#Hmmm I mean it’s a full colored piece but

[leafatlaw]

T4T SHADOWROT !!!!!!!!!!!!! @mcyt-yuri-week

[undreaming-fanfiction]

Just Wanna Bewitch You In The Moonlight

Written for @steddieangstyaugust - Day 7: Moonlight. Another cursed statue Steve because I have been sitting on this idea for ages. Title from Ghost lyrics.

The garden of the Harrington manor was quiet when Eddie snuck in. He already knew all the patrols, cameras, everything important. It wasn't like he wanted to steal something anyway, the worst he could get charged with was trespassing. Or at least he hoped so - Harringtons weren't exactly the most forgiving bunch.

He soon found what he was looking for. A statue of a handsome young man, reaching for the sky. There was something sad about him, the curve of his lips, forever frozen in a wistful smile. Just as beautiful as he was a month ago. 

"Hi, sweetheart," muttered Eddie and squeezed his stone hand. He sat down at its feet, leaned against the statue's legs and waited. The sky was clear today, he could even see stars through the light pollution, so it would not take long. If only the moon hurried up.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Eddie leaned back and smiled at the upside vision of the handsome boy, now with color in his cheeks. "Hi, sweetheart," he repeated, pulling him down for a kiss.

The statue obliged. "Hi yourself. I don't mean to rush you, but can I have my legs back? I'd like to stretch for a bit."

"Sure thing, Stevie." Eddie quickly moved away and offered the statue - Steve - a hand so he could leave his pedestal. He seemed uncertain on his feet for a moment, but soon he was on the ground and doing stretches that Eddie would never even consider. "I'm always amazed that this is what you want to do with your precious time," he laughed and watched Steve stretch his calves.

"And I always tell you that if you have to stay still for a month, your body will scream for a good stretch," Steve smiled at him and changed legs. "I'm more amazed that you still haven't given up. It has to be annoying, always having to come here. How long has it been?"

Eddie pretended to count on his fingers. "Hmmm, let me see…two decades, give or take. I was nine when I met you, I'll soon be thirty. Why, are you counting?"

"I lose track. Still, I feel guilty about it. You should be living your own life too, you know." Steve finally stood up and nudged Eddie's side. "I'd understand if you wanted to quit. I can't ask you to keep doing this for the rest of your life."

Eddie caught Steve's hand, swinging it back and forth. "You don't have to."

..

They always did this, ever since Eddie was a child roaming the Harrington grounds where his uncle worked. He couldn't sleep one day and got lost in the fancy maze that was the estate's garden. The moonlight made everything so pale, it was difficult to find his way back to Wayne's shed. Eddie was getting tired and cold, but he wasn't about to panic. He just needed to catch his breath. He half collapsed against another piece of art that Harringtons had collected over the years.

And then, just as the full moon showed up in all her glory, the statue that Eddie was leaning against moved.

Eddie was so terrified he couldn't even scream, he just fell backwards into a thorny bush. Before he knew it, the statue rushed to him, pulled him back up and started fussing over him. "Are you okay?" it asked. "I overheard you talking to yourself, you're going the wrong way. The shed is further to the right, come with me."

It took Eddie's hand and swung it back and forth, establishing a brisk pace with Eddie skipping next to it. They didn't really talk, but when Eddie was back safe with Wayne, he saw a moonlit figure give a small wave.

After that, Eddie would go to visit the statue every night, but it never moved. It just stared towards the stars, as if it was reaching out to grab the moon itself.

It finally happened a month later, at another full moon. Eddie thought that maybe he'd hallucinated the whole thing at that point, maybe he just hit his head when he fell into the bushes, but as the moonlight hit the statue, it yawned and stretched its arms. "Oh," it said when it noticed Eddie, "you're back? I hope you don't end up like a pin cushion this time."

After that, they talked. A lot. The statue was called Steve, and he didn't always use to be a statue. He never really knew the scorned witch who cursed him, or what he did to her. "I used to be a real jerk back in the day," he smiled at young Eddie. "Maybe I trampled over her herbs when I was rushing back home after another party. Maybe I knocked into her. Or maybe it wasn't even me, maybe my dad did something nasty to her. He isn't really the nicest person."

"The old Mr. Harrington?" Eddie asked. "But he's like, ninety? How long have you been here?"

Steve shrugged, stretching his arms. "Hard to say. I only get to fully wake up every full moon. The rest of the time, things are hazy. But I think I got cursed in nineteen thirty two. I was twenty then."

Eddie's jaw dropped. "Wow. That has to suck. Does your dad ever come and visit you? Maybe try and break the curse?"

"Not really." Maybe it was just the moonlight playing tricks on him, but Steve's smile seemed sad. "He doesn't believe in the whole magical mumbo jumbo, you see. Or that's what he used to call it. He's ashamed that I made a spectacle out of our family."

"But it might not have even been you!" blurted out Eddie. That's not fair!"

Steve reached out and ruffled his hair. "I know. He tried bribing the witch, but that didn't work. Then he tried to destroy me or move me, but that's impossible. So he just ignores that I'm around. He used to send someone to leave a snack for me, before I woke up, maybe to ease his conscience, but now that he's old, I don't think he remembers me anymore. Maybe it's better for him this way. And since another part of the curse is that I can't leave the garden...he doesn't really have to worry about anyone finding out about me."

He fell silent, but Eddie's mind did anything but that. He stood up and grasped Steve's shoulders. "Well, fuck your dad."

Steve blinked at him. "Hey, aren't you too young to swear like that?"

"Fuck that too. And shush, I have something important to say. I, Edward Munson, herefore...ther....I mean, I promise on my soul that I'll find a way to free you." Eddie was grinning at him, but there was something in his eyes that made Steve take that promise seriously.

"Eddie. I appreciate it, really do. But you don't have to do that. I'm fine."

Steve smiled at him as he said it, he tried to sound persuasive, self-assured. But that scrawny kid in front of him just rolled his eyes and, much to Steve's surprise, patted his head. "Now now. Wayne says that pretending to be okay isn't cool, so we're not doing that. I'm keeping my promise, Steve. You'll see."

..

The evening was colder than usual. Eddie threw a blanket over himself and Steve, cuddling close. "The research is going well, you know. Dustin believes he found the origin of the curse, or at least some of the components. He believes we have a real shot at freeing you."

"I still can't believe you roped other people into this," laughed Steve. "How did you even get them to humor you and come here? Did you just tell them that you met a cursed statue when you were a kid, and they just went with you?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised how curious these little assholes are. Not so little now, they're starting college, but they're all committed. Especially Max, she considers it an insult we haven't solved it yet."

Steve sighed, staring into distance. "College already? I met them when they were barely teenagers. Time flies so fast."

"Not for you, baby," whispered Eddie and kissed Steve's cheek. "Not for you."

It was soon time to part. Steve's hands grew colder and more stiff by the minute, pulled back into their original position. As life gradually left Steve's body, Eddie repeated his promise again, just like he had for twenty years. He didn't know if Steve could hear him at this point, but it didn't matter. It was equally for both of them.

Maybe they would finally set him free in a year, five, or twenty. Maybe Eddie would be older, full of wrinkles and with grey streaks in his hair, while Steve would still be young and handsome. It wouldn't matter, as long as Eddie could see him walk past that garden's gate, feel the sun on his skin again.

Steve might have been worried about the day that Eddie would inevitably stop coming. Maybe he'd give up, or something would happen to him. Maybe, as he told Eddie many times, he'd finally find a life purpose that would bring him happiness.

But Eddie made a promise, and as long as he was alive and breathing, as long as he had anything to say about the matter, one thing was certain: Steve Harrington would never be alone on full moon again.

[e-vay]

I'm trying to get into drawing and wanted to ask how you get yourself to draw your little low detail comics (like that 1000 kisses amy's birthday comic) instead of constantly drawing full pages (like in "My Gal"), because I keep trying to do these big full page pieces with backgrounds and everything but I'm still incredibly new to drawing and I need to get good at the small things that I think I could get better at by just doodling small things but whenever I try to get myself to doodle I just cant get myself to doodle. Have you ever had that problem?

Hmmm… this is a good question but it’s difficult to answer...

For myself, I draw those little doodle comics because:

1: they’re SUPER fun for me to draw. I just love them. I used to draw little Sonic stick drawings all the time as a kid and this is just an evolution of that

2: I don’t have time to draw all the ideas I have because I have about a zillion in my brain at once, so to get them out I’ll doodle them because then at least they’re out of my brain. So for me, it’s productive as well as fun.

I guess my main motivation is just I want to bring my ideas to life one way or another, and sometimes a little sketch will satiate me haha

I’m not sure if this will help or not, but my personal advice is to not put so much pressure on yourself. I firmly believe we should all make art because we love it, not because we feel like we need to do it. So if you don’t find joy in doing little doodles or sketches, then don’t! Sure that may mean it’ll take you longer to do the full scale comics you say you want to do, but if those more complicated pieces are what make you happy then you should go for it.

Also, don’t feel like you have to be publishing fully rendered, full-background, multi-page comics right away if you’re not ready for it. You can start with just a few panels. You can start without backgrounds. You can start with line comics only and then progress to color (IF you want).

NOBODY starts at an expert level. We all have to build our way up, but it’s okay to do it in a nonlinear way.

This was wordy and I’m not sure if it exactly answered your question, but at the very least I hope it’ll make you feel a little better about your situation.

[fourseasonsfigs]

Building Block Figs - Catching Light

Continuing on from the last Building Block Figs - Basking in the Sun and Building Block Figs - Beautiful Fight Scene in the Middle of the Lake, Part 1 and Part 2, we have this wonderful set.

These figs make me laugh - I love them so much! I don't know why, I just find them ridiculously charming.

This building block set is 1,544 pieces, measures 8.4 x 17.6 x 15.6 cm, and is rated 10 hours. I did indeed take all 10 hours to build this, if not a little bit more.

Here is the sales pic of what the finished product is supposed to look like:

Cute, isn't it? As usual, sellers do a much better job of setting the scene than I do. I will say, though, that I did make two little tweaks to the set to make it a bit more canon compliant. Can you spot them?

It'll be easier to tell as we get better pictures, so I'll get into it!

First, here's the box of doom bricks. Like the others, this came in a generic sales box, with a super handy little unsnapping tool, and a sticker with a black and white image of the set and QR code instructions.

Once again, you'll notice my line up of extra bricks from the previous sets hanging out in quasi-neat little rows. Originally I figured I'll leave them all out in case I ran short of any, but in reality, this set maker gives me extras of each color every time. Which is handy, as you will see for later posts, when I make some adjustments to the fig sets to make them a bit more canon compliant.

As you can see, there's a LOT of extra bricks left over. To be honest, there shouldn't be so many white bricks - those are from another set that I made a major change to. I'll post about that one tomorrow.

Here's the different order of assembly - I went ahead and started with the base and tree, as they suggest.

As you can see, this is a very beautiful terrain here. I did not remember this area being so green and flowery from the show - in fact, I remember it being kind of sandy and desolate, but my memory is pretty lousy, there might be a scattered flower or so. Let's check.

HUH. There is not a flower in sight, is there. Hmmm. Well, this is kind of gonna bother me. Maybe I should have looked up the inspiration before putting together the entire 10 hour plus set, huh! Well, the little flowers are easy enough to lever off.

Hmm, anyway, moving on (for now).

So a couple things here. First, as you can see, there are only two green colors. I mean, one normal color really - the light green here is actually a neon green. It's brighter than it looks here. It looks great here, don't get me wrong, but now all I can see is the very sandy terrain of that screenshot.

Second, I tried something a little different here. It actually takes a long time to sort all the individual bricks, so in an attempt to shave off some time, I decided to experiment with this set. As you can see, I dumped the entire bag out to the right and am just picking out individual pieces as I go.

You'll note it's now evening. This tree took a LONG time to build. I actually timed myself up to this point, and to get to this mostly-done state took 2 hours and 58 minutes. I was pushing hard, too, because I really, really wanted to get the whole tree done that evening before I went to bed. But there was no way. I was too tired and was hitting the point where it was less fun and more work. So, despite really not wanting to, I summoned my inner adult and called it a day here.

Fast forward through time to the next day, and I'm all bright eyed and ready to bust this tree out. And it's done! I like this tree a whole lot...I think they did a beautiful job modeling it. Imagine if they had the full Lego suite of colors and special pieces! It would be really something. I kind of like it this way though (although I would take more colors, I can't lie). It really has an old-school style charm.

You can see the grey rock there where Lao Wen will be propped up against. And of course, the cheerful greenery and pink and yellow flowers.

Feeling VERY accomplished, I put the tree aside, and moved on to A-Xu.

Yep, looks pretty good. I was a little surprised they picked the medium blue color instead of the dark blue color, considering how bright the dark blue color actually is. But this looks fine too.

I am going to proudly say that I did, in fact, knock this fig out in record time. I've put together two and a half A-Xu figs by now (the half is going to be explained tomorrow, I promise!), so this third one went like a breeze.

As you can see in the back, I couldn't help myself, I was starting to make a few little piles of the colors I was working on. The big messy pile of bricks was kind of a pain, and I had to keep resisting the urge to sort them out.

And here he is! All done. He has a very solemn no-expression on his little brick face, which is appropriate. Can you see how there's a little bit of a neck (nothing too saucy or anything), the thin white layer of his under-robe, and then the lighter blue layer? I love it. Very charming. We also have his black belt with a bit of the tails.

It was yet another evening by this time, but since I did manage to finish him before I went to bed, I did indeed sleep the sleep of the righteous.

I woke up even brighter eyed and with pep in my step, ready to rock this last fig out. 10 hour assembly time? I don't think so!

I had now made three Wen Kexing brick figures, so the fourth one was gonna be just as quick as A-Xu was, no doubt. I pulled up the instructions on my phone, and got ready to go. 95 steps for our battle-weary Valley Master, huh? Huh. That's kind of a lot. But considering A-Xu was 85, not too bad. The tree was 119, by the way.

As I looked at the picture, however, I noticed that they had Lao Wen's (virtually) omnipresent hair wispies here. Given that this red wedding costume is the one outfit where his hair is pulled back all the way, it kind of bugged me. Which is funny because I've never liked how he doesn't have the wispies with this hair style on the show. It's my least favorite look on him, which is too bad, because I did like how they at least mixed his hairstyles up some. In my defense, I feel like I'm right (so right!) about how much better he looks with the wispies with this hair style, because you could see it at the concert. And he looked spectacular.

Anyway. Warring between my extreme desire for him to have the wispies and the simple fact of it not being canon, I started to build.

I got the first big chunk done very quickly indeed. Many of these figs are done where you do a big piece, and then set it aside while you work separately on the next piece. This is where I was.

And that's where I stayed, for a long time. I built this piece three times. I had to completely disassemble the entire thing the first time I built it, because I was off on my brick count, and the second time I had to disassemble it down to the first third.

Part of the problem was the way the directions were. As you can see, they still have the first "set it aside" part showing up on the directions directly under the new piece. Unfortunately, all that red blended into each other when I rotated the image around, and it was very easy to accidentally think I needed more or less pieces than I actually did.

I went ahead and built it with the wispies, as directed...and then just couldn't do it. I disassembled half the head and re-built it again without them. I also think that this fig, just like Lao Wen, does not look as good without them, but canon is canon.

Unfortunately, it was so late and I was so tired by the time I finished him (and yet also pretty jubilant), that I forgot to take a pic of the finished fig! Yes, I literally finished this set late last night, despite my best intentions of finishing it up and then triumphantly posting about it on the same day. It did, in fact, take longer than the 10 hours build time.

It took a long time, in general. My finger tips have actually toughened up a bit, so they don't feel sore from snapping the bricks in place, but my neck isn't all that pleased with me from hunching over these various sets for so long. So, I've been taking a few more breaks to stretch and do other things.

But, I woke up early today, and very happily took this set's beauty pics in the clear light of the morning. I love it!

I love how this set all fits together. We have the tree growing over the edge of the base, and Lao Wen there leaning up against the rock. A-Xu is standing with his elegant posture, and their little brick hands are reaching out to each other. Cute cute cute!

Wow, this light is great. I clearly should get up early to take fig pics more often.

The tree looks great, I think (and not just because I spent hours building it!).

This is a good view of the rocks behind Lao Wen here, and his big ponytail (I do like this part of his hairstyle).

The green doesn't look so bad on the ground, I think. I'll pull off the yellow and pink flowers, and maybe make a brown patch on the corner closest to A-Xu. That'll keep it colorful but make it a bit more like the show.

A-Xu's hair looks great, as usual. You can also see how I removed the wispies on Lao Wen's hair. I'll get a close up later so you can see it better.

Shoot, not my best pic - can't really see any of the detail on A-Xu's glorious night-black hair.

There we go, now you can. Oops, I see I knocked a tiny piece out of kilter on the bottom of his hair, I'll have to fix that. But! Here you can see both changes I made from the instructions - the lack of wispies of course, and then I made Lao Wen's guan gold instead of white. This took a while too, because I didn't have enough yellow pieces. The only yellow I had from any of the sets was literally from the yellow flowers here and the few extra they gave me of it. I actually pulled a few yellow flowers off the base there and replaced them with green or pink, just because I needed them for his guan. I then also carefully checked to see what internal yellow bricks were covered up by the black of his hair, and replaced them with black so I could save the yellow ones for the parts that did show. I'm very happy with how it turned out! It looks just like the white one, except, you know, yellow.

I don't know why they didn't originally design it with yellow, given that it is gold on the show, and they had already included yellow bricks with this kit. Maybe they felt the white stood out more or something. Anyway, it was bothering me it was white, so I'm glad I was able to figure out a way to make it work.

Alright, we're back around! And a bit of a different angle here, so you can see the poses a little bit more clearly.

Alright, a true top-down pic here. May I just say one more time how much I like this tree! The detail in A-Xu's guan is really nice too.

The bottoms-up pics are always tough here with the bases. Not a flattering picture, sorry A-Xu!

A close up of our noble shixiong with his little hand outstretched...

...and our weary shidi. What a great set, I love it! I'm so delighted by it, I can't even tell you.

Alright! come back tomorrow, for the much hinted at next set. And the last one, for a while - I have to wait for the remaining sets to be sent to me.

(Come back tomorrow, she says, as she still has some assembly on the last fig to do! I'll wake up bright and early tomorrow, and hopefully finish up).

Material: Plastic bricks

Fig Count: 506

Scene Count: 35

Rating: They're actually both reaching for their light

[link to the Master Post Index]

[goodfish-bowl]

Saving Throw

Ectoberhaunt 2023 Day 6: Tabletop

AO3 Link

Summary: Danny invites Sam and Tucker over to play D&D, asking Spike for a favor to DM the game for them.

Warnings: minor character death, only dialog

Words: 829

“Okay, I’m going to enter the dungeon.”

“I follow into the dungeon.”

“I…  also follow into the dungeon.”

“Okay… so what do we see?”

“It seems to be some sort of laboratory, with metal tables lined up against the walls, open chests full of vials and potions all this bright green color. There are all sorts of tools, journals, and pieces of… something, lying on the tables, and it’s decently cold down here. And, taking up the entire back wall is a cavern, circled by runes, that the entire laboratory seems centered around. What do you do?”

“Oh! The artificer in me loves this place already! I go and investigate the things on the table! Gotta start with the small stuff before looking at the big picture.”

“Yeah, have fun with that. I go and investigate the big hole in the wall.” 

“Eh, why not? I follow… Raven to the back.” 

“Okay, Swave, let’s start with you. I need you to roll both an arcana and… eh, an investigation check works.”

“Cool, okay… that’s a… 7 for arcana and 16 for investigation.”

“So, on the table, you can definitely tell whoever lives here was tinkering with something magic, but you can’t tell what kind other than green and glowy. It’s just a bit too far removed from your area of expertise. Whatever it is, they don’t seem to be getting the results they want, judging from the notes. But, they’ve definitely accomplished something recently.”

“Damn, really wish I rolled higher on that arcana.”

“It is what it is. So, with Raven and Orion. Now that you’re closer, you notice that there are runes inscribed around the cavern, roll an Arcana.”

“Nice, 18 plus 3, 21.”

“I rolled an 8.”

“Okay, well, Raven, you completely recognize these runes, you even notice some blatant errors in some of them. They seem to be an activation sequence of some kind, a gate, even. Orion, you know what a small handful of the runes mean, but nothing coherent.”

“Okay… I uh… go inside the cavern.”

“Eh! I dunno dude, I don’t think it’s a good idea to walk into the giant magic gate in the underground lab.”

“Nah, let him, I’m curious.”

“It’s too late to take it back now. Raven, what are you doing while he’s walking inside?”

“Hmmm, do I notice Orion walking inside?”

“Roll a perception.”

“… that’s a solid 3.”

“Then no.”

“Okay, I’m going to fix the runes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Hey! Don’t do that! I’m literally walking inside of it right now! Can’t you wait until I’m out?”

“First off, I didn’t notice you go inside, second, the runes are wrong, of course I’m going to fix them. It’s what my character would do!”

“Oh no…” 

“Swave, I want you to also roll a perception check.”

“… Sorry dude, that’s a 5 at best.”

“Ughhhh.”

“Raven, roll an arcana again to correct the runes.”

“17.”

“Congrats, you’ve fixed the runes. Orion, roll a dex save.”

“NO!”

“AH!”

“Oops.”

“… a 2.”

“Ouch, man. Okay, so Raven and Swave. As Orion enters the cavern, and Raven fixes the runes, they start glowing, and there’s a tearing sound as green pours out from the hole in the wall.”

“NOooOooo…”

“Hmm, just for kicks, Orion, roll a con save.”

“Okay… man, this sucks, first session and I’m already… that’s a nat 20.”

“Seriously?!”

“Wow, this will be interesting. So, Orion, as you enter the cavern, now known to be a portal, it lights up with green magic, and races through you, like it’s cooking you alive. But due to the force, it launches you out, and you land in the middle of the laboratory floor… Lower your hp to 1, and use up two death saves. Also, change your race to tiefling. I’ll send you the rest of the stuff when I figure it out.”

“YOOO!”

“Haha… yeah… wow.”

“Hey, Spike, thanks for coming over to DM today.”

“No problem. It’s good to help a friend's sibling with something I’m good at. Especially when he’s trying to make new friends, and it’s not like Jazz was ever going to call in that favor.”

“Yeah, it was really cool. Thank you, but wasn’t it a bit ‘on the nose’ to use my parent’s basement as a reference?”

“Hey, it’s a good inspiration. Besides, you’re the one who walked into it, prior knowledge or not.” 

“Haha… yeah that’s on me… didn’t think it was actually going to do anything until Sam decided to fix the runes.” 

“Yeah, not the best move from a group perspective. But… Jazz said they’re expecting to finish it within the next year.”

“Yeah… maybe. Most of their stuff just covers us in goo. I just hope they finish it soon… they’ve been down there a lot, ya know?”

“Yeah… I do.”

“Anyways, I’m sure I’ll see you around. I’ll tell Jazz you said ‘hi’ whenever she gets home from tutoring.”

“Thanks, little dude. See you around.”

“Later.”

Ectoberhaunt 2023 Master Post

[lavendelhummel]

12) what's your favorite type of seashell / beach forage?

and

15) best vacation you've ever taken?

Please!

Hi! Two questions! Exciting!! Thank you!

Favorite type of sea shell/ beach forage: ok, this is actually challenging my inability to make decisions. I like most kinds of beach forage!

I like the rounded glass pieces for example, even though that mostly means empty bottles got thrown in the nature and *that* i don’t like, so it’s a double edged sword. Especially if they are fresh and not rounded so they actually have sword like sharp edges. I like Running around bare foot at the beach!

I like the pieces from fishing nets (even though I don’t eat fish and know they are one of the biggest polluters of the oceans). When we were children, my father would make bracelets and anklets for us out of them every summer. I found a huge chunk of it a few years ago (go to the beach in winter, there are far more things on shore from the autumn storms, also go alone so no one will be bothered by your need to examine everything you find) and stored it for him for summer. I think he made a clothesline with it. It is very practical because it’s so strong and doesn’t tear, you can use it to secure many things!

I found a picture of it! Usually we only found a few cm long streaks so this thing really was a monster!

About pretty shells! I like them all, obviously but if I have to choose on the spot, the first that come to my mind are the little yellow ones! Those:

But of course, I am not immune to big scallops. A classic for a reason. And they always were hard to find until I was here:

These pictures are all from the same winter a few years back btw 😅😂.

Other favorites? I get excited when I find new ones that I have never seen again. Colorful ones and shiny ones are cool of course. It’s cool to find ones that are intact but also those broken in an interesting way or white strategic holes to make jewelry.

I like finding algae (but don’t take them home) and have found lots of sea stars (but not taken them home)

Basically, I like most sea shells and things you can find on beaches. They always tell a story and feel so full of life. I like finding them, finding joy in them and then putting them back where they belong or maybe taking some home as a lovely souvenir for a trip, decorations, or little presents for friends.

My best vacation: I mean most vacations are good right? Not all, hmmm if had very bad vacations but most of the time vacation time = good times is the truth!

But being more specific, I'd actually have to say my most recent vacation last autumn when I visited @lilolilyr actually! It was the most wonderful time we spent together and what can be better than being in an amazing place - with the ocean close by, but also mountains and a cool city, and did I mention the ocean? - with amazing company? Also the food, oh my god, amazing! So many vegan options everywhere! It was the perfect mix of calm and exciting and nature and culture, talking and more talking and laughing. For me it was special circumstances, for once because I had never taken such a big trip, I am usually team "we don't need to go far to have a good time" and like hopping to a train (to France). And also because it was quite spontaneously! But mostly because I had some huge things happening in life just before, that came with crazy amounts of work, stress and anxiety. Once those were done, I moved (which meant more stress) and closed a chapter of my life, the good parts and the bad ones of it, and then before starting the new chapter, I got on the plane! I could go on, but let's just say, this vacation helped me get out of things physically and mentally, lifted stress, and did me a lot of good. So, again @lilolilyr, that time with you was wonderful, thank you for being my friend! (also we took a few thousand pictures in a those few days so I can never decide which ones to show people. But there are big, fat smiles on all of them!)

Also one of the best weekends I had was the one I took two of those shell/net photos on! It was a winter trip to the beach, I went on Thursday already, had some time by myself, worked a little, relaxed, let the wind and water of the rain and the splashes of the ocean get in my hair, and did the grocery shopping and on Friday two friends joined me. They were constantly cold, so they got the fireplace to work. We read poetry, did crosswords, cooked and walked along the beach. It felt so incredibly relaxed and safe. Unfortunately that was also a goodbye weekend, as I closed a fun chapter that following week as well. I should recontact those two friends, I haven't talked to them in ages. Here are pictures!

Thank you for the questions and letting me go on about good times at the beach @purlturtle! Sending you vacation-vibes via a virtual conch shell horn for the next week 🐚! (the questions were from this list, for anyone interested!)

[gurorori]

9, 10 and 13 final answer locked in

😭😭😭 DTAY STRONG

9. share an unpopular opinion!

hmmm this is a bit hard 2 think of. i cud say a few unusual opinions on da way of dress itself but i have a general community opinion dat most lolitas wld definitely side eye me 4...

ok stay with me. bit of a fun topic but, kinksters in lolita. an' 100% i don' mean the s/ssies or anyone similar, sadly lolitas r quite used 2 bein' sexualised & havin' their pictures (especially if it's sweetloli) stolen & used in s/ssy imagines, so on, non-consensually ofc. which angers me too, kink is normal but involvin' ppl who want nothin' 2 do w it will always b nasty, even if it's only a picture. like i need them men 2 understand lolita isn' a girly girl costume, it's jus' a fashion. dat ppl wear, sumtimes everyday...

That Being Said. i find it very insultin' seein' most lolitas turn their noses when they see someone who is Also into kink, interact with the community. in a non-harmful way dat is, i'll explain. it doesn' happen very often but yunno how on reddit, if ya interact with nsfw subreddits & such, it will show on yr profile. well, i've noticed ppl in r/lolita bein' very judgemental of those who have a nsfw side, despite their posts in lolita bein' completely normal & nawt suspicious.

idk, i can only hope im mistaken & it's nawt actually 'most' lolitas, as a lot of da community is full grown adults, an' i don' hold the whole s/ssy thing against em, i'd b slightly wary seein' someone at the intersection of kink&loli too, but i hate seein' ppl act like they r interests without overlap. ya can only have one at a time, apparently.

so ye ig my unpopular opinion is dat ya can b into cool adult stuff & still wear lolita & keep those two separate. ya don' taint the fashion somehow & don' ruin anyone's impression of it. there's a lotta pressure sum ppl put on others in da community 2 always b this perfect representation of wat lolita is, but we r all jus' ppl w our own lives, wearin' unusual clothes. i think ppl r free 2 do the things they normally do.

n_n anyway da more tame opinions i have will always b old school related, an' it's a few style choices dat ppl outside old school look down upon, so i guesss.. unpopular? i luv peekin' bloomers, i luv small/no petticoat, i luv striped socks, i luv whites not matchin', i luv black shoes/accessories with sweet or shiro, i luv coords with a random bag/shirt/anythin' ya found home slapped on, if 2000s FRUiTS street snap girlies cud do it, ya can too.

10. do you prefer vintage or new dresses?

looks at ya with my autistic eyes. guess. guess.. guess. guess. I LUV OLD SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!! i don' particularly mind re-releaaes of the old designs tho, so technically they'd b 'new', but 'm mostly in favor of older, used, even worn dresses/skirts/etc, if da price is good & it's a piece i want.. sumtimes the designs get updated a bit thru da years & end up lookin' different, which happend 2 a baby dress i own ↓

2005 (da version i own) vs current,

i still have no idea if we can trust new baby stock images but da color difference is crazy if true. havin' the older dress irl i can vouch it's.. actually even lighter in person, but dat might jus' b signs of wear. but yeah as ya see da design itself still had changed quite a bit, the cute lace curtain on da bodice is gone. i think da bigger bow on da neckline instead of da waist throws da balance off 4 me personally, too. like i jus' overall prefer the old version here.

i think dats my stanceeeee.. i don' mind buyin' re-releases & most likely will, but i still have more old-school preferences. it's quite hard 2 find pieces dat r both new & fit dat vibe still. as ya see even da old designs get renewed 2 da point where they lose their charm..

13. where would your ideal photoshoot be?

A CEMETERY!!! srsly, all da western places like europe & the us have such aesthetically pleasin' lookin' well-kept cemeteries with like nice greenery & stuff. here they r huge & ugly & very packed tho like it's nawt a place where ya can melancholically lean against a tombstone or stand menacingly & look gothic. nope.

aside from dat, jus any gothic architecture really, dark & imposin' n watever. obviously we don' have dat here either..

[lawain-dimensional-heroes]

Drabble - An Untitled change (Project Sekai timeline)

"Hmmm... These bubble dimensions so far seem to potentially run on one's feelings and emotions. Theoretically speaking that is a poor way to keep a dimension together, yet here we are.."

Zephyr has been observing these sekais through the realm of dimensions as per usual, with one dimension having his interest the most. A unique void like dimension where the space seems to be a mix of white, teal and pink, with some yellow thrown around. Looking through the glass ball he was eyeing on one person inside that dimension: a familiar looking tealnette who he knows wasn't the same one who he sent on a mission with the rest.

"...Hopefully you can answer us these question, child. Or, should I say..."

Meanwhile, in that space, the tealnette was looking at the differently colored bubbles floating infront of her. One blue, one green, one red, one purple and one yellow, the bubble she most curiously looking at.

"..."

She's been keeping an eye on the ones who were transported into that world via the means she did not know thus far, that includes the two familiar faces, one-- or now two unfamiliar faces and one eerily familiar one-- the one who she shares the same name as.

"...Huh--"

She noticed one other bubble appearing besides the rest. It seemed to be a glowing sphere, indicating that it's to her...

"A....Fragment SEKAI? Here?" The tealnette spoke up with a raised eyebrow. "Why did one form in the realm between SEKAIs? Unless...It's the third one about me."

She wasn't sure whether or not to enter it, but seeing how everyone in that other bubble dimension is enjoying themselves, she thinks it's safe enough to check this so called fragment SEKAI. So with a gentle touch, she allowed herself to teleport herself to this fragment SEKAI.

Upon arriving at the fragment SEKAI, she instantly recognizes the location. The chaos, the upside down buildings in the sky, unfinished work. She's been here before...

"...This place, again..?"

Already her heart somewhat feels to ache as she remembered the feelings she had inside this place. This was a fragment SEKAI from those who didn't lack the courage to chase their dreams with no confide to... A feeling she painfully sympathizes with all too well...

However it didn't make sense to her-- it was a fragment SEKAI, right? In her mind, fragment SEKAIs are only temporarily and would disappear so why is this one lasting so long?

"...There's no way, this hasn't become a full blown SEKAI, it's impossible for that to happen...Right?"

But, this place didn't look exactly the way she remembered it. She knows the place mostly seemed the same, but the room she's in had changed from last time she's been there. It was...More organized. Where she recalled pieces of paper scattered around were now lying on the table, neatly organized. The books that were on different tables and desks now were organized inside of the cabinet. Where there was once holes in the floor where one could see the gears now has the rest of the tiles, making the floor completely without holes.

It was at that point she knew that something happened to this place. It was at that moment of realization where she noticed a bright light floating in the far distance, at the city's center. The same burning flame that the one who cleaned up the place had placed. And the weird part? The place seems more organized the closer to the flame it was. While the things were still unfinished, they were organized at least as it started to become more clear. Even the building that used to be above it weren't there anymore as above the flame was now the sky.

"..."

A soft and in a way a somber smile appeared on her lips looking at the flame. She had a feeling what it could represent, even if it wasn't really the thing that this fragment SEKAI needed.

Soon enough she noticed an open portal inside the room-- a portal some may recognize, but to her and her friends is foreign to them.

"...If this place is changed, then maybe that's where they went."

But then she remembers. The people she saw inside that yellow bubble dimension, they didn't seem anywhere near like ordinary people, especially the two unfamiliar faces. In her mind she thought that while it might not be likely, it's not fully unlikely that one of them might have been the cause of it.

So with that, she decides to head back to the realm she was at before instead of going through that portal, now with renewed curiosity towards these new individuals.

"Individuals who are able to enter SEKAIs without our help, huh..? Well color me impressed. Hope you're all having fun in Wonderland x Showtime, I'm sure Tsukasa would enjoy putting smiles on other's faces"

[lowkeyclueless5137]

ooooh, What about a sonic the hedgehog AU for twst :D. Can Idia and Ortho be the main stars again?

Hmmm... Let's see...

Sonic is a very wide franchise. I do enjoy Sonic, I like to mindlessly watch gameplay of the games, but I really didn't see every single sonic piece of lore. I am very lacking in the og lore, reboot lore and any kind of sonic deep lore tbh.

What I do know a bit better than others(like I just have a general idea at best) tho... Are 3 Sonic games: the black knight, secret rings and unleashed. Along with the 2 live action movies... I guess I have a pretty solid material to work with! Look at it!

*slaps roof of material*

*material crumbles apart*

:'3 yep... Pretty solid

We are starting with a distant planet, one full of lush green forests and aincent temples.

In here we meet Mrs Shroud, who is living in a modest tree house alongside her 2 sons. Idia, a 9-10 years old and Ortho, a newborn, who is yet to comprehend anything about this new world.

Idia was a quite curious child. He always asked his mama all kinds of questions, such as: where's papa? Why can't I go outside without covering my hair? Why do my teeth look wierd? Those were very VERY common questions. Unfortunately, all 3 would be always answered with 'when you get older, you'll find out'.

Their house was isolated from any other villages and other people that inhabited the land. Doesn't mean that Idia didn't see them. He would go after his mom to help her sometimes, so he saw the vibrant hair colors, the sparkly eyes and all the marks on one's skin, marks that would glow when those people would perform supranatural feats. He saw people flying, running fast, punching holes in stones and many more. The catch was that only 1 superpower was per person. And they seem to be awakened after a special ritual, which Idia always saw be made by the end of summer.

Idia once asked his mama why he doesn't have marks like the rest. Even his mother had some marks, although they seemed faint and weak. He never saw his mom ever use them. He didn't know what his mama's special power even was.

One day, Idia was watching over his little brother at home, mostly checking on the cradle and making sure Ortho is sleeping nicely and doesn't stirr around. Their mother was supposed to come back from the village with the usual errands.

Except that the 2's mother returns in a hurry, with an arrow plunged in her left arm. Idia, of course was absolutely horrified, but his mother tells him that he has to take his brother and leave. She hastily gives him a map and a pouch with golden rings, telling him that whatever he does, he must not be discovered, she tells him to look over Ortho and prevent anyone from finding out the truth about the Shrouds and their fire hair.

Idia begs for his mother to come with him and Ortho, but Mrs Shroud says that she can't, that she would only weight Idia down, just how she weighted her husband down to the point people discovered why they should fear the Shrouds. All she wished was for her 2 sons to find a peaceful life on earth.

It was a very first time that Idia heard about his father, but he had not much time to even sink in the info that he had to run with Ortho in his arms, finding themselves on earth. Only with a flimsy piece of paper that was useless, a pouch of interplanetary portals in the form of small golden rings and nothing else but their clothes and each other.

Idia and Ortho found, thankfully, their way to a small city. More on point: at a house of an old lady that was blind. She had a service dog and as such she couldn't see the flaming blue hair of Idia, taking him and his baby brother. She told the 2 about stories of her children that were living out of the country and didn't visit in a while.

Those children never once came to visit from what Idia realised over the years he came to stay in there. The old woman knew how to braid and would usually braid Idia's hair in a tight bun or something that could make the flaming hair be easier to cover up.

But when Ortho was around 7-8, the old woman died. Her time did come in the end, but the 2 brothers still cried at the funeral. Surprisingly, that's also when the said children of the woman showed up. Idia thought all that time that they were dead too or something, but no... They were all healthy and well off.

Even more surprising was when the testament was read, in which the old woman leaved all of her valuables, belongings and house to none other than Idia, the one who for the past 7-8 years was trying his best to both raise his little brother and also take care of the old woman. Idia was 18, therefore he was deemed the legal guardian of Ortho and had all the rights to inherit everything in the testament, much to the surprise of the other relatives, since they knew that the old woman had some valuables that make up for a fortune alone.

As such, past that, Ortho is 15 when Idia realises that his little brother couldn't be home schooled anymore. Idia himself worked a lot to get into an university, a lot of paperwork, a lot of exams and situations until he was allowed to study from home. This is also how he started his job in Graphic design and assets programming. He was working from home, for the sole reason that he had to both work his job and also play teacher for the sake of his brother.

Of course, Ortho grew up to be just like how Idia used to when he was 8: curious, energetic and always happy for the little things he discovers. Unlike Idia, who still had his hair long, Ortho had his in an undercut even, mostly since it was easier to hide with a beanie. Idia was very skeptical of leaving his brother to go to the high-school, but it had to be done. Many in the town never knew Idia's actual upbringing before he was basically adopted by the old lady, so he enrolled in college without much suspicion, but the town knew that Ortho is of age. Middle school, sure... He could be homeschooled, but not high-school. That would raise questions.

Idia tho, still kept the old woman's car. That probably belonged to her husband, but still with some repairs and upgrades, it was just like new, maybe even better. As such, Idia decided to drive Ortho to school.

The rules are the same as ever: don't show your hair, hide anything that may seem wierd, if anyone asks about parents, dodge the question and move on. Also don't get into trouble.

Ortho also asked why he has to wear long sleeves, even at PE, to which Idia reassures that it's just in case of anything, which puzzles his younger brother even more.

Idia also wore a lot of long sleeves, which Ortho found it curious, since he was aware that his brother had a bunch of tattoos. He never knew when Idia got them, but he always thought those were really cool.

First day in and already Idia is called to the school. :'3

Apparently Ortho got in an argument with Epel, his deskmate, which immediately escalated in a fight. Thankfully, no one got hurt as a teach broke them in time. Still, Ortho had a bruise on his cheek and Epel had his eye swollen. Additionally, Deuce, Ace, Sebek and Jack were there because they intervented and made it worse. Weather it was on accident or not, it wasn't important.

Idia of course arrives first. Mrs Spade called, saying she couldn't come in time, Mrs and Mr Trappola couldn't come, but Alex will go. For Jack his mom showed up, for Sebek his dad and for Epel his grandma.

Ortho also noted how Alex and Idia seem to be the same age and something is going on in between the 2. Sum kind of rivalry that Ortho never saw up until now. Ace did mention how his big brother was a passionate conspiracy theorist so Ortho concluded that it had to do something as to why both had a glaring war in between them.

Idia also was particularly giving sum business vibes by how he dressed, to the point the other kids thought he was either sum young business mogul or a mafia man. He was also much colder than Ortho knew him.

Of course, the 5 in question did have to address their unresolved tension, while their guardians were also arguing in the office, but ya know... Like adults. :'3

Of course, Idia and Alex are the first ones who get out, both clearly more than ready to take a jab at each other. Especially how the 'Holesti Ghost' is still kicking. Idia instead replies with 'how's the salary kicking at the donut shop?', which it's a pretty hard hit.

Ortho is confused, but apparently everyone in the town knew that Idia and Alex went to the same college. It was a pretty small town after all and everyone knew pretty much everyone.

Well except Ortho.

Idia, of course, is trying to keep sum sense of actual calm, as to not look like an absolute hypocrite after telling the kids to not fight in between them.

That ride home was one silent one for Ortho. Once home, he does inquire why Idia is so secretive. It's his first time when he gets outside fully, interacts with other people and all he's meet with is secrets that all dial back to Idia. Just how much did Idia truly hide from him?

That's also when Idia snaps, since Ortho keeps pressing on it. His hair flares up in bright orange hair and electricity around the house starts malfunctioning and a serious blackout occurs. Ortho is absolutely horrified, while Idia realises what he just did, so he firstly tries to calm down his brother before he finally puts down Ortho to have the ✨talk✨.

Idia tells his little brother that their real name was Shroud, that both descended from another planet. They had to run away in order to survive. Their mother sacrificed herself for their sake. Idia tells Ortho that at one point, marks would appear on his body, sign that his powers are finally ready to be used. Idia had his in the spur of the moment and since then they grow. Of course, everything has to be a secret, otherwise who knows what would happen to them. They might have to flee to another planet altogether.

Ortho wants to ask why, but Idia tells him that he also has no idea. His only lead was the flimsy map he hid in the attic, but even with that, Idia had no idea what they would be searching for? Answers? A tool? A weapon? Who knows?

With the new knowledge, it daunts onto Ortho literally everything. How every aspect of his life was absolutely unnatural because of that need to hide and survive.

This made high-school even harder to go through with the new anxiety over literally everything. :'3

PE does have to play an important role, because that's also when Ortho discovers that he can go super fast. And not just faster than a normal kid. Faster than a car even. The teens did not give it much thought and even the sports teach wasn't thinking too much into it, but Ortho realised something was up, so he excused himself to the bathroom.

Low and behold! The marks started to appear. And Ortho was more than horrified since they appeared, just like Idia warned him. And it wasn't something that easy, it was goddamn super speed. He could make a run of the sports field in a second, maybe even less!

Ortho wanted to call his brother, to take him early, but after PE he only had history and it would be less suspicious if he simply stood that class and then go home. What the worse that could happen?

The worse indeed happens when it gets announced that sum military investigation is going on. Something about the blackouts that seemed to not happen only in their city, but in the whole region. At one point it happened spontaneously in the whole continent, although for a few secs, that was something to raise suspicions.

So it took a while until they got on board a 'genius' scientist to lead the investigation. Rumors did go around that towns or villages in the vicinity were scouted as well, so now it was their turn.

And Ortho was downright horrified of this. It doesn't help that for today, his math class was cancelled for the sole reason that the kids could also be examinated in case of anything. Oh he was so scared, he was basically shaking off his feet.

A note on this whole mess wast that several weeks passed and during those weeks, Ortho actually got along with Epel, Adeuce, Jack and Sebek. They had their own lil group and it was great overall.

As such, the 5 in question noticed Ortho's state and asked if he was alright. Yeah, sure, everything is alright if you count off that his hair is literally blue fire, he is currently having tattoos spreading on his body and that apparently he can run faster than an F1 car. Sure those are minor details... Right?

Of course, his turn comes to the lil examination, which Ortho absolutely dreaded. His friends all went before him, in fact, everyone went before him, and he was the last. Jack tried to reassure that it's a simple thing and won't hurt at all, while Ace and Epel in the bg are dramatically crying about how they were cut open and stitched back up via super hi-tech lasers and what not.

Surprisingly, he passed. These bitches did not realise he was an odd one, but he was absolutely glad about it.

Although Ortho notices that the head of the investigation, that 'genius' scientist has sum holograms that depict runes and photos of ruins. Ortho thought those were familiar, that he saw them somewhere.

When he comes back home, Idia is obviously waiting for him. Apparently the adults went first before the kids, so Idia also passed by quick.

And that's when Ortho noticed that the marks on his big brother's arm were similar to the signs he thought were runes on the reports he saw around. And he did bring it up to Idia, on how his marks are actually engraved on sum temples and shit and that's what the special forces are looking for.

Idia, rightfully, is taken aback by this, but his worry is more when Ortho also tells him about his special power and the marks that did spread over his own body. They were faith and already were fading away quickly, but the more it's used, the more the marks become permanent and spread.

Idia also reveals his special power: electricity manipulation. This is why he caused that blackout when he got mad. His powers got out of control at that moment.

But Ortho insists that maybe those temples and aincent engravings could be the answer Idia's looking for. The answer to why they are like this. Idia tho, says that for now, they shouldn't pursue anything. He searches in the attic and finds his old pouch with rings and the map in question. Idia gives half of the rings to Ortho, teaching him how to use those and telling him that only in emergency cases he should use them. He had to picture clearly where he wants to go first of all. Idia would forge a PE pass for his brother, so they won't have a worry over it.

That night, Ortho also couldn't sleep and Idia was more than welcoming for a bedtime story and sum cuddling under the blankets.

But, next day at school, there is again an inspection, which apparently it's because of the fact that the wierd energy was repered to be around this small city, as such, another more through investigation had to commence.

And this time, everyone is put in an line at the end and told to hold something. From what it was whispered around, it was a small piece of rock, a brick with engravings if one was to say. It was a bit heavy, but not as heavy as a couple of grapes. Ortho had 0 idea what this meant and he was scared for life. He was absolutely glad he had foundation on him to quickly cover the marks for the through investigation, but now his anxiety got the best of him, not knowing why he has to hold a goddamn brick of all things.

Until it reaches in his hands and the brick starts shaking. Scared, Ortho passes it off to the next one, Jack, but that doesn't stop the brick from shaking, it goes even worse. So it gets passed to Sebek, it starts glowing, Epel got scared when it started cracking, Deuce already had it starting to crumble apart and Ace found himself with a bunch of crumbles of the brick and a pretty lil purple gem in his hands.

Oh they were screwed. So fucking screwed. :'3

Cue running away from the military and Ortho using in the spur of the moment one of the rings in order for all 6 to escape through it.

They ended up in Siberia. In fucking Siberia! It was cold, they were buried in snow and Ace had his pants caught in a pine tree.

They are all 6 scared and try to make their way through, until they find a quite cozy looking house. It was apparently an inn, so it wasn't wierd to have 6 guys completely decked out in snow to come in.

Thankfully Sebek knows sum Russian so he could ask for them to just be let to stay for a bit. And now, all 6 at a smol table in the corner, they are eyeing Ortho. Ace still had that purple gem and none of them knew what the hell that was. It was pretty? Yes. But what is its purpose? Why was it in a magic brick? And why tf did the brick shake so much? What does the military even want with them???

Ortho does start to explain what Idia told him. They are aliens and it seems that they go under hiding because there is something inside of them, some sort of power that people are afraid of and would kill them to ensure that it never comes to light. Ortho was downright terrified and all he wanted was to call his big brother and at least make sure he is alright too. Now Ortho's friends were dragged in because of him being stupid and passing the brick around. He couldn't blame anyone but himself.

Deuce is the voice of reason this time, reassuring that Ortho shouldn't apologise for what already was done and over. They need to just get out of this situation. They have a wierd gem and that would be it. They are absolutely not ready to die or be dissected by the government since apparently they put targets on all of their backs.

Jack is the ACTUAL voice of reason and says that maybe they should go somewhere warmer, because they cannot stay in this snow paradise without freezing to death. Ace suggests Hawaii, just because why not? Free trip to Hawaii I guess. :3

So with an excuse that they will go to the bathroom, they use one of the rings in there and find themselves in Hawaii. Epel took the gem from Ace and wrapped it in a handkerchief, putting it in his pocket in case of anything. They just need to find a goddamn public phone and call Idia, in case the government tracks their phones as well.

Idia, of course responds and immediately nags Ortho because 'WHY THE FUCK DID YOU GO TO SIBERIA OF ALL PLACES?!'. He panicked, alright? Idia tho, was also in hiding so he didn't have much time to talk. Neither did the Bois have coins to keep the discussion longer.

In frustration, Epel punches the bottom of the telephone, which immediately makes a hole from which coins pour out. Absolutely terrified at this, everyone realises that the gem is glowing slightly. That because of the gem, Epel had some sort of super strength.

But they got free money at least. :'D

Idia gave to them a location to meet up, in Hawaii so that they won't have to use the rings willy-nilly and end up in the middle of the ocean or something.

Idia himself looked a bit dishevelled, but he had a similar gem, but green. Apparently these 2 were taken from 2 different temples, but even so, they were 7 in total, as per sum aincent manuscripts that retell how 'celestial beings' came from nowhere and built 7 temples in order to hide those gems.

Idia made sum proper research onto this. Ya know, hack into the top secret files, violate some laws of digital security, the usual. :3

But Idia tells them that there is a catch, that the gems, or as they were named, chaos emeralds, can be used to obtain power beyond imagination. To birth gods at that. Idia also did some digging since yesterday to the lead of this investigation and knows that Crowley, the said genius's record, isn't that clean. The government got him in lead because it was their easiest choice: erase some things of his record and they are all gud.

The first years group concludes 1 thing: they have to go after the rest of the emeralds and find them before Crowley does. Currently Crowley uses the discovery of the Shrouds's true nature as a plausible excuse to hunt them down. If the gems reacted to them, it meant that they could find the others.

Of course, Idia also clears it out that Adeuce, Epel, Jack and Sebek cannot go back, for they would be hunted down by the special forces. So they will have to stick together.

At least they have a pouch of stolen coins. :3

Using the map, Idia manages to activate it via his powers, revealing 6 locations all in different colors. Idia says that the green and purple sparks have to be the temples where the green and purple chaos emeralds were initially hidden. The closest to them was the red one.

Idia also insists that the emeralds should be kept separated, so the green one gets handed to Sebek. If he happens to unlock sum new cool power, good for him I guess. Epel is pretty hyped up about his super strength. :3

Cue a lot of shenanigans and chasing around. Crowley keeps getting on their trail and with all the machinery and everything, we are talking about 6 teens and a 25 years old all trying to survive and race to find all the emeralds before Crowley does. Well... It's easy to say race when Ortho has that super speed. And on the way, the other emeralds allowed the rest of the first years to also gave cool new powers, but only when they had them on their person.

Sebek had electricity manipulation

Deuce had water manipulation due to the blue gem, while Ace fire due to the red one.

And Jack had the yellow emerald, which granted him the ability to make plants grow. Ace laughed at that so much until Jack threw him in the air with a tree.

So far, they were missing 2: the torquoise and white one. And Crowley, much to their dismay, has the torquoise one. The white one was the last and as such either way they had to keep the other emeralds safe, not risk it for one.

Cue heading towards the white emerald, but crow man manages to get in their way, catching Idia. Of course, Ortho wanted to save his brother, but Idia denies him of that, his last words being to find that goddamn emerald and hide it from Crowley.

So while our group goes on to the biggest and most booby-trapped temple of all, Idia is held hostage by Crowley, who realises that the emerald does react to Idia. It's a very wierd reaction, volatile at that, but it's one that Idia himself feared and actively tried to avoid it. When he got too close to it, his marks would glow and skin would start to crack up, which was an unseen reaction.

Crowley realises that Idia knew something else about the emeralds. Not only that they can grant immense power to someone. And with that, Crowley gets himself a nice lil experiment to conduct with a brand new subject.

Cue a bigger race for the last emerald. Our group had 5 while crow man had 1 and also Idia.

The Very epic fight is up to the imagination of everyone, just imagine a lot of boom and pows and cool af poses. :v

In the end, Ortho is given an ultimatum: the emeralds or his brother gets it. Idia himself begged the group not to do it, but the rest were on Ortho's side and even encouraged to save Idia over the emeralds.

Of course, that's also when the big betrayal occurs. Ya know, the military holds hostages the first years, while Crowley double backstabs and uses the emeralds on Idia, who seemed now to bring him immense pain. The ground stated to shake and the whole temple was becoming rumbles, so everyone had to flee, leaving Idia alone, there to be killed by the crumbling of the temple. Our first years were devastated, while Ortho was the most affected out of all, crying his eyes out and accusing Crowley of killing his brother. The grief was turned into rage, but already Ortho was holded up with special cuffs, which were made by Crowley when he had Idia as a hostage. Of course, the other first years were huddling closer, trying to comfort each other and hope that they won't be killed.

Except that the earth shaking didn't stop, as something rose up from under all that rubble. Something big and very angry. It was a being that seemed to be made out of pure magma and stone, with long fire hair as it stretched out. In the middle of it's supposed to be chest was a soft colorful glow, clearly the emeralds.

That was Idia. And unfortunately, Idia was very angry at Crowley. But crow man warns him that if he tries anything, he can immediately give the order to shoot all the kids up. The soldiers in question put hesitantly guns to the kids's heads and that seemed to make Idia hesitate, deciding to demand to leave the kids alone. Crowley tho, insists that Idia has to give out the chaos emeralds if he wants the kids to at least be alive by the end of this.

While this exchange occurs, Ortho the solider from behind Ortho undoes his shackles. It's revealed to be Alex, Ace's big brother, who apparently is working as a secret agent. This reached a new level of messed up and while Alex had strict orders to listen to Crowley, he couldn't put a gun to his brother or his friends's heads.

With this, the first years manage to free themselves and cause a commotion enough to distract everyone, including Idia.

Well, everyone except crow man, who used Idia's distraction moment to aim at him a device, which forcefully took the emeralds out. This did not revert Idia to his original form, it weakened him, yes, but he still was a gigantic creature that currently tried to get back his footing. He fails tho, falling unconscious.

Meanwhile, Crowley, now empowered with the emeralds, is reeking havoc and again double crosses, but this time the government, by starting to attack the military and abusing of his absolute power. In his delight, he wants to start first with the first years, who were the menaces that kept annoying him.

Cue epic 1-1 in between Ortho, who only had his super speed, and Crowley with God powers. The gimmick in here is that Ortho is aiming for the emeralds. And when he gets one, he gives it to one of the rest of the first years, thus putting in game more players.

In the end, the last 2 emeralds are kept by Ortho. And using 1 ring to the mushroom planet, the 6 of them throw Crow man in there.

After that, Ortho goes to his big brother. Idia gained back a sense of consciousness, but he was still weak and the only thing he could do is leave out huge tears that became steam immediately, as he saw his little brother, giving to him to of the emeralds. By now, Ortho's body marks were fully developed and proeminent and Idia ws proud of his little brother. With 2 out of the 7 emeralds, Idia does gain enough power to raise on his knees at least, holding Ortho in his palms. Ortho himself was bearly half of his big brother's thumb now and Idia carefully holded him, telling him how happy he is that Ortho was alright.

We also get Ortho hugging his big brother's cheek and saying that he only wants everything to be back like usual. He wants back to the normal school days, to coming home and being just happy in general, with the only care being his homework and the upcoming tests.

And that's also when the other first years manage to also climb on Idia's hands, all wanting to give up their emeralds to Idia, but the latter refuses, saying that in a bit of time, he won't need any of the emeralds to sustain this form, for he takes his power from the core of the earth itself. That was why the Shrouds were so feared. When they awakened to their full power, they take out from the core of the planet they are on, thus able to control it to greater lengths than anyone could. The chaos emeralds were simply a method of defeating a Shroud and keeping them grounded from going mad with power.

Alas, there was still the fucking government to take matters with. Idia does manage to return voluntary to his human form and as such, he offers an agreement: Act like nothing happened, leave him and the first years to live peacefully back in their home city and in turn, they won't cause any trouble, unless some other planet threats occur. It was either that or Idia just smashing through the soldiers like warm butter so you guess that it wasn't merely an agreement.

And things went back to normal! :3

Except that now Ortho is allowed to not hide his hair and marks anymore. The first years are pretty known now through the high-school as 'the guys who fought an evil science man and the fucking government with cool-ass superpowers'.

At least they get a good PE grade :3

[stygius-cr-sideblog]

25 and/or 73 for the ask meme,,, if nobodys asked u yet

Hi anon! Nobody has asked those yet, so here you go! (& thank you for the ask! this meme has been a much-needed distraction today <3)

(writer asks meme here)

25. what’s your revision or rewriting process like?

It varies depending on the fic, sometimes (for short fics) it's just letting the draft sit overnight and then the following day making sure there aren't any confusing sentences or typos.

But for more complex and/or longer fics:

By the time I reach the end of the first full draft, I usually already have a list (in a separate doc or just in my head) of bits and pieces I noticed while drafting that I knew I'd want to touch up later, or ideas/themes I developed halfway through that I want to seed through the beginning as well. Those are the first wave.

A lot are focused on the first half. I outline fairly extensively, but the ending always feels a little different in tone or execution from my first plans so the beginning of longfics usually gets the most review, to support the ending.

I don't do rewrites unless I've written myself into a corner, and no edits until the first draft is done (that is to say, I occasionally do but it's rarely a good idea). Too-early editing is the draft killer. Means I'm likely to get sick of the WIP rather than finish.

After all the big changes are done, I again let it sit overnight and look it over, same as the rest.

73. how do you visualize scenes? do you see it like a movie in your head, or do the words just flow?

Hmmm somewhere in-between. Rather than a movie, it's closer to "vibes only": I imagine scenes in flashes of color and very vague images occasionally. The exception is character dialogue, which tends to play very vividly in the character's voice in my head. If it doesn't then I know the rhythm of their speech is off.

For me, writing is mostly that: rhythm and cadence. The best writing moods let me hit a particular pace of unspooling a sentence to lead into another, and sometimes there are blurry images in my head, but it's very much words before very detailed mental movies.

[genericswordsmaiden]

summer reading/writing/arting tag

Tagged by @inkysqueed (thank you so much, fellow Jumpluff and Oblivion enjoyer!)

1) Describe one creative WIP you plan on working on over the summer.

Of course, even though I have many ideas in mind (a one piece/crossover fic, an oblivion fanfic and a story about an AU me and my friend @zombinafonfrankenstein came up with) I'm going to continue writing Dark! I'm giving it my all because my goal is to publish it and see it on shelves!!! But for now the english version is available on ao3 (it is updated a bit irregularly because of life and other stuff, but some friends said that it's good nonetheless)

A description of it? Magic amnesiac guy and friends travel across the Afterlife to retrieve books and save the universe from some kind of eldritch creature. It sounds like pure crack and in some way it is. It's also brutal.

2) Recommend a book!

Oh, this is a tough one! But if y'all haven't done it yet, go read The Book Thief. That story changed my life, and it made me cry so much. I loved Liesel and Max's friendship, and also Rudy... He was best boy. And Hans deserves the title of best father ever. Oh god I'm crying again, it's been years since I last read it and it's still a fresh wound! A masterpiece.

3) Recommend a fic!

Another tough one, since there's so many fics I'd like to share! I can't name less than five though, because I absolutely adore them and I wish people of the respective fandoms would read them. Sorry.

Honor bound by penwarrior11 (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion) (this one is part of a series and it is the first fic of it. It follows the story of the game alright, but I love the scenes with Mara and Martin, and also Baurus. A precious little gem.)

Everything by nonman (Half Life: Alyx) (this one began in 2021 and proceeded slowly, as of now I'm waiting for the last chapter but guys, it is great! It gives continuation of the cliffhanger at the end of HL:A and it is written masterfully)

No more dreaming of the dead by @mina-murray-harker (Re-Animator 1985) (I love the style of this one, safe and disturbing and full of movie and music references. I think the Re-Animator fandom would love it to bits just as yours truly does)

Candlelight by @clichejoe (Encanto) (this is still my comfort fic and it is very beautiful, colorful - and the main character is the most lovable oddball researcher ever)

The fear of the ocean by FishingLure (JoJo's bizarre adventure) (this one emotionally scarred me - it's been two years and I still haven't recovered)

4) Recommend music!

Pat Metheny Group's discography. But also Seventeen's discography... No, I have to choose a single song. I must choose a single song or else I'll be here all night! Alright, here we go: Haru No Maboroshi by Superfly. It sounds like a sunset. I used to listen to it when I ended uni lessons late in the afternoon, it gives me a comforting feeling and restores my spirit a bit.

5) Share one piece of advice!

Hmmm, I'd say to never forget yourself. Other people may leave, but yourself is the only one who will never leave you. Some people might see this as insensitive wording, but I truly mean this with all my heart. There's time to be spent in introspection, there's love to be found in ourselves, for ourselves. There's a certain kind of healing that can only occur when you are with yourself. Also, to everyone reading this, regardless of shape color gender and preferences regarding tea - tell people who are dear to you how much you love them and hug them. Spread good stuff, hugs are the best drug - and they're free!!

Tagging @koumeowkami and @stardusteyes and also the other beautiful people I already tagged are totally free to copy this and post their own answers!

[pwuh]

mahonia, chia, sage, chamomile, aloe vera :] ik it's a lot, but i'm interested!

mahonia ⇢ what place, thing, activity inspires you most and how do you express yourself when it does?

hmm libraries and bookstores and museums never fail to inspire me. for thing, i think books, so reading would also fit as an activity. expressing myself usually means i find myself creating something or researching more on what i find that interests me. i hunger to learn.

chia ⇢ what’s an inside joke you have with someone else?

ahh!! "staaaaare." "arrrgh [jennifer coolidge voice]" "fart fart fart...you hate me you hate me!" "me in fortnite me in overwatch" "boogerjoe" "fish and pea pods" "hard working mama spider and her thankful wife" and so so so many others. i love my friends so much.

sage ⇢ what ‘medium’ of art (poetry, music, fiction, paintings, statues etc.) is the most touching to you? why do you think that is?

oh...this is a tough tie between music, fiction in all its forms ie films television literature etc, and paintings. music specifically is a full body experience. i adore sad songs with all my heart but i also enjoy belting out to a musical number or a pop song and both end with me putting on a performance. i also love dancing [i did ballet when i was younger] so perhaps that is why music is a very profound and moving experience to me. fiction allows me to connect with my emotions in a way that i am usually unable to do in my day to day life, and for once i am actually able to express and let out what i am feeling. paintings carry a piece of the artist in them and tell a story in an incredibly special way. everything from the medium to the brushstrokes to the color palette to the subject matter is so unique and never fails to strike a sort of awe in me.

chamomile ⇢ what kind of things do you like receiving as gifts?

books, video games, stuffed animals, sweaters, and anything cute or quaint. honestly i am not a picky person and am very easy to please with regards to gifts. every single gift brings me to tears.

aloe vera ⇢ what’s something (mundane) you really want to experience in life?

something mundane i'd like to experience in life hmmm. oh! i'd like to fall asleep with a cat in my arms.

[daveinediting]

Yesterday I talked about focus and distraction. Afterward, though, I realized that I mean something different by focus and distraction than how those terms are typically used.

To explain how... we have to go back to the front end of my career.

You see, once upon a time, I was a production assistant traveling with a crew that was shooting a travel series in Europe. Now, while I had responsibilities to everyone on the crew, the person with whom I worked most closely was the photographer. I actually learned a lot about shooting from him. To this day there are things I do, choices I make, that I can track back to things he did, choices he made. 

Anyway, one of the things I couldn't really learn from him at the time was his judgement about when he had a show.

When we had a show?

Yeah, you see we went out into the field with a script and five days to shoot it. And, at some point in there, he'd know that we had all the pieces to edit the show as scripted.

He knew when we had a show.

Hmmm.

Now, my path didn't end up running through production. My thing was post-production although years later I did shoot a documentary and did, in fact, know when I had all the pieces for it.

When I had a show.

It turns out, though, that that kind of awareness of parts contributing to and building a whole... applies to post-production as well. 

You see there's still a script. There's still footage, all those pieces of picture and sound and on-cameras and interviews... gathered in the field. There's also, though, there's also everything we can provide in post-production, not only shot selection and rhythm but design. Narrative design as well as graphic design. Animations, motion graphics. Sound design. Music and its composition. Color grading.

You see all these tools, all these things we can do in post production, serve the script. They can meet the script where it is and they can elevate that script.

And the focus I maintain in post-production is on the finished piece. Four minutes of it. Half an hour. A full hour. Whatever the requirements are on what we're delivering. I keep my eye on finished film or video or youtube clip into which I intend to breathe life. Conjure into being.

That's a largely and creatively two-part process, by the way.

The first part of it involves a certain amount of momentum, thoroughly familiarizing yourself with the footage and constructing enough of a basic edit to understand what all these pieces are amounting to, seeing their potential.  Taking what the juxtaposed picture and sound are doing and feeding them. Giving them everything they need to manifest what they can be.

The second part involves maintaining that vision and strategically employing all the tools at your command  to conjure it. Which means you have a sense of it every day, every step of the way. You know when you're on track and when you're not. You know if you're preserving your vision and you recognize opportunities to elevate that vision.

So that.

That's what's at stake when I talk about focus and distraction.

When I talk about focus, I’m talking about something out ahead of me in the future. Sometimes a pretty long way out.

And when I talk about distraction, I’m talking about anything that disrupts my executive capacity to make connections between past, present, and future. I’m talking about anything that prevents me from mentally iterating. I’m talking about anything that kicks me out of the Zone.

So yeah.

It’s a bit of a task to maintain that kind of vision. But it can be done.

And the rewards are pretty extraordinary.

☺️ ☺️ ☺️

[nonobadcat]

A real world AU Gothic Romance - part 1/3

Pairing: Ghost Shigaraki X Fem!Reader

Rating: Chapter one is PG-13. The other two chapters will be for readers 18+ only.

Content Warnings: Dead dog mention, cannon typical parricide

Eventual Kinks: Toys, V/oy, relations with a literal ghost

Chapter One Word Count: ~3k, Ao3 Mirror

Part 2 ---❤--- Part 3

Saturday October 15th, 2022

“So…?” gesturing like a vaudeville showman, you held out both hands towards your new house. “What do you think!? Great, right?”

Your best friend, Serenity, shoved her purple box-frame glasses up her wide, button nose and pursed her plush lips. Clicking her tongue, she curled her pointer finger into a loose coil of hair. Two tone sarcasm purred into her one word reply: “M-hmmm…”

Scratching the back of your neck, you glanced up at your new purchase just in time to watch one of the old tiles slip from the upper pitch of the dual-hipped roof. It bounced off the attic dormer, rolled past the mildew coated eaves, and slid across the mossy porch awning before tumbling a mere foot into the patchy, overgrown taxus bush. 

You forced a smile and pointed to the ancient, untamed yew. “Well, at least the roots are strong.”

Serenity pinched the bridge of her nose. "Please tell me you didn't use the realtor's home inspector."

"Oh come on Ren-Ren," you laughed, waving her off. Your eyes rolled to the side as your smile fell by one tooth. "I mean… I checked the plumbing myself, so…"

Brown eyes narrowed at you as your voice trailed off. With a deep, motherly sigh, she squeezed your shoulder. "Listen, you know I love you, right?"

You nodded.

She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. "It's a dump."

"It's a historical home!" You protested, crossing your arms. "It has good bones!"

Serenity eyed up the dingy, chipping brick and sun bleached slate tiles before shaking her head. "How many square feet?"

You fanned your hand across your chest. "3.5k with an acre of property plus a full attic and root cellar."

She blinked. "Hold up. That's like $400k+ most places! I thought you said your budget was $220,000?"

You grinned. "Yeah, and this was only $130,000 including closing costs. Crazy, right?"

Your best friend did a double take, staring at the ramshackle Second Empire with renewed interest. "Well… at least that covers the roof and siding." She thumbed her chin and cocked her head. "You're sure this thing has indoor plumbing?"

You shoved her shoulder. "Don't be a dick."

Serenity snickered into her palm. "Okay, so aside from having a friggen 'root cellar' and all the curb appeal of a haunted house, what else is wrong with it?"

You pointed to the far edge of the property where a line of grizzled pines swayed in the autumn breeze. "Busiest train tracks in the greater metropolitan area."

She whistled. "That's gonna blow."

"Literally," you agreed, massaging your temples.

She elbowed you in the ribs. "Still quieter than living with your ex."

You grinned. "No kidding!" With a wave of your hand, you beckoned her around the side of the building. "Wanna see the cool part?"

"Your definition of 'cool' is sus."

You grabbed the sleeve of her caramel colored duffle coat and tugged. "Just come on!"

Across the clover riddled lawn, Serenity trudged behind you in her knee high, slouch boots. She wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed to fight off the cool October wind. You pulled to a stop beside a massive old swamp oak and opened your purse. A wax coated paper sack appeared from the depths of your handbag. Scrawled in inky cursive were two words: "Doggone Delish".

You squatted low, and reached between tumbling roots. Gently brushing the leaf litter aside, you unveiled a carved piece of lichen encrusted soapstone. Time had worn the words smooth, but they were still legible.

"Mon: 1885?" Serenity murmured the text out loud before her eyes fanned wide. "Don't tell me that's a—"

You laid the oatmeal biscuit on the gravemarker and patted it fondly. "He was a Corgi. I found an old picture in one of the drawers." Rising to your feet, you brushed your hands on your jeans and grinned at her. "I always wanted a pet Corgi, and now I've got one."

Serenity eyed the long, dark branches of the towering giant above you. Their bare, grasping fingers crawled at the breeze. "Yeah well, hate to tell you this but your new dog is up the stump and fattening the squirrels by now." 

You scoffed and flashed her a playful smile. "So? Ghost dogs are cheaper than live ones."

"Freak," she teased, kicking your heel.

You stuck out your tongue and wiggled your fingers at her.

A low rumble tumbled in on the wind. The train's whistle shrieked out in the distance. Serenity covered her ears and grimaced. You shrugged and pointed to the house. She nodded, trailing behind you.

When they spotted the biscuit upon the gravemarker, the pair of crimson eyes in the upstairs window wrinkled with delight.

After a brief climb up the sagging porch steps and a short war with the new latchkey, your party arrived in the entryway. Pastel grey and tar black tiles arranged in geometric patterns lay just before the lanky old staircase. To the right, sunlight streamed through the bay windows of the empty, blandly colored front parlor. As Serenity handed you her coat, she examined the silk rose print wallpaper of the foyer. 

"The previous owners have all tried to renovate, but all of them had to stop the repairs before completion for some reason." You patted the yellowing flowers. "So a lot of it is still the original turn of the 20th century decor."

"Okay…" A puff of dust fluttered through the air as your companion tapped one of the old gas landliers in the entryway. With a grin, she turned to face you. "This place is kinda old-timey cool."

"Keep your shoes on," you told her, shuffling her coat onto the hanger. Tucking it into the cedar-lined hall closet, you toed the chipped porcelain tiles. "I haven't finished sweeping yet."

Serenity rolled her eyes. "Nobody’s got time to clean this much house by themselves!" She huffed and crossed her arms. "Why do you think my trunk looks like I scrubbed Mr. Clean’s bubbles?"

With a squeal of happiness, you flung your arms around her shoulders and crushed her against your chest. "Marry me, Ren-Ren."

"Keep that talk up and Marcus's paranoid self is gonna blow my phone up with his 'Baby, where you at?’-s," she laughed.

You released your friend and toed her boots. "You sure keep that boy under your heels."

"Mistress Ser knows what he likes,” she agreed, using the sleeve of her hubbie's hoodie to wipe the dust off the flecked glass of an old, gilded mirror. Tracing the ornate brass with the pad of her finger, she turned to you. “I’m loving this. Where’d you get it?”

“Came with the house.” You nodded to a cabriole legged, mahogany console just below the looking glass. Though the deep auburn shellac had silvered with sun damage, crystal knobs and burled wood spoke to its posh pedigree. A square shaped water ring in the dead center hinted at the old flower vase which must have once graced the hall. “Anything fabric was mouse eaten, but I saved the bedroom set.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You’re gonna sleep in some dead person’s bed? Gross.”

“Don’t make that face, Ren. I’m changing out the mattress.” You sighed. “Besides, this is legit heirloom stuff. When will I ever be able to afford fancy antiques on a my salary?” 

Serenity patted your shoulder. “Long as you don’t go banging a ghost or something.”

You shoved her down the hall. “You're really gonna go putting those thoughts in my head?!”

“You love it,” she teased back, running her hand over the dusty glass shades of the wall bracket lamps. “Are these oil?”

You shook your head. “Natural gas with an open flame. The seller said they capped the lines years ago though. Apparently, they caused a huge house fire back in the day and killed everybody except the little boy who lived here. After that they switched to kerosene and candles.”

“Open flame?” Serenity pulled away from the light as if it had teeth. “Small wonder the place went up.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, cupping your elbows. “Sounds like the people who owned it in the forties tried to repair the damage to the gas when they added the electricity. Supposedly the lines were sound, but the gas never worked right. The flame was always going out, leaving the gas running unchecked. They think it was low pressure or something. It made them annoyed so they sold it.”

As you walked, your companion eyed the soaring twelve foot ceilings and ornate transoms above the massive box doorways. “Well duh. If you make your walls friggin fifty foot tall, of course you’re gonna have pressure problems!”

“Yeah, but the water pipes work fine,” you pointed out, grabbing the round brass handle to the empty parlor. Chantilly parquet floors creaked below your feet as you strolled to the old coal burning fireplace and rested a hand on the chipped marble mantle. In the center of the elaborate plaster medallion, a dusty teardrop crystal chandelier hung above your heads. You flipped the wall switch. The light flickered to life with a painful click, illuminating faded scarlet walls. “The electrician says the wiring is safe, but it still sounds sketch to me.”

“Like it’s grinding or something.” She pressed her ear to the peeling, geometric patterned paper before shaking her head. “Well, at least I don’t hear any bees. Marcus’s mom had them in her walls one summer and Memorial Day turned into a horror movie real fast.”

You strolled to the old pocket doors on the far wall and pushed them wide. Beyond the thick walls, worn stain and gouged wainscot welcomed guests to the formal dining room. Ready for eight, the solid mahogany table stool proudly on hand carved, reeded legs. Beside the bay windows, a matching buffet complete with a wide, oval mirror and rosewood inlays awaited crystal bottles filled with port and brandy. Between twin hall doors, the empty hutch cried out for platinum-edged bone china and silver candlesticks to fill the empty shelves encased in its diamond mutins.

“I had to strip the cushions from the chairs,” you explained, resting your hand on the glossy table. “But the wood cleaned up nice with some mineral spirits and paste wax.”

Serenity shot you an incredulous look. “You've been watching too much ‘This Old House’.”

“It’s only $10 a quart at the hardware store. Way cheaper than a new table.”

Your companion rolled her wrist and beconked you to her. “Show me your hands.”

You cringed, holding out dry, peeling fingers.

Her eye twitched. “That’s it. After we finish this tour, I’m gonna drag your scaley self to Sally's Beauty.” She ripped her phone out of her pocket, furiously thumbing the keyboard. When the signal lit up with one bar, she snarled. “If there even is one in this podunk town.” 

You shrugged. “It’s a well water and septic world out here.”

Gripping her head, Serenity groaned. “I’m buying you a Brita filter. Asap.”

Heading down the long foyer, you made a sharp turn onto a narrow, walnut trimmed staircase. The dark, hand carved banister wobbled in your grip. You frowned at the loose fourth baluster. Not another one! Stupid Victorian hide glue! The original carpenter did some beautiful dovetail joinings but that stuff could not handle the humid summers in this area. More and more, the only dates you seemed to go on were with Norm Abram, Titebond and wood clamps. Now… the question was should you Amazon Prime some of the original stuff for authenticity’s sake or go with the stronger, cheaper wood glue you could get at Milton’s Hardware?

Cheaper probably. Considering the cost of Mansard roof repairs, cheaper was about what you could afford.

Leading her to the creaky upper hall, you bypassed the largest of four bedrooms on the south side of the house. Serenity paused, peaking through the crack in the old, tilted door frame. You shook your head and jerked your thumb down the landing.

“I got stuck in there last week. The house shifted so much over the years that it jams on humid days. I have to sand and rehang it before next summer.”

“Stuck? With cell service this bad?” She glanced out the far window at the long, overgrown expanse of forest which blocked any sight of your neighbors. A shiver rippled down her body. “Creepy.”

You paused, shaking hand rattling the old brass knob to the northern bedroom. “Tell me about it. I’ve left a crowbar and one of those fire escape ladders in there ever since.

Past the solid, double hip door sat a time capsule to the late nineteenth century. The original oak floors had yellowed with age but even the home inspector was impressed by their lack of seam gaps. Overlooking the front of the property, late 2000s double hung bay windows (a testament to the seller’s half-finished remodeling) encircled a small sitting area near the original coal burning fireplace. After hours of fighting with cast iron grating and a stubborn chimney flue, you’d managed to seal out the worst of the draft. The elegant brass chandelier surrendered its tarnish after two hours of polishing, leaving it capped with a luxurious glow every time the sun peeked through the gauzey Walmart curtains. Unlike the worn examples downstairs, dark wallpaper with golden peony blooms looked untouched by the years. 

You flopped onto your new, plastic wrapped mattress and stretched your hands wide. “Behold! Antiquey expensive stuff!”

Serenity’s jaw dropped as she took in the six part, solid mahogany bedroom set. As lovely a red as the day it was made, each piece of satin smooth craftsmanship testified to its owner's fortune. Capped in gothic embellishments and trimmed with burr wood inlays, the queen sized bed looked more like a cathedral than a sleeping space. A marble topped, tiered dressing table with dangling pewter drawer pulls stood ready for silver backed, boar bristle hair brushes and ambergris scented perfumes. You could hide four bodies in the massive armoire. Deep dresser drawers would hold six full skirted walking costumes with ease. Loveliest of all, the free standing, body length mirror reflected your companion’s flabbergasted gawking.

She pointed to the tall, narrow door. “Ho-how’d they even get this stuff in this room?!” 

You snickered, rising to your feet. “That era was all knockdown furniture,” you explained, turning the dressing table around. Tracing the dovetail seam between top and bottom, you tapped your temple. “Not like they wanted to haul all this stuff up the stairs anymore than we would.”

Serenity whistled. “Smart.”

“Oh! I almost forgot!” You dashed across the room to the six foot tall secretary desk and pulled down the writing table. In the center cubby, a luscious painting of olde English foxglove, Narcissus, and Lily of the Valley graced the Purpleheart inlays. You turned the small brass key in the latch and extracted a yellowed, black and white photograph of two children and a pudgy Pembroke Welsh Corgi. “Meet Mon, Tenko, and Hana Shimura.”

Your friend studied the picture. Hana, decked in high pigtails, stood solemnly in her dark pinafore and pristine, lacey apron. Tiny lips smashed in a thin line hinted at her efforts to control her smile. Under a messy flop of black hair, Tenko’s bright eyes gleamed with delight as he forced the Victorian portrait frown while clutching his new puppy. 

“Hold up,” Serenity demanded, tapping the picture with her long, lavender nail. “Aren’t those Japanese names?”

You nodded, returning the old photo to its hiding spot. “I think so.”

She crossed her arms. “Japan had its borders forced open by Perry in 1854. We’re supposed to believe some super rich Japanese family just packed it up, moved to Gilded-Age America, learned the language, and built a mansion in the middle of Podunk, USA just a few decades later?” Jabbing an annoyed figure at the elaborate plasterwork around the chandelier, she added: “Possible, but unlikely much?”

You shrugged. “Deus ex machina?”  

Serenity clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “I guess, but it’s a terrible one, even for a smutty fanfic.”

“Eh… it’s Halloween. Gotta get our fix somewhere,” you replied, kicking the cotton batting. “Help me get this on the bed?”

Bustling to your side, your companion tore through the thin plastic. “So… which one of the Shimuras burnt the house down?”

“I think it was the dad,” you explained, hefting the edge of the mattress above the bed frame. “Might have been rich, but rumor has it he was a perfectionist and family beater. According to the librarian, local gossip was that, after he killed the kid’s dog, the wife tried to take them and leave.”

Serenity grunted as she swung her side up and over. The mattress flopped into place with a woosh before sinking down into the platform base. “Yeah, bet a man like that doesn’t take too kindly to his favorite punching bags up and walking away.”

You scoffed. “Anyone who hurt Mon-chan deserves to burn.”

All at once, your hackles rose. Pricked ears caught the tail end of a distant cackle. You whipped around scanning the room.

“What’s up?”

Rubbing the back of your neck, you shook off the feeling like a wet dog. “N-nothing. Just swore I heard a…” Your voice trailed off as you fixed your gaze on the old looking glass before glancing to the window. “Weird…”

“Hey!” Serenity grabbed your shoulder. “Don’t be pulling that ‘I thought I saw something’ nonsense when I’ve gotta sleep here tonight!”

You laughed and threw up your hands in apology. “Sorry, sorry. Just caught a glint of sunlight in the mirror. That’s all.”

Inside the glass, body shaking with laughter, Tomura’s pale hand clamped tight over a skeletal grin.

Part II coming Saturday October 22nd, 2022

Taglist:

@THE-LADY-WRITES-WHAT @wonwoosbestbuddy @OCEON6  @dabisqueen @shig-a-shig-ah-ah @feral-creep @bat-eclecticwolfbouquet-loveuet-love @smilinghowever @imaginedheroine @CLOUDS-NO1-FAN @MOONTHECREATOR @HARLEYWRITESFANTASY @MANJIROSGIRL @vamperilous @MADDY-HAT @cakernofakers @builtd-different25 @kurtasim @shiggyniggy @koreluvsspring @smilee-spooks @beware-thecrow

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[monsterfloofs]

Lust Demon (Unnamed) x Anonymous Reader

(A little nighttime ramble, I hope you enjoy! The pink evil one is back in this short hornee turned wholesome story =//3

There was a cool breeze wafting through the window tonight, making your skin prickle from the chill in the air. The heat of the day had finally died down to give you time to relax. You even had to get up to turn off the squat box fan in your window. It had been set to full blast originally when you had first gone to lay down. The beginning of the evening had been extremely uncomfortable with a sweltering heat. Eventually, you had been lucky enough to fall asleep and evenly pleasantly surprised to have been woken up from a sudden chill in air. Now, you lie awake, wondering when sleep would bundle you back into its arms.

You hear the window creak, looking up from your position on the bed startled. You see your box fan now lying on the ground, and the window fully open. Curtains rustling in the breeze. You begin to sit up with a sense of urgency until a hand reaches over and taps your lips. "Shhhh, it's only me," you startle, gaze jerking to follow the hand to it owner. Staring hard as your body relaxes, "Jeeze-- you almost scared the heck out of me, what are you doing here?" You whisper, looking up with a pout.

A large figure sat at the foot of your bed, staring at you from underneath drooped eyelids with a mischevious sharp grin. Four horns encircling their forehead and two studded ones sat just below their lips. They would have looked intimidating if not for their skin tone, which was a very light pastel pink. But you couldn't see all that in the dark. You knew, because of the many nightly encounters that you have had with this particular demon. Body shuddering at the thought of those previous nights.

"Awe, I thought you would want some company, a little nightly visit? A little birdy told me that you were lonely♡"

You feel your cheeks warm, "I mean. . . you w-weren't wrong--" Your breath hitches as a strong hand grips your thigh, "Hmmm?" they purr teasingly, but you shake your head, placing a hand on theirs. "A-actually. . . can I just. . . have a hug?. . ."

They are silent in the dark, the weight of their hand still resting on your thigh. When they talk again, their usual tone is colored with surprise at the request. "A hug?" The sound makes you flinch.

"Mmhm. . . I um. . ." fingers rubbing their knuckles uncertainly. "I missed you, I was thinking maybe if you're not doing anything later we could. . . go out. . . for breakfast or. . ."

Stumbling over your words, it was taking a lot of bravery to talk. To try and find your way from the complicated relationship you had gotten tangled up in.

It started off, more like. . . friends with benefits when you met him. But. . . not exactly. . . A lust demon who needed a consistent energy source, and a lonely heart that begged for some kind of loving hand. Touch starved and too afraid to reach enough out of your shell to try and make connections. It had been wonderful for a while, you felt safe, and surprisingly well cared for, while he held you in his arms. But you began to get feelings that frothed up in your chest, a yearning that could never be solved, no matter how many times he visited. It felt like an addiction, despite how good you felt, there was a hole steadily growing bigger. The evil grins that made you pause before laughing, the sauve bedroom stare when he hovered above you. The confident air, the air of someone who knew what they wanted.

You wanted to have a piece of that. You wanted to know what you wanted, to make bold decisions for yourself and to be courageous. Looking in, it seemed so easy for him. The confidence, the wit-- You wanted to be more like that, and as you began to realize that, you realized slowly, that you had been coming out of your shell. You'd push back now when he teased you, you'd teased back. You were taking slow steps, like a small sprout that had given the light of day, to flourish. You didn't want one night. You didn't want to feel safe one night and lonely the next. You wanted to grow alongside of someone who had showed you it was okay to be yourself. Unafraid, unbridled, the messy sides included.

You take his clawed hand in yours, biting your nail nervously. "Don't you ever want. . . well. . . more?" You whisper meekly, "M-maybe I'm being selfish, b-but I want to get t-to know you outside of th-the bedroom. . . can we go for a walk? Or we could go to the beach. . ."

". . .Would you like that?" The soft rumble causes your expression to crumple, blinking back tears as you nod shakily.

You feel the bed shift as he leans down, his knees sitting on the floor so he can be at your eye level, seeing a flicker of a soft glow in the dark. "We can do whatever you want baby." He chuckles softly, "I don't know how much people will enjoy me out in public though, people might start making out around us if we go to the movies or something. Or worse~"

Your face crinkles, pushing your hands into his shoulders to shove into him lightly. "Don't be gross," you reprimand, but your voice is light, airy. You laugh in spite of yourself before you feel arms pulled around you, and you are bundled into a hug.

"You said. . . you wanted a hug right?" His voice low, and strangely uneasy. Your eyes wide for a moment, before you blink. Expression falling as heavy tears start filling your eyes. Trembling, sniffling, you give a shudder of a breath.

"Aw baby," His voice low, soft, "It's okay, I gottcha," you bury your face into his shoulder, hands slowly raising to hug him back.

♡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡｡♡

Enjoy what I write? I have a tip jar!ヽ(*ᵔ▿ᵔ)ﾉ

[gentlemancrow]

OH MAN I MADE MYSELF SAD WITH THIS ONE OH NO OH JEEZ OH CROW WE'RE REALLY IN IT NOW. But this one was FUN. 83. I mean the prompt also just SCREAMS for something truly fucked up for Jmart and UHHHH I HOPE I DELIVERED? ENJOY EVERYONE!

Oct 5th: Nightmare/ “It’s not enough anymore.” (CWs for major character death SORT OF? References to major character death?? unreality and dreams!)

The Archivist surveys his domain from a broken throne. Crimson cast in the long fingers of light from a dying sun, what was once a wonderland, a cornucopia of horrifying delights, is now just a gutted-out carapace, gnawed clean and bleached red. Everything is sand and rusted girders and shattered glass and bone and hungry silence. What few things that still exist to shiver and be afraid are wrung dry, lifeless creatures more of sorrow and resignation, of defeat and yearning for oblivion than of fear. Sorrow still tastes of fear, in a way, but it is thin and malnourishing, a placebo to glut distended bellies on limbs too thin and weak to carry them on through the wasteland.

He has never had need to leave his ivory tower to wander, however. He can see everything, after all. The mylar veins and nerves of him root him to the core of the Earth and had drunk their fill for countless eons. He had watched from ocular buds and many-eyed vultures feeding the green dandelion iris of him sitting high in his panopticon as all of existence knelt and cracked open their skulls and chests and spilled their secrets unto his waiting pastures. There is nothing now.

No secrets, no history, no science or art or books, just the fluttering of crumpled black strips of mylar tape. The sky falls, piece by piece, and there are no stars in the wounds left behind, only the void of nothingness and crouches with wide-open jaws ready to breathe in the dust of them when they are gone. Something else bellows out, a foghorn headed thing echolocating blindly in the emptiness, searching in the hollows of a lonesome world for that feeling which cannot exist within itself. There is no one left to miss, no one left to watch, no one left to stalk in the dark, no porous flesh to make a home, no stories left to tell. No one even to bury. Their time is ending. His monarchy crumbles around him and all he has left to do is bow his crown and weep.

Tears flow from countless eyes to water the newly fecund soil beneath him and in a few scraggly, achingly defiant bursts of color, fearless primordial life makes its final stand, heedless that it too, will soon blink out of existence. The delicate, starry petaled blooms trace out an ancient shape and memorialize a long-forgotten form in final repose beside him. Always beside him, no matter where he went. They grow between eternally reaching fingers, up through the cathedral of crumbling ribs, in a halo around the head laid forever in reverence and love at his feet, lively pink and sky blue and purple for him. He lays what once must have been a head, a blushing cheek, the corner of a mouth full of teeth like marble commandments, down upon the crumbling cage of bone. If he searches long enough through the endless annals of his knowledge, he can find the sound of the heart that once beat there. There must have been a voice once. Laughter. A smile. But they’re so far away, buried so deep, and he is so weak.

He wonders if maybe he will be waiting for him, wherever he is going, wherever things like him go, if they have not exchanged existences too many times to do so just once more. He wonders if maybe one day he will close all his myriad eyes for the final time and open them again into a sea of cobalt blue. He wonders if maybe there is peace beyond the stars, if they can both lay their heads down in the silken crystal fires of creation and sleep at last, together. There is a twinge of old excitement in a thing he does not know. There is hope again in that word, maybe. Just maybe. Maybe he can see him again. For now, The Archivist just curls against the remains of that thunderous, bright chest, winds a few tendrils of tape around the half-buried fingers, and waits for extinction. Or a dream. Whichever comes for him first.

And then Jon wakes up with a strangled cry from where he was snuggled into Martin’s chest, eyes wild, streaming with sweat and fighting to fill his lungs with air. Martin catches him immediately, envelops him up in his strong arms and blankets and love and softness, peppers kisses all over his face and brings him back down into the comfort of their bed.

“Shhhh, shhhh… it’s alright, you’re alright, Jon. It was just a nightmare. I’m here, I’ve got you,” he murmurs, his voice a cosmic hymn in the wake of such complete oblivion.

“S-Sorry… I’m sorry,” Jon whispers tremulously into his chest, “It was just… it was awful.”

“I’m sorry, too. D-Did you want to talk about it…?”

Fingers glide through his hair, shedding warped images like sand into the sheets.

“Maybe. I-I… It’s hard to… put into words. Feelings mostly. Not good ones… E-Everything still feels a little fuzzy.”

Martin chuckles a little.

“They say you can tell if you’re dreaming if you try to read. Can’t read in dreams, you know.”

Jon manages a lopsided smirk.

“Is that so?”

There is a stack of books on Martin’s nightstand. Jon does not allow their titles to catch his eye.

“Aren’t you supposed to know everything now, hmmm?”

“What is there to know about dreams? We don’t know why we have them. As far as we know they serve no discernible purpose, they may as well not even exist,” he replies, tetchy academia bleeding into his still sleep-thick voice.

“But they do exist, they are something, a memory, a feeling, a fear…”

“Or all of them at once.”

Silence swells between them, punctuated by the ticking of the clock on the wall. A chaffinch sings an aria somewhere unseen.

“…Are you afraid, Jon?”

“…All the time.”

“Why don’t you have a peek at the clock, then? Clocks can tell you, too. Time doesn’t work right in dreams,” Martin continues sweetly.

Jon does not look.

“You don’t work right in dreams,” he teases instead as the edges of unreality begin to crumble.

“Oh, very original…”

Jon pays for his crimes by being tackled into the mattress and tickled, and he forgets for just a moment, the smell of desiccated plastic and sand in his nostrils and the cool touch-polished bone against his cheek. He forgets with his fingers tangled in russet curls, forgets in their tussling and kissing and laughing in the billowy cloud of their comforter, their bed, forgets until it all bleeds together into a muffled blur in his ears. He steals a furtive glance at the clock on the wall as Martin kisses his neck and shoulder and envelops him utterly.

The second-hand ticks backward just once.

And Jon no longer knows which one of them is having the nightmare, and which one of them is the nightmare.