#I might not post again for a while though

[prettycolors]

Pretty Colors Update _ Jan 27 2025

First, a story told in three parts…

I.

Time passes. It's hard to be sure how much. Feels like a lot. Stuff happens: Everything and nothing. Some beings are born and other beings die. An uncaring universe hangs out with itself while lots of fuckin' bullshit goes on. Personally, I'm just kind of sitting there, minding my own business.

II.

I get an email saying that Somebody Nice has "Blazed" a Pretty Colors post. I think this means that it'll be shown to more people, which is good. People need to think about the simple things in life more often, and there's not many activities simpler than contemplating a particularly nice color.

I'm warm with gratitude as I sit with this surprising development.

III.

An hour later, still filled with a nonzero amount of Good Vibes over the previous section of my story, I get another email:

A particularly nice shade of lavender, brought into existence via the vibration of wavelengths the human mind can barely fathom while our eye cones and brains and God knows what else turn those vibrations into something pretty, is "poor image quality and user experience."

<3 right back atcha, hellsite.

...

Finally, a technical update…

In an unprecedented move, I had to entirely disable new Pretty Color submissions because somebody has been putting in the same color approximately 847 times in a row and it's making some people insane. Personally, I can kind of see this as more "uncaring universe bullshit" that might be good for us all to deal with, but my goal with Pretty Colors has generally been to make people feel the opposite of insane. Generally.

For now, though, I'm going to think about to handle this sort of thing and then hit you back when things are back up and running again.

As always, thanks for your engagement.

[mapis-putellas]

𝑪𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒔𝒚/𝑨.𝑹𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒐

The call came while you were halfway through folding laundry in the living room. You barely managed to grab your phone in time, Alessia’s coach’s name flashing across the screen. The moment you answered, you could tell something was wrong by the apologetic tone in her voice. She quickly explained that Alessia had hit her head during training—crashed face-first into the goalpost, of all things—and now had a rather concerning goose egg on her forehead.

“She’s… fine,” the coach reassured, though her hesitation didn’t do much to settle your nerves. “But she’s a bit dazed, and we think it’s best if someone comes to get her. Just to keep an eye on her.”

You didn’t waste any time. Within minutes, you were in the car, heading straight to the training ground. Your heart pounded as you pulled into the lot, spotting a small group of players milling about near the pitch. And then there she was, sitting on the bench with an ice pack pressed to her forehead, looking like the picture of misery.

“Baby,” you called as you hurried over, your voice tinged with both worry and affection.

Alessia glanced up, her pout almost comically exaggerated as her big blue eyes met yours. “Hi, love,” she mumbled, her words slightly slurred, though that could have been the pout.

You crouched in front of her, gently prying the ice pack away to inspect the damage. The large bump on her forehead was impossible to miss, and you winced at the sight of it. “Oh, Lessi girl, what did you do?” you murmured, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of her face.

“I didn’t mean to,” she said defensively, her voice soft and a little sheepish. “The post came out of nowhere.”

You couldn’t help but laugh softly, though you quickly sobered when she winced, clearly still in pain. “Alright, let’s get you home. Can you stand?”

She nodded, but as soon as she got to her feet, she swayed slightly, her hand clutching your arm for balance. “Might need a little help,” she admitted, her cheeks tinged pink.

You wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her to the car while murmuring reassurances. Once you got her settled into the passenger seat, you buckled her in, pressing a kiss to her cheek as you rounded the car to the drivers side.

“I feel stupid,” she mumbled as you started the car.

“Don’t,” you said firmly, glancing over at her. “You’re not stupid, baby. Just a little clumsy. But I already knew that.”

She huffed out a laugh, though it was short-lived as she winced again. You reached over to squeeze her hand that was resting limply on her thigh, your thumb brushing gently over her knuckles. “We’ll get you home, showered, and comfortable, okay? You’ll be alright.”

Alessia nods, letting out a quiet sigh as she leans her head back against the headrest of her seat. You squeeze her hand once more before putting both hands back on the wheel.

By the time you got her home and inside, Alessia was practically clinging to you, her pout firmly in place. She had every right to be feeling sorry for herself; concussions weren’t exactly fun. After helping her kick off her trainers and shrug out of her training kit and dumping them in a corner to be dealt with later, you led her to the bathroom, keeping a firm grip on her arm in case she lost her balance.

“You’re coming in with me, right?” she asked, her voice small as she looked at you with those wide, pleading eyes that always made your heart melt.

“Of course, baby,” you said softly, pressing a kiss to her temple, just next to the goose egg, before turning on the shower. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

Once the water was warm enough, you helped her step in, stripping off yourself and following after her, keeping your hands on waist her to steady her. She leaned into you immediately, her arms wrapping around your waist as the water cascaded over both of you.

“You’re too good to me,” she mumbled against your shoulder, her voice muffled by your skin.

“You’d do the same for me,” you replied, running your hands over her back in soothing circles. Alessia hummed in agreement, and you feel her lips press against your neck in a gentle kiss. You squeeze her softly in return, pressing your own lips against the wet skin of her shoulder.

After the shower, you helped her into one of your oversized t-shirts and a pair of her own shorts, the soft fabric clinging to her damp skin. She looked impossibly adorable, perched on the end of the bed, her damp hair sticking to her face as she let you fuss over her, brushing through the tangles and pressing gentle kisses to her temple every so often.

Once you were satisfied that she was comfortable, you led her to the couch, settling in first before pulling her down on top of you. Her taller frame sprawled out over yours, her head resting on your chest as she let out a content sigh. You reach for one of the blankets hung over the back of the couch to cover you both up, spending a little time in making sure Alessia was all tucked in.

“This is nice,” she murmured after a few quiet moments, her voice already heavy with sleep

“Don’t get too comfy,” you teased, pressing your lips to the top of her head as your fingers trail softly over her back beneath the shirt. “I have to wake you up every half hour, remember?”

She groaned, adjusting herself slightly so her face was buried in your neck. “That’s so annoying.”

“I know, my love,” you said with a soft laugh, craning your head and pressing a kiss to her temple as you continue with the gentle ministrations against her back. “But it’s for your own good, my clumsy girl.”

The first time you woke her, she blinked up at you with bleary eyes, her pout more pronounced than ever. “I was dreaming,” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

“About what?” you asked, stroking her hair gently

“About you,” she said simply, her eyes fluttering closed again

You smiled, your heart melting at her words. “Go back to sleep, baby. I’ll wake you again soon.”

The second time, she was even grumpier, swatting at your hand as you gently shook her shoulder. “Leave me alone,” she grumbled, though the slight curve of her lips betrayed her

“Not a chance,” you said, pressing a kiss to her nose. It scrunched up adorably in response, and you couldn’t help but do it again, just because.

By the third time, she was too sleepy to protest, simply nuzzling further into your chest as you murmured soft reassurances.

“I love you,” she mumbled, her voice barely audible as sleep threatened to pull her under again.

“I love you too, Lessi girl,” you whispered, your fingers tracing lazy patterns over her back.

**

Tags:

@ceesimz @marysfics @girlgenius1111 @codiemarin @simp4panos @silentwolfsstuff @goldenempyrean @xxnaiaxx @liloandstitchstan @ktgoodmorning @chelseacult

[reptileofdoom]

So last person’s translations are accurate, but the explanation regarding Czech is not. No shade to them, it seems to be born from lack of knowledge regarding English linguistics. As a Czech native speaker and Cambridge C2 certified English speaker here’s some clarification: Czech swears are generally more explicit, but not for the reasons described above.

English and Czech both have diminutive and derogatory words. The principle is the same. Where Slavic languages differ is the sheer amount of flexibility and variety of words.

A “doggy” can be pejsek, but it can also be pejsánek, psík, psíček or hafík. (Last one is derived from hafan, literally meaning “woofer.”) Meanwhile on the derogatory side we have čokl, pesan, psisko, psovina. As one can imagine, this large variety regarding words is why Slavic cursing can be incredibly expressive and vulgar.

(While I can’t speak for more distant Eastern languages, Slavic languages diverged much later than most other language families, and therefore at least when it comes to Slovakian, Polish, etc. I can speak for those languages as well given that I understand a large percentage of them.)

One might have seen this post floating around:

Is there really such a variety when swearing in Czech? Yeah, pretty much. Most words can be modified with a variety of prefixes that change their meanings anywhere from “basically the same meaning” to “another thing entirely” and when applied to curse words can make them very specific.

Srát? “to shit.” not much you can do with it than just describe an action. (bonus meaning: “to be pissing someone off”)

Zasraný? covered in shit. Posraný? has been shit on. Nasraný? angry. Vysraný? has finished shitting. Rozesraný? in the middle of shitting.

That’s just one root word. Words like jebat, kurva/kurvit, mrdat, prdel, píča all have a variety of creative applications - though most people will just have a few favorites they stick with.

Do prdele is a favorite for a reason. It rolls nicely off the tongue (if you’re Slavic). Zkurvený does essentially mean “fucked”, but moreso “fucked by a whore.” Zkurvysyn is a son of a whore. Zjebaný is also “fucked”, but vyjebaný is “fucked till exhaustion” and pojebaný is probably best translated as “fucked intermittently.”

If you wonder why a lot of swearing translations aren’t literal, this is why. Translating any of the above fucked variants as just “fucked” is a correct translation. Only language nerds will really want to know “He said do prdele vyjebaný zasraný which means ‘up the fucked out shit-covered ass.’” It’s not bad to post explanations like that, this is the fun facts website, but I want to make sure to say it because people like to complain about translations not being literal.

Last note: A large part of swearing is the tone. This is true for most languages! If I say “jakej génius tohle vymyslel” (which genius thought of this) but I say it in the same tone as “kterýho vola tenhle zasranej nápad napadl” (which ox had this shitty idea), the meaning is the same! I don’t have a stake in the SG Atlantis fandom, but you can tell a lot about what your blorbo is saying through tone even if you can’t understand their words.

Again, sorry tds-rb for correcting you, your explanations kind of made me wince so I wanted to gently correct them - but I greatly admire you for trying and am glad there’s Czech people providing translations across fandom ❤️

One of my favorite things in stargate atlantis is zelenka just angrily muttering in czech at every inconvenience

[esamastation]

Here's another original LITRPG thing I wrote a while back, which I just realised I never posted anywhere.

In which a guy named John has just died and is about to be Isekaied into a new world.

-

Upon his death, John remembers everything - and promptly fist pumps the universe. "Oh, hell yeah!"

Before him floats the Tutorial. "Welcome back, Ser Afathion - or do you prefer Mr. John Castle?"

"Just call me John, please," John says, grinning from ear to ear. "Man, that was a good life! How did I do, how are my points? Bet I got a whole bunch from that war! And the relationships - that love triangle must've netted me a fortune!"

"You did very well indeed, John," the Tutorial says and produces a logbook - a glowing rectangle of text that hangs in the air between them. "Your life as John Castle was evaluated at 4.7 million System Credits. Congratulations."

"Awww yes!" John pumps his fist again. "Damn, but Earth is good for points!"

"Indeed. Would you like to take a look at your balance sheet?"

"Yes please!"

Another glowing window of text appears, detailing the arcs of John Castle's life and their worth. By themselves the events of his life weren't worth much, but the various roles he'd played stacked up to a decent enough point total. He'd played minor roles in three big war narratives that had had a decent following, and though he wasn't the main character in the love triangle, his ex ended up as a popular drama lead with a big following. And apparently he'd played the part of an enemy for three different people!

Though it's a bit disappointing that his life hadn't gotten him the Protagonist title, John's fine having played the side and background characters in the lives of more interesting people. His life was nice, if a bit short, and he could've done much worse than 4.7 million credits.

The Tutorial shoots a party popper over him, and John beams happily. "Did I get any sponsors?"

"No, but you received these offers," the Tutorial says, and a number of logos appear in the air, arrayed in a grid. Some of them offer discounts, others promise unique opportunities and a couple proclaim to be spiritually the healthy option.

John dismisses those ones off hand and points at the one that caught his eye first. "The Adventure Guild? Aren't they fully booked for, like, centuries?"

"There was a war on the server," the Tutorial explains. "Over a million characters died, and they're looking to repopulate."

"Huh. And their character packages?"

The Tutorial shows him the standard packages for the Adventure Guild's server. They start from low level mob and peasant packages that cost a few hundred thousand - and have the expected lifespan of a couple decades at most - to a high elf noble package that costs billions of credits and might last for a couple of millennia. The best John could afford in the Adventure Guild's Server is a merchant family with 10 extra stats points to start with - stat points?

"Stat points?" John asks.

"The Adventure Guild server is System Enabled," the Tutorial explains. "These are all transmigration packages."

"Get outta here! Transmigration package, me? In an Adventure Guild server?" John sputters, and then narrows his eyes. "Those things cost a fortune! What's the catch?"

"It's part of a new World Narrative the Adventure Guild is starting," the Tutorial explains. "They're looking specifically for players that have just come from Earth - your last life will be the one you'll be transmigrating from."

"Wow," John murmurs, wondering what kind of story the Adventure Guild might be building up. They're pretty known for their big narratives, and they're super popular as galactic entertainment goes - there's a reason why even cheap roles in their server are always fully booked. Even playing the part of collateral damage in a random bar fight on Adventure Guild server could net you pretty decent royalties. Never mind being hella fun.

If they've opened the server to someone like him, that means the place probably has a lot of new players. And that usually means there's a big thing coming, a war or apocalypse or something, and they needed a lot of fresh cannon fodder. And a bunch of Earth transmigrations in a post war Adventure Guild server?

"I am so in," John breathes excitedly. "What kind of customisation options do I have?"

"These are the species available," the Tutorial says and pops open a whole array of character customisation windows. "From the most affordable to the less so."

"And stat points?"

"Each race starts with a set amount specific for the race. Extra points cost a hundred thousand System credits per point."

So, basically, John could be a goblin with a lifespan of twenty years and start with 44 extra points to allocate as he chose, or he could become a dwarf orphan with an estimated lifespan of three hundred years, but he'd be starting without any extra stat points. The human merchant family with extra 10 points is pretty good value for his money, honestly, seeing as humans already start with 10, but… it sounded pretty boring.

Running a hand over his chin John tried to think of how to make most of this opportunity. "What's the cost of ambitions in the server? How about natural talents?"

A lot, it turns out. Good ambitions cost millions, as did talents. Dang, but Adventure Guild is expensive.

"You start with all of John Castle's knowledge," the Tutorial reminds him. "And his ambitions."

Sure, but John Castle's biggest ambition in the end was owning a nice car and not dying of cancer - and he'd failed in both, pretty much. He can't even remember if he had any life goals when he'd been a young man. Probably not, seeing as he hadn't really amounted to much. It's why he hadn't gained more points during his life - he'd gone into that life without any interesting traits, and it showed. He'd lived and died pretty quietly.

It would be nice to live a little more interesting life this time.

"Let's try random generation," John says. "Maybe I'll get some ideas."

Obligingly the Tutorial opens an empty character creation screen, and John inserts the number of credits he wants to use, 3 million. That way he'd have 1.7 million to spend on stat points and other things.

The first he gets is an awakened dog with high stamina and potential as a special mount. The second is an orc from an exiled clan - classic minor enemy encounter fodder. The third is a bird familiar with fire abilities - which is honestly a little tempting, though he wouldn't be able to speak, except to his master.

"Rule out non-humanoid creatures," John decides and folds his arms. "I want to be able to speak and, you know, have hands."

"Limiting selection to creatures when hands and the ability to speak "

The selection is limited indeed. Peasant human born to farmers, ghoul foot soldier, peasant human born to a tavern wench, skeleton serving a necromancer, orphan peasant human, sickly elf with a lifespan of five years, peasant human born to a smith…

"Perhaps we could narrow the search criteria," the Tutorial suggests. "What kind of life are you interested in living?"

"Something loud and bombastic," John says and thinks about it. "Since it's basically a fantasy world, I want to fight a bunch. Like, properly fight, not just be caught in the crossfire as a poor hapless victim - I wanna be the person running headlong into trouble because it's fun, you know? Like, you know, a good old style fantasy adventure protagonist."

The Tutorial considers it for a moment and then says.  "You do not have enough credits for the protagonist tag. However I have sent a query to the Adventure Guild, and they have a suggestion. Would you like to take on a curse?"

John perks up interestedly. "What kind of curse? Would it cost me points, or would it award me points?"

In answer the Tutorial opens up a status window - with a whole dropdown menu of available options. And it turns out that while most curses had a cost, there were some curses that would give John extra System credits to use. Sadly he could only choose one, but even so…

The curse that would give him the most was called the Puppet Curse, which would give a viewer - or a Server Admin - the ability to puppeteer him for a while if they paid him for it. It was worth a million just by itself - with the potential of being paid more as the curse was being used.

"Dayyym," John murmurs. "That's interesting."

It kinda seems like a quick way to get himself killed, though - he can just imagine some bored rich viewer using him to instigate a war just for fun, and then he'd be hanging by the neck in the nearest tree. No thank you!

The next most profitable curse was the Mouthpiece which was kind of the same as Puppet Curse, but it basically would make him say things the viewers - or admin - wanted him to say. Very useful for instigating drama! Also a good way to get himself killed.

The curses that cost him rather than awarding him points are a bit better. Designed to make things more interesting, they range from the Werewolf Curse - 1.5 million - to Curse of Sleepwalking - 400 thousand. There's a whole lot of different ones, some more interesting than others, and the one that catches his eye is the Bad Luck Curse. At 750 thousand credits it's not cheap but it looks like it would definitely make things interesting for him.

… or get him killed.

Ugh. It's this kind of hemming and hawing that made his previous life kinda boring!

"You know what, to hell with it," John says, turning to the Tutorial. "Can I send a question to the Server Admins? I want to know if there's a way to limit the Puppet Curse to Admin use only - it seems like the most interesting one, but I don't like the idea of a random viewer using it and getting me killed for kicks."

"I will send the query," the Tutorial says. There's a moment of silence, during which John idly hits the randomiser on the character customisation screen, trying to settle on a character. Human, human, orc, human, goblin, human, human, human, skeleton, human, human, human… Well, as a human he could start with as many as 27 stat points, assuming he spent 1.7 million on extra points, which definitely isn't bad, but… it's so boring.

Why does everything more interesting have to be so expensive?

Then the Tutorial opens a contract screen.

[Puppet's Very Specific Curse] [Contract]

[The undersigned hereby accepts the Puppet's Very Specific Curse for their character for the duration of their stay in the Adventure Guild's server. The victim of this curse can be at any moment subjected to System control, and can be piloted by any employee of the Adventure Guild, to do with as they wish. The undersigned hereby acknowledges that Adventure Guild is in no way responsible for any spiritual, emotional or mental damages caused by this curse.]

[Time limit: ?] [Mana cost: ?] [Cure: ?] [Reward: 1 000 000 store credits now and 1 stat points per activation]

John reads through the screen once, twice, three times, and then looks at the Tutorial. "Store credits only - and no credits per activation?"

"Without viewer participation, the Guild isn't expecting any returns, so, no," the Tutorial agreed. "And you must remember, the Server Admins already have their own characters and do not need an agent on the server. You might come in handy, but you're not necessary."

"Fair enough," John muses, shrugs his shoulders and then accepts the contract. One stat point per activation is way too good to pass by, even if it's not as good as a flat fee of System credits would've been. "Alright, 5.7 million credits to use! Ka-ching! Here's hoping I won't regret this."

"You won't - you will have no knowledge of it," the Tutorial says ominously. "You won't remember any of this, only your life as John Castle."

"Sounds like I'm in for some interesting times, then," John says, grinning. It's about time, too. "Now, any chance of talking down the price on the Bad Luck Curse? No? Alright, let's try the randomiser again, shall we?"

-

If you guys remember that series poll I did a while back, making a generic fantasy character who then turned into a fox beast person Bard, lol. I wrote 6 chapters of this, and then it sort of petered off - but I still like it.

... I didn't even give the poor story a name, it's just called "LITRPG" in my files, haha

[power464646]

The way people talk about non-mammalian pets on this website is crazy. You could post a video of a pet tarantula perfectly walking up and down the keys of a piano to play the right hand to the opening of Firth of Fifth by Genesis and still there'll be some jerk in the notes going like "EWW GROSS KILL IT". Ignore this person. You have to post the video anyway. When you do, that'll be our sign to send someone to meet you at the corner of Williams and First at 11 P.M., sharp. Look for a woman in a brown parka. Make sure you weren't followed, and don't bring a phone or credit card. Take a bag containing twenty thousand dollars in cash only. Help her count it, too, numbers aren't her strong suit. She actually dropped out of high school and became a junior hockey player, in fact. She'll say, "but now that you know that, I have to kill you!" Then she'll see the look on your face and passive-aggressively apologise and tell you it was only a joke. You'll say then why didn't she laugh, then, and she'll say she thought it was funnier than it actually was. Then she'll lead you to an abandoned back-alley tattoo parlour and tell you to take off your shirt. You'll explain that you're shy, but she'll insist, and promise that she won't laugh or anything. When you do take off your shirt she will chuckle slightly. She won't explain what she's tattooing into your back as she does it, but you can feel it might be a QR code. Then she'll take the money and bid you adieu, and you'll put your shirt back on and, other than the pain of having a fresh tattoo, won't think about it any further until three days later when two men knock on your door. They will look nearly identical, but they aren't actually related. "But we are married!" the taller of the two will explain. "To the job," the shorter will reply. "Precisely," the taller will answer, to which the shorter then concludes, "yes, we are precisely married, to the job". Don't underestimate these men, though. They kill people for a living. The shorter will remove your shirt and begin asking you a series of personal questions, such as whether or not you have ever seen something which had compelled you to turn to the supernatural for explanation, or whether or not you had ever felt more guilty for failure to apologise for something than you had for doing that thing in the first place. You must answer these questions truthfully and without hesitation. The taller will struggle with the QR reader on his phone, and occasionally ask your help here and there. The shorter will stall for time while the taller figures this out by very obviously improvising more questions. You must still answer quickly and honestly. At one point he will ask you how you taught a spider to play Dance on a Volcano: he is testing you. You must explain that it's playing Firth of Fifth in the video, even if it happens that you have also taught it to play Dance on a Volcano. The taller will finally get the app working and scan your back. The two will then be on their way, but ah, before they go, could they grab a bite to eat? You'll say sure, why not, and they'll find a bowl of homemade guacamole in the fridge that you were really proud of and take it, bowl and all, even though you were saving it for a party that night. The following day you will find one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash by the foot of your bed. The person who left unnecessarily rude comments on your video will never show up in your notes again. You will presume they were merely a front for organised crime and no longer need you. This is true, but built on a faulty assumption. You will find your tarantula that morning already on the piano, suddenly able to play Al Stewart's Year of the Cat.

[sgiandubh]

hi, i’m an american and stuff is very censored rn, and i was wondering if you could explain what’s happening in germany? i’ve been searching but just about all i could find was that parliament was dissolved and there’s an election in february. the way people are talking about it is super scary and i was wanting to see if there’s any info i could get on it to understand what’s going on more

Dear @ceilingpancake,

Thank you for asking. Our friend @mojo106, who (unlike me) is German, wrote an excellent reblog comment to my post, placing things in their own, local context. You can read it here: https://www.tumblr.com/mojo106/773918157418168320/httpswwwreuterscomworldeuropegerman-protest?source=share

She included an article of LA Times, clearly explaining the main issues at stake. To make it even more clear, though, suffice to say the German far-right party, AfD, is one of the most vocally aggressive of that entire European Fascist/Nazi political family, spanning the entire continent from East to West (and now coming dangerously close to winning elections, too). And also the entire spectrum, from Taliban, illiterate opportunists to that chilling, monstrous pragmatism someone like Goebbels portrayed so well.

Also taking the liberty to redirect you to these prior posts/comments of me and @mojo106, bringing even more context: https://www.tumblr.com/sgiandubh/771215878091145216/taking-the-time-to-reblog-this-very-important?source=share

Just imagine our deep shock to see our greatest Ally dangerously shifting, like this. Add to this multiple hotbeds of turmoil, all across Europe, and all of them linked to far-right movements and the hurt & confusion that necessarily come along with it. You can easily imagine the rest, I hope.

Finally, what you also have to realize is that we've collectively been through this before, ninety years ago and counting. It fractured our families, our lives, our prosperity, our destinies. The least thing many of us would like is to see all of this happening again, so this is why the same many people take to the streets to clearly say ¡No pasarán!.

They shall not pass. Hopefully.

This blog is not a political page, simply because who I am in real life has more than a daily share of it. However, sometimes and whimsically, I might address topics that burn my shirt, as we say in Romanian.

Please keep an eye on the comments' thread, because you might get extra info from my German readers (and not only them).

[Later edit]: I have replaced the anarchist gif with an archive photo of the Madrid makeshift barricades, as a sign of respect for our Spanish friends whose families went through hell and back, on both sides of the Spanish Civil War. While posting my answer, I was blind with sleep and did not pay proper attention to the anarchist logo in the upper left corner of that gif. We may never change history, as is - but we surely can and even must make sure we don't repeat its more somber hours.

[thezombieprostitute]

Your Fixer: Breaking Point

Summary: A string of bad luck has you considering going back to your ex-husband.

Warnings: Manipulation, Mild violence. Please let me know if I missed any!

Part of the Yours AU

Fired. Again. You don't know what happened. Everything was going so well! You even had a wonderful performance review! But then one mistake, one upset high profile client, and it's all gone.

Maybe August was right. You'll never be anything without him.

You'd been so certain when you handed him the divorce papers. Certain he was holding you back, keeping you beneath him in every sense. And you had done well for the first several years after!

Then, after one party your luck seemed to turn south. The morning after your boss had complained about your behavior. You had no idea what he was talking about. Neither did your co-workers. But it didn't matter, you were fired.

Your coworkers were willing to be a reference and you were quick to find another job. Soon after, though, you were blindsided yet again. It felt like the universe was out to get you.

The library computers provided a good place to start looking into new jobs. You weren't sure you could find anything cheaper than the closet you call an apartment but at least you can find ways to cut spending while you applied to fast food jobs all day. Plus, if you stay put, you're less likely to have the urge to buy anything, right?

On the far end of the computer terminals, Jack O'Malley is discreetly keeping an eye on you. He'd been hired by your ex-husband to drive you back to him. "Preferably crawling, but I'll take what I get," Walker had sneered. He'd seen you at a work party and hated that you were doing so well without him.

Of course Jack took the job. So long as he prioritized Nick's work, he was allowed to take side jobs. Though only if they didn't break Nick's rules. This job was close to breaking a few of them but it straddled the line just enough Jack felt okay about it.

Well at least he used to feel okay about it. He'd heard those stories about abusers wanting to break strong people to make themselves feel better. He thought it was pop psych stuff. The abusers he'd seen went after weak people who wouldn't fight back. He had forgotten to account for kind people.

Jack looked into your history, and Walker's, in between bouts of getting you fired. You were a good person who'd had a bright future until Walker stepped in. The more Jack looked into Walker, the more he hated himself for taking the guy's money.

And now you're here at the library. He's remotely connected to your terminal, seeing everything you're doing. Even after all you've been through, even with tears in your eyes, you're still looking for ways to survive on your own. Jack can't help but be in awe of your strength.

He knows he should probably tell you what's been going on. Give you the evidence to take to the police or something. But the police aren't always reliable in these matters and Jack's never been good at the direct route.

The idea comes to him in a flash. He quickly writes up an email to Nick, attaching some of the worst evidence against August, leaving out some of his own influence on your current situation. He asks permission to help you out, keep you from going back to your loser ex.

After he sends the email he doesn't wait for permission. He posts an impromptu job opening that he'll make sure you find. Might get a few other unwanted applicants but that'll just make the interview feel more legitimate. He doesn't actually need an assistant, but that'll just make your job that much easier. And who doesn't love easy money?

He gets a reply from Nick:

Send Rogers to punch the mustache off him. If he wanted his wife to stay he should've treated her better.

Relieved Jack gets back to work making sure you find and apply for the fake job.

Jack returns to his apartment feeling good. You'd applied for the job and he was going to make sure to call you tomorrow about it. Maybe look up a few tasks you could do for him to make things feel legitimate.

He stops in his tracks when he sees Nick in his living room. With a knife.

"That request you sent me earlier, Jack? I know that wasn't the whole truth."

Jack's mouth is dry, his blood turned to ice.

"You shouldn't have taken this job. We're supposed to be making our people feel safe. Word gets out we forced a woman to go crawling back to her asshole ex, people lose faith in us. Maybe stop being so willing to pay us. Then it becomes a whole mess."

Jack nods, not trusting himself to speak.

"But, you're making amends in your own way," Nick cheerfully says, putting away his knife. "You're going to take very good care of this girl, right? Gonna fix all her problems?"

Jack nods, "yes, Sir."

"Good." Nick goes to walk by him but, faster than Jack can react, Nick kicks his leg, dropping him to his knees. He pulls Jack's hair, exposing his neck, and brings the knife back out, pressing it just enough to draw blood.

"You do something stupid like this again and I'll make sure you get made an example of," he growls. "Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Jack whimpers.

Nick removes the knife and pushes Jack's torso onto the ground before walking out of the apartment.

Jack takes in a deep breath. Yeah, lesson learned.

Tagging:

@alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @irishhappiness; @kmc1989;

@lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly; @thiquefunlover63

[theonlyfeckuser]

please enjoy this brief analysis i posted on my university's philosophy society instagram page of which i am president

Happy Threshold Day, philosophers!

Star Trek dresses up as a show about science, when really, it uses far-fetched futuristic technology to explore philosophical ideas. In an inter-planetary society, the question of humanity is explored countless times; where does human end, and alien begin? What about the identity of those with parents of two different planets? And what does it actually mean to be human, when not every human even hails from Earth? In its second season, Star Trek: Voyager looks at evolution, both literal and metaphorical. Pilot Tom Paris discovers a way to break the warp barrier and travel faster than anyone ever has, but in the process, his DNA begins to evolve at an alarming rate as he becomes allergic to water and can no longer breathe the same atmosphere. Along with the physical changes, Paris becomes more and more convinced of his apotheosis, as the flight has made him feel godly in his grasp on science and the universe. One thing leads to another and he and the captain end up as salamander-like creatures who have procreated. Apparently, humanity is destined to become amphibious.

While often considered one of the worst Star Trek episodes of all time (despite winning an Emmy award for stage makeup), Threshold poses a few interesting questions. How much of our desire to learn about the universe comes from a selfish need to prove our adequacy, as individuals and as a race? How much physical change can a human being experience and still remain a "human"? What responsibility could we one day have in controlling our impact on random planets, where we leave our lizard babies to fend for themselves and never speak of them again?

Paris and his captain are eventually returned to their original state, though they remain deeply impacted by their experiences as slimy water-dwelling creatures. Captain Janeway has a new perspective on procreation, and Paris feels he might just have done enough to prove his worth to his father. Perhaps in a way, this absurd episode was trying to tell us that to be human is to be changed?

[blushingbubbles]

Do you regret making the poll asking for others opinions in if you should cum before Feb 1?

I do actually!! I wish I didn't, but I do.

I really hate saying I regret it. I love having the public's opinion on what I do, and I love playing with the idea that it's not "my" body, it's theirs (and yours (HEYYY)) to use.

As much as I can recall though, this is the first time I've actually cared about something in a poll that I haven't gotten.

I do soooooo many polls. Like 1/week. (It's the incentive so people will actually read all of this blog's pinned post.)

But the polls are usually just full of things I'm aloof about. ("Oh should I wear panties this week? No? Okay!! NBD!" | "What task should I start on next? Waxplay? Awesome!")

But I'm looking down the barrel of longggg-term denial for the first time ever (you inspired me actually -- the longest streak I have I believe is 5 weeks?). Now I'm looking at eaaaaaaasily over six months. Easily. And cumming freely again won't happen again for over a year from now.

I'll admit I wanted a clean transition into denial. I know that in six months it might not even matter what day I started on, but I'm kinda sad that when I had the last orgasm I'll have for a while, I didn't even know it was the last one for a while.

So yah I'm kinda pouting about it lol but i'd love your insight and thank u for asking 🥹<3

[jaydenism]

hiiiii, i wanted to make a quick post talking abt the new niigo 2dmv for the group's movie commission song, soko ni aru, hikari. saw someone on twitter post their analysis of it, but i looked at the mv myself and drew some different conclusions, so i felt the need to share (also cus its mizuena related and that's like, my whole thing atp lmao) no hate to them at all!! just wanted to share what I gathered.

Mizuki and Ena's planets are both pink, but Mizuki's is more saturated, while Ena's is a paler pink. The post I saw seemed to get them mixed up. Anyways, this is important to note for another part of the mv, where each member's planet sees a different perspective of the others in their group, with the other three lighting up their own planet.

This is from Mizuki's perspective, showing her vibrant pink planet in the corner. I'll show Ena's further down on this post, and you can see this one is the more saturated pink of the two.

Next is figuring out which of the other planets is which. In all of these perspectives, the farther planets are always blacked out, aside from a faint glow of color along the edge of their planets. I'm not sure if that'll even come across here, but I'm just describing what I saw from the mv.

Here's an example of their colors being shown along the edges like this. If you haven't seen the mv, Mafuyu is purple, Ena is pale pink, Mizuki is hot pink, and Kanade is blue.

Going back to the image from Mizuki's perspective, the next planet closest to her appears to have a pinkish edge, so this appears to be Ena. The light around her planet also makes the shape of wings, which I interpret to mean she's the one saving Mizuki. Her being the closest also makes sense, as she's gotten the closest to understanding Mizuki out of the group (also, it's important to note that the movie takes place sometime before the 3rd anniversary, so mizu5+ena5 has not happened yet).

The other two planets are hard to distinguish which is which, especially because of the wing-like light obscuring them (that's why those two might look like different colors too, but if you watch the mv, you can see it's just from the wings. the part to focus on is the color shown on the top edge of the planets). The second from last looks blue to me, so I believe that's Kanade, but I'm not positive. Then by process of elimination, the furthest would be Mafuyu. But again, those two could be switched around.

This next image is from Ena's perspective, showing the paler pink planet in the center, with the others surrounding her. The one at the top has the wing effect, and though I can't make out that color clearly, I'm fairly certain the bottom two are Mafuyu and Mizuki (the one on the left is purple, the one on the right is a vibrant pink, which also makes me even more certain that this is Ena's perspective). By process of elimination, the one at the top must be Kanade, having been the one to save Ena with her songs, as we know. But all of the members are equidistant from her, showing their collective support for Ena. When she was struggling to see her value in the group, the others were all there to lift her back up. They all help in their own ways.

And just so I'm not leaving these out, here's Kanade's and Mafuyu's perspectives. I can't tell the colors of the smaller planets well here, but I believe Mafuyu is likely in the center in Kanade's perspective, and Kanade is the closest one in Mafuyu's. That's mostly just going off of story context here though since I can't really tell, but the smaller planet in the second image doesn't look pink at least so idk.

Anyways, thanks if you read all that <3 going back to drawing now dw 🫡

[nerdsnuff]

🦋 KAI MONTEAGO BOYFRIEND HC’S

wohoo first post and of course it’s kai… anyway, i hope it’s okay? sorry if it’s short i might make a part 2 cus i feel like i have more stuff i could add but just cant think of clearly rn. lowk nervous asf but aaaaa hope you enjoy!

𓆤 in the scenario you confess, he’d stand there dumbfounded for a second.

“wait, hold on, what?” he blinks. you don’t get to repeat yourself before he cuts you off. “you like me? like, actually?”

𓆤 in the scenario he confesses, he’d blurt it embarrassingly loud.

“i really like you, please go out with me!” he says, before laughing nervously, voice lowering. “if you want…” he asks with a sheepish smile.

𓆤 doesn’t matter how it plays off in the end since the feelings are mutual. so fast forward, you two date! he’s sweet, he’s snuggly, he’s like your personal puppy.

𓆤 he’d be a very clingy boyfriend. always holding your hand or arm while walking, and will act all sad when you let go.

“hey,” he pouts at you, eyebrows furrowed. he reaches for your arm again, wrapping his own around it, but tighter now.

𓆤 enjoys pda to an extent, he has to keep an image, y’know? prefers to be all over you in private, without people possibly running into to the two of you snogging in public.

𓆤 he will softlauch your relationship to his followers though, leaving them guessing and wondering (maybe jealous too) about who that mysterious hand he’s holding belongs to.

𓆤 loves pictures. sending some of himself to you, taking some of you, but especially loves receiving photos of you! keeps his favorite one as a wallpaper on his phone. since he’s never off his phone he basically sees your face all the time.

𓆤 you guys laugh at weird fan dm’s and comments together.

he rubs a tear from the corner of his eye, slowing down his breathing after laughing so hard. “ha! god—” he spoke breathlessly. “you’re not bored are you? we still have a lot to see… look at this one” his face suddenly turns to a sour expression, different from what he displayed before. “‘have my babies’? okay, dude, that’s weird as fuck”

𓆤 he always felt kind of alone, always considered his fans to be his only friends, the only one who’d care about him even if its a fake side of him. but now there’s you; to love him for who he is, to be there for him no matter what, to care. thanks to you he’s not so alone anymore.

𓆤 he will big spoon you. he’s fine with both ways, little and big, but he absolutely loves wrapping himself around you. doesn’t matter if you’re shorter or taller, bigger or smaller, he will big spoon you.

𓆤 would 100% let you lay on him. love it when you two to just melt into each other, he’ll hold you so so close and so tight.

𓆤 do not deny this man kisses please! as i said before, he’s all over you in private; would love to sit you down and make out with you, would love to pepper your face in kisses as you lay your head on his lap, etc.

“wait, baby, i want more kisses…” he whines as you pull away, holding your hips to keep you in place. you roll your eyes playfully at him as you cup his face and slowly lean in, seeing a smile appear on his face before you close your eyes and connect your lips with his once more. the kiss was slow, but passionate, tongues colliding. his grip on you tightens, allowing you to let out a soft grunt. both of you go on like this for awhile, simply unable to get enough of each other.

[regular-samdragon]

More tfa Reverse au sketches and rambles. Here's the first post for the initial info on all of this

I dont exactly have a plot idea for this au yet, just mostly silly interactions between the characters. I'm still a little lost on what to have the decepticons doing in this. I have some slight ideas though, just might change up some details later

It makes sense for the decepticons to also be humans in this au. The initial idea I had was that Megatron owned the corporation that paved the way for technological developments in the city. Of course, Megs isn't the scientific mastermind behind it all. He just happens to own the company. Starscream and Blitzwing act as the head scientists, and Barricade is head of security. Starscream is constantly trying to think up ways to take over the company himself while the others are content to keep working under Megs. After all, he doesn't restrict them on how ethical their experiments have to be.

Sumdac himself, I haven't quite decided on yet. The lot that Ratchet's and Prowl's establishments are located in definitely has more than one store, so one idea I had was for Sumdac to stay human and own an electronics repair shop. Perhaps he misses Sari's initial landing, but the gang ropes him in when she ends up needing specialized repairs. Or, alternatively, he could be Sari's cybertronian dad, stuck back home and worried over how his daughter's first mission is going. Although he wouldn't be super involved in the au if I went with that idea.

Swindle is the owner of the local pawn shop, also in the same lot. He rarely seems to ever show up to work, leaving the shop closed for several days in a row. Sometimes even for weeks. It's a wonder to everyone how the pawn shop still manages to make a profit when Swindle is constantly on his 'overseas trips'. Bee and Bulk have swapped plenty of theories on what they think Swindle really does for a living, such as being a secret agent, or his store being a front for secret military experiments.

Thinking more of the lot they all work in, I'm calling it the Tower Plaza. Sort of drawing off the idea of Sumdac Tower from the show, and yeah a little inspo from OK KO I have to admit. The Tower Plaza gets it's name from a tall, abandoned clock tower that stands as the icon of the area. The clock hasn't worked for years but no one can afford to own or repair the building. This ends up becoming Sari's main hiding place. Bulk and Bee help her to spruce things up inside, making her a real home away from home. There's even a big basement door she can hide out in when Meg's men start poking their noses around.

Speaking of Megs again, his goal in this au would primarily be to capture Sari and have his scientists reverse engineer her for their own advancements in tech. Pretty much exactly what Sumdac did in the show with Megatron himself. Although while Sumdac had empathy for Megs when he was found to still be alive, Megs in this cares not what happens to Sari in the process. He doesnt see her as a living being (yet), and mainly just wants to advance his company for even higher profits.

And thus comes the conflict between the Tower Plaza gang and uhhh whatever I end up naming Megatron's company as.

Smaller notes:

•Folks on discord helped me out to find the PERFECT alt mode for Sari. That is, a Folland Gnat fighter aircraft. It's small and speedy and just really fits Sari's vibes

•Bee personally takes it on himself to teach Sari as many human curse words as possible. Orion nearly has a heart attack the first time he hears Sari swear

•Bee is also the one who came up with nicknames for everyone. Although Bulk is the one who came up with 'Bee' for him

•Orion was a second lieutenant before he was discharged

•Orion doesn't like to talk to anyone about why he was discharged from the military. Uncle Ratchet knows it involved another lieutenant and an intelligence officer, both friends of Orion. He doesn't know anything past that.

•Cybertron is not at war in this au, meaning the factions of autobots and decepticons don't actually exist. The need to hide the Allspark was more to keep it away from other alien races who would like to steal and misuse it

•Sari is only minimally trained for combat scenarios. With the occasional battle while on Earth, she asks Prowl to teach her some hand to hand combat. After an incident where she nearly took out a building, they now train far out in the woods

[saintsandsorcery]

A series of letters from Gale written throughout the game (based on this post right here)

(The first one is written on a ripped out book page, his mother’s address is written on the back of it between the texts original lines) My apologies for not writing sooner. I sould have, I know that, but only now that I find myself involved in a cults business does it come to mind. I can’t say much, but, for the first time in a while, I am not alone. Love, Gale

(The name written at the top of the letter has been crossed out. It was written in a haste, some of the ink is smudged and the letters are hard to make out) Tav, You can’t possibly feel this way, so I will just assume that I got it all wrong. I know that you are just being kind, I have told you of my affliction with the orb and you try to make it better in your own way. I understand. I would love to kiss you or to simply hold your hand, but you don’t have to give me anything, what you have done for me will suffice for more than one lifetime. Gale

(The third letter features a hand drawn map of the Sword Coast with several dots and circles highlighting the most important stops on their travels at the bottom of the page. He carefully tiptoes around the more gruesome events. It is once again addressed to Morena Dekarios) …and the Druids grove of course. I am very lucky to be in such good company, otherwise I’d have been lost long before all this started. Do you remember the markets? I was seven, I think, there were screams and you just took me by the hand and ran. You explained it to me later, in simpler terms of course.I wanted to thank you for that, I keep being reminded of how different my life would have been if it all went a little different that day another day, too, but no one could have prevented that. No one but myself. Love, Gale.

(Scribbled on corner torn from a recipe) Tav is smiling like that again.

(Written on a fresh sheet of paper, only a little crumpled) Tav, I love you. There is no better way to say it and I fear the perfect moment will never come. My time is short, but it would be an honour to dedicate what is left of it to you. Gale. (This letter isn’t hidden with the others. It remains neatly folded in Tavs pocket, they take it out every once in a while and he can’t help but feel a little proud when they do - not for long though, the guilt always follows)

(His own name, except that he uses Of Waterdeep instead of Dekarios, the date he signs with predates the current one by several months) Don’t do it. You think it will guarantee you Mystras affection, I know how much you want it. But don’t do it. Please. There is so much more now, so much…

(The letter is a mess of smudged ink and crossed out sentences) … keep the tower and all within its walls, you know where I hide the key. Let Tav look an around, If they wish to do so, I’m sure they’ll love the library. If things had been different I might have introduced them to you as my partner. We would have had tea together and I had been given the chance to explain everything. And maybe we will, maybe this letter will go unsent, just like the other. I am sorry. Gale

(Tav holds them in their hands, singed, water-soaked pieces of paper. It is a wonder that the letters remained mostly intact, the one Tav has kept for themselves these past few weeks looking worst of all - not that it matters, all that is important are the words they memorised by now. Words like love. And I love you, they whisper, I still do)

[mustelidsinlove]

Dramione one shots that are never far from my thoughts

[in no particular order; mind the tags — some of these are dark]

As Sharp as Any Thorn by Argosy [E, 8.8k]

The road to redemption is a winding one. Christmas at Grimmauld Place, Post HBP.

Art: Night and Her Daughter Sleep (detail), Mary L. Macomber, 1902

Scenes from a Marriage by hiddenhibernian [T, 5.4k]

They say love isn't about what you say, it's what you do. If you see it that way, Hermione doesn't have any reason to complain.

Art: The Lovers, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, c. 1907-1917

Grit by witchsoup [T, 4k]

Hermione attempts to diagnose a secretive patient suffering major curse damage.

Art: Hands Grasping 7, Susan Manspeizer, 2018

remedia amoris by magneticwave [M, 14.7k]

The most amazing thing about Malfoy is not that he managed to build a successful Ministry career out of the total disgrace of his family, but that somehow Hermione only despises him half of the time that they work together.

Art: Circe Offering up the Cup to Ulysses (detail), John William Waterhouse, 1891

Inside by onebedtorulethemall [M, 7.5k]

Something is wrong with Draco Malfoy.

Art: Illustration from The West Wing, Edward Gorey, 1963

With Teeth by provocative_envy [M, 5.4k]

Albus Dumbledore had been wrong about Voldemort’s horcruxes.

Art: Escape Before the Dawn, Devinez, 2023

On the Virtues of Inexhaustible Burning by PacificRimbaud [T, 5k]

In which Draco Malfoy wrestles geology and Hermione receives several gifts.

Art: Saint Augustine (detail), Philippe de Champaigne, c. 1645-1650

I am Sleeping on a Time Bomb by i forgot to blink [M, 4k]

The war is over, and they go to Antarctica.

Art: Barne Glacier, Herbert Pointing, 1911

Tromp as Writ by a_rum_of_one's_own [E, 7.2k]

‘Merlin and Morgana, what’s that?’ he breathed. ‘Muggle underwear. We’re beyond chemises, you know.’ ‘Granger,’ he said. ‘Granger. You can’t. This isn’t fair.'

Art: Saturnina Canaleta de Girona (detail), Federico de Madrazo y Kuntz, 1856

Reset by provocative_envy [M, 4.5k]

And the fear—the fear that he’s learned to swallow, choke on, bury the crushed and fragmented shards of—it's turning the space between him and her and the last six weeks, the last six months, into a gaping yawning brutally invincible chasm; a wall to scale and a cliff to jump and a step he’s never quite been brave enough to take. She takes it for him. Of course she does.

Art: Joan of Arc, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1882

Chiaroscuro by ifyouwereamelody [T, 5.1k]

Draco Malfoy returns to Hogwarts for sixth year a changed man. Marked, dangerous, and tasked with something terrible, he finds himself haunted by memories of the year before — a bright spark of connection that now he's got no choice but to douse.

Art: Vengeance is Sworn (detail) from the Revenge Triptych, Francesco Hayez, 1851

The Street Where You Live by scullyvasan [T, 10.5k]

Muggle childhood AU. Single mother Narcissa Malfoy co-parents her son Draco and functionally parents the little girl down the street. Light homages to Books 1-4 but no wands, no wizards, no Hogwarts — just human magic and the passing years at work.

Art: Daydreams, Thomas Couture, 1859

The Running Club by winterwells [E, 10.4k]

Hermione returns to Hogwarts for the "Seventh Year Was A Cluster F*** So Let's All Do It Again!" year. The war has left its mark, and she copes in the best way she can. Running. And she might pick up some stragglers along the way...

Art: Stripes of Silence, Lu Guada, 2012

Whistle by witchsoup [T, 1.5k]

Hermione spends the majority of her time on the tube, or dashing around Sainsbury's hunting for the last of the vegetarian wraps for her two-thirds-complete meal deal. Though it would be somewhat off-brand, she feels that it's well within her rights to ask David Cameron to lower the price of a meal deal, while he's at it. Possibly her rent, too.

Art: Untitled, Isabel Bishop, c. 1940s-1960s

Lights Out by Phoebe [E, 10.2k]

She smiles, and it enrages him further. Granger is afraid of many things. She's afraid of what lies outside Hogwarts, what could be lurking within the walls. She's afraid of Voldemort, and probably of his father. And she is inexplicably, illogically afraid of the dark. But she's not afraid of him.

Art: The Woman with the Candle (detail), Cornelis Visscher II, c. 1643-1658

Salvage by storycat9 [T, 1k]

Who is Hermione Granger when there’s no one left to protect?

Art: After Igor Svyatoslavich's fighting with the Cumans, Viktor Vasnetsov, 1880

The Object Lesson by Fleurizel [M, 13.6k]

When Hermione is forced to spend a weekend at the Bulstrodes’ country estate glad-handing for the Ministry, she finds an unlikely ally in the only other house guest who hadn’t fled the country when the war broke out: Draco Malfoy.

Art: Hands of the Puppeteer, Mexico City, Tina Modotti, 1929

i think i've seen this film before by magneticwave [T, 24.8k]

It doesn’t occur to Harry until supper that night, while Luna makes a Spanish tortilla with pink and blue potatoes from her garden, that Granger might actually be his friend now. Not just a transferable friend, comfortable with him because she’d grown up with a strangely domestic alternative version of him with short hair, but a real friend. Since he’s not sure how to feel about it, he eats his half of the tortilla in a silent daze and then helps Luna go over the last of the proofs for next week’s Quibbler. 

Art: Still Life with Orange by Süleyman Seyyid Bey, c. 1900

Party Lines by PacificRimbaud [E, 10k]

As the dust settles in the 2000 United States Presidential election, Ivy League student Hermione Granger goes to three different parties, in an effort to think about something- anything- other than the state of Florida. So does that argumentative trust fund prick, Draco Malfoy. A college AU all about enemies who...aren't.

Art: Jasper Johns, Edisto Beach, Ugo Mulas, 1964

i have gone at dusk through narrow streets by i forgot to blink [T, 4k]

Draco, Hermione, and what came before and after the end.

Art: Interior Strandgade 30, Vilhelm Hammershøi, 1901

Breathe by Argosy [T, 14.5k]

The war is over and everyone wants something from Hermione. But that's nothing new; she can handle it. Really.

Art: Cupid and Psyché (detail), François Gérard, 1798

[strwbrryeyes]

Hello, I saw your post about your one year event and figured I'd send in a suggestion.

If he's not taken I would like to request Sugawara with a soulmate trope. (If he's already taken let me know and I can give you a different character.

Anyways have a great day and congrats on getting to the year mark.

༊·˚ Soul Helper

⟡ cw: slight angst, idk tbh its been a while since ive done this

⟡ a/n: ONE DOWN!! i will be honest i had my friend help me with this one (hope thats okay) bc idk how to write soulmate tropes (will work on it) so if it doesnt sound completely like my writing its bc i had help shout out to alisha!!!!!

The faint phrase on your wrist had always been a mystery that nudged at you: "I was wondering if you..." The words felt both taunting and cruel, incomplete like a cliffhanger. Growing up, you’d catch yourself staring at the phrase in idle moments, imagining scenarios where it might finally make sense but as years passed, the mark became less a source of excitement and more a quiet ache. What if it never completed? What if your soulmate never said those words?

It was a thought that haunted you even now, standing in the teachers’ lounge at Karasuno High, slowly drinking a cup of lukewarm coffee that was meant to ease your stress but instead only heightened it. Your first month as a teacher had been chaotic and busy, filled with lesson planning, late night grading, and the kind of exhaustion that you could feel in your bones. Still, there was a quiet satisfaction in your work, a sense of purpose you hadn’t felt in years.

“Need a hand?”

The voice startled you, snapping you out of your thoughts, and you turned to see Sugawara Koushi, one of the school’s substitute teachers and a frequent helper with the volleyball team. He had a kind smile, the sort that made you feel instantly at ease. His silver hair caught the afternoon light streaming through the windows, giving him an almost ethereal glow.

“Oh, no, I’m fine,” you replied quickly, though the stack of papers in your arms threatened to spill at any moment.

“Are you sure?” he asked, stepping closer. “That looks like it’s about to topple over.”

You hesitated but relented, handing him half the stack. “Thanks. I guess I underestimated how much I could carry at once.” a light and dry chuckle escapes your lips.

“Happens to the best of us,” he said with a grin. “Where to?”

As the two of you walked down the hall, you found yourself stealing glances at him. There was something familiar about his presence, something that made your pulse quicken. But you brushed the feeling aside. It wasn’t like you hadn’t met kind people before.

–

The next day, you found yourself in the teachers’ lounge during lunch, buried under lesson plans and feeling utterly overwhelmed when Sugawara appeared out of nowhere, carrying a cup of tea.

“Thought you could use this,” he said, placing it on the table.

You blinked up at him, surprised. “How did you know?”

“You looked like you needed it yesterday,” he replied with a gentle smile. “Figured it might still be true today.”

The warmth in his voice made something in your chest tighten. “Thanks, Sugawara. You didn’t have to do that.”

“It’s Koushi,” he said, pulling out a chair. “And I wanted to. Mind if I join you?”

You nodded, and the two of you fell into an easy conversation. He had a way of making you feel like the only person in the room, his attention unwavering and sincere. By the time lunch ended, you realized you were actually smiling for the first time all day.

–

Later that week, you found yourself in the teachers’ lounge again, trying to wrestle a stubborn stapler into putting together a work packet. Sugawara walked in, his eyes lighting up when he saw you.

“Having trouble?” he asked, leaning against the counter.

“Just a little,” you admitted, frowning at the uncooperative device.

“Let me try,” he offered, taking it from you. With a few swift movements, he had it working perfectly.

“You’re a lifesaver,” you said, laughing. “How do you make everything look so easy?”

“Years of practice,” he said with a wink. “And maybe a little luck.”

The way he looked at you then- like you were the only thing that mattered- made your heart skip a beat.

–

A week later, during a rainy afternoon, you found yourself stranded in the courtyard with a broken umbrella. Sugawara once again appeared out of nowhere, holding his own above both your heads like a superhero he always seemed to be.

“You’re going to catch a cold out here,” he said, his tone equal parts amused and concerned.

“I’ll be fine,” you said, even though you were shivering. “It’s just a little rain.”

“Not on my watch,” he replied, steering you toward the nearest building. “Come on, I’ll walk you inside.”

As you walked together, the sound of rain pattering against the umbrella, you couldn’t help but notice how close he was. His warmth seemed to chase away the chill, and for a moment, you allowed yourself to imagine what it might be like to stay by his side.

–

The two of you continued to cross paths in the most random ways. One afternoon, you found him helping a group of students set up decorations for an upcoming school festival. He was laughing, his silver hair catching the light, and you couldn’t help but stop and watch.

“Hey,” he called out, catching you in the act. “Care to lend a hand?”

You joined him, and the two of you spent the next hour untangling strings of lights and hanging banners. His laughter was infectious, and you found yourself relaxing in his presence, the stress of the day melting away.

Another time, you walked into the gym to find him practicing volleyball with a few students. He waved you over, his smile bright.

“Think you can keep up?” he teased, tossing you a ball.

“Is that a challenge?” you shot back, your competitive streak flaring.

The two of you ended up playing a spirited game, much to the amusement of the students. By the end, you were both breathless and laughing, the tension in your chest replaced by a warm feeling you have never felt.

–

In the weeks leading up to the school festival, your interactions with Sugawara grew increasingly meaningful and beautiful. One afternoon, he caught you struggling with a stubborn vending machine in the lounge. Without a word, he gave the machine a gentle nudge, and your snack tumbled out. "Looks like I have the magic touch," he teased, handing it to you with a grin. 

Another day, you found yourself caught in the rain once again, this time without an umbrella. Sugawara spotted you from across the courtyard and jogged over, holding his umbrella high above your head. "You really have to stop tempting fate," he said, his tone light but his gaze soft. The two of you walked to the main building together, and though your shoes were soaked and made your feet feel heavy, your heart felt strangely light.

Then there was the time you stayed late to grade papers, only to find Sugawara already in the lounge, typing away on his laptop. "Another late night?" he asked, sliding over a spare cup of tea he’d prepared. The two of you ended up talking long past what either of you had planned, sharing stories about your students and dreams for the future. 

Each moment, though small, left an imprint on you. You began to notice the way he leaned slightly closer when you spoke, how his laughter seemed to linger in the air, and how your name sounded like a melody when he said it. Sugawara, too, seemed to gravitate toward you, finding excuses to spend a few extra minutes in your company. 

By the time the school festival arrived, there was a quiet understanding between you, though neither of you had voiced it aloud. And so, when everything started to go wrong at your booth and Sugawara appeared at your side, his presence felt like the most natural thing in the world. You’d been tasked with organizing a booth, and despite your best efforts, everything seemed to be going wrong. The decorations wouldn’t stay up, the equipment kept malfunctioning, and you were on the verge of a breakdown.

“Need a hand?” he asked, his familiar smile cutting through your frustration like sunlight breaking through clouds.

You wanted to say no, to prove that you could handle it on your own for once. But the words caught in your throat, and all you could do was nod.

Together, the two of you managed to get the booth up and running just in time. As the first wave of students arrived, you turned to him with a grateful smile.

“Thank you, I don’t know what I would ever do without you,” you admitted.

“Anytime,” he said, his voice warm. “I was wondering if you needed help with anything else.”

The world seemed to stop. His words echoed in your mind, and for a moment, you couldn’t breathe. You looked down at your wrist, at the phrase that had defined so much of your life. The mark was glowing faintly now, the words completing themselves as if they’d been waiting for this exact moment.

“Oh,” you whispered, your voice barely audible, “Oh my gosh.”

Sugawara followed your gaze, his own eyes widening as he saw the now complete phrase on your wrist. Slowly, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his own mark. The words matched perfectly: "...needed help with anything."

For a long moment, neither of you spoke. The air between you was thick with unspoken emotions, with the weight of a bond neither of you had fully understood until now.

“It’s you, [Name],” he said softly, his voice filled with wonder. “I can’t believe it’s you.”

But instead of feeling joy, you felt a wave of panic. This was too much, too fast. Without thinking, you stepped back, your heart pounding in your chest.

“I… I need some air,” you stammered before turning and walking away, leaving him standing there with a look of heartbreak on his face.

- 

You spent the next few days avoiding him, throwing yourself into your work in an attempt to drown out the whirlwind of emotions. But no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t stop thinking about him, about the way his words had completed the mark on your wrist. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, Sugawara found you one evening in the gym. You were sitting on the bleachers, staring at the empty court below.

“Hey,” he said gently, taking a seat beside you. “Can we talk?”

You nodded, though your throat felt tight. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the silence stretching between you like a fragile thread.

“I’m sorry if I overwhelmed you,” he said finally. “I didn’t mean to make things complicated.”

“It’s not your fault,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “I just… I wasn’t expecting this. Any of it.”

He nodded, his expression understanding. “Neither was I. But… I think we owe it to ourselves to figure this out. Don’t you, [Name]?”

You looked at him then, really looked at him, and saw the sincerity in his eyes. He wasn’t asking for anything more than a chance, and in that moment, you realized you wanted to give it to him.

“Okay,” you said softly. “Let’s figure it out.”

His smile was brighter than the sun, and for the first time in a long time, you felt like everything might just fall into place.

—

As the days turned into weeks, the bond between you and Sugawara grew stronger through a series of shared moments that revealed the depths of his kindness and your growing connection. One evening, you stayed late in the school library, grading papers under the glow of a desk lamp. Sugawara wandered in, a warm smile on his face as he carried two cups of tea. “I made you your favorite,” he said, setting one down in front of you. The gesture, small yet thoughtful, made your heart skip a beat.

These moments, though seemingly ordinary, wove themselves into the fabric of your days. He started saving a seat for you in the lounge during lunch breaks, always with a cup of tea waiting. You began to notice how he leaned in just slightly when you spoke, how his laughter felt like a balm for your stress, and how he seemed to instinctively know when you needed a helping hand. Slowly, your conversations deepened, shifting from casual banter to dreams and fears you’d never shared with anyone else. Sugawara listened intently, his presence unwavering and comforting, as if he was quietly promising to shoulder some of your burdens.

In turn, you learned about him- the way he talked about volleyball with a spark of passion, the pride he took in his students, and the quiet moments of doubt he sometimes shared late at night when the world felt still. These exchanges weren’t just about getting to know each other– they were about building trust, one shared smile and heartfelt word at a time. Each interaction brought you closer, and though neither of you spoke it aloud, the bond between you grew undeniable. You began to learn more about him- his love for volleyball, his passion for teaching, the way his face lit up when he talked about his students. 

One evening, as the two of you sat together in the empty gym, he turned to you with a thoughtful expression. “Do you ever think about what it means? The whole soulmate thing?”

You considered his question for a moment before nodding. “I think it means we’re supposed to help each other. Not just in the big, dramatic ways, but in the little things too. Like carrying papers or setting up a booth.”

He smiled at that, his eyes warm. “I like that. It’s not about fate forcing us together; it’s about choosing to be there for each other.”

You reached out then, your fingers brushing against his. “And I choose you, Koushi. Every time.”

His smile widened, and in that moment, you knew you’d found something rare and precious. Together, you could face whatever challenges lay ahead, knowing that you’d always have each other’s backs. The incomplete phrases on your wrists had brought you together, but it was the choices you made that would keep you there.

—

Months later, the two of you found yourselves at another school event, this time working side by side with the volleyball team. Sugawara was effortlessly charismatic, his laughter echoing across the gym as he encouraged the students. You watched him from a distance, your heart swelling with a mix of pride and affection.

“Hey,” he called out, jogging over to you during a break. “You look like you’re deep in thought. Everything okay?”

“Just thinking about how lucky I am,” you admitted, a shy smile tugging at your lips.

“Funny,” he said, his grin widening. “I was thinking the same thing.”

He reached for your hand, his touch warm and steady. And as you stood there together, surrounded by the vibrant energy of the students and the hum of life moving forward, you felt an overwhelming sense of peace. This was where you were meant to be, by his side, facing the world together.

[lunarleonardo]

Do you have an idea of what you're going to write next ?

Yes... And No.

The current plan is to write my dragon fic. I looove dragons, and I've always loved fics that make my favs dragons. Hoarding Humans is a good example of that ;P I really wanna do it myself! I feel a little weird directly using the concept of HH (just the idea of a dragon's hoard being humans! i've been obsessed with it ever since!!)... I know there's a whole Inspired tab thing on ao3 but remember I was brought up in the animation meme community trenches. I've seen some very vile things said to ""copycats"" (and it's usually just somebody who took inspiration off of someone elses art style or a certain part of another persons meme @_@ don't get me STARTED on the ragebait...) and I am not in the proper emotional state to handle that right now QwQ

However that doesn't mean I can't write about dragons. I have some ideas in mind-- I've properly conceptualized my go-to fantasy world for AUs like this. I know who the main cast would generally be (DICE! Kokichi rounds up some of his classmates from in game :P so people like Gonta, K1B0, Miu, Kaede, Rantaro. . . maybe Kirumi? I have lore trust me. I'm cooking.) I know the main premise of the story, and it goes into my own bullshit with dragons, because lord knows I ever follow any actual myths or tales (´ﾟωﾟ｀) (i read wings of fire that's good enough for me!!!)

I am still trying to learn how to draw dragons in a way I like though. Here's my concept for Maki and Shuichi ^^"

Overall the chances of this fic happening after HGH, as of right now, are fairly high. This is what I plan to write once I'm done with HGH.

But please, please please keep in mind that I . . . am absolutely horrible with making promises about my fics. I'm so forgetful I forget to even check my notes to see what I've forgotten. T_T my fics would be a tiny bit better than they are now if I actually kept track of wtf im doing. maybe i should make a checklist.

Point is, I don't know if this is what I'll write once HGH is done. I've done some estimating and while, for once, I do not have a concrete ending in mind, I can guess how long this'll be. I think... it might be around as long as M5? Somewhere around that 130k mark. Again!! I'm not sure!! I need to figure out what I'm gonna be doing for the non-Tsumugi half of the "recovery" arc, so who knows what the word count for this is gonna be T_T. MY POINT!! MY POINT IS THAT!!! It could change. By the time I'm done with HGH, I might write this dragon fic. I might write a differeny fic. Or I'll lose motivation to write anything for a bit. Lord I am yapping so I'll move on

Que transition, with all that being said, I do have Other ideas in mind!! Ones I've been sitting on for a while!

ONE. Saimatsu mansion :D I've mentioned it here and there, but the idea is that Shuichi and Kaede are plopped on an island and have to escape. It's one of those more out there ideas G_G and I haven't really descended into my full levels of insanity yet (wait until i start posting my crossover aus /j), but this would be bordering on it. I have some more minor ideas for this one, but I haven't rlly explored it yet :'3

TWO. remember unexpendable? yeah so i. i really really like crossover aus. almost as much as i like giving them superpowers. I was thinking of an Undertale x DR fic where I drop Shuichi into the underground. Undertale is super special to me,, it got me out of a really dark place. My favorite OC of mine (Montserrat<3) is an Undertale OC! So I think it'd be a lot of fun, especially since Danganronpa is basically the reason I'm like?? actually living now XD I got a job because posting my DR fics helped me overcome enough of my social anxiety to get employed. So!! It'd be nice. i also think shuichi and papyrus would get along do NOT @ me also undyne would scare the shit out of him. Anyways I dunno if this would be another oneshot, considering the, uh. length of the game. and how insane i could rlly go if i went into the neutral /genocide route stuff too. I dunno. It'd be fun :P i also have doodles wait

THREE. I don't know what could and couldn't be used for a plot twist so I'll keep it vague, but basically it's a fic that involves the ENTIRE CAST. A bit of a challenge for myself. Everyone's back! And all of the blackeneds revert to, like... HGH levels of despairs. So it's up to everyone whos still normal to find a way to make them also normal before, uh. things get worse. TV GIRL BLAST 💥 (oh yeah this would be a kaede-centric fic! her pov for the majority. i had a lot of fun writing her during Unexpendable and i miss her </3)

FOUR. i got really into in stars and time so now i'm even more not normal about time loops. so let's put shuichi in another one! but i wanted to shake it up a bit and really let my less canon-reliant, more creative side flow a bit. It'd also be kind of a message to myself about life... WHATEVER Thats not important. What is important is, hey! I've been watching WAY too many Minecraft ARG analysises than what could possibly be considered healthy for my anxiety, so now I want to sic a bunch of them on Shuichi. this things unfinished because i only have very vague ideas for a few of the loops... but the overarching idea is that even the smallest (but impactful!) change in a choice can lead to an entirely different loop, with an entirely different entity. and during all of the loops, shuichi gets little bits and pieces to the bigger picture, which will break him out of the loops. idk this seems like a big and tiring project so this is more of a "maybe" than the others but i still think it's cool :')

FIVE. ok this one isn't danganronpa... remember when I said I was super into In Stars and Time? I wanted to write an ISAT fic. Siffrin and Bonnie are so so special to me and i wanted to indulge in that. I haven't rlly been writing in my oneshots though so I don't really have a grip on writing anyone from ISAT,, so. :( i have to spiral into full insanity privately before i can determine what is safe to show the internet /hj

And that is all I can think of off the top of my head. :P These ideas have been brewing for quite a bit, and ones that have actual ideas to them. I dunno which one I'll write first... or even if I'll write them. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Who knows? Maybe I'll break my rules about writing two fics at a time. Just give me time ... and please be patient. I can only write so fast ＼(_ _)