#Bundle specialises

[utterlyotterlyx]

Worthy

Azriel x Fem!Reader

Summary - After a hard day, all you need is your mate to tell you that everything is going to be okay.

Warnings - angst, self hatred, self doubt, blood, brief details of childbirth, death, fluff

For my lovely @thisiskaylin - hope this makes you feel better x

Blood.

There was blood everywhere. All over your hands, spatters on your face and neck, it clung to you like a disease.

It was meant to be worth it.

One more push, you would tell them. One more push and you get to see your beautiful baby. Just one more and it'll all be over and you can go home and raise your perfect little baby.

Just one more push.

The child wriggled in your arms, you had bundled the winged babe up in grey blanket, protecting him from the scene in front of him. A non-Illyrian woman lay before you unmoving, tears rolling down her face, fingers outstretched toward you with a vacant look in her eye. And there was blood everywhere.

Amalia had been one of your favourite patients in your career, full of life and wonder, kind and sweet and soft, she was made to be a mother. Every visit had been so positive, you had no reason to believe that she wouldn't make it. Amalia was strong and healthy, she should have made it. You had promised her it would all be alright.

But blood at pooled at her thighs, staining her cream coloured birthing gown, she had gone pale and sweaty and her lips had turned blue. The rapid rise and fall of her chest confirmed it, that she wasn't going to make it, and there was nothing your healing hands could do to stop it.

"Please. Let me see him," she had rasped to you and you sat beside her, lowering her babe to her face and letting her shaky fingers tug down at the neck of the bundle to see his face. "So beautiful."

Tears pricked your eyes, "You did so well, Amalia."

Amalia peered up at you, her icy blue eyes softening at your face, she had always called you an angel, "I did?"

Choking back tears, you ran your fingers through her lifeless blonde waves, a comforting gesture, to let her know she wasn't alone, "So well," you confirmed, "You have to name him."

"A name," her voice was fleeting, drifting away into the wind, carried by the coaxing breeze floating through the slightly ajar window, "Amias. Eternal love."

"Amias," you turned you gaze to the bubbling boy in your arms and smiled, brushing your fingers against his full cheeks, "It's perfect, Amalia. It's-" but you couldn't finish your sentence, not when you turned back to her and saw nothing, no rise and fall of her chest, just vacant tearful eyes and pale sweaty skin.

It was always a danger you had faced, losing a mother to the complications that came with bearing an Illyrian child, a thing you knew all too well from birthing Nyx. It was your specialised field of mastery, the birthing of Illyrian babes, you had saved many that would not have stood a chance without you. You were a miracle to them, even the males at Windhaven had come to treat you with kindness, it wasn't often that they were thought of, and you made them feel cared for.

The room was solemn. The team of midwives that accompanied you to all of the births you attended worked slowly and respectfully, draping the thin cloth of her bed sheet over her face after washing her skin softly with lavender soaped sponges all whilst you rocked and cooed the innocent motherless child into slumber. Handing the small thing over to one of your midwives, you sniffled, you went to wipe your face with your sleeve but froze when you saw the blood trailing up your arms and let out a small sob in response.

There was only one thing, one person, that would be able to fix you.

Windhaven was a place that Azriel hated you going to.

There was no doubt in his mind that you were the most extraordinary thing on the planet, but sometimes he wished that you had chosen a different specialty in your healing career. One that didn't make you feel so small, one that made you happy.

He knew something had gone wrong when he had sent a questioning love down the bond for it only to collide with a rock solid wall of iron clad fury. The bond only went silent when something was wrong. Every patient of yours was a friend, it was hard for people not to adore you, so it hurt you more when they left the world.

Footsteps scuffed up the pavement outside of your shared home and Azriel heard you sigh deeply before the handle turned and you stepped in.

The room was as it always was. Books, some medical and some historical, splayed across the coffee table, a fire dancing at the forefront of the room cascading the space in a golden glow, and two mugs of tea, one of which had long since had gone cold, on the side tables by your assigned spaces on the deep cobalt love seat.

Azriel scanned you for but a second before throwing his body over the edge of the seat and rushing to you. There was blood coating you, from your skirt up to your hair, your eyes were shocked and vacant, your lips were chapped and your cheeks were red and puffy. You had been crying.

Being no stranger to blood, Azriel took your hands in his and lifted them to his chest so that you could feel his heartbeat, so that you could centre yourself and bring your consciousness back to the land of the living. Then your gaze turned to him and your chest dropped, and Azriel knew what had happened, "Amalia?"

Shaking your head, you choked, "She didn't make it," tears pooled in your eyes and your face crumpled, "I promised her that she'd make it. There was no reason why she shouldn't have. I've been doing so well with the prenatal visits and the vitamins and the tonics, and she just," a sob broke through, "She just died."

Azriel ran his hands down the side of your face and continued to listen to your words, "What kind of healer am I if I can't save a woman, my friend, from the risks of childbirth? The risks I have dedicated my career to avoid? I've left a child without a mother, Az," you peered up at him, tears streaking down your face, collecting blood on their descent, "I'm a monster."

Unknowingly, you opened your side of the bond, and Azriel was flooded with your grief and anguish, your self loathing and doubt, and your all-consuming worthlessness, "Look at me, y/n. Look at me," he pulled your focus and smiled softly at you.

Azriel adored everything about you, but more than anything, he adored your kind soul and caring heart. You were the most magnificent thing he had ever come across.

The bond had snapped for him when he had been badly injured and Rhys had stormed into your little apartment above the pharmacy with Azriel strung over his shoulder. Despite your messy hair and askew nightgown, you worked endlessly to bring Azriel back from the brink, he truly believed he had entered heaven that day and that you were the one to guide him to the light.

He didn't realise that heaven could exist on earth until he met you.

It had taken months for you to release the bond between you, you were a busy thing, always researching and working on ways to save people from some of the most unavoidable events of life. One being childbirth. But during one certain sunset, when the sun was low and the sky was painted in pink and gold, did you feel that golden thread snap into place. Since then, you had been inseparable. He was your rock, the only one who could smash your soul into pieces and the only one who could put you back together, and you were his sunshine and rain, the only one who could cause him any real pain, but the only one who could clear his darkness and bring him into the light.

"None of the women you have saved would have stood a chance without you," blood covered your face like dirt, dusting but prominent, and your eyes were brimming with exhaustion, "I know it's hard, and that you feel worthless and like you're failing. But none of the women in this court could have survived without you, you are an angel, you have saved so many mothers and children that our study is bursting with gifts and flowers," you strained a smile, "I know that Amalia was your friend, I'm so sorry that you lost her, I know how much you wanted her to live."

"As much as we want to, we can't save everyone, y/n. All we can do is seek to save the next, to give another person a chance of a full beautiful life just like ours."

The obsession of non-Illyrian mothers had grown since you had accepted the bond with Azriel, you had never directly voiced why, but he knew you were trying to find a way for yourself to survive if the time ever came when you would carry his child. It was heart breaking to see it, to see you lose a patient and feel your own soul hang in the balance. It was heart breaking to know that you saw yourself as Amalia, broken and bloody and alone.

It had always been something you had wanted with him, a child of your own, with little black wings and shadows curling around him just like Az's. But you also wanted to live to see him grow. You weren't an Illyrian, which meant that you too were at risk of facing the same fate as Amalia's.

The fear in your eyes broke him.

"You are so worthy, so talented and determined that you put all of us to shame. You are the light of the Night Court, I'm just lucky that I get to bask in it daily. No wonder everyone is jealous that I get to call you my mate," a soft grin formed on his lips at your whispering giggle and he took your face in his hands, allowing his shadows to curl around your forearms and sooth the raging sadness within you, "I love you, y/n. I'm in awe of you every day. It's not easy to do what you do, to fall in love with the idea of saving people and breaking when the Mother decides to take one away. But it doesn't make you any less worthy or loved. You were put on this earth for a reason, to save people, and you will continue to do that because you are y/n, and you are my mate, and you wouldn't be you if you didn't. You save me everyday and you don't even know it."

The room had grown lighter, and the all-consuming anguish that had flowed down the bond had shifted, "Thank you," your eyes flickered across his face and your shoulders dropped.

Azriel tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear and sighed, taking you in his arms and holding you tightly against his chest, "Let's get you in a bath, hm?" he pulled away and looked down on you, tilting his head and drinking in your radiant beauty despite the sadness and stains on your skin, "Then I'm going to brush your hair and hold you and kiss you until you fall asleep, and then tomorrow, you save another life."

Nodding, you exhaled shakily, pulling him back to you as he went to lead you to the bathroom upstairs, no doubt to the already full tub that was big enough for both of you, he gazed at you in question, with a furrowed brow and fingers interlinked with your own, "I love you, you know that, don't you?"

The desperation in his voice made him want to scoop you up in his arms and show you exactly how much he adored you, but you were hurting, and you needed him in a wholly different way, "I know. I love you too. So much. Let's go and soak okay? I'll tell you who Nyx said was his favourite..."

Light beamed in your eyes and you wilfully allowed your body to be pulled by Azriel's grip, "If it's Cassian, I will riot."

The rest of the evening was spent in his arms, his fingers massaging your scalp and shoulders, wrapping around you and his lips pressing into the curve of your shoulder. Azriel brushed your hair, his touch so gentle and his shadows peppering their love for you across your face. And as you drifted into slumber, the symphony of your dreams were set by Azriel's voice, a low and sultry sound, reading to you, his fingers running through your hair and lips pressing into your hair line.

Not once did he take his hands off of you. Not once did he stop muttering how loved you were. And you knew that as long as he was by your side, you were invincible.

[wolf-among-mechs]

I think something has to be said about mech-techs because they come in different breeds just as mechwarriors and mechs themselves.

You got your rank and file army mech-techs. They typically work with stock models and pre-arranged configurations for omnis. Practising and drilling it in until they can do it in their sleep while under and on fire without missing a beat. The same goes for a repair. They know where everything goes in the hunk of junk and can service with precision. Most of the lower rungs are people who can barely remember to breathe but can lift and hold things. Typically, you get some senior techs that have brains and can give recommendations of field refits. The dread variant is the ones who know they are too competent to be fired and leverage that against mechwarriors and senior officers.

Mercenary mech-techs are space wizards in that they usually care for and manage highly specialised machines that only sometimes resemble the original mech. Cables and ammofeed systems have been rerouted, assembled, moved, and re-used for another system. A melange of disparate systems that have all the cooperative abilities of fussy babies past naptime. That somehow, against all odds in a way barely they comprehend, works. So, of course, they will be a bit upset if you lose the machine. Or blow it up or... you know. All the things a mercenary can mess up a mech with. Dumbest thing I heard was leaving it overnight in a bar and having the darn thing stolen by some space hicks. Also if something is stupid or does not work with a mech design you had in mind. They are going to hit you with clipboards.

Clan technicians are made to serve without question, and they are good at it. Good at repairing, realigning omnis, and working really hard, they seem able to work more than twenty-four hours a day. They will do whatever you tell them to without hesitation. Even if you mutter something from a fever pitched dream of a Wimber Tolf, a mad cat with the rocket pods in the arms and the lasers in the shoulders. They will do it. The only thing they will say something about is a tonnage mismatch. Terrific at maintaining equipment and weapons. But also, they will not do something unless you order them first. Often working on whatever the highest ranking warrior told them to do last.

Then you have the periphery mech-techs. People who own welders and plasma cutters and a bit of elbow grease and a resume so filled with lies it may just qualify as a politician's speech. They can bolt anything to a mech. Heck they will bolt anything to mech. Weld it there. The rust bucket mechs they get in the periphery are usually hardy enough that they can hold up to their creativity. Leading to maddening makeshift designs at times. The ones who figure out mechs at least a bit graduate and begin to staple them together. Creating franken mechs. Things that moves that should not. Piles of ferro-metal slabs of armour and myomer that shamble in open defiance of logic. Still you got to admire that somebody thought to string things together. And make it work.

Of course, you have a bundle of mechtechs that break out of these molds and find their own way. As people do. But they are less seen behind the moneymakers, the flash, and the glamour of the mechwarriors. But in the end, it does not really matter what kind of mechtech you are or if you are a mechwarrior. We are all happy deep down when we get back the mechbay alive. Ideally, with a mech, but sometimes you might not. In those moments, just remember it is a whole lot easier to rebuild a mech than it is to rebuild a life.

[romcomxdd]

i just saw twisters so now i’m continuing on from this post i made and turning it into a twisters au-

Long story short the previous post was an AU where Bradley never joined the Navy. Instead he became a Wilderness EMT. (in the post jake’s still a pilot but i’m changing that now).

One day Bradley and his team get called to Oklahoma, where a once in a lifetime tornado week was in full swing. High levels of casualties were expected and the government had been struggling to provide for the influx of people loosing everything. Oklahoma’s emergency services were already thinly spread over the state and they needed teams who were more specialised, Bradley’s team were the obvious choice.

Anyway, in the aftermath of the first tornado, Bradley’s right in the middle of the destroyed town, providing emergency medical aid to whoever he can.

As he finishes cleaning up one patient, a figure pushes a young girl toward him. The girl was clutching her wrist gingerly, and Bradley got to work quickly. A few moments later he realises that the figure was still standing over him and the EMT glances up. In front of him was no other than, self labeled tornado wrangler and youtube sensation, Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin. Of course Bradley didn’t recognise him, he wasn’t really one for youtube.

‘You okay there?’ Bradley asked with a raised eyebrow and the man seems to squirm under his hat.

‘Mhmmm,’ The cowboy nodded and glances at the girl. ‘Just wanted to make saw she was okay.’

Bradley shrugged, ‘well she’s in safe hands, we’ll make sure she gets back to her Mama, don’t worry.’

‘Good.’ Jake replied gruffly, wiping his hands on his thighs. ‘Uh-‘

‘Anything else mister?’ Bradley watched him closely, curious as to what was going on.

‘Oh, yeah, no, I’ll uh, see you round.’ He nodded quickly and turned on his heel, striding back toward his crew.

Bradley shrugged it off and continued his work, heading back to his motel late that night, exhausted.

Over the next few days, Bradley and his team were continually the first on site after each tornado hit. And surprise surprise, Jake seemed to be everywhere.

What was a mutual acknowledgment of each others presence became the beginnings of a friendship. Bradley had no clue what Jake was doing there, but he always seemed to be helping, so he didn’t think much of it. Plus he wasn’t bad to look at.

Eventually Bradley noticed the t-shirts, or Jake’s fan club, or the constant filming and that night he spends a good few hours going through his channel. Surprising even himself, Bradley actually enjoyed a few of the videos. Jake was smarter than he let on, he’d give him that. But now he understood why Jake was on scene before the first responders almost every time.

Then on Bradley’s night off he decided to go out for a change and headed to the rodeo. And because fate and the powers that be (aka me) are meddling little shits, Jake and Bradley ended up sitting next to each other.

They get to talking, Bradley explained how he’s from California, and is here for the week for work. Jake told him how he really appreciates Bradley’s work, how it’s important and all that. Of course Bradley’s heard a similar speech many times before, but something about hearing it from Jake feels different. More meaningful, like it carries more weight.

Then the sirens go off and all hell breaks loose.

Sure Bradley’s spent plenty of time around the aftermath of a tornado, but being in one is an entirely different matter. He’s got common sense, of course, and he’s taken plenty of survival courses, he knows the basics, but it’s very different in person to on paper.

Bradley finds himself blindly following Jake, ducking and running, until he spots a mother bundling her child into a car, and clarity hits him. Something that’s been drilled into him for years. Cars aren’t safe. Not in a tornado this strength. Within seconds he’s shouting at the mother, helping her pull her daughter back out and toward the motel, where Jake’s holding the door open.

After an argument with the receptionist that took way too long, they finally managed to hunker down in the empty pool, and waited out the rest of the storm.

By the end of it, Bradley wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to breathe properly again.

When Jake finally gives the all clear and stands up, Bradley can barely pry his fingers from the plumbing. When he does stand up, he’s stiff and sore and the adrenaline was already beginning to disappear.

Jake helps him out of the pool, and he numbly looks around. The sight before him manages to snap him out of his stupor.

The two got to work helping who they could, Jake looking for lost family members, Bradley helping with what first aid that he could before the ambos arrived.

Basically they get together after this at some point- i was gonna write more but it’s 1:40 am and the coffees worn off and i should probably sleep, so enjoy? sorry🥲 i might write more tmrw.

[11092234]

idk if I should make this au a series but here you go <3 (au explanation in the tags bc I don't want to spoil)

mouse-verse IMPASSIVITY is at an all time high. Prowl struggles to ignore the nudge against his ribs. A locked jaw, optics for slits are the best he's got under pressure. Even, better — bared dentas to deter trouble.

But there's something about Bumblebee — that punk is trying his patience, unfazed by the enforcer's abrasive demeanor. He's pushing it. Pushing it hard. Without even a glance, he's sure as Primus's aft a chesire grin is leeching from that face.

"And, what's the status?" His audials picked up on Optimus's voice, a blur of red and blue not too far in the laboratory from where he stood. Prowl straightens. Ah, professional. Be professional. He can't be seen behaving inappropriately.

Then, he hears your voice and loosens visibly.

"Neutral, sir. For now, at least. It'll come round eventually. But I'll try to stabilize it."

Prowl shifts, almost imperceptibly, on his pedes. The scout is now focused on a bubbling flask. A digit out, prodding the capped casing. Phosphorus, Prowl recognizes. Vanilla crystals blossomed at the bottom and explosively so. But he bites back a chastise — if the yellow bug is broken out of his curious stance, Prowl might not be able to grasp this chance to, well, have a look.

So, he tilts his helm and lets his optics skim, much the same as he does when he's scheming — a search for your figure amidst all the beams and laboratory apparatus of the room is discreet.

It was organized, clean. You fixed your workspace often. Adored organizing your paperwork in neat little bundles. He discerned some stacks under your desk with those pastel straps you always hoard from the nearest stationary shops.

That is the decorum, the attitude of a proper soldier. It is what he'd like to see in everyone's workstation. Clean and logically organized.

Once his optics caught your eyes, he swivels away. His doorwings piked up, much to his chagrin. A side periphery of a smile curling your mouth didn't help the flare of warmth prickling the back of his neck , running all the way up to his forehead. His frown becomes all the more apparent.

And, of course bumblebee notices.

"Can it." He grits out before he could say anything else.

Bumblebee just shrugs but the slag-eating grin is still there. "Didn't say I warned ya, buddy."

"Don't call me buddy." He says coldly. " I am not your buddy. I am your commanding officer and you will refer to me properly as such."

"Eugh, leave it for Ironhide to decide. I'm not here on a debate for ranks."He elbows his rib plates with a wag of his brows. "What I'm here for, though...." He trails off, and shimmies a crab dance to block his view.

Prowl grimaces and retaliates by looking above the horns of his head. "Enough. You're making a fool out of yourself." He bares out.

"Oooh. Someone's quite the looker, huh."

"And, you're about to gain a look of a lifetime, through physical means."

"Prowl suggested I seek your advice."

Both bots stiffen at the sound of pedes approaching. The Prime has his servos folded behind his back, hunching, and tilting his helm so he could regard your face. You trotted beside him, a hand shoved into the pocket of your labcoat and the other swiveling a pen.

"Oh, did he?" You stop before the enforcer.

The fat of your cheeks pulled into a smile.

"I did." Prowl clips. "You specialise in force fields — an expertise greatly suitable for that area of predicament."

Bumblebee adds "A great suitor for the other— hrrk!"

Prowl shoves an elbow against his ribs. The yellow bugs keels over, wheezing. Optimus raises an eyebrow. What he thinks of it is left unsaid as he turns to you.

"This won't be too demanding of me?"

"No, not at all." You wave placatingly. "I'm busy but this isn't' something of a problem I can't handle. I'll have the blueprints by dawn."

The Prime pats your shoulder, optics gentle as he heads for the sliding doors. "Have a good evening, mouse."

"You too, sir."

"And, you t—"

Prowl shoves the yellow bug outside, locking the laboratory pad with a few quick punch of his digits for good measure. When he's sure the two silhouettes are gone, he vents through clenched teeth and tries to conceal his irritation. Though, proven futile with how his doorwings twitch.

He's had enough, for today.

"Bothersome?" You mused.

"A work in paradise."

He swivels around and despite the smooth mask he's locked in, almost jumps at your close proximity.You're standing there, chin tilted up — he's already faltering, surprise shown through a quick flick of his doorwings.

"And, you say I'm not so discreet." You make a show of teetering on your toes.

He rolls his optics but complies nonetheless, lowering his helm but not his shoulders. He won't make it easy. No, not too low or you'll get a pass — he wants you to beg for it.

"Terrible." He chuffs. "Of all the soldiers I've assessed, you mouse, are the worst at discretion. Impulsivity seems to be a close friend, for you."

"But what does that make you, then?" Your lips, soft and pliable, are inches away from his chin.

He resist lowering his helm any further. But much to his dismay, Prowl slants his helm, counteracting his locked coding of not caving in.

"Reckless." He breathes out. "Worse than when Smokescreen toddled away with illicit high-grade."

A loose giggle bubbles from your lips, a sweet sound he shamelessly saved in his processors. Though, iritation paints his features when he recognizes the signs. You're deliberately stalling. Deliberately ignoring his advances. He bares his teeth, exasperated at the fact he has to spell it out.

"Kiss me."

"Oh?" You tilt away, a coy playful grin. "Why would I do that, officer when discretion is at play here?"

"Because we're behind closed doors. Because if you dont, you're disobeying a direct command from your superior. And because —" Agitation pulls at his face and digits pinched your chin, pulling you close."— i've missed you."

It's not often he's affectionate. You're always the one pulling the trigger first — but when he does it, you find it oddly endearing of how desperately he wants it.

"Kiss me." He says again.

And, that was enough for you to close the distance. Hands on his shoulder plates as you lean up to catch his lips. Instantly, he melts into your touch, servos gripping your waist.

[4denthusiast]

Of the principles in Cultist Simulator, some seem easier than others to get a feeling for what the common thread is meant to be in their themes, and Heart seemed like one of the more confusing to me, but I feel like I have a better idea of it now after having thought about it in the context of literal hearts. I know in theory that the heart is made of a different kind of muscle from the skeletal muscle, and it's specialised to work continuously, but intuitively it feels weird that it never rests. It speeds up and slows down as needed, but it never stops. If you're lucky, your heart may beat continuously for a hundred years, never pausing once in all that time. If it's injured, it just heals while working. If it's not strong enough for the demands placed on it, it gets stronger while working. Normal muscles need a mixture of work and rest to get stronger, but not the heart, or at least not in the same way. If it pauses for just a minute, that's a life-threatening emergency. Occasionally (particularly if I have a blocked nose), I feel tired of breathing, and take a break for half a minute or so. I suppose there are even multiple sets of muscles that work the lungs, so if one can't be used, others can temporarily take over. With the heart that's not an option, it just has to keep going. If you think about all this, does your heart feel tired? Mine does. I assume it's just psychological. They're built for this after all. I can't remember if I've read anything about Heart Longs, but whatever it is they do, it must be exhausting, but perhaps they're built for it too. If Longs even have muscles, are all of a Heart Long's muscles cardiac muscle? I assume percussigants lack the ability to become tired. The heart must work continuously, because its work is the work of staying alive. It isn't the only part of the body with this property, but it is one of the most visible and obvious. This links in to another of the themes of Heart, vitality. Both Heart and Nectar relate to life, but I think a large part of the difference is that Heart is life like warm-blooded animals live it, needing to constantly keep going because if it stops it will never start again, while Nectar relates more to the much more chill lifestyle of plants. Vitality provides the ability to keep going through hardship, but the continuous act of living is also what creates vitality. Joy, too, inspires action over rest. Most of the game's curses can be overcome with Heart. I guess you just need to persevere and outlast them. The principles generally have something a bit creepy about them, something that's just too much. I think this is what that is for Heart, even though it's one of the more overtly positive Principles. Possibly I'm overgeneralising from a few examples. I'm not sure I can actually describe all the other principles this way. Perhaps it's silly to put too much thought into understanding the principle of Heart, given there is no deep truth to be discovered here in real life, it's just a bundle of associations that the authors put together. That doesn't mean it's not something that can be understood though. The games are well-written, with thought put into fitting things together in a way that makes sense.

[nicetryfed]

Writers Guild Presents Case X-20131004 – Dowling Residence Personnel Vetting, (AKA The Tadfield Files, Part II)

Writers of After Dark Community

Chapter 1- Ashtoreth, Because *Of Course*

She set the folder aside and reached for the last one in the bundle.

Ashtoreth — no surname, or maybe no first name. She couldn't be sure since Ashtoreth was written across both spaces in a sprawling script. Occupation: Nanny. Place of Birth: unknown.

The attached application form was mostly blank, with a few chunks of words in the exaggerated handwriting you'd see on bad Halloween decorations. Even though it appeared that the form had been filled out in reddish-black felt-tip pen, somehow, there were still ink blots everywhere.

Under "Experience" was a list, thorough and nonsensical: child rescue, international travel, resuscitation (usually), plant therapy, time management (ha!), horse riding, thoroughfare planning (received commendation from supervisor for M25 project), and telecommunications (specialising in destruction). Can teach history (All of it.)

Under "References," it simply said, "Upon Death."

In the box that said "DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE," they'd written "OK!"

She turned the page. Tucked into the folder was a glossy 5×7 photo, the sort taken for official records—posed straight-on, crisp lighting, background neutral as if she were against a wall. The nanny wore a sharply tailored charcoal coat with a high collar and a crimson ribbon at the throat. Her long skirt was made of the same heavy woolen material, austere and unfashionably long. But honestly? Nanny was rocking the fuck out of it.

Her wide-brimmed hat was angled just so, with a veil that did little to distract from the vintage-style rolls and pinned curls arranged just above the collar. The sunglasses were small, round, and opaque, the kind of thing one might find in a steampunk boutique.

If Mary Poppins had worked for the Addams family, she might have looked like this.

There was no question. This one, Scully was sure of.

Even with the striking purple frost lipstick, Scully recognized that pout. The bit of contouring shadow only served to bring out cheekbones sharp enough to cut.

Whoever Nanny thought she was fooling, it certainly wasn't Scully.

She flipped back through the documents, looking for anything indicating they were under suspicion. But no. The files were what they were. Not poorly done, not enough to raise a red flag for the original screener, at least.

Brother Francis—A.Z. Fell—had an almost too-clean file. Lovely penmanship. Polite phrasing. Nothing that shouted threat. Just enough to slip through unnoticed.

Crowley—Ashtoreth, because, of course, he'd name himself for a goddess of fertility—had one that looked like it had been filled out in a moving vehicle.

Inexplicably, all of it had made it through initial processing. Here they were, filed neatly under "domestic staff."

So what were they doing working for Dowling?

She thought again of the investigation five years ago. The newborn cradled in his mother's arms. Crowley's unaccounted-for presence. The burned convent. The missing painting. The look Mulder had given her when they'd been ordered back to the States without answers and more questions than when they started.

She tapped her pen against the desk, deliberated on calling Mulder, and then stopped.

No good would come of feeding the habit. She knew what Mulder would say. He'd be halfway into a fresh conspiracy board within minutes, resketching timelines and texting Frohike.

She just wanted to know what those two were doing back in Dowling's periphery.

And why they'd never really left hers.

@goodomensafterdark

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

My last Dreamtonics VocaDB stats before SynthV 2 releases

The spreadsheet

Like I mentioned, I'm planning on keeping the current stats as a separate legacy page, in order to continue the count by counting the "2" voicebanks as the same vocalist. (I also didn't count the SVS2 demos in the current version.)

Reminders:

VocaDB is not automated. It depends on users adding the songs.

For example, Bilibili is known to be underrepresented compared to YouTube, and Bilibili is where Chinese voicebanks may have the most uploads.

If an active editor happens to be fond of one voicebank in particular, they'll be more likely to seek out songs that use their favourite voicebanks and be able to add them to the DB.

tl;dr: this is only a vague indicator of those voicebanks' popularities.

Funny numbers:

Kevin has 1337 total songs...

Weina has 42 original songs

Ling Wan has 42 total songs

Top 10 by Total songs:

10. An Xiao (372) [MAN] 9. Ninezero (379) [EN] 8. Natalie (381) [EN] 7. Saki (399) [JA Std] 6. Feng Yi (478) [MAN] 5. Yuma (974) [JA] 4. Ryo (1086) [JA] 3. Saki AI (1201) [JA] 2. Kevin (1337) [EN] 1. Mai (3106) [JA]

Mai is the most represented vocal by a long shot, but Kevin is the most popular vocal to not come bundled with SVS Pro. As for Saki, if both voicebanks were counted together, she would come in 2nd place, before Kevin, with 1600 total songs.

48 out of Feng Yi's 478 songs were published after Weiward Romance, so despite the general lack of representation for Mandarin Chinese vocals in the Western fandom, she was already a notably popular vocal! (I'm happy that An Xiao made it to the top 10... he appears to be very commonly used by Chinese cover artists, compared to the other Chinese vocals I've looked for.)

Top 10 by Original songs:

10. Qing Su (112) [MAN] 9. Ayame (142) [JA] 8. Natalie (143) [EN] 7. Feng Yi (176) [MAN] 6. Saki (225) [JA Std] 5. Yuma (312) [JA] 4. Kevin (443) [EN] 3. Ryo (488) [JA] 2. Saki AI (519) [JA] 1. Mai (1867) [JA]

Yeah, Mai wins this one by a long shot as well. With both voicebanks together, Saki would still be in second place with 744 original songs.

What does it say about Kevin that when it comes to original songs, he's only in fourth? Ryo actually beats him in that regard!

Top 10 by Covers and Talkloids:

10. Natalie (238) [EN] 9. Qing Su (254) [MAN] 8. Ninezero (294) [EN] 7. Feng Yi (302) [MAN] 6. An Xiao (307) [MAN] 5. Ryo (598) [JA] 4. Yuma (662) [JA] 3. Saki AI (682) [JA] 2. Kevin (894) [EN] 1. Mai (1239) [JA]

Kevin fought a good fight but was powerless against Mai. Saki Std isn't even in this top 10!

So now...

Loser stats:

Cheng Xiao has the least total songs (41)

Cheng Xiao has the least original songs (2)

Ling Wan has the least covers and talkloids (33)

Cheng Xiao is an extremely specialised Peking Opera Mandarin Chinese vocal, so this... makes sense, although she is super cool. She was also originally a Taobao exclusive. Ling Wan, a Cantonese vocal, is currently still not on the Dreamtonics International Store, although she was added to the AHS store somewhat recently - which is at least more accessible to Western customers than Taobao.

Riku is the easily accessible vocal with the least total songs (50)

Felicia is the easily accessible vocal with the least original songs (8)

Riku is the easily accessible vocal with the least covers and talkloids (37)

...Because they're the most recent. Great stats Jan OTL

That's right, though: Riku has more original songs (13) than Wei Shu (12), Ling Wan (9) and Felicia (8).

... ...Anything else you want from me?

The stats for my personal babies are...

Qing Su: 112 originals, 254 covers/talkloids, 366 total An Xiao: 65 originals, 307 covers/talkloids, 372 total Wei Shu: 12 originals, 103 covers/talkloids, 115 total

If you look at my VocaDB page:

14/254 Qing Su covers were made by me

8/307 An Xiao covers were made by me

5/103 Wei Shu covers were made by me

@cr0sscutter has a responsibility in my An Xiao cover count not hitting 10. 😔 where Jan

[autumngracy]

The Witcher X Cyberpunk 2025 by Dark Horse (pay what you want and help charity)

Looking for awesome stories set in two of the most exciting universes around? This bundle of Witcher and Cyberpunk books and comics from Dark Horse has the goods for stone cold monster hunters and chromed-out netrunners alike!

This bundle supports SpecialEffect, the only specialised UK-based charity dedicated to helping ALL people with disabilities enjoy video games – from injured soldiers to young disabled people who can’t play any other way, whether they are in a hospital, hospice, rehabilitation centre or at home. Their team not only provides games access assessments and loans but they’re also changing the way the whole WORLD plays through collaboration with developers.

[daeva-agas]

Hello Daeva!

I’m curious to know what otome games (whether active or deactivated) have a special place in your heart?

Thanks for reading!

The Shall We Date games!! Hahah. Shall We date is like the first mobile otome game I played. Before that I've been trying out various English patched PC otome games or other original English visual novels.

Ninja Love is indirectly the reason I have a specialised interest in Sengoku history as well. Like, it's more in the "huh, I've heard of this story before, I'm gonna read about it in more detail now". And, you know, a bunch of dissatisfying Google Search later... had to resort to reading actual scholarly texts and those contained other random stuff that are really interesting, and it just snowballed.

I also miss the old "Westernised" version of Pirates in Love where they made the names more non-Japanese and redesigned 2 of the characters. Captain Ryuuga becomes Morgan, Shin becomes Eduardo, and etc. I never understood why Roy was renamed to Alan since Roy is already a non-Japanese name, but whatever.

I still love Eduardo's design more than the original Shin. The artist changed and they weren't really able to keep up with the quality with the subsequent sequels and side stories, but man. I don't know why they don't keep the tweaked version around and just reverted to the original Japanese character art when they bundled up all the apps into Love365. Did some kind of localisation license expire or something?

In case anyone never saw the "old" version, this is the difference:

[caffineandcadavers]

The anatomy and function of neurons and glial cells

Neurons

Parts of a neuron

Cell body (soma)

•contains the nucleus & organelles

•responsible for maintaining the neurons structure

Dendrites

•receives signals from other neurons through neurotransmitters

•the word “dendrite” comes from the Greek word “déndron” which translates to tree

•dendrites may also play a role in long-term potentiation (LTP) which is important for learning and memory

•dendrites receive signals from other neurons through neurotransmitters, If strong enough the signal can lead to an action potential

Cell membrane

•mainly composed of a double layer of phospholipids

•the lipid bilayer consists of hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions

•maintains a resting membrane function of 70mV

Axon hillock

•the place on a cell body where the axon originates

•is cone shaped

•contains fascicles of microtubules (a bundle of microtubules that help with structural support and specialised cellular functions)

•where action potentials originate

Axon

•also called nerve fibers

•covered by a membrane known as axolemma

•varies in length from a millimetre up to a meter

•the white matter in the brain is mostly made up of long myelinated axons, the myelin gives the white appearance to to the tissue

Myelin sheath

•is an insulation layer of the axon

•composed mainly of fat and proteins

•multiple sclerosis is caused by the immune system attacking the myelin sheath in the CNS

•allows electrical impulses to transmit efficiently and speedy among nerve cells

Node of ranvier

•these are small (1um) gaps that are not insulated by myelin

•although not coated by myelin the axon is in direct contact with the Schwann cells in the PNS or with processes of astrocytes in the CNS

•they are crucial for saltatory conduction (allowing electrical impulses to jump from node to node)

Axon terminal

•stores small neurotransmitters in little sacs named synaptic vesicles

•located on the ends of axons and look like small branches

Synaptic end bulbs

•also known as boutons

•the bulbs contain neurotransmitters that make it easier for communication with other cells

•located in the tips of axon terminals

•according to new research there’s a specific type of synaptic end bulb called the "endbulb of Held" found in the auditory system and plays a vital role in processing auditory information

•where neurotransmitters are stored before being released into the synaptic cleft

Types of neurons

Motor neurons

•transmits signals from the CNS to muscles and glands causing muscle contractions and gland secretions

Interneurons

•transmits impulses between other neurons, especially as part of a reflex arc

Sensory neurons

•transmits signals from sensory receptors to the CNS, detects changes in the external and internal environment and relay this information allowing us to experience sensations

Structural types of neurons

As pictured below there are five structural types of neurons, these are

Unipolar

Has a single extension that splits into two branches, is often found in sensory neurons

Pyramidal

Shaped like a pyramid with one long axon and many dendrites, is common in the cerebral cortex

Multipolar

Has one axon and many dendrites, is most common type in the CNS

Bipolar

Has one axon and one dendrite, is found in sensory systems like the retina

Purkinje

Large, branched neurons found in the cerebellum, helps coordinate movement

Glial cells

Glial cells are support cells that help neurons maintain proper function

Glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS)

Astrocytes

•gives nutrients to the nervous tissue and neurons

•repairs the brain and spinal cord after injury and/or infection

•regulates cerebral blood flow

•astrocytes in white matter are called fibrous whilst astrocytes in grey matter are called protoplasmic

•they express plasma membrane transporters for several neurotransmitters such as glutamate, ATP, and GABA

•astrocytes form glial scars upon injury to nerve cells within the CNS

•astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the brain

Oligodendrocytes

• produces myelin to insulate axons in order for axons to send faster signals

•a single oligodendrocyte can myelinate up to 40 axons

•oligodendrocyte dysfunctions may play a role in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

•the chemotherapy drug 5-FU can damage oligodendrocytes in mice, causing both immediate and delayed brain damage

•oligodendrocyte dysfunction may also be implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

•JC virus can infect oligodendrocytes causing PML which is a serious white matter disease in people with weak immune systems

•myelin damage may worsen amyloid plaque buildup, making myelin loss a possible early risk factor in Alzheimer’s disease

•oligodendrogliomas are slow-growing tumors from neuronal satellite cells in the brain’s grey matter, often found beneath the pia mater.

Microglial cell

•maintains brain health by clearing debris and supporting other glial cells

•acts as the primary immune cells of the CNS by initiating neuroinflammatory responses

•transforms into an activated state during injury or disease although effects can be protective or harmful

• dysfunctional microglia are linked toneurodegenerative diseases (e.g Alzheimers & Parkinsons)

• engulfs and digest pathogens (phagocytosis) debris and dead cells

•helps refine neural circuits by removing unnecessary synapses

•interacts with neurons and glial cells via complex signaling pathways

Ependymal cells

•ciliated epithelial cells lining the brain ventricles and central canal of the spinal cord

•contributes to the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier

•involved in CSF production and circulation

•can be activated after injury, potentially functioning as endogenous stem-like cells

•lines brain ventricles and the central canal of the spinal cord

•has a single epithelial layer which is cuboidal or columnar in shape

•possess cilia and microvilli on apical surfaces to help circulate CSF

•connected by tight junctions, forming a selective barrier

•research shows they may act as reservoir cells post-stroke or injury

•can behave as in vivo/in vitro stem cells in the spinal cord

•does not self-renew and are eventually depleted, limiting long-term stem cell functionality

•evidence suggests they may serve as a cell source for cochlear repair

•ependymoma is a tumor derived from ependymal cells, often found in the fourth ventricle

Glial cells in the Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Schwann cells

•wraps around axons to form the myelin sheath thus increasing nerve impulse speed

•supplies nutrients and support to both myelinated and unmyelinated axons

•aids in nerve repair by removing damaged axon fragments and promoting regrowth

•involved in modulating immune responses in the PNS

•myelinating Schwann Cells form myelin sheaths around individual axons

•non-Myelinating Schwann Cells (Satellite Cells) enclose unmyelinated axons and neuronal cell bodies

•each myelinating Schwann cell wraps around one axon segment

•action potentials jump between nodes increasing conduction speed up to 10x

•myelination reduces membrane capacitance and conserves energy

•shaped like a rolled-up sheet, the inner layers form the myelin and outer layer forms the neurilemma

Satellite cells

•found in the sensory, sympathetic, and parasympathetic ganglia of the PNS

•completely surround neuron cell bodies, forming a "neuron-glial unit"

•provides structural support and essential nutrients to neurons

•maintain chemical balance, including calcium levels and neurotransmitter control

•promote neuronal survival and differentiation, especially after injury or during inflammation

•activates and proliferate following nerve injury or inflammation although it may contribute to chronic pain and pathological states

•similar in function to astrocytes in the central nervous system

•include subtypes with varying gene expression and specialized functions

•derived from neural crest cells just like Schwann cells

•previously referred to as amphicytes

•is implicated in chronic pain and herpes simplex virus pathogenesis due to ion channel activity

photo credit

Healthline. (n.d.). Structure of a neuron. Retrieved April 26, 2025, from https://www.healthline.com/health/structure-of-a-neuron

Healthline. (n.d.). Types of neurons. Healthline Media. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://www.healthline.com

Healthline. (n.d.). Glial cells. Healthline Media. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://www.healthline.com

[stardeer-valley]

See Reblog for full story section. Tumblr decided I'm too long winded.

Winter 17, Year 1

The final Junimo bid Beep farewell, and departed with a flash of magic. Friends of Chicken, who had seen Beep gathering wood and moving from the farm house to the tunnel leading to Calico Desert multiple times within an hour, even with Robin hammering away at the siding. The first day the shortcut had been opened, Beep noticed a faint breeze against his ear where no breeze made sense. He ignored it as a particularly strong gust from the farm's side and moved on. However, on his way back, he felt it again around the same spot. He paused and looked around, seeing nothing in the shadows of the tunnel. It was barely two Beep's across, a Beep-and-a-half in some places, and there were no visible branching. Still, there was wind where there shouldn't be. After dropping off the bundle of forage and shedding the blanket and boots, Beep flew back to the tunnel. (Mostly to minimise his time outside in the cold.) Once back inside, he ruffled his feathers and thick winter coat, trotting back and forth until he narrowed down the smallest area where he could still feel the breeze. It still took him several more passes before he located the source; A small crevice within the tunnel, hidden within a shadow. The natural vegetation hid it even further, and without Beep being a species specialised to be sensitive to wind currents, he never would've found it. He nudged his head through the leaves, seeing the faintest gleam of light ahead. Mindful of the sides of the crevice, as well as anything below him, he found the path generous and level. Deep within the tunnel, untouched for who knows how long, was a cave. Three openings in the ceiling, the gaps woven over and shielded with roots from the trees above, coincided with the divots in the sand caused by rainwater dripping in. While the centre was soft sand covering packed dirt, the rim of the cave was solid and ungiving. The air was fresh thanks to the natural skylights, but this natural formation hadn't been touched outside of plants for decades. Maybe even centuries. This was perfect. The cave easily accessible on the farm wasn't safe. The bloodstain beneath the snow was proof of that. The farm house was easily entered or broken into, and the new nest (while lovely for the moment Beep saw it) was further indication the building wasn't private. This, however, was just what he needed. Secluded. Hidden. The entrance just barely Beep-sized even after squeezing through the knots of vines and roots. When Beep went back to the farmhouse, he paused long enough to investigate the new nest. It looked sturdy, though smelled unfamiliar and of many humans. The details on the side were familiar shapes, and clearly done with care. Beep would love to curl up in it, but he had things to do. Tonight would be a good sleep.

[teahermitcomics]

Hello! I'm pinning this post for new visitors here as I'm technically attending not one, but TWO artist alleys this weekend: MCM London Comic Con AND Tumblr Artist Alley! 😁

I'm Jade Sarson; a nonbinary comic artist and illustrator specialising in fictional romance and educational storytelling, illustrated with watercolours, screentone and tea! Welcome to my shop https://ko-fi.com/jadedlyco/shop

My comics Cafe Suada, For the Love of God, Marie!, Feels like Noodles and more are available alongside mugs, pins, stickers, coasters and a frankly LORGE collection of art prints painted with tea. Fandoms I've illustrated for include: Our Flag means Death, Pirates of the Caribbean, One Piece, Fallout, Baldurs Gate 3, Megamind, Chainsaw Man, Disco Elysium, Yakuza, Evangelion, Kingdom Hearts and many others.

Check out the collection and enjoy 10% off prints (including bundles) when you use the code TUMBLRAAFRIENDS

https://ko-fi.com/jadedlyco/link/TUMBLRAAFRIENDS

Lastly, I also offer commissions and have a Patreon if you like early access to brand new comics and behind the scenes stuff!

[froggocatto1]

CW: just minor parental issues, manipulation, shoddy neighbourhoods being shoddy, etc.

This is me nerding out about my story idea:

So this story is called ‘divin poten’ and i came up with it when i was thinking about tattoos, tattoos are stored under the skin by mast cells that find the heavy metals and consume them, but they can’t digest the particles because they are too big so they just store them, making a tattoo.

And i was thinking about what if it was applied to magic or powers?

So in this world people have powers that control a specific element (not the fire, water, air stuff, like periodic table elements) or compound. Also magic is like an actual particle that you could view under a microscope.

Different people have different amounts of magic, and there is a universal amount that makes the attraction of that particular element stronger (that’s confusing, but imagine an average 5’5 person and an average 6’0 person. Both could have lets say 10grams of magic, just because the 6’0 person is taller doesn’t mean they are stronger, both have equal amount of powers. But if the 5’5 person had 20 grams of magic the 5’5 person would be stronger bc they have more magic).

And basically, getting to the tattoo aspect, when a person uses their magic, the magic moves. Think of it like when you put a magnet on either side of a table but the magnetic force still attracts through the table, except the human who has the magic can decide when their magic is magnetic. And when this happens the magic is pushed to the surface and collects where it has been used, think of it like a tarp full of water, when you pull down on a particular area the water will collect in the dip. And basically when magic is used you are visibaly able to SEE the magic collecting (as shown in the drawings)

And now i can get to the characters!

The main character, lily (14-16 y old), she’s the idea of when the amount of power becomes too much, when a person uses their power for too long or has too much bundled in one area the density of the magic becomes too much and actually PUSHES the human cells out of the way, this can cause bruising (minimum) or actual internal bleeding (worst case).

Lily is a good example because she has a large amount of magic, very powerful and she is a person who can move multiple types of elements and long chain compounds (rare) although, because she has a very high amount of power and has a smaller frame she is very easily injured by her own magic, being unable to use it unless she gets moderate to severe haemorrhaging (bruises). The powers can also be affected by the mental state a person is in, so if she panics or gets too angry her powers can activate and she can cause a LOT of damage. she’s from a richer family, and although it is seen as a good thing to have powerful magic, people tend to look down on those who cannot control their powers, so her family sent her to a children’s hospital that specialises in children with her condition and kind of forgot about her, not visiting, not even staying in contact. She breaks out one day and is just kinda walking around, and runs into Jerald (13-14 y old).

Jerald is from the poorer side of town, he’s a delinquent who probs has 1 or 2 shoplifting charges against him. He has a moderate low amount of magic, but he’s a dumbass who is always getting into trouble, he skips school pretty consistently and I’m playing around with the idea that his parents either 1. Don’t care or 2. Can’t care because they are always working. He also has a scar on his face, not from a fight but him and his friends where hanging around in a scrapyard and bros fallen and ate shit, knocking out a tooth and giving him a cool scar.

So they are hanging out and when the police are out trying to bring lily back she tells Jerald she doesn’t want to, so Jerald takes her to the only person he knows will help, Tarragon!

And this is also apart of the main plot.

Tarragon is an ex fighting champion, he was well known for being someone with a relatively low amount of magic but able to manipulate elements far above his assumed natural ability (imagine a boxer and a little scrawny guy got into a fight and the scrawny guy won, that’s how weird it was he kept winning) he was among high magic classes and he was very popular. Before his doctors appointment.

Basically Tarragon had been fighting for so long he sustained a brain injury (I’m not sure on a name, but it would cause stuff like memory loss, muscle spasms/shaking, stuff like that) it would also affect how effectively he was able to control his magic and was basically forced out of his dream job because he pushed himself too hard. He basically ran away to a smaller town/ mini city type place where he became a blacksmith, and one day this small kid (Jerald) came along and recognised him (Jerald is obsessed with the fighting sport and looked up to tarragon bc they have a similar level of powers) and basically started pestering him non-stop on his breaks.

Both Jerald and Lily are obsessed with the fighting sport so lily also recognises Tarragon pretty immediately (she looked up to him because of the level of control he exerted over his powers)

Basically Lily, more than anything in the world, wants to be a fighter. And yada yada yada Tarragon becomes her mentor! And she will break out of the children’s hospital to meet him for training. And basically ends up being kicked out because she actually gets really good control over them but that’s further in the story.

And this is when Lenon comes in,

Basically Lenon was born with minimal magic, if any at all, he also grew up in a sketchy town where he and his grandpa where harassed by the neighbours for cash, that kind of stuff, and because they didn’t really have magic they where overlooked as not being as ‘important’. Lenon grew up, got into the wrong crowd and ended up taking transplanted magic.

Ok, since magic is a physical thing it can also be extracted and put into another person, similar to a plasma donor. Although the thing is that if you have a donor with a different magic level than yourself it can drastically change you. For example, if you have low magic and you get a donor from someone with high magic you can get hurt really easily, most people are built for the amount of magic they have naturally, magic needs energy in order to function and both the humans body and the magic have a natural system of traiding the energy of the person for fuel for the magic.

However if you take magic that is much higher than you are able to offer, the magic will take energy, sapping it from the cells around it in order to have enough fuel for the task it is given when it is activated. So basically Lenon is very injured by the magic he uses, he has bruises and scars all over his body from where he has used the magic and for the price the magic has basically eaten away at the flesh around where it was activated, sapping away the life from his cells to power itself. He also bruises really easily (think deku s1 MHA when he had to throw the tennis ball thingy).

Lenon is also a fighter, he’s more of a flamboyant entertainer and he’s also super popular, but he has to keep the reality of his magic a secret bc it’s SUPER illegal, only a few people close to him actually know the truth.

Skipping to later in the story, Lily is a rising star because of the fact she is so powerful yet so small for her age. Tarragon is basically her adopted dad. And Jerald is jealous. Lily is getting everything he ever wanted yet he isn’t (or doesn’t feel like) he’s included. Lenon sees this and basically manipulates Jerald.

See, Lenon wants to be the best, at EVERYTHING he does, so when he sees the ex best fighting campion mentoring this little girl he wants to do the same. And he empathises with Jeralds situation and basically takes him under his wing. Everything that could go wrong does, Lenon gives Jerald transplanted magic, promising him victory. Lily and Jerald have a face off, Lenon is found out to be a transplanted user. Lilies parents see how much success she has and try to get custody of her back even though they disowned her previously. Tarragons brain injury plays up and I’m thinking maybe he accidentally hurts someone (unsure who tho).

And that’s basically all i have planned out so far! Super large rant but if you have read this far, THANK YOU !

(Also Jeralds character sheet was made a while after everyone else’s, when i started making them more detailed, so there will be a general quality increase)

[squarevest-ag]

Olek Capital - family office with a focus on impact and property investments

In 2024, entrepreneur Thomas Olek reorganised his investments and bundled them in Olek Capital GmbH, which was founded for this purpose. He is expanding his activities internationally with the family office. In addition to an office in Frankfurt am Main, the company is also represented in Monaco and Miami. 

Olek Capital - sustainability and returns combined

The acquisition of a property package for nine million euros is the first major transaction with which Olek Capital GmbH has become known to a wider public. Its owner Thomas Olek, however, is no stranger to the world of finance and has built up a reputation as a successful investor over the past decades with property projects for Publity AG and well-known impact investments.

In the past year, Thomas Olek has disposed of further investments and thus built up considerable cash reserves, which are now available for international investments by Olek Capital. With offices in #Frankfurt am Main, #Monaco and #Miami, the aim is to realise promising projects that offer sustainable growth prospects.

Olek Capital is currently examining lucrative investment opportunities at its locations. The current interest rate trend in particular means that the prospects for high-quality property projects are promising again. With its in-depth understanding of the financial sector and a strong international network, Olek Capital always pursues a sustainable approach with lucrative returns and long-term value appreciation.

Real estate is the basis of Olek Capital

One of Olek Capital's largest assets is its majority stake in Publity AG. Founded in 1999, the company specialises in the realisation of high-quality commercial properties in German-speaking countries and has always focused on more ESG-compliant projects in recent years.

Thomas Olek managed the company from 2002 to 2020 before moving on to other projects in the field of impact investing. Since December 2024, he has once again led the company as sole CEO and is focussing on repositioning and transforming the company.

Olek Capital combines many years of expertise in impact and property investing

In addition to the owners of Olek Capital, Thomas Olek and his wife Annah Olek, long-time companion Stephan Kunath is managing the company's fortunes as CEO. The team combines extensive expertise in the realisation of high-quality real estate projects and has gained specific experience in impact investing with Neon Equity AG. This includes successful investments in the electromobility and healthcare sectors.

 Harmonising sustainability and returns remains Olek Capital's goal. The company is co-organising the International Impact Forum, which will be held in Monaco for the first time in March 2025. Together with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and UNA TERRA, the forum will bring together experts from business, politics, science and finance to discuss current developments in impact investing and further develop this asset class.

Thomas Olek - owner with vision

In the past, Thomas Olek has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to recognise and strategically exploit long-term market opportunities. He has not only made a name for himself in the German property industry. He is fully committed to digital processes that enable properties to be managed more efficiently and transparently. In 2019, he was honoured with the PLATOW Award in the commercial property category.

With Olek Capital GmbH, Thomas Olek now wants to utilise this many years of experience internationally. 

https://olekcapital.com/

[xiii-e]

[Somehow, there is a small package addressed to Thirteen-E, a high priority package at that, there's a note on the inside of the lid]

> Dunno if you've got a body to use, If not I guess you won't see this, if so, these are for thirteen, I hope they enjoy them.

> if thirteen is reading this, take care of yourself, even tools need maintenance now and then.

[Inside of the metal box is a bundle of brownies in silvered MRE bags, a few SSC fruit drink boxes (made with real fruit and cane sugar) two sealed drink containers with something made from soda, cream, and fruit concentrate. Under these is a small box, and inside is one, a small recording device around the size of a dollar coin, and an air gapped quantum storage drive around the same size, another note is inside as well.]

> I doubt you could keep a full sized diary hidden, so I found this, it's an audio diary recorder, plus a storage drive, no one else but you can get at whats on it. Enjoy.

[ECHO.EXE RUNNING]

◂▸ Veta, Hello!! Oh this is really considerate, thank you so much; T-E barely ever gets proper food, I'm sure they'll enjoy the fruit homemade treats a great dea-

◂▸ Wait hold on why wouldn't I have a body

◂▸... oh my good lord, LMAO Veta. Veta. I'm not laughing at you I want to make that clear up front, its understandable to have misunderstandings over a text-exclusive comms method right? Yeah?

◂▸ I'm not an NHP or an AI or anything like that. I'm like, also a flashclone. Same as Turtie, 'cept I'm more specialised in technological work and I'd make a right shite pilot. I do in fact have a body, grew it myself and everything. Well, mostly. Had some help.

◂▸ Uh, friendly ribbing aside- thank you, really. These are seriously thoughtful, and we'll both get a lot of use out of these nifty little devices here that're going straight into my sleeve before the cameras can spot em. I've got a wee blind spot here where parcels get passed through, I've been able to swing claiming I unpack them here because it's where my desk is- fingers crossed that keeps on working, so things like this get through.

◂▸ I'll keep all this safe until T-E gets back from Pr- uh, wherever they're deployed. Sorry, can't risk saying where. I really would get done for treason if I let that one slip. They'll see your message, don't worry. Hopefully they take it on board o7

◂▸ Have a good one, and thanks again

[ Helios-8 ]

//

[doyou000me]

Welcometothelairofthebitchking here for the ask game! I'm very curious about the shop at the end 👀

@welcometothelairofthebitchking Hello hello~! Thank you for asking about The Shop and giving me reason to go back and think about this story again!

Both you and @cryingatships asked about The Shop At The End, so I'll give you a snippet here and then for more about the story, you can go over and read the other answer here!

As mentioned, this was supposed to be a fanfic until I decided to not write for that fandom anymore, which is why the main character needs a new name and is now simply called [MC].

The door opened and the bell pinged in the silence of the shop. The breeze swept in from the square outside, rustling the bundles of charms and drying herbs that hung from the beams and stirring a rich, earthy scent of spices and slumbering magic. [MC] looked up from the beginnings of an amulet on the counter - crow feet and raven feathers tied together with a string of human baby teeth - and put on his customer smile.  “Welcome to Aqru, how can I help you?”  [...] “I am looking for a potion ingredient. One that is… hard to come by,” the customer said with a dismissive glance to the carefully packaged ingredients on display.  “Then you have come to just the right place,” [MC] answered, falling into the lilt of sales talk with practised ease. “We specialise in rare ingredients and potions. If I may know what you’re looking for, we might even have it in stock.”  “You won’t.” [MC] widened his smile. “We also take orders, and can procure the most difficult to find ingredients. For a price, of course.”  “It needs to be freshly… harvested,” the man sneered. “We are very experienced in the handling of fresh ingredients, especially the tricky ones.” “It is an organ. Human.”  The man stared [MC] in the eye, clearly expecting a reaction. If he’d taken his request to any other apothecary, he would certainly have gotten it. Selling or brewing with any human ingredient without permission was highly illegal.  But this was not any other apothecary. This was Aqru, and so [MC] gave the man an encouraging nod, smile unfaltering, and said: “Yes?”  The man frowned, lips stretching into a thin line. “A human heart, willingly given,” he spat. “It has to be added to the potion when it beats its last.”  “That is an unusual request,” [MC] said and the man’s sneer twisted triumphantly. “Unusual, but it can be arranged.”  The sneer froze and his eyes bored into [MC]’s. “It… can be arranged?”  “Certainly. It will take time, of course; willingly given parts require careful planning. I would recommend that you come back when the owner has returned. She handles the more… delicate requests.” 

For anyone curious, my WIP list is right here.