#I LOVE nopal’s work

[oraeliaa]

Fallout and Food - research for all fics

I've been meaning to type this up for ages (I have it as written notes on my iPad), so I thought I'd post this first and if people are interested I can post more research that I've done, since a lot of you said yes to seeing my research!

So I talk about food a lot, in my fics. That's because I love cooking. So one of the first things I did was research food, because as much as I love spam (no joke I miss it most since going vegetarian) I wanted to try and have some diversity in what Cooper and Lucy ate, especially once we got to the ranch, where the residents are permanently settled and food is part of life, rather than a mere thing of sustenance.

There were a few things I focused on in my research, wanting to have meals that could be left whilst work was happening, so I pictured a lot of stews and cassoulets, corn-based porridge, hearty breads etc - but there's no flour. Instead, Mesquite beans can be subbed 1:1 for flour to make a flatbread, and there's a lot of recipes using beer etc, which we know they have, as a raising agent.

A lot of the animals they're eating aren't exactly to our tastes, but knowing that peppers and tomatoes are grown lets us know they can make paprika etc, and the jalapenos in game gave me hope haha! I wrote a smoker into the farm and cold storage so they could a) dry age the meat via hanging, and b) smoke extra flavour into some of the less...appetizing cuts

And for the meat-

Here are some of the meal ideas I noted down-

Meal ideas

Cassoulet of wild beans and meat

If we have agave and corn we can have cornbread

Corn based porridge

Pinon nuts - pine nuts + Jalapeno and coriander could marinade Iguana Nicely

Pickly Pear - can be made into fruit/jelly/fruit cheese (named after the historic moulds, no cheese involved) or sauce for meat

Tacos with black beans and brahmin cheese

Nopales are edible pads of the prickly pear cactus, which can be stir fried

Tepary beans and cholla bud stew

And finally, 10 of my references since you can only put 10 links in, apparently!

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Hi, is it possible to have M6 hcs with an MC having a depressive episode please? Thank you in advance, I love your work <3

The Arcana HCs: M6 with an MC struggling with depression

~ apparently you guys' new favorite thing to do is send me requests that I can relate to a little too well. Have some comfort, my darlings, and remember to be kind to yourselves. Healing is slow but it is happening - brainrot ~

Julian

Caring for you during a depressive episode is more instinctive for him than the day-to-day part of living with depression

He knows what it's like to be really emotionally low, but he doesn't know what it's like to be permanently stuck there

And for someone who runs on emotional energy, not having any at all doesn't resonate with him

Which is why he's quickly becoming Vesuvia's leading medical expert on the condition. What he can't understand right away, he'll study until he does

And oh dear, the more he learns, the more he aches for you. It's the emotional equivalent of chronic pain/fatigue and nobody will make you feel more valid in that than he will

There's just one problem - he can't keep a schedule to save his life and he's sometimes more empathetic than is good for him

It's an important growing moment for him. He'll have to learn how to better himself to help you without feeling responsible for your troubles

He keeps a checklist to go over with you every day, somehow without ever making you feel judged if you didn't do everything

Healthy amount of food? Check. Healthy amount of sleep? Check. Sunlight? It was raining. That's okay, we'll go on a picnic tomorrow!

It's also his way of being able to tell if it's getting bad again

When that happens, he'll encourage you to give yourself the freedom of a few days of rest. No expectations, no to-do lists. A good doctor knows the value of bed rest

It's really good for him too - since he wants to check up on you regularly it means he's taking consistent breaks and actually getting enough sleep for once

You bring him so much joy just by being there when he wakes up in the mornings. Being able to help you keep that sparkle in your eyes means so much to him

Asra

They aren't very depression-prone themselves, but they know how hard it is to carry a heavy heart. It's why giving you half of theirs was one of the easiest trades they ever made

And it's also why he gets what you're going through better than anyone else does, because he can literally feel what you're feeling, if you let him

The first time you let them tap in to your shared bond on a fairly bad day, they said it was like trying to dance with fogged-over glasses and weights on every limb. No wonder you're tired!

He doesn't mind doing things a little differently (since when did he do them normally anyways?) so he likes getting the important tasks done with you

They get up with you on workdays and turn breakfast and dinner into daily dates. Wherever their whims take them while you run the shop, they'll always be back in time to help close and take you on a long sunset stroll

Baths used to stress you out - it was the last hurdle before finally getting to sleep - and now they're the highlight of your day

It's not nearly as overwhelming when the bath's already drawn with some new random luxury product to try out and a fluffy-haired lover who insists on lifting you in and out (it makes him happy, let him have this, MC!)

Weekends are for sleeping in, cuddles on the roof in the sunshine, and hours of reading books in the pillow pile

When a nasty episode hits, they'll take you on vacation to Nopal. They notice how much effort you put in, it makes sense that you need rest and they want to make sure you have it

So many hugs and snuggles, all the time, every day. He's so proud of you and he tells you that constantly

Because he doesn't need you to be happy or energetic or exciting for him to love you. He just needs you to know that you're loved.

Nadia

Nobody knows what it's like to feel stuck and unable to get one's life back like she does. She spent three years comatose like that

She's a little horrified when she gets a clear picture of what life can be like for you. She had a way out, and a Devil to blame and subsequently defeat. You're running on your own determination

She thinks you're one of the strongest people in the world for that

It shows her why you seemed to know how to pull her out of her sleep. And she's determined to do the same for you

She pulls you out of bed to do yoga with her every morning. If it's sunny (and it often is) she'll take it onto the balcony so you can kill two birds with one stone

It's okay if you need to go back to sleep after. Just let her do this with you

She has a reason to schedule breaks into her day now to spend half an hour with you and make sure you're both getting what you need

Because lunchtime gets so busy and dinner is often an important event, she makes sure to have a late morning tea with you every day, from 10-11 AM

Fresh fruit, some dried meats and cheeses, juice and tea, and the most delicious baked treats. It's light and filling and nourishing enough to get you through the day if you can't manage much else

It's easier to act like it's not getting bad again when you can save your energy just for your shared moments. It's why Nadia feels so guilty for the first few times she didn't notice until it was too bad for you to do even that much

Fortunately for you, there's a palace full of employees who have you to thank for getting a competent person in charge again

They want to see you flourish too, so one word from housekeeping is all Nadia needs to whisk you off to the seaside for some R&R

You pulled her out of her daze and are the strongest person she knows. Returning the favor for her beloved is her greatest honor

Muriel

Oh yeah, that thing where life feels like walking through sludge and all you want to do is hide and sleep, so that's what you eventually end up doing all day? Yeah he does that too

Or at least he did, until you dragged him down a continent with the scariest woman he's ever met on a wild goat chase

It's starting to make sense to him now. You knew to reintroduce him to the fun of comfortable clothes and good food and the safety of companionship because that's what you needed too

And he's not leaving that fog behind without bringing you with him

He doesn't want you to force yourself into a busy, colorful life of excitement and adventure. He doesn't want that for himself either

But he's learned the value of a life that can move as slowly as it needs to as long as it doesn't get stagnant

You can sleep in if you want to. But he's bringing you breakfast in bed. He won't say anything but he won't leave to start his day until you eat at least half of it

You don't have to go on a walk if you're not up for it. But he'll leave the door and windows open and move the bed right below them

You don't have to take a shower. But he'll hold you in his lap by the fire with a clean rag and a bucket of warm water and some soap and a big, fluffy towel

It's okay if you can't feel anything. It's okay if you can't stop feeling everything. Sit with it as long as you need to. He'll just be next to you with a glass of cool, fresh water from the nearby spring

Of course, things aren't always that bad. You have good days, and better days, and great days, and tired days, and gray days, and everything days, and nothing days, and quiet days, and loud days

Sometimes you're the one bringing him a glass of water and opening the windows

But you're both slowly having more good days than bad ones, and life is starting to get lighter. And neither of you are fighting alone

Portia

Depression and burnout can look pretty similar. The big difference is that one of them is something you generally bring on yourself, and the other one tends to show up uninvited and unannounced

She's plenty familiar with burnout. Depression not so much

She's quick to notice when you go several days in a row without smiling very much. And when you can't pull yourself out of bed one morning, she's so sympathetic and on board to help

But it's hard not get upset with her when her first question is, "so what were you doing for it to get this bad, MC?"

It makes it even harder to talk about, but Portia is the palace's honorary librarian at this point. Between the research she does there and the general medical description and advice Ilya gives her, she'll come back with plenty of notes

She will feel so bad about what she said earlier that you will definitely need to hug it out

She's such a get-up-and-go person that she doesn't have to think twice about helping you keep a schedule. That's how she lives already. Now she's just cooking a full breakfast for two, not one

She still takes you on her ambassador trips, but the plans she comes up with take your energy levels into account as well as hers

You're having a better day? Time to go sightseeing and find an adventure

You're not doing as well? Take a day on the boat. Nap on the deck in the sunlight. The crew love you too, they'll bring you fruit and she'll get all the boring meetings out of the way while you rest

It can be a little daunting being a partner to someone who is sunshine personified when you feel like mud most days

And it's tricky for her to learn how to sit with someone in pain without feeling like a failure for not being influential enough to fix it

She sees you as the best part of her world and thinks, no wonder you're tired. Take a rest. She'll keep things running

Lucio

At first he's worried that you're falling sick very, very slowly

You don't have energy for the things that he knows you enjoy, you're sleeping more, and the dulled look in your eyes makes him wonder if you're in pain

You're trying not to let it get to you because being an adventurer is fun! Exciting! And it's Lucio's fresh start on life, so you're scared of ruining it. You don't want to drag him down on his way up

But finally one morning you just can't get yourself out of bed. And he's increasingly worried, so you explain it to him

It ends up lifting his spirits more than anything. He could tell you were ill, but this illness doesn't seem fatal. It's just something you have to live with that makes some days a lot harder than others

He doesn't have a lot of intuition for taking care of sick people, but he's getting better and better at learning from his mistakes

You say taking care of your body helps? Every time he gets hungry he makes sure you eat something too. Every time he bathes he pulls you in. Every time he goes outside he invites you.

If you say no too often he will pout. Which will quickly give way to his unexpectedly adorable puppy eyes, because he loves you and doesn't want your sickness to hurt you MC!

Of course, healing is never linear. There are still times when the only thing you have energy for when you open your eyes is closing them again

And as much as he worries for you during those times, Lucio isn't burdened by them. It's a chance to show you he loves you and to return the favor you showed him by sticking by his side

It's also his moment to be the magnanimous, powerful Count he wanted so badly to be. He'll protect you, he'll take care of you, he gets to be your hero and let you be comfortable!

You are his best. If that means you need to take a break and sleep, then go ahead. Precious things are meant to be treasured

[writernopal]

we like notebooks around here right? well, here, have some pics of mine!

i have three in total that i use regularly (pictured below) the two leather ones are refillable and about A5 sized. the little one is about A7. the paper i use is paper republic (a paper supply out of Vienna). its quite expensive, but its very worth it because i exclusively use fountain pens (its just a vastly superior writing experience tbh and i know it sounds snobby but please let me have this) and most regular paper does not do well with fountain pen ink (it bleeds through everything, it feathers, its splotches, its a disaster). the paper i use is specifically made for fountain pens so yeah. im a happy camper!

the leftmost one is my journal. i write at least 3 pages in it each morning. sometimes it gets profound but most of the time its not. its really my equivalent of screaming into a pillow so that i have the mental fortitude to face the day more even-handed. i will usually write those pages first thing when i get into work and sip on my coffee. (this pic also features my blank keycap keyboard. it is a cherry mx brown Ducky DK2108S that Mr. Nopal got me as a gift when we were still dating. its called Starburst bc the keycap colors look like starburst candies)

the middle one (second in this stack above) is what i use for anything writing related. i usually have all of my writing notes stored digitally but every now and then, when i really need to get my head in the right place about a part of the story, i will pull this guy out and sketch out what i need to do. this is also the notebook i use to take notes during writing/creative lectures and talks that i attend. and i also put quotes that inspire me in here. i pin a few art pieces in here as well, for example the physical copy of Captain Frere, The Vanishing Pirate is in here!

the final one (on the top in this pic) is my commonplace book. i recently started making use of this type of notebook on the recommendation of @illjustpretend and honestly its been so great. this is basically where i keep my random little scratchings, to do lists, grocery lists, and my thoughts that worm their way into my head and need a place to stay. its extra small so i can throw it into any bag im carrying!

another angle bc i just love how they all look together. in the back in my pencil case with post-its, highlighters, pencils etc. and laying across the top of the commonplace book is one of my fountain pens, its the Pilot Kakuno with Fine size tip. im currently using Lamy Black ink in it. if you look closely you can also see another one of my fountain pens, that one is the Lamy AL-Star in the color Cosmic. it was the first fountain pen i ever owned and i got it as a gift from my sisters for my birthday. it has my penname engraved on one side of it and currently loaded with Lamy Teal ink.

[moopsy-daisy]

Make Your Own Cosmetics, Get What You Actually Want

Once you've been in zero waste, eco friendly, solarpunk/lunarpunk circles for a while, it's easy to forget the steps you took when you started. There are lots of DIY projects I've been doing for 10+ years now, and I keep doing them because they work (for me). Yet, when I sit back and think "am I doing enough?" I always gloss over the myriad things that have become part of my everyday life.

Making these things won't save the environment, but you'll get products that meet your needs on your terms, will save you money, and you won't have to worry about a company discontinuing your favorites. Plus, it seems like a lot less packaging to just buy a brick of beeswax and toss in some kitchen stuff you already had to make makeup.

Henna

I got really lucky, I always wanted red hair and henna is a natural dye that only comes in red. Well, more of a coppery tone. But, here's the other cool thing: the henna process is anti-fungal and controls dandruff. Half the time, I remember to color my hair because my scalp starts getting itchy 6+ weeks later and I start to get flakes. Coloring my hair takes care of my scalp and I don't need dandruff shampoo to keep it healthy. It's cost-effective, buying high quality henna for a year's worth of color (for my length and thicc hair) is about $60 for 18-months' of materials. I mix it when I need it, and keep the powder in the freezer. Pro-tip, if you or your partner don't like the grassy, hay-like smell of henna, add cardamom or ginger powder to the mix. It doesn't change the color but it'll knock down the scent.

I learned everything I needed to know about Henna for Hair here: http://hennaforhair.com and buy through Catherine's store because I know I'm getting real, quality henna powder.

Oh and a cloth wrap for your hair will let you keep the henna covered without wasting plastic wrap every time you redo your roots. I've been using the same 'turbie twist' wraps for years now. I made them from old t-shirts and they're stained as fuck. Who cares? This is basically their only job.

Carmine Lip Color

No, it isn't vegan. Yes, it's made of bugs. It's also a spectacular color, the insects aren't abused in the process of gathering or raising. They're actually parasites on nopal cactus, they have a simple niche and serve it well. I learned this lip stain recipe from Humblee & Me, and have found that the anti-bacterial doesn't seem to be necessary, ymmv. A 2.5 gram sample pack of carmine from TKB has lasted me almost a year and I wear this almost daily. I find that the glycerin really helps keep my lips from drying out too badly, so I wear my lip stain even when I'm not planning on being seen by other people. I spend about $20 on lip color for a year and that's including the bottles I use to store it (tiny eyedroppers work best imo) and the glycerin. Not quite zero waste but darn close.

Note: I'm still trying to find a simple recipe for black goth lipstick that I like. So far, my attempts have had a nasty texture and aren't worth the trouble.

Eyebrow Fill

My favorite brand of eyebrow liner discontinued the best color I ever found, so I decided to make my own. Beeswax, cocoa powder, activated charcoal, and almond oil made a little pot of eyebrow fill that suits my needs beautifully. Go super light on the charcoal until you know you've got the color you want. My brows are pretty dark but not fully black, so I do a dark chocolate sort of shade. I think I made my last batch about 11 months ago and it's still half full. I use it daily, apply with an angled brush, and it's never given me breakouts or anything. I don't even wash it off, because I am lazy.

Body Powder/Dry shampoo

Growing up in California, I didn't need this stuff. Living in Oregon? Summer would be awful without body powder. It's also a nice way to have a fragrance on. Pour your favorite perfume (I love Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab oils) onto a cotton ball, put that ball in a jar with a bunch of corn starch. Shake. Leave it for a month. You now have scented body powder. It's a decent dry shampoo, too, I just brush it into my dark hair and it disappears.

Tooth Powder

There is NOTHING wrong with using conventional toothpaste if it meets your needs. I have particular reasons for using tooth powder. These include hating the taste of most toothpaste and needing to avoid fluoride because of my particular thyroid condition. (Fluoride isn't bad for everyone! It isn't ideal for everyone. Figure out what you need!) I make my own tooth powder, it works well enough for me and I don't hate brushing my teeth like I used to. 1 part baking soda, 1 part bentonite clay, some ground cloves. Mix it up, keep in a glass jar (metal will bond with the clay, bad things happen, this is why we use glass or plastic for storage). $20 of materials = LOADS of tooth powder.

Cutting Hair

It's way easier than you think. I cut my own hair and I do a graduated bob which is a little more complex than most at-home cuts. I taught myself. I use decent shears (don't use scissors) and a Wahl hair trimmer set. Learn this skill on yourself, and when people find out you can do hair, they'll come to you for their own needs. Great way to provide mutual aid (one of my parents is trans and getting haircuts in a salon would be extremely stressful for her, so I cut her hair and save her money and suffering). You could also do skill trades! I trade haircuts for massages from a massage therapist friend, for example.

Protip: Dust yourself with body powder before cutting hair, it makes the little shards of cut hair way less prone to sticking to you. You'll still want a shower but it'll just be less icky.

[violets-in-her-arms-writes]

Get to Know the Writer/9 People Tag

I've been tagged by @writernopal for the "Get to Know the Writer" tag and by @tisiphonewolfe, @cherrybombfangirlwrites, @fayeiswriting and Nopal for the "9 people" tag and since some questions were overlapping I decided to combine both tags ^^ Thank you for tagging me ! 💜

THREE SHIPS:

Sansa Stark/Happiness (my love deserves the world)

Jiang Cheng/Meng Yao (I know this is a rarepair but THEY RAISED A BABY TOGETHER AND they're both huge drama queens/violent people I love them)

Ron/Harry/Hermione (the golden triiioooo!! I have a ff idea about the 8 Gryffindors being sent back in time because they are the last survivors and I hurt myself every time I think about it because Ginny is stuck as a ghost (don't worry she'll end up happy with Luna))

LAST SONG:

... girls in bikinis by Poppy

LAST MOVIE:

Gone Girl, yes I am a Amy Dunn apologist. I crave violence, men suffering and I love Rosamund Pike, so this is a perfect combo for me

FAVOURITE COLOUR:

Lavender and black

SWEET/SPICY/SAVORY:

I love food so this is a hard question, but I'll go with savory for now

CURRENTLY WATCHING:

I need to watch the last two episodes of Dr Cha and I just started Yellowjackets

CURRENTLY READING:

I'm kinda in a slump rn so I haven't been reading that much, but I'm almost done with a sapphic isekei light novel A Lily Blooms in Another World (it's so cute 💜)

CURRENTLY CRAVING:

Brownies with vanilla ice cream

CURRENTLY WORKING ON:

My lesbian vampire WIP La Fledgling but j'ai un peu l'impression de pédaler dans la semoule right now so once Camp NaNo is done I'll probably change things up and go back to writing the third book of Witch's Time, which is a story about a powerful witch who's sent back in time without her memory (kinda... I'll make a wip intro one day)

LAST THING YOU SEARCHED FOR WRITING PURPOSES:

How many gallons of blood a human can lose while still remaining conscious -> unclear but should be around 14%. If you lose more than 1/3 of your blood you're in bad shape, lose half and you'll probably die unless you get a transfusion (or there's a magic user nearby)

Tagging (softly) @scribbling-stardust, @liv-is, @lena-rambles and anyone who wants to do it!

[thewardenofwinter]

Happy STS! If you were to design a deck of playing cards based on characters in your WIP, who would you assign to be the King? The Queen? The Jack? The Ace? And the Joker?

Happy STS Nopal! Thanks for the ask. ❄️

I'm quite behind on all my asks (yours and others) but this one is quite quick. Most of my characters archetypes for all of my WIPs are based off of tarot cards, actually., so translating tarot and cartomancy to playing cards was not too hard. I also used to play card religiously so I am quite familiar with a playing deck as well.

I will be using Give No Quarter for this ask. I do have all of my characters sorted out for each card, but for now I'll just do Circe, Henri, and Adam because I have introduced them before (and because I have over 30 characters for this project.)

Ace of Spades: Circe

Also known as the card of death, the ace of spades is the highest ranking card in a deck. These cads often foreshadow hardship, destruction, or death for it's opponents, but for it's player it symbolizes power, luck, and triumph.

King of Hearts: Henri Bellamy

Ranked higher than the queen but lower that the ace, this card is commonly referred to as the suicide king because it's art frequently shows the king impaling himself. Selfless with a penchant for self sacrifice, this card combines the regalness and imperiousness of a king with the combined the accommodating and altruistic attitude of a servant. He also symbolizes power, ambition, and victory.

Jack/Knave of Spades: Adam Bonny

If you didn't know, a jack is a term that pirates use frequently to identify each other. A jack card is also affectionately called a knave which is an old term for a dishonest or unscrupulous man due to there always bein a clever looking young man on the card. He frequently takes on the role as a trickster character, sometimes even more so that the joker. While the jack can be seen working alongside the king, jacks also work best as their own cards. There's a reason why the saying 'Jack of all trades' exists, the jack of spades takes initiative, learning new skills in the hopes of one day creating something original to call their own.

I would love to keep going with every character in GNQ, but I have loads so I will just give you a tease with the 'main' three (I say that like Henri actually does anything in the first book lol.) Thanks again for the ask, Nopal!

— M. Warrin

[futurecorps3]

Follow up to this 🔝 because I just experienced it in a massive way with Blue Beetle.

Spoilers marked with * ! You’ve been warned.

-My fucking god this was such a wonderful experience ☹️ I had the time of my life seeing language I use everyday with my family and friends being depicted in such a great film!!! Let’s dive in:

1- First of all, the use of ‘pendejo’ (something like dickhead maybe?) being mostly used between Jaime and Milagro is so relatable because YES siblings and sibling-like relationships are always marked by this word “Hola pendejo”, “Cállate pendejo”, “No mames pendejo” ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

2*-Their grandma being a revolutionary legend????? Hello????? She was so iconic for that and the whole explanation of how the plan’s gonna work!!! It’s screaming revolución mexicana, or cubana. Kind of an Adelita (women who fought relentlessly in Mexican revolution)

3*******- When Jaimes’s father dies and everyone’s having a breakdown, nana tells Milagro to wait because there’ll be a time for crying, that they need to save Jaime first. Bro. YES! Grandmas in latin culture are always so strong in that way… most of the women I know have gone through some SHIT and still manage to get past it and live life with a sexy smile on their faces MY FUCKING GOD because that’s our philosophy and we’re thought all that by our abuelas

4*- We all have an uncle Rudy in our lives <3 he’s the guy you love like a friend and supports you like an uncle!!! He listens to Cruë and Selena!!! He’s so cool!!! So supportive, always calling you ‘wey’ because he’s your carnal before your old uncle; you can trust uncle Rudys of the world

5- Even though I’m not religious, I still believe La Virgen de Guadalupe and christianity/catholicism in general are a huge part of our culture as a whole and seeing it depicted in such an accurate way in the movie was so refreshing!!

6- At some point, nana asks Milagro for help getting up since she’s kneeling on the ground. She goes; “A ver mija […] Ahí te voy, eh? Una, dos, tres […] ay mamacita *giggle*”. When I tell you we’ve all had that same exact thing said to us when helping a grownup person get up. THOSE SAME EXACT WORDS OH LORD

7-The nopales bit; if you have a big nopal plant on a pot or even your garden there’s probably a whole story behind it. Like maybe your grandparents planted it, or stole it from a valdío (abandoned land) and brought it home, maybe your uncle once ate dirt from it when he was little! (happened in my family). The symbolism in Mexican culture of nopal is huge!

Our flag has a nopal plant where the eagle is standing and it’s because, according to the legend, the first people in Mexico were told that wherever they saw an eagle eating a snake on top of a nopal was where our land should be built!!! It’s so gorgeous

~

I could really make an essay on this. They got it right. Again, as a mexican woman (born, raised, still live here), I’ve grown watching very stereotypical representations of my people and it warms my heart to see everyday things in a big movie like this one <3

Damián Alcázar is a special actor for us all since he’s been in very politically controversial movies (criticizing the government, which is a whole other thing I could go on for ages) that speak to people of middle and low class in a country like ours, and seeing such a dear face acting like a dad we all know in a superhero movie made me happy!

The movie is great by itself too, go watch it!

Representation fucking matters.

Before watching the new Black Panther movie I really didn’t feel the need for it. Ofc I got why people wanted to be seen in big screens and different platforms but never really felt identified with the feeling people described. (I’m a member of the lgbt community as well but since I grew up on a very open household with a loving family that opened that part of the culture to me it was never a big thing).

Today that changed when I saw brown people on screen. I saw people who look like me and my friends and the ones I see on the streets everyday. I’m a Mexican woman, born and raised in Mexico and getting to see such a beautiful representation of my culture and people warmed my heart and made me feel exactly what minorities who were overshadowed by western media describe.

They even included Mayan legends on it, which I’ve always found absolutely beautiful. I live near some ruins (Teotihuacán, look it up) and it’s quite beautiful to see elements I saw on field trips and history classes represented on a movie. And not just any movie, a marvel movie. I grew up with them and seeing my culture developing in the same universe was just mesmerizing.

If you read this all the way, thank you. Means the world <3

[toribookworm22]

Happy STS! Where do you imagine your books? As in, once it's written or bound or whatever else, whose hands do you imagine it in? What do you hope it will do for those people?

Hey, Nopal!

Oooooh. What a wonderful ask!

While I don't necessarily write FOR my younger selves, I definitely can imagine that's where my book would do its best work: in the hands of kids like me. Kids who feel out of place or don't know where they belong. Kids who feel like no version of themselves is truly right. Kids who are familiar with the taste of change in their mouth and love and hate it in equal amounts. Kids who want to find truth in their words, not really escape actually.

And I hope my books let them find even an inkling of an y of the answers they're looking for.

[elshells]

It's Blorbo Blursday! It's sleepover time! Who is:

hosting?

picking the movie?

bringing the snacks?

the biggest gossip?

who falls asleep first?

who takes over the bathroom when getting ready for bed?

who snores the loudest?

Blorbo Blursday! We love to hear it <3

I love this question, Nopal! I mean, an Agent Ace sleepover? Sounds like a dangerous affair, but hey, let's have fun with it!

Technically, Jade would host, but everyone meets at the Manalis house since Jade's apartment is too small to accommodate that many people for the night.

As an aficionado of horror, Sophia's keen to pick out a scary movie, but knowing the preferences of the others (specifically Ahren), she makes sure to choose a comedy or action movie to balance it out. Still, even though he had no part in the selection process, Jet manages to convince them all to watch BattleBots, one of his comfort shows. Harley, Jade, and Max are already on board, and surprisingly, everyone else ends up getting extremely invested as well.

Jade and Harley bake some treats for the occasion, but they give Max a grocery list of other snacks they might like to have. Ahren tags along, and cue the Chaotic Shopping Trip Montage where they end up buying way, way more stuff than they need. But at least there's plenty of food!

Not necessarily gossip, but at some point Janus and August cross paths. Their conversations would be interesting to say the least, given that August is the open book to Janus' brick wall. However, they both have unique perspectives on vigilantism in the city, and they would unexpectedly hit it off. It turns out they're both very interested in what the other has to say.

Sophia falls asleep first—she has work to do in the morning—but Jade's the one who accidentally drifts off in the middle of the movie, probably using one of her friends as a pillow.

Bellona locks herself in the bathroom while everyone begins to settle down and prepare for bed. Little do they all know, she sneaks out of the window and disappears into the night, unable to take the festivities any longer. That particular bathroom becomes inaccessible until further notice.

Max snores a little, but August's constant tossing and turning throughout the night is far louder and much more obnoxious. Also, Janus mutters in his sleep—usually no more than a word or two, but occasionally he might just say something deeply, truly unhinged, alarming anyone who hears him until they realize he isn't awake.

[teeth-farie]

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Notes: amab reader, masc/he/him pronouns for reader, yandere reader, intersex asra, jealousy, jealous sex (all consensual!!!), ‘cunt, pussy, cock’ used for asra, obscene use of italics, 3.1k words

☞. . . A commission for @faezocarina !! They wanted a yandere reader/asra fic with asra being conflicted about your behavior. I hope you like it!!

Cloves grind efficiently under the pestle, the circular motions of Asra’s wrists crushing the bulbs into a fragrant mess of powder and chunks. He likes to think that life is peaceful, and domestic even now since you’ve been brought back. But he knows that’s not entirely true.

Asra would never regret bringing you back. He would never regret those long nights burning the candle at both ends, ripping his own hair out for a spell or ritual that would possibly work. He couldn’t ever regret it, not when he has you back. But that didn’t mean you were the same.

He supposes that necromancy would do that to a soul, to be ripped from one plane to another; but it didn’t mean he loved you any less, and it didn’t mean you were any less his. Part of him suspects that maybe your current behavior was always there, hidden in plain sight, masked by his rose-tinted glasses and puppy love crush. 

To say you were clingy was an understatement. It was almost like you wanted to live in his skin. And he isn’t so sure he would mind. 

When Asra’s thoughts lull, he realizes what should be crushed clove is now a nearly fine powder. It would make it awfully hard for a cup of tea, so instead, he dumps the powder into a jar. You loved your pumpkin bread, and he could give it to Selasi to make you an extra special loaf. It was the last of his clove, so he supposes he’ll need to make another trip soon. He’s heard that some vendors in Nopal have gotten their hands on some good spices from Prakra, at a deal too, but Asra doesn’t pay with the typical funds anyway. He thinks he’ll bring an extra shiny trinket for them instead. 

His only issue, that is, would be you. Ever since the resurrection, Asra became…limited with where he could go. It’s not that he didn’t want to spend every moment with you, but being by your side when he knew he couldn’t have you (even if you wanted him so badly)…he couldn’t stand it. So he had to slip out when you were sleeping, unfurl your grip from him and replace himself with a pillow. It didn’t always work, and you’d catch him at the door while he wound his scarf around his shoulders. You’d beckon him back, a sour look on your face, and Asra had wanted nothing more than to curl back into your embrace. But sometimes, he just couldn’t. He’d make sure to make it up to you, he says to himself every time. 

Warm arms wrap around his middle, a chin resting on his shoulder. “Asra,” you breathe, squeezing his sides lightly, living in his smell of smokey incense and herbal tea intensely. “You weren’t there when I woke up.” 

He can hear the pout in your voice, and he turns in your arms. Your eyes are lidded with sleep, little lines from the pillow's wrinkles pressed into your cheek. “I was just down here,” he reassures, reaching his hands up to cup your face tenderly. “Don’t you want breakfast?”

You shift your eyes from him to the counter after a moment, looking at the fresh stack of pancakes. Your stomach growls almost immediately at the prospect of sustenance, and Asra laughs cheerfully. “C'mon, let's get some food in you.”

You let go of him reluctantly. “It would have been nice to see you in your apron.” You say almost nonchalantly and Asra feels his face get a little hot at the idea, as simple as it was. It felt good to be wanted, even if what you wanted was to see him in a dingy patchwork apron. “Then you should get up earlier.” He says back instead, a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

You praise Asra’s cooking endlessly, quickly devouring the fluffy pancakes, only mildly burnt. A quick glance at his stack reveals that he’s taken the more burnt of the dozen, albeit dousing them in honey and syrup. 

“We should stop by the marketplace,” Asra says around a mouthful of half-chewed pancake. “I’m running low on some spices, and I know you don’t like it when I leave too far away.” Or leave at all.

You nod, dragging your finger through the syrup and honey pooled around your empty plate. You suck it off your finger and the magician stares a little longer than he should. “You don’t need to keep going to Nopal and wherever else if we have what we need here.” You say after popping your finger from your lips, snapping Asra back to focus. He clears his throat. “R-right,”

You smile, a pleasant curl of your lips that makes him feel warm. “Maybe we can get some pumpkin bread while we’re there.” You lean forward, and Asra starts to pucker his lips. His brows furrow when you take a bite off the fork he didn't even realize he was still holding. “Was getting soggy.” You grin impishly, swallowing the honey-saturated pancake. 

…

The sun is bright and warm in the marketplace, discussion chittering and buzzing across the crowd. Asra feels your hand fall into his, your warm skin clasping against his, palm to palm. In the past, you took to holding his hand for guidance through such a large crowd, but Asra knows you’ve grown strong, and you don’t need to hold onto him anymore. But you still do. He used to joke that you must be trying to leech off his energy with how tiring the marketplace can be, but he’s long since figured out it’s your way of guarding him. 

You pass a multitude of shops on your way to the spice stands, things like pendulums and flashy shells catch Asra’s attention before you tug him back in the right direction. “You get distracted too much.” You tease and he pouts. “We’ll just have to visit them on the way back.” He playfully scrunches his nose, squeezing your hand for good measure. You squeeze back, a little firmer than him, fingers intertwined. 

You zone out a bit as Asra trades and barters for spices, craning your neck up to watch the fluffy clouds go by. One reminds you of Faust and her long, noodle-like body. 

“I’ve got a special deal for someone as breathtaking as you.”

Your head snaps back into the stand, your jaw setting and teeth gritting upon inspection of the interaction. It’s a new vendor, a young man with sunburnt skin and wavy hair. A man all too close to what’s yours. 

Asra pointedly ignores the remark, changing the subject to how much he wanted to purchase—but you don’t. You stalk back behind him, firmly hugging your arms around Asra’s waist. 

“Oh! Done cloud watching?” He asks, rummaging around in his bag for something to barter with. The vendor’s smile sours. 

“Yes.” You respond, eyes narrowed into a glare where they land on the young man behind the wooden counter. “You were talking about a deal?” 

The vendor laughs nervously. “Y-yes- I was just talking about a deal for new customers! Ten percent off!”

“That’s not what you said.” You squeeze Asra a little tighter, pressing your nose against the crook of his neck. The magician shivers, his cheeks turning red at the display of affection. 

“A-and may I ask, you are-“

“His boyfriend.” You stop the vendor in his tracks, kissing Asra’s neck for good measure and punctuation. Asra yelps a little, nervously laughing and the vendor’s face blooms the reddest red you’ve ever seen. 

“O-ok I’ll get these another time, thank you!” Your partner stammers, quickly tugging you away while you give the poor man another long, territorial glare. 

You’re pushed into a secluded area, shaded by rugs and silks for sale. “What are you doing?” Asra nearly hisses, embarrassment and something else painting his face. 

“I’m protecting you.”

“That- that was not- I mean, y-you,” he fumbles over his words, his face getting redder by the second, coloring that gorgeous golden skin you love so much. Asra feels a giant knot of emotion and conflict well up in his chest; on one hand, it was completely outrageous for you to respond like that and fluster him so, but on the other hand…oh, how Asra loved to be wanted. He liked how you grabbed him up and put your claim on him- how you’ve gotten so possessive and territorial- oh, it gets him hot-

He kisses you suddenly, grabbing your shirt and tugging you forward roughly. You can taste the desperation and honeyed pancakes on his tongue, feel his energy meld with yours the closer he presses himself against your body. You hold him tightly, digging your fingers into his hips and waist in a way that makes him whimper. 

Asra pulls away with a stuttering breath before it can go too far, his pupils blown where they sit in amethyst eyes. “I need you.” He whispers, sliding his hands under your shirt. 

“Not here,” you take his hands in yours instead, despite how much you want to feel him all over you as quickly as possible. “No one else can see you like this, only me.” It sounds more like a growl when you say it, and Asra can’t believe how much it turns him on. He shouldn’t be encouraging that behavior, and he shouldn’t be allowing you to hide him away and keep him as your own, but he does. He does because it feeds that frenzied, obsessive version of himself from the height of the plague when he cheated death herself. It soothes that heart-wrenching ache for you he felt, something he never wants to feel again.

So you take him home, taking any shortcut you could remember–and you only contemplated stopping in an alleyway to have your way with him once. Neither of you knows how you made it back to the shop without cracking, and you don’t think you really care to speculate, not when you have your Asra waiting for you like this. He has the mind to turn the sign to ‘closed’ before you pounce, kissing him fervently. The magician all but melts, throwing his arms around your neck and moaning against your lips. The sound only fuels that fire in your gut, the grinding gears in your mind that screech and hiss Asra, Asra, Asra.

Your teeth catch on his bottom lip and he whimpers, curling his fingers against your scalp. “Take me to bed,” he breathes against your lips, but he finds himself ill-prepared for when you hook your arms under his thighs and hoist him over your shoulder. “Ah- haha!” He squeals, gripping onto you for dear life as you ascend the stairs to the small, cozy bedroom. 

You drop him onto the cushy mattress, smiling as he bounces and laughs an exhilarated laugh. Asra’s giggles melt into a moan when you kiss him again, this time only spending a few moments at his lips before moving lower down his jaw. You can feel his pulse flutter under your lips, that golden collar of his hiding the most vulnerable of spots. But you like it, you like seeing your Asra in such a pretty collar–it means he’s yours. 

“Mine,” you find yourself whispering in between kisses and licks. “You’re mine, no one else can have you.” 

“Yours,” he mimics, a rumbly little sound reverberating from his chest when you tease your teeth against a nearly faded hickey. “Only yours- oh gods, only ever yours.” 

Your hands grab at his clothes, hastily ripping him free of his shirt. Asra doesn’t take the time to mourn the buttons, his mind growing plagued by lust and desperation. His skin feels like it's burning by the time you touch him, and finds himself making a choked sound when your fingers brush his nipples. “Yes, yes, just like that,” he gasps when you lean down and lick over his nipple, taking the hardened peak into your mouth. Asra’s head falls back against the fluffy pillows, mouth gaping and hand coming up to cradle the back of your head. 

You look up your lashes at him, reaching lower, your palm going to cup his swollen crotch. His breath stutters, legs widening almost mindlessly. “Yes, touch me there,”

You pop off of his nipple, scraping your teeth against it gently as you do. “You drive me crazy,” you circle your fingers over his bulge, rubbing against his confined cock. Asra bites his lip. “You live in my head constantly, all I think about is you,” you forgo your touching to tug at his pants, and Asra eagerly unbuttons and kicks them off. He spreads his legs again, exposing his bare cunt and cock, both swollen and wet for you. 

“I couldn’t stand hearing that man speak to you like that.” You growl, taking his small dick between your fingers and stroking it almost a little too quickly. He makes a sound that you drink in, filing away for a lonely moment. “No one is allowed to speak- to look at you like that, I’ll keep you tied up here if I have to.” Your eyes are locked with his, filled with a look of something devious and dark. Asra shivers, and he knows he needs to correct that behavior, but he's starting to believe he might just be as insane as you. “I’d never leave,” he pants, keening when you rub your finger over the weeping head of his cock. “I’d- h-huhn, I’d never leave, not ever, not w-when you’re touching me like that, oh right there just like that-!” 

You stop before Asra can reach his gratification, watching his cocklet twitch pitifully at the sudden lack of attention. “Not yet, I want you to come from my cock.” 

He feels a little dizzy at that, painfully aware of how empty and aching his cunt feels. Looking at him now, you’ve become alert to your own needs, swollen and throbbing in your pants. “Take them off,” Asra pleads, making a show of guiding his hand down and pushing his fingers into himself. Your breath hitches, eyes locked on how he spreads himself for you. “I need you, make me yours.”

You groan, almost salivating at his words and actions, forcefully pulling your pants off your body. Asra moans at the sight of your cock hanging heavily between your legs, fingers plunging in a little faster, and he begins to think he could get off on just the image of you. He spreads his fingers and shows off his hastily prepped hole, gaping the pink, gummy flesh as you knock his legs apart. “Mine, mine, mine,” you chant, replacing Asra’s hand with your own and spreading his lips open as you guide yourself into him. There’s a mutual sound of satisfaction–your dick filling him completely, and his walls hugging you snuggly. “Yours, yours, yours!” He gasps when you bottom out completely, your pelvis flush against his. 

You set a steady pace, easing in and out, in and out, until you can hear the slapping of your balls against his ass and the stuttery panting of his breaths. “I have to- hah, mark you as mine, make it clear no one else can have you,” you begin to ramble, hands hooked under his thighs, your hips thrusting forward quicker, quicker, quicker. 

Asra hiccups under the force of your hips, bouncing up on the bed with each thrust. He shakily wraps his legs around your hips, crooning in delight when you grab and hold his legs tighter around you. “Mine, mine, inside and out,” you moan, leaning down lower, bracing your arms by his head. Asra wraps his arms around you almost instantly, holding you chest to chest as you continue to fuck into him. “My Asra, mine, mine.” 

You angle yourself on the next thrust in, hitting upwards, the head of your cock spearing against that sweet spot of his. The squeal that tears from his throat is almost instant, his nails digging into your back. You delight yourself in the feeling; your Asra is claiming you back, he’s putting his mark on you too, and it only makes your obsession grow. 

“There, there, there!” He cries, tears pricking the corners of his eyes, pure pleasure coursing through every artery and vein. He’s never felt as good as he does now, he wishes you'd burrow yourself in and never leave if this is how you’ll make him feel. 

You nuzzle your face into the crook of his neck, mouth latching on to faded hickeys and bites. Asra can't help but hold the back of your head in place, his eyes rolling back when you sink your teeth in. “Yes, yesyesyes! I’m so close, so close, pleasepleaseplease–” 

He can feel your tongue drag over the fresh bite, hips jackhammering into him so hard he knows he’ll be limping in the morning; but he doesn’t care, he can’t care when he's so close. You wiggle your hand between your bodies, pressing your palm against his leaking cock and doing your best to rub in time with your humping, and Asra is finished.

He swears his vision goes white, his legs tightening like a coiled snake around your waist, and his nails digging into your back and hair, tugging and scratching, overwhelmed in the senses. Hot, liquid cum squirts from his cocklet, splattering against both of your stomachs and the color slowly returns to his sight, his scream coming out in a strangled mess. 

“Come, come in me,” Asra begs weakly, overstimulation slowly creeping across his body, but it can’t stop now, not when you’re so close too. He guides your head back up from his neck, bumping his forehead against yours. “Please,” he hiccups. “Make me yours.”

Really, it’s all you need to finish; your wonderful, intoxicating Asra begging you to finish inside him, how can you tell him no? You hump into him, growing uncoordinated with the last few stuttery thrusts until you spill in him. Sound rushes into your ears, your body tensing as you pump your lover full of your cum. 

Asra makes a pleased sound, slumping back against the bed, utterly boneless. You ease yourself in and out a few more times, ensuring you’ve drained yourself completely into him, truly claiming him from the inside out. 

“Oh, oh wow,” he laughs when you dislodge yourself and watch the cum drip from his spent pussy. “That was so good, you're so good,” he babbles, pulling you back down to kiss you eagerly.

You melt against him, moaning into his mouth when he licks at your lips. Asra’s face is flushed with exertion when you part with a wet sound, eyes filled with pure love and adoration, and it's all because of you. 

You think you could stare into those wonderous, lavender eyes for all eternity if he let you, and you’d destroy any obstacle in the way of that. 

[tsaritza-mika]

The Main 6 Weddings

I needed some fluff ^--^

Asra’s Wedding 

Not so much an official wedding, but a celebration of your devotion to each other where everyone has been invited to enjoy and celebrate with you. When you talked about it together, he already knew when it should happen. Only on the day with everyone there did he finally explain that it was as close to the anniversary of the first day you met that he could remember

Of course it happens out at the village in Nopal near and around his other home

Nadia took as much initiative as she was permitted to provide for everyone that could attend. She wanted to make sure her friend’s had a wonderful memory

Julian played a cover of ‘Perfect’ by Ed Sheeran as you both shared a dance at sunset, the sky and clouds bathed in a literal rainbow of color

Faust was both flower girl and ring bearer, and of course she was adorable and just the most perfect girl she’s always been

Portia and Muriel helped to provide the most lush and beautiful plants to decorate. They even asked some of the Nopal locals to help with some lovely succulents so that it could blend everything together

Nadia’s Wedding

Initially she wanted something small, but with six siblings, her parents, friends, and other nobles wanting to attend, it’s gonna be bigger than she planned. She can’t be too upset though, because at the end of the day, you’ll finally be married

The day of the ceremony, all her sisters whisk you away to get ready. The outfits must be perfect, and each of them help to decorate your arms, legs, chest, back, and shoulders with beautiful wedding henna and small jewels for accents

It took place in a large gazebo in a lovely corner of the garden, surrounded by flowers from every place she could import from

Portia pulled double duty as both Maid of Honor and Flower girl, something she was ecstatic about. Chandra took responsibility for the rings, and later gave her blessing by giving both of you a pair of lovely feathers, one from each wing to symbolize how it took both of you working together to catch the wind and fly

Julian played ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’ for your first dance just after sundown, and surrounded by so many candles and flowers

While Asra and Muriel had mostly kept to the sidelines during the bustle of activity, both came up to share blessings and well wishes before the end of the night

Julian’s Wedding

Nobody was shocked to learn it would of course be a wedding at sea, but the real surprise was that Nadia volunteered one of the most lovely and luxurious Vesuvian vessels to host the celebration

Everyone kind of assumed that being an actual captain, that Mazelinka wouldn’t mind officiating, but she didn’t want that kind of responsibility when she’d rather be busy being proud of you both

Even after you’d accepted his proposal, he still had those thoughts that you might back out, all the way up until you’d finished walking down the isle and took hold of his hands. Just seeing the joy and excitement reflected in your eyes had him easily forgetting he’d ever been worried in the first place

Portia was the best planner, and took immediate lead of everything. What can she say? She adores her brother just as much as he does her, and to know he was finally happy, she just had to make sure herself that everything was gonna be perfect!

Initially, Julian wanted to play something, until he was reminded that he couldn’t exactly play while dancing with you properly. That’s okay though, because Nadia had a lovely grand piano set up and played a beautiful cover of ‘All I Ask of you’ for your first dance

Rather than put a lot of pressure on Malak, Pepi was in charge of bearing one of the two rings during the ceremony. And no one’s sure how, but Portia managed to get Malak to wear a tiny bow tie for the event

Portia’s Wedding

Long story short, yes, Julian was devastated you two didn’t wait until getting back to get married, and he did cry about it, but all that matters now is that you and Portia plan on having an actual ceremony, and he can do even more crying there if he wants to XDDD

Really, you two could have chosen anywhere to have the ceremony. The palace gardens, the ballroom, at sea, or hell, just about any destination as Nadia would have been happy to assist with it. But when you really gave it some thought, the fields around Portia’s cottage made the most sense. It’s a beautiful location, plus it really saved on the flower budgets!

Just about everyone in the palace was jumping to help in some way, and he’d never admit it outright, but Asra may have called in a favor and asked Selasi to raid the palace kitchens so everyone could have small loaves of your beloved pumpkin bread to have with dinner

Julian labored for days before the ceremony to try figuring out the right song to play for you both. IT HAD TO BE SPECIAL!! THIS WAS PASHA’S DAY!!! Thankfully, he finally settled on ‘Stand By Me’

Nadia was so proud to be named Maid of Honor, and Asra was more than happy to be the one giving you away

Legends still persist of the grand food fight that was started when the happy couple got a little too over-excited when feeding each other some of the large and elaborate cake

Muriel’s Wedding

He really didn’t want to make much of a deal about things, but after everything you two had done for both Vesuvia and the world, there’s no way he was getting out of having at least something of an event out of this

By Nadia’s blessing, Asra got his wish and was the one to officiate. I mean, how could he not? Just telling you two how happy he was that the two most important people in his life had found love together wasn’t anywhere near enough for him!

Nadia sent help to gather as many Southerly artisans as she could to assist in decorations and food that would replicate or give more of a feeling of being similar to those of the Kokhuri people

While the ceremony itself was held just on the edge of the woods you both now called home, the rest of the celebration was held in the vast, golden fields behind the palace. The location was more than enough room for the event, and even with a bunch of people there, it was open enough and quiet to let Muriel feel not so crowded

Inanna was just the most perfect flower girl ever, especially with the little flower crown Portia made for her to wear

Much to the shock of many, Julian was not only allowed to attend, but he was also allowed to contribute as well. He played ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love With You’ for your first dance

Lucio’s Wedding 

You’d almost think it was his first wedding with how excited he was, but it’s just too damn cute when most of the time you try asking about something and his only reply is a very dreamy ‘...you really said yes...!’

True to form, he calls in only the best florists, decorators, bakers, chefs, and tailors. Some of them were even the same ones he’d enlisted to help with his wedding to Nadia, so they had at least some idea of what they were getting into

Everyone was especially shocked when he was open to letting Morga come, but she outright refused to give him away with any sort of dignity (she’d offered to carry him over her shoulder and dump him on his ass at the altar), so Nadia agreed to do it

It took some time, and a lot of talking things through, but Julian agreed to play at your wedding. It’ll take a lot longer, and there’s a lot to work through, but he can hardly contest Nadia and Asra’s first hand experience with Lucio’s new direction in life. He played a lovely cover of ‘Go The Distance’ for your first dance

Portia was still skeptical of Lucio from everything she’d heard happened to Nadia before she was hired on, but during their talks, she spotted Pepi getting along well with him, and figured she could at least give him a chance. She worked with a jeweler at the palace help weave some gold chains and jewels into some beautiful flower collars for M&M for the ceremony

For probably the first time ever, Mercedes and Melchior were the absolute perfect babies Lucio insisted they always were. Both of them were very well behaved and provided the rings for both of you, and even sat quietly during your vows. Camio on the other hand, stole Lucio’s big moment and screeched ‘NICE ASS!’ when he was supposed to say ‘I do’. It totally broke the mood, but dear ol’ Lucy, he just turned and said ‘thank you’ before rolling with it

[writernopal]

Hey Nopal! I was about to pick up AASOAF 1 and I was wondering - is there is a way to read it as a file rather than on Wattpad? It's completely fine if the answer is no (I'm still going to read it!), but I'd love to have a pdf or something that I can easily read on my phone if that exists.

~ @void-botanist

Rose 😭😭😭😭

I actually do have PDF versions of both AASOAF 1 and 2! I made them when we printed physical copies of both books and I'm fairly certain they are mostly up to date with what I have posted online. There might be a few minor differences between the two but nothing major that would change the story (maybe like a reword here and there or a typo i caught after we printed oops lol).

I can definitely send them to you if you'd like! Both works are also available on my Ao3 here if you prefer that platform to read on instead! That version is definitely up to date with what is on Wattpad 😊

[julesapprentice]

MC getting revenge on Julian by breaking and entering his apartment. Interesting things ensue 😳😳😳

[First of all love that you know that julian has his own place and doesn't sleep in the hole at Mazelinka's everynight, second of all thank you for sending this in and it's subsequent addition, I thourghly enjoyed writing this]

Mc finally gets revenge on Julian for his habit of breaking and entering with asras help:

Fair to say Julian has a bad habit for breaking and entering and he's not subtle nor careful about it either

Part of you can't blame him he is after all a lanky bugger and he doesn't fit in the door to the shop

That excuse becomes a bit old however when you have to constantly replace the jars for your stock or move things so he doesn't fall into a bed of smashed glass

You'd had enough of his antics one night when he came to visit and knocked over a bottle of one of the most foul smelling potions you carried at the shop

Not only did it smell horrifically but it also got all over the various pillows, rugs and furniture strewn around the shop

Julian of course apologised and took full responsibility for his actions, he's not lucio, but by this point you are past your limit and hell hath no fury like a magician scorned or however that saying goes

Situations like these call for revenge and revenge requires a partner in crime hence asra

Asra is on board without hesitation you needn't ask twice

Julian doesn't just find his way into your place, I'm doubtful he has the key to asras place in Nopal and even more so that he's any less clumsy alas he turns up anyway and scares the skin off your former master who just wanted to get away for a few days

Apparently it just couldn't wait until Monday when he was home

You discuss whether or not you want to be there when julian is or wait for him to get home, how you're going to get in there and what to do once you're actually in

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you're not gonna waste it

You probably close up shop early together and start brainstorming

Julian is a doctor and is either at his clinic or making house calls to his most unwell of patients

Either or he's gone from his abode long enough for you to have some fun with him

The clinic is right next to the shop so whilst you're 99% sure Julian will be too wrapped up in his work to notice you've sneaked away

Where else would julian live but the South End

Its the rougher part of Vesuvia but its always felt like home to him, besides he does like to get rowdy and rowdy it does get in the South End

Julians place is in the vicinity of Mazelinka's and the Rowdy Raven, he did once consider buying the place right next to the famous tavern but was talked out of it by everyone including Malik for obvious reasons

The building is tall and thin like a certain doctor, the paint is chipped and the door looks warped from the cold and damp of this part of the city

It's apparent that the people who live here often secure their homes...differently to how's it done in your part of town

You might have protective charms for your shop but the ever memorable Dr Devorak has about 15 locks on his door

Most look to be from previous owners but your mind wanders to what that set of keys looks like and how often he loses them

Luckily you are in fact a powerful magician and locks are barely a problem

Asra will act as lookout as you enter, this is as much their revenge as it is yours

The stairs are particularly creeky and there is not better way to describe the place than it is exactly how you would imagine

The kitchens untouched and there is very little food there besides some cheese that was not blue when it was first bought

The whole place is a mess actually

Julian doesn't strike me as a man to have very many clothes but the ones he does have are spread all over his living space

The centre of the mess is his home office, it smells of ink and late night anxiety

There's stacks of paper all over the desk, a shelf with various trinkets and too many books for the number of places to put them

You nearly trip over a book on the human skeleton on your way in

It's what you would expect except worse I think

After a few minutes you hear footsteps up to words where you are

You dive behind one of the doors to try and conceal yourself before you notice a fluffy head of hair

It's just asra to see how things are coming along and to offer his help, mostly for his own amusement

He laughs softly, "Did you think I was Ilya, mc? Great hiding place"

You can hear the smirk in his voice although it's not often you don't with asra

Julian is, let's face it, a bit of a coward and has no love for anything horror or spooky except for an anatomically correct skeleton

What can he say, he likes it when people know their bones

The objective is to freak him out but not so much he has an attack

Anxiety or heart

You and asra take your individual liberties with the place, a sprinkle of magic here, a touch there

By the time you're finished you're practically buzzing with excitement at the though of scaring tha pants of your beloved

By the time you hear the gentle humming of your lover its late in the evening and you're already in wait

Julian arrived to find his door ajar, he's forgetful but he certainly didn't leave it like that

Walking up the stairs he swears he hears a ghostly moan, not that that would happen of course and he certainly isn't frightened

Ghosts do not exist except for the one time where they very much did but that was a one time thing

Walking through the doorway to his living space it feels cold and vacant, as though no living thing had ever passed through it

Everything was where he had left it but his own living area felt strange to him; uncanny

It felt as though he was the only living thing in a room that rejected his very presence

"Very funny, P-pasha" he heart started to beat faster than it had before, perhaps dangerous considering how much caffeine the doctor regularly consumed

He invited his mystery jokster to take a bow but they never did and... skittering?

Ah an old nightmare, never had another individual been so haunted by the sound of a mere insect and yet here Julian stood shaking at his own doorway

Everything stopped and he heard giggling? A haunted child from times past perhaps? No this was familier

... That was not funny!

Julian is not at all a fan of his own medicine

He's going to be so dramatic about this for weeks to come, a betrayel of the highest order and by his friend and partner no less

He will almost be more determined to surprise you in your own home now if not just for the small taste of revenge he gets when you're startled by his presence

Give him a hug and a lecture about how he should take better care of himself and once asra has left offer to draw him a warm bath to soothe his nerves

And something else if he's good

[happy spooky season]

[waywardstation]

Uniquely, something that really stands out to me when talking to my older family about the starvation/poverty periods that they faced decades ago, is just how much is edible when you look for it. one thing that sticks with me is how a substitute to grain and leafy veg that they would use would be flower buds and pollen. They would turn palm flowers to stir fry, dandelion greens were gold, banana peels could be ground up. In especially lean moments, shredded cabbage and soy was the basis for most meals, and soy functioned often as a filler in ground meat since the textures are similar and the taste would impart on it. Cactus(nopal) and fleshy plants tend to be popular filler for stir-frys.

Tuber roots like taro, boniato, malanga, acorns, and even some trees roots can be converted to flour, or turned to a good way to fill up a soup. Theres a number of popular drinks (stole, pinollios) that are fairly filling due to having corn meal as a thickening agent. I imagine you can easily do the same to apricorns!

Heck just boiled plain works as well, as someone who's eaten it regularly, malanga sits like a concrete block with just a few bite, you stay full for a while (theyre still a regular staple part of diet in South America)

Dry fish was very popular whenever you can get it, as it could be ground up into a flower, salted and stored to be turned into small cakes with some filler that would be a easy way to stretch out some protein, since you could do it to even small thumb sized fish.

Humanity is very tolerant to just how much they can eat, its outstanding the tenacity and ingenuity we have.

All of you anons are so smart and educated holy arceus above!!

The apricorn swap out is especially intriguing to me, and I’d love to attribute these different things to ingredients within the game!

I could give qualities of the listed Tuber roots to Sand Radishes and sootfoot roots.

There are medicinal leeks which are really common vegetables in several areas of Hisui, and pop pods, which are a sea vegetable that, peculiarly, you can also find in the Alabaster Icelands. Maybe they can act as common fillers.

I’ve always looked at vivichokes as artichoke/cabbage stand-ins too.

Kings leaves and caster ferns could perhaps have some use to them as well? But I don’t think I see those in the alabaster Icelands very much, so maybe not, in terms of the Pearl Clan meals.

I can always make up things to fit equivalents to these as well, as I made up Snow Nettle in my fic It’s Just A Cold. They’re stiff blue fronds that simply give off a scent when damp. Perhaps I can reintroduce those in this upcoming fic!

Thank you SO MUCH for sending this anon!! This is very very helpful information!!

[au-mashup-party]

The baby is kind of cute!! Also sorry Blaze, hate to tell you this but you're probably stuck with the kid!! Might as well get used to taking care of him.

Also, I don't think your partner is going to hate you they seem very understanding.

You know what, your right. I'm sure he'll understand. I'm sure we can make this work.

Give me a minute if you will.

Nopal, this is your new little bro Paintdrop. It's your job as a big brother to love em and protect em. And if anyone even tries to hurt him, do not hesitate to whoop there ass--i mean butt.

I'm a big..... brother?

Ha ha ha! I'm a big brother!!

*Nopal runs off in excitement*

Mama mama, I'm a big brother!!

Wait a minute Nopal let me tell your mother first!! *Panicking*

[qtipcottonbuds]

𝙋𝙍𝙄𝘿𝙀.

you can find julian’s version here !!!

hello my lovelies, i’m back with asra’s version (however it’s a little tweaked as a similar anon request had come in, so i thought i’d combine the two, to kill two birds with one stone >:D) i hope you enjoy (somewhat contains spoilers into the apprentice’s past). also the anon prompt was chosen from this blog here

the requests being ;;

julian/asra + “why don’t you care?”

asra + "you can't keep doing this to yourself"

warnings for angst, comfort and fluff !!!

by qtipcottonbuds 2021. do not repost.

𝗔𝗦𝗥𝗔 𝗫 𝗚𝗡!𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥;

“Asra?”

Glancing up, noting the sound of the door creaking ajar, he regards your presence; one arm clumsily trying to keep the bundle of books steady (so, you were studying then) and the other pushing the door, with Faust settled around your neck comfortably, tongue flickering.

It wasn’t usual for you to be up so late into the early hours of the morning, often being knocked out as soon as the sun began to set.

Gazing down at the items in hand, you continue, “I came to bring your books back, also, thank you so much for lending me them, you don’t know how much they came in handy. I’ve been getting so confused with the Arcana lately, but, anyway; I was wondering, um, could we talk, if you’re free that is?”

(he’d always make time for you, you needn’t ask)

“Of course,” he murmurs softly, gesturing for you to enter. Observing you as you seat the tomes down on a nearby fabricated stool, Faust now making his way alongside your arms and intertwining with your fingers; Asra motions for you to sit beside him on the floor amongst varying illustrations for what seemed like Vesuvian Astrology, “what’s troubling you?”

“Ah, I’m not really sure where to start,” a stiff laugh escapes you, “you’ve been avoiding me so much, recently. Not to mention how much you’ve been overworking yourself too, and I guess, I just, I’m worried about you Asra. You don’t sleep, let alone eat; well you don’t eat with me anymore. I’m not sure if, I’ve maybe done something to irritate you-”

(how that couldn’t be further from the truth)

“-but, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. You, you look so tired, please-”

Asra supposes it would only be a matter of time until you caught onto his mannerisms, specifically his means of avoiding issues; travelling. Annoying to openly admit it, he hated spending time away from you, more than anything. Your presence was something that always brought great comfort to him, a sense of belonging.

But, being recently plagued with nightmares of your death, leaving you behind for Nopal only to find what once was of you remaining in a crematorium - the guilt was unbearable at times, currently, a struggle. Although Asra would try to rationalize that you were still here in the flesh, a piece of himself within you (bringing somewhat more ease at the notion) it didn’t resolve the guilt that came with leaving you behind. 

(leaving you to die)

It wasn’t his fault. But it was, ultimately. 

And so in the present moment, he couldn’t bring himself to face you, burying himself in work in order to forget, think about anything else other than the truth. Asra doesn’t think he has the courage to tell you, anyone, that - he knows he’s a weak man.

A coward. That’s what Julian had called him.

And, naturally, he was right; he couldn’t even admit his feelings for you, bursting at the seams.

Instead, for the meanwhile, Asra opts to gently reassure you with a pat on the knee, and more murmurs of, “I’m sorry, for worrying you so much. Tomorrow, how about we go for a meal together?”

It’s all Asra can manage for the moment.

(soon i’ll tell them, he thinks, soon)