#I know it's been a while

[iron-sparrow]

despite everything, you are still you.

you are still brave; you are still loved.

you remain perseverant; you remain determined.

so keep going; you are doing so great ‧₊˚❀

[avengers-rule103]

Nancy is the most important part of Steve's dream. Nancy is the most important part of Steve's dream. sorry? am i annoying you? it's just everyone still seems to love to focus on the hypothetical 6 kids part and yet no one seems to have heard the last part of what he was saying so i'm just trying to remind you that... what was it? oh yeah, Nancy. Is. The. Most. Important. Part. Of. Steve's. Dream.

[wandixx]

Count the freckles, connect them like the stars part 3, Orion

Summary: Five time Danny found and drew constellations from M'gann's freckles and one time she did that for him

Danny stifled a groan as his back hit the floor. Training wasn't something he could do often, not with school and ghosts and missions and everything else going on, but still. It would be great if he progressed in unpowered hand-to-hand combat a bit faster. He had had enough of eating shit at school, with Team he would like to win sometimes.

“Good job Wally, your lever is getting better. Danny, focus more on the defense. You're used to fighting in ghost form, where you can either go intangible, or at least are less vulnerable, but you need to learn to actually protect yourself. Even with your powers, it's better to avoid getting punched. It stuns you, and in a real fight it's a difference between life and death sometimes,” Black Canary explained, while Wally helped Danny to his feet.

“I'll remember that,” he muttered, like he always did. He appreciated the feedback, Ancients know it wasn't something he usually got after beating, but sometimes it felt a bit… useless. Sure, he knew he should get better at avoiding or dodging hits. He knew that since… forever. How was he supposed to do that? When was he supposed to train those instincts in? It was a miracle he made it to the training today. Until the last moment, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to fly over.

Lately though, he got better at sabotaging portal enough that he was sure no ghosts could leave until the next day. Maybe even a day after that, if his parents don't realize it's not working for a bit longer.

He tried not to think about it too much.

“Good match,” Wally cheered, as if he didn't wipe the floor with Danny like he was made for this, before throwing him one of his special speedster high-calorie granola bar.

Well, Danny can't really be mad at the guy now, can he? They, guys with unreasonably high calories intake (even if Danny's appeared only in places with little to no ectoplasm) had to stick together.

“You're getting better,” M'gann praised. It did nicely weird things to his core, even if he didn't believe a word she said.

“Thanks,” he smiled back.

Lately, M'gann has been trying out different civilian outfits, to not be a walking copy of the TV character from 80s, as everyone encouraged. That day, her top was sleeveless and pretty form fitting. Danny gained a new understanding of people who had problems focusing with pretty folks around (though not a lot, he could still work just fine, even if M'gann looked really well in this shirt, thank you very much). Case in point, Artemis threw the water bottle at him, in a way that clearly meant to hit him on the head, and he caught it only barely fumbling. It left him feeling rather goofy, with a granola bar sticking out of his mouth and its package slowly drifting to the ground, but he caught the bottle nonetheless. He quickly ate what was left and dried water bottle. For all Wally's granola's were great and tasty, they were also dense and dry as hell.

M’gann was next to spar, going against Robin and Danny… well, Danny enjoyed watching it, he could be honest with himself on that. He wasn’t going to tell anyone, of course, there was no need to put that whole thing between them, but in this moment when she was distracted, he could let himself watch. There was something really [attractive] in seeing M’gann be strong and competent, when he wasn’t at risk of re-dying if he stopped to look for too long.

Artemis bumped him on the shoulder with a wry smile.

“You’re supposed to watch the combat, not drool over M’gann.”

Nevermind, he forgot that dying of embarrassment was on the table.

“I’m not drooling!”

He maybe yelled a bit too loud, because Kaldur and Wally turned to give him weird look (thank Ancients that Conner was in his headphones and pretty preoccupied), but what’s done was done, he was going to act like nothing happened. He wasn’t very good at it though, he was pretty sure he was red all the way to his ears.

“Don’t worry, it’s kind of cute that you’re a bumbling mess whenever your girlfriend gets to show off.”

“We aren’t dating,” he corrected hastily. There was no alternative timeline where he was cool enough to be M’gann’s boyfriend, fact that he was a friend was enough of a stretch, “And I’m not a bumbling mess.”

Artemis just looked at him, like she could decipher him with her eyes alone before she smiled in this slightly condescending way.

“If you say so.”

Okay, what were the chances he wasn’t red enough to camouflage against tomatoes and only thought he did?

Low. He was told, repeatedly, that he was pale enough to play vampire without make-up and there was that one time he got a second degree burns after being out in the sun for, like, two hours.

He turned away from Artemis, and tried to focus back on the fight, breathing deeply, as if it would make heat on his face go away any faster.

M’gann twirled around and damn, he really was distracted by some weird things, because there was no explanation as to why he missed big Orion sprawling on her upper shoulder, around the place where people usually had the scar after a vaccine. Not turning his eyes away from the girl, he felt his pockets to find a thin marker he started to carry around. After the first few times, when it took a bit of encouragement to get him started with most likely some telepathy involved, M'gann asked him to tell her about constellations he found right away.

Danny, of course, was very normal about it and didn't spend two following days refreshing all the stories about the stars he could find. Absolutely not.

This is his friend, she deserved what's best from him.

He even run test on what felt the best against the skin, so he wasn’t scratching her, like when he drew Pisces! He was prepared, Ancients damn it.

The spar ended when M’gann’s heel got out of the ring, which was far better than Danny would ever expect himself to do, and he wasn’t afraid to voice his amazement.

He was afraid to try act cool and just catch her by the arm with a crooked grin, turn a bit and say his piece like he wasn’t freaking out over the mere chance to do it and wasn’t always trying to watch himself and stop from being too annoying. It was easier to be cocky as Phantom. Instead, when she came close, he just waved his pen with a smile that probably came out shier than it was supposed to. She smiled back, visibly delighted.

“Star freckles time?”

“Is this some world-ending code?” Wally asked, but they ignored him.

“Star freckles time. You have Orion on your left arm.”

Kaldur and Conner started their spar, but it wasn’t important to him anymore.

“Who were they?” she asked, moving her hand in clear “take it” way.

“He was an excellent archer, a hunter and now is a certified bitch and pain in the ass,” he started, “I met him at Pandora’s. He had some pretty wild life story, and as it is with myths, it’s kinda unclear what actually went down. He doesn’t make it any easier because that would be too nice. He was described as super hot too, but to be honest? I don’t see it. He certainly was a friend of Artemis, Goddess of Hunting, Wild Animals, Archery and Moon–”

“Artemis like–”

“Yeah, like our Artemis, I think that’s the reason they let her run around using her real name in the field. I don’t think anyone would believe that she got a given name that matches her thing so well.”

“True, actually. Had a lengthy with Batman about it and all. He looked on the verge of an aneurysm by the end.”

“Damn, I wish I was there to see it,” he said, trying to not sound too annoyed. He wanted his quality time with his friend, to infodump about things they both enjoyed, and this interruption made him disproportionally miffed, “Anyway, he was Artemis’ hunting buddy, as only guy to get that privilege, until he died. Some say that Artemis was actually the one that killed him, because he tried to assault a nymph and she didn’t stand for that–”

“As she should.”

“You’re not wrong, but stop interrupting Kid Mouth.”

“Both of you stay quiet,” M’gann hissed.

“–Some say nymph was one of the Pleiades and that’s the reason Orion is chasing Pleiades constellation on the sky,” Danny continued, trying to act like he wasn’t disrupted, “Some say Artemis asked Gaya, mother Earth, to send scorpion after him, because he was cocky and claimed that he’ll kill every wild animal in the world. There is also a version of the story, where Apollo, Artemis’ twin brother, tricked her into shooting him, because he was afraid she’d fall in love with him and she sworn forever virginity, which was really asshole move on his part, because Artemis is an aroace icon and people really should stop being weird about her made-up love life. Anyway, after he died, Orion was turned into a constellation, in stories where Artemis deliberately killed him, he was turned by Zeus, her father and King of Gods, also unimaginable asshole. In the story where Artemis was tricked, after she was unsuccessful in trying to have him resurrected, she put him up in the sky. Scorpio is also a constellation that exists, and it appears when Orion disappears, so that’s why their myths are connected. It’s really bright, so it’s easy to see in the night sky too.”

“We’ll have to go see it then!”

It was far from the first time she said that, but it stole his breath, regardless. She wasn’t lying, probably, as far as he could tell. He was slowly getting better at reading people with his ghostly senses, and he knew how lies tasted. M’gann was, of course, much better at everything psychic related, so she could’ve fooled him anyway, but she didn’t seem so.

It caught him like a bullet to the back every time.

“Of course.”

“What stars are you on right now?”

“I’m finishing Orion’s Belt, it’s sometimes treated as a separate constellation, also known as Three Kings or Three Sisters. The stars in it are called Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka. They’re all really bright, and it was discovered that only Alnilam is a single star, other two are multi-star systems, that just look like one big star from the distance. From Earth’s perspective, they also seem pretty evenly spaced out, so it’s really cool and… I’m done,” he announced, lifting his marker from M’gann’s skin with a flourish. It was more wobbly than he’d like, skin too squishy to draw anything straight, but it looked good enough.

M’gann raised her hand to look at his finished work, but it wasn’t really the best spot to look at.

“I’ll bring you some proper map and show you later,” he promised.

“You’re doing this often?” Robin asked, looking over Danny’s drawing curiously. Shit, he forgot there were people here for a moment.

“I can’t say it’s often, but it’s whenever Danny finds constellations in my freckles. I keep them afterwards, see? I have Virgo here!” M’gann explained enthusiastically, showing off group of freckles.

Danny… didn’t realize she kept them. He just, well, he assumed it mattered much more to him than it did to M’gann, that she just listened to him ramble and maybe even enjoyed it, but didn’t really memorize it. That it was just this small way in which she indulged him, but no. She remembered. She was proud of it.

It was doing weird things to his stomach, and he wasn’t going to examine what it meant.

[zombieplaguedoc]

This imagine goes out to the self-shippers who either choose not to associate with their family, or unfortunately are in a position where they may not have much of a family at all.

The latter half of the year��� specifically, the holidays— can be a tough time for many for a myriad of reasons, but just know that throughout it all, your F/Os see you, are here for you, and will remain by your side no matter what.

Think of all of your F/Os not only as one big family, but your true family, whether or not the first paragraph of this post applies to you. If it all becomes too much and you are disillusioned by the notion that you're all alone— you're not.

Your F/Os couldn't be happier to have you in their lives and are so thankful for you. Romantic, platonic, familial or parental, just you being the person that you are makes them even happier than you could possibly fathom.

💞 Remember that. 💞

ANTIS DNI, THIS POST IS NOT FOR YOU

[tabbytabbytabby]

Chapters: 9/13 (42,976 words)

Fandom: Teen Wolf, Merlin

Rating: Explicit

Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Cora Hale/Lydia Martin

Tags: Getting Together, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Established Cora Hale/Lydia Martin, Matchmaking, Love Confessions, Magic Revealed, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale & Theo Raeken Friendship, Arthur Pendragon Is King, Crossover, Alive Lancelot, Alive Elyan, Arthur Knows About Merlin’s Magic, First Time, Smut, Fluff and Smut, Sheriff Stilinski’s Name is John, Good Peter Hale, Good Morgana

Summary:

In a land of myth and a time of magic...

Members of the Beacon Hills pack suddenly find themselves thrust back in time with the purpose of helping Merlin stop a threat that is approaching the walls of Camelot. They have no choice but to adapt and try and fit in with this unfamiliar world. Some are more successful than others. It becomes more complicated when they discover the beast that has been terrorizing the kingdom is someone familiar. Especially when they realize that the beast might not be the real threat at all.

Chapter 9 is now posted

[dayeongi]

ULTRAVIOLET (43,231) by dayeongi

CHAPTER 10: THE SCARS

Chapters: 10/?

Chapter summary: Shikamaru and Temari's relationship progresses despite her guilt for Baki; Kankurō and Gaara bond at the hospital.

Fandom: Naruto (Anime & Manga) Rating: Mature

Summary: Five years after watching “Kurumi” disappear into a black van and being told not to ask any questions, Shikamaru finds himself getting entangled with her and her mysterious and exciting life. Temari had already put her year in Konoha behind her, focusing on her family, but fate’s ties between her and Shikamaru make her question if everything has really been left in the past.

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Kankurou (Naruto)/Original Male Character(s), Gaara & Kankurou & Temari (Naruto) Characters: Temari (Naruto), Nara Shikamaru, Kankurou (Naruto), Gaara (Naruto), Original Male Character(s), Nara Shikaku, Sen (Naruto), Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji

Additional Tags: People being bad at feelings, Friends to Lovers, star-crossed lovers, Denial of Feelings, Idiots in Love, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe, Modern Royalty, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - Politics, Slow Burn, Aromantic Gaara (Naruto), Past Child Abuse, Assassination Plot(s), Murder, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Transphobia, Dysfunctional Family, Childhood Trauma, First Love, Human Trafficking, Drug Dealing, Criminal Underworld, Author Is Sleep Deprived, no beta we die like shinobi, Eventual Smut, Ex Sex, First Time, Canonical Character Death, K-drama Rich Mom Shikaku Series: Part 3 of SETTING SUN AU

[echoarts03]

I'm getting sucked back into Cuphead, so here are some rankings! UwU

[illiana-mystery]

The Return of the Handsome Handyman

[unchartedthelostlegacy]

The air in the sauna made Nadine gasp. It felt wrong. It felt like she wasn't really breathing.

Chloe, unfazed, shut the wooden door with its tiny window and sat down on the slatted wooden seats, and Nadine tried to settle in across from her. She watched Chloe pushing her wet black hair behind one shoulder, hotel towel barely covering her breasts. Was there even enough oxygen in this hot elevator-sized crypt for both of them?

"China? Y'alright?"

Nadine bit her lip and shook her head, closing her eyes.

The panic rising in her stomach was irrational. She knew that. War memories rising unbidden, or maybe she just had a new phobia after the past couple of adventures with this battleaxe or the Drake idiots. Maybe it was of the combination of fire and water and being trapped.

Still, the dark, cramped wooden cube was supposed to be relaxing. Chloe was clearly enjoying it. She almost looked to be dozing off, a safe practice in the devil's hotbox for sure.

Nadine gripped her knees. She was starting to shake. Not from cold, obviously. It felt...more involuntary. Like muscle twitches. Her heart was pounding.

Someone could lock us in here. Cook us like lobsters. I don't have my gun with me. Frazer doesn't even have her stupid phone.

"Wait," Nadine burst out.

Chloe looked up at her, about to ladle water onto the heated rocks.

"You really think it's not hot enough in here?" the ex-mercenary said.

"You're the one that's shaking, mate."

Because this is what my version of hell feels like.

"How long's it been?" Chloe was smirking at her now. "Don't tell me you've never been in one before."

"Ja, I haven't missed much."

"Sauna virgin."

"I'm going to kill you in your sleep," Nadine's face was on fire.

"Even Sam's been in a sauna before."

"Did they have to demolish it afterward to get rid of the smell?"

Nadine could just go, walk out, leave the Aussie idiot to turn into biltong in here if she wanted. Chloe's goading shouldn't have an effect on her when she'd put up with so much in her life. Instead, the shaking was getting worse, and she knew she wasn't hiding it by re-wrapping the towel around her upper half. Nadine wasn't even the type to be self-conscious about nudity, but Chloe was obviously staring.

This was the Finns' fault. This was geometry and fluid dynamics's fault. This was Chloe's stupid rewards points getting them a cut-price deal on this campy spa instead of a reasonable business hotel's fault. Nadine should be upstairs in her pajamas watching the Premier League and pretending not to Facebook stalk Lesedi on her phone. Apparently relaxation was not supposed to be fun.

"All right, ready for the ice dip?" Chloe said into the boiling silence.

"What?"

Nadine was so overjoyed at seeing the door open again, a strip of light cutting the penance benches, that she wasn't prepared when Chloe grabbed an armful of ice from the trough (Nadine had assumed it was for champagne bottles that would be brought later) beside the evil room and threw it over herself.

"Bracing!"

This couldn't be how it was done. This had to be a prank. The line between luxury spa treatment and interrogation-room torture method seemed very thin at the moment to Nadine.

"You won't even feel cold after the first minute, china. Try it."

"I'm going to be honest," Nadine said as the treasure hunter continued rubbing ice on her sweat-beaded body. "I think I'd rather die."

And yet. Nadine did not know what possessed her to reach over and grasp a handful of the ice--it seemed to steam and stick to her wet fingers--and then brush it over her shoulder and chest, where her heart was still quaking.

The shudder that went through her was, yes, bracing. Nadine wouldn't call it nice. Or even tolerable. But it made her take a full, deep breath for the first time in what felt like forever.

Climbing to absurd heights and balancing across precipices. Catching runaway trains. She needed to stop letting Chloe rope her into this death wish crap.

Chloe was rubbing the ice on her face now, in large circles, like it was some sort of influencer anti-aging trick. "You weren't happy in there. You should have said something."

Nadine sputtered, "And--and listen to your--"

"My what?"

"Your bullshit," Nadine gritted her teeth. "All of your bullshit, Frazer, always."

"You listen to it anyway. God, it was hard watching you?" She turned to Nadine. "What sort of place is this for bottling all that up?"

Nadine couldn't say anything to that. Couldn't even hold Chloe's television-static eyes.

Because it used to work. For almost her whole family it had worked. And other skills, softer skills, non-close-quarters-combat skills that she was sure she had down were atrophied now.

"I thought everyone hated being in there," Nadine stammered. "I didn't think--people actually liked that."

Chloe didn't have to burst out laughing.

[sexy-weapons]

Thoughts on Paracelsus from Guilty Gear? he's personally one of my favorite sentient weapons!

Smash

[iron-sparrow]

You are never alone, as you are never without us. So keep going, my friend. You are doing so great. ‧₊˚❀

[alice-after-dark]

Shiny New Idea Syndrome has me by the throat guys

[cimarraskylark]

Cimarra... What are you laughing about? >.>

..... *proceeds to go to bed when she refuses to answer*

(another of my older, but favorite, ones.🥰)

[duckapus]

For most Squirtle Line Pokemon in the Papa Meowth AU I'd just pick abilities at random, but I have actual Plans for the Squirtle Squad leader and May's Squirtle/Wartortle.

Squirtle Squad Squirtle has Speed Boost, Swift Swim and Motor Drive so his whole thing is Speed now. Also Maria catches him instead of Ash.

Meanwhile May's Wartortle has a new ability I came up with called "Liquify" which is a Water-Type version of Pixelate and Refrigerate. Because it just makes sense to me for there to be a version of those abilities for every Type.

[jackharkness]

when you edit an old gifset and the old editor shows up

[illiana-mystery]

Hello hot rod, nice ride.