#I'll definitely give myself some time to recover

[wayfayrr]

If you're burning/burnt out, please stop! Take a hiatus, do some self care, go sleep for a week -- do whatever you need to do to avoid worsening your mental health.

We all care about you and we'll all still be here when you get back. So take care of yourself, okay? Burnout is serious and it can take actual years of doing literally nothing, in order to recover.

We care about your health, not your ability to pump out fics until you crash and burn.

I'll be honest anon, it's not even really writing that's burning me out, I've got some personal issues that are just consuming me right now. ones that I'll hopefully be getting away from soon or can distance it to just phonecalls

writing has always been an outlet for my stress even when I started, but right now it just doesn't feel like it's working y'know, with a bit of hindsight it's probably more because I'm writing more for others and not for myself as much? If I was going to take a break I think it'll probably be solely for the event, which I will put on pause for a while to be completely honest self-indulgent content should help somewhat

Thank you though anon really, I think I've been needing to hear something like this for longer than I've known and I really do appreciate it more than I can get across with words

[maxwellatoms]

They left me no choice.

The animation industry is an absolute trash fire right now, and TBH... I don't think it's going to recover. Not in a form I recognize, anyway.

I could go on all day about the self-hating monster that is the Animation Business, but I've said it all before. Right now, none of the major studios are making much of anything, and almost all of what they are making is "library content". I'm currently doing storyboard revisions alongside a number of other former producers and directors, and I'm lucky to have the work. Once all of the mismanagement and the mergers get sorted, though, there should be plenty of room for more mismanagement and mergers. And the A.I. Don't forget the A.I.

It seems that I either give myself over fully to the souring corporate teat in the hopes that I can pretend that I still live in a world where "the grind" matters. Or I take a risk and make one big push to do... something.

First up:

Billy & Mandy vs. The Entertainment Industry:

This is my interview/reality/documentary show on the making of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy from stem to stern. I'll be talking to as many people as I can who worked on the show about all sorts of different parts of the process. We'll definitely get to voice actors, but the first segment is probably going to be about Billy & Mandy's pre-history and the Big Pick Weekend.

The Upward Expedition:

This is my pick for my indie show. I have a bible. I have a decade of ideas. Time to sit down and tell a story. I want to get some screen sharing going at some point. I'll definitely share artwork as well as the trials and tribulations of getting from There to Back Again.

I'd love to get a Discord server going and provide a place where people can talk about the stuff I'm making (and the entertainment industry in general). I still have enough Billy & Mandy swag left that I'm sure I'll factor that stuff in as well.

In the immediate future, the funding goes to securing a space to do the interviews and probably to banking money for voice actors. I'm still deciding on my update schedule, but it should start in earnest next week.

I'm excited. Pretty scared... but also excited.

More updates to come. Definitely let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to see on the Patreon!

As always, thanks for sticking around!

[myceliacrochet]

URGENT: 4yo Little Girl and Her Family Malnutritioned and Freezing!! (Sham and Moneer al-Anqar -- Skills Series: "Easy Piece First")

Reblog if u answer pls tysm!🩷

There's no shame in that! In this series, I'll be sharing some tips to help us keep going strong, carrying these families throughout this brutal winter of extermination. With each post I'll be highlighting a family in desperate need.

Easy Piece First

Whether we're working at a job, making commissions, working on posts, or doing other tasks, mutual aid for genocide relief can be overwhelming. The stakes are through the roof, and sometimes the people who most want to help are the people least able to. Often I freeze in place, overwhelmed with emotion, unsure of where to start. Depression, anxiety, and AuDHD don't help!

So I hope this skill is of use to you. I call it "Easy Piece First" because that's what helps me remember it, but it's definitely not a new idea.

I started this post with the easiest small step accessible. For me, that was writing down Moneer's current blog tag (@sham-moner) in a new post. This was the easiest for me because it required no decision-making and could be done in a few seconds. Then I filled in the other parts that don't take much thought -- the GoFundMe link, the vetting, and some tags.

For other posts, sometimes I'll be making art that is unrelated and then I'll think of a post to go with it.

Lazy and Heartless, or Focused and Strategic?

Everyone is different, but trying to force yourself to start with the hardest part first (what some people call the "Eat That Frog" approach) can actually make things take longer for some people. Using "Easy Piece First," I was able to get more done with my time, and with less trouble. This makes my efforts more sustainable long-term.

On a related note, I actually take a lot of measures to not walk around with my chest constantly hurting for Palestinians anymore (though there's nothing wrong with doing so). My chest was aching at all times for months until I converted some of my worry into action and some of it into self-care -- so I could actually get more done for Palestinians, who do not need my tears but my labor.

This winter is a marathon, and we gotta see it through to the end.

Take care of yourself so you can get more done and keep helping people long-term.

Do not give yourself a heart condition.

Give Palestinians labor.

That's how I'm keeping myself out of the hospital and maximizing what I can do for people, but we all have our own strategies.

But that's enough about us -- let's talk about these two amazing kids.

Moneer and Sham

Palestinians are just regular people. That's the horrible reality. It's the exact same as if people from your own background, even your own family were getting tortured and killed.

Like, Moneer is a 19yo who had recently started university when the genocide began. Sham is 4, Mohammed is 16, Rana is 21, and Rasha is 22.

What were you going through when you were 4? How would you have felt if you saw people getting blown up at that age? What if your house was blown up and all your toys and friends were lost, and you had to live outside in the winter, scrounging for moldy bread and polluted water?

What if you lived with the smell of rotting bodies when you were 4? Did you know what that smelled like as a little kid? I still don't know what that smells like. I didn't really know what death was at that age. She does.

This small child is in critical need of food and water!!

She is starving!!

Sham will die this winter without more donations!!

This is a call to action for an extremely urgent campaign!!!

It's been 2 days, and it was 2 days before that! This is far too long!!

Moneer is still recovering from major surgery. He is in a lot of pain and is also malnutritioned and in need of clean water and warmth.

Moneer is very close to his family and dearly loves his mom, Amani (39). Amani is in a lot of danger because she has asthma in a dusty massacre zone without treatment. It's killing Moneer to watch his mom go through this.

Drink some water, take a rest, and keep putting one foot in front of the other, using whatever tools work for you.

We are not letting these kids and their family die this winter!! We can do this!!

Vetting: GazaVetters #8

@opencommunion @beserkerjewel @deepspaceboytoy @rhubarbspring @eryuditely @lesbianmaxevans @malcriada @turian @sxpph0 @rebel-girl-queen-of-my-world @neptunerings @dykesbat @halalgirlmeg @userpeggycarter @minosbull @hamstertross @magnus-rhymes-with-swagness-blog @definitelynotafox @kaleschmidt @jaylung101 @captainsaltymuyfancy2 @timetravellingkitty @sun-and-moon-side @kahin @greenmossyrock @northgazaupdates2 @irhabiya @theparanoid @steep1253o @victoriawhimsey @dirhwangdaseul @cruzwalters @ladycelebrianofimladris @tamamita @50seagullsinatrenchcoat @deathlonging @nconiku @briarhips @kaislittlecorner @mahoushojoe @sar-soor @rhubarbspring @pcktknife @sawasawako @feluka @anneemay-blog @ralfocups

P.S.: I have several people waiting on me for posts. I am so sorry -- I will get them finished and published as soon as possible.

@soft-sunbird Thank you dear friend🥰🩷 I love you. You're doing so great

Check out the comments for many ways to help!

[just-null]

YO, SUPER LATE SUPER LONG SUPER MESSY OCTOBER POST THAT I JUST SHOVED EVERYTHING INTO BC I DIDN'T WANT TO DO MULTIPLE. FUCK IT.

I forgot halfway that these were supposed to be costumes and not mini aus... SO REMEMBER IN MY PLACE, EVERYTHING IS HYPOTHETICAL. also. some have a bit of yandere elements to them bc its SO FITTING FOR NORITOSHI.

Happy late October, everyone. it's winter now. Let's get it, baby.

[Long rambles and doodles under the cut!]

Vampire!

I kept asking myself, "How sexy is too sexy.." and "How the fuck does a sexy vampire even look like without it being a shirtless guy w fangs or Edward Cullen....." I think I figured it out

Sure, sure, vampires are superhumans with sun allergies that can drink blood really hotly. They can also easily overpower you to feast and blah blah blah, but what if said vampire (Noritoshi) was too weak to do any of that? Not literally, but he craves your say. He wants not only your blood but your affection. He wants to get praised as he drinks you in. Are you comfortable? How much will you allow him to take? Do you want to get him back in return? Guidance with this makes him feel more at ease. It's still Noritoshi at the end of the day. He's going to find a way to be a little awkward about you because of his crush. He refuses to drink from anyone other than you, even if it causes his death. Therefore, he has to keep you healthy! For the rest of your lives..! Besides, he can't really go outside or else he'd.. y'know. So if you think about it, this is a very beneficial relationship for both of you!!

The only downside is that you're losing blood on the regular, and for some reason, more people are moving away... Probably nothing, right? Noritoshi is always there to keep you company and help you recover anyways.

Witch!

my attempts also bled into the witch design.... you got greedy with requesting two in one ask, but I'll spoil you this time bc I also wanted to see Noritoshi as a (sexy) vampire and witch. heh. AND I DIDNT REALIZE HED BE SO CUTE AS A WITCH..... WHAT THE FUCK?? rip momo, fight for your title of cute witch...

Noritoshi strikes me as one of those witches who'd rather be left to their own devices because they're running some important magic whatever in the background. though, he'll take some breaks and indulge you if you insist on having him around. Insist meaning you pass by and strike conversation, leaving him to neglect anything and everything to prioritize his time with you. He doesn't want to use magic on you unless it's beneficial for either you or both. Noritoshi likes a natural progression with you that he knows for a fact is true and not some product of some spell. Though it doesn't mean he wouldn't use charms and such to get you to interact with him more often to speed up the process!

Can't sleep? He has a remedy perfect for that! Bad luck? Oh no, take a charm. Nerves? A potion he perfected will help you ease your jitters. Annoying peers? With a snap of Noritoshi's fingers, they're gone! Just don't ask what happened. Enjoy yourself instead and come to him with any new issue. He's quick to resolve it.

Definitely has some sort of doll that looks suspiciously like you.. Noritoshi would probably talk to it and practice one liners that give you the strongest sense of nostalgia once he uses them. He's simultaneously giddy that the charm he put in the doll works but also a little annoyed that his hard work isn't surprising you, but leaving you with deja vu.

Idol!

i was crying the entire time bc what does an idol look like.... noritoshi is handsome enough to be an idol without actually being an idol... now i can confirm that idols are very well dressed though. thumbs up 100% but i had some thoughts...

[Idol]

Noritoshi would be the type to cherish his fans, but hold clear favoritism over you. he'd be those idols that look cold, but they talk, and they sound smug in a charming way. i don't know much about idols, but i know he'd be so fucking good.... he'd be the type of guy to sing to you amongst the hundreds in the crowd.... ahhh the interviews w these famous aus. they're just talking and acting like themselves. can you imagine Noritoshi getting asked the question if he has a lover or not? he can lie, im sure you're alright with that, but he doesn't want to!! he does have someone!!! someone he loves more than all his fans love for him combined!!! he just can't say it for the sake of your privacy and his career. so Noritoshi does what any charming guy who's good with their words does. he deflects the question. answering the question, but not really, that'd be something he's known for. fans online are split on why Noritoshi does this. some think he's trying to keep that side of his life private, others think he's trying to mess around, and others think he's hiding a secret lover!!! though the last one is usually seen as the outlandish one, sometimes it makes Noritoshi's heart drop bc they get some things right. "Having a lover is a complicated question hidden behind a simple disguise. If I had to answer, I'd say my lovers are my audience. they make sure i'm well cared for, some more than others." AND HIS FUCKING LITTLE SMIRK I CANT COUGHS UP BLOOD. IM A THEORIST TOO. SECRET LOVER. 🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵

ON THE FLIP SIDE....

[Not an Idol]

An amusing thought where Noritoshi goes out in his casual clothes, and he's mistaken for an idol. No one knows who he is, but he just looks like he'd be one. bro's just trying to buy groceries, and now he has a fan group asking him to take pictures with them.. He'd tell them that he's just a guy, not an idol, but the group would still want a picture with him. it'd be a waste to pass by someone who's so naturally gorgeous, so with a sigh of defeat, he relents. It's just a photo, right? No harm done. Noritoshi'd go home and feel overwhelmed/embarrassed by the whole ordeal. later, he gets a call from someone in the kyoto group or you to inform him how he's all over social media, known as that handsome guy in the supermarket. HED BE COMPLETELY UNREACHABLE TO MEDIA OUTLETS BC NORITOSHI IS THAT GUY WHO DOESNT HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA.... he'd have to make one to make sure no one pretends to be him online. "Hello, I don't use social media, but I've been informed I've been getting attention online. To prevent anyone from being fooled by an impersonator, this is my official and only account. thank you." P.R. STATEMENT WRITING ASS.. his single post gets flooded with likes, comments, and DMs. it almost blows up his phone..... he was just buying bread, dude...... people try to dig up and find him through the other Kyoto group's social media.

[bonus] my second in command requested to put him in a fem idol outfit bc he thought it was funny. after frothing at the mouth and coughing out blood, I complied.

Doctor!

THIS IS SUCH A STRAIGHT FORWARD ASK BUT IT HAS SO MANY IMPLICATIONS. MY BELOVED CULT MEMBER.. THOSE EMOJIS GIVE ME A DIFFERENT IMPRESSION BUT IM NOT SURE.

Noritoshi as a doctor...... apple sales would plummet. his little clinic's business would skyrocket. sick cases would peak in his area. getting your heart checked by his stethoscope would be so fucking embarrassing bc all he'd hear is THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP

LIKE IMAGINE IF THAT WAS YOUR DOCTOR? BRO.

COUGH COUGH HACK WHEEZE COUGH COUGH.

Noritoshi would probably own a small clinic that he wants to expand. That or he opened one after working for a hospital for a while. He's a great doctor who's most likely respected but a pain in the ass to work with. Among patients, he's gotten the hot doctor reputation. Most want to be treated by him, but he's so professional, any chance of trying to flirt goes down the drain. Yeah, he puts his hair up to avoid it in his face even though his eyes are closed classic lab safety procedures. He seems like the type to have a soothing but authoritative voice during examination, so he gets his message across. it's a bit difficult when dealing with patients for Noritoshi. If he sees them too often, he firstly scolds you for not taking care of yourself, then feels guilty for not giving you the proper care. Keep yourself safe and healthy, or else Noritoshi will clearly :( Putting him in a yandere setting would be dangerous. He'd have a lot of control over you, considering he can prescribe medication, shots, visits, and other things.... he'd have a ball.... nothing that would cause you any harm, of course. he's only looking out for you and doing what's best for you..!

Pirate!

my second in command wanted a pirate. pirates are so fucking cool and i know damn well if this guy were a pirate he'd have a bunch of battle scars under that fancy coat.

Noritoshi as a pirate would be more than a little odd, but also fitting. He looks like the type of guy who'd be well put together, yet he's willing to get his hands dirty. Like the guy who got into the pirate life because of some personal issue that couldn't be solved fast enough through conventional means. Even as a pirate, i imagine he holds everyone to high standards. They're still pirates though.. so his expected standards aren't even that high. He has more freedom here, so even he himself lets loose once or twice. Especially with you. He's even able to get away with more violent actions for you, the seas are unpredictable, after all. While taking some treasure, Noritoshi'd toss you a gem or golden coin, just so you can say you were the first to claim it. Just so he can see that happy glint in your eyes when getting your hands on treasure. God forbid anyone try to get their hands on your hard earned goods. They'd be met with a bullet to the foot or a sword at their neck. Everyone and their mother knows how you're his favorite, but Noritoshi downplays it. Its not a crime to help out someone from his crew is it? Not in the seven seas. He leans more into his cold ruthless killer side here. He has goals and people to help keep in line whether hes captain or not. Yet when around you, he's almost adorable in how he shows you a pearl so entrancing that it reminded him of you.

Corpse Bride!

my submission to my Noritoshi Halloween costume closet.. CORPSE BRIDE, THIS MOVIE FUCKS. esp w the yandere elements.

Noritoshi 100% made you recite the wedding vows to him before accepting the ring. If you fumbled up, he'd correct you with SO much attitude and expect you to start from the top until you got it perfectly.

Hypothetically, in the chalice scene towards the end..

Noritoshi is the type to never be fully relaxed unless he knows for sure you'll be eternally his. In this scenario, YOU proposed to HIM but have to die to continue being together. Not only that, but someone in the living world is also after your heart. Someone who bleeds. Someone who's the obvious choice. Someone who can give you the life that you deserve. Someone who will succeed in their pursuits if you. remain. alive. Noritoshi's life was cut short, yet he still managed to lose so much and be abandoned a considerable amount of times. When he meets you and finds out about the possibility of having to go through that again even in death, it finally clicks in his rotting mind. He realizes he's been doing something wrong to keep constantly failing. Noritoshi revises his methods to a more.. selfish course. Why should he care about anyone else's wants or how his actions hurt them? You were the only one who made him truly fulfilled, to make him feel alive. The only one who deserves anything and everything good that comes from this world. Destiny is never done toying with him when he realizes your marriage is invalid because of your pulse and his lack thereof no matter how hard he'd try, but the opportunity arises. of course, he's ecstatic to give you an afterlife worth much more than what a silly beating heart can achieve. "All people die eventually. If you miss your living family or friends, all it takes is patience, darling. I'll wait by your side in the meantime." He weighs the pros and cons of everything, but when it comes to swaying manipulating your thoughts he only highlights the ones that'll get you on his side. in this case, the pros of dying to be with him! Honestly, the answer was so obvious that Noritoshi didn't know why he was stressing about it before. It hurts him to see you in any type of pain, but he reassures both himself and you that it'll only be for a moment. Afterward, he'll have the rest of your afterlives to make it up to you!! What happened to Till Death Do Us Part? Noritoshi thinks it's insulting that something as shallow as that could be so widely accepted. If your love were true, it wouldn't stop just because the world decided to take them away. "Till death do us part? Darling, don't be silly. 'Not even death will do us part' feels much better, doesn't it?" 

[aishangotome]

Azel Radwan: Chapter 19 Premium Story

Chapter 19

Thank you @passthechloroform for providing the video for this chapter!

♡———♡

If there's a beginning, there's an end.

That day might come sooner than we think.

Sooner than we can even prepare ourselves.

Azel: Akatsuki, I recommend leaving Tanzanite before the full moon.

(Huh…?)

Azel sipped his Zel tea and spoke seriously.

The owner's eyes changed at the prophecy from the God who could foretell a definite reality.

Akatsuki: ...It's going to get worse?

Azel: Yes. Soon.

(...Gods can even tell when things will worsen.)

The moon has already more than half recovered its shape.

It won't be long until the full moon.

(The last riot was just a minor skirmish...)

(But if those continue, eventually they could escalate to the use of force.)

(Once the royal family uses force, the oppressed side won't be able to back down either.)

(I hope Tanzanite doesn't become a battlefield.)

The never-ending prophecy of the end sowed seeds of anxiety in my heart, and I could no longer taste the Zel tea.

Akatsuki: That's kind of you.

Azel: I told you, didn't I? Miss Emma has been good to me.

Azel: This warning is my thanks. However...

Azel: If a God says such ominous things, it will cause an uproar.

Azel: So please, keep this between us.

(If a large-scale riot breaks out...)

(I wonder if Azel will be alright.)

-

(...)

(.............)

(I can't sleep...)

Curled up on the edge of the bed, I open my eyes that I had been desperately closing, trying to sleep.

What came into view was not the ceiling of the night sky --- but Azel's mystical eyes.

(...!?)

Azel: Wha-

Azel seemed just as surprised as me, and jumped back with the force of a shooting star.

Azel: If you're awake, say you're awake! You're giving me a heart attack!

Emma: Wh-what were you doing?

Azel: Nothing! It's a misunderstanding!

(...If I'm not mistaken, it looked like he was peering at my sleeping face...)

When I stared at him intently, Azel, who for some reason had his hands raised to prove his innocence, turned away.

Azel: I wasn't doing anything bad.

Azel: It's just that... you were in my way, so I pushed you to the edge of the bed.

(He's right. I seem to have moved to the middle of the bed before I knew it.)

Come to think of it, I always try to sleep on the very edge so as not to disturb Azel, but when I wake up in the morning, I often find myself sleeping in the middle of the bed.

Emma: Sorry––

(...No, this is strange.)

(If Azel was the one pushing me to the edge, I shouldn't be waking up in the middle every time.)

Azel continued to avert his gaze unnaturally, not even trying to look at me.

Emma: ...Could it be the other way around?

Azel: No, it's not! Why would I go out of my way to move you to the middle? Don't be ridiculous!

Emma: It is the other way around, isn't it?

Azel: ......

(This ticklish, sweet feeling, how many times have I felt it now?)

Emma: Thank you for always doing that.

Perhaps realizing he couldn't keep up the pretense, Azel returned to the bed with a sulky look.

Azel: Let me tell you––

Emma: Are you going to charge me a transportation fee or a caring fee?

Azel: ...Yeah, that's right. I'll add it to your tab.

Picking up a book that was lying nearby, Azel lay on his stomach and began to read.

Perhaps it was a sign that he had nothing more to say.

I also put a little distance between us and lay down again, but my gaze was directed at him.

His profile as he faced the book was as handsome as a statue, and at first glance, he looked like a cold God.

But beneath the surface, Azel was always merciful.

He's a greedy, ill-natured God who works me like a slave, but I realize that I can't help but grin at the clumsy compassion he shows from time to time.

––And after grinning, my heart races too.

(I don't think I can sleep now, but for a different reason than before.)

As I continued to stare, Azel, with a frown between his brows, lightly pinched my cheek.

Azel: Go to sleep. Your staring is annoying.

Emma: ...Would you mind keeping me company with a story until I get sleepy?

Azel: No way.

Emma: There's something I want to ask out of curiosity.

Azel: I said no, didn't I?

Even though he said "no," he wasn't turning the pages of the book.

It was proof that he was listening to my voice.

(The Azel I know is merciful like this.)

(But then why...)

Emma: ...Why can't Gods love people?

Azel: Huh?

Emma: You know, you said it before.

Azel: Being liked is troublesome, and Gods don't love humans either.

Emma: You're not a misanthrope, are you, Prince Azel?

Emma: You're quite caring in your own way, you never refuse those who visit the temple, and you always smile in front of people...

Emma: In fact, you even seemed to love people.

Azel: ...So, that's the extent of Belle's perception, huh?

Azel: It makes me sick to my stomach to be misunderstood in such a disgusting way, so carve this into your flower-field brain.

Azel closed the book and needlessly squished and squeezed my cheeks.

Azel: I was a Living God from the moment I was born.

Azel: People looked to me for hope, and they sought prophecies from me.

Azel: From a baby who was still zero years old and didn't even understand anything.

Emma: From such a young age?

Azel: Yeah. My mother knelt before me, and my father fanatically worshipped me.

Azel: Naturally, I don't remember anything from when I was zero...

Azel: But according to my brother, they apparently forced me to perform divination using cards.

Azel: They would make the baby choose from prepared cards to determine the future—a binary divination, or rather, a game of chance that couldn't even be called divination.

Emma: That's just messed up.

Azel: Our people don't possess the same sensibilities as you.

Azel: They entrusted their lives, their country, everything to a baby.

Azel removed his hand and rested his chin in his hand.

Azel: Of course, as I got older, people's demands only increased.

Azel: People revere Gods because they show them a guaranteed reality.

Azel: To put it bluntly, it's convenient for them. They don't have to think for themselves about any difficult problems, right?

(...I had a vague understanding of this, but I can't agree that abandoning choices and entrusting judgment to a God is a good thing.)

(Because choices come with responsibility.)

I, as Belle, also chose the future king of Rhodolite.

If the king I chose implements bad policies in the future, I will be the one to answer for it.

(Azel has been asked to make and has shown far more critical choices than I have.)

(But when his divination fails, people will blame the God, just like in that riot.)

Emma: ...Have you ever felt like it was all too much?

Azel: Every day. That's why I rebelled once.

Azel: It was more my brothers' mischievous idea than my own will, though.

Azel: Enis and my other brother probably felt sorry for my situation back then, just like you.

Azel: One time, we ran away from the palace and hid here in this ruin.

Azel: Only in this place, away from the eyes of adults, did my brothers treat me like a little brother.

Azel: Being treated as a "human" felt surprisingly good...

Azel: We were supposed to return to the palace before being found, but because of that, I made a mistake in judgment.

Azel: It didn't take long for my father to find us using soldiers.

Azel: And...

Before I knew it, Azel was clenching his fists on top of the sheets.

Azel: Right in front of me, my brothers had their nails ripped off, were whipped, and were hung in a cold cell for three days and nights.

Emma: ...!

(...What is this...?)

(This isn't discipline, it's just torture.)

Azel: I was still a child then. I cried and screamed, unable to do anything, but my father wouldn't stop.

Azel: He tortured my brothers with a smile, saying it was all for the sake of God.

Azel: ...Ever since then, I haven't been able to stand the sight of blood.

Finding traces of pain in his dispassionate words, I placed my hand over Azel's.

I acted not out of reason, but out of emotion, hoping to distract him from the pain, even if just a little.

Emma: ...That's horrible.

Azel: But there was no one to stop my father.

Azel: Everyone believes without a doubt that it was the right thing to do because they love God.

Azel opened his fist without shaking off my hand.

Azel: Since then, Enis has been unable to defy our father and no longer sees me as his brother.

Azel: My other brother was the mastermind behind the escape plan, so he was exiled.

Azel: My claiming the title of Second Prince is like an act of defiance.

Azel: I deliberately maintain the position of First Prince to prevent that geezer from forgetting my anger.

(...So that's what it was.)

*flashback*

Azel: It's alright. The old man is secluded in the sanctuary today.

Azel: Even if we're a little out of line, there's no one to punish us.

Enis: ...Right.

*flashback over*

Emma: That father you're talking about, Prince Azel...

Emma: Is he the apostle?

As if to confirm, he squeezed my hand tightly.

Azel: You felt something was off about that geezer from the start, didn't you?

Azel: I was impressed by that. You saw through him as a madman in an instant.

(...The more I hear, the more Azel's environment seems like...)

Azel: People worship and revere me as a God. But that's just a convenient illusion.

Azel: The true identity of the last God on this continent...

Azel: Is just a pitiful slave.

All I could do was squeeze his hand back.

Azel: That's the answer to "why Gods don't love humans."

Azel: ...The people say they love the God.

Azel: They think they can do whatever they want with "love" as their excuse.

Azel: No matter how rational a person is, once they go mad with love, they can no longer live without it.

Azel: The way they fall into madness under the pretext of love is nothing but a curse.

(That sounds familiar somehow...)

A vague memory surfaced in my mind and seeped into my heart.

Azel: That's why I will never love anyone.

Azel: And don't you ever say such a repulsive thing again.

Emma: ...But...

Emma: The love you're talking about isn't love.

(At least, it's different from the love I know.)

(...This is the source of the dissonance I've been feeling.)

Emma: You can't call something that hurts you love.

Emma: That's just violence disguised as love.

When I declared this firmly, his mystical eyes wavered in the faint moonlight.

Azel: Then what is real love?

(Real love is...)

I've been searching for it too, and I still haven't found the answer.

But if we can call compassion a kind of "love," then I know many clear examples.

Emma: Wouldn't it be like this very moment, when you're indulging my sleepless chatter?

Azel: ...Huh?

Emma: Like when you cook for me when I'm tired...

Emma: Or when you frantically bring me a linen when I'm crying...

Emma: Or when you put me back in bed every day so I don't fall out...

Emma: I think that's what love is.

Azel: ......

Azel: So you're insulting me, then?

Emma: Why would you think that!?

Azel: What else am I supposed to think?

Azel: According to what you just said, it would mean I love you.

Emma: Ah...

(Come to think of it, those might have been rather conceited examples.)

(But that's all I could think of at the moment...!)

Azel: That was an insult worthy of increasing your debt by three digits.

Emma: ...! Th-they were just examples!

Azel, his face contorted like a demon mask, was blushing furiously, even in the dim light.

(...Seeing him so flustered...)

Even things that didn't have any deep meaning before are starting to gain meaning, and even I'm getting flustered.

After an awkward silence, Azel wrapped his arms around my head and pulled me towards his chest.

Azel: Go to sleep now. Go to sleep immediately. Go to sleep this instant.

Emma: I can't breathe! This isn't going to sleep, it's going to be fainting...!

When I resisted, his grip loosened.

However, he didn't seem to intend to let me go, as his hand snaked around my waist.

This was probably a measure to prevent me from seeing his face, but it only made my body hotter.

(This is exactly the kind of thing that makes people misunderstand...)

Azel: Listen, I'm going to make this clear now.

Azel: All those things I do are for money, and I haven't done a single thing for your sake.

Azel: If you ever say anything about love or whatever again, I'll curse you for generations to come.

(...This is troubling.)

Even though he was saying all those things, Azel's heartbeat told a different story.

Perhaps a God's heart beats faster than a normal person's, but the thump-thump-thump against my forehead was contagious.

(I won't point it out though, or he might actually make me faint.)

Though I didn't feel sleepy at all, I closed my eyes.

Whether unconscious or not, he gently patted my back.

Perhaps it was the God's compassion for me, after I said I couldn't sleep.

(...Being with Azel, I feel like I might find the answer too.)

(To what kind of love I'm yearning for...)

-

(Azel's POV)

Hearing her finally fall asleep, I slightly move my body away.

Unlike before, there's no sign of her waking up, and her unconsciously escaping breaths melt into the desert night.

Azel: ...It's nice that you can sleep so peacefully.

Azel: On the contrary, now I can't sleep.

Even when I complain, there's no reply. I sigh once more and pull the blanket closer.

After I carefully wrap it around her so my lodger won't be exposed to the night chill, she moves away, seemingly preferring the fluffiness of the blanket.

Seeing her hugging the blanket instead of the God, I frown.

Azel: I'm definitely warmer, aren't I?

I worry, hesitate, extend my hand, then retract it, repeating this over and over. After continuing this meaningless conflict, I pull her escaped body back into my arms.

Azel: ...Being with you makes me feel like I've become an idiot.

Azel: ...

Azel: But there's no such thing as a dream that lasts forever.

Azel: Just as the events here will eventually become a dream to you, they will also become a dream to me someday.

Azel: ...I've been through so much pain because of that worthless thing called love.

Azel: At the very least, I hope you can live without knowing that pain.

Azel: If you are loved by someone, that's the beginning of hell.

Like a God praying to a God—I lightly kiss Emma's forehead as she continues to sleep.

.

.

.

Chapter 20

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to leave me a tip here or buy me a coffee through the "Leave a Tip" button on my navigation bar!

[panickingpansexuality]

I can Explain

Elliott x GN reader

So my SDV son randomly had his brown hair changed black, maybe from one of the mods I just installed but all I can think is Elliott and our kid got into something and now our baby has different colored hair.

When you got home from the mines sometime before six thirty you imagined your son and husband to be settling down for the night. Not for you to walk into the bathroom with Elliott rubbing his face with his hands green paint covering his white button down and a few splotches on his face, while your beautiful baby boy, only three years old. With neon green hair when this morning it was definitely matching yours.

The two hear your footsteps and turn to see you, Elliott hides his face while your very enthusiastic son smiles and says:

"Oh hi Mommy."

You look between your son and his father and shake your head. Your husband wearing a white button down shirt that is wet and has a great amount of green paint on it.

"Hi baby." You say sweetly, trying very hard not to loose your cool "What happened to your hair?"

"Daddy and I were watching TV and there was a lady with green hair so I found my paints and gave myself green hair."

"I see." You say, you turn to your husband. Elliott gives you a very nervous look, pressing his lips together in a thin line to try and not laugh and says:

"For the past few hours we have been very thorough trying to wash it out until I gave up. It's not coming out at all."

You hold back your snicker and Elliott has to take a breath seeing your reaction to the situation.

"Do you like it Mommy?" Your son asks looking up at you expectantly.

"It's so..vibrant." you say with a chuckle, "Like the kid in the Lorax."

Your son then jumps down from the counter and starts to sing the "Let it Grow" song from the Lorax while walking out of the room.

Elliott looks at you and you both loose it. It takes a moment for you two to recover before saying;

"The best thing to do about it right now is laugh." You say kissing him on the cheek, "I'll call Emily tomorrow, but for now I'd like to know how he got into the paint.

Elliott smiles down at you, grabbing you by your waist he gives you a soft smile and speaks while looking at you lovingly: "You are absolutely incredible for handling this so well."

You chuckle and shrug your shoulders, a small giggle escapes you, the two of you unaware of the small boy watching his parents be so affectionate with each other.

Elliott press a kiss to your forehead, a small smile on your lips as you speak;

"I figured you freaked out enough for both of us when it happened."

Elliott chuckles, looking down at you, some blush on his cheeks from your very correct assumption.

"Only slightly, but I don't think anything can top when you came home to see him in the dinosaur pin."

"Or when you nearly dropped him the first time you held him-"

The two of you go into your banter until Elliott silences you both with a kiss, your son making an "ooh" sound as the two of you kiss. You two break apart and prepare to get settled for the evening.

[burning-academia-if]

Hello, I am mostly back and recovered at the time of writing this lol. June wasn't very productive writing wise (...for BA), which is fine because I needed that break! Look at everything I did do in June:

RELEASED CHAPTER 2 FINALLY

Spent like 2 weeks fixing bugs (dw chapter 3 I'll get beta readers so it doesn't happen again LOL)

Participated in the Raffle for Palestine + wrote and sent out the story to the winner!

Wrote about 5k words of Chapter 3

Wrote and edited Zoe's back story

Wrote most of Lars back story because I was inspired (sorry you won't get this until after Chapter 3 drops)

I'm pretty happy to have released Chapter 2! I'm gonna be honest, this felt like such a daunting release lol When I started BA, I was expecting no one to read it save for a handful of people and I'd just be chilling and writing mostly for myself like usual, so releasing it with over 1.5k followers was very daunting. With that said, I am glad people overall enjoyed the new chapter! The plan is for Chapter 3 not to take as long, but life is still hectic so we'll see. At the very least, it hopefully won't be any later then October (BA's one year anniversary month!).

I also just want to give another shout out to everyone who participated in the raffle for Palestine! Raising over two thousand euros in two weeks is still amazing to me, and I'm happy the IF community could come together like this to help out a cause! This was lowkey another thing I was nervous about since I've never really done anything that's felt like a personal commission before (asks definitely feel different lol), but other then my initial nerves the whole thing was a really nice experience!

Now, going into July, I want to focus on the UI updates I want to make. I have some things I want to shift around and change, and since coding is my biggest weakness I know it's one of those things I'm going to have to focus on. If things go well, I'm hoping to do a pure UI update by August. It'll mostly be the menu pages (achievements/stats/relationships/etc), but there are a few other things I want to add in and adjust outside of it. As for Zoe's backstory, that should be out soon, so keep an eye out of that! Finally, I also might not be too active in July. For personal reasons, July is always a hard month for me. Hopefully it isn't obvious, but just in case I'm not around as much as usual, that's why!

OH and before I forget, here's this month's chapter preview ft Angry Rook:

Lastly, I made the questionable decision to make a side IF. Updates will be very sporadic since BA is and will always be my main project until its completion. But if you want to follow it, it's To Taste Sweet Silver. An 18+ gaslamp fantasy about trying to steal the Fruit of the Old Gods in order to bring the world to an end. It's a little more niche I think, but feel free to check it out! The demo shouldn't take too long to get out since I did accidentally write most of opening already.

[divineerdrick]

Homestuck Beyond Canon Upd8 for September 29, 2024

This is honestly a great time for an upd8.

I'm not doing so hot right now. Both my migraines and my fatigue have decided to start kicking my ass even harder. And I'm a little frustrated with that, since I've been trying to participate in the Path of Exile Runic Strife Gauntlet. But that's going to be hard if my body is going to be fighting me. I'm not making very good time as is, and I can't afford to lose a character due to lack of focus.

At times like this, Homestuck is often a comfortable blanket I'll wrap myself in. This comic has gotten me through hard times in the past, especially with amazing wealth of talent and compassion that's in the community. Even now, with probably a pretty hard chapter coming, I'm very much looking forward to it. I'm hoping we can get some more catharsis for Vriska's arc, and maybe finally give her another much needed breakthrough.

Here we are. Finally behind the 8 ball.

Hah! Also, apparently this is just "Later" so we don't have a definitive time frame. At least that probably means another year hasn't gone by.

That . . . that is a much more upbeat Serket than I was expecting. Hopefully she's not playing strong after her encounter with Scratch. She really does need to take some time to process that and move past it.

Nice boss pick there, in more ways than one.

Okay good! Looks like she did take some time reflect and recover. I'm hoping she actually spent some time addressing things though. Would have been nice to see some of that, but Homestuck has a habit of leaving some things to the imagination.

Looks like some opening up might have happened there. That's good! That means progress has definitely taken place!

Fefeta! Chewing everyone's ear off as usual! It's actually a cute contrast to Davepeta going on one of their usual tangents.

Vriska's never been shy about getting in on the RP action. Much less menacing than a Mindfang RP, but also still very much Vriska.

Hah! Vriska's trying to wrap her head around the sprite shenanigans.

Fefeta! No!!!

Nope. Not gonna explain anything.

No glomping without consent!

Consent and glomp achieved!

Looks like they're literally calling them hells. Also awesome art.

I'm still going with (Vriska), but that leaves the opportunity for Terezi to show up too, just as Aradia showed up with Tavros.

Kinda reminds me of the faint image of the stage at the center of the black hole.

Hey! I got one!

Wow! Really pushing the age difference here. This Vriska is still 6 after all.

It's one thing to apologize. But this is still a valid Vriska. Can you accept her.

And apparently she can't do it.

Wow! She really just peace'd the fuck out!

And that's it for the chapter. Vriska has hit another wall. Despite the fact she knows she should, she can't accept the part of her she views as having given up - as choosing happiness over the mission. She's probably telling herself that this version of her left everyone behind when they still needed her, and she can't accept that. But the simple fact is that version of her is still a valid her. It's still a path she took. We don't see any other versions of Vriska in the bubbles, because but for one well placed punch this was Vriska's fate. Sally "thewertsearch" just got to Vriska's death in her liveblog. Scratch makes it clear that Vriska always chose to fix the coin, always chose to go fight jack, and Terezi always stabs her in the back because she knows what the consequences will be. It's a constant across all timelines. And that Vriska always fights to stay relevant until everyone but Meenah leaves her. And then she chooses happiness instead.

And apparently, Vriska just can't deal with that.

[icyowl]

Idk if your taking request if not discard! lol but uh >< could we get some Vash & Wolfwood A/O/B head canons? What do you think their second genders would be? and how would they be w reader?

A/B/O Headcanons (Vash, Wolfwood)

Pairings: Wolfwood x reader, Vash x reader

A/N/: always up for ABO. Always.

As my bio says, I'm not open for requests per se, but if an ask strikes my fancy, I might get inspired!

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

WOLFWOOD

An alpha through and THROUGH

very growly. It's deep and slow and rumbly and he loves using it on others or using it on you and catching you off guard. He smells the effect it has on you through your scent glands and his eyes key in on the tiny shaking it puts in your knees. You alright there, ankle biter? Lookin' a little unsteady he says with a wicked grin. Even the cigarette bounces with mirth.

Whatever class Wolfwood was going to be, the experiments done by the Dr. turned him into an alpha. It's done on purpose because alphas are more goal-oriented and driven, and because its pretty easy to keep them in line with a steady dose of hard-core suppressants. Getting Wolfwood to detox from them was definitely an exercise in building trust. The ensuing rut you had to help him through was. . . intense, to say the least.

Puts out his cigarettes when you're around. Just because he can cancel out the ill-effects by drinking his vials doesn't mean he has to subject you to it.

Say his first name nice and softly with some of those omega hormones pushing out into the room and watch his whole shoulder line gradually slump until he's putting his head on your shoulder and licking the oils from your scent glands.

Look, its fact that at some point he will use himself as a human shield to keep you safe because, again, he's got those vials to help him recover. The first time he got, for all intents and purposes, murdered in front of your eyes was a horrifying experience. Even after he'd made a full recovery (another mildly disturbing moment when he seemingly came back from the dead just as quickly as he joined it), you'd lost many nights worth of sleep. When he found out, you had a long discussion about his ready-fire-aim tendencies.

It came as no surprise you began to have nightmares. Try as he might, he wasn't good at consoling you at first. It took time for Wolfwood to realize slapping you on the back like some bro and telling you the vials taste like candy wasn't the way to make you feel better.

Has gotten your group thrown out of a number of establishments after holding a man at gunpoint for so much as flirting with you. Very clearly used the moment as an excuse to show off in front of you.

Definitely gives you the talk about worrying about yourself before others or before you make stupid choices that might put you in harms way. Gets you a gun of some kind, something manageable, and maybe it won't obliterate some of the things that are coming after you but it'll give you a chance to get away or at least buy time until he can get there.

“Whatever Blondie does, you do the opposite, you hear me?”

Also chew you out if/when you put yourself in danger. Doesn't matter why. He'll get in your face and yell and interrupt you at every turn. “I don't care that you were saving some kid! Drop kick him out a window for all I care! The next time you do something like that, I'll kill you myself!”

Loves showing off your relationship in front of others. Favorite thing to do is, whenever you go to sit by him in a public place, his arm snakes around you (whether its your arm or waist or a part of your clothing) and simply yanks you to his lap.

This man. This man would not touch a healthy relationship with a ten-foot pole. Like, we can agree his most stable relationship is with his gun, right? So totally expect him to be a little lost when it comes to taking care of you emotionally. It never occurred to him how many days had passed without him scenting you; just figured you were dealing with something or had a change in hormones when you began to smell sour.

On your end, you're freaking out. There has to be a reason why he's not doing it. Is he over you? Do you smell bad? Is something going on in his life you don't know about? Is there someone else? How do you bring it up without sounding accusatory? Should you just drop it?

When you finally lean in and just go for it, fisting his shirt and burrying your nose under his chin, nestled right up against his pulse, and purr, he does nothing for several seconds. Meanwhile your heart is skittering wildly. What you don't realize is you've positively short-circuited this poor man. Could his heart always beat like this? So fast, so erratically? A low rumble escapes him and encases you in an embrace.

He realizes this is the first time he's ever purred.

VASH

could legit be any class. I'm sure most of y'all see him as an omega, but for funsies I'll make him an alpha for a change!

Like, come on, you can't tell me those canines from the last episode scream anything else but alpha. Plus, we all know how determined he can get. Just imagine that you're the one he can't turn his instincts away from, you're the one that makes him feel the most like a regular person, you're the one that elicits such a visceral reaction from him.

Three words: PRO TEC TIVE. If you got with him hoping to break him of his savior mentality, you've gotten with the wrong person. His habits include but are not limited to: keeping watch every time you sleep (even at the risk of his own lethargy), repositioning you to where he perceives to be the safest spot (picking dining tables closest to an exit, putting himself between you and strangers, ensuring an unobstructed path to you and his gun, etc.), scenting your clothes every morning before you wake to keep other alphas from bothering you, smiling in such a way that he shows off his canines to anyone that bothers you, and coming up with lame excuses to get you away from anyone that bothers him. Vash is mostly polite about it, but you know what't up. Nuzzle into him and watch him melt into you and purr gently.

Yo his glyphs pulse when his alpha instincts come to the surface. Defending you from another alpha? Needing to scent you to feel calm? You got him riled up? All those will do it and its sometimes been a close call to hide it from strangers. You love it when it happens in the dark of a room and he literally lights up the space.

Seeing you in his jacket sends a shiver up his spine and makes his pupils expand considerably. He's soooo attentive to you. The slightest change in your scent due to your emotions — whether they be fear or jealousy or loneliness — and he's on you, nuzzling into your scent glands to try and calm you and offering to get you someplace private for a scenting session. Don't be surprised if he completely ignores your protests and excuses the two of you from the rest of the group.

One time he was so caught up in the moment of battle, so fearful when he saw a gun aiming for your chest, that his cybernetic hand grabbed for your arm and yanked you aside. It almost hurt him as much as if you'd been shot when he realized his fingers left dark bruises on your skin, and he'd carelessly flung you into a bookshelf where you'd knocked the back of your head against the corner, causing wet blood to rush into your hair and face.

He refused to touch you for days after that. Thankfully, in the dead of night, long after everyone else had gone to bed, you found him leaning bodily against the wall at the end of the hallway, resisting his hormone-fueled delirium on sheer willpower alone, and were able to convince him to give in to the bond. Oh how he wanted to scent you and be scented, how his oil glands wetted themselves feebly, desperate to touch your scent glands. You had enough when he tried to escape you again; one gentle press to the gland on his wrist and he finally gave in — pupils expanded, eyes glossed over, canines descended. Vash pinned you against the wall, chuffing and nuzzling while you tried to keep your head on straight. His pheromones were positively overwhelming.

Vash reverently touched the bandage on your head and the bruises on your arm, apologizing with whines and whimpers. The poor man could hardly speak with the hormones buzzing through him, but he tried to convey the pain he felt at hurting you, even unintentionally. You soothed the guilt with gentle words and a steady stroke to the gland on his neck.

Because of his biology, he has a very unique scent. It's clean and fresh and everyone takes notice. You've had to fight off a few omegas during your time together. My man's totally clueless.

Like, he can smell you're frustrated, but why? Those ladies were just helping him get directions to the next town? Oh, they were holding his arm as they pointed to the horizon? He never noticed. They were just being nice. Why were you glaring at them? Whatever the reason, he can tell you need his pheromones and floods the space with them accordingly.

Sooooo hesitant when it comes to marking you, or really even allowing his mouth anywhere near your supple skin. He doesn't trust himself not to lose control or get carried away. Vash knows what being bound to him would mean; the danger, the running. To him, it's no different than painting a bullseye on you. It takes time, and a lot of trust and coaxing, but eventually he gives in to the trance tugging at his brain. Eventually, he gives himself over to it. His nibbling teeth and laving tongue don't leave your skin for some time.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 35 - HUMOR

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: kellifer_fic

kellifer_fic wrote some of my favorite fics in this fandom, period. Their voices for the Avengers are all immaculate, and their way of writing dialogue is nothing short of incredible. It's even funnier than Marvel canon sometimes, and that's a feat that not many can pull off. I adore their fics, and if I could rec every single thing they've ever written here, I would. But alas, I'll restrain myself to some of my favorites.

Here's some of their work that I think you should check out:

jealousy is all the fun you think they had

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 3,887 Tags: Jealousy, Bucky Recovering, Fighting & Making Up

Summary: Is it socially acceptable to be jealous of your boyfriend's ex-dead best friend?

Reasons why I love it: This fic is equal parts hilarious and a glorious trainwreck of Tony self-sabotaging himself, which is very on brand for him. I love how nonchalant Bucky is about the whole thing, he truly is the best bro. And JARVIS is just the best, full stop. I adore this one, and if you haven't read it yet, you absolutely should!

Therapeutic Guidelines

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 8,357 Tags: Action Figures, UST, Team as Family

Summary: "Are you suggesting I get a bunch of bunk beds in here and squeeze us all into one room?" Tony scoffs and the woman just looks at him. "No, wait-"

Reasons why I love it: Doctor Barrow's role in this fic is actually kind of genius. I love the plot twist and everything leading up to it. There are so many funny moments, I can't even say which one is my favorite, but I especially enjoyed the team bonding. This fic is wonderful, and you should definitely read it!

99 problems (and the dice ain't one)

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 10,784 Tags: Living Together, DnD, Resolved Sexual Tension

Summary: Tony's life is almost perfect. He lives in a converted warehouse full of friends (and one frenemy), has a job that leaves him plenty of time to think about other things and a regular Friday night campaign. If his best friend, Steve Rogers, hadn't moved away to New York and left him behind, then perfection would've been achieved. Tony can roll with the punches though and he's almost all the way over that little bump in the road (shut up Bruce, he totally is) when Steve moves back, looking taller and broader and more confident than ever and Tony's left with a converted warehouse full of friends (and one frenemy), a job that leaves him plenty of time to think about other things, a regular Friday night campaign and the uncomfortable realization that maybe he's in love with his best friend and has been since he was sixteen.

Reasons why I love it: Oh my god, they're all such nerds, I love them! Tony the grumpy hermit is adorable, and I love how ass-backwards Steve and Tony are when it comes to their feelings. Plus, the team as family vibes in this are phenomenal. Definitely check this one out, it's fantastic!

even the cake was in tiers

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: NR Words: 5,500 Tags: Accidental Marriage, Magic, Team Bonding

Summary: I'm pretty sure I'm married to Steve Rogers.

Reasons why I love it: Just the title of this fucking sent me. The Tony sass is on another level in this one, and I'm enjoying every second of it. I love how Tony has a whole Ebenezer Scrooge moment about his life choices, and the ending is super cute. This fic is wonderful, and I hope you go and check it out for yourself!

one hundred percent skill, fifty percent luck

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 7,418 Tags: Poker, Pining, Kidnapping

Summary: Where there is a poker game, a v-card and general misunderstandings.

Reasons why I love it: I love how everyone on the team clearly understands what's happening, except for Tony. All of the poker night scenes are amazing, and I'm super impressed at how well this fic is balanced between humor and drama. I love it, and I bet you will too, so I hope you'll give this one a shot for yourself, if you haven't already!

[d1xonss]

Desert Rose

Chapter 17 ~ Guitar Lessons and Confessions

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 2

✧ Word Count : 4.4k

In this chapter ~ When Rose plans and gathers her things for a search for Sophia, what she doesn't expect was a thick tension between her and Daryl as he only asked for a simple favor. However, it seemed to be shattered just as quickly as it was built up. Though she spent the rest of her day looking for the girl and even offering some guitar lessons to Beth, Glenn finds he has something to admit. Something that had been eating him up inside.

I was rudely awoken the next morning with a throbbing kind of pain coming from my side. Groaning quietly to myself, I saw up slowly with my hand placed over the bandages, and made a mental note to grab some more painkillers from Hershel at some point. I surprised myself, along with everyone else how fast I was recovering, though I think yesterday's incident definitely didn't help the pain.

But I soon found myself changing into a fresh set of clothes, grabbed my weapons, and headed out of the tent. I walked around the camp for only a few minutes before Carol called me over and asked if I would help her hang the clothes up to dry, and as much as I didn't want to, I agreed. I didn't know how to talk to her anymore after Sophia got lost and I didn't want to say anything to upset her. But I also didn't want her to think I was shutting her out, so that's why I agreed to begin with.

"So, how are you doing?" she asked after a few moments of silence, clipping up another shirt on the line.

"I'm okay...how are you doing?" I asked.

She shrugged, "As good as I can be..."

This made me look over at her instantly, "Hey, we're going to find her. I'm going out today and I know Rick and Shane are too. Plus, Daryl found her doll just yesterday, I have hope that she's somewhere safe."

She smiled and nodded, "Thank you, for just... everything. I know how hard you're trying, especially with your injury. Are you sure you're okay to go out?" she asked.

"I'll be fine." I assured.

She nodded again and we continued to hang up the clothes in silence. I only hoped that today would go by smoothly and no one else would get hurt. It's like everyone and their mother was getting shot at the same time.

"You know, he asked for you this morning." she stated out of the blue.

My eyes glanced back over to her in slight confusion, not knowing exactly who "he" was. But the moment I saw the small smirk creep up to her face, I put two and two together.

"Oh?" was all I managed to ask.

She laughed quietly and nodded her head, "I think you're good for him. I mean, you bring out this whole new side to him."

It was then my turn to laugh at that, "I don't think so." I muttered with a shake of my head.

"Well, I do," she replied, "I mean he was so worried about you when you got shot, and was ready to race out to the house in a heartbeat. And he stayed by your side talking to you for hours as soon as you woke up. And then the next day he gives you a new sketchbook that you've been wanting-"

"Okay, does everybody know about that?" I asked.

"Word travels fast," she winked, "But anyway, do you think he would've done all that for just anyone here?"

Standing there for a second, I genuinely thought, would he? We had gotten closer at the CDC and just kept getting closer after that. I was willing to admit that I did have some feelings for Daryl, I wasn't about to deny that to myself, but I guess I always just pushed those feelings aside because I assumed he didn't feel the same way. Also, to me this wasn't necessarily the best time to be thinking about a relationship when there are much bigger problems going on around us every day.

Though she took my silence as a no, "I also don't think he would've let me kiss him on the head yesterday if you hadn't been there. I think he might be trying to show his soft side to you."

I scoffed, "Alright. So, what exactly are you getting at here?" I asked.

She smiled a real smile as she nudged her shoulder with mine, "He likes you."

"Well, we're friends, I sure hope he likes me a little bit." I joked.

She shook her head, "No Rose, he has a little crush on you."

I knew what she meant the first time, but I guess I just didn't want to hear it. I mean I did want to hear it, but I wanted it to be true, and I needed to hear it from the man himself in order to believe that. Physically see the words coming out of his mouth for me to truly know that it was real, and not all in my head.

I smiled and shook my head at her, "Whatever you say." I muttered to the woman, wanting to drop the topic completely.

Casual small talk filled the silence as we quickly made our way through all the clothes that were sloppily laid out in the baskets. I finished helping her after another few minutes, hanging up one last pair of pants, before walking back off towards Daryl's tent with a wave of my hand from over my shoulder.

I had forgotten the one knife I always kept in my boot, silently wanting to grab it quick before I headed out to look for Sophia. I walked past Shane and Rick, letting them know I would be ready to head out soon and they both nodded before going back to their hushed conversation.

Though just before I could walk another two steps, Glenn suddenly approached me like a man on a mission. He quickly stopped me in my tracks with a small basket in his hands, right before I could just barely reach the damn tent.

"Hey, do you want a peach?" he asked me quickly.

My eyes widened as his assertiveness before muttering, "Sure?"

He then was looking around, almost anxiously as I leaned down a bit to pick a couple that looked fine enough. I noticed almost instantly and glanced up at him with one of my eyebrows raised. He seemed panicked before flashing me a reassuring smile that wasn't very convincing.

"You okay?" I asked him slowly.

"Okay? Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be okay? I'm just uh...passing out these peaches and then I'll probably go talk to Maggie for a little bit- unless you want to hangout? We could hangout if you wanted, maybe help out around here, find something to do." he rambled.

I almost physically took a step back in shock that he just word vomited on me and looked slightly behind his head to see Rick and Shane both trying not to laugh as they caught the end of the conversation.

"Glenn just breathe," I told him and he did, taking in a few deep breaths, "I'm going out to look for Sophia today, but we'll talk later...okay?"

He nodded his head frantically, "Okay, yeah...good." he muttered before turning around and taking off in the other direction before I could even bat an eye.

I looked back at Rick and Shane and just mouthed "Wow." Then they actually let their laughter fill the air as I finally walked towards the place I was trying to get to in the first place. I made my way up to the front of the tent and unzipped it, trying to do it gracefully with two peaches balancing in my hands. My gaze then immediately landed on someone laying down inside and I couldn't help but jump in surprise.

Though upon taking a second to actually glance at the intruders face, Daryl only looked up at me confused from his comfortable position, causing me to let out a breath.

"Jesus, you scared the shit out of me." I said as I made my way in.

His brows furrowed, "Ya do remember this is my tent, right?" he asked sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes, "Yes smartass, I remember, but you're supposed to be recovering in the house."

"Yeah, well I warned ya that probably wouldn't last long."

I shrugged, "Fair enough," I said before glancing down at my hands momentarily, "You want a peach?"

He smiled at me and nodded, taking it from my hands. I then turned my attention back to trying to find my knife in my bag, digging through the small pockets to try and feel for it. I felt Daryl's eyes on me as I looked, though I pretended not to notice as my focus was solely right in front of me. My fingers then felt the small blade and I pulled it out successfully before turning back to face him, his eyes ducking away from me as if he wasn't staring.

"I'm going to head out today and look for Sophia. Stay here and rest for me, will you?" I asked.

He nodded as I turned around to leave, but he quickly started to say something else before I could take another step. "Hey uh... will ya do me a favor?" he asked hesitantly.

"Sure?" I responded.

He then put the peach down and pulled out some fresh bandages for his head, "Will ya help me change these?" he asked shyly.

I smirked a little to myself before nodding my head. Sitting myself down at the end of his sleeping bag, he sat up with his legs crossed, leaning his face closer. I tried to ignore the slight shake in my hands and removed the old bandages delicately, not wanting to rip anymore stitches he had. He began to stare at me as I worked carefully, his eyes scanning all over my face as I desperately tried to focus on anything else but how close he was to me.

I saw out of my peripheral vision that his eyes flickered to my lips every so often, but I just continued to focus on changing the bandage like he asked. Disregarding the old ones, I started to wrap the new bandage around his head a few times, making sure it was tight enough before I was finished.

Finally getting the nerve to look him in the eye, I realized how close our faces actually were, our noses almost touching, and I could've sworn I could feel his breathing feather across my cheeks. I smiled a little before backing up, though I never took my eyes off of him.

"So, how's it look nurse? Am I gonna live?" he smirked.

I scoffed at him but that just made his smirk grow, "Yeah I think you'll live, it won't damage your brain...or well in your case," I trailed off, leaning closer to him and placing my hand on the other side of his head as I looked with furrowed brows, "What's left of one." I finished with a smirk of my own.

"Hey!" he said defensively, trying to fight the smile that was coming onto his face, while trying to smack my hand off his head. I ended up placing both my hands on the sides of his face while we both were laughing tiredly at the joked that wasn't even that funny. He then grabbed both of my wrists, taking my hands off fully, somehow bringing our faces closer than last time.

The smiles we once had on our faces, slowly faded once we both realized the distance between us was only smaller. He was still holding onto my wrists, swearing I could feel him rubbing his thumbs across my skin softly, but it was hard to tell when all I could think about was how our lips merely centimeters away.

"Rose?" a sudden voice called out from outside.

We both jumped away from each other rather quickly upon hearing the interruption, not daring to look each other in the eye. It wasn't like we were embarrassed to be caught, but almost embarrassed because both of us were too scared to close the distance.

My eyes shut tightly with a sigh before I stood up to leave, glancing at him one more time, "I'll see you later." I muttered before leaving, not giving him a chance to respond.

I exited the tent to see Rick standing a few feet away, hands on his hips expectantly as he waited for me, "Sorry, I'm ready. Where do you want me to look?"

He nodded once behind him, "Here let me show you on the map." he replied, and we walked over towards the hood of a truck and looked at the map that had all kinds of markings on it.

He pointed to the spot that he and Shane would be searching together in case I needed them, and then pointed to where I would be looking. I nodded my head and wished them good luck before I was off heading in the other direction.

I was out there for a few hours and had no luck. No trace of her. To think that Rick only left her for a few minutes and just like that she was gone, like she disappeared into thin air. I tried my best to find any type of tracks, either hers or a walker, but nothing. I just wasn't having the best luck, so I made my way back to the farm because my side was starting to kill me, and I forgot to take more painkillers before I left. I felt defeated but I didn't want to just give up or lose hope, so I didn't.

When I got back to the house, I immediately heard screaming coming from a little ways down the field and I couldn't help but groan to myself. A part of me just wanted to turn my ass back around and leave again to get a few more minutes of peace, but that apparently was unrealistic.

My eyes scanned the area to pinpoint where it was coming from, only to find Maggie blowing up at Lori with Glenn just a few feet behind her. I couldn't quite make out the words she was saying from the distance, but soon she stormed off in the direction that I was in. She was speed walking and tried to completely walk past me but I slightly stepped in front of her.

"Maggie what's wrong? You, okay?" I asked her.

"I- I don't know Rose I just need to cool off, we'll talk later okay?" she responded briefly before taking off again.

I was taken aback at how upset and fearful she was all at once, glancing back to see Glenn talking to Lori, I decided to walk over to them to see what the problem was.

"Guys?" I said to get their attention.

They both stopped talking and snapped their necks to look back at me with baffled expressions. "Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah uh... yeah everything's fine Ro." Glenn said.

My brows furrowed as I wasn't convinced in the slightest, looking over at Lori who couldn't make eye contact with me as she just stared at her shoes in embarrassment. Glancing back to Glenn, I raised my eyebrows at him in question, hoping he could tell me what the hell was going on. His eyes darted between Lori and I a few times before mouthing "Tell you later." I just nodded my head and walked off towards the house, though I couldn't have been left more confused.

As I made my way up the porch, I could hear them beginning to talk again, but I just brushed it off as I made it through the front door and headed up to the bathroom. I looked through all the cabinets before finally finding some painkillers that would ease the throbbing pain I still had in my side. Popping a few of them in my mouth, I left the bathroom slowly to see Beth sitting quietly in her room, and an idea formed in my head. I figured now was as good a time as any to teach her a few things she wanted to learn on the guitar.

"Hey hon," I said to get her attention, "Do you want to learn a few chords on the guitar today?" I asked as I peeked my head through the doorway.

Her eyes lit up, "Yeah! Let me just go get it quick." she said, before rushing back downstairs.

I entered her room right as she was walking out and sat at the end of her bed as I waited. My eyes scanned the walls and noticed the small decorations she had around, and I thought it matched her personality pretty well. Small pictures in frames were hung up on the walls, painted a pretty pink color. Leaving the rest of her furniture a bright white, pulling everything together in the simplest way.

She came back in moments later with a huge smile on her face and the guitar in her hand, sitting down next to me while I was trying to figure out what to teach her first.

"Well, I guess the first thing you need to know is how to hold it so, hold it so your left hand is on the strings and your right will hold the pick." I said to her.

She adjusted the guitar in her hold and then looked at me when she was ready for the next thing.

"Okay, now we can learn a few chords." I stated.

I proceeded to show her five different ones she could do pretty easily since it was her first time. After she got comfortable enough with those, I showed her the few songs she could play with what she learned, and she was getting pretty good at it the more she practiced.

Though we both seemed to burst into laughs when she would curse the second she messed up, but picking back up where she left off with a shake of her head. That, and we found ourselves getting somewhat distracted during random times, talking casually as she took a few breaks here and there. But in the end, she learned how to play 2 songs pretty well after a few hours, leaving her feeling very proud of herself of what she had accomplished.

"Hey, why don't I play one of the songs you taught me, and you sing the lyrics." she suggested suddenly, strumming a few chords absentmindedly.

I immediately shook my head, "Um... I don't think so. How about I play, and you sing." I responded.

"Oh, come on," she tried again, "I just know you're a good singer, I can feel it." she said.

I gave her a pointed look, "You can feel it, huh?" I asked sarcastically, "I don't know hon, it's been a while and I don't really sing anymore." I spoke.

"Well, it's just me. Here I won't even look at you if that helps." she said and turned to face the wall.

I debated in my head for a few seconds before rolling my eyes, though she wasn't able to see, "Fine." I muttered.

I could tell she smiled in victory, "Which one do you want me to play?" she asked excitedly.

"Whichever one you want. I like both of them." I replied.

She thought for only a second before slowly playing the intro to Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. I smiled small to myself, though mentally preparing myself for something I hadn't felt in a while. Nausea washed over me almost instantly, and even though it was just Beth hearing me, I still grew nervous. But nonetheless I took a deep breath and started once the intro ended.

Singing again felt surreal and only brought back memories that I tried hard to repress. All I could think as I continued through the song was about how I used to sing constantly when it wasn't looking too good in my household. With my mother constantly looming over me, I found that singing distracted me, even if it was just for a few moments. It helped. But it was more of something that helped me cope through terrible times, not something that was enjoyable.

But the song thankfully came to a close quicker than I thought, Beth stopping the music and looking back at me with a huge smile on her face. I smiled awkwardly as I tried to forget the feeling I had moments ago, the reminder of the past I didn't need.

"That was amazing Rose!" Beth exclaimed while taking the guitar off and wrapping me in a tight hug, which I returned after a moment.

The sound of soft clapping was then heard from right outside of her room, pulling apart to see Hershel standing there in the doorway with a smile on his face.

"You two sound beautiful together." he complimented.

"Thank you." I said sincerely.

Beth squealed to her dad in excitement, "Rose taught me how to play some things on the guitar and I got her to sing! Doesn't she sound amazing?" she asked.

"Yes she does, Rose you're very talented." he said.

"Okay, okay enough, my head's getting way too big," I brushed off with a laugh, "But thank you."

He nodded his head and came to sit by Beth while she told him everything that I had been teaching her the past few hours, going on and on and only continuing to fill my ego.

I then got up and cleared my throat, "Well, I'm going to head out to check on Glenn, but I'll see you guys later."

Beth nodded, "Okay, thanks again for teaching me. Do you think I can learn some more soon?" she asked.

I smiled, "Sure, just come find me when you want some new songs to learn." I winked.

She smiled and nodded her head before turning back to her dad to tell him more, watching as he got lost in her words and excitement. I smiled to myself before turning around to set off to find Glenn, needing to know what was going on earlier and in the back of my mind it was driving me crazy.

The second I walked outside, I immediately spotted him right next to the RV. He was sitting talking to Dale about something casually when he suddenly saw me out of the corner of his eye, jumping out of his chair and rushed over to me in a matter of seconds. As he was walking towards me quickly, looking like a lunatic, I made eye contact with Dale as the older man followed his retreating figure to see where he was taking off to. He surprisingly gave me a small nod and a smile and I returned it.

I knew just after that small exchange that we were okay, and we could move on from what happened. It was nice to know we were both mature enough for that.

"My God, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you, come on." Glenn said quickly before grabbing me by my arm and dragging me away.

"Well, you didn't look very hard because I was literally in the house the whole time." I clapped back as we walked.

He didn't say anything to my smartass comment, he didn't say anything really until he knew we were far enough away from everyone so no one could hear our conversation. He then dropped my arm and started pacing back and forth, thinking loudly to himself as if he didn't know where to start. I followed him with my eyes as he visibly had an inner debate with himself, my arms crossing over my chest impatiently waiting.

After a few minutes of making myself dizzy, my annoyance grew, "Jesus Christ, just spit it out Glenn."

He stopped pacing and looked at me, and without missing a beat he said, "Lori's pregnant and the barn is full of walkers."

My eyes slowly started to widen the longer I took the information in, processing it as best as I could though it was all insane. It was just a few words, but they were both really big problems. Lori being pregnant in a world like this was no good for her or anyone else. We had Hershel, somewhat of a doctor here to make sure everything was running smoothly. But that didn't mean we could protect this baby from everything, even with the safety of being on the farm. And the walkers in the barn? Oh, I had so many questions, but the biggest one was, why the fuck?

Glenn watched me carefully process all this information, eyeing me nervously, "Take your time, it's a lot to take in." he muttered.

"Yeah, no shit." I snapped, before the habit was suddenly passed onto me, pacing back and forth in a slight panic.

He sighed from behind me, "Well, no need to get snappy at me."

"How long have you known?" I suddenly asked, whipping around to face him.

He stood there for a second, no longer meeting my eyes, "Too long."

I sighed angrily, tangling my fingers through my hair, "Why didn't you tell me when you first found out? This is a huge deal Glenn, my God." I said angrily.

"I'm sorry Ro. I'm so sorry, Maggie told me I couldn't tell anyone and so did Lori. And to be honest I didn't want two women being mad at me at the same time."

"Yeah, well congratulations. Though you seemed to make one pretty damn mad." I quickly said as I gestured to myself.

He sighed and reached out to get me to stop anxiously bouncing on the balls of my feet, "I know, I know but I'm telling you now. I'm sorry."

I stood there for a second looking at him, my face softening after hearing his words. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just... well like you said it's a lot to take in."

He smiled slightly as he nodded, wasting no more time as he went to tell me all the little details. Everything from who knew about what, everything that happened with Lori, and his plan to tell everyone about the walkers tomorrow morning. It was in fact a lot to process, but I was proud of him for telling the group about the walkers even if Maggie would be upset with him. Deep down knowing that it was the right thing to do.

After he told me everything and finally got it all off his chest, we were now sitting down on the grass in complete and utter silence. I didn't know how long we sat like that, our minds running on overdrive, but it had to be a long time considering the farmhouse's lights turned off for the night ages ago.

"Maggie is gonna hate me."

I shook my head, "No she's not. She might be upset at first, but she's not going to hate you. But are you guys, okay? I never got that update." I commented, wiggling my eyebrows as I winked at him.

He rolled his eyes and pushed my arm lightly, "Yeah, we're okay...but after tomorrow I'm not so sure. Ask me again in a couple days."

I laughed lightly as I nodded, "It'll be okay. It's all going to work itself out."

His eyes glanced at me in silent appreciation, wrapping an arm around me as he pulled me in for a side hug. I rested my head on his shoulder with a content sigh as the silence took over once again, thinking about how tomorrow was going to suck ass.

~ Thanks for reading!

[rjthirsty]

A Silvio/Kasey drabble I pumped out. I thought I'd make it sexy, but instead, it turned into angst. Oh, well. I still love them together.

“How are ya’ still in bed?” Silvio grumbled as rounded the corner of his large mattress to make his way to his desk. The chair clattered loudly as he pulled it out and groaned with the way he dropped his weight into it.

In his bed, Kasey stirred, being rudely awoken from their nap. They rolled under the covers, throwing their annoyed gaze in Silvio's direction. “I am a guest with no tasks. It's very easy to stay in bed when I have no reason to get up.”

Silvio clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“Asshole.” Kasey responded.

Heaving a sigh, Kasey pushed themselves out of bed. Their body was more achy than usual due to the activities they had gotten up to last night with their bed partner, who was currently ruining the rest that Kasey needed for recovering. “If you're going to be so boorish, I'll leave after we've fucked next time. It's not as if I have attachment issues that manifest after coitus and need to press someone against me to stave off the loneliness. I prefer my own bed to be empty.”

Silvio cut Kasey a threatening glare that they didn't seem to notice. Their sharp words had cut Silvio to the bone. They were far more scathing than usual. Kasey shrugged on a shirt, leaving it opened and unbuttoned while they ambled about the room collecting their clothing that had been discarded carelessly last night. They were moving slower than usual, and it almost looked as if they were limping.

“What's your problem? You've got a nasty– make that nastier attitude than usual this morning.” Silvio watched them slowly gather their clothing. They were definitely moving at a pace meant to mask an injury.

“Mn. Yes. Some asshole has it in mind that my activity level is his to comment on. I didn't ask for your opinion, and if we're giving unsolicited observations, I thought I'd share mine.” Kasey stepped into their boxers and trousers, pulling them both up at the same time.

“The hell, Kasey?” The two of them traded barbs from time to time, but it was never malicious or hurtful. A little rough teasing they traded as fun banter. But this wasn't that. Kasey was stabbing deep and twisting open the wound.

They let out a long sigh, their eyes closed and head tilted towards the ceiling. An inhale and a purse of their lips, and suddenly, their red eyes were trained on Silvio with a detached expression. “Look, Silvio, I'm not interested in having you berate me for lounging after last night. It was great– it always is. You're a good lay. If going back to my guest room will prevent that, that's fine with me. You started this.”

“Hang on, did I push you too hard last night?” He stood from his chair and took a step closer to Kasey.

They shook their head with a smirk, turning away to thwart Silvio's attempts at showing concern. “Nothing more than usual. Don't flatter yourself.”

“Then what's with the way you're moving?” Silvio's heavy boots thudded on the polished tile floor as he moved.

Kasey turned their back on him again, hastily buttoning up their shirt and heading towards the door. “I'd rather not get into it.”

“You're acting like you're hurt. Sit down for a second, tell me–” Silvio grabbed their arm at the crook of their elbow and pulled them to turn them to face him. But when he did, Kasey's eyes burned dark with ignited rage in a look that could have slit his throat.

“Don't. Pull. Me.” They said each word evenly. Deliberately. Making it clear there was no room for discussion in this demand. Silvio may be the King of this castle, but he wasn't allowed to do whatever he pleased. His hand released Kasey's elbow at once, though he kept his palm touching their arm, his fingers splayed out in an open hand.

Kasey took a slow, quiet breath. A blink smothered the inferno in their eyes, but a dull, dispassionate disinterest was aimed at Silvio. “I am capable of positioning myself without your assistance, thank you.”

“Alright. I didn't mean to– mmrph!” Kasey clasped their hand over Silvio's mouth to keep him from speaking. He glowered at them. The hint of a smirk twitched at the corners of their mouth, but their eyes continued to smolder like burning coals.

“Shhhh.” Kasey leaned closer as they hushed him, dropping their voice lower as well. “I'm going to my room. IF you are so inclined to have my company later, you can find me there. But not right now. And we are done here. Nod.”

Their eyes met. Hard glare met hard stare, and Silvio dipped his chin to nod in understanding.

“Good boy.” Kasey gave a smile that was too practiced and stepped backward before pulling their hand away from Silvio's mouth. Then they turned and strode out of his room, leaving a stunned Silvio staring after them.

“The hell….?”

[gay-disabled-characters-showdown]

LGBTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 2, Wave 1, Poll 7

A character being totally canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included.

Check out the other polls in this wave and prior here.

Viktor-Arcane

Qualifications:

Definitely disabled - walks with a cane and later a crutch and leg brace. Overwhelmingly considered gay by the fandom, very strong argument can be made that he is queercoded in the show (especially act 1)

Physically disabled and widely headcanoned (spelling?) as queer

Propaganda:

Aren't you tired of being nice? Don't you just wanna go apeshit? Nice young scientist meets a hunky inventor and decends into mad science in persuit of a way to help himself and others.

why you should vote for viktor: 1. he has amazing cheekbones, just look at them, you could slice a brick with them 2. he is essentially the einstein of his era and jayce (his boyfriend and political advocate) would be nothing without him 3. he has the air of LGBTQness about him, you can smell it

Wei Wuxian-The Untamed / Mo Dao Zu Shi

Qualifications:

Goes through a somewhat unethical organ transplant (in that the person he is giving the organ to doesn't realize that's what's going on) where he gives up his "golden core." This is like his center of power and by giving it up, not only is he not able to do most of the more "magic" things he could do before, but he's also noticeably physically weaker and gets injured much more easily (and takes longer to recover) as well as faints more often (iirc he only faints once pre-golden core removal and that was after sustaining major injuries and going on for a significant time without any healing while also fighting and traveling). Like he finds ways around it and invents new methods so that he can still do some things that he did before, just via a very different method. In the show we don't really see any characters who aren't cultivators, or at least part of that world, so Wei Wuxian is like the only character we really get to see without a golden core.

Also gotta say that this boy is severely depressed. Like "I'm-going-to-ask-my-doctor-friend-to-perform-a-mutliple-day-long-surgery-on-myself-in-which-I-will-be-awake-where-she'll-rip-out-the-core-of-my-being-and-transplant-it-into-my-adopted-brother-who-I'll-make-sure-never-finds-out-what-happened-even-though-he'll-come-to-hate-me" depressed. he has no value for his own life other than what he can give to others, even if it's his own body. like I think some fans unfairly classify him as being insane when he's really just depressed as all hell and having the worst possible things happen to him one after another and every time he breaks down it causes more trouble and usually people end up dying because of him.

Propaganda:

https://youtu.be/swbXAVADjxY ^ok this clip kinda explains the whole thing better (and obvs spoilers)

https://youtu.be/2wO5nsnkSBk ^and this video is just for fun but it's a little thing about Wei Wuxian & Jiang Cheng because their relationship makes me unwell

[smallpotatobun]

Fandom: Idaten Jump

Pairing: One-sided (?) Taiga × Koei

Tags: Taiga and his self-deprecating thoughts, one-sided affection, some spoilers for episode 18, Canon divergence (!), definitely OOC (!)

Note: I was supposed to write fluff and somehow ended up with this while trying to get myself back into writing ╭( ๐_๐)╮ very self-indulgent fic i'm sorry

It's 3AM and I have no braincells and no will to edit this

----------

"I won't lose like you did."

The words continued to echo in his thoughts long after the ever-elusive ninja had disappeared in a blinding flash of light. Taiga could taste the words stuck at the back of his throat, the suppressed protests laced with self-pitying excuses choking him ever so slowly.

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't give himself the opportunity to let the words slip past his gritted teeth. And so, they festered, clawing at what remained of his self-esteem.

The walk back to his room was silent. Thankfully, the members of Team Shark Tooth had noticed the unapproachable aura that surrounded his entire being. It left him more time with his thoughts--fortunately, he supposed. Taiga had never regarded himself as someone who would be consumed by jealousy. He was too prideful for childish complaints. And yet, he could feel them at the tip of his tongue.

They were bitter. They tasted like defeat and sheer disappointment masked in self-acceptance. Taiga was well-aware that the only way to recover his own sanity was to defeat Yamato Shō, even if it meant going against what Gabu had planned.

After what seemed like hours, the sight of his room door was a welcomed reprieve from the dangerous slope that was his self-loathing. Yet, even more dangerous was the memory of the smile that lingered at the back of his mind. It taunted him as easily as its owner commanded the storms that seemingly raged inside his own heart.

"Fuck." Taiga cursed, lifelessly flopping on his back atop his bed. "Of all people you could have chosen..." It just had to be the man that was sent in to clean up his mistakes. He would have been consumed by shame if he wasn't so thoroughly drained already.

Reaching into his pocket, he took out a folded piece of green paper and held it above his face. It had been left behind when Koei did his disappearing act and Taiga decided to take it with him out of impulse. With a soft sigh of defeat, Taiga brought the paper down to his lips, "You stupid fool..."

It was destined to simply be a hopeless one-sided crush. One that would never be uttered, unless he wanted to give Gabu even more ammunition against him. Only god knows how that would turn out for both him and Koei. And so, Taiga could only will his tongue to grow numb to the excruciating taste of failure and rejection.

----------

As night fell, Taiga decided to go for a stroll to calm himself down. Near the entrance, he was immediately greeted by the sight of Koei's younger sister waiting near the statue in front of their base.

'Why is she out so late?'

A sudden coughing fit caused Taiga to flinch, his brows scrunching in concern. He walked briskly to her side and called out, "Hey."

The young girl immediately jumped in surprise, "Taiga-san!"

Taiga tried to recall her name, "Your name is...Kiku, right?" At her nod, he continued, "Why are you standing here at night? You're in no condition to walk around when it's freezing cold outside." He scolded her with a frown, his voice laced more-so with worry rather than annoyance.

"Ah," Kiku fiddled with her hands, "I was...waiting for my older brother. It was getting late and he wasn't home yet..." Her voice trailed off, a bit nervous in the presence of the older Samejima brother.

Taiga clicked his tongue, "Koei received a...new mission from Gabu, so he'll likely take a while to return home." The explanation was quick and straightfoward. He had no intention of revealing more details than necessary to the young girl.

"Oh! Thank you for telling me." Understanding dawned on Kiku's features, "I'll be on my wa--" before she could finish, another coughing fit racked her body. Unsure what to do, Taiga tried to give soothing pats on her back, hoping to at least give some semblance of moral support to the trembling girl.

"Alright, I'll walk you home." It was less of a suggestion and more-so a statement that left no room for argument. Taiga was well-aware that if anything happened to her along the way, his guilt would consume him immediately. It was better to just walk her home since he was already planning on taking a stroll anyways.

"O-oh! Thank you." With her agreement, Taiga's plans for the night were sealed. The unlikely pair were mildly awkward together for the first half of the journey. It was only when Taiga asked more about her condition that they truly began to share stories, mostly of their brothers, along the way.

However, their pleasant storytelling was interrupted by the first drops of rain hitting their skin. Fortunately, they weren't too far from Kiku's home. With a decisive nod to each other, the pair ran the rest of the way to their destination.

----------

With soaked clothes and tired exhales, the two managed to reach shelter before the heavy downpour set in. "Looks like the rain won't be stopping anytime soon." Taiga sighed, running a hand through his soaked hair.

"Please feel free to stay here in the meantime." Kiku mentioned lightheartedly, followed by a weak cough. Their walk together had been a pleasant experience that changed the way she perceived the other. Rather than an intimidating authoritative figure, she realized that he was actually quite a nice person beyond the influence of Team Shark Tooth.

The two quickly changed clothes to prevent themselves from getting ill. Kiku had given Taiga some of Koei's spare clothes to wear for the time being. Honestly, he was apprehensive, but there was an undeniable part of himself that was thrilled by the opportunity. He immediately shoved that part into the deepest recesses of his mind.

With their clothes sorted, all that was left were their hair. After brushing her own, Kiku couldn't help but let her eyes repeatedly drift from the brush in her hand to Taiga's unruly locks. She hummed in thought, before asking tentatively, "Taiga-san...would it be alright for me to brush your hair..?"

Taiga's brows rose in surprise, but he didn't really have much of a reason to refuse. "Sure, do whatever you want." The way her eyes immediately shone in wonder sent a shiver through his spine, but he didn't bother taking back his approval.

Taiga sighed and surrendered to whatever fate awaited him. For her part, Kiku appeared to be delighted at the chance to do whatever she wanted. And so, she immediately got to work.

----------

The rain finally stopped by the time Koei returned. To his shock, what greeted him was of the older Samejima brother casually lounging outside their home, in front of a small fire.

"What are yo--" his voice immediately cut off as he took in more of the scene. Rather than his usual spiky hairdo, Taiga's hair was styled in a messy shoulder braid, the loose strands giving the image of controlled chaos. The bow neatly tied at the end immediately gave away who the culprit behind the sudden change in hairstyle was.

Also, were those his clothes?

There were no hidden traps nor other members of Team Shark Tooth in the area. Koei could even make out the vague silhouette of Kiku safely inside. Taiga was simply waiting there by himself, the flames dancing in those gray eyes that appeared so lost in thought.

Overall, Taiga looked...soft? Pretty?

Koei nearly slapped himself at the thought. Before his mind could stray any further, he decided it would simply be best to ask frankly.

To be continued~

[missvelvetsstuff]

With Friends Like You, Who Needs Enemies?

Steve Rogers x Reader, Steve Rogers x Natasha, Reader x ????

Reader is a mutant with the ability to turn sound into light who was 'adopted' aka stolen as a child by Baron Von Strucker to use for experimentation. She was given a form of the Super soldier serum so in addition to her mutant abilities she also has super strength, enhanced senses and healing. When he starts experimenting on his volunteers, the Maximoff twins, she tries to convince them to escape with her but they tell the Baron that she's planning to escape so he doubles her cell security. Steve and reader met when the team recovered Loki's scepter from Strucker.

She falls in love with Steve and becomes good friends with Nat but they aren't the friends she thinks they are.

This story is canon adjacent except that Thanos never happened.

Chapter 1

After Y/N had slept for almost 24 hours and eaten enough to fill her up, Nat approached her in the kitchen.

"Tony is having a party tonite, to celebrate finding Loki's scepter. He gave me his credit card so do you want to go get a dress for tonite? And maybe some clothes so you aren't stuck in Avengers sweats all the time? We can have lunch and get our hair and nails done as well." She smirked "We can find a blue dress for you, it's Steve's favorite color."

Y/N felt her face flush "Why would I be worried about what Steve likes?"

Nat grinned "I'm a spy, I know how to read people and both of you are giving off some serious vibes. Trust me, he's into you too."

Y/N shrugged "I don't know what you're talking about but I do need some clothes and I've never had a real haircut. I just chop it off when it gets too long." She thought for a minute "Sure, sounds like fun."

They left the tower in one of Tony's cars that Nat borrowed. Driving around Manhattan Y/N felt overwhelmed but something was familiar as well.

"This is all so much. I haven't even left the facility where you found me in years."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly" Nat told her as they pulled into a parking garage on 5th Ave. "Having access to Starks credit and cars definitely helps." She parked and they got out of the car and walked into Saks.

Nat headed straight for evening wear and started looking through the racks when a sales person approached them.

"Ms Romanoff, it's so good to have you here again. I see you've brought a friend" she looked Y/N up and down, sneering slightly at her attire. "I can see she needs our help. What are you looking for today?"

Nat glared at her "We're looking for someone who won't be a bitch because of how we look. Do you have anyone here like that?"

The sales girl, her tag said her name was Sophia, blanched "I'm so sorry, Ms Romanoff, I was just caught off guard. Of course I'm happy to help you in whatever way you need.

Are you looking for a cocktail dress?"

Nat smirked "Yes, Tony is having a party tonite and my friend needs an appropriate dress. Something blue."

Sophia stuttered "Tony Stark? How exciting. Why don't you and Miss...."

"Y/L/N, I'm Y/N Y/L/N"

"Of course. What size do you usually wear Miss Y/L/N?"

Y/N flushed "I don't know, I haven't gotten myself new clothes in ages"

Sophia pulled out a tape measure "Well lets see..." And quickly took her measurements. "A size 7 should fit nicely. I have some dresses that would be perfect for you. Please have a seat and I'll have them brought over.

Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, water, tea, soda, champagne?"

Nat nodded "Some champagne would be nice. And none of the cheap stuff."

They spent an hour looking at dresses until they narrowed it down to 3. All shades of blue. Y/N tried them all on and was overwhelmed when she saw herself in the mirror, she felt like a princess.

"I can't choose, they're all so pretty. What do you think, Nat?"

"I agree, it's too hard to choose so we'll get all three. Tony loves throwing parties so you can never be too prepared." Nat replied

Y/N shook her head "I couldn't, that's too much"

Nat laughed "too much should be Tony's middle name. Don't worry about it." She turned to Sophia "what about accessories?"

4 hours later they had all 3 dresses and accessories for each one, plus enough everyday and business style clothes to last a year. And shoes and lingerie. Nat gave Sophia a stern order to make sure it was all delivered to the tower before 4pm. Then they went for hair, makeup and mani-pedi's.

Y/N didn't know how to process everything that was happening. Less than 72 hours ago she was in her cell with no inkling that her life would change so drastically.

"Thank you so much, Nat. I just...."

Nat smirked "Don't worry about it. I have a feeling you're going to feel right at home before too long."

They went back to the tower after a late lunch and finished getting ready. At 9pm they took the elevator to the penthouse where the party was already going full swing.

Nat led her to the bar and poured a glass of champagne for both of them.

Y/N just looked around, watching people, unsure of how to interact.

Steve and Sam were playing pool when Sam noticed Steve was staring at something by the bar.

"You checking out Nat again? I thought that was over."

Steve shook his head "It never really was on, just occasional stress relief. Besides she has something going on with Bruce. Look next to her, in the blue dress. That's Y/N, we found her at the base where we found Loki's scepter. She's a mutant, turns sound into light. She was humming the other night and had this glow around her like a mist of colors. It was beautiful" he sighed.

Sam laughed "You sound smitten. Why don't you go talk to her?"

Steve blushed "I wouldn't know what to say."

"How about hey Y/N you look beautiful, wanna have my babies" Sam offered

Steve snorted "Give me a break.

It looks like Nat is busy with Bruce so I should go be a good host. Don't want to leave her alone with all these strangers. She's been a prisoner since she was a kid so might not be good socially."

Sam laughed as Steve walked away.

Y/N was looking out the window when Steve approached her. She turned and looked at him.

"It's a beautiful view"

Steve was staring at her and agreed "Yeah, it's gorgeous"

She saw he was looking at her and felt her face heat up. "So Nat said Tony throws parties like this all the time"

Steve nodded "This is actually pretty tame compared to some. Before he became Iron Man I think partying was his priority. It's still a favorite past time.

You must be overwhelmed with all this if Strucker kept you prisoner since you were 10. You'll get used to it. We are mostly a happy family." He smiled softly at her.

After the party died down the team sat around drinking and chatting. Most of them tried to pick up Thor's hammer and failed. Only Steve moved it at all but he still couldn't pick it up.

Then Ultron showed up and made a mess of everything. Y/N tried to use her powers to help fight him but was thrown against a wall and knocked out. After Ultron was gone, she came to and heard arguing. Steve helped her up and kept his hand on her back to help comfort her. Once the team decided on their course of action he took her to her room.

"I need you to stay here for now, ok? We'll be back as soon as we can" he told her gently.

Y/N shook her head "I can help. I could come with you and-"

"No" he told her firmly "We need to evaluate your abilities and work together before you get into any fights with us. I don't want you to get hurt so please be a good girl and wait here for me"

She felt a funny tingle when he called her a good girl but pushed it back "Ok. I'll wait here. Please come back safely."

"I promise, sweetheart" he kissed her softly on the lips and made sure she was safe in her room before he left.

While the team went to Africa to stop Ultron, Y/N was having dreams about Steve but with her lack of experience couldn't figure them out. The only sex she had was when Strucker forced himself on her and she thought she would never actually enjoy sex but her dreams said otherwise.

In the morning she saw what happened on the news and knew that it was Wanda messing with the Hulk. If she had been there she could have broken Wandas hex and prevented all that destruction and death.

She jumped when Jarvis spoke to her "Miss Y/N? You have a phone call from Captain Rogers."

"Umm ok how do I take the call?"

"I'll put him thru"

Steve's voice came thru the speakers in her room.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you? Did you get some sleep?"

"Hi Steve, I slept a little. I had strange dreams. My life has turned upside down.

Are you ok? I saw the news. Wanda was there wasn't she? If you had let me come I could have prevented-"

Steve cut her off "No. You don't even know if you could have helped Hulk. You aren't going on any missions any time soon.

I just wanted to let you know that we will be gone for awhile. After that mess we have to lay low. Just be a good girl and make sure you eat and sleep. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Y/N felt so helpless as she saw the teams adventures on the news. They went from Africa to Korea. She was frustrated and wanted to help but couldn't so waited for them, for Steve, to return.

When Tony and Bruce returned they barely noticed her and rushed into the lab to work on something.

Steve came to check on her and gave her a sweet kiss before she noticed the twins were with him.

Wanda looked at her "Hello Y/N. Nice to see you again"

Y/N was confused "Steve why are they here? They are nothing but trouble and can't be trusted."

Wanda cringed "I know we have done awful things to you in the past but we didn't realize how bad Strucker was, too caught up in our own rage and grief. I promise we won't hurt you. We want to help stop Ultron."

Y/N looked at Steve "If you are taking them then I should be able to go too. I can help."

Steve chuckled "I know you want to help honey but I don't think a light show will do any good."

She pouted "I can make lasers too. I hate staying here while you risk yourself. Please, Steve." She begged

Her begging did something to Steve but not something that would help in a fight. He was about to tell her no again when Clint walked by

"She's not wrong Cap we could use all the help we can get."

Steve gave in "Promise me you'll be careful. I'd hate to see you hurt."

Y/N didn't do too badly considering the circumstances. She even took out a few robots on her own, including the one that tried to get Pietro and a young boy he was protecting.

Sokovia was still destroyed but most of the people were saved. Sometimes you have to accept how things turn out.

~~~~~~~~~~

After a few days rest Y/N, Sam, Wanda and Pietro started training to become official Avengers.

Y/N and Steve started dating, taking things very slow since she was inexperienced and in no rush.

Nat was devastated that Bruce had disappeared and started spending a lot of time with Steve and Y/N. Every night he would walk Y/N to her room, kiss her good night and leave her on her own.

After a few weeks she noticed Steve and Nat seemed really close and she asked him about it.

Steve shook his head "You have nothing to worry about sweetheart. Nat and I are just friends. We've been thru some tough situations together but there's no romantic feelings. She's just lonely because she misses Bruce."

She nodded trusting him.

They went on like this for awhile until General Ross brought up the Sokovia Accords. She took Steve's side but he didn't want her involved in the fight so she made her way to the quinjet and waited for Steve and Bucky. She saw what Zemo did and the fight that came after but couldn't bring herself to hurt Tony so found herself waiting on the jet again.

Y/N went with them to Wakanda and then on the run with Steve and Sam. After months dating, Steve told her he loved her and then told her he had to leave for a couple of days to meet up with Nat for cash and intel. They met up every few weeks and he always came back in a lighter mood.

One time when he returned he asked Y/N for a favor

"I don't want to be separated but Shuri figured out how to remove Bucky's brainwashing and I want you to go help him. Just be a friend. He really likes you and I think it would be good for both of you. You're the only one I can ask, he has bad history with Sam and Nat. I promise I'll come visit when I can."

She looked at him sadly, not wanting to leave the man she had fallen in love with but wanting to make him happy and be his good girl so she went to Wakanda.

Y/N and Bucky became close friends. She didn't mind if he didn't want to talk and they would just be together. If he did want to talk she listened without judgement and she was there for his nightmares. She helped him tend his goats and thought she could have fallen for him if she hadn't met Steve first.

A couple of times a week Steve would call to check up on her but it was always brief because Nat always called him away after a few minutes. He kept promising he would come visit but something always came up.

One day, Shuri showed up at Bucky's hut where Bucky and Y/N were playing chess."I have news, Captain Rogers contacted me and told me to tell you, Thor and Hulk have returned. Asgard was destroyed and all of the Asgardians that survived are here, setting up a home in Norway. New Asgard.

That's not all, the Captain and Tony Stark have worked things out with Gen Ross and Sargeant Barnes is being pardoned. You can go home soon, back to the states but there will be a celebration in New Asgard in a month.

Y/N wondered why Steve didn't call her and went thru Shuri instead but she was trusting and believed he just had too much to do.

Y/N and Bucky spent the next month as they had spent time in the past, strengthening their friendship, enjoying nature and herding goats. They both expected Steve to show up at any time but he never did. He only called once and explained that he was very busy helping Thor and Valkyrie set the new town up. Y/N told him they could help but Steve insisted they stay in Wakanda.

Finally it was time to leave, both of them were excited at being reunited with Steve but also nervous at meeting a whole new group of people.

Steve came in the quinjet to pick them up and after a quick hug and kiss on the cheek he spent the rest of the flight talking to Bucky. Y/N realized they were best friends but she had hoped for a better reunion with her love. She sat alone trying to talk herself down from the anxiety that was building up.

When they arrived in New Asgard the whole team was there to greet them. Nat and Bruce were wrapped around each other while Wanda and Vision were holding hands. Steve was suddenly in a bad mood right after they landed and left saying he just needed to work it off. Nat disappeared shortly after.

Thor gave Y/N a fond greeting and introduced her to Val. They took her and Bucky to a dressmaker to create Asgardian style robes for the celebration the next night. Steve didn't come to see her at all so she figured he was still busy helping and she stayed up talking to Bucky until they were both exhausted and fell asleep in the early hours of the morning.

Chapter 2

[dr-demi-bee]

Writing Interview Tag Game!

Thanks for the tag @lastlight-inn! 🥰

When did you start writing?

TBH, that's hard to pin down! I was drawing clumsy comics with story lines as early as 4th grade (so like 9 or 10ish?) - and I've always had a thing for telling stories. I don't think I started earnestly writing until maybe 12. But I know for sure I was writing in middle school, and was well and truly into it in high school. There was a brief once-upon-a-time I thought about going that way for a career (but I also considered being an artist or musician ha).

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

So, I find I often write a lot darker than I read. Broadly speaking, I read a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and some non-fiction. But I write predominantly fantasy. I've dabbled in sci-fi, but I find it a lot harder (perhaps because I'm quite picky about science accuracy).

But thematically, I much prefer to read romances and lighter hearted drama. I think my writing might lean a bit darker than I typically consume (more focus on harsh/traumatic topics).

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

Ahhh this is so hard to answer. I've not had anyone really compare my work to others (at least not by name). I don't try to copy anyone's style, but I definitely am influenced by many.

If I have to pick some - Oliver Sacks, Tolkien, and GRRM.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

Well! I have several!

My main office is in an open loft in the second floor of my house - past the railings are large picture windows that look out into my woods and let in a lot of natural light. I've got an L shaped desk stocked with supplies/notebooks/snacks. It looks like the kind of organized chaos one expects with ADHD.

On the left hand is an easel for painting/drawing, and on the right hand is my dual monitor set up (slightly lofted). My space is covered in cute knickknacks and things my husband has made for me. He's a wood worker, so there's lots of cute little things - including a little ghost and a miniature zen garden. I also have an owl skull and spine. My keyboard/mouse/mat and wrist pads are all space themed, as is the desktop (not that you can ever see it.) Beside my desk is my behemoth, very colorful PC tower I built myself (named Eureka).

I also have a yoga laptop that doubles as my writing on the go platform and drawing tablet (named Epiphany). I'll take it downstairs to write on my armchair, or into one of the bedrooms for some more quiet and soft surfaces. And I also take it with me on trips. Had a nice period on vacation at the beach where I got to write in a rocking chair on the porch looking out at the ocean. Ahh... (take me back :sob:)

Very occasionally I will write on my phone. But this is mostly just for notes and short form RP sort of writing.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

So aside from becoming obsessed with something (e.g. media or my own imagined world) usually I get my ideas via listening to music or taking a shower.

Or, inevitably, whenever I'm doing something else that doesn't give me time to write. I wrote several chapters of my novel while writing my dissertation... procrasti-writing.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

On the positive side: found family, loving through pain, helping each other to heal, platonic love.

On the less positive side: the effects of trauma, the way danger and stress hurts our bodies and our minds. Fighting through adversity and oppression. Chronic pain/conditions.

I'm not super surprised by either of these, really - they're all a big part my scientific life too. Before I left clinical practice I primarily helped individuals recover from trauma and addiction - and that involved a lot of working on finding self worth. My research was all devoted to studying stress and cognition - and I tried to pioneer new work on intrusive cognitions. I think this probably comes out heavily in my writing for fun, too.

What is your reason for writing?

Fun, mostly. Catharsis. And a bit of dissociating, I suppose. I've always just kind of had the urge to spew stories out into the world, even if it's just for me. I also write to connect with others.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Ohhhh, any comment makes me incredibly happy. If someone says they like something specific I am over the moon. I'm especially thrilled to hear anyone connecting with or caring about my OC characters.

When another writer I really admire or respect gives me a comment or praise (like @alpydk or @sorceresssundries) my little heart feels ready to burst! Recently had the absolute delight of having friends read and react in real time to some of my work and gooood grief is that ever motivating. (@crimson-and-lavender and @lastlight-inn I'm looking at you lol)

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I want to be approachable and interesting as a person. I hope people want to read my work or even collab.

I want my writing to be novel, engaging, and exciting. I want to subvert their expectations, but also tell them a story that's approachable and will resonate with them.

Mostly I want my writing to make others feel (good).

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

The longer I've been writing things - honestly, I think it's patience. Being willing to change ideas, move them around, or even abandon them if need be. It took a long time to be okay with those things.

How do you feel about your own writing?

Oh, we have a love hate relationship. I know I can be a bit...verbose. But I also find my own writing pretty fun and interesting. I know I've done a pretty good job if I enjoy re-reading it.

Tagging some lovely mooots with affectionate no-pressure boops: @abysskeeper, @feedthepheasants, and an open tag for any other lovelies that want to!