#I have been dead for a while and working on this for months

[omgfangirlland]

The Shadows That Nurture 5

Chapters 5 and 6 are done! Yippy! Chapter 7 is going to be a slice-of-life type of thing because I don't want to time skip straight to the bats finding out quite yet. Also, did y'all know that Gothamite also means an inhabitant of NYC? Whenever you see me use that just know I mean an inhabitant of Gotham City.

Enjoy!

Masterlist || First || previous<< Chapter 5 >>next(TBC)

NYC was hell on earth and that’s coming from a Gothamite.

Sure- did a rogue attack 3 times a week, maybe more, in Gotham? Yes. But NYC felt lawless and without rhyme or reason. Every day something was happening, every day a building went down if it wasn’t a whole street, every day a hero would almost run you over while you were just trying to chill in the air.

At least on the third Tuesday of every month, there would be no robberies in Gotham, at least if something happened to the city and Batman wasn’t around the rogues would keep the people safe. Here it seemed to be everyone for themselves, and the rent was heinous for the type of bullshit that went down, in Gotham it was pennies compared to NYC. The constant feeling of being watched didn’t help either it irked at the back of your head every time, only stopping in the safety of your home.

The shadows stopped talking to you as well, you could barely hear them anymore, your theory being that NYC was simply too bright compared to G. City. Visiting Midnight City helped keep you connected to them, it felt somewhat like Gotham. But Darkwing felt too much like Batman, making you paranoid, so you never truly lingered for long. You missed them. Missed the rogues, the garden, the kids, the manor. The house really grew on you.

But you liked it. You liked the chaos, the myriads of heroes, the aliens that kept trying to conquer the world, and you enjoyed how the heroes knew that sometimes the best course of action was to kill the threat.

You were still bitter about how Joker took Jason from you, about how Mr. Wayne hid that from you, so seeing Omni-Man, War Woman, Immortal and so many more deal with clearly deadly threats as they should be dealt with felt nice. They would never let Joker live, the clown wouldn’t have millions of kills, and he wouldn’t have gotten Barbara and Jason.

Of course, you’ve heard rumors that while Batman doesn’t go out of his way to kill, he lets others do the dirty work, everyone in Gotham has. You’ve seen Lois Lane cover some of the bigger, worldwide alien attacks that the Justice League helped with. Batman didn’t seem to have a problem with killing or seriously injuring them. He was either a hypocrite or afraid to lose it once he did kill a human, either way, both were bad options.

So, you put up with it, found yourself a studio apartment owned by an old woman, overlooking the fact that the whole building may have been owned by a gang, and kept on doing your online schooling. Kept on making art, donating to charities and shelters, found yourself a nice job pet sitting, and even did some volunteering at local shelters when they needed an extra hand.

You got better at flying, getting so fast you could go around the globe in 5 minutes. It was fun visiting the places you heard Bruce talk about to the others, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, and China. You were planning on visiting every city in every country with this newfound freedom. It was fun, and Bruce didn’t even notice as you used more and more of your allowance.

Sadly, your moments of peace and happiness always seemed to last for a short while. You were happy with just flying, it opened opportunities you didn’t even think were possible, but you’ve never seen a meta whose ability was only flying, not if they didn’t have wings, and maybe paranoia settled in.

Were you just dreaming? Was this just a really long dream? Were you dead? Would you go off the rocket when or if other powers showed up? What will you do when they do show up? You wanted to be an artist, to paint until your heart gave away. But if people needed help you wouldn’t be able to stay on the sidelines knowing you��re more than capable of lending a hand.

You knew you already had some strength power active- you wouldn’t be able to fly that fast without your skin peeling right off. Maybe it just made your skin stronger? Well, that’s how you ended up in a forest, or deep in a park- you weren’t sure, you flew without thinking, your thoughts and theories eating at you until you had to act.

The tree in front of you had an average-sized trunk, maybe on the smaller side compared to the others around you. You’ve been staring at it for a bit, debating if this really was something you wanted to see if you could do. “Ignorance is bliss” flew through your mind, but the full sayings of these quotes always rang at the back of your head. “Where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise”.

Your fist met the trunk with a small thud, you didn’t feel any pain, nothing was happening, so you bit your lip, closed your eyes tight, and punched the trunk harder. You heard the wood splinter before you saw it, your eyes flying wide open at the sound. The trunk had a dent in the shape of your fist, not quite all the way through. You still felt nothing.

Maybe you shouldn’t have tested out your strength this much, Ivy would have been quite mad at you for destroying so many trees, each one thicker than the last, but you were simply curious and made sure to clean up after yourself. It was weird. If you hit fast enough your arm could go right through quite cleanly, but there was no pain, none at all… Is this how Superman felt?

In your excitement, you didn’t even notice the figure above you, watching your every move or the flying orb camera doing the same. And while the figure kept watching you grow in your powers for a year, watched you help around in small ways, mostly clean up and small muggings, the orb stopped after a few months.

It took a while for you to be able to lift as much as you could now, for the first half of your newfound power you had to break stuff like big rubble down before you could lift them, you still found it amusing how Red Flash stayed quiet about you, but how could he not when you shushed him the first time he tried to tell the others. The man wasn’t about to fuck with Cecil’s worker, even though he might have said a word or two to the old man’s face about child labor.

Despite all that you truly felt happy, fulfilled even. You were doing art, helping people, and despite still working on having friends during the day part, you were glad you left. You were on cloud nine, well, literally more than figuratively. You were flying above the clouds, basking in the sun. Nothing could cloud your life anymore.

…Where did the sun go? Your eyes opened, blissful expression turning into a frown as your eyes caught a dark figure flying just a few paces over you, its eyes glowing, a wide grin showing a full set of teeth, cape billowing behind it.

What. The. Fuck.

Tag list: @bat1212 @trashlanternfish360 @shycreatorreview @syrooo @a-lurking-fae @alittletiredcry @kittzu @plsfckmedxddy @blackhood1229 @nxdxworld @leeiasure @dandelion-delusion

hope I didn't forget anyone 😬

[itwasntimethatdidit40]

Hey there!

This month felt endless, am I right? Can’t believe it’s finally over.

This is a list of all the fics I read in January, I started writing it at the beginning of the month so they are in chronological order based on when I read them.

There’s a lot of stories but I still feel like I haven’t read enough lol

I loved every single work on this list so I highly recommend for you to read them and give some love to authors! They’re unbelievably talented and bring so much joy to this fandom, someone even in my life but this is another story.

I put the link to the Masterlist for series, so you can see all the chapters, some of them are ongoing and some are finished.

Please mind the tags and warnings to make sure a story doesn’t trigger you and makes you uncomfortable, I’m not responsible for what you choose to read, only you are.

Happy reading!

❋ Consume - @sunshineispunk

Stepdad!Joel x reader , DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT

❋ Liquid Gold - @gasolinerainbowpuddles

Joel Miller x f pregnant!reader x Tommy Miller

You are super pregnant and currently miserable after a third trimester issue crops up. You don’t know how to fix it, and Joel is determined to make you comfortable again. Will he come up with the right solution or are you going to spend the last few weeks of your pregnancy in awful pain? (Lactat!on kink)

❋ The First Time - @fettuccin-e

Frankie Morales x afab!reader

Size kink

❋ Mouthful - @pedgito

Joel miller x reader

Joel finds the perfect way to keep you quiet while he showers you with compliments.

❋ Holiday Heat - @baronessvonglitter

Joel Miller x f!reader

Only one bed trope, grumpy x sunshine, age gap, strangers to lovers

Sharing a hotel room with a grumpy (and handsome) stranger while a storm makes travel inaccessible. What could possibly go wrong?

❋ The Warden - @arcanefox207

Joel Miller x f!reader - DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT

Your hike into the woods doesn’t go as planned when a depraved Game Warden catches you breaking the rules.

❋ Quicksand - @javier-pena

Pedro's unnamed character in Materialists x f!reader

You meet a stranger at a party

❋ Borrowed Time - @aurorawritestoescape

Joel Miller x f!reader

Joel and you are enjoying an ideal vacation together. Warm ocean, white sand, soft kisses, and hot sex make it feel like paradise. But as your time here is running out, the thoughts that you‘ve been trying to keep at bay start eating at your soul.

❋ After hours - @mssalo

Sub!Joel x Dom f!reader

❋ Wandering Hands - @gothcsz

Javier Peña x f!reader

Javi can't keep his hands off you during a dinner with some friends.

❋ Strangers - @joelmillerisapunk

Stripper!Javier Peña x f!reader

you meet a sexy stripper at your bestie's bachelorette party and he tries his absolute hardest to get your number

❋ Law of Attraction - @baronessvonglitter (Series Masterlist link)

Dave York x f!reader - Romcom AU

Dealing with emotions is difficult when you and Dave realize how you really feel about each other. When a night in turns sour, you seek help from an unexpected source.

❋ Easy - @slowdivinqs

Joel Miller x f!reader

waking Joel up in the best way possible.

❋ Bad blood - @aurorawritestoescape (Series Masterlist link)

you want your stepdad and your step uncle offers to help

step uncle Joel Miller x f!reader x stepdad Tommy Miller

❋ Never have I ever - @wannab-urs

Dieter Bravo x afab!reader

You and Dieter play never have I ever and it gets spicy.

❋ My paramour, my evermore - A Joel Miller Story - @schnarfer (Knights and Kings AU)

Joel Miller x f!reader

Joel Miller is the loss of your life

❋ Let's Go - @thundermartini DBF!Joel x f!reader

you decide to channel your inner party girl on this Friday night. But things won’t go as planned. You’ll get even more from this night than a dance in a club and free drinks from strangers. (Or, I just wanted a pretext to imagine bouncer!joel railing me in the back room of a club.

❋ Yes ma’am - @sizzlingcloudmentality

Dave York x dominatrix!reader

life goes sideways and Dave is close to snapping. he needs professional help. aka let himself be dominated and be at the receiving end for once. good thing he has your number.

❋ Untitled - @aurorawritestoescape

Joel’s twin x f!reader || 500 words

❋ Girl Dinner - @slimybeth69 Dead dove do not eat (Series Masterlist link)

Joel Miller x f!reader

After the civilized world you once knew came to an end-- the men that survived... well they just take, take, take. Growing tired of having things taken from you-- you have a hankerin' to take somethin' for yourself... and make him perfect.

❋ Foxglove Downs - @whocaresstillthelouvre (Series Masterlist link)

Marcus Acacius x f!reader x Lucius Verus

In the exclusive realm of elite show jumping, where wealth stretches as far as the polished estates, Marcus Acacius and Lucius Verus are locked in a fierce competition that reaches far beyond the arena.

❋ No strings to hold me down - @baronessvonglitter

fwb!Joel Miller x f!Reader

Enjoying the freedom of being friends with benefits with Joel Miller, a new emotion flares when you see him out with someone much younger.

❋ What’s a Tomdaya? - @604to647

Modern!Pero Tovar x fem!reader

Pero regrets getting into a group chat with your friends

❋ Prisoner - @almostempty

f!reader x Din Djarin

this time our fav bounty hunter is the bounty and you're on a mission to capture him and claim your reward

❋ Final part of the neighbor series - Masterlist - @gothcsz

Javier Peña x f!reader

❋ All the good girls go to hell - Masterlist - @aurorawritestoescape

Stepdad!Joel Miller x f!reader

you can't stop thinking about your stepdad so you do something risky to have a little more of him. But Joel is not the "little more" kind of guy.

❋ Close-up - @milla-frenchy

Joel Miller x f!reader

Joel receives a script that takes him back to the memories of your love story. He realizes that out of protective instinct after the break up, he has not been honest neither with his own feelings nor with you

❋ El cumpleañero - @gothcsz

Javier Peña x f!reader

It's Javier's birthday, so you show up to his party and things get fun.

❋ Reincarnated - @joelmillerisapunk

Joel Miller x f!reader

A late-night text from an unknown number stirs up memories you thought you’d buried. It’s been years since Joel walked out of your life, but now he’s back. Old wounds resurface, boundaries blur, and the question lingers: is this a second chance or just another heartbreak waiting to happen?

❋ Leather and Lace - @probablyreadinsmut

Javier Peña x f!reader

Javier Peña is back in Loredo after retiring from the DEA. He's horny and looking for something new. That's when he finds you.

❋(Un)faithful - @probablyreadinsmut

Rbf!Javier x Married!Reader

Your marriage is lackluster, your sex life even more so. When your best friend Javier finds out, lines are crossed and lives are changed forever.

❋ some thoughts on hbf (husband's best friend) joel @baronessvonglitter / Drabble

❋ BDSMaid - @mountainsandmayhem (Series Masterlist link)

After recently graduating from university, your best friend offers you a job cleaning luxury homes for clients you’ll never know. It’s only temporary and a good way to save money for when you go back to get your law degree. That’s what you’re promised at least. Easy. Simple. Mundane. That is, until one of your clients is home and everything that you felt was missing in your life starts to fall into place. This goes against the NDA you signed and you could get fired. Or worse, you could fall in love.

[itzy-bitsy-spidey]

"Old enemies and spilled coffee pt.4"

Or "Something made a hole in my backyard pt 4"

Shadow the hedghog x reader (platonic)

Notes: I know I´m taking my time to actually make Shadow, well, do something, but we are right there, I swear. As always, if you want to be on the taglist leave a comment, and if you just want to leave a comment I don´t mind either.

Btw, idk if this is obvious but I am NOT proofreading anything of what I'm writing. Enjoy!

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.

You had already taken your alien-ish friend out of the box and laid it down on your bed so that it would be more comfortable. Once again you had doubted yourself over how comfortable it could possibly be, but as long as it couldn´t act in a way that showed uncomformity then it would have to deal with what it was given.

You had agreed to have lunch at your uncle´s house the next day. But in the meantime you had texted your aunt Maddie to ask her to come over to the house you were staying in under the pretense that you would share some pastries and talk about life for a while.

And so you sat on the couch waiting for time to pass and hoping that Maddie would be there soon. And, just like an angel sent from heaven, the doorbell rang and you sprinted to open the door.

On the other side awaited your lovely aunt with a huge smile on her face which reflected your own excitement. Hugs that lasted a little more than necessary and greetings were exchanged, you invited her inside and prepared tea, all while she talked about how much you had grown, how much she had missed you, etc.

"So how´s life? Any cute work friend I should know about or something?" Of course that would be between the questions, it was an aunt´s classic.

"No, everything has been rather boring actually, I mean, I was working at the salon back at home last month because they were short on staff, but truthfully? The gossip was the only entretaining part" You answered as you stirred your coffee, she had chosen chamomille tea.

"Uhhh, does that mean you can braid my hair now?" She asked with a smile as she sipped her tea and proceded to add more sugar to it.

That was one of the reasons you loved Maddie so much (not the sugar part) but the fact that she never juged your style of working, you were a freelance artist, so all the time you weren´t actively working on a project you would spend doing some minor jobs. Usually people would be all over you telling you to ´get a real job´ or stuff like that, but never Maddie, she was your ride or die, you could tell her that you were gonna climb the Everest and she would cheer you from the bottom.

That was why it came so handy that she was a vet. She probably wouldn´t even question the fact that you had brought a weirdly shaped animal all the way across the state. She trusted you, and you trusted her.

"Maddie, there´s something you should know, and I need you to remain calm and trust me, okay?"

She looked at you for a few seconds, her expression getting serious, and as she looked you dead into your eyes she asked softly:

"Is it that you are gay?"

"What! No!"

"OH, sorry, I thought this was like you getting out of the closet or..."

"No, I didn´t mean that I´m not gay, that was not what I was going to tell you!"

"Wait, so you are gay then?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, I just thought that was the topic we were discussing"

At some point between the exchange you both had broken into laughter, and somehow half of your coffe laid then spilled onto the table.

"I-I am so confused hahaha" she tried to speak in between laughs, but you could see how she was struggling to breathe, laugh and talk at the same time.

While still in your happy state you cleaned up the coffee puddle with a rag and took in a few breaths to relax. Once there was air in your lungs once more, and she had calmed down as well, you continued.

"I brought an... animal with me from home, and it kind of seems to be in like a coma? I would appreciate it if you took a look at it." You explained.

"You brought an animal in a coma all the way to Green Hill? That could be very dangerous for it" She scolded you slightly as she got up from her seat to follow you to the bedroom.

"I know, but it´s like nothing I had ever seen before, and I only trust you for this"

"Does this have something to do with your mother not letting you keep pets? Because you are an adult, you can have pets if you take care of them"

You stood in front of the door and looked at her a little bit as if she had lost her mind.

"No, that´s not it, but you have to promise that you won´t say a word to nobody"

She answered an "I promise" under her breath and you opened the door slowly, allowing her into the room. Maddie didn´t scream, neither did she look back at you as she entered the room. You stayed a little behind, just waiting for some type of reaction.

Maybe if you had been by her side you would have seen the way she frowned, as every little detail on the creature in front of her fell in place perfectly with the description that Sonic, her son, had given her about the hedghog who tried to kill her husband.

She knew it was a dangerous being, but laying down on that bed among the fluffy pillows he just looked... so calm.

Silence reigned the room for a few moments, and for some reason you felt that as if the air had become thick. She approached Shadow and lifted his limbs one by one, making sure that none of his bones were broken, even squeezing a little harder than necesary. And then, Maddie turned around with a smile, walked up to you, ruffled your hair, told you that it was unlikely that the thing would be asleep for longer than three days and left with the excuse of having to buy groceries.

And so, after the sound of the front door closing, as you were looking the way your aunt had left you were once more on your own.

And, if you hadn´t turned back around, you would have probably missed the sight of red eyes fluttering open.

Taglist: @boogiemansbitch @vxllys @whoisgami @baby-bloos @sapphireravensworld

[queenoffishingandcookies]

Something I think about way too much is Asumu’s death and how quickly Rudolf remarried Kyrie (I think I have two separate drafts of posts about that somewhere).

Generally, we don’t get an exact reference as to how quickly Rudolf remarried in the VN. However, in the manga, where he is speaking to Krauss and Natsuhi on the matter of Battler leaving the family and Rudolf’s pending marriage to Kyrie, it is mentioned that the mourning period for Asumu hasn’t passed by yet.

Traditionally, there’s two stages to the mourning period in Japan - 忌中 (Kichū) and 喪中 (Mochū) - though the actual practice of mourning differs according to regions and family traditions, as well as being less heavily restricted come modern day.

忌中 is the initial period of mourning, lasting 49 days. In other words, roughly a month and a bit over a week.

In Japan, this is the period of time that the ashes of the deceased remain in the family home following cremation - up until internment of the ashes in their grave in the chosen cemetery when the 49 days are at an end.

(Cremation is the most common type of funerary ceremony in Japan, and we don’t ever learn if Asumu was cremated following Japanese tradition or if, instead, she had a western-style funeral in line with the Ushiromiya family.

The reason cremation is so popular in Japan is due to its small size, a lack of space for physical burials. Burial plots for bodies - or urns carrying ashes - are extremely expensive).

Usually, the bereaved also retreat from public life and social engagements while in mourning (though in modern day, I think this is usually just a week at the most?).

After the 49 days are up, 喪中 begins.

This mourning period lasts for the following year after the death of a loved one, and depending on how strictly tradition is followed, while the family gets back to life and work as normal - this usually means no ceremony or holiday is celebrated, at least not for the sake of having fun.

Weddings, birthday parties, etc aren’t thrown or attended, and instead of sending out New Years’ Cards, the family will instead send mourning cards that tell others not to send anything.

(Again this isn’t always strictly adhered to. Depends on where you live, family tradition, the times, etc).

It can be assumed that they’re referring to the later mourning period (a year) following Asumu’s death - however, he still would have married very shortly after 49/50 days I think.

Since Asumu died in 1980, limiting her life from January to April/May at the latest as she died before Ange was born, I find it extremely unlikely that they were referring to 喪中 when, depending on when she died, the closer you get to Ange’s birth, the more likely it is that the twelve-month mourning period hadn’t started yet.

Asumu was dead before the remarriage and Ange’s birth, meaning her lifespan was under nine months - under a year.

This implies that at the very latest (April/May-Ish), Rudolf had to have married Kyrie during the initial mourning period, 忌中 - under the 49 days following Asumu’s death or somewhat shortly over it. Otherwise, Ange would have been born out of wedlock.

Even if Asumu had died earlier in the year, say January or February, Rudolf still could have married Kyrie before the 忌中 period passed -we just don’t have enough information to know for sure though.

[sitp-recs]

Hello!! Would like to know what are the fanfics you would recommend for someone reading drarry for the first time?

Hi there! That’s a great ask 😊 a few years back I did a rec series called Drarry for Beginners that you might find useful. It’s always hard to pick only a few classics, but I think any of these would be a great introduction to the ship. Most of them are on the longer side, so let me know if you prefer short-medium length and I can include some!

Post-war:

Slithering by astolat (E, 27k)

Draco found the nest down in the Manor’s cellars, while he was clearing them out.

Multiverse:

In The Hand by aideomai (T, 28k)

Two months after Harry went missing, when Hermione was frantic with fear and panic and sleep deprivation, Draco Malfoy cornered them outside the Great Hall before breakfast.

Draco in the Muggle World:

Here's The Pencil, Make It Work by ignatiustrout (M, 49k)

Harry thinks "Why is Malfoy working in a coffee shop in muggle London?" is a much simpler question than, "Are you going to accept that auror offer and, if you don't, what will you do?"

Enemies to lovers:

The Boy Who Only Lived Twice by lettered (E, 54k)

Harry Potter is an Unspeakable. Draco Malfoy is the wizard who shagged him. Adventure! Intrigue! Secret identities, celebrities, spies! It's all right here, folks.

Time loop:

Tea and No Sympathy by who_la_hoop (E, 70k)

It's Potter's fault, of course, that Draco finds himself trapped in the same twenty-four-hour period, repeating itself over and over again.

Professors:

Transfigurations by Resonant (E, 71k)

Five years after Voldemort's defeat, Harry returns to England to help re-open Hogwarts.

AU:

Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by waspabi (T, 93k)

‘You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.

8th year:

At Your Service by Faith Wood (E, 95k)

Hogwarts students are in danger; Harry is determined to save them all. There's only one thing he knows for certain: Draco Malfoy is somehow involved.

Spy Draco:

A Thousand Beautiful Things by geoviki (M, 104k)

Draco Malfoy struggles with changed fortunes, shifted alliances, an ugly war, and an unusual spell, with the help of a concerned professor, an insightful house-elf, and an unexpected Gryffindor friend.

Sentient houses:

What We Pretend We Can't See by gyzym (M, 131k)

Seven years out from the war, Harry learns the hard truth of old history: it’s never quite as far behind you as you thought.

Auror partners:

All Our Secrets Laid Bare by firethesound (E, 150k)

Over the six years Draco Malfoy has been an Auror, four of his partners have turned up dead. Harry Potter is assigned as his newest partner to investigate just what is going on.

Healers:

Foundations!verse by Saras_Girl (E, 364k)

Harry is about to discover that the steepest learning curve comes after Healer training, and that second chances can be found in unexpected places.

[asexualbookbird]

It sure has been a Year huh. Ups and downs this month, as life happens. Saw friends I haven't seen in years, went into the city and met new friends, tried new foods, saw some birds, tried new crafts, read new books.

The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Hm! Interesting! Didn't hate it, but something feels missing? Almost like it could've benefited from being at the very least a short novel. It needed more. I also have qualms at this being pitched as sapphic when there is no romance at all and the main character talks a lot about being betrayed by her last romance with a man. One mention of Woman With Hot Thighs. Not mad I read it, might even read it again.

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming ⭐️⭐️ ‐ I'll be honest, one star is Mean but I had a lot more fun reading Fourth Wing and that was two stars. The tone is what dragged this one down for me. It reads like YA, but it's very much not. I do not believe for a second the MC is 24, she doesn't act like it at all. The sex scenes. Are there. I could make an entire post about the book ending on them having penetrative PiV sex. Part of my grievances are me not liking the genre, but I truly think this just isn't that good. Plenty of people on the internet write better more filthy works for free. Why was this sitting unassumingly on the library shelf.

*amended to two stars if this is indeed satire

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P Djèlí Clark ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Fine. Not much to say because it was Completely Average. Not mad I read it, but don't wish to repeat the experience. I think maybe Clark isn't an author for me, as I recall feeling similarly about A Master of Djinn. It's not so much that the characters or world feel flat, but something definitely feels missing. It was silly and lighthearted and gory and I did like that though!

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Another hit from Sarah Beth Durst. I see your Themes. I see your Tropes. Kindness. Found family. Accepting help. All personal attacks on me. Adorable, fun, some sort of cross between T Kingfisher and Becky Chambers, I didn't want it to end, and now have a name for my spider plant. It also seems like I need to get my spider plant a friend.

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo ⭐️⭐️ - I have very mixed feelings about this that are really summarized as This Wasn't For Me. I like the idea that yeah you're a monster but someone loves you anyway. I like using the monster to punish those who called you one. I think there's some very specific midwestern religious trauma that I'm missing to really Get It, though. On top of that, while I recognize the themes and significance in the age gap, a 30 year old going after an 18 year old icks me out. I'd still recommend it with very very heavy reservations.

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal ⭐⭐ - Going to be honest, I just finished this and I'm already moving on. The writing was fine and I'm not put off of the author entirely, but I never felt wowed. I was annoyed more than anything. I didn't love any of the characters, but I didn't really hate anyone either. The amount of people Tesla let pet her service dog drove me nuts. The ending felt slapped together. It never really felt cohesive. I feel vindicated reading that fans of her other books also were unimpressed with this. I wouldn't steer people away from it, but I didn't have a lot of fun.

I'm tentatively excited for February. I have art ideas I'd like to get started on, I am working on a craft thing that I might be able to profit a bit off of, I'm flat out ignoring the world, book club is approaching. I'm looking for good things in the world, and I will find them. That is a threat.

[stickypowder]

Trigger warning: Blood, violence, cannibalism, dumbification, pet play, drugging, obsession

Word count: 1.4k

It's just a small thing that kinda spiraled out of my control as i wrote it. I hope people like it! And sorry for any grammer mistakes!

Ao3 link if you'd rather read it there:

To add to this, I'd like to imagine the scenario as caitlyn being separated from her enforcer squad deep into Zaun. Jinx has been stalking her (because that's what nemesis do, right?) and watches as caitlyn gets into a gnarly shoot out with some random chembaron gang. Caitlyn fights off most of them but gets snuck up on and gets fatally injured. Jinx goes mental that her nemesis was hurt by someone who wasn't her, so she kills that person off brutally next to a dying caitlyn on the floor. She'd get up and dust herself (and the blood of this random person) off her hands before walking over and standing above a dying caitlyn.

She'd look her over and say, "Jeeeeezzz toots, do I always have to save your ass?" Caitlyn would just look up at her and try to say anything, but would only wheeze and cough in return. Jinxes eyes would widen as she realizes that "oh wow, caitlyn is dying right now, in front of me, on the ground." She'd pat her pockets to look for anything that could stop her from dying (because wanting your nemesis that wants you dead to stay alive is totally normal), and then a light bulb goes off. She grabs a knife off of caitlyns form and slashes her hand, causing it to bleed heavily.

Jinx would smile and bring her dripping hand over to caitlyn and say, "Open up cupcake, doctors orders!" Caitlyn would groan and shake her head no, so jinx would snarl and force caitlyns mouth open with her free hand and drip feed her blood into caitlyns mouth. To caitlyn, it's disgusting at first. The metallic overwhelming iron taste, but then all that shimmer starts to make her feel divine, better than she's ever felt. The wounds on her body would seal up quickly as she sits up with a gasp, pushing jinx away, causing jinx to fall down.

Jinx would roll her eyes and say, "Well, that's no way to thank the girl who saved your life, or did your mommy and daddy not teach you manners? Oh wait, mommies dead!", while rolling on the floor dying of laughter. Caitlyn would look around for her sniper rifle but finds it nowhere. She grabs the still bloody knife and sheaths it. She'd move to apprehend jinx, but Jinx would just use her shimmer speed to move away. She'd wipe a tear from her eye and say mid chuckle, "Alright, I get it, jeezzz. A girl can't even save her nemesis these days. Anyways, see yah later cupcake!" As she zips away.

Caitlyn angrily grumbles to herself before she heads back topside, though with a strange pep in her step. She would make her way back to her mansion and sleep better than she has in months, not that she notices. Over the week, though, her energy and mood would just get worse and worse. She finds herself sleeping horribly now, and she craves something that she can't quite put her tongue on. When she's sorting through the evidence locker room in the enforcer station, she'd eye a vial of shimmer.

Strange, she'd think, since she's never found her eye attracted to it before, and they've been confiscating it for years. But she's desperate for anything to help her sleep. So, she uncorked it and dipped a pinky finger in, bringing it to her lips. She gets a rush, but not the rush that every shimmer addict they arrest describes. She downs the whole thing and barely feels a thing, as a matter of fact!

Horrible sleep again that night, but the next day, they have her arrive to another one of jinxes attacks. They let her be by herself as she investigated since she's been so snappy, and as she walks through the scene, she steps into a puddle of blood. She takes a step back, and she swears the blood has a pink sheen to it. Her mouth starts to salivate uncontrollably, and before she knows it, she crouches down and dips a pinky into it, bringing it to her mouth. The instant smile that hits her face and the weight of everyone just falls off her shoulders.

Before she knows it, she fully kneels down and starts to drink from the puddle like an animal. By the time she pulls back, the puddle is gone, and she feels amazing! Then she realizes she just drank the blood of another human and promptly crawls back and away from it in horror. She'd think to herself, "What the hell!? I'm the head of the kiramman house, the best shot in all the enforcers, and the best detective! But not only did I ruin the scene by tampering with it, I drank from a puddle of blood!"

She would shakily stand up and walk away, telling everyone that this was just another normal scene created by Jinx and that she found no notable evidence. Though they don't mention anything of the manic smile she has while talking about this because they'd rather not be fired. She sleeps like a baby that night, but the next day, she feels horrible again. She gets informed of an ongoing fight with jinx, and she heads there immediately (ignoring the excitement brewing in her chest). Jinx laughs as she notices her and runs down an alleyway by herself, and caitlyn gives chase.

Jinx would laugh as she was chased, saying, "Well, nice to see you too, cupcake! Did you miss me?" Caitlyn would snarl in response and toss her sniper away and grab her knife. She doesn't know why she feels the need to make jinx bleed, but she has to. They'd get into a heated fight, and as caitlyn wrestles Jinx to the floor, she knicks jinxes cheek, causing it to bleed. She freezes while straddling her as jinx pants beneath her.

Before either of them realize it, caitlyn leans down and starts to lick it off of jinxes face. Jinx would giggle and say, "Woah! Down girl! Bad dog, bad dog!"

Caitlyn would pull back, panting and her pupils blown wide as she stammers out, "I... I don't know why I did that..." Jinx would look up at her and realize that caitlyn acted the exact same when she fed her blood to caitlyn.

Jinx would laugh and say, "I ever tell you why I'm so fast and can heal so quick?"

Caitlyn would respond with, "No...?"

Jinx would take the knife out of caitlyns hands and slash her hand again as she says, "I'm made up of shimmer, cupcake. My body produces it on its own now. And I think...", lifting up her palm to caitlyn, "That you're addicted to it. To me. Or maybe you aren't. Don't lick it up if that's the case. Prove me wrong." Caitlyns mouth would dry at the sight before she leans into jinxes palm and laps it up hungrily. Jinx would smile and say, "Aww... whose a good pup? That's right, you are!"

Caitlyns brain would sing to her at jinxes praise before she nodded to agree. Jinx would push against caitlyn and say, "Now get off of me, dummy." Caitlyn would nod and get up off of her, even going as far to help jinx up. Jinx would cup caitlyns cheek and say, "How's my pup feeling? Feeling good? Happy? Ecstatic?"

Caitlyn would nod with a dumb smile and say meekly, "Pup feels good. Feels really good."

Jinx would pat her cheek and pull it away as she says, "Atta girl. You know what? I think this worked out real well for us, cupcake. Real well indeed."

The enforcers would never find caitlyn after that. Of course, they didn't know that caitlyn was living down in zaun with Jinx in her workshop. Cait would help Jinx improve all her weaponry and explosives and tell her how the enforcers operated. In return, jinx would praise her and feed her her own blood. If caitlyn wasn't fed every couple of hours, she'd get feisty and irritable (much to jinxes amusement and dismay, not that she really minds). But when she was fed? She was the happiest woman in all of piltover and zaun. Sure, her girlfriend/nemesis/pseudo owner caused chaos and destruction, and she wasn't allowed to leave the workshop, but she made caitlyn happy and high, and wasn't that all that matters at this point?

[shima-draws]

Been having a rough couple of days. Send me asks?

[todayisafridaynight]

no ones ever gonna understand how much i love daigo doin this stupid shit after dissolving the tojo

[tojisun]

i havent written angst in a while :<

[cappurrccino]

i was gonna say "i shouldn't have to go to work when my brain feels like a depression slushie" and then i was like "wait but then i'd basically never ever go to work" and i'm actually doubling down on the first part now bc my god how am i supposed to heal my brain from burning out 5 years ago if i can never get an actual break

[lovecolibri]

"Maybe THIS notebook/planner will help me keep things together and stay on track!"

-AHDH girlie who has historically never been able to keep a diary, planner, calendar, schedule, or routine to save her life, and got distracted while hand-writing a list to look up said planner.

[forgotten-daydreamer]

vent moment but my health is a bit worse than i let on, which is weird ik since it seems like complain about it all the time here, and apparently i also look sick, because two separate people in their 40s or 50s asked me, 24, if i needed their seat on the bus. kind of them. but humiliating nonetheless.

[arolesbianism]

Finallly got around to properly designing Demonstrator! She’s silly

[caterpillarinacave]

y’all I am losing my mind

[ame-to-ame]

there are things that you don't do for a year or more and pick up just right where you left off and these days i fear loving you might be one of them