#I don't have any ideas for the rest because I'm about to go out for dinner

[zshiftsrealties]

LETTING GO

i've talked about this a little bit in one of my other posts, but I realized this was a very important topic — especially for people like me (before figuring it out) out here, and so I wanted to expand on it and give my own two cents.

the concept of "letting go" has been taught to most — if not all — of us by life long ago before any of us even found shifting. if you don't like a situation, "let it go". do your best, and "leave the rest and don't fixate on it". if someone you love doesn't respect you, "let them go". anything that doesn't serve you, "let it go". this is the one advice that got many of us through different situations. but everytime I ever came across a post saying "let go of your desire and watch it come to you", this quote always came to mind.

honestly, I couldn't for the love of God even think of letting go of shifting. I simply didn't want to. it felt like a betrayal to all the people I wanted to shift for, to myself, to my dreams — everything. I would think to myself "how do I not care if i'll shift or not? how do I not care about all these people in my dr I want to meet? I want to care. I have people I love, people I want to see, so how can I not care?", and it would make me so upset because I would see people talking about how they let go of it and it came to them. it almost felt like it was wrong to love, to care, to cherish this opportunity, and to want to be excited for it. I didn't want to "let go" and wanted to keep on holding forever. but then, I realized what the problem was. it wasn't my loving too much, caring too much, or anyone else's "letting go" of their desire to shift. the problem was my idea of what "letting go" means.

in any "normal" situation, "letting go" would mean "not caring" or "not giving your energy out where it isn't respected or celebrated". but. and a big but. when it comes to shifting, "letting go" has a totally different meaning.

• "letting go" in terms of shifting

to me, when it comes to shifting, "letting go" isn't about having an attitude of "if I shift, I shift. if I don't, I don't". while this can help some people, it's fairly hard for others to follow, because some of us WANT to shift and not even think about the "don'ts". so what letting go meant to me was being content where I am, because I knew that sooner or later — I will have what I want, because it is mine, and to stop trying to "make it happen" and simply just let it happen. because i'm a staunch believer that anything that happens, only happens for my own good — always, and if I found shifting, it was for a reason.

now, one could argue that both are the same, and I cooked nothing (lol). and yes, they might be. but. and a big but again. the difference is you CAN care about the people you want to shift for. you can be chalant, you can be obsessed with your dr, your s/o, anything — everything, and still shift. the point is being content. and you, yourself, have to give yourself the closure that whatever you want will be yours. because the feeling of being content always comes from within. don't force it, and take time to give yourself this closure. and care, and be excited, and be assured. you can be all of these things at the same time.

and if you're afraid of it being "not meant for you", then my dear friend, if it wasn't meant for you, I promise you, and I swear to God, it would've never found you. not in this lifetime, not in a million others. never. not EVER, okay? so rest assured that it is a hundred and ten percent meant for you. so, you don't have to grip it so hard you leave claw marks on it. it's right next to you, and that's how it'll stay. and if it "wasn't meant for you and still found you", it would've gone by now. it wouldn't have stayed. so "let go". be at peace. your dr awaits you, and you're going to make it.

and that's all. once again, if you don't understand anything, and want me to clarify, feel free to reach out.

[generalpalacefishgoop]

trBad and trRos convo transcript!

VOD ID: 2351774111

1:32:00 - 1:43:34

BBH: How was your thing going with the thing we talked about the other day? You make any advancements on that? Make any thoughts, decisions, progress?

Ros: I feel today has shown me that if something wants me to die, I'm pretty powerless. 

BBH: Yeah. But what about what you want?

Ros: I mean. I did kill someone.

BBH: How'd that make you feel?

Ros: Um…awful.

BBH: Okay, so has that made you kind of rethink about whether you want to kill other people?

Ros: Umm a tiny bit, because I feel like they were kind of willing a little bit. So someone who's not willing, I think they're just going to wipe me clean and dead and violence, you know. So maybe I should just not pick a fight. You said don't pick a fight you know you're going to lose. So let's be honest, I'm probably going to lose.

BBH: So honestly, I feel like if that's what is making you happy, Ros, I said go for it.

Ros: Well, I think that's the goal is hopefully to try and find something that makes you happy.

BBH: When I ask what you want, I'm essentially asking what would make you happy.

Ros: I don't know, Bad. I honestly don't know. I have no idea. I- I all of- all thoughts are dead. They’re gone. They’re gone. What about your thoughts?

BBH: Yeah, I've noticed that a little bit, Ros. Yeah. You're like an open book. People keep writing in the book. But I want to know what- what does Ros want to write in the book?

Ros: …I don't- I don't know, Bad. I want to protect my friends and I want to help them slay and and and never get hurt.

BBH: Does spending time with your friends make you happy?

Ros: Yeah…

BBH: Then I think you've got kind of your answer there. I think if you think about it, you've kind of been driven at points to want to kill. And I think maybe that's because it was in response to deep down, you just want to spend more time with your friends. And sometimes you need to kill to protect your friends, and sometimes you need to not kill to protect your friends. So maybe your confliction is coming from you just haven't figured out 100% what you want to do. And I think once you figure that out, you'll be able to come to terms with what you need to do to accomplish that.

Ros: That's really helpful. Bad. I- I- I- appreciate that. To be honest, I feel like I have a large Kingdom, like the Kingdom. There's a lot of people, but I feel like they're all busy doing their own thing a lot of the time and they're grinding. And so I feel like I should be grinding. But I think- I think I do want to hang out with them, but it's hard. It's hard to hang out when they're they're grinding, you know?

BBH: Yeah, it's OK to just let others do the grinding. You don't need to be good at everything, Ros, right? You're an amazing builder. You're very, a really good listener. You're really good just having amazing company. And I think it's OK to, you know, you don't have to be the Jack of all trades. You can just be the master of a few things. And there you go. You don't need to worry about the rest. Let your teammates and your friends support you.

Ros: Really?

BBH: Yeah.

Ros: I just feel bad cause I- I feel like- I just feel like I'm not contributing enough. 

BBH: You know, I think we all feel that way on some level because yeah, I mean think about it. Like at one point Pili was doing all this potion grinding and. And just getting on and and grinding, grinding, grinding alchemy and spending hours and hours and hours. And during that time I could have easily been like, oh man, I'm not really contributing or helping to this equation, but I've got strengths in other areas and I'm contributing in there. I help with making armor and enchanting good gear and then Pili helps get more Netherite. Like we compliment each other's weaknesses. We don't have to be just amazing at everything and neither do you. You don't have to be good at things that your teammates are good at, and you can rely on them without feeling, you don't need to feel like you're dragging them down. You're not an anchor, Ross. You're- You're a buoy. You're helping your teammates float, and they're helping you float.

Ros: Thank you, Bad. That's- That's a really lovely way to think about it. I just- I feel like it's hard to get rid of that feeling though, you know, and I want it- I want it gone. I- if I- if I could be the strongest- if I could be the strongest out of everyone, obviously I don't have- I don't- I don't have the time for that. And even if I- I did get to that point, I don't think that would still be me. But I- I just, I don't know. I just- I just want to do something to change that.

BBH: Ros, being the strongest doesn't give any additional value unless it's something that you feel makes you valuable and it's something that you want, right? Being the strongest for the sake of being the strongest. Like if that isn't something that you want, it's just wasted energy. It's wasted effort.

Ros: That's- That's a really good point. Thank you. Thank you so much, Bad. I- you've given me a lot to think about.

BBH: You've got this.

Ros: Oh, thank you. Thank you. You've got this too.

BBH: Thank you. I will do everything I can to hurt Foolish. Yes, because that's what makes me happy, is his downfall.

Ros: Well. You know what? I'm happy that you know what makes you happy. And to be honest, I feel like you're a good leader, Bad. I feel like- I feel like you're a good- you're a good mentor. You're a good leader. I think you're very smart and I- I just hope that-

BBH: You’re too kind.  

Ros: Oh, no, no, but it's true. I mean, you've killed so many people by accident. I think that's pretty smart.

BBH: Oh, gosh, I'm a monster. But no, you're right. You're right. You're spot on. I have- I have- I, you know, I look behind me and I can almost still hear their screams.

Ros: Does that make you happy?

BBH: On one level, Yeah. I think it makes me laugh. I feel like we have two choices, Ros. We can either laugh at the things we've done or we can cry about them. And I'd like to spend more time laughing at them, so.

Ros: Laughing is good. That's- that's- that's a good choice. 

BBH: It's all about perspective.

Ros: I guess so, I guess so. Oh, thank you. I- I still feel like I haven't come to a solution, but I have things to think about and you know what? That's better than, that's better than nothing.

BBH: Oh, exactly. You just gotta keep thinking about it, like the journey to find yourself. It's not, you know, just going to the supermarket and getting some milk, Ros. Like it's a never ending journey. Once you think you found yourself and what makes you happy, you're gonna discover something new that you never would have thought, you know, would change that and it'll change the equation and then you'll, you know, continue your journey. And that's what life is, Ros. It's constantly updating yourself and yeah, evolving. You're constantly changing, Ros, like a butterfly. If you're not constantly growing. Ros, and changing, then you're being stagnant and stagnant water gets spoiled. So you wanna you wanna be like a river, not like a pond.

Ros: OK, I'm gonna try and be a river. I'm gonna do that.

BBH: You can do it.

Ros: Oh, thank you. Thank you. I'm gonna try. I'm gonna try my hardest.

BBH: I believe in you.

Ros: Oh, thank you. I believe in you too.

(...)

BBH: Go be a river, Ros!

Ros: Oh, I will. I'm- I'm- I'm a river right now!

BBH: Nice.

[ffwriting]

Aot Characters - Nicknames

What nicknames the Aot Characters would have for you!

Also, enjoy the new banners. I like using them more than I thought I would :)

cw: canon verse, slightly ooc, Implied female reader in half of Eren's and Jean's, but the rest are gn readers, no y/n, some cringey nicknames with good reason, Fluff <3!

wc: 1.7k

Characters: Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Jean Kirstein, Connie Springer, Levi Ackerman, Hange Zoe

Eren Yeager - Sweets, My girl

Eren is the type of person to see a couple while out as a kid and overhear them calling each other pet names, and one of them that he heard once was Sweets. He found it cringy at first, but after hearing it a couple more times, he came to like it. a lot. So naturally after finding a partner, or even once he realizes he has a crush on you, he just starts to call you it. He didn't even realize it at first, but when you gave a questioning look his way when he first said it, he explained why he did. Safe to say that even if you didn't like the nickname, you sure as heck like the story behind it and the man calling you it.

Another name Eren would give you would be my girl. He wouldn't say it in a possessive way though, he would just say it as if he was infatuated. If he was able to get you to be his partner, then maybe this life could be a little better, so he was just so happy that you two were actually dating. He would take every chance to remember it too, so he just started calling you his girl. Most of the time you wouldn't even be the one he would be talking you and he would still call you it. "Yeah, did you see how my girl did in training today? It was so cool."

(I just realized that I used the word 'would' 3x in one sentence, but I'm too tired to fix it now)

Mikasa Ackerman - Middle/last name

I do not think that Mikasa would be much for nicknames, it just doesn't seem like her. She would end up just trying to find something she could call you because she probably overthought about how you would want her to give you a cute nickname, and got a little insecure about it. However, she one day overheard someone talking about how they like to go by their middle name, and she got an idea. She decided that she would call you a shortened version of your middle name. But she decided to make some versions of your last name too because she overthought on how you might not like the ones she came up with for your middle name, so she decided she should just be safe. She has so many thoughts and she just can't seem to express them through words.

Armin Arlert - N/n, angel

Okay, Armin is definitely the type of person who is too embarrassed to call you any of the classic pet names, but he does often like to call you by a nickname he thought of one day. He figured that it was the safest option, it showed that he wanted to call you that stuff, but wasn't too much that he would cringe at himself.

Another thing he calls you is an angel. 100%. No doubt in my mind. Especially if you are kind. He would just be listening to you talk and when you would ask for advice on the situation that he was totally not listening to. He would reluctantly say something like, "I'm sorry you are like an angel, could you please repeat that?"

Technically he doesn't really call you it, he just compares you to one so often to the point where he just catches himself calling you angel in normal conversations. It would just become one of the many ways that he showed his affection for you.

Jean Kirstein - Doll, Woman

Doll is a name that Jean would only refer to you as when you two are alone. Whether you two were out training alone together after the rest went to lunch, or chatting when you both could in the Scouts, he would call you it. I don't think he means it in the current way the pet name is romanticized (currently most fics refer to the pet name as something associated with sexual acts, or mean/rude characters ex: Toji from jjk). I think he would mean it in more of a gentle way, like you are so precious to him like some people's dolls. Despite the faux tough guy act, deep down, sometimes deeper than he would like, he cherishes the people closest to him, friends, family, and you. He cherishes you all, and Doll is the easiest way he can tell you that without saying it.

Jean is the type to act entitled and call you 'woman' to seem like he is this big macho type of man. However, in his mind he just likes calling you it because you often become sassy with him. (Also it gives him a small ego boost that he is the only one who could call you that because to him you were his Woman)

Connie Springer - Your Name, joking pet names

Connie, oh Connie. This guy normally just calls you your name like a normal person. He likes your name, that is all he can really say about it.

HOWEVER, this man sometimes feels like being such an annoyance, lovingly of course. If he felt like it, he would randomly start calling you the cringiest pet names possible. Like I'm not talking sweetie or sugar, I'm talking shit like lovebug and cutie patootie. And he would have no shame in doing this either because he knows that you will break from embarrassment first.

Sometimes you would try to get him back by calling him things like sugarlips and baby boy, but it would fail most of the time because you would just end up cringing at yourself. This would often make you wonder what it would take to make the infamous Connie Springer cringe in embarrassment.

Levi Ackerman - Brat, Your Name + Bonus

The first nickname that I think Levi would call you would be brat, classic, I know. He would just call you this out of annoyance, or sometimes if you were doing something a little too reckless. It was just second nature for him to call you a brat, and even after you two got closer, he just kept calling you that. In all honesty though, sometimes he calls you that, and not in an endearing way. It would probably happen when you have a little too much energy for whatever reason, and he just called you that because you were be annoying to him at that point in time. Most of the time though it is meant in a nonserious manner.

Levi loves to call you by your name, he does not show it that much on his face, but he absolutely loves it. It is slightly weird to get called by your full first name by Levi, and the first time definitely startled you. However, you soon got used to it. Levi, on the other hand, somehow got happier every single time he called your name. He didn't know how just saying your name could make him feel that uncomfortable feeling of happiness, but it did. He would say it any chance he could, without making any feeling he had obvious. Soon he was addicted to it like it was a drug to him. He was not a big fan of it. He loved, and hated, how it made him feel.

Bonus (platonic nickname): Kid

Levi would call you kid even if you were just a month older than him. Why you may ask? Because he found it funny to annoy you, and that nickname definitely would. You had been in the Scouts longer than him, you were taller than him, and you had almost the same amount of respect from Erwin, so why was he calling you kid? It irked you so you ended up calling him kid as well.

When you first did this, you were met with a questioning look, and you defended yourself, "You call me a kid all the time, but I'm not the one that is built like one." This may or may not have earned you extra cleaning duties for the day, but the next time you did it he just gave you an annoyed look. Soon enough, you both tried to come up with simple names to call each other to try to piss the other off. Sometimes you could swear you could see a small smile on his face after you both went back and forth with nicknames.

If you ended up dying, he would never call anyone else kid though. He would be too scared of making the same connection of love, and having them die again, again.

Hange Zoe - My love, Darling

Hange 100% will call you 'my love.' Their reasoning? You are. They would even call you this before you two started getting close because Hange already knew they had a crush on you.

'My love' will be used to refer to you more than your actual name. Hange would even refer to you as that to the other Scouts. Like they would be reporting results to Erwin, and just casually say, "Yes, and my love even recommended the idea that….." This would leave Erwin very confused the first time around until after the meeting he asked an annoyed Levi who the 'my love,' Hange was referring to was. When he learned that it was you, it all just clicked for him, and he didn't even blink an eye when you were called by that name the next time he heard it. And he heard it a lot. Hange just loved calling you 'my love.'

Another thing that Hange loves to call you is Darling (Ex: that one scene where a titan almost bit them and they say, "You almost got me there, Darling"). Hear me out.

Hange would call you this anytime you got even slightly snippy, brash, or fed up with something. It would just come out of their mouth like second nature when seeing you upset. You would have said something a little harsher than you meant to, but you were getting really annoyed with someone in the Scouts, so you were put on edge. When you went to say something to apologize for being rude, Hange cut you off with, "You alright, Darling?" with a perfect mix of concern and playfulness in their voice. That line made you entirely forget about being annoyed and made everything in the shitty world feel even just a little bit better. You would just respond with a quick shake of your head, give them a hug, and feel a little happier for the rest of the day because how could you have a bad day with Hange in your life?

Okay random ramble from me-

Okay so I hop from fandom to fandom a lot, right

Recently, the past two years, I have noticed that in every single fandom there are patterns. Like characters will have the same personality trait, and if you are not careful you might confuse a fanfic for being for one character, but it really is for another character in an entirely different series.

You will have the classic main character personality that is either overly sexualized for their own good, or not taken seriously at all, or both. Ex: Izuku in mha, Ittadori in jjk, Tanjiro in demon slayer, Naruto in naruto

Then, you will have the stoic side characters who have more fanfiction than most other characters. Ex: Shoto Todoroki and Aizawa in mha, Choso and Megumi in jjk, Mikasa and Levi in aot

Also, there is the type of character that made me realize this trend, the 'dumb' side characters that are mostly used to make the watcher laugh. Ex: Connie in aot, Denki and Sero in mha, Nishinoya and Tanaka in Haikyuu, Zenitzu and Inoske in Demon Slayer, and maybe some others that I am missing.

Please tell me that I am not alone in noticing this. Like please tell me this is a normal experience and that I am just going through this realization embarrassingly late in my fanfiction life.

Also, I feel like I only noticed this when I was fandom hoping recently and it just clicked in my head that Smau writers tend to write Nishinoya and Denki similarly. Anyway, thanks for coming to my ted talk. Enjoy this small writing while I start to, hopefully, work on some angst works so I can lure in the other half of the aot fandom bc a lot of you love yourselves some good angst. Like the show wasn't angsty enough already

[stanzo75]

George asking you to the yule ball ends in a date<3 (i did not write in the yule ball because I'm lazy😞)

Fluff🫶

My requests are open!! I mainly write for ron weasley, george weasley, and neville longbottom:)

You are sitting with Harry and Hermione in the great hall after classes, talking about homework and relaying the events of their days, Seamus blowing up another potion in snape's class, george and fred planting fireworks in proffesor flitwick's office, and just about a dozen girls being asked to the yule ball. You hadn't been asked yet, it kind of disappointed you but you tried not to take it personally. Neither ron or Harry had a date either, you could probably just hang around them during the ball. Obviously you could've asked either of them, but who you really wanted was george weasley, and it would've been too weird to ask his younger brother, or his younger brother's best friend who was basically part of their family by now, despite both of them being your age.

Suddenly Harry casts a weird glance past your shoulder, looking confused and intrigued. Hermione turns to look as well, a small smirk forming on her face. Curiosity gets the best of you, and you turn as well only to see the one and only george weasley being pushed to your table by ron and fred. George was protesting and desperately trying to escape their grasp, but they kept pushing him forward as they giggled. He looked panicked and flustered, and you groan as you assume they're pushing him to ask someone, probably Hermione or some other girl sitting near you. It was too much to bear to watch, so you turn back to face the table and sulk, your head propped up, resting on your palm.

"Y/n!" You hear Fred's voice call.

You look up and back at them, finding the three of them standing behind you, george looking panicked, his face flushed as he chews on his bottom lip.

"Georgie here has something to ask you" fred says in a mischievous voice, casting a smug glance at george, who shoots a glare back.

Ron is giving a small thumbs up to Harry and Hermione, replicating Fred's smirk.

You look from ron to fred before settling your gaze on george. He's starting to sweat slightly, his hands tugging at his sleeves.

He takes a deep breath before choking out the question you had been dreaming of being asked.

"Will you go to the ball with me?" He staggers out, looking hopeful.

You hesitate for a moment, and you can see his face fall as you don't respond right away.

"I told you it was a bad idea" he grumbles to fred, starting to loosen from their grip to walk away, he looked as if he had just been slapped.

"Wait! George wait" you quickly spurt out.

He meets your gaze again, you can see tears pricking at his eyes as he desperately tries to blink them away.

"I'd love to go with you" you say in a soft voice.

He looks doubtful for a moment, searching your face for any sign of uncertainty. But your face is genuine, and his doubtful look melts into a relieved smile.

"You mean it?" He asks quietly.

You're now smiling like an idiot, finally having processed the situation.

"I mean it" you reply, excitement evident in your voice.

Fred has a smug and proud look on his face, his arms crossed as he whispers

"I told you so" to george.

Harry, ron, and Hermione chime in with their congratulations, all looking happy for the two of you.

"And if it's not too much to ask, astronomy tower tonight?" George asks sheepishly.

You nod, your face flushing.

You hadnt gone to the astronomy tower with him in a while. at first it was a group activity, the golden trio had been introduced to the secluded spot by the twins, who typically joined them after sneaking up there became a regular activity every night. Slowly the golden trio and fred stopped attending, leaving only you and George. This is where your bond with George had grown stronger. Lately the habit had stopped due to fred and George working on who knows what.

George nods back, trying to bite back his excitement, but the huge smile on his face giving it away.

"Alright that's enough lover boy, we have to get back to our project" fred says as he starts to drag George away.

You watch as they leave, George glancing back at you every few seconds before disappearing into the hall.

Ron takes his seat next to you.

"Bloody hell you have no idea how long I've been waiting for that, he's been bothering me for WEEKS" ron says, "always asking me these stupid questions, 'do you think she likes me?' 'What are her favorite flowers?' 'Has anyone asked her yet?'"

Your heart skips a beat at Ron's words, it was endearing, a warm feeling searing through your body, making you feel weak.

Ron continues blabbering on about george for the next 30 minutes, he's never been good at holding onto a secret and you're surprised he didn't let anything slip before george asked you.

You eventually get up to go get ready to see George, leaving the three of them behind.

You rush up to your dorm, taking a quick shower and using a few charms to dry and perfect your hair. Your hair is pulled into a half up half down style, with a bow placed neatly at the hairtye. You look stunning in your outfit of choice, and your perfume sprayed across your chest smells heavenly.

You silently slip out of your dorm and out of the common room into the hallway. The moonlight shining through the windows lights up your way to the astronomy tower. When you arrive in the astronomy tower, climbing through the hatch, you're met with the sight of candles and George standing there waiting for you. He looks nervous, he's holding a bouquet of your favorite flowers. He offers his hand to help you to your feet before handing you the flowers, smiling shyly. Your heart skips a beat, the flowers are beautiful, but George looks stunning. His hair finally brushed out, he smells amazing, his cheeks tinted a light pink, and his smile radiating joy. He offers his hand again to lead you to a blanket set up on the floor with soft pillows and more blankets. The both of you sit down, getting comfortable. He hands you a small gift bag. You take it, inspecting it carefully. As you take out the wrapping paper, you find a box of your favorite chocolates, a small box, and a folded paper. You reach for the box first, opening it carefully to see a beautiful necklace, with a gemstone of your favorite color cut into the shape of a heart. George smiles at you before speaking, "open the note"

You take out the note, opening it slowly and reading

"I saw this necklace in hogsmeade a few weeks ago and it reminded me of you, maybe you could wear it to the ball :)"

You feel your face heat up, this is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for you.

You place the items back in the bag and set it aside, going in to hug him tightly.

"Thank you george, it's beautiful, all of this is beautiful" you whisper as he embraces you back.

As you pull away he looks overjoyed, his eyes sparkling in the starlight.

"I'm glad you like it, I had a feeling you would" he replies in a gentle voice.

As the night goes on, the two of you talk, joke around, and watch the stars.

By the end of your time together, he walks you back to your dorm, your hand intertwined with his.

As you stop at your door, he turns to face you.

He watches your face for a second, his gaze tracing your features and lingering on your lips.

He looks up into your eyes, silently asking for permission.

His face lights up as you nod, he leans in slowly, his gaze never leaving your face before pressing his lips to yours. You close your eyes just as he does, kissing back gently. Your lips interlocked in a sweet, slow kiss. As he pulls away, he looks completely starstruck.

"I'll see you tomorrow, sleep well" he whispers, waiting for you to open your door and go in before leaving.

Before you close the door you whisper back,

"You too, thank you for tonight George, the ball will be amazing"

[marzipanandminutiae]

I really loved nosferatu because in the interpretation i have of it is that it deals heavily with the way survivors can sometimes end up eroticizing their abuse and seeking out that treatment throughout their lives, and the final scene is the culmination of so many things going wrong and in the narrative, being the easiest way out. But trying to interpret it as a dark romance about forbidden love and repressed desire, itd be kinda mid and requires so many like "trust me bros" to work

Also like if ellen 100% was down to submit to orlock why would she kill him? If her goal was to realize a destiny and eternity with a monstrous lover, why would she trick him into being destroyed by the sun? Like i can understand the idea that she may have loved orlock and wanted to give this man suffering as a monstrous undead some form of peace but most of the romance fans dont really reckon with the final scene beyond the submission and the beauty of the final shot

So, I think we disagree on a few points here:

I don't see any of it as erotic for Ellen after that initial encounter when she's younger turns nightmarish. I didn't see any evidence that she was into it in a way that counts- physical arousal is involuntary, so that means nothing on its own. I saw that element as dealing with the shame victims of sexual assault can feel if they became aroused or orgasmed during the act. The "I abhor you" scene read to me as her confronting and taunting Orlock- getting as close as a kiss and then revealing that no, he doesn't have her under his control and he never will, because he can't force her to want him. But I guess YMMV as with everything here.

The killing part is one of a very small number of places where I get the Dark Romance interpretation, actually. If she's resigned herself that they can Never Be Together In This Horrible Repressive World(TM), she might decide that murder-suicide is the best option- they get to die together, and they can both finally be free. It would be an interesting twist, too, where she goes from being the submitting and succumbing ingenue to revealing a bit of her own active darkness- because uh Orlock was clearly not expecting it to go like that. I could totally see it...

...if the entire rest of the movie hadn't utterly failed to demonstrate any romance between them, in my opinion.

(Also like I haven't said this before but it would be easier for me to see it as a romance if Orlock...had a personality? Was a fleshed-out character? Seemed like he wanted Ellen specifically, for herself and not just because she was a Thing To Want and he was a Thing That Wanted?)

(I don't know anything about Orlock besides Vampire and Wants To Fuck/Kill Ellen, and he doesn't even really seem to want her for any reason besides "she's there!" Give me SOMETHING to work with!)

I'm also not really down for criticizing people who DO interpret it that way, which you're dancing on the edge of at the end there. It's not that I'm pooh-poohing them; they're free to do what they want with it and if Eggers' apparent intended message landed for them, great! Different interpretations are fine with me as long as you're not an ass about them and you allow that other people may see it differently (which I fully do, as you can see)!

It's the filmmakers where I'm a bit baffled and "unblock me I just want to talk."

[elephantshoetoo]

Hey there! Loved the recent YT video of yours. Um, Let's dive straight to the question.

First, I am a massive Byler believer. (all for the right reasons, I believe) But recently I keep seeing posts on "why Byler isn't happening" and the reason people usually drop is "the story is set on 80s, it was a difficult time to be gay"--- And I'm like, 1. well, it's mainly a fictional show. there isn't upside down or at least we have yet to find that to be true . so writers can do what they like. 2. just because 80s was a difficult time to express openly to others that they were gay doesn't mean people didn't fall in love and decided to love and live with each other for the rest of their lives. 3. am I really watching the same show with the rest of the world? am i overanalyzing it? or am I really gonna be kicked on the stomach when Season 5 releases (which I hope releases soon, every day of wait is killing me) What's your take on this? Hopefully you'd answer. I rarely open Tumbler but I will come back for your answer. Lots of Love, A Fellow ST Fan

Ooh, thank you for your question - this is my first real ask. I'm so excited 😊

Take heart, dear Byler shipper. This is a show for the underdogs, a show about fighting against forced conformity and righting the wrongs of the past.

I grew up in the 80's, and yes, gay people existed, though many of them were closeted out of fear or denial. I had gay friends and dated several gay guys, so I do understand why people might think it would be unrealistic for Byler to happen, but yeah, it's a sci-fi show, not a documentary. It's not about realism or showing how it was. It's about showing how it should be (in the end), so I don't think the time period is going to stop them.

In fact, I think the time period is significant. I think the monsters and the Upside Down are all symbolic of the horrors of growing up as a gay person in a place and time that was hostile towards them.

But also...

The first Pride celebration in Indiana happened in Indianapolis in 1987.

1987.

Why does that date sound familiar...? Oh, yes. That's when most of ST 5 takes place - the year of their first Pride celebration. Hmm... Coincidence?

And Byler can happen without them coming out to the whole town. They could keep it amongst their friends and family, the way Robin has only told Steve so far. Nobody doubts Rovickie happening, even though they are also gay in the 80's (making those arguments against Byler completely invalid). Vickie has far less queer coding than Mike Wheeler and is also in a straight relationship, but everyone sees it coming after only a few flirty scenes, because nobody knows or cares about Vickie's boyfriend or had any preconceived ideas about her character that they now have to adjust. People don't like adjusting their preconceived ideas. It makes them uncomfortable. It makes them question the safety of their familiar little world and forces them to expand their minds. Growth is never easy.

But... if they don't already see the queer coding behind Mike and all the hints that Byler is on the horizon... adjusting their preconceived ideas would actually explain Mike's whole character arc, the "journey" he's been on and the weird behavior that makes no sense through any other lens. That airport "hug"? Pretending to ignore Will all day while furtively glancing at him and noticing every little thing he does? Classic crush behaviour. It's so obvious unless you're straight-up in denial. They've used so many of the traditional romantic tropes (love triangle, boy-next-door, "just friends" to lovers, Cyrano De Bergerac, etc...), yet people refuse to see it because Byler isn't a traditional couple.

So, yeah... It's a story. It can do whatever it wants. If it's a good story - which I believe it is - it will pick up all these breadcrumbs it's laid down and follow them to a satisfying conclusion. Otherwise, what would have been the point? Why have Will believe he's never going to fall in love? Why have him fall in love with Mike specifically, and leave a whole bunch of hints that Mike returns his feelings, making the audience root for them, if that's not where they're planning to take this? It would make no sense at all and be sloppy storytelling, imo.

Thank you so much for your question, and for watching our YouTube video! I hope this cures you of any Byler doubt.

Love,

Byler Mom

💙💛💚

[darkbluekies]

Hello!! Can I ask some tips how to writee??? I love your writing <3

Oh you shouldn't have asked this because i will write an essay.

This is more for books rather than oneshots, but i feel like you can use this for oneshots too!

I'm not going to be one of those that say "you should read tons of books and plan every scene of your story on post it notes and put them on your wall" because that doesn't work for everyone. Not for me, anyway.

For me, what works is to have a "feeling" before I start. I get a feeling before I get the idea. I often get these feelings from watching movies or such, just the motivation/inspiration feeling. I don't know everything before starting to write. I have an idea of what I want the story to be about, and the rest will fall into place once I start to write.

Your first draft can be shit, it's okay. I have started a thing called Draft 0, that is supposed to just create a template that I can expand in the real draft, just so that I have something to follow. That makes it much, much easier to write a longer story. This draft 0 is 20 000 words for me. Not more, not less. You can choose how many words you'd like, but 20 000 is good for me, especially when i want my real drafts to be around 80 000. Chapter 0 should just have the important parts that get the story moving. Not any filler scenes or such. Just the functionality of the story. The rest, you'll figure out in the later drafts.

As for the actual text and paragraphs, I usually use synonyms websites to get a variety of words, because it isn't really flowy to use the same word over and over again. Switching up the length of the sentences really do work wonders too, alternating between longer and shorter ones. I am also a fan of show don't tell, because it lets the reader understand what the character is feeling rather than telling them directly what a character is feeling.

CHARACTERS

This is the more aestethic part, i guess? the vibes and the feels.

Characters are my favorite thing to create. I often don't plan them when I write, they tell me who they are throughout the story. I only put a few characteristics for them. If we take one of my characters from my favorite book I have, he was just labeled as a "cold boy that only shows his true side with his best friend" in draft 1. Now, in draft 4, he is more "stoic boy that doesn't want anyone to pity him, but feels secure enough with his best friend to show his vulnerable side and doesn't get mad at his best friend when he wants to help him, because he knows that he means well." So you don't have to know your characters from the start. That will solve itself once you write and get to know them.

I know that a few writers jump back and forth in the story when they're writing, leaving scenes blank with the thought that they'll come back and write them later. Personally, I find that harder. Because if you have written something that affects the character later on in the story and then suddenly jump back to a point before that happened, it feels hard to write that now that you have newfound knowledge about the character.

Don't be scared to give your character bad sides and flaws. It makes them more human and believable. I have multiple characters that do things I don't agree with, while still doing good things. It makes them more rounded, in my opinions.

I also love making these for my characters to see how they are, to see their sides come together? if that makes sense? It gives me a feel of what kind of people they are.

PINTEREST

Pinterest is my best friend, I am not joking. I make pinterest board for every single story I make, just so that I can get a feel of the story, how it'd look like, how it'd feel like. I'll show you some of my stories here. I know that there are a lot, i just wanted to show that you can make your storys vibe different, even if you have a lot. Some of these remind me of each other (I call them sibling books) but they are still their own because of the vibes ive given them!

same with spotify. I make playlist with songs that I listen to while writing these stories. That help with getting into that vibe when writing, which is good to keep the same vibes throughout the story! I also give every book a theme song that fits with the book, i don't know why haha it's just fun for me

the most important thing to remember is, how corny it may sound, is to have fun while writing! if it isn't fun, leave that idea and come back to it once you find motivation for it!

[rarepairdumpster]

Serial Killer AU Part 1

Pairing: Viktor/Silco (Arcane) Rating: M C/W: Talking about Murder, Impotency, Blood, Language, It's a *serial killer AU*, dead dove do not eat lmao

Serial Killer AU, where Silco moves into the house next door to Viktor's family, and Viktor feels a strange pull towards this handsome, enigmatic, charming man.

He has no idea the man is a serial killer, or that he has set his sights on him.

Silco kills slender, weak boys that remind him of himself

And Silco has no idea that Viktor is going to be his undoing, that he won't be scared when Silco pins him down or brings the knife to his skin.

Viktor crushed against the floor, staring up at Silco with some mixture of morbid fascination and desire, and whispering "Do it" when the sharp steel stings against his belly.

Silco brings the knife against Viktor's neck, hoping it will incite more fear. All it does is make Viktor's face flush and his breath hitch beneath the blade.

Viktor's apple bobs with his breath and the knife stings and blood stains the edge crimson.

Silco feels the sudden hard heat of the boy against his thigh.

Silco narrows his eyes and leans close to Viktor. "Are you enjoying this, boy?" he hisses.

Viktor's honey eyes are almost completely eclipsed with black now as he meets Silco's stare.

"Yes."

He doesn't lie. Doesn't see the point. 

The evidence speaks for itself.

Silco isn't sure why he's hesitating, or why he's even considering entertaining the boy. He isn't even Silco's type, but the way Viktor is looking at him makes the back of his neck hot and he can't ignore it.

Silco runs the fingers of his free hand over Viktor's face, brushing his hair away.

"There's something wrong with you, boy," Silco murmurs, bemused. Because the boy should be terrified. He should be crying, begging, pleading; trying to fight him off.

"Always known there was," Viktor breathes, then smirks. "There's something wrong with you, too"

Silco withdraws, gets to his feet. Pours himself a fucking whisky. This isn't what he planned for.

He'd anticipated the screams, the futile thrashing, and the heat between his own legs. 

Now, he was flaccid and unsatisfied, the thrill of the chase robbed from him.

Viktor props himself up with his elbows, staring at Silco. "You could pour me one," he sighs. "Common courtesy since you couldn't go through with it."

Silco whips around and hisses "I haven't completely decided not to kill you."

"If you were going to, you would have. I didn't give you what you need, so you can't....perform."

Silco takes a drink, then strolls over to the cupboard and pulls down his coffee mug. He pours about a finger of whiskey in it, then pushes it to the edge of the counter, in Viktor's direction. 

"There, then," Silco huffs. He drinks the rest of his glass as Viktor gets up and pours himself another. "What do you want, anyway? To keep quiet, that is."

Viktor is quiet for a moment as he looks into the mug. "Let me watch you."

Silco isn't sure he heard the boy right. "I'm sorry?"

"Let me watch you," Viktor repeated. "Kill someone, that is."

"Well, no, for a variety of reasons," Silco replied, counting the fact that killing turns him on as at least 3 reasons. "And why would you want to?"

"Honestly?" Viktor smirks and takes a drink of whisky. "You're very sexy when you are about to kill."

Silco feels that rush of heat at the back of his neck again.

He stands motionless as Viktor sets the mug down and limps closer to him. Clink, Clink, Clink, the sound of his cane is rhythmic, distracting.

"I could pick someone," Viktor says quietly, that little hitch back in his breath. "I know what to do." 

"And what's that," Silco asks wryly, amused.

"Make them want to fuck me," Viktor whispers. "Like you did, with me."

Silco reaches out and grabs his wrist before he comes any closer. "And what makes you think I don't like doing that."

"You were already getting frustrated by the time you talked to me," Viktor assessed. "I was only the third man you'd talked to."

"You were watching me?"

Viktor shrugged. "As I said, I like to watch."

Silco isn't sure why, but the response makes something twist in his belly, like a knife...but also not.

"One condition," Silco says, releasing Viktor's wrist to raise his finger. "You'll assist in the clean up."

"Of course." Viktor reaches out and runs his fingers over Silco's rather ornate belt buckle. The corner of his mouth lifts when Silco's belly tries to twitch away. In that moment, Viktor feels.....powerful. "I'd expect nothing less."

Silco reaches out almost reflexively and grabs Viktor's throat, gripping a little tighter than necessary. He turns and pushes Viktor against the fridge, a gasp and moan coming from him. "You want something else, don't you, boy?"

Viktor licks his lips.

"You know what I want." Viktor looks up at him through his lashes, like someone might if Silco had them pinned to his bed. "You made me want it to get me in here, after all."

"If you recall," Silco growls, so close to Viktor's face, their noses brush, "We skipped one important step for that to happen tonight."

"I never said it had to be tonight." Viktor closes his eyes, relishing the sensation of warm breath gusting over his his lips, his jaw. "And I told you to do it. Its not my fault you couldn't perform on command."

Silco tightens his grip again for a moment before pushing himself away from Viktor and walking a couple steps. "Go. Bring me someone tomorrow." He runs a hand through his hair and tugs slightly before turning back to Viktor. "Someone like you. Thin. Tall."

"Weak." Viktor's eyes spark with something that might be rage. And then its gone, a soft smile blossoming on his pretty face instead. "I know."

"Yes," Silco affirmed, taking one more look at Viktor. Gods, he would have been perfect. "Now, please. Go."

Silco can't sleep that night. All he sees is Viktor when he closes his eyes. Viktor, not even trying to avoid the harsh slap that knocked him to the floor. Viktor, staring up at him with those bewitching, hungry eyes. Viktor, reaching out to touch him with an infuriating confidence.

Silco ends up having to get his knife and dig the point into his own flesh just to feel some kind of release from his frustration.

Viktor, meanwhile, sleeps easily, but has the horniest fucked up dream of Silco stabbing him and fucking him while he bleeds out.

Silco wondering if the irritability will make the kill that much sweeter. Also if Viktor doesn't show up, he will actually kill him. No hesitation. Maybe with a bag on his head. 

Part 2

Arch + Woods

[bomberqueen17]

how it's going

I am delighted so far by the responses to the post about signing up to beta/cheer-read the solarpunk tallship bisexuals novel I've decided to really give a go this year-- if you missed it, this is the post-- I have gone through and added everyone who signed up so far and it's a lovely mix of names I know and names I don't, not so many people it'd be hard to keep track and not so few that I'm worried about burning somebody out or totally winding up relying on one poor reader to keep my sanity going. I am also always pumped to get a lurker to de-lurk and say hi, not that there's anything wrong with lurking, I've got a few spaces where I lurk because that's what I need from that space. But it's always nice to be able to like, relate to somebody, y'know?

Not that you can really talk a lot in a google doc. I admit a lot of what's kept me going on Witcher has been having various little Discord threads where I can paste in whatever line I'm smug about, or that I'm stuck on for workshopping, and having a conversation about it, and not having that (I have a thread going in a Witcher discord but since it's off-topic it's kind of... well, low-traffic). I don't know if it's feasible to make a new Discord so I probably won't. But.

Anyway I will at some point turn that form off, but it seems to have worked pretty well so far as a method for adding people specifically to the doc, and I will leave it open and keep checking it for a little longer if any of y'all reading this were on the fence about signing up. I just can't rattle around alone in that doc and still keep my momentum. I'm only up to chapter three or so and the main plot hasn't even started but there's thusfar been at least one really confusing action sequence and I've realized that I've got a serious case of zero visual information being conveyed, so that's been helpful. Even with only a couple of readers-- ha, even the last couple of hours before I started adding people to the doc it had already done a lot of its job because I started proofreading with an audience in mind, which in my case tends to improve readability, which is what I want.

Listen, there's a noble purpose in telling stories for their own sake to yourself, but the idea of telling a story so that others can understand it is important to and I value it highly. So. That's what this is about.

So I've got a few people poking around in there with me and I feel much better about life and have some hopes I might make it over the hump into a real plot now, LOL.

But I think I'm gonna snippet post, which I haven't much with this work yet! (Have I? I forget. I started it in the fugue state of pre-holiday fuckery last year so who knows.)

bah i can't find a good snippet. well, here's a recently-composed one anyway.

As they approached the ship, Tom said, “You’ll tell the others, yeah? Simmons didn’t know. It ain’t his fault.” “I don’t know as it’ll help,” Keller said. “They’re mighty displeased about how you been treated. It reflects on them, y’know?” “It’s not so bad,” Tom said. “I’d rather be here than escorting the Barka convoy back to Subia in Jeanette all by my lonesome knowing damn well Righteous is waiting there for me with a bone in her teeth. No thank you, I’d rather not be set up on a suicide run like that. And you know if I got killed in a fourteen-gun sloop facing down a bloody-minded forty-gun privateer they’d tut-tut and say a proper Subian gentleman could’ve won.” “Oh sir,” Keller said. “You know they’d say that,” Tom said. “You know they would. No thank you, I will take my lumps and stick with Haines and I’ll thank you not to force me to defend poor Simmons the entire time. It weren’t none of his doing, Henry Keller, but that don’t mean I want to have to argue with the rest of you lot about him every blessed day of this commission.” “He’s also an ignorant sod,” Keller pointed out. “It don’t signify,” Tom said. “You know me and Yardley won’t let no harm come to the ship.” “Oh, Yardley,” Keller said. “I forgot he’s aboard. He’s been scarce.” Tom rolled his eyes. “He’s taking it well, too,” he said. He rummaged through the few parcels he’d brought back, and pulled out a bag and handed it over to Keller. “Share that out with your mess-mates,” he said. “And tell them-- it ain’t his fault, at all.” Keller took the bag with pleasure-- it was candy, Tom knew they’d have liked liquor better but he didn’t dare risk them being found with it and punished, with Simmons and not him in charge, so candy was safer. Keller looked back up at Tom, weatherbeaten face crinkled with a grin, and said, with a wry, grudging concession, “I’ll tell them.”

[danwhobrowses]

Okay I've had a sleep, I've seen a lot of what the fandom has to say and I'm gonna just talk about my thoughts on the episode 118 stuff in more detail too.

Spoilers under the cut and it's a little bit (5 paras and a tl/dr at the bottom) long

I have never liked the Release Predathos option, but it had been very apparent - since probably as far back as the vorbing - that Matt had been pushing the narrative towards that option whether Bells Hells wanted it or not. The lack of alternatives provided meant that yes, the Hells had little choice but to deal with Predathos themselves; Ludinus was likely not dead, they were low on strength and resources even after a short rest to fight another full-strength Ludinus, and even if they caved in the core and killed Ludinus again someone else would've tried to come and release Predathos. On that I can't really fault the cast for playing ball with the DM and I can't say what the characters are doing is out of character or with bad intentions, it simply annoys me how close we were to entertaining the idea that should've been discussed earlier of putting Predathos somewhere nobody can get to. Objectively it was still a terrible idea, one that even in delivery could've been better prepared with Imogen not in range of the two saving throw buffs or having any Inspiration as she took on Predathos knowing from previous experience that a wisdom save is likely to be involved. But again, the alternatives offered up to them are sparse, nothing else in the narrative had offered a clear solution and if something did suddenly come up it would've felt too much like a deus ex machina. The Hells are not doing this because they want to do Ludinus' plan, but doing so is by proxy doing Ludinus' plan, and thus the problem as of current lies in the Plot.

Right now, they're at a very high risk of the plot not justifying a story, because why did we have this campaign if the outcome is gonna be the same? If the plan is to reset Exandria why didn't we have C3 in the post-reset era and trickle in what happened as lore? Bells Hells have often lacked agency when it came to the Predathos portions of the campaign, but even when they took agency to try and be more than what they were made to be they found themselves punished or being withheld the catharsis they needed to grow. Regardless, the plot is currently failing the characters, and thus the characters are failing the audience - to the point where some in the fandom now want them all to die or for Braius to betray them all - because we the audience don't see the appeal of the direction.

There is a caveat though: it's not yet over. We expect that there will be a fight between the Hells and Predathos!Imogen (we need a name for that) and possibly Ludinus swooping in with the harness to try and steal a victory, but that does mean that the theatre of imagination can come into play in dealing with Predathos itself. There is of course uncertainty whether Predathos can die, since Vecna at 0hp would've just discorporated them for a bit, but there are a lot more options for the Hells to entertain now than there was at 118, including having to kill the vessel - be it Imogen or transferring it to another like Ludinus or Liliana, being able to expel Predathos from Imogen and entrapping/banishing/killing it with the knowledge that yeah that was a terrible idea, or somehow having Imogen suppress it and remain control over herself (and hope that the same rule doesn't apply to her as it does with Delilah being free when Laudna dies), which all can involve exciting twists and turns and creative solutions befitting of a conclusion. In that hope is the opening for a more exciting and satisfying end, and while the plot has had rightful criticisms a good ending can make up for them just as much as a bad ending can ruin a good plot.

So in short; I don't like that Imogen did that, but I know why she did it. And why she did it is more the plot's fault because we never saw it as a good idea, just the only decision that was pushed to be made. There's hope though, and all is not lost, but the plot as well as the characters are gonna have to earn it.

[tinotika-arts]

A thought for later: If you could dual class in gw2, what would you dual-class? For either RP, lore, shenangians or just ot make the most broken build ever? Maybe taking on the utilities of the second class? It's a nightmare in game design that I don't want to iron out now but shhhhh lets just assume you can dual-class specializations too okay

I would dual class Alex as an Weaver- Warrior, he's proficient in martial forms too.. Perzen would be an Tempest-Chrono mix, just for the additional support.

Faren alt would be a Virtuoso-Thief mix... Just because :D

Ford the doctor would be a Firebrand-Tempest mix probably? Both for his own lore and the extra shouts from Tempest would be great in-game too, I wager.

Bonus: Name the dual-class with a custom name cause why not

[ourceliumnetwork]

it is not slacking off to write or create it is not slacking off to do things that are fun i am not slacking off or procrastinating right now i'm allowed to do things i enjoy doing for fun including playing games and writing and such

[bird-likes-to-fandom]

I'm still so upset about bray.

[weaselle]

i had to make a solution for this for myself, mostly because of depression, but it makes a nice How To for folks who are low on spoons or could use some help in the kitchen.

Fortunately i was a professional cook for over a decade. UNfortunately the first post i made explaining it was suuuuper long. Let's see if i can do better

So you select any protein that you can cook in a frying pan -- chicken breasts, ground beef, pork chops, sausages, steak, chicken thighs, whatever. You also select one or two types of veggie (mushrooms or tubers also work, i just did this with potatoes and carrots for dinner tonight).

[i like cooking for vegetarians, but this is how i cook for myself when i'm low on spoons - perhaps i'll do another post for meatless meals]

You'll also need some kind of oil, and a sauce or two of your choice in a bottle. All cooking gear is a large frying pan with lid (i prefer non-stick) a spatula, a cutting board, and a knife.

You cut the veggies into bite size pieces, cut up enough for two meals. One kind of veggie is fine, or you can do mix two or three

Put frying pan on medium heat with a little oil. Tubers or mushrooms or go in the pan a few minutes before the protein. 2 portions of the protein goes in the pan, about 5 minutes with lid (don't worry you can still get a good sear on both sides)

Now flip your protein if it's flip-able and add normal veggies, put the lid back on another five-ish minutes.

Take your protein out and put it with one portion of the veggies in a microwave safe container. That's going to be your lunch tomorrow. Put the other portion of protein on a plate to rest (you have to let a cooked protein sit a couple minutes before you serve it or when you cut into it all the juices run out and it goes dry - the liquids thicken as it cools, preventing this drying out if you let it rest, the goal is to serve it very warm but not hot hot)

While it's resting, pour some sauce from your bottle in the pan with the rest of the veggies and turn up the heat. A single sauce/bottle is fine, i like to get fancy and mix a couple. Two examples of personal favorite mixes are 1: bbq sauce and a hot sauce like sriracha 2: roughly equal parts low sodium soy sauce and worcestershire (makes something similar to a teriyaki sauce) A swallow of wine is almost always a great option if you want to add that to your sauce too, just add it to the pan before the other sauces so the alcohol has time to burn off.

...

Here is the important bit. While your veggies are finishing, wash your cutting board and chef knife. Then when you dump your veggies and sauce over your protein on the plate, while it is still too hot to eat, you wash your frying pan and spatula before you eat. Now the only dishes you have left to do are your plate and fork. Maybe a steak knife.

...

The whole thing takes about 35 minutes even with washing the dishes, and that includes your lunch for the next day- just pour a different sauce on and stick it in the microwave for a couple minutes (or five minutes back in the frying pan) and you have a full healthy lunch with a different flavor

You can use this technique every single meal and it yields hundreds of combinations, from pork and potatoes bbq, to salmon and broccoli teriyaki, to chicken and zucchini in a soy glaze.

It will keep you down to less than an hour of kitchen time per day total for both lunch and dinner including all dish clean up, uses the least dishes, the least effort, requires the least technique, and is, depending on what you pick out, very affordable

here are a couple more examples from this month; i didn’t take pictures of the salmon i did recently, but you get the idea

it's not super fancy, but it is easy, affordable, quick, and any flavors you want. Hope this helps some folks

Happy Cooking!

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Sorry to everyone who's ever spoken to me on RA because I was just looking at an email for work and a DM for RA and realized I'm using the same professional tone for both.

[fict1onallyobsessed]

OKAY OKAY COULD YOU PLEASE WRITE SMTH ABOUT SEVIKA PROTECING READER BECAUSE OF SOMETHING LIKE HERE ON THIS PIC SHE PROTECTS JINX AND ISHA??

im sorry if i wrote something wrong but english is not my first language😭🙏

OF COURSE !!!!!!! I have an idea for this...

I got a little carried away and gave you more LOL sorry

Sevika x Fem!Reader

She grabbed you before you could process the fan being turned on. Thankfully, you weren't too far from the table that protected you both, otherwise you would have been swept with the air flow violently.

Your side hurt. The shot Caitlyn took must have not only pierced your skin but the force broke your rib too. Whatever the gun was made of was strong enough to go through the stone pillar behind you partially as well.

Safe to say it hurt as fuck.

You clutched your side and winced as Sevika crouched with you in front of her, the stone table keeping you sat up, but barely. Sevika's new metal arm grabbed onto the table and kept her put, the other going to hold your side with you.

You weren't sure whether your adrenaline was keeping you lucid or if the shot wasn't truly that bad. Regardless, you didn't want to hang around much longer.

You looked up at your girlfriend, head slightly bouncing off the stone behind you as you rested it. She looked worried, and although nothing but pain was filling your sense, you found the energy to sigh and show her a small smile.

Her hair was flying around with the wind, her face showing slight worry and mostly focus as she tried to keep you both behind the table.

"You'll be fine." She mouthed, and you couldn't do much more but nod. You trusted her. You believed her...but the blood slowly seeping through the cracks of your fingers, and onto her hand covering yours, it was looking more like you were not going to be fine.

The wind seemed everlasting and the longer you sat there, waiting for it to stop, the dizzier you became.

You wanted to see Sevika's face for as long as you could. Taking in her scowl of concentration, the barely noticeable glint of nervousness in her eye when she met yours, the shiny scar across her cheek.

You thought she was leaning down to get out of the wind more, but instead she leaned down to your ear and spoke through the loud fan.

"Don't look at me like that." She spoke it as a command as her hand squeezed your bleeding side.

"Like what?" You scoffed quietly, immediately feeling the burn in your rib.

"Like you're about to say goodbye. You're fine."

You hummed and looked back up at her when she pulled away, leaving no room for discussion.

She was so gorgeous, holding you, protecting you, as if you were about to disappear any minute.

Your head spun so much you didn't even notice the fan turn off. Sevika lifted you off the ground and instructed Jinx, who was also carrying a girl, where to go. It all came out as muffled to you though, as the blood loss slowly stared winning, and you passed out.

When you woke up, the first thing you saw was two heads looking down at you. Jinx's braids tickled your nose, while the other girls hair wasn't even long enough to reach her eyebrows. You groaned, immediately going in to hold your side as a reflex to find it bandaged.

"I told you to let her rest." Sevika's voice rung out in a disappointed tone as she walked in with a bunch of fresh bandages in her hand. Presumably for you.

You were in Silco's office, laid down on his sofa. The table was covered with medical supplies, alcohol bottles and jinx's crafts, but your eyes ended up laying upon Sevika. Her worried expression had you worried.

"How are you feeling?" Sevika asked, looking down at you as she put the obnoxious amount of wraps on the table.

"Trust you to get shot." Jinx scoffed playfully as she stared down at you, knowing damn well that bullet was meant for her. "Took it like a champ though!"

You chuckled back and attempted to sit up, but Sevika was faster and pushed you back down, shaking her head.

"I'm fine." You spoke, but Sevika wouldn't relent. She kept you laying down as she changed your bandages carefully. Your eyes fell from Sevika onto the little girl who was still staring down at you. "Who would have thought Jinx took in a stray. What's your name?"

"Her name is Isha. She's sticking around." Jinx replied matter-of-factly, a small smirk on her face as she said it. It made you giggle a bit.

"Alright, out." Sevika stood up from crouching beside you as she finished your bandages. Jinx took Isha and left, excited to show her some of her trinkets to get her mind off of...recent events. "She needs to rest."

"I'm alright." You spoke, reaching out for Sevika's hand to help you up. "How bad was it?"

"Bad enough to have me worried." She sighed, sitting beside you and letting you lean on her.

"Sorry." You sighed back, almost identically. "And you know, thank you."

She wrapped her hand around your shoulders and kissed the top of your head.

"Anytime."