭💕💕💕😭😭😭💕💕 it really means a lot!

Also what drew you to the ship of Tahno and Korra?

why do you ship tahno/korra? (post from may 10, 2013!!)

i also ship other ships in lok (including korra/asami!) but tahnorra has always always had a special place in my heart! as you'll see in the post, i have always really loved this kind of character, characters like tahno are SO interesting to me, and i always love to think about their backgrounds, the ways and whys of and hows of who they are. i was really drawn to this ship even when they were "evenly-matched" (@evenly-matched) rivals, and then once he lost his bending i wanted to explore the idea of a proper redemption arc/personal growth in tahno. 🙏 and then after i got to know their characters better (i.e., my interpretations of them) from writing the break the ice series, i decided that it would be fun to get to know them in a context that i, myself, was hoping to explore in my real life. 😂 i started to write that one night when grad school (master's degree) was just a goal on my radar! i continued writing it while i got my first master's degree, and, although i'd known for 10+ years that i would one day get a PhD, i never actually expected to be completing the fic the same year (and getting tahno to get his bio swamp phd 😂) the same year that i would get my phd. 😂💕

But also how are you doing? How’s data collection and your summer going? Have you been doing anything fun lately? 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 I hope you’re taking care of yourself!

thank you so much you thoughtful creature, you. 😭💕 I AM DOING SO WELL, THANK YOU. data collection is going really well (all the time i can't believe that i'm getting paid to DO THIS, to develop this RESERACH, to study this!!!) and i imagine I'll still be collecting new data through november, and finalizing my analysis and diss manuscript in december (gotta submit it for committee review by january 1st!!!), so it's about to be BUSY, haha!

this summer, i have really been grateful to make money, work on my fun projects, be grateful for the ins and outs of learning to be a homeowner, spending time with family and friends, and reflecting on the past four years of my phd program, and the year ahead. 🥹 it's been a calm summer! i was really leaning into this 'calm before the storm' and i'm so ready to get back into the swing of academia and finally complete this beautiful doctoral program experience and finally finish half a decade's (and more, honestly) worth of hard work. 🥹💕

I’m in the process of re-reading my fav of yours TON.

seriously, this means so much to me. 😭😭😭😭😭😭💕 THANK YOU SO SO MUCH. i hope you have an AMAZING DAY, and that you're ready for ton!!autumn!!! thank you for your patience, your support, and your thoughtful, lovely, lovely ask 🥹💕 ilu!

[quaranmine]

Hi! Hope you’re doing well. Just wanted to pop in after reading The Incandescence of a Dying Light to tell you it has permanently altered my brain chemistry (/pos) and has definitely worked it’s way up there with some of my favourite fics on ao3.

The attention to detail not only with the characters and how they’re written, how different traumas and experiences shape their actions but also in the setting, history and systems of the job. I definitely learned a few things, not only from the fic but also the mini essays in the authors notes. As someone from Australia, I know bushfires, and while I know the forests are, of course, different, it was nice to see not only the dangers and very real nature of fires being described and how easily they can start, it was also nice to see the understanding of the good fires can do for nature as well. They’re essential to the life cycle of bush land and forests, and I love the way you described it as being both life and death, because it is! It creates room for new and stronger life to grow and I think people forgot that sometimes.

Gosh this fic hit me right in the feels-!! And it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time as well. I knew from the beginning that the ending was gonna be sad but the way Grian was written had me infected with that hope as well the he and Mumbo would make it out together and live happily ever after. I was also thinking the whole time that if Grian and Scar don’t meet each other and comfort each other I would be very upset so the final chapter made me very happy. Friends for life, those two, no matter the distance and no one can convince me otherwise. (Also the way Scar didn’t recognise him at first, because how could he, made me giggle)

Yet another thing that was beautifully written was Mumbo and Grian’s friendship. Those types of platonic relationships are so important to me and reading just how much Grian loved and cared about him, and how much he still loves him both warmed my heart and broken it at the same time. I’ll admit I shed a few tears when Grian finally managed to find him. The way he recognised Mumbo immediately yet refused to say it was him because Mumbo was more than the corpse in front of him broke me. Just rip my whole heart out why don’t you?? Ow??? Gosh they’re so precious to me.

Thank you for writing such a beautiful story. Even without the author’s notes you can tell just how much love, thought, research and passion went into this project. I’m not usually one for longer fics but I’ll definitely be sitting down and rereading this at some point. Possibly multiple some points

<3

AAAAA thank you! I've been meaning to respond to this ask for a few days now, it really made my week :)

The attention to detail not only with the characters and how they’re written, how different traumas and experiences shape their actions but also in the setting, history and systems of the job. Thank you!!! This is one thing that made this story fun to write. I loved trying to meticulously build on every detail and make the story alive in its historical context too. For me one the ways that the original Firewatch game failed was that it didn't get nitty-gritty enough with the details of the job (I mean, we don't even get to use the fire finder once!) I also appreciate you pointing out their different traumas shaping their actions. With Grian every bit of the story is his trauma influencing the plot, or him getting new trauma. But with Scar, it's his past that is influencing his present and how he interacts with Grian.

it was nice to see not only the dangers and very real nature of fires being described and how easily they can start, it was also nice to see the understanding of the good fires can do for nature as well. Yes! thank you! I like it when people from wildfire-prone areas weigh in. Fire is a tricky subject because it is so, so devastating to the communities who experience it or lose their homes....but the answer cannot be to just suppress them altogether. Because of the damage we've done to ecosystems, the climate, and our intrusion on wild lands (WUI), we need careful and watchful management. We can no longer allow wildfires to burn whenever and wherever they want like they did centuries ago. But we also need to study and respect that fire has its place in the ecosystem. A lot of environmental science is finding ways for humans to coexist next to nature with minimal damage to each.

I was also thinking the whole time that if Grian and Scar don’t meet each other and comfort each other I would be very upset I think you a lot of other people, LOL. I toyed with this way back at the beginning since one thing I do like about the original Firewatch game is that Henry and Delilah never meet. But that is a different story to this one, and it makes the most sense in this one for Grian and Scar to meet. I was dead set on that being the final chapter pretty much immediately after considering that.

Also the way Scar didn’t recognise him at first, because how could he, made me giggle this is actually one of my favorite bits in the chapter! friends who have never seen each other!

Yet another thing that was beautifully written was Mumbo and Grian’s friendship. ❤️ it's the soul of the fic

Thank you so much for your review, I'm really glad you liked it. I love it when people compliment the love, thought, research and passion I had for this project because to me that's....well, it's nice when people tell me the technical aspects of the writing is good, but it's wonderful when people just simply love something as much as me. So much effort went into this story and it's because it was something I really cared about. I love that other people can recognize that and I can make them care too. It's very special.