#I cant bring myself to add more tags

[lumohyperfixationhell]

Erm

Erm

Hey ninjago fandom

Got a room for one more mentally ill individual?? Im sure you do!! Pls do... altho I've only seen the first 2 pilot episodes cause I have no idea where to look for the rest of the stuff.... so if anyone could give me a site that'd be lovelyylylyy!!!

Also while were here if anyone has a sillybilly discord server, you can drop it here too... I liek friends and wanma get to know people inside the fandom yesyes

Sowry if Im awkward, Its the autism ok bye

[unriding]

and then im back with tags for this kind gift cy !! 🥺 and ran out ^^; so continued below:

#thank you ** for such a kind gift ): from the very bottom of my heart !!!!

#you have such a way of showing your love and … hey … how does every single interaction we have make me feel so warm and happy !!!

#it must be the cy effect surely ….. but oh ): perhaps we will switch places and i will be the one to read this all night long sjsndjkck

#im sorry if my tags were not quite coherent!! i am typing this at nearly 3 am bahhaha

#hey )): thank you one last time cy …. this really means so much to me — especially during a month like this where i am usually a bit down isnsjjxc i am holding this so close to my heart

#thann you thank thank you thank you )): !!! i hope you have such a wonderful rest of your week !!! and an amazing new years heh

Casually dropping by to present you with this gift <3

(Lemme know if the link works or not!)

cyyyy !!! this is what you meant that one post ?! asking if your moots would be comfy with a drabble ?! you !!! /pos you !!!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH THANK YOU T T

[just-some-random-blogger]

Hi! How are you??

Can I request a Kylo Ren x Reader, where the reader has telekinesis (very powerful) and protects him from all the people who are after him but over use them and pass out but release a energy blast but he catches the reader in his arms and places them his bed and waits till they wake up (you can add the rest)

Thnk u :)

Stupid Kid

Kylo Ren x Reader

Summary: In which Kylo Ren is most certainly not worried about you passing out.

Word Count: >700

Warnings: gender neutral!reader, whipped!kylo, fluff, typos, etc.

A/N: hello nonnie its been a REALLY long time and im sorry. im doing well but i just cant seem to write fr ): i ended up writing after effects of yn passing out because it made sense to me. I hope you like it (: Tagging: @pinksirensong @aralezinspace @sloanexx @generalkenobee

There was an unmissable sensation that reverberated through his insides. Whatever vexation Kylo Ren felt as he battled scum rebels and struck down whirring droids and ships, mangled into dread, into fear when he felt you in that moment.

You had pushed the limit. He felt it. It pierced through his belly like a laser beam. He felt your body cave under the force of your own power. He turns and reaches out to you, keeping you up with his Force.

Whatever stood before him, between him and you, was most unfortunately placed. There was nothing left alive in the trail of where he was to where he was now, holding you in his arms.

He gathered your body, hot with sweat and blood seeping through cut and tattered clothing, and retreated. He was glad nothing tried to hinder him because he would have destroyed them with his mind for it.

And now you laid on a bed in front of him, unconscious and connected to a machine that was taking your pulse, making sure you were stable through your current state. He dropped the towel he used to clean you up in a bowl and took a look at his work. He fixed the new shirt he put on you and tucked you in.

Kylo leaned on the chair, positioned right by your side, and watched you breathe. He crossed his arms and tilted his head. He watched as his Force moved the blanket on your form more snugly.

"Stupid kid," he mutters, "I told you not to do this to yourself."

Kylo does not garner a response.

He does nothing but look at you and watch you breathe while waiting for you to wake. When a nurse comes to check up on you, he watches closely as she checks your vitals and scribbles something in her clipboard.

The nurse turns to him and offers a smile, "the patient is stable. You don't have to worry. Everything is fine."

"I'm not worried," Kylo retorts, turning from her to you, "I know."

The nurse takes a moment to respond, "if you like, I can have someone come and watc-"

"No," Kylo turns to her, "no one else," he tilts his head to the door, "you may leave. I will be staying."

The nurse takes in his rigid form and purses her lips. She nods in regard and walks out of the room.

Kylo slumps in his chair.

He dozes off. It lasts only a little while. Before you can even move, Kylo senses it and wakes, eyelids riping open, posture straightening out.

You groan as you shuffle in your spot, eyes fluttering open.

Kylo drags his chair forward and peers down at you, "you fainted."

"Ergh- what?"

"I told you not to use your stupid powers like that."

You look at Kylo, confused by the sudden warmth on your cheek. He lifts your head and fluffs your pillow. He gently brings your head back down. "You're not even a strong telekinetic," he fibs, "I could have handled it myself."

Your eyes focus on Kylo's face. You see that he is mangy and evidently tired. You raise your hand and use your powers to bring his face close to touch, but he senses it and repels. He grabs your hand and shakes his head, "don't."

"You sh-"

"You shouldn't be doing anything that can further strain you," he says, leaning towards you, eyeing you seriously. Your stomach rolls when he places your palm on his cheek, knowing it was your intention. He senses your response to it. He clears his throat, "once you're better, you'll working overtime to practice your abilities."

He tenses when your thumb rubs his skin.

You mutter, "I thought I shouldn't be doing anything that can further strain me."

He takes a moment to respond, "you'll be better by then."

"Hmm," you counter, "will I?"

Kylo's brows furrow slightly. He furrows them completely, "why wouldn't you be?"

You stare at him for a second. Your lips curve into a smile. You chuckle softly, bringing your hand to his brows, rubbing the line between them, "I was teasing. Don't worry-"

"I'm not worried," he says before you even finish.

You pull your hand back and bury it in the covers. Kylo straightens up and watches as you do this. His eyes dart back to your face when you chuckle, "of course you're not."

[stonechild]

2023 favorites!

tagged by @venusmoon tysm ! &lt;;3 (i am also not ranking but more so listing and recommending)

albums these are primarily alternative/indie rock

pinback by pinback (1999) // probably my favorite artist find of 2023! ive listened to a fair bit of pinbacks discography now but this is the one i keep coming back to. - my favs are hurley, crutch, tripoli, chaos engine, loro, and versailles

widows weeds by silversun pickups (2019) // ive known about silversun pickups for a while but never listened to any of their albums. this one has a fair bit of songs i liked :) - my favs are neon wound, straw man, songbirds, and simpatico

weird revolution by butthole surfers (2001) // a surprising love i also found this year! i was initially drawn in by the name of the band and the album artwork being so fun. again a fair amount of songs i liked. - my favs are shame of life, shit like that, intelligent guy, get down, and yentel

books i dont think i finished a single book last year.. lol.... but i can recommend:

carrie by stephen king (fiction, 1974) // im almost done with it and i feel it to be better than any movie adaptation ive seen. Its suspenseful and heartbreaking.

sex at dawn by christopher ryan and cacilda jetha (non-fiction, 2010) // im half way through this book i was reading over the summer. im definetely planning on finishing it this year. I appreciate it for helping me expand my mind on what sex is and what it can be.

movies a mess of genres and tones. a grab bag.

tar, 2022, R, drama dir. todd field main player: cate blanchet - dude i cant stop thinking about this movie... its kinds pretentious and has a mildly confusing plot, but i love it... i feel compelled to rewatch it just to gather more information i may have missed on my first viewing. quite frankly this movie is listed purely based on its unbreakable and mysterious hold over me. also its beautiful.

uncle buck, 1989, PG, comedy dir. john hughes main player: john candy - this movie was so unexpectantly sweet! i hadnt ever seen anything featuring john candy, and i found him to be incredibly charming and lovable. I also found myself laughing a lot and left it feeling warm inside.

contact, 1997, PG, sci-fi dir. robert zemeckis main player: jodie foster - this one is wild. ive always been a sucker for the scifi genre, but this one also tackles religion making it a very interesting look at the rifts and overlaps between the two. that plus the messages regarding grief, communication, global culture, and the hypothetical politics of extraterrestrial contact are welcomed. loved this one :)

fools rush in, 1997, PG-13, romance/comedy dir. andy tennant main players: salma hayek/matthew perry - im not much of a romcom watcher, but this movie is very cute! it has some issues of its time, but overall i found it to be a fun watch, especially with my boyfriend. in light of matthew perry's passing (i watched this not too long before it happened) i felt compelled to add this one to the list. him and salma bring down to earth and genuine chemistry to this movie that was very sweet. <3

tagging: @stinkbeck, @official-redhood, @moldavite, @chapelcarpet, @halfwaysleeping, @immuno, @soracities, @1ight, @eviltreespirit if you'd like :) <3

[preycodedd]

about + byf + dni

THIS IS THE MAIN BLOG FOR OUR SYSTEM. WE WILL LIKELY HAVE SIDEBLOGS FOR SPECIFIC ALTERS TO POST THEIR OWN FREAK STUFF. WE'LL LINK ONES BELOW IF THE SPECIFIC ALTER IS COMFORTABLE SHARING. DNI: -(BODILY) MINORS -PRO-CONTACT HARMFUL PARAS -BASIC DNI (t3rfs, n4z1s, all the -ists and -phobics, yknow!) -SYSCOURSE (we will NOT be sharing much info about our stances, but anyone is free to interact and we will simply block if we're uncomfortable. we are traumagenic personally, but syscourse just stresses us out a bit. so like. don't bring that stuff here) ---- regarding our dni, we will block freely and as much as we want. we know dnis aren't super helpful, but we might as well put it here anyways. we know how to regulate our online experience, you should regulate yours too. block us if you don't like our posts or stances. BYF: -we will post about a lot of heavy k!nkz possibly including but not limited to: cnc, cannibalism, somno, age gap, extreme violence, _cest, etcccc. just be warned man!! everything we put here is safe sane and consensual or completely fantasy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! also we'll prolly post animalistic stuff. we enjoy knots okay. MAYBE some objectum posting but we might use a sideblog for that. we'll likely tag stuff that is intense! -we're cool with anyone over 18+ sending asks or dming us :3 -if youre worried abt following bc we dont post abt smthn that ur super into, try it anyways! we'll jus block if we're v uncomfy but we do not have much limit or uncomfort wise and don't judge if you're into smthn we're not. ABOUT: -u can call us prey for now!!! preysys or whatever works too. -we are bodily 22, alters of differing ages will be posting here or on their own blogs tho! we have some Old Mfs -collectively we are comfortable with he/it/they pronouns. we love neos and will likely post using them sometimes B) -we are taken, by a WONDERFUL AND LOVING PSYS!!!!<333 we're also VERY poly, queer, and luv to snatch up labels tht feel comfortable for us. most of us r cool with "bi with a masc lean" tho -fictive heavy with a low split tolerance so if u hate fictives this aint the place to be bro -nonhuman, objectum, furry, freak all around -we will sexualize systemhood n u can't stop us

we'll add more as we deem fit but we're blurry rn and i cant add more - ALL WRITTEN BY .. I WILL CALL MYSELF ROCK FOR NOW. ALL WRITTEN BY ROCK AND THE REST OF THE SYS WILL HATE ME FOR IT (edited by red. i hate this)

[suenitos]

In honor of the long-awaited release of UIEUD and Dream using art to express himself, let's celebrate the amazing artists in the community! Shout-out your favorite dtblr artists :)

AHHHHH ive been seeing ppl answer this ask on my dash and while i recommend all of those artists (esp my dear mooties) its also like the same 10 people so here to add a littleee variety hopefully if anyone really cares

visual artists @boxinfishfound @carpedzem @mushyruuu @theftshrubbery @lewistrationss @orkidays @flyingwea @qckoldun @art-cmiis really good artists who i didnt see tagged much or at all and reallyyy trying to limit myself here but really i would recommend anyone from my queue GO SUPPORT!! >_<

editors @gogciety @hearvex are the only two who come to mind who consistently edit unfortunately :( im also gonna count @urlwasfound for consistently bringing us high quality gifs THANK YOU ZUZIA

writers @mieltxt @sappymix1 @prettygnf @findinghomes @ourillusions and well i know i said people who didnt appear much on these lists but i really cant not include nunki demonstars (also visual art) and bellaya here too

chances are if i follow you and you rb a fic art piece edit or another form of art i see it and add it to my queue and that is probably more representative of who i'd recommend for these categories >_<

[ridl]

hihi saw ur tags on my post and i agree Except about updates . i do think they should add accessibility features (which theyve implied they want to do) and bug fixes (provided they arent global and stay present with legacy bugs) in updates . but new content? i wholeheartedly agree . it doesnt need more content. but i cant say i think it shouldnt be made more accessible and have bug fixes every now and again . (also it brings me joy to know that even fans of downpour can agree with my statements)

Yes, when i say updates i mean actual content updates that add more to the game rather than just fixing bugs and such, i didn't rlly consider those to be big enough to differentiate tbh. Maybe i don't know the exact wording, so i might be wrong, but i think of those as patches. And tbh i wouldn't exactly call myself a downpour fan bc i absolutely have a lot of issues with it, and despite enjoying it for what it was i don't exactly consider it part of The Rain World experience, rather something extra you can choose to experience or not. It's way more video gamey so it doesn't have the same charm as base game to me. After playing it for like... 100 hrs (?) on top of already having like 350+ hrs in the game before downpour, i've grown kinda tired of it now. I still have expeditions to do as i want my 100% achievements back but i lost motivation rn because i just don't wanna play dlc slugcats anymore. So i turned it off for now and went back to my favorite "post-game" activity: exploring custom regions with survivor.

[shotguncollar]

compilation of things i have in my drafts that i cant bring myself to post on their own bc god forbid i add more things to his tag

[darkisrising]

fic writer interview tag game

Name/nickname: DarkIsRising/Dark

Fandoms: In this incarnation Star Wars and Teen Wolf mostly

Two shots?: Sure! I have a few of those. 

Most-popular multi-chapter fic: Most most MOST popular is an Our Flag Means Death fic “Cleave the Pin” which I think I just happened to write at the right time or something. I never expected it to get as much attention as it did, especially since I used a kind of strange style for Stede by using parentheses that, while I was writing, I kept thinking ‘ohhhh nooo, no one is going to like thiiiiiis.’ For my main fandoms, the most popular are Tribute (Teen Wolf, Steter) which took me fourteen months to write and In other words (Star Wars, BobaDinLuke, and a sequel to The best is yet to come so there’s one of my two-shots) which took eight months to write. Honestly it’s a wonder anyone stuck around that long, because there were massive gaps in posting since I kept writing myself into a corner that I needed to write and discard chapter after chapter before I finally settled on the ones I posted.

Actual worst part of writing: I have this thing where I’ll want to write, I’ll know exactly what I want to write, I’ll have everything lined up... but I just can’t. Like it feels like my brain is a bone and socket joint without cartilage that’s just grinding and grinding and grinding. Some days I can fake my way through it by writing a sentence or two at a time, poking around the internet, and then coming back to write a couple sentences more. Some days I just have to walk away entirely because it’s just not happening.

How you choose your titles: mostly song lyrics. I don’t really stress titles, and will choose random shit. Honestly, I barely even notice titles of books or fics I read, so I deprioritize them on my own stuff... though I have learned that there are a LOT of people out there that DO care what something is called and will even skip over fics based on titles alone so I’m trying to care more but it just doesn’t come naturally. 

Do you outline? Ish. When I get an idea I write out in a doc of word vomit everything i know about the story, from beggining to end, and as I write I add to that doc or change stuff around if I’ve gone in a new direction but I’ll usually have certain plot points I’m trying to get to no matter how off course I veer. That’s when the delays happen, when I veer too far and I have to decide if I want to cut the plot point that’s been in my doc for forever loose (and is usually a load bearing plot point, it’ll mean a bunch of other stuff cant happen once it goes) or if I need to somehow bring the veering back in line.

Ideas you probably won't get around to, but wouldn't it be nice: I had a quiobi set in The Good Place universe that I remember feeling really clever for how it worked.

Callouts @ me: Changing chapter counts as we go. It fluctuates wildly as I post and readers call me out on it ALL the time. Sure I could change it to ? but that feels like admiting the story got the better of me. 

Best writing traits: I think I give good character. 

Spicy tangential opinion: As a reader you’re only one good fic away from turning a squick or a nope trope/fandom/pairing into something you’re actively reading. That’s why I’ve really stopped saying that there’s stuff I won’t read. I’ve been humbled by good writing too many times to have any pride left. Anything I’ve shied away from in the past, in the right hands, can work.  Thanks @tessiete for the tag. I’ll tag... @andthepeople @furiosophie @bunnywest @bronze-lorica but absolutely zero pressure in playing

[ava-meowcatz]

Throwaway account, im not even gonna add tags because i want this to burried within tumblr but

Why when everything is as perfect as it could possibly be does it suddenly fall from you.

No, not fall, it crumbles in your hands and for a while it feels like your fault. But, after some time, you realise it couldnt have been your fault because you did everything right. Right?

Maybe, but even after accepting those broken pieces on the floor aren't anything to do with you, just an unfortunate piece of your permanent past.

You cant bring yourself to take the actions to remove those shards from the floor, you sit and stare at those fragments sometimes and you just cant help but pick them up and wonder what couldve been if it never shatteted. Just like glass those memories cut every time you pick them up.

You can carefully move those pieces, but you cant help yourself and search for them again and again. Staining more and more with the pain of emptiness and yet everytime wishing that it was whole again.

Why?

why cant it be whole again? It was the epitome of perfection.

I know there are others out there for me, but i just feel like ill never be loved like they loved me and thats just not fair.

Such a whole and full heart was ripped from my body and i dont think i can get it back again.

I dont feel love for you, not anymore but god i miss you like a best friend. i wish i replied before you left, i wish you were my best friend.

So, until i feel whole again or until i can truely rid myself of either the shards entirely or at least the corners that cut.

I fear i will continue to delude myself into pain that likely wasnt even meant for me.

Im sorry.

[borifem]

(CW: SA mention!)

am i truly attracted to men and cock or did the SA i've been through rot my brain to the point i can no longer perceive things attractive and desirable in its absence. :( i dont know what I think. do I really desire men or and did the grooming and the pain condition me to think I do. would i be attracted to men if I didn't go thru this? is this attraction really my own?

i always knew I was attracted to women, even before I knew what attraction was; I knew I liked girls before any thoughts of men entered my mind. always wanted to have a girlfriend and dreamed of having a wife. when I try to think about it, I feel as if the object of my abuse entered my "desires" after my painful experiences, that maybe I started to take "interest" in men as a way to cope? 💔 I'm having a hard time trying to put all of this into words, probably because of how lost and confused I feel about it in the first place. when I examine my attraction to men and the penis itself it feels. compulsory? self harming? i used to call myself a lesbian and be so sure of it, I remember young me coming out to my mom as a lesbian (to her loving support). and as time went on, the more SA i experienced, the more I found myself "attracted" to men. or rather wanted to be desired by them? I also feel like porn played a huge part in this. and the nature of my desire regarding them is also so saddening. almost always it exists as violent. the fantasies I have regarding them, the compulsions. they're so rarely loving and genuine, almsot as if I can not conceptualize a relationship with a man that's loving. and it's so different than my desires for women which I ALWAYS, from the beggining had! the love and care and self respect! dignity! i have for myself when I fantasise about women, when I had real life relationships and sex with women. the joy and fulfillment... it's almost completly lacking in my thoughts of men, in the real life experiences of mine. almost as if I'm self harming or seeking out more of what I suffered through?

I just can't help but wonder, would men even enter my desires in the first place if I haven't been hurt by them in some of the most terrific and intimate ways? what must have that done to my psyche? and if I were to finally get help and heal from my sexual trauma, would they leave from those desires?

i cant in good faith call myself a lesbian anymore, haven't in a long time and I've learnt to be content and happy being bisexual; I don't think being bi makes me lesser, that's it's worse or anything, it's not an issue of internalized biphobia, which I did struggle with at the beggining. overall when I first started to notice men appear in my attraction (?) it felt horrible. almost as if I were grieving, I didn't want any of that and it hurt so bad to "loose" being a lesbian. but I had a lot of time to work thru that I guess and accept I'm bi now. it's just that. I don't know. I can't help but wonder about the nature of my bisexuality?

has anyone else struggled with this, is there other bi women who went thru something like this or similar, and would like to talk? if any woman could has anything to say then please feel free to!! i just feel so alone and lost in this, and im honestly just dying to talk. I know there must be women out there who understand and i hope getting to confide in others could bring me some peace regarding this? this is such a mess of a post but I just don't know where to reach out, or how :( i for sure want to finally start getting professional help and heal, but I just really want to talk to other women, if anyone is willing. thank you for anyone who took the time to read this :') ❤️ i know this is a kind of heavy post, but I'm gonna add some tags in hopes it will reach people who might struggle with something similar

[sm-baby]

THANK YOU FOR TAGGING ME. AUGHHH You,,, I,, Everyone! Look at Cobbie's work!! Theyre so incredibly talented!

Warning: R E A L L Y long rant.

Your art style is reminiscent of disney's golden age animation and it's absolutely gorgeous. From the line works to the animation style to the colors it's so gorgeous it's also fluid at like the moments where it is and i know exactly how it moves even if it's still just still frames.

Just from the opening, where she's turning, i love the little gestures that she does, opening to hands forward to putting it politely at her lap.. your lipsynch work is GORGEOUS and so professionally done, UGHH

I also notice how her tutu starts out as a little... Droopy, since she hasn't been wound. Her fast movements from gesture to gesture imitates that of a mechanical doll which compliments the sounds in the background. i adore the way you draw Pomni in general she's so plush and cute and very doll like, VERY pleasing to the eyes.

AUGHH (im rewatching it while adding my compliments) THE WAY YOU PLAY WITH SHADOWS AND LIGHTING FUCKS ME UP SO MUCH... Just the way it looks a lot more like sinister in certain frames in the you can feel her sort of discomfort in her situation.

" How can you tell Im under a spell" JUST THE FACIAL EXPRESSION WORK... IT'S SO GOOD!! THE BODY LANGUAGE, THE ACTING! COBBIE I KNOW EXACTLY THE ENERGY YOU WERE GOOD FOR AND YOU DID SO FUCKING WELL.

"Im waiting for love's first kiss" (You can't not add that in and not have me think of Freakshow Caine okay this is just what i do i'm not responsible for what i think of when this happens) the expression work here is also incredibly amazing cuz assuming that she is thinking of Caine at that moment, she's sort of saying it reluctantly. When she's forced to say it, she cant even bring herself to force a smile. and i adore that. Because shes SO tired. And SO done.

Have i mentioned how good your 3d work is? I have such massive respect for people who use 3d for animation in general, but I am also referring to how you animate her moving across the screen. it makes her feel so 3d and such in such a space... it's so good... it's so good!

THE WAY SHE BREAKS HER MASK FOR MUCH AND WE CAN FEEL HOW HELPLESS SHE IS... HER REACHING OUT TO THE SPOTLIGHT LIKE REACHING FOR ANY FREEDOM, COMPLIMENTED WITH HOW HER HANDS APPEAR IN PLACE OF HER DOLL ONES...AUGHHH

And shes soo... So tired... You're wonderful at acting work. Her movements now a little less expressive and sort of... Impatient? She so clearly tired a cares so much less.

HER HOLDING HERSELF AT ONE FRAME PLEASSEEE

And shes back to being a cute little doll..GOD... YOU MADE THIS SCENE FEEL SO GRIMLY CUTE AND SUCH A DREADFUL EXISTANCE DESPITE THE ELEGANT IMAGRY. COBBIE YOUR SO EXTREMELY TALENTED. IM SO SORRY IVE GONE ON FOR SO LONG-

ONE LAST THING- IM SO SORRY I CANT JUST LEAVE THE FREAKSHOW SHOWTIME THERE- HER BEING WOUND UP AGAIN AS THE PROCESS REPEATS AND AND YOU CUTTING IT OFF GIVES YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT SHES DONE THIS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER FUCKING AGAIN DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY AUGHH NOOO THATS A PERFECT WAY TO ENCAPSULATE FOR DREADFUL AND REPEATING HER HELL IS!! PLEASSEEE!!

also ahaha... Trully scrumptious... The... The duet...,, oh gosh,, *fans myself*... Oh my... You,,, I,,, I don't know if you meant to attack me with that but affected me sooo badly... Thank you for that little crumb,, ahaha,, oh gosh,,, ph my gosh,,, zooming in to their holding hands...aha,,,

Doll On A Music Box (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)

Hello everybody! This shit definitely took longer than I planned. I still don’t know why I did it, but since I did it, it means I need to post it here. Anyway, thanks for the inspiration @sm-baby and @ner5y. Au belongs to @hootbon.

[just-some-random-blogger]

How about a Hob daughter badass!reader x Morpheus.

Do you know Attack on Titan? An AU where she a soldier in the survey corps or an assassin or spy or something. That would be cool I think 🥹❤️

Mortality

Dream of the Endless x Gadling!Reader

Summary: After a grueling day that's left your clothes, flesh and mind tattered and torn, you hear not only an earful from your father, but as well as the King of Nightmares that lurks in the corner of your room.

Word Count: >900

Warnings: gender neutral!reader, mentions/depictions of injury, survivors guilt, angst, typos, etc.

A/N: this is so wild i love it lets go. edit: idk why i thought i could write anything with AoT lore without having watched it 😬🤪 SO im sorry i just made a hurt/comfort-esque fic where reader is injured and dream freaks out cos hob cant die but his daughter can the req was daughter!reader but i didnt use any gender specific pronouns so ear your heart out. Tagging: @pinksirensong @aralezinspace @sloanexx @shadow-pancake9 i hope you like it @deniixlovezelda my love <3 <3

"DON'T YOU DARE CLOSE THAT DAMNED D-"

But I did. I closed that damned door as I uninterestedly walked into my room and locked it behind me.

I whine as I clutch the bandages wrapped around my torso. It wasn't because it hurt... well, it did, but it was because my father was barking and banging on the door of my bedroom that I whined.

I ignored him, knowing he'd tire eventually and he'd talk to me levelheadedly after his anger wore off. I move to my desk and grab bandage wraps to replace the ones on my arm.

I open my lamp light, not bothered to open the light of my room cause it was by the door.

I remove my wraps and begin to replace the ones on the deep slash on my bicep. The sound of my father's barking and hammering remind me too much of the sounds from the incident earlier today and so I have to stop my wrapping and cover my ears until he ceases.

Hob Gadling nary waivers when he sets his mind on something though, so it is I that has to adjust. I release a breath and begin to work on my pulsing arm.

By the time the brutalizing on the door stops, I am halfway through wrapping my arm.

It is also the point I feel a presence in the corner of my room. I ignore it in lieu of dressing my wounds.

When I'm done, I huff and seal off bandage, "did my dad call you?"

"No," his voice is deep and harsh. It echoes in the room. He adds, "Hob is far too distressed to think of anything but you presently."

I turn over my shoulder and find a dark figure walking over to me. I do not stand from the side of my bed to greet him. I instead clench my jaw.

"I came here in my on my own volition," Lord Morpheus says once he is before me.

I blink at the sight of his face. His hair is disheveled the way it always it, his eyes are dark yet gleaming as per usual, but there is a certain hardness to his expression, a certain level of force with the press of his lips.

I turn away from him and remove my boots, "feel free to do the same when you leave."

He calls my name. I let it pass through the other ear and roll my shoulders back. I regret it, considering the pain that shoots through my body.

"You are becoming more reckless than ever," the Dream king says.

I throw my boots under my desk and then slowly crawl onto my bed, "thanks. I do it for the attention."

He calls my name out again.

I lean on my pillows and bring my feet under my covers, "I'm joking," I quip dryly.

"Your father and I are very concerned-"

"Well, what do you expect me to do, huh!" I snap, raising a hand, "you expect me to turn the other way when-" I hiss and regret moving my arms as I slightly strain myself.

Dream watches me as I curl up.

"Look," I huff, "I've had a long day. My- my corps--" I hold my tongue, not wanting to continue. I look up at him as he looks down on me with hunched shoulders and a grave expression.

"I am aware," he raises his brows, "of the casualties you h--"

"Then get off my ass!" I snap, lying down, and retreating under my blanket, "I don't need either of you to rub more salt into my wounds."

"Neither of us inten-"

"Neither of you understand what it feels to live at the edge of a blade! Neither of you know what it's like to be ready to give up your life for someone you care about," my eyes begin to water under the sheets, "so don't come here telling me I should have been careful when I am only here because of the so-called recklessness of my friends."

He does not respond this time.

I silently sob under the covers. I wait for him to leave, but I know the feeling of his gaze better than most.

A moment passes. I release a sigh, "go away, Morpheus."

He speaks my name one last time.

I roll on my bed with much difficulty, "you better not come to me in my dreams tonight."

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

trigger warning: scary sexual situation and nondescript discussion of cptsd relating to history of child sexual trauma

seeking advice, validation, resources, but advice most

nickname/word to tag my ask for finding them more easily: toadstool 🍄


i’m a freshman at college and i’m really struggling with something that happened a couple nights ago. i have cptsd and part of that trauma i had was childhood sexual trauma in various differeny forms/ways. (i am a nonbinary trans person my roommate is a cis guy, which is the same as the people in my past who hurt me in the way i mentioned above.) my roommate masturbated while i was awake and in the same room not even five feet away from him, and he knew i was awake, he just thought i couldn’t/wouldn’t see him. i immediately went into survival mode and froze, tensed and ready to defend myself, waiting for him to be done so i could flee the room. he didnt notice i saw what he was doing, and in the end i was too scared to move and flee the room. i am even more terrified now than originally. this triggered me immensley and ive been avoiding him and my room since, literally only going in when i absolutely have to which is hard for showering, laundry, sleeping especially, etc. before this, i wasn’t sleeping much at all due to distrust and fear from cptsd. now im sleeping even less, which is very negatively affecting me. its been really hard, i keep getting flashbacks to my childhood. its definitely bringing up my history of trauma. but idk what to call this. creepy? sexual harassment? something worse? we are both young adults but adults all the same, so even though i feel violated and scared (he is bigger and stronger, i am also physically disabled), i dont really know what i can categorize this as, what resources i can use, what i can do in general to cope. i have essentially been in survival mode and fight/flight/freeze/fawn since. i really need support but idk where i can go, what to call this (i have autism so my brain thinks categorically and that is part of what i need to process anything.) i know this has activated past traumas but idk if it counts as trauma on its own, or even what to call it. i also cant tell what is an overreaction from my cptsd and what is a normal reaction to something like this.

Hi anon,

I'm sorry to hear about what happened. Especially given your past experiences, it makes sense why this was such a distressing moment for you, and made you fear your roommate. While this wouldn't count as sexual harassment, you're still allowed to feel traumatized and distressed by what happened.

Please know that you're not alone. I had a somewhat similar experience where I was cuddling with a guy I hooked up with and he got a boner and I got so scared that I couldn't move (also a CSA survivor). I decided to talk to him about it afterwards and he was surprisingly apologetic and understanding.

It may be helpful to have a direct and honest conversation with your roommate about your discomfort and explore potential solutions together, like finding certain times he can do this that work for both of you. However, I completely understand if the idea of having this kind of conversation is intimidating or may not feel practical considering your relationship with him. Ultimately, it may be best to look into getting a different roommate if that interests you.

Depending on what kinds of accommodations your school has, they may include counseling in tuition. If you can access or afford it, a mental health professional such as a therapist could help you process this experience, heal from your previous trauma, explore potential solutions to this situation, and give you some helpful coping mechanisms that you can take with you.

If anyone has any comments or suggestions, feel free to add on. Otherwise, I hope I could help, and please let us know if you need anything.

-Bun

[sowhatnotcreative]

I thuroughly understand that some contries have a specific culture that makes you more likely to do something. I'm not stupid. I also thuroughly understand that certain neurodivergent traits are likely to be the cause of someone doing something, anything at all, wether it be feeling overwhelmed because of autism or maybe hyperfocusing because of adhd? I am also in no way judging that.

However, in storytelling, in writing, in journalism, in anything at all, you don't have to start with this reason, this specification or modifier (I know there is a word for it I just cant think of it). If you want to say that you personally felt overwhelmed in a situation and you are writing about it? It's allowed to say "I felt overwhelmed". You do not have to say "I have autism so therefore I felt overwhelmed". And yea this is only an example, i will add another less controversial one, but please remember this example, it will be important in a minute.

I am writing about what I did yesterday. There is NO point in saying "Because I'm Swedish I like to make myself some porrige in the morning. Swedes also like to eat their porridge with jam and so do I. Then because I have CFS I stay in bed". This makes for a impersonal and overly informational story. Does the fact that I'm Swedish have any relevance to what I eat for breakfast? No! Do I stay in bed because of CFS? Yes! Is it relevant? No!

I didn't wake up and decide that because I'm Swedish I must eat porridge, I just wanted to eat it. If it's traditionally Swedish or not is irrelevant, but if I still want to make it a point? Maybe in introducing my character? How about "I ate porrige for breakfast and just like many swedes I put some jam on it". The main point of the sentence is not where I'm from.

Now let's get back to the former example. Maybe you are even writing about being overwhelmed specifically to bring awareness?

Sidenote: This post is mostly targeted towards this new "woke" way of creative writing that tries to tick all the opression boxes so they can tag it on bookreads or maybe tiktok will pick it up for being inclusive, maybe sell something to a specific market so they make a point out of being the most opressed™ - but let's assume this specific text is just a tumblr post or something, wanting to bring awareness or just general writing, who am I to give advice to authors anyway.

You were in a situation. You got overwhelmed. Yes of course having autism could be a massive part of it. Maybe the only reason even - but not everyone who has autism would be overwhelmed in that specific situation. It's not at all a guarantee. All people with autism are also different. Someone who doesn't know anything about autism, and reads this awareness would read it not as "wow autism makes this situation so much more difficult to deal with", they will read it as "Wow, people with autism can't do that?". In the effort of removing stereotypes, you are enforcing them. By placing the "cause" (be it nationality, disability or neurodivergence) before what happened, you make that thing the determining factor. Not even on purpose just sentence structure!

Causation and action when the causation is not absolute can be implicit is bad writing. And when you think deeper it does do more harm than good to put what ever it is front and center.

[trashcha]

Woo, came here from the ao3 fic, happy to see… Azul. Oh god I pray for him.

Watching as he just… searches around, makes note of the odd disappearance, and now… fuck. Nooooooooo no, noooooooo goddamnit I don’t want to accept it…

NOOOO NOT THE BLOOD GODDAMNITT. GGRJAJJ

Okay so taking a moment to just distract myself from the horror Azul is currently witnessing, this is so amazingly written, the way dread sets in as he sees the scarlet pooling from underneath the door, wills himself to open the place that likely served as MC’s last horrifyingly bloody, hopeless moments, and just… knowing he had to go inside. I love it, as dreadful and tense as it makes me feel.

Nononononoooooo goddamnit is that Floyd or Jade, grhahahaghhh either just breaks my heart.

NOOOOOOOO FUCK NOOOO GODDAMNIT NOO. FLOYD. JADE. MC. AZUL. FUCKKKKK. GRHENHJHHHH

I’m fucking sobbing no goddamnit no no no no no no noooooo

FLOYD. FHCKCKCK. JADE. FGGAGGHHH. Floyd, just. AUGH. the way he grabs onto MC’s hand even in death, grhnn. AHHHHHGH SHES FUCKING DEAD. HE WAS RIGHT SHE DEAD IN A DITCH JUST. JUST MAYBE SAID IT A LITTLE TOO EARLY. BUT FUCK. NOOO GRHHHAHH

The way Jade’s repeated repents of sorts just continue as you read along, god it adds so much. I feel so bad for him,

FUCK. FUCK FUCK. FLIYD WHY. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SQUEEZE MCS HAND, WHY. HGRHHAH GODDAMNIT. NONF MNM MMMMM

Azul I’m so sorry I am so, so sorry. Augh god I am. I’m sobbing. Azul. Azul. Azul. I am so sorry man. Goddamnit. God fucking damnit. I love this so much, just the turmoil it gives me, the window into their anguish, their loss, and their horrifying reality. It’s so beautifully written.

Oh. Oh. Oh no. Azul. Azul, why? Why try? Why, Azul? They’re not going to be able to make it out of that. They’re just too far gone, man. It’s too much. It’s too far.

FUCK. FUCKKKK. NOOO YOU CANT. AZULLL. FLOYYDD. JADEEE! GRHAHHHH. ITS NOT GONNA HAPPEN. ITS TOO FAR GONE. YOURE NOT GETTING OUT OF THIS. NOOOOOOOOOOOO

TLDR: mental anguish. I read and give comments, you can probably guess where I am. God I love this though, drowns me in a dreadful pity and honestly I am all for it. I really wanted. I really wanted some cook to come along after Jade went down, but… he locked up.

Ending notes: Yeah. I wasn’t expecting that, but I don’t know what I was. Azullll why… what are you going to dooo??? Also just. Jesus how hot was it in there?? I don’t know if I got some artificial ass meat but normally if the temperature is good you got some chance of salvaging the meat but christ MC rotted fasttt. An off handed comment here, if I may. They both need muzzles. Personally I have an affinity for muzzles but like… they NEED(ed) them around MC 😭

Also just imagine you’re a ghost just watching over your body as the tweels go insane in a dark room. Azul comes in and you just. You don’t know what to expect, but you just hope he would do something, just for him to close and lock the door behind him, trapping your already desecrated, rotting body with the very things that caused such destruction. Personally, I’d go follow Azul and just be. Very angry over the fact that he thought of my ROTTING BODY as another problem to get over, even though it’d make perfect sense for him to be in denial and desperately try to claw at any way to repair and shed some of the blame.

Probably, hopefully final note: I love this writing so much. It inspires and motivates me to just jump straight into writing something along this tone, or just surfing through all of your work, it’s amazing! It made me well up with some tears of frustration, pity, and dread, but it only served to bring more to it. The pain they felt, for the time I read, felt recognizable and, just amazing. I loved every second of this, titles, tags, and summaries. ❤️

BLOODLUST SECRET BONUS CHAPTER: The World’s Worst Hangover

Art by @ma10ba (correct me if I'm wrong)

***This chapter takes place the morning after the events of my smut horror story on AO3, Bloodlust, so if you haven't read that in it's entirety, CLICK HERE TO READ IT FIRST.

I mean… I can't force y'all to do anything. Read this first if you want, it just sorta spoils the story's ending.

WARNING: This chapter contains no smut, but lots of gore. Reader discretion is advised.

***Also, I just want to make clear that I intentionally left the ending of Bloodlust ambiguous because I want the reader to come up with their own ideas of what happens next on their own (a reader's mind conjures up horrors worse than the written word can ever hope to achieve yadda yadda yadda), so this special end scene isn't necessarily "canon" to my story, it's just a fun little extra bit of psychological horror for those who wanted to know how I imagined things would happen next.

Without further ado, I present to you...

The World's Worst Hangover

.

In hindsight, drinking that much celebratory champagne was probably a bad move, because when Azul’s alarm rang the next morning, it felt like a raging beast was screaming inside his head and jamming razor blades into his skull.

Azul desperately jabbed at the button on his phone to turn the agonizing beeping off. “Fucking dammit...” Azul tossed the phone onto his side table, rubbing at his face with a prolonged groan. Early morning sunlight rippled through the ocean outside his window and Azul covered his head with a pillow to escape it.

The housewarden contemplated sleeping in longer, but all the work he needed to get done before the Mostro Lounge’s official re-opening piled up in his mind and he knew there was no time to allow himself to properly recover from this hangover. So Azul begrudgingly tossed his pillow aside and got up to prepare himself for the torturous day ahead of him.

After popping some pain killers and getting dressed, the housewarden made his way through the dorm over to the Mostro Lounge to make final inspections before the staff came in to get ready for the lunch time opening. He expected Jade to be waiting for him in the dining room, but the vice housewarden was nowhere to be found.

“Hmmm...” Azul looked down at his phone to double check the time, and it was ten minutes past when they had agreed to meet. He had no new messages from the Leech brother, and Jade was not the type to accidentally sleep in or forget a meeting, so Azul was starting to feel nervous, albeit he wasn’t entirely sure why. The silver haired man looked around the room once more, “Where are you...?”

An unsettling feeling bubbled inside of Azul, and it wasn’t the nausea from his unyielding hangover. Azul found himself walking over to the dark, silent kitchen, his excuse being that maybe Jade would be in there checking ingredients like the teal haired man tended to do, but a part of him wondered if Jade was down below in the blocked off basement that only the two of them knew about.

Azul got his answer when he saw that the secret shelving unit door was cracked open slightly, and his already sick stomach twisted into a heavy knot. “Fuck.”

He ran to the shelving unit and pulled it open, the containers of ingredients on the shelves tumbling onto the floor as the housewarden rushed inside the closed off space and shut the door. Azul and Jade always made sure to lock the secret door regardless of whether they were inside or outside of the hidden space. Always. Jade wouldn’t have just left the door cracked open like he did. Unless...

“Floyd... Oh no...” The door to the basement was already wide open and the light was on. Azul slammed the door behind him as he rushed down the stairs in a panic, “FLOYD!” He screamed, making his way through the basement towards the uncovered door to the secret room. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck...”

Azul stopped just short of the door, spying something on the ground that made his whole body run cold. Just barely seeping out from under the door was a small pool of dark red, and for a moment Azul couldn’t bring himself to step any closer. He turned and stumbled against the dusty, empty shelves of the basement, shaking and heaving heavy breaths to keep down the bile that tried to escape his stomach. He just leaned there and focused on his breathing until the nausea subsided, knowing he needed to open that door no matter what was on the other side. So he pushed aside his panic and any other thoughts or feelings that conflicted with the task at hand. The housewarden straightened up and turned towards the door, taking in a quick breath as he gripped the handle and pushed it open.

Immediately Azul was hit by the overwhelming metallic stench of something putrid and rotten from inside the room, and it was all the already nauseous man needed to instantly turn around and vomit onto the floor. His body shook violently as he turned up the last of the contents within his stomach, tears flowing from his gray eyes as he just stared at the ground, dry heaving and hyperventilating uncontrollably.

He didn’t want to turn around. He didn’t want to see what was inside that room. He already had an idea and he’d give anything to not have to see it. But Azul knew he had no other choice, so he pulled out his handkerchief and took a moment to wipe up his mouth before turning the cloth over and pressing it firmly over his nose and mouth. He pulled out his pen, preparing for the worst when he forced his trembling body to turn and face whatever was waiting for him inside of that dark room.

There was a voice muttering from inside. It was quiet and uneven, and Azul only just now noticed it as he looked vacantly towards the inside of the room, not quite having the strength to look down just yet. His shaking hand gripped his pen as he felt around on the wall for the light switch. With a soft ‘click’, the room was illuminated by the two lights strung up on the ceiling. Azul stared up at those lights, struggling against every survival instinct in his body telling him not to look down as he forced his eyes towards the ground.

It was red. All he could see was red.

It completely covered the once grey cement floor in various sickening shades, splattered up along the walls and the furniture, dripping back down into dark crimson pools on the ground. And it covered a small, pathetic man tucked into the corner of the room between the outer plexiglass partition of makeshift bathroom and the cement wall, rocking back and forth and gripping his vaguely teal blood soaked hair as he muttered to himself on repeat, “I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it...”

Azul thought there was nothing left in his stomach to vomit, but his body proved him wrong as he looked towards his feet and saw that he, himself, was standing in a puddle of rotten blood. He suddenly keeled over against the doorframe and dry heaved the last little bit of acid that was inside of his cramping gut, pulling his handkerchief up slightly so he could let it drip onto the ground before quickly covering up his mouth again.

“Hey Azul.” A voice spoke in a calm, monotone whisper from somewhere else in the room to Azul’s right.

Still gripping onto the doorframe, the housewarden slowly panned his eyes over in the direction of the voice. He found Floyd, sitting on the ground and leaning up against the wall, blood soaked clothes clinging to his skin, crimson covering most of his pale face and causing strands of his hair to stick to his skin. He just stared at the opposing wall, unblinking eyes dark and sunken as he just sat there, unmoving as though he, himself, were a corpse.

It was at this point that Azul realized that the pathetic creature rocking back and forth against the plexiglass wall at the opposite end of the room was Jade. The vice housewarden was nearly unrecognizable in this dazed, traumatized state, trapped in a constant loop of tugging at his hair with crimson stained hands and whispering, “I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it...”

There was no need to ask what had happened. It was well past the point where it would have mattered. The housewarden slowly glanced back towards Floyd, who rolled his head over to look Azul in the eyes as he spoke again with that eerily calm, monotone voice, “What’s up?” Azul trembled as he saw now that Floyd was gripping your hand in his, the twin refusing to let go even when there was no longer any trace of life in your cold palm.

The one thing Azul couldn’t do was look at the rest of whatever that hand was connected to. Azul knew that whatever it was, it had been hours since it was a living, breathing person, and he didn’t need to know any more than that.

“I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it...”

His eyes caught a glimpse of something shiny on top of the bed at the far end of the room, and after taking a moment to organize the chaos in his head, Azul realized that these were the keys to the secret room. Needing a direction forward, the silver haired man carefully stepped through the room towards the keys. He’d have tried to avoid stepping in the blood, if it were possible to do so, but it was already too late for that. Jade continued rocking and whispering, and Floyd just rolled his head back to stare at the wall across from him, squeezing your hand in his as if to reassure you.

“I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it...”

Azul stared up at the ceiling, holding his breath and gritting his teeth to still his quivering jaw as he carefully stepped over the corpse in the center of the room. He reached over and quickly grabbed the keys on the bed, turning to repeat the process of keeping his eyes on the ceiling as he slowly made his way back towards the door.

He stopped at the threshold, taking a moment to clear his mind before carefully slipping out of his blood soaked shoes, making sure not to get a drop of blood anywhere else on him as he stepped his purple sock covered foot onto the clean cement ground outside in the main room of the basement. Having successfully made it out of the room with the keys and without the shoes, Azul reached his hand back in to turn off the light, making sure not to step into the crimson that had pooled around the doorway.

He turned and fell against the basement shelves, desperately wanting to allow himself to fall apart, but he couldn’t. Not yet.

“Goodbye Azul.” Floyd’s calm whisper spoke from the darkness of the room. Azul shook as he reached for the door handle and slowly closed the door to the room, shutting the twins inside. The trembling silver haired man struggled to hold the keys still enough to lock the entrance to the room, just barely managing to twist the key in the lock to ensure that, for now, the horrors inside that room would stay there.

The housewarden forced himself up the stairs and out of the basement, carefully locking the basement door before turning to hesitantly push open the secret door leading to the kitchen. He cracked it open just a bit at first, checking to see if the lights were still off outside to make sure no one else was around. He stood there for a bit, and when he didn’t hear any noises outside, he carefully pushed the door open the rest of the way, stepping out of the secret space into the kitchen. He swung the shelving unit door closed and quickly locked it, dropping the keys into his coat pocket as he lowered his head into the front corner of the unit, heaving heavy breaths as he was just about to drop to the ground and start sobbing.

The light in the kitchen flickered on, and a voice spoke from behind him, “Mr. Ashengrotto...?” Azul turned to find the head chef standing in the doorway, head cocked as he stared at the housewarden with a look of concern and confusion. “Are you okay, sir?”

Azul looked from the employee over to the shelving unit he was leaning against, various containers of spices and other dry ingredients knocked over on the shelves and on the ground around his feet. “Sorry... I guess I tripped and knocked everything over...”

The chef glanced down at the housewarden’s feet, “Where are your shoes...?”

The head chef raised his eyebrows, unsure of how to respond, “Oh... I’m so sorry to hear about that sir.” He scratched his head, “Should we hold off the Mostro’s opening then...?”

Azul took a deep breath in. “You know what... I don’t think I am okay.” He forced out a small chuckle, “I admit I had too much to drink last night... And I am having the world’s worst hangover.” He looked down and lifted his sock covered foot up slightly, “As a testament to my lack of cohesive brain power, I seem to have completely forgotten to put on my shoes as I was getting ready today...” Azul rubbed his head and nodded to himself, “Floyd and Jade are also worse for wear at the moment, we partied a bit too hard last night after the event... I regret to report that I don’t think any of us will be able to help out with the Mostro Lounge today.”

Azul shook his head and walked towards his employee, “Oh heavens no!” He pat the man’s arm, “This just means you’re going to have to spearhead the opening on your own! Don’t worry, I’ll pay you extra for your efforts...” He gripped the chef ’s shoulder and looked into his eyes, the silver haired man’s expression turning serious, “...As well as your discretion. I admit I’m a bit embarrassed by my self-inflicted poor bill of health, and would rather no one else know about my bad drinking habits.”

The man swallowed slightly and nodded, “O-of course sir! I’ll take care of things here. I won’t tell anyone what they don’t need to know!”

Azul smiled and pat the man’s shoulder, “Excellent. Thank you...” He stepped towards the door out of the kitchen, “I’ll let the rest of the staff know that the twins and I came down with a bug and won’t be able to attend the opening...”

The head chef turned and watched as Azul stumbled slightly into the dining room, “Are you going to be okay, Mr. Ashengrotto?”

Azul stood there for a moment and took a long, deep breath out, staring down at his purple patterned socks as he briefly lost himself to his thoughts. Eventually he nodded, “Yeah... We’re going to be okay.” He stepped forward through the lounge, away from the nervous employee standing in the kitchen. “We’ll figure this out. Just like we always do... We’ll be okay.”