#But I figured I'd save it for a stream ;)))

[clockworksheep2]

idk if its worth it to get high tonight but idk what to do fhdksl I'm just upset and confused and frustrated and this is like... i have no clue what to do bc i cannot get this thing open without breaking it (more. something plastic already snapped off in half🧍) but i have printer ink on my hands bc i replaced the ink so i could print stuff to put up on wall and now I can't print it bc i can't get laptop open and uhhmm i had to make the document of pics to print three whole times bc it kept crashing just as i reached the end and i spent 45 mins putting it together 😀😀😀😀

[pineconepie]

What would happen with a dragon or dragonshifter platonic yandere parent?

TW: Kidnapping, parental yandere, infantilization, mentions of/implied death, mentions of parental neglect

...

Exploring has always been a fun hobby to you, especially the forests by your home. The deep greenery is so comforting compared to the dreary gray cities.

That is why you had left for your favorite spot in the woods; the clearing with flowers and tall oaks and an even taller cave cliff that always shaded the area. It was quiet except for the sound of the stream nearby.

But this time, you're willing to explore past that.

Not by much, but when word got around town about some odd creature lurking nearby, curiosity got the better of you, standing at almost ten feet tall with large golden wings and a tail.

You're convinced its just rumors to keep children from wandering out, especially when you take your first few steps into unfamiliar territory. Its peaceful, birds chirping as they fly through the sky above, branches breaking under your boots.

You find yourself beginning to get bored, however, wondering if you're wasting time and effort for nothing.

Of course there isn't some winged monster out here! You sigh, stopping in place to sit down and rest. You wonder if its worth it to keep going, or maybe just head home since you haven't come across anything.

You can feel the fatigue creep up on you, weighing down on you. Maybe its best to get home before sundown.

"You're on my territory, human."

A gruff voice shocks you out of your thoughts. You whip your head around, and see a pair of legs. You look up to see...

That's no person! Not completely.

Your eyes widen at what stands before you. The stories were true; you have found the creature, and it surely is almost ten feet tall.

The... dragon looks down at you with shiny yellow eyes, covered in scales that glitter like gold in the sunlight. His tail sways back and forth, wings tucked behind his back.

You panic. "Please don't kill me! I'm sorry, I thought..." You figure saying "I thought you weren't even real" won't do much to save you.

His eyes narrow, and for a moment you think this is it, until he kneels down and grabs your chin with clawed hands gently, tilting your head upwards to meet his gaze.

"I've seen you, human. You always come out to the forest alone," he states calmly. You gulp, knowing where this might be going. He only notices your fearful expression then. "I don't eat children. Not even human children."

"I'm not..." You trail off.

If the only thing saving you is him thinking you're a child, might as well not say anything. But you couldn't deny his interest is somewhat intriguing.

"I'll leave and never come back, I swear. I really meant no trouble, so, um..."

He lets go of your face, but when you try to rush past him, he holds up a wing to block you. "The forest gets more dangerous at night, for someone your size. Especially for humans. I bet if I patted you on the head, you'd just flatten. What kind of human parent lets their young wander this far? And they claim I'm the monster." He gives a quiet, bitter laugh. "Do human parents these days care that little for their hatchlings?"

"What?" you exclaim in bewilderment. You don't know how to respond, but he's not letting you pass anytime soon. "Human parents aren't like that." Not all the time, at least.

"Oh, really? Then tell me where they are if they care about you so much." His tone becomes annoyed as he goes on. "If my child were out here alone, I'd never forgive myself for being so careless."

You sigh. "Look, I'm not... a child. I'm an adult, okay? Please, if you could let me get by—"

"Oh, please. How old are you?"

For a moment, you hesitate before telling him your age.

He looks unimpressed. "I am almost an entire millennia old. You are a child. In fact, I'd argue you're a baby."

"Humans age differently!" you say in your own defense. "We don't live for nearly as long as you do, so while I may be young compared to you, I'm all grown up."

He snorts. "Okay, dear, I believe you. You're very grown-up." His tone is laced with sarcasm, but its less gruff now and replaced with something almost endearing, yet patronizing. He's teasing you, obviously, but then his tail coils around you, forcing you to step closer to him. You don't even attempt to move, because there's no winning against this creature. "What is your name?"

You bite your tongue. "(Y/n)." He hums, so you awkwardly ask, "...yours?"

"Magnus," he responds in that deep voice. He seems more relaxed than before. "But you will call me 'Father'. Or 'Dad', as I heard some humans prefer."

Your eyes widen, taking a few steps away from him as far as his coiled tail would allow. "Wait, what?"

He shakes his head. "Well, obviously I can't trust human parents. Who knows how they treated you? Allowing you to come out here alone! Did they starve you too?" Before you could reply, he grabs onto you, holding you in a gentle grip. You squirm in his hold, protesting. "So I'll take care of you. Like my own hatchling. Don't worry, Father will protect you from now on, (Y/n)."

"Stop!" you shout. "Let me go home! I have to... water my plants! And I have friends! I have lots of important responsibilities! I can't just abandon everything!"

"Too many responsibilities for a child," Magnus tuts.

With no warning, he jumps into the sky, his large wings flapping. You squeeze your eyes shut.

There's nothing to grip onto as his scales are slippery and smooth, but his grip on you is tight enough that you feel secure that he won't drop you.

When you open them back up, he's in a huge cave on the cliff you've seen so many times, with lots of shiny coins scattered everywhere along with golden jewelry and treasure chests filled to the brim. There's skulls decorating the place as well, which has your stomach twisting uncomfortably.

In the middle of it all is a nest; a huge nest. It seems to be made of broken branches and torn cloth.

"Welcome home, my little one," Magnus says. You freeze when he brings you to the nest, laying you down in it. The cloth and sticks poke at you, but its comfortable nonetheless. You stare up at him, glaring, but he only seems amused. "Father is going to hunt now, he'll be back with yummy food for you, alright?"

You shake your head. "Magnus..."

"That's Father," he corrects sternly, leaving no room for disagreement. "Be good. Don't you dare even try leaving. I've memorized your scent by now and I can find you wherever you run off to. I'm sure you already understand that I'm much faster than you, too."

He kisses your forehead and takes off once again.

[killersfool]

Still here | Dr 'Robby' Robinavitch

pairing: dr 'robby' Robinavitch x reader

word count: 1k

synopsis: robby gets home from work and his wife (reader) comforts him

I could tell from the minute that Robby stepped through the door that his shift had been awful. There was a heaviness in the way he moved, like each step cost him something. After staying up all night, eyes glued to the endless stream of news reports from Pittfest, my mind had been spiralling, imagining the worst. I knew he was working, but the images on the screen—the blood, the blurred figures rushing stretchers through chaos—made it impossible not to panic. All I’d received from him were a handful of messages: Staying late. Casualties bad. Don’t wait up.

But of course I did.

I curled deeper into the sofa, blanket hunched around me, fingers clenched into the fabric as I glanced at the clock. It was 11PM.

The front door creaked open. I heard the familiar thud-thud of his trainers hitting the floor. He moved quietly, deliberately. I rose to meet him in the hallway, heart in my throat.

And there he was.

He looked like a ghost of the man I kissed goodbye that morning. His eyes were red-rimmed, the skin beneath them swollen and bruised from lack of sleep and too many tears. His mouth was a hard line, brittle, like he was holding back everything bubbling inside of him. The light overhead was dim, and yet it seemed to cast every hollow of his face in sharper relief–his jaw tense, his cheekbones shadowed, the set of his shoulders so hunched he looked like he was preparing himself for an earthquake.

In the morning, he'd said he had a bad feeling. That something terrible might happen today. The kind that pierces your side and lingers just as you wake up. It was the anniversary of his mentor's death and I'd told him–Don't go in. Take the day. Grieve. But he shook his head. I have to, he said. I need to be there.

He pulled out his earphones slowly then peeled off his trainers and placed them neatly on the shoe rock. His voice was soft and hoarse when he spoke.

“Hey. You’re still up?”

“’Course I am,” I murmured, stepping closer. “I needed to make sure you’re okay. The news coverage... it looked awful. Is Jake okay?”

He dropped his gaze to the floor. The silence stretched. In it, I could feel something pressing against the edges of him, something dense and unspeakable.

I reached out for him and wrapped my arms around him. He flinched slightly, as if he hadn't expected my sudden touch. And I pressed my cheek into his chest, dragging my fingers gently across the back of his hoodie. He pressed his lips to my forehead. He smelt like blood and antiseptic and grief. But I didn't care. All that mattered to me in that moment was that he was okay.

He exhaled, a trembling sound against my shoulder, and pressed a kiss to my cheek. It lingered, more like a thank you than anything romantic.

“It’s my fault,” he whispered, threading his fingers through my hair with that same trembling tenderness.

“No, it’s not,” I said, quietly but firmly. “What happened?”

"Jake’s girlfriend…” He sucked in a sharp breath and pulled back to look at me, his hands still resting at my waist. “We tried everything. Bags and bags of blood. Things we should’ve saved for others. We did everything we could but it wasn’t enough.” His voice broke, and he clenched his jaw before continuing. “And I keep hearing this voice in my head telling me—if I’d gone to the festival with Jake instead, maybe it would’ve been me. And that would’ve been better. Because I don’t think he’ll ever look at me the same. And that… that breaks my fucking heart."

"Robby..." I whispered, cupping his face. My thumb brushed away a tear that escaped down his cheek.. “Don’t do this to yourself. I can’t begin to imagine how hard you fought for her. I know you. You carry everyone else’s pain before your own. But you can’t carry blame too. That voice in your head—it’s lying to you. And Jake… he’s hurting, too. But he loves you. He’ll see it, I promise. And I love you. So, so much. And I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come home to me tonight.”

He closed his eyes. For a moment, he just let the tears fall, quietly, his forehead resting against mine.

“I love you too,” he murmured. “More than I know how to say.”

Then he added, barely above a whisper: “There was a moment… at the end of the shift. I went up to the roof. Just stood there, looking out over the city. It looked so peaceful, like none of it had happened. And I was so angry. So tired. I thought about… just stepping forward. One step. That’s all it would’ve taken. But then I thought of you. And it stopped me.”

My breath caught.

I pulled him back into me, arms tightening. “I’m so glad you stopped. I’m so glad you’re here. And you’re lucky your wife’s a psychiatrist—I have plenty of ways to make you feel better.”

'Oh yeah?' He laughed, a cheeky smile growing upon his face.

“Not those things. Well... not just those,” I grinned against his collarbone. “Well, I think we start with some tea, a hot bath and maybe a terrible film we can watch and mock together. But only if you promise to stay right here. With me."

He nodded, slowly. “That sounds perfect.”

[viklooud]

Your work is so gorgeous!!! I love how painterly your style is, I would love to watch a speed paint if you're comfortable because I feel like it would just be so satisfying

Ahhh your interest in my artstyle and works makes me so happy thank you so much!! I’ve been painting traditionally for over a decade so I guess that painterly vibe just naturally transferred into my digital work too, heh

I'd love to!! Still need to to figure out how to record speedpaints on Photoshop without making it crash though :'> I’m also thinking about doing some streams if I can carve out some free time!

Until then, I hope you enjoy the little thing I managed to save my Viktor art layer by layer! 🖤

[laddertek]

@countthelions (tumblr ate this when I tried to save my answer as a draft, so we improvise 🙃)

This one? :D

This whole stream was delightful. What a way to return 🤗

Tango was so happy energetic.

And from Tango calling Etho's storage system cute and Etho in gamechat going "CUTE?!" (00:41:07). To the razzing (and laughing) over shops (00:49:00 and 01:03:49). Etho taking Tango's head twice, and it all being so playful (00:58:11). Etho using Tango's catchphrases 🥹🥹🥹 It gets me every time! "porkchop power" "flee with extra flee!" And the way he said it was the cutest, and Tango's giggle about it too (01:00:59). Etho offering to give the tour Tango wanted. More mail talk and laughing guilt and planning and razzing and teaching Etho to do the stamps. Tango complimenting the path (and that Etho showed it to him when he first came back when Etho came to say hi) (01:15:41). They still plan on doing their sand-collection-off (01:35:06).

And of course the whole TNTificating with Etho's new "boom boom tech" (01:39:43--02:15:17) was just…the most fun. They are having the most fun together...it's an absolute joy. (And it's also them collaborating on how to figure out a redstone thing together which is just so satisfying.) Just...TOO MANY (!!!) (so many) fun moments in that whole TNT section that I can't even start on highlighting them all 😭 I'd need another mammoth paragraph...

Honestly??? Still smiling. Great great great stream 🥹

Timestamps are for YouTube not Twitch because Tango was so fast on getting the VOD up lmao

[useless-catalanfacts]

hi!

i don't know if you've gotten this question before, but are there any catalan movies or series you'd particularly recommend? could be any genre, i just haven't really found any, so i figured i'd ask the expert :)

gràcies!

Hello! Sorry I took long to answer, I started writing the answer, saved it in drafts and then forgot about it for some days.

Yes, there are many I like. I'll divide this answer into movies, fiction TV series, and other TV shows. I'll include where you can stream them, but they don't always have English subtitles available.

Movies:

Casa en flames [House on Fire]: drama and comedy about a family learning each other's secrets. It's on Netflix and in some countries on Prime Video.

El 47 [The 47]: based on the real story about how a working class neighbourhood in Barcelona's periphery decides to kidnap buses until they get the routes they need. On Movistar+ and can be rented in other streaming services.

Fènix 11*23: tells the true story of a Catalan teenager who was arrested for terrorism over having sent an email. It's on FilmIn and can be rented in other services like YouTube Movies.

La vampira de Barcelona [The Barcelona Vampiress]: thriller-horror based on the real story of a woman from early 1900s Barcelona who legend accuses of being a vampire, and at the time was accused of kidnapping children for rituals. The movie looks at the story from a point of view of social criticism. Trigger warning for discussion of child sexual abuse. On Amazon Prime and can be rented on Rakuten TV.

Wolfgang: heartwarming comedy drama about a boy with Asperger's who suddenly has to move in with his dad he had never met before, and his aspirations of becoming the world's best piano player. This one is still in the cinemas.

Alcarràs: art house film about a farmer family who is about to lose all their farming land to build a solar energy centre. This is a slow movie (if you think of European artistic cinema, it's that kind of thing) and it has won many awards like the Berlinale. On Netflix.

Estiu 1993 [Summer 1993]: another art house film by the same director as Alcarràs (and if I remember right, this one is based on the director's life), about a little girl from Barcelona whose mother dies and she has to move to the countryside to start her new life. On Netflix.

El mestre que va prometre el mar [The Teacher Who Promised The Sea]: most of this movie is in Spanish since it's about a Catalan teacher who taught in a village in Spain in the 1930s. It's one of my favourite movies (not Catalan movies, I mean all movies) of the last couple of years. On Movistar+ and available for rent in other services.

Herois [Heroes]: coming-of-age story about a group of young teenagers who spend a summer together. Available for free with English subtitles on Rakuten TV.

Pa negre [Black Bread]: movie adaptation of the famous book, it's about a boy during the first years of Franco's dictatorship (1940s) and how he has to find out who committed a murder that the authorities want to pin on his father. On FilmIn.

Incerta Glòria [Uncertain Glory]: another movie adaptation of a famous book, about 20-year-olds who are volunteers in the antifascist army of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and how they and the women they meet deal with the war and try to make sense of what they're living through. For free on RTVE Play.

Jean-françois i el sentit de la vida [Jean-François and the Meaning of Life]: coming-of-age-ish story of a child who dreams of meeting his favourite writer: Albert Camus. Not knowing he's dead, the boy runs away from home to travel to Paris and look for him. For free on RTVE Play.

Salvador (Puig Antich): biopic of one of the last people executed by Franco's dictatorship in the 1970s, a 24-year-old Catalan anarchist. On FilmIn.

Barcelona, nit d'estiu [Barcelona, Summer Night]: romantic comedy about different love stories that mix with each other on the night a comet crosses the sky. Since it was very successful, it has a sequel called Barcelona, nit d'hivern [Barcelona, Winter Night]. On Netflix.

A two-parter mini-series:

Descalç sobre la terra vermella [Barefoot on the Red Dirt]: biopic of Pere Casaldàliga, a Catalan priest who lived in Brazil and was at the forefront of the fight for indigenous rights. Free to stream on 3cat.

Fiction TV series:

Plats Bruts [Dirty Dishes]. It was mandatory for me to start with this 😂 the most iconic Catalan sitcom, about two men and their squatter (and some time also the assistant of one of the men) who live together in Barcelona and all the weird situations they get into. Free to stream on 3cat.

Polseres vermelles [Red Bands]: stories about a group of children and teens who become friends when they meet at a hospital, each one interned for a different reason. It has some coming-of-age, some drama, a bit of romance. This was the most followed Catalan fiction show in the early 2010s and has been translated to other languages because it was aired in other countries. Steven Spielberg made a USA remake (called "Red Band Society"), but the remake wasn't anywhere near as good. Free to stream on 3cat.

Merlí: high school drama that follows the story of a high school philosophy teacher and his students, the "peripatetics". This was the most successful Catalan fiction show of the late 2010s and has been translated to other languages and aired in other countries, it was particularly popular in Latin America so I'm sure it would be easy to find it with Spanish subtitles. Free to stream on 3cat. On Netflix you'll find the sequel (Merlí: Sapere Aude) but in my opinion the sequel wasn't very good.

Lo Cartanyà: sitcom about a self-centered weatherman in a village of the Lleida region. Free to stream on 3cat.

Porca misèria: comedy and drama about a group of people in their 30s who have to deal with this new period of their lives, including things related to their friendships, infidelities, etc. And for some reason they live with a pig. Free to stream on 3cat.

La Catedral del Mar [The Cathedral of the Sea]: historical drama based on the famous book with the same name. This one was filmed in Spanish but I'll include it because I know it was generally liked and it's on Netflix with English subtitles. It tells the story of a man in Medieval Barcelona who lives when Santa Maria del Mar was being built. There's drama, political intrigue, romance... a bit of everything.

Norats: fiction about a father and a son who have to hide from the fascists during the Spanish Civil War in Mallorca (in Mallorca, the fascist occupation succeeded very quickly and they massacred the dissident population with a lot of cruelty, there were many people who had to hide for years inside chimneys, locked rooms, etc to try to survive, similar to Anne Frank to explain it quickly). This show is based on that real historical context and creates a story where these two men will live as outlaws and bandits in the mountains. Free to stream on IB3.

Other TV shows:

Comtes. L'origen de Catalunya [Counts. The Origin of Catalonia]: dramatized documentary about the early history of Catalonia, when it was being formed as Counties. Very well done and very historically accurate. Free to stream on YouTube (legally, it was posted by the TV channel that made it).

Bèsties & Flames [Beasts & Flames]: the presenter travels Catalonia meeting different elements of the bestiary (beasts from our legends that are part of the festa major holidays). Each episode is dedicated to a different beast. She talks about the legends and talks to the members of the group about the role in folk culture celebrations. Free to stream on 3cat.

Eufòria: a very popular singing talent show. Free to stream on 3cat.

Crims, de Carles Porta [Crimes, by Carles Porta]: true crime about crimes that happened in Catalonia. This is one of the most popular TV shows of the last decade. The last season is free to stream on 3cat, the rest are on Netflix.

Tor: another show made by Carles Porta, all the series is about a crime that happened in the small village of Tor. Free to stream on 3cat.

El Foraster [The Foreigner]: a stand-up comedian travels to Catalonia's smallest towns and spends a week with them getting to know the neighbours, to put up a stand-up comedy show to laugh with them about the strange things he learned. It's very wholesome and funny and you can see some pretty weird things going on in some villages lmao. Free to stream in 3cat.

La Travessa [The Journey? this one is difficult to translate, it means a journey through something, where you cross something]: adventure reality TV show where a group of people have to race through a part of Catalonia getting through different challenges. The 1st season was to cross the whole length of the Catalan Pyrenees mountains, in the 2nd season they follow all the coast of Catalonia from North to South, and now they're preparing a new season that will be in the inland. Free to stream on 3cat.

Pirates a les balears [Pirates in the Balearic Islands]: documentary series about - well, about piracy in the Balearic Islands, of course. Free to stream on IB3.

This list is extremely Catalonia-centric since Spain has laws that don't allow us to watch Valencian TV/radio in Catalonia and don't allow Catalonia's TV and radio in the Valencian Country (even though all other regions of Spain air to all of Spain, we're the only ones with a legal restriction). Typical "divide and rule" strategy.

As always, everyone is welcome to leave recommendations!

[cherrifire]

Cherrifire I plead I beg please make a VODs channel. I wanted to rewatch the Gartic Phone stream, but when I looked for it the other day the stream was just—gone. All I could find was a clip on Twitch and clips on TikTok.

(I’ve just recently joined Twitch and had no idea it deletes streams. I would have saved the stream if I knew.)

IM SO SORRYY I honestly wanted to rewatch it too. I've been thinking about making a vods channel but I just never have a good judgement on what vods to keep and what to toss. I'm sure I'd figure it out one day but I just don't have the time to figure it out right now, sorry :(

[beckyninja]

Revelation

Pairing: Lt. Demetrian Titus x FemReader

Warnings: descriptions of torture

Description: Our favorite Ultramarine Captain Lieutenant realizes his personal serf means far more to him than he thought. And all it took was his subconscious concocting a truly horrific scenario.

Alright guys, you seemed to like my fluff. Now I thought I'd try my hand at some angst. As always, please forgive any non-canonical details. And thanks to @solspina who's Dante dream fic heavily inspired this.

Pain.

Demetrian Titus knew this feeling. In his long life as an Astartes, he’d experienced more kinds of pain than most Imperial citizens dreamed of in their worst nightmares. Stab wounds, shattered bones, burns, bites. He’d endured them all, healed, and moved on.

Not this time, though. This pain… lingered. It welled and pulsed within his very nerves, bypassing all attempts by his enhanced body to neutralize it. It stemmed from the chains bolted to his wrists and ankles, from the hundreds of injection sites scattered across his skin.

And from the mind of one Inquisitor.

“Ah, awake again, I see.”

The deceptively calm voice echoed inside his skull. A face came into view, seeming to float in the endless void.

It smiled.

Once, he would have lunged at that smug face. He would have strained against the shackles that bound him, warrior’s instincts screaming at him. Fight back! Kill!

No longer. That time had passed. Days? Months? Years ago, perhaps. Now he simply stared. He would not speak. He could not give the answers this madman desired, and he would not dishonor himself by lying. 

His silence was the only resistance he could give.

Normally, this infuriated his tormentor. He would rant and rail, promising new and varied forms of agony. 

“There is heresy within you, traitor. And I will dig it out, if I have to do so from your broken corpse!”

The Inquisitor often promised death, either as punishment… or reward. At times, Titus welcomed the idea. Then thoughts of the shame such a ignoble death would bring his Chapter filled him and he silently vowed to live another day. 

Eternal service. The vow of an Astartes. The vow of an Ultramarine. It did not matter the circumstances. He would endure. He would-

“I have something new planned for you this time, Titus.”

A sickly light illuminated his surroundings. It slowly revealed a figure crouched at the Inquisitor’s feet. After years of silence, a word fell from Titus’s torn lips.

“No…”

You. It was you. How? Titus’s mind whirled, trying to piece together a timeline that suddenly made no sense. You couldn’t be here. He hadn’t even met you yet! A deception. It had to be.

Then the Inquisitor reached down and yanked your head back. The hood of your serf’s robe fell and Titus looked into your eyes. Those beautiful eyes that had looked at him with hope and adoration. Now full of terror.

He jerked against his bonds without thinking, trying to reach you, trying to shield you from what was to come.

The Inquisitor laughed. “Such a reaction! And here I thought Astartes were above such mortal frailties as affection,” his hand left your head and strayed lower, “and desire.”

You yelped as that hand groped your flesh. Blind fury filled Titus and he lunged once again. 

“Do not touch her!”

“Or you will do what, exactly?” The Inquisitor gripped your chin and forced it up. “Look at him, girl. Look at your hero.” Another cruel laugh. “So strong and noble. And now all he can do is watch as I do this… and this…”

Your cries brought a pain greater than all the Inquisition’s tortures combined. Your eyes fixed on him, begging him to save you. He thrashed against his chains harder than ever before.

They only grew tighter.

The Inquisitor’s laughter rose to a shriek. “You swore to protect her, Titus! You swore to never let her come to harm again!”

He drew back his hand and struck you across the face. Again. And again. Titus watched welts and bruises bloom across your skin. Tears streamed down your cheeks as you sobbed. 

“This is your fault, Titus.” The Inquisitor grinned.

My fault. 

He had taken you for his own. Your companionship, in a galaxy that had abandoned him, soothed the ache in his soul. 

Now you suffered the consequences of his selfishness. 

For the first time in his life, the proud Ultramarine begged. “Stop, please!”

The Inquisitor threw you to the ground and brought his booted foot down on your arm with a sickening crack! You screamed.

Titus felt something break within him as well. “I WILL CONFESS!”

Silence. Darkness. He found himself alone in the void. He could no longer see you or the Inquisitor. For an eternity he hung there, waiting for something… anything.

Then, a voice whispered in his ear. “She means so much to you, doesn’t she?”

The sound of a blade splitting flesh. The overwhelming scent of blood. 

***

Titus’s eyes snapped open. All three of his lungs expanded as he gasped for breath. He lay on his cot, in his quarters, surrounded by the soft glow of candles. The omnipresent hum of the ship buzzed in his ears. 

His torment at the hands of the Inquisitor had ended over a century ago. You were not there. You had never been there. 

Why, then, did he still smell your blood?

At that moment, a soft beep came from the door as it slid open. You stepped inside, a bucket of cleaning supplies perched upon your hip. You glanced at him with a smile.

The scent of blood grew stronger.

In the blink of an eye he knelt before you, hands grasping your shoulders. “Where are you wounded?” 

“My Lord?” You gasped, the cleaning supplies clattering to the floor.

He noticed the reddish marks on your sleeves and growled, low and predatory. “Who hurt you?”

He’d find them and tear them limb from limb.

“No one, my Lord. I am not hurt.”

“Do not lie to me!”

You flinched. He winced, removing his hands.

“I am not injured.” You repeated. “The medicae are short-staffed at the moment and I offered to assist with the wounded in the infirmary. I know I should have asked your permission, but I didn’t think you’d disapprove. I’m sorry, my Lord.”

“I… I do not disapprove.” Titus closed his eyes and tried to regulate the adrenaline pumping through his veins. “There is no need for you to apologize.”

You were silent for a moment.

“You had another nightmare.”

“Yes.”

“It involved… me?”

“Yes. You were… injured. I could not… I tried to…”

Emotions ran riot through him. Some he could name: anger, guilt. Others were entirely foreign. He felt unmoored, severed from the comforting order of practical and theoretical.

“Perhaps I am indeed corrupted in some way.” He muttered, almost to himself. “Perhaps I deserve to suffer.”

“No!”

Something soft pressed against his face. He opened his eyes to find your hands cupping his cheeks. 

“Forgive me, but I hate it when you say such things.” Your beautiful eyes burned with conviction. “You saved me when no one else would. You are honorable and courageous and deserving of whatever happiness can be found in this life. You, Demetrian Titus, are a good man.” You hesitated then, your voice dropped to a whisper only an Astartes’ ears could have heard. “Emperor forgive me, I love you for it.”

Your words. Your touch. The strange emotions stirred up by his subconscious. All these things ignited in his mind… and Lieutenant Demetrian Titus of the Ultramarines experienced a revelation.

He covered your mouth with his own.

@remembrancer-of-heresy @solspina @sleepyfan-blog @moodymisty @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan

@bispecsual @lemon-russ @kit-williams @cosmic-cryptid-from-beyond @adhd-fandom-hyperfocus

@justeverythingnothingelse @scriberye @bleedingichorhearts @c-u-c-koo-4-40k @mooniequeen

@passionofthesith

I hope I tagged everyone who asked!

[zodoods]

okay part two im not linking part one bc this is unserious jklhsadflk

💗 knittingfairy Follow

save me adrien agreste...save me...save me adrien agreste

📷 ladyblogger Follow

@adrienagresteofficial

🎧 djnino Follow

@adrienagresteofficial

🎸 guitarhero Follow

@adrienagresteofficial

💗 knittingfairy Follow

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU

2,565 notes

🦊 vixen Follow

met ladybug today and she told me my hair looked cute omg!!!

🐞 ladybug Follow

L + ratio + your hair looks like sausages

#and i didnt see you!!! bitch!!!!

270,565 notes

🐈‍⬛ catboy Follow

stay aloof and whimsical and silly guys or youll end up like my dad

🎧 djnino Follow

what happened to your dad

🐈‍⬛ catboy Follow

hes dead

970,565 notes

🤺 fencingryuko Follow

I went to cool and aloof island and no one knew you . or whatever

2,465 notes

🎵 kittysection Follow

hiii stream our music

1,477 notes

🤺 fencingryuko Follow

If I had a dollar for everytime someone tried to help Marinette get over her crush and then starting liking her, I'd have two dollars. This isn't a lot, but it's weird it's happened twice. Additionally, this would not do anything for me monetarily, as my savings balance is above 7 figures. However I thought it was worth mentioning.

700 notes

🐈‍⬛ catboy Follow

@ladybug do you want to kiss

🐞 ladybug Follow

no sorry had a scary dream about you...seemed really real

🐈‍⬛ catboy Follow

#at least she didnt say she didn't want to kiss me bc she doesnt like me!!!

123, 477 notes

📷 ladyblogger Follow

someone NEEDS to get audrey and chloe bourgeoise OFF tiktok

#i didnt think they could be more annoying but here we are

12,345 notes

okay here u go since u all begged for part two enjoy <3 <3

[jelloapocalypse]

I admittedly haven't watched your stream playthrough of TGAA games, mostly because I was playing through them with my fiancé very slowly, but we just finished them and I was curious what your opinion on them was? My fiancé and I enjoyed them but we both felt like they were pretty... Tame, compared to mainline AA. Like, there wasn't really any insane twists that shook the characters to their cores, everything wrapped up so neatly for everyone, it felt too easy, in a way? Also the big bad was wayyyyy too predictable.

I'd recommend checking out these amazing animatics that Infamouslydorky did of our playthrough!

My feelings re: The Great Ace Attorney games are sort of complicated, so this answer's going to be kind of long. I'll keep it spoiler-free, though.

I think they have the best main cast of any AA game. The music, character designs, and quality of life are basically the best they've ever been. That's really cool. I really love a lot of the one-off characters too. Enoch Drebber, Pat and Rollie, and the little plague mask coroner girl are huge stand-outs for me.

However, I think Shu Takumi has a lot of... foibles as a writer, and the way they manifest in these games is more evident and more obnoxious than basically anything else he's ever made.

I've played every game he's ever made and I can tell you that Shu Takumi writes the mysteries and twists in his stories first before anything else. I think he has a great sense of when he wants the twists to hit for the audience and he's great at figuring out where a twist will hit in a case... but he's remarkably bad at making character motivations match up to the story he's trying to tell.

In particular, he's awful at giving characters reasons not to tell each other things. 90% of a time your protagonist in a Shu Takumi game will ask a completely reasonable question to an ally, and the ally will avoid answering simply because it's not time for the player to know the answer yet. This is an issue in every game he's ever made. Even his best game Ghost Tric, is plagued by this. i.e. The way Lynne refuses to tell you her goals even though you're a literal ghost who's saved her life 3+ times in the same evening. Like, what do you have to lose, Lynne? Do you think this ghost is going to leak your goals to the police? No, it's just in service of delaying information so the player gets that information when it really hits. My friend circle has some to refer to characters in video games not telling you information for no reason as "Shu Takumi-ing".

Because most AA games are really silly, this isn't usually a gamebreaking issue. Why isn't your ally telling you information that would allow you to help them? Well, they're stupid, that's why. This is a game where you get possessed by dead people to get evidence and cross-examine a parrot. It's not serious. Everyone's a little bit on the stupid spectrum.

That's not really the case with TGAA. The games still have silly moments, but the characters are very explicitly smart. Kazuma is meant to be a legal prodigy on an exchange program. Susato is incredibly well-read and her father is a well-traveled and well-respected man of the law himself. Iris is a genius. Sholmes is whacky, but he's supposed to be cannier than he lets on.

Because of that, it's really noticeable when Shu Takumi doesn't know how to delay information or elegantly set up an interpersonal conflict. His fallback is always to have a character drink The Stupid Juice. For Case X, this character is suddenly stupid and does stuff they'd never do. For Case Y, it's someone else.

When you're dealing with Larry Butz and Lotta Hart, you come to expect that sort of thing. The inconsistency is part of their character. But when Susato can't identify her own father sleeping on the couch because... I dunno, I guess she landed on her head when she fell out of bed this morning, what the hell are we doing here, gang? Why are we doing this? Some people in our chat were like "This is a joke". I don't know. Is it? it really a joke if it takes 20 minutes of real gameplay to SOLVE THE MYSTERY instead of walking over and look at him, like any rational person would do?

I also can't go into too many details about this without spoiling things, but I really really hate the core overarching plot of this duology. I would bet almost all the money in my bank account that Shu Takumi didn't have the details of the second game 100% ironed out by the time he wrote the first. They don't lead into each other at all and so many characters' actions need to be unfathomably stupid for everything to work out the way it does. It kind of makes me retroactively dislike a lot of the cast. Especially Sholmes.

Also the assistant Van Zieks gets in the 2nd game is unfathomably bad. Everything about that setup and how that character acts is my least favorite thing about the game and maybe my least favorite thing that ever happens in the entire franchise. It makes me SO angry.

The games are still pretty good though.

[gardens-light]

Heyy, I just wanted to say I really love your writing! Your stories are always so good, and I admire how creative you are. I was wondering if you’d ever think about doing something with Dino/Mirage x human spy? I’m obsessed with his design in the Bayverse movies

Hey there, and thank you so much for the lovely compliment! I know I say this alot, but it really does mean alot to hear that people enjoy reading my silly little fics.

I've honestly only know of Mirage in the ROTB movie, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I didn't love that mech's attitude. Anyways, hope you enjoy this piece that was inspired by your prompt, and I do have a few ideas floating around in my drafts for future works of Mirage.

Apologies again for the long wait.

---

High Stakes and High Tension

Content: Autobot Mirage x GN/Human Spy Reader.

Inspired Song: A View To A Kill- Duran Duran

Word Count: 1900

Sunlight streamed through the broken windows of an abandoned hangar on the outskirts of a forgotten airstrip. Inside, the air was thick with dust, along with the scent of oil and rust lingered like ghosts of a time long gone. Optimus stood tall within the center, his frame gleaming faintly in the dim light. His blue optics studying the black SUV's approaching in the distance.

"Prime, I don't see why I need a partner." Mirage complained from the sidelines, casually leaning against a support beam. Occasionally feeling Optimus' side glance, raising an optic ridge at the sleek silver-and-blue Porsche's smooth, almost teasing tone. "I'm perfectly capable of handling a little infiltration on my own. It's my speciality afterall-"

"I do not question you nor your abilities, Mirage. But, this mission requires cooperation from the humans governmental intelligence. I believe their chosen agent has been briefed-"

The sound of your steel-cap boots clicking against the concrete interrupted the air, drawing the attention of the Autobots and fellow soldiers. Mirage's optics slowly wandered over your frame, taking in how the tailored black tactical suit outlined your confident figure. A headset tucked neatly behind your ear, keeping your hair out of your face. As your piercing eyes scanned the room with the precision of someone who left nothing to chance.

"Mirage, this is Agent Y/N. Aka, Agent Cobra." Optimus introduced, acknowledging you with a simple nod and curt smile. "They're one of the U.S government's top spies. They'll be assisting you on this mission."

"So, you're the 'advanced asset' I'm working with?" you clipped with a professional mannerism. Striding towards the silver-and-blue Autobot, with a tilted head and placing hands upon your hips.

"That's me. The only mech who looks good." Mirage pushed himself off the beam, gesturing towards himself with a dramatic flourish, before holding out a relaxed fist. "Nice meeting you, babe. The name's Mirage."

Your brows furrowed slightly, "save the charm. I'm here to get the job done, not to exchange pleasantries."

"Oh you're feisty. I like that." A small smile teased the corners of the blue Autobot's lips. "I like it alot."

"What's the mission?" rolling your eyes, already feeling the beginnings of a headache.

Optimus projected a hologram from his forearm, displaying a video of a group of individuals from high society, exchanging crates of weaponry with a towering Deception in the background. "For months these humans have been collaborating with the Decepticons. I believe they're providing our enemy with resources for their war effort. Your task is to infiltrate their operation, confirm the extent of their alliance, and eliminate the threat."

"Understood. Let's move out." You spoke with a curt nod.

With a dramatic spin and styled flair, the sound of whirling gears and shifting pistons filled the air, as Mirage transformed into his alt-mode. The Porsche engine growling with a prideful rumble, as he felt your gaze rake over his sleek, silver with cobalt-blue racing stripes. Swinging his passenger door open with a gentleman like gesture towards you.

---

Infiltrating a posh gala where the rich and elite of high society mingled, including the suspected allies of the Decepticons were said to be meeting. Mirage's altmode blended in flawlessly with the other high-end sports cars, which parked outside of the modern mansion. His sensors feeding you information through your comms.

You moved through the crowd with calculated movement, your elegant black attire matching the formal style of the grand ballroom.

"Target spotted." You whispered into the earpiece.

"Which one? 'Mr Tacky Red Tie' talking to the broad dressed in purple?" Mirage teased.

"No." You lowly hissed, scanning the room. "Black suit and tie by the bar... and keep your chatter to a minimum."

The Autobot's laughter crackled softly through your earpiece. "You're at a fancy party, babe. Loosen up."

Rolling your eyes, ignoring his teasing tone while sliding into a seat near your target. The middle-age man didn't notice your presence until you casually ordered a drink, only giving you a slight flirtatious gaze before returning to his own drink.

"Uh, Cobra?" Mirage's serious tone buzzed through your earpiece, snapping you out of a daze that held your attention for the past uneventful moments. "We've got company. Big, stompy, and ugly."

Your eyes flickered towards the mirror behind the bar, catching a glimpse of two brutish mechs that past the far window behind you. One with jagged red plating, while the other had rust covering his gun-metal frame. Their massive frames concealed by Cybertronian cloaking tech, making them nearly invisible to the human eye.

"I see them." Your muttered words remained in your calm tone, while you casually and discreetly followed your target towards the nearest exit.

"Time to bail?" Mirage suggested.

"Not yet. We need confirmation they're handing over Cybertronian tech first-"

"You're gonna get yourself squished!"

But you continued, ignoring Mirage's warning.

Moving towards another spot closer to your location, Mirage's altmode tucked away under an empty driveway, his sensors watching you creep into the garage that was clearly restricted access from the rest of the party.

The dimly lit garage hummed faintly with the energy radiating from the Cybertronian tech scattered around. Kneeling by a crate, your small camera clicked quietly, as you documented the evidence of human-Decepticon collaboration. Each photo capturing damning details: encrypted datapads, energon cubes, and schematics that only a Cybertronian would recognize.

"Cobra," Mirage's voice crackled softly through your comm, his usual playful tone replaced with urgency. "You've got company-two guards heading your way. Twelve meters out and closing fast-"

"Give me thirty more seconds," your words came out in a hushed whisper. Your tone focused, aiming your camera at another crate, snapping pictures as fast you could. "I need to finish this-"

"You don't have thirty seconds, babe. They're gonna be right on top you in about ten. I suggest you-"

"I said almost done-"

Before you could even finish your sentence, barely having time to react before someone grabbed your wrist. Only a small gasp escaped you, as Mirage's human-like holographic form materialized out of nowhere. Pinning your back against the side of his altmode, the space between the wall of the undercover driveway and the Porsche forced the pair of you to be incredibly close.

Opening your mouth, but Mirage raised a finger to your lips. Silencing any protest that dared to murmur from you.

From your perspective, his hologram form looked incredibly lifelike- appearing as tall, well-dressed man who favoured the 90s street fashion. White hair loosely slicked back, while a roguish smirk framed his youthful features. But even through your annoyance, you couldn't help but notice the flicker of faint blue lines that occasionally danced across his 'skin,' a subtle reminder of his true nature.

"Two guards," Mirage whispered, leaning in close enough that you could feel the faint projection of his breath. "They're about to round the corner. Just... follow my lead, and don't overthink this."

Tilting his head and leaning in even closer, lightly pressing his forehead against yours. To an outsider, the position was rather... intimate, almost tender. You stiffened in surprise, your body instinctively tensing as warmth rose to your cheeks.

"What are you doing?" you hissed under your breath, voice barely audible.

"Improvising."

Your eyes widened as his lips softly pressed against yours- not cold, not mechanical but strangely warm and tender. Like the tactile perfection of a hologram designed to flawlessly mimic human touch. You couldn't help but freeze, mind racing as you tried to not lose yourself within the moment.

As the guards rounded the corner, their flashlights swept across the gravel driveway, illuminating the outdoor space. The beams of light stopped abruptly as they landed on upon the pair of you. Feeling the guard's gaze, but Mirage didn't flinch. If anything, he leaned in deeper, one hand cupping to your cheek, as if to sell the act even more.

"Hey!" one guard barked, stepping closer.

From the corner of your eye, seeing Mirage's expression softening, the smirk upon his lips turning into something earnest and... you dare say, endearing.

"Apologies." His smooth, confident charm returned to his tone. Resting his forehead against yours. "We... didn't think anyone else was here. Just... stealing a moment, excuse us."

A scowl flashed across the guard's face, lowering his flashlight slightly. "This is a restricted area. You two shouldn't be here-"

"No problem. We understand." Mirage tilted his head slightly, softly kissing your temple, putting on a sheepish smile. "We just... couldn't resist a little adventure." He glanced down at you, reluctantly playing along, keeping your head turned away from the guards. As if you were embarrassed to be caught.

The second guard lightly chuckled, elbowing his companion. "Leave' em alone, man. Nothing but a couple of lovebirds sneaking off for some... privacy. Let's keep moving."

Hesitating for a moment, the guard's suspicion lingered on the pair of you for a moment longer. Eventually grumbled and turning away, "fine... just don't let the boss catch you"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Mirage called after them, giving you a subtle wink.

Once the guards disappeared back around the corner, their footsteps fading into the distance. Once you were sure they were out of ear shot, you shoved Mirage away, a mixture of irritation and embarrassment across your features.

"What the fuck was that?!"

"Me saving your stubborn, uncooperative ass from getting caught."

"You didn't have to-"

"Didn't I?" Mirage casually interrupted, crossing his arms. "Face it, Agent Cobra, you were this close to blowing the mission. Admit it- I'm good at what I do."

You couldn't help but glare at him, lips pressed into a thin line. "Next time, warn me before you... improvise like that!"

"Sure thing. But admit it, babe- you liked it, didn't you?"

"And stop calling me that!"

Turning your back and not answering, Mirage's holographic form fazed out into nothing as you approached his passenger side. Trying to ignore the lingering warmth upon your lips. But the faint smirk tugging upon your lips, didn't escape the Autobot's attention.

---

Standing under the moonlit sky, adjusting your earpiece after sending the details of mission to your unit and Optimus, of how you and Mirage successfully dismantled the human-Decepticon operation. Confirming that appropriate authorities confiscated, and the conspirators were neutralized.

Your eyes flickering towards Mirage as he rolled out of his altmode, his blue optics looking down at you with soft amusement and curiosity.

"Y'know... for someone who acts like they're all business, you sure know how to have fun. When you decide to let loose."

A small smirk crept upon your lips, melting away your usual sternness, giving way to a rare moment of playfulness. You stepped closer, looking up at him with a glint within your eyes.

"And... for someone who can't take anything seriously and talks too much. You... can be rather charming, just lucky that you're easy on the eyes."

Mirage titled his helm, his optics brightening at your teasing tone. "Did you... just flirt with me, Agent Cobra?"

"Maybe." You spoke with a sly smile. "But don't let it go to your head."

"Wouldn't think of it... Don't be a stranger, babe."

You paused before approaching the black SUV's, glancing back with faint blush dusting your cheeks. "See around, Mirage."

As you climbed into the vehicle and disappeared into the darkness, the blue Autobot chuckled to himself. Feeling his spark hum within in its chamber, making his frame radiant with an unfamiliar warmth.

[prettycalla]

|| good to me ||

Pairing: Ralph Penbury/Reader

Summary: Ralph had been not so subtly sneaking around the house with a camera. You had to find out what he was up to.

Word count: 2.4k

Tags and warnings: Fluff, little slice of (married) life, Ralph is a nuisance (affectionate), reader is she/her, no use of Y/N.

(This was absolutely inspired by the iconic "I have some pictures I took of you when you weren't looking" line. Stay classy, Ralph. The research I had to put in for this tiny fic was unreal, I swear. But look at this gorgeous photo that absolutely saved me when I'd written myself into a corner.)

Ralph Masterlist || Fic Masterlist || Taglist

It was a beautiful morning, in the midst of the sunniest June you had yet seen. Dappled sunlight streamed through the ivory voile curtains, and a gentle breeze whispered through the open bedroom window. The lavender were already in full bloom in the gardens below, their faint scent floating up through the warm air.

This time of the morning was always your favourite. Not so early that you felt as though you had been robbed of sleep, and not so late that the day felt as though it was already slipping out of your grasp.

You sat at your vanity table, still dressed in your pyjamas, as you meticulously removed each little duckbill clip that had held your hair in place overnight. Normally at this time, Ralph would be going through his usual routine of opening and closing one of the clips with little quacking noises to make you laugh, but today he was distracted with something else. You could see a little of what he was doing in the reflection of the mirror that sat in front of you.

“Ralphie,” you called, gently teasing your curls loose with your fingers. “What are you doing?”

The clattering coming from behind you suddenly stopped.

“Oh! I forgot to show you, didn’t I? Silly me. I was in the attic just yesterday, and I found this!” he said excitedly.

He crossed the room to you, holding the object out for you to see with a wide smile on his face.

It was a camera. A slight older model of one, from the looks of it.

“Oh, how lovely,” you said. “Does it still work?”

He turned the camera carefully in his hands as he looked at it.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” he replied with a little frown. “I’m not entirely sure.”

“Well, as long as you’re not trying to take pictures of me while I'm getting ready,” you said with a little laugh, turning your attention back to your hair.

Ralph laughed too. A little too loudly, you noticed.

“Yes, of course,” he replied quickly. “How…vulgar that would be of me.”

He laughed again, nervously this time, before promptly turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

Your eyes narrowed briefly, and then you thought no more of it.

The next few days passed with Ralph absolutely infatuated with his new find. He had managed to figure out how it worked, which he was delighted with, and had insisted upon showing it all to you.

At first, you thought it was quite sweet that he’d taken such a liking to it. But now, you were beginning to find it rather irksome. For starters, he never seemed to put the bloody thing down. You wouldn't mind so much, but trying to have even a simple conversation with him as he was right now was like trying to wade through treacle.

“Ralph,” you said, attempting to keep your tone light. “Do you think perhaps we could have dinner without your new toy on the table?”

His cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and he quickly slid the camera under the tablecloth out of sight.

“Yes, darling, of course,” he muttered, not quite able to meet your eye.

Not only that, but he seemed to be getting more and more underfoot. Quite literally, at times. More than once, you found yourself tripping over him as he attempted to set up a shot of the garden, or of a flower in a vase. He really was all limbs sometimes, particularly as he was now, splayed out on the rug a few metres away from where you sat.

Afternoons like these, when the sun was a little too high for the gardens to be a comfortable resting spot, were perfect for retiring to the library with a book for a few hours, and so that is what you had decided to do.

Of course, it does always help to have quiet when reading, and well...

Ralph, as usual, was anything but quiet. He was rather fond of muttering to himself as he went about his everyday tasks, and right now was no different. You found yourself peering more and more over the top of your book, entirely unable to concentrate.

By the third time he had distracted you, you were quick to notice that the camera in his hands was now aimed at you.

Ralph's eyes met yours, and he only just managed to stop himself from shattering the camera on the floor in his clumsiness.

"Are you alright?" you asked, placing your now quite forgotten book down in your lap.

Ralph stood up a little too straight, looking every which way but at you.

"Yes! Yes, of course," he answered, in that nervous way you had become all too familiar with.

The one that said he was definitely up to something, and was not about to admit to it.

"Are you sure?" you persisted gently, your hands now folded on top of your book as you watched him.

Ralph turned his head quickly. You knew that if he'd had a hand to spare, he would have been pulling at the collar of his shirt in a fretful manner.

Your dear old Ralphie always was so predictable.

"Of course, of course I am," he replied, his laugh more of a nervous titter. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He cleared his throat loudly, looking down at the camera.

"Well now, I must be- I should-"

He trailed off into a non-committal mumble before swiftly leaving the room.

You sat for a moment, your gaze fixed on the door that Ralph had almost fallen through in his haste to leave.

What on earth was wrong with him?

Being married meant that you were more than familiar with Ralph's little quirks - one of them being that he was rather prone to picking up new hobbies and dropping them again as quickly as that. You surmised that in no more than a week, this silly camera business would be long forgotten about, and he would be causing a commotion with some other fad or trinket.

Oh, how wrong you were.

Ralph seemed more enthused with his new pastime than ever, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that that blasted camera seemed to be pointed more and more at you.

While you had to admit to yourself that it was rather endearing in a manner of speaking, it also left you feeling quite uneasy. Couldn't he just ask you, instead of sneaking around as he evidently was? Granted, you never had been the most comfortable with having your photograph taken, but even so. It would be nice for him to ask for your permission.

Perhaps you were overthinking things, you tried to reason with yourself. Perhaps it was simply a coincidence that Ralph seemed to follow you around with his camera. The two of you did spend quite a lot of time together, as married couples tend to do, and so it made sense that it would seem that way.

Besides, there really wasn't a bad bone in Ralph's body, so even if he was up to something, surely no harm would come of it.

Somewhat reassured, you tried to put it to rest.

Until you caught him at it again.

You were in the midst of getting ready for bed one evening, make-up washed off and hair reset for the next day. You had just finished tying your dressing robe around your waist when Ralph had walked in with, unsurprisingly, his camera in tow.

He had been very well behaved the past few days, and so you had thought nothing of it. Until you had turned to adjust one of your hair clips in the mirror of your vanity, and he was doing it again.

You felt your jaw clench. You had tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but this was getting ridiculous now.

Twice was a coincidence, but thrice was certainly a pattern, and by now, you had had quite enough of his odd behaviour. You marched across the room, and Ralph's eyes widened, almost comically, as he saw you approach.

"Give me the camera," you demanded, holding out your hand.

Ralph clutched it to his chest protectively.

"Why?" he asked in a wavering voice.

"Now, Ralph," you insisted.

Hesitantly, he handed it over to you.

"Follow me," you said.

Before he had the chance to reply, you had grabbed his hand and all but pulled him across the room to your vanity table. You sat down on the little velvet bench in front of it, placing the camera on the table so that the lens was facing the mirror.

Ralph stood next to you nervously, unsure as to what to do with himself. You patted the space next to you.

"Sit," you said firmly.

Thankfully, he did as he was told without argument. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but it would more than suffice for what you had in mind.

You placed your hand on top of the camera, positioning your index finger over the shutter button.

"Ralphie," you called in your sweetest voice.

Immediately, Ralph turned his attention to you. Hook, line and sinker, as always. You reached out with your free hand, grabbing him by the collar of his pyjama shirt, and dragged him forward to kiss him. You could hardly stop yourself from smiling as you felt him gasp against your mouth, while your finger pressed down on the button. The camera made a whirring sound, followed by a loud click, and it was only then that you released Ralph from your vice-like grip.

"There," you said with a satisfied smile. "Are you happy now?"

Ralph just stared at you, with the same dazed expression he often had after one too many glasses of sherry.

"I- Well- What?" he managed to stammer.

You tilted your head to one side, feeling rather pleased with yourself. It wasn't the easiest task to render your husband speechless, and so you were always quick to bask in it the rare time you were able to manage it.

"Do you really think I'm stupid?" you asked, raising an eyebrow. "You've been about as subtle as a brick tossed through a window."

Ralph's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink at that.

"Darling, if you'd let me explain," he said quietly, as he fidgeted with the hem of his sleeve.

"Go on, then," you replied, unable to hide your amusement.

"Well, you see I- It's just-"

He stopped himself, taking a little breath.

"I know that you don't particularly enjoy having your photograph taken, and while I think you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, I don't like pushing you to do things that make you uncomfortable. But..."

He trailed off, as if choosing his next words carefully. You said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, I...I thought perhaps I might take some candid photographs of you. You know, whilst you were preoccupied. That way, I wouldn't be bothering you."

Only Ralph could make something as odd as trying to sneak photographs of you sound so...romantic.

"I know I've been quite a pain these past few days," he continued, shyly glancing up at you. "I do hope you'll be able to forgive me."

Now more than ever, you were grateful that Ralph hadn't quite figured out how to make a weapon out of the look he was giving you right now, otherwise you'd be in serious trouble. For how could you possibly remain angry at such a sweet face?

You took his hands in yours, squeezing them gently.

"From now on, just ask me, alright?" you asked. "No more of this 'sneaking around' business. I might not always say yes, but...well, now that I know it means so much to you, I'm certainly willing to try a little more."

Ralph's face lit up at that, and he leaned in to kiss you again.

"Thank you, dear," he replied, his forehead pressed lightly against yours. "I couldn't possibly ask for more."

It was a week or so before Ralph returned home with his developed photographs. He almost tripped over the threshold of the door in his haste to bring them to you. Without warning, he all but threw himself into the space on the settee next to you. You wisely set aside the embroidery you had been working on.

"They're here!" he said excitedly. "I just picked them up an hour ago. I haven't opened them yet, even though I've been just dying to."

As contagious as Ralph's excitement always was, you found yourself feeling a little nervous as he tore through the large brown envelope and began eagerly flipping through each print. A good deal of them were out of focus or off-centre, but he had definitely begun to improve as time went on.

Then he stopped suddenly, and you felt your heart stammer against your ribcage.

There it was. The photograph you had taken together. Of the two of you kissing, framed by the gilded mirror. Ralph's eyes were wide open in surprise, and yours were shut just a little too tight. It was a little blurred, and the camera took up a great deal of room, but...

You carefully reached out to lift it, looking over each and every little detail.

It was perfect.

"You certainly have the makings of a photographer in you, darling," Ralph said softly.

You turned to look at him, and the fond look on his face set your heart aflutter all over again.

"Perhaps we might keep this one to ourselves," you replied shyly. "Think of the scandal it would cause, hanging it in the sitting room."

You laughed nervously, expecting Ralph to do the same, but instead he shook his head.

"Oh, let people talk," he murmured, with quiet sincerity in his voice. "As if it's a scandal to love my beautiful wife as much as I do."

You could feel yourself becoming rather overcome with emotion, and you turned your attention back to the photograph in your hands.

He was right. What did it matter, really?

You felt Ralph's arm wrap carefully around your waist, his hand giving your hip a gentle squeeze. You laid your head on his shoulder, expelling a soft breath, and allowed yourself a rare moment of quiet together.

Perhaps Ralph's ridiculous notions for hobbies weren't always quite so ridiculous after all.

Taglist: @glassbxttless @getaapologist @robinbuckleywife @bib200

(You can join the taglist here! If you wish to be removed, please let me know!)

[airas-story]

I'm not really a "omg this is his/her/their song!" type of person, which is why I was completely thrown by surprise when I heard this song (live, too!) and suddenly thought, "Well, shit, that is Stephen and Tony." It wasn't the first time I heard the song at all, it just happened to be the live concert that brought the thought.

Hopefully the link goes through to the lyric video: https://youtu.be/ydWYlx8wexg?si=KvWdvUvpbmSxHGUb

If it does not, look up Last of the Real Ones from Fall Out Boy.

It's specifically the verses and bridge (and yeah, the therapist line lmao) that call out to me. Verse 1 sounds like Stephen to Tony, verse 2 opposite, and the bridge either/both. But that's just my thought. I'd love some sort of prose based on the whole vibe of this song. Any section, any genre, literal or figurative, it's really about the *vibes*. And I figure that might be an interesting prompt for you that also allows a lot of creative freedom. Hope you have fun!

Okay, so I really do love this song. And I swear, after you sent it in, it kept popping up. My playlist, on streaming, with my sister. You name it, it showed up. The problem... I had so many ideas, some of which were very much off the wall. Deciding was a problem. The one I ended up with wasn't quite where I expected to go with it, though. Still, I hope you enjoy.

“You know, I one time told the Avengers that the reason we fought was so one day we didn’t have to fight, so that one day we could go home.”

Stephen looked over at Tony where they sat side by side on a glass hovercraft, alongside the ocean and looking out into the city. The street lights shone down a faint red, leaving the night sky so much more visible than Stephen remembered it being when he’d first moved to New York what felt like several lifetimes ago. 

“Been a long time since either of us have had to fight,” Stephen said. And it was true. Between science and magic they’d strengthened the dimensional and atmospheric barriers keeping out those that would hurt them; with diplomacy and outreach they’d strengthened relations, both with other dimensions and alien planets; with a mix of all four the world itself had started to know something close to a Utopia. Stephen didn’t dare call anything Utopia, because everything could get better.

“Funny then, isn’t it, that we fought the fight so we could go home and…”

Stephen understood. What home did they have to go to? They were the last of the world of superheroes, a dying breed of a bygone age. The world didn’t need them anymore, not in that capacity. And it was a reason for sheer joy. 

But where did a pair of immortals go, when their duty was done?

“You know,” Stephen said. “That last alien ambassador claimed they could use a few scientists to spread our findings on resource replenishment.”

“There’s already a team in place,” Tony mused. “But I’m sure there’s room for two more. And then that one dimension—what is it, the Glish dimension?—has been hosting decade-long seminars to share knowledge. Their magic is different from yours, you can never know too much.”

“There’s more than just a whole new world,” Stephen said. “We’ve got an infinity of them.”

They’d saved their world, helped and aided, and then stepped back as the world had risen up to help itself. They weren’t meant to be saviors anymore. Stephen wasn’t sure what they were meant to be and that was fine. 

Everything ended, even, perhaps, infinity. Stephen didn’t know if that was how long he and Tony had, neither of them did, but this era of their lives had ended. Time to begin a new one.

[starlight-and-snowflakes]

5 strategies that have improved my executive functioning in 2023

1. Preparing tasks in advance

This tip has been one of the most useful things for me to be able to actually get the things I want to do done without getting stuck in the process. I am very prone to difficulties with task initiation and task switching. Basically I've found that if I check what activities are upcoming for that day in my calendar (but you can use any task that you want to do sometime that day) then I set the task up in advance it's a lot easier to actually do the task.

So if my goal is to stream after dinner then I turn my pc on and have my setup ready to go before dinner. If I want to do a Pilates workout I set up my mat an hour before I actually want to do the workout. If I want to go to the gym I get into gym clothes at the start of the day so I don't have to change later.

I basically eliminate all the difficult prep work and then I find doing the task so much easier when I get to it.

2. Task switching when stuck

A lot of neurodivergent people have issues with getting 'stuck' or 'frozen', myself included. Whether it's autistic inertia or decision paralysis or something else it's very common to find yourself unable to do anything at all. You'll know that even if you put your phone away or stop what you're doing you'll just continue to sit there doing nothing.

The solution to this for me has consistently been to switch goal. I want to get up and shower but can't? I'll find that I can pull my laptop out and get some work done instead (and then shower after lunch later in the day). I am stuck when I want to stream? I find I can do my skincare instead (and I ended up streaming the next day).

Yes this means you don't get your original goal done when you wanted but you get something done, and something is better than nothing.

3. Task chaining

I've found that task chaining is the easiest way for me to get multiple tasks done. It's basically building upon your success. Take the example from my task switching section where I couldn't get myself to start streaming so I decided to do my skincare instead. While doing skincare I remembered I wanted to ask my brother about a particular product. So suddenly I'm capable of going to ask him about it. I couldn't even get out of bed before but now I have the motivation to move (I keep my skincare next to my bed so I didn't have to get up prior to this). After talking to him I decide I can go downstairs and make tea (something I originally wanted to do before streaming but was too stuck to do). While downstairs my mother tells me that she has a pile of laundry for me. I decide to take it back upstairs and put it away immediately. While doing so I figure I may as well sort all the laundry that's piled up on my floor as well.

I've gone from not doing anything to completing 4 separate tasks. If I wanted to get up and put the clothes on my floor away originally I'd never have been able to do it. I built on my successfully completed tasks and chained them together. Of course you should still remember to rest after chaining a number of tasks together.

4. Prioritise harder tasks earlier

I get all my energy at the start of the day and feel quite tired by the end of the day. This is how most people feel due to how our circadian rhythms function. Because of this I have found it's a lot easier to get difficult tasks done in the morning.

So now instead of trying to clean my room or go to the gym at 5pm I'll do it at 9am. I'll save 5pm for my easy tasks, things like studying Korean, meditating, studying geography, and coding. Take some time to figure out which tasks you find easy and which you find hard. If you consistently find yourself unable to do a task that's a hint that it's difficult for you. Vice versa if you're consistently capable of a task it might be a sign it's an easier one for you.

5. Using an AI scheduler

I saved this one for last, not because it's ineffective, it's actually made a huge difference in my life. But it does cost money to take full advantage of this so I put it down the bottom. Still there's a lot to be said for using an AI scheduler. I hate choosing what to do and have always preferred to be told what tasks I should do each day. It also takes a huge amount of mental energy to decide what tasks I should do when each week and organise them in advance.

Enter Reclaim, the AI scheduler of my dreams (there are lots of other ones on the market too like Motion! Take a look around and see if you can find one you like but unfortunately they all seem paid). Reclaim does have a free version but for me their paid version is necessary to achieve my goals.

I set up all my tasks and habits in Reclaim, I can customise how often I want to do things, how long they should take, and what hours I have free. Then I just check my calendar each day and see what tasks I'm meant to do. If I end up taking more time than expected I just hit the 'reschedule' button on a task and it's automatically slotted in somewhere else that week. This has definitely made one of the biggest changes to my quality of life I could probably make a whole separate post about using Reclaim.

That's all the tips that have worked for me this year so far, maybe some of them might help you!

[marshallpupfan]

Ten Things I LIKED About Season 11!

Okay, that post I made last night about season 11 was, at times, pretty negative. I don't always enjoy being like that, so instead of focusing on the bad, I figured I'd talk about some of the good! No sarcasm, no hate... just positive (paw-sitive?) vibes in this post!

A lot of these are in no particular order, by the way. They're more or less listed as I remembered them. 😄

1 - Sending Off the Old Animation with A Boom(er)!

Again, the last two Rescue Wheels episodes, despite looking like they belong in season 10, are officially listed under season 11! They're also the last to use the old animation.

And, for my money, it was a fine sendoff! Rescue Wheels: Pups Save a Runaway Truck is, in my opinion, one of the best episodes in a long time! For starters, they brought in a new writer for this one, and he really knew how to bring in some genuine humor to the mix! Boomer, himself was also legit great here, which further cemented him as another one of my favorite pups in PAW Patrol. The mission, itself was also quite good, and it gave me my dream team of Chase and Marshall, so bonus points there!

Overall, it's a fun episode, and a fine goodbye to the animation that stuck with us for over ten years.

And now, one of my favorite exchanges from the segment;

Danny: I'm sure you've got a big monster truck stunt to do! Boomer: Uh, yeah, biggest stunt, ever. Danny: I bet it's something X-treme! Like, a big jump! Oh, over the draw bridge! OOH, WITH FIREWORKS!! Boomer: Uh... yeah. It's... definitely all that. And more! Danny: No way! Can I watch?? Boomer: Are you kidding? Bring your camera and live stream it so everyone else can watch, too. Danny: Good idea! Boomer: [to Frankie].........we're gonna need fireworks, fast.

2 - An Air Rescue Fire Emergency!

As I've mentioned before, fires were more or less banned in the TV series for the longest time. Sure, we saw relatively harmless ones, like camp fires, but what about uncontrolled fires? We got one in season 1, and we didn't get another until season 10! Whether we have the theatrical movies to thank for that or something else entirely, I'm just glad the ban has finally been lifted! After all, it lead to Fire Rescue being a thing!

Before that subseries hit, however, we got even more fires in "Air Rescue - Pups Save A Rocket-Powered Pogo Stick". Depending on who you ask, it's arguably the best episode of Air Rescue! Fun mission, actual stakes, and even the ground crew got to help out! It was good, and it let us know that fires are here to say, and we won't just see them in Ultimate Fire Rescues.

3 - Zuma and Hurricane Harrigan

It's not too often we get an episode that involves Zuma at the center of the plot. It's even rarer still when Hurricane Harrigan shows up. In all honesty, the two are practically made for each other! Thus, when this segment popped up, I think most of us enjoyed it due to that aspect, alone! No doubt many of us want this team-up to happen again... soon, we hope!

4 - Marshall and Everest are... PENGUINS??

Okay, this looks so weird... and I love it. It's silly moments like this I tend to appreciate, since it's the pups just goofing off and having pure fun. I think I can speak for most of us when I say that, when the pups are having a good time, we, the viewers, will likely have one, too!

5 - Hey, Humdinger was Pretty Funny Here!

"Hum-Patrol to the Rescue" was, much to my surprise, a fun episode! What's even more surprising? Mayor Humdinger was legit good in it! And funny! Despite how often he shows up, and how often a lot of us tend to get tired of seeing him involved in the plot, I must admit, I still like the character, and it's segments like this that remind me of why. When done right, Mayor Humdinger can be quite entertaining, and this is certainly proof of that.

I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I even enjoyed him breaking the fourth wall in this one. Hey, as much as I still like Marshall's wipeouts, even I get a chuckle out of Mayor Humdinger questioning whether he actually does this every time or not. 😄

6 - A Forgotten Gag, Brought Back!

Naturally, because of how much I love Marshall, I tend to take notice when certain things about him disappear. His EMT Gear being absent (again) is a good example. Strangely, Marshall's gag of falling down his firetruck ladder was another thing that just seemed to vanish over time. Admittedly, I never fully understood why.

Much to my surprise, season 11 brought it back! Twice, in fact! And hey, both were rather good and got a chuckle out of me. Personally, as long as no one gets hurt, it doesn't happen too often, and it's done in pure humor, I'll always enjoy it. I just love his "I'm good!" after it happens. 😄

7 - Robo-Arrby

Okay, how can you not like this?? "Pups Save the Baddies", from what I've noticed, tends to be a personal favorite for some fans, and no doubt Arrby is one reason why. In fact, even I must admit that, when this pup shows up, it's almost always worth it! That's certainly true here, too. Although his time in the segment was brief, it's certainly one most of us won't forget!

...And yes, everyone fell for his disguise, if only for a brief time. I guess Arrby's just that good at what he does! 😅

8 - More Handicapped Representation

When done right, representation can be a great thing. We got our first handicapped character in season 7, when Rex joined up with the pups to help them out in the Dino Wilds. Although his back legs can't function, it didn't stop him from still being a major asset to the team. A handful of seasons later, we finally got another handicapped character. This time, it's a human named Lizzy, and she's the owner of Adventure Bay's new lemonade stand. As you can see, she's missing her left hand, but the cartoon makes it clear that such a thing won't stop her from doing what she wants to do in life.

I'm not handicapped myself, so I'm not the best person to talk about this sort of thing. However, I have to imagine something like this can be inspiring, at least to some degree, to viewers... especially any child who might be handicapped and can relate to this, in some way or another. That, alone, can be powerful. What's just another character to me, might mean the world to someone else.

9 - The Many Cute Moments from the Pups!

Okay, in all fairness, every season gives us cute moments... but hey, I still wanted to give it a shout out, anyway! And one that jumps out to me right away, outside of Marshall and Everest acting like penguins, was the wipeout from "Fire Rescue: Pups Save a Baby Goat's Birthday". During the chaos, Marshall got some cake icing on his face, and it formed a monocle, a mustache, and top hat. A little crazy, and perhaps forced, but dang, did it ever get a chuckle out of me. I know some believe Marshall's wipeouts aren't as good as they used to be, but I'd argue they still manage to deliver every now and then, and this one's no exception! Welcome back, Dapper Marshall! 😆

10 - Last, and Hopefully Not Least... Fire Rescue!

Despite what others might say, I still profess that Fire Rescue is a highlight of season 11. Regardless of its flaws, for my money, there's still plenty to like here! Seeing the clumsy yet fully capable Marshall lead the team, the great-looking vehicles and outfits (I'll admit, I like that they made Marshall's outfit brown, like an actual fireman's outfit), the cartoon continuing to feature fires, among other things. It may not be the best subseries, but hey, it doesn't have to be! Despite its shortcomings, I still thought it was fun! I enjoyed my time with it, and I'd love to see it again... perhaps someday soon, I hope!

Incidentally, while the final episode of season 11 didn't involve Fire Rescue, we could still see the new fire station in the background at one point. I like this! It lets us know that, just because it's not in use, the cartoon's not going to forget about it. It assures me that we very likely will go back to it, someday ! Nice, nice!

Honorable Mention - THIS GREATNESS

Although Marshall's my favorite pup in the cartoon, and hands-down one of my all-time favorite animated characters, I'll happily admit that Chase is pretty high up on my list of favorite PAW Patrol characters, too. As far as I'm concerned, he's the man, and he'll always be great in my books. Besides, he's the reason I first started watching PAW Patrol, so I gotta love 'em. And, naturally, I really like the friendship he and Marshall share, and I especially love it when the cartoon allows them to hang out and, of course, work together. It's my dream team, as I often mention... a lot, no doubt.

And, as you can imagine, when one of the Fire Rescue episodes gave us this moment, the two side-by-side like this... oh yeah, a big ol' thumbs up from me! Hey, say what you will about the episode, or even about me, but I'll never get tired of this. 🤩

[dashxero]

Carmen Sandiego Redesign Project: Members of VILE

Over a week ago, I redesigned Carmen Sandiego because of a conversation I'd had at lunch. This past week, I'd gone about redesigning other members of VILE. These are my thoughts on each:

Carmen Sandiego:

When redesigning Carmen, I wanted her to look "actiony." I had to try really hard not to make her sexy. I did away with her trench coat in favor of a tek poncho, and figured that giving her a catsuit would add to the action-appeal I was going for. I gave the catsuit ninja toes to imply a swiftness of movement.

The Carmen Sandiego I'm envisioning here is not new to the game, but not quite heavily seasoned. Probably a few years out from having left ACME Detective Agency. Not quite at the level of stealing monuments, cities, and entire islands, but she's getting there.

Patty & Gren Larceny:

Redesigning Patty Larceny helped me figure out the ethos behind VILE in this head-fiction I've allowed to abscond with me. The members of VILE are all in it for the love of the game.

In doing research, I discovered that Patty was always a youngster (but back when I was a kid, I thought she was grown). Here, I decided to stick with that. I wanted to make a character whose first heist was the theft of her daddy's credit card, and she was never punished or scolded for doing so. Probably looks up to Carmen as a role model.

I imagine her as being a kleptomaniac proficient in sleight of hand - easily able to steal smallish objects. Likely a master of diversion tactics - which is where her dog, Gren, would come in. Patty carries Gren on her coat (it's faux fur - she has a conscience). Well, Patty probably carries everything in her coat. If she got hit or took a tumble, everything she'd stolen would likely fall out like Sonic's rings.

Vic The Slick:

Right away, I knew that I wanted to make Vic the Slick a bishonen. When blocking out the face, I noticed that he resembled Prince - so I leaned into it. Prince is the original bishonen after all. My mission was to make Vic the Slick fuckable. And I knew I succeeded when my moderator came into the stream while I was working on him, and said, "Oh, he can get it."

When designing Vic, I leaned into a couple of things I'd only tried in thumbnails for a client or two, but clients never really dug - for example, the high-waisted skinny slacks-turtle neck combo. I did away with his original color scheme in favor of something a little more modern. in order to add the "used car salesman vibes" back into the character, I gave him gold chains.

I imagine this Vic the Slick as VILE's fence and HUMINT specialist. A smooth talker. If there were a fight scene, he'd probably be scrambling around trying to get help from the other members of the crew.

Eartha Brute:

I think the most drastic changes I've made to any member of VILE has to be what I've done with Eartha Brute. I've essentially reimagined her as a former pro wrestler - likely a heel - who got sick of constantly having to "do the job" and was never pushed or given a title shot. She wears the prize of her first heist on her waist.

It was important to me that I retained some semblance of her original color scheme - the pink of her costume and the green highlights in her hair.

When designing her tattoo, I was initially worried because tattoo design isn't really my forte. But in this instance, it just kind of flowed.

I imagine Eartha as the muscle - someone you call in when something or someone big has to be moved. In my mind, she travels kind of like the Hulk. By leaping large distances.

Robo-Crook:

Robo-Crook, in this head-fiction, was a former mobster who was caught stealing/embezzling from his boss and operation, and nearly perished as a result. Science was able to save him? He uses his second chance at life to continue stealing whatever he can. For the love of the game.

Robo-Crook's accessories and pinstripe panels were things he probably requested to make him feel like he was dressed sharp and presentable.

I imagine he functions as the old wise member of the group who is also a tech specialist.

I also threw them all together to see if they fit. And they do. There. It's all out of my head. I can move on and continue my sculpt of Anura.