#Link writes

[howdoyoudothedew]

Rated: G

Pairing: Swagger bishie (Danny/Dash)

Word Count: ~2k

A/N: Final words soulmate au

It burns. Dash’s soulmark burns, the words feeling like they’re on fire for a few agonizing seconds. Once it’s stopped, he looks down at the now faded blue text.

His soulmate just died. Their last words– at least to him– burned into his skin. The words are normal, everyday ones, but Dash has always kept track of the people around him. The words which come out of their mouths. He knows without much thought who’s dead. Fenton.

It doesn’t matter to him. He absently wonders how Foley and Manson took the news, because there’s no way his loser friends weren’t told immediately. It doesn’t matter to him. He rolls over and forces sleep.

The next morning, he wakes with a new soulmark in the same thin font. This time, it’s green. Apparently fate has decided to give him someone new, since he failed so badly with his last.

The A-listers all knew what each other’s soulmarks are. It’s a common pact among close friends– show each other your soulmarks, and never say those words to the owner. Dash is sure the loser squad has the same pact.

Had.

He wonders if Fentina ever had words, or if he always knew he’d die first. Paulina has no words. Dash knows it keeps her up at night sometimes.

But that is why Dash is glad for his letterman jacket. It hides the new words on his arm away, the thin green feeling oddly damning. See how little you cared about your soulmate? Maybe this one you’ll care for more.

At school, Dash faces the impossible.

“Are you alright, dude? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Kwan’s words barely register. All Dash can see is Fenton. Alive, whole, and not looking even a little like he died just last night. Instinctively, Dash knows the soulmark is Fenton’s again. Of course, who else would Not today, Dash be for? For whatever reason, Dash has been given a second chance.

He doesn’t take it. Everything in him knows Dash will outlive Fenton, knows he’ll witness the mark fade again, and Dash can’t bring himself to act any differently to his crush soulmate. If he does, it feels like Fenton will know. Dash doesn’t want Fenton to know.

Dash also doesn’t know what he doesn’t want Fenton to know. That his soulmate is destined to outlive him? That his soulmate is the same person who bullies him and shoves him into lockers? Whatever it is, Dash knows he wants to keep it from Fenton.

When Fenton sees him and says the words painted onto his arm with tired eyes, Dash panics. It’s too much suddenly, to know for certain someone won’t make it through the day. If Dash were anyone else, maybe he’d just walk away. If Dash had more time to mentally prepare, maybe he would’ve been able to scoff, throw out a ‘whatever, Fentina’ and act like it didn’t crush his ribcage because this is Fenton who’s just some loser. Instead, Dash panics and shoves him hard into his locker. He successfully avoids him the entire rest of the day.

After school, Dash feels the same burning sensation. It last just a few seconds– five, he counted them this time– before going away. Once it’s done, Dash rips off his letterman jacket. The thin green text is faded. The memory of Fenton saying them flickers in and Dash bites his lip. Without a thought, he hurriedly shrugs the jacket back on.

He sleeps in the letterman jacket that night.

The next morning, as he’s changing, he spots new words just under his pec. The same thin font, but this time in purple. He knows they mean he’ll see Fenton again today. It’s still a shock when he does.

Dash keeps track of the colours and the words and the times Fenton dies. It’s a daily occurence, happening most often at school, though sometimes Fenton makes it to the end of the school day before dying. But it does happen every day. Every day, Fenton dies. And every morning, Dash wakes up with new words in a font he now associates with Fenton in a different colour to tell him what new thing Fenton will say before he does. By now, the faded colours wrap around his skin like a multi-colour tattoo. Sometimes Dash thinks he’ll be more rainbow than skin by the end of the year.

After the first few deaths, Dash stopped wailing on Fenton so much. He still makes fun of him, because he has appearances to keep up, but he figures if the other boy is dying so much he doesn’t need Dash hip-checking him in the middle of the hallway.

As his skin gets more covered, he decides to avoid Fenton totally instead. He doesn’t want someone to see him, to see his skin, and know just how strange he’s become. To see how messed up whatever is happening to his soulmate must be. Already, he has to change in the bathroom stall for gym and practice, just so no one will see his skin. Before long, or so it seems, the words will have no where else to go but his neck. If he can avoid Fenton, at least he can delay the next new set of words.

Only, it doesn’t last longer than a few days, because it’s one thing to make it through the weekend without feeling your words burn at least once. It’s another to make it through a week, spending every night knowing your soulmate has died– because they die every day, so of course they’ve died even if you don’t have the faded words to prove it– and not knowing in the morning if this has been the one. Sure, none of Danny’s other deaths have stuck. But what if this one has? What if the next one has? Dash has nightmares, centered around Danny’s unknown deaths, and he hadn’t realized the ever changing words were the only thing holding him together, but apparently they were.

After a week, Dash traps Danny against a locker just to make the other boy speak to him. When his soulmark burns in Lancer’s classroom, Dash feels his heart stutter. But Danny is in his next period, whole and alive, and Dash wakes with new words the next morning. It’s a return to a comfortable normalcy Dash wasn’t even aware he’d become reliant on.

Eventually, Dash will probably have to talk to Danny about the whole dying thing. And the soulmate thing. Especially since their lives are bound to go different directions– Dash is a jock, Danny is a loser in love with space. The odds they go to the same school are zilch. If Dash can’t make it a week avoiding Danny after knowing for just half a year they’re soulmates, how is he supposed to make it after four years? Not to mention the toll constantly dying has to take on Danny. Dash has noticed the dark circles.

They echo his own.

It’s something Dash is only to put off for so long. Another month, several more nights of bad sleep, and a nearly lost football game and Dash cracks. He ambushes Danny after school, grabbing him before he can meet up with Foley and Manson to leave and pulling him into one of the  janitor’s closets. Before Danny can ask, Dash shrugs off his letterman jacket. He watches Danny’s eyebrows furrow in confusion, his mouth open to probably ask Dash what he’s doing, then the slight widening of his eyes as realization hits. When Danny grabs his arm, his hands are cold and the touch feels like an electric spark. Danny moves up his arm, pushing his sleeve up to see the words on his shoulder. One sentence, bright and unfaded, curls partly there from his back. Dash doesn’t move to stop him, even when Danny pulls his shirt up to examine the skin of his stomach and chest.

“What…?” Danny breathes, hands shaking as he pulls away. Dash pulls his shirt back into place and pulls his letterman jacket back on. “So all this time, you…”

“Had a front row seat to you dying every day,” Dash finishes for Danny when it seems like he won’t. The other boy flinches. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry,” Danny says.

“Why are you sorry?” Dash asks, frowning at him. “You’re the one constantly having your heart stop and start again.”

Danny shrugs. “You’re the one feeling it.”

“Yeah, well,” Dash looks away, fiddling with the cuff of his jacket. Really, Danny has a point. It’s a shit situation either way. But if Dash could just know why. He thinks, somehow, it would solve everything. At least it’d let Dash not worry so much he’ll wake up without new words. “Just. Tell me why you’re dying so much.”

Danny bites his lip, looking at the ground. After a while, Dash thinks Danny won’t say anything, and Dash thinks he might have to beat it out of him. Because Dash very suddenly doesn’t want to leave without an answer. A very big part of him needs to know just what is happening to his soulmate. Needs to know Danny is relatively okay. Needs, at least, to know Danny won’t randomly and permanently die on him before they’re even out of high school. Or out of their twenties. Or thirties. Or perhaps married with two kids, five grandkids, a paid off mortgage, and a good life insurance policy.

Preferably the last.

Dash refuses to consider why his mind gave him that specific scenario, though.

Finally, Danny does explain. Danny explains impossibilities, and ghost portals, and the cold burning heat which covers Dash for all of five seconds each time a soulmark fades. Danny explains Phantom and ghosts and– at least partly, Dash can hear words unsaid but he gets an answer and that’s all he cares about so for once he doesn’t push– being functionally immortal because of it. None of the deaths will stick.

“How can you be so sure?” Dash asks after it all, because death is made to be permanent and half-ghosts seem like a thing of fiction. Because he’s seen Phantom and it makes a lot of sense for Danny to be him– it’d certainly explain the deaths at school– but it’s hard to connect the boy who’s always dying with the ghost hero. Or, maybe, it’s frighteningly easy. After all, who better to be a ghost hero than someone who constantly kisses death?

Danny transforms for him. As blue eyes become green, Dash feels his back burn and closes his own eyes because even if he’s used to it it doesn’t change the few seconds of pain. When he opens them, Danny is dead. He looks apologetic.

“Sorry, I didn’t think-” Danny reaches for Dash-

“No, it’s okay-” Dash starts-

- and Danny’s hand connects with Dash’s shoulder, under the letterman jacket. Cold sweeps over him. A soft glow fills the space between them, different from the pale glow Danny gives off now, and Dash looks down where Danny’s eyes are staring wide-eyed to see a faint glow below his shirt. His own eyes widening, Dash backs away– the glow stops– and strips off both his letterman jacket and his shirt. Looking at each other with equally wide eyes, Danny slowly touches Dash. The cold sweeps over him once more and his skin becomes a mottled rainbow of glowing words. Each one feels like it’s radiating life. Whatever keeps Danny alive in his ghost form, Dash can feel it, beating along each death heralding word.

Dash breathes and for the first time, it feels like he’s getting oxygen.

“Oh,” Danny says quietly. Dash can’t do anything but repeat it.

“We seriously need to talk about you ending all our conversations with, like, one word sentences. I only have so much skin, Danny,” Dash says after he’s dressed again and Danny’s no longer Phantom. Danny laughs. Neither of them mention how this is the first time Dash has used Danny’s actual name.

—

Most people don’t get to know who their soulmate is, not really, until they lose them. But Dash is special. Dash loses his every day, sometimes several times, so he does know for certain.

Danny does have words, right over his ribs. They’re blue and blocky and have never changed.

It’s strange to know for certain what your last words are.

Everything will be alright.

[milkyplier]

“C’mon, Vet, it’s just a scratch,”

Twilight tries to reassure the fussy Veteran as he presses his hands against the recently acquired puncture wound in the Rancher’s abdomen.

“This is hardly a scratch, Rancher,” Legend snaps, switching to just one hand as he rummages around in his bag. “You’re bleeding out.”

“That’s a little dramatic,” Twilight teases, and it’s true. “I’m not bleeding out, just bleeding a little much for our comfort.”

“I’d rather you weren’t bleeding at all,” Legend’s face is set in a grimace as he pulls his hand out of his bag with a thick square of gauze. “No potions; think I gave my last one to the champion.”

“Fine, it’s not a potion-worthy wound anyways,” Twilight replies. “Other people will need one more than me.”

“You’d better hope not. If I’m out of potions, chances are everyone’s out of potions.”

Twilight winces at that. He’s right; Legend always carries more potions than everyone else, true to his nature. Movement behind the Veteran catches his attention and he sees a bokoblin drawing back its bowstring.

“Vet, watch it—!” He yanks Legend down to the ground, flinching at the thwack of the arrow against the tree he’s leaned against.

“Good catch,” Legend thanks him quickly before pulling out his sword and charging at the ‘blin. “Don’t you dare stop applying pressure to that!”

Twilight grins. Ever the worrier, Legend is, and he’s been worse after the rancher’s brush with death back at the inn. Well, everyone has, but he’s noticed it most in Legend. The prickly, snarky Veteran, who has out-adventured them all before the age of eighteen, has turned out to be quite the caretaker.

Even now, Legend doesn’t stray far from Twilight’s position against the tree. After killing the bokoblin archer, he’s fallen back to a defensive position just in front of Twilight, and none too soon—another wave of monsters bombards teh once-peaceful clearing and the Veteran has his hands full defending the vulnerable Twlight.

As for the Rancher himself, he quickly begins to feel guilty. The stab wound isn’t anywhere he’s ever been stabbed before. Even if he is tasting blood and bleeding a tad bit profusely, he should be able to fight. But when he tries to stand up, he ends up getting dizzy and sitting back down heavily. It takes him back to when the dark lizalfos first hurt him, further urging him to get up and fight—he doesn’t like having to sit here as the anxiety of past events nags at him.

It becomes unbearable when Legend gets thrown across the clearing by a moblin and doesn’t get up immediately. Twilight is on his feet faster than he realized, almost sprinting towards Legend’s position, sword drawn. His wound throbs violently but adrenaline masks it well. Twilight yells as the Moblin raises it’s club above the Veteran’s stirring form, and throws his sword at the creature’s back, effectively catching its attention.

It turns, looming over Twilight and obviously burning with rage. Twilight, having lost his sword and being remarkably unprepared to be barreled over by a creature twice his height, turns to at least distract it long enough for Legend to get up. He leads it back towards the tree he was just under, and is almost there when a sharp stab of pain through his gun sends a shockwave through the rest of his body. He must black out for a second, because when he tunes back into the world, he’s lying on the ground and the Moblin is dead.

He sits up and almost immediately regrets it when the world starts spinning and his gut erupts into searing pain. He inhales sharply, triggering a coughing fit that ends with blood on his hands and dripping down his chin. He hates the why his heart races at the memory of the last time he was coughing up blood.

Evidently, he isn’t the only one having flashbacks. Sky is kneeling in front of him, gently slapping his cheeks to get him to focus. Twilight smiles at him reassuringly. This has nothing to do with the dark lizard. He won’t resist potions or fairies this time, because it’s a regular wound. He grasps Sky’s hand, trying to get him to realize this isn’t like last time and there’s no need to worry. Not as much, at least.

“I’m fine,” he rasps. “You have to help the Veteran.”

“Captain’s got him,” It’s Sky’s turn to reassure. “Just hang in there, okay?”

Twilight can do that, easy. He must be more drained than he realized, though, because the next thing he knows he’s being woken up, despite not recalling when he fell asleep. There’s a bandage wrapped tightly around his middle. The battle is over by now and the clearing is silent, everyone gathered around him.

“We’re ready to move on,” Sky says softly. “Can you stand?”

He’s quick to nod, and even though it hurts he’s able to get to his feet. He searched around for Legend, and finds him, seemingly asleep, and being piggy-backed by Time. The bandage hides the wound on the side of his head but not the blood that runs from it.

“Is the Vet alright?” Twilight asks, and Sky nods, and then hesitates.

“Well…he’s not dead, but he’s got a pretty bad concussion. We’re out of potions and fairies, so we’ll need to find a town, and soon.”

“Portal,” the call comes from up ahead and only Wind seems to have the energy to bemoan it. One by one, the battle-worn and weary heroes resign themselves to their fate, and walk through the portal without a word.

* * *

Hylia herself must have decided they deserved this break, because they were let out at the front gate of Twilight’s very own Kakariko Village. They’re able to get their hands on a couple potions—it is unfortunately in the middle of the night, so they’re only able to get a few using Twilight’s reputation as the town hero—and several people’s conditions are improved. For the first time in awhile, the heroes spend the night in beds and no one is in too much danger of dying—although, Legend’s concussion is bad enough that Hyrule insists on watching him through the night, even after he’s given a bit of potion, just to be sure.

The night passes without incident, however, and the next day they purchase almost every potion Kakariko has to offer and Twilight finds himself, completely healed, sitting on the edge of his bed, enjoying the peace and quiet.

A knock on the floor interrupts the silence, and Legend enters. He leans against the bedpost next to Twilight, and is quiet for a moment.

“Thank you,” he says presently, “for saving me.”

Twilight smiles. “Of course. I’m always happy to help preserve your life.”

They fall into a slightly awkward pause.

“I should also thank you,” Twilight remarks. “For taking care of me.”

Legend shrugs. “It wasn’t much. Just a piece of gauze. Didn’t even do that much to help in the battle, I managed to get myself a concussion and if Sky hadn’t stepped in, you’d be dead.” Twilight hears the bitterness in the statement.

“You did a lot.” Twilight says. Legend raises an eyebrow, and Twilight is ashamed to say he can’t think of anything regarding that particular battle that would disprove Legend’s point. “It meant a lot to me, anyways.”

“Glad to help,” Legend nods.

Another pause.

“I…guess I should say sorry.”

That catches Legend by surprise. “What for?”

“I could have been more accepting of your help. You were just looking out for me and I tried to reject it.”

“Because you wanted someone else to get that help,” Legend shakes his head in disbelief. “You’re apologizing for protesting out of selflessness.”

“Well…no, no one really needed the help at the time. I was just in denial, I didn’t want to admit I’d gotten hurt and couldn’t fight. Again.” Twilight frowns, once again remembering the last battle that nearly killed him.

“Water under the bridge,” Legend says breezily. “I’ve done it before, we’ve all done it before, we still do. It isn’t in our nature to be useless, especially not in a fight.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Twilight snorts. “Anyways, I’m sorry.”

“You’re forgiven. Don’t let it weigh you down.”

The ease with which the Veteran gives out his grace makes Twilight smile.

“You’re a big softy, you know that?”

Legend glares at him sharply, feathers obviously ruffled.

“Shut up,” he mutters. “I already have the Sailor calling me soft, I can’t have you doing it too.”

“It’s technically too late.”

“Shhh.”

“At least I know why your dark world form is a rabbit.”

Legend’s glare turns murderous. “I’m going to bury you.”

“I love you too.”

“Almost dying has made you almost as insufferable at the Captain, you know that?”

Twilight just laughs.

[angeart]

the promised hhau confession rp/fic

this got a bit out of hand. as per usual.

here's 21k words of raw rp between me and link about these idiots. <3 spoiler alert: they have Feelings. they're also very gay for each other.

[link-the-feral-anon]

The problem wasn't the mythical creatures. The problem wasn't the currency they paid with. The problem wasn't finding a way to hide how much money I was making from the government. The problem wasn't even trying to protect my late night clientele from the government.

The mythical creatures were incredibly polite. They only paid what they considered fair. One of them runs a pawn shop that specializes in helping late night businesses like mine keep the government away from them.

No. No, the problem was the guilt. I was making so much money off of these folks. They gave me jewels worth my entire stock, plus some, for a baker's dozen of cookies. The ghost pirate paid me in doubloons! Old, actual doubloons! Just ONE of those things sold to the right collector helped pay off my house!

I keep telling them what these things are worth here, but they wave me off. The one fae who comes by just smiled kindly and said, "Maybe these trinkets have immense monetary value here, but we do not trade them because of what money they are worth. We trade them because we find your goods to be worth the trade."

This... actually did help with the guilt.

Although, now I have a new problem.

That fae, a siren, and the pawn shop owner are now all vying for my hand- to date me, not marriage, I'm SO not ready for that- and the ghost pirate has decided he's my new dad. So, he's playing referee or some shit?

I keep telling Ed he doesn't have to, but he justs pats my hand and asks for another lemon bar.

I'm a little afraid to tell them I'm polyam.

You run a Bakery, just a normal bakery, the only problem is that your customers at midnight to 6AM are mythical creatures who pay with gemstones and ancient gold and silver coins

[vulpinesaint]

quiz enjoyers! i am now inviting you to come create something in my workshop❕

[asgardian--angels]

Planet's Fucked: What Can You Do To Help? (Long Post)

Since nobody is talking about the existential threat to the climate and the environment a second Trump term/Republican government control will cause, which to me supersedes literally every other issue, I wanted to just say my two cents, and some things you can do to help. I am a conservation biologist, whose field was hit substantially by the first Trump presidency. I study wild bees, birds, and plants.

In case anyone forgot what he did last time, he gagged scientists' ability to talk about climate change, he tried zeroing budgets for agencies like the NOAA, he attempted to gut protections in the Endangered Species Act (mainly by redefining 'take' in a way that would allow corporations to destroy habitat of imperiled species with no ramifications), he tried to do the same for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (the law that offers official protection for native non-game birds), he sought to expand oil and coal extraction from federal protected lands, he shrunk the size of multiple national preserves, HE PULLED US OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT, and more.

We are at a crucial tipping point in being able to slow the pace of climate change, where we decide what emissions scenario we will operate at, with existential consequences for both the environment and people. We are also in the middle of the Sixth Mass Extinction, with the rate of species extinctions far surpassing background rates due completely to human actions. What we do now will determine the fate of the environment for hundreds or thousands of years - from our ability to grow key food crops (goodbye corn belt! I hated you anyway but), to the pressure on coastal communities that will face the brunt of sea level rise and intensifying extreme weather events, to desertification, ocean acidification, wildfires, melting permafrost (yay, outbreaks of deadly frozen viruses!), and a breaking down of ecosystems and ecosystem services due to continued habitat loss and species declines, especially insect declines. The fact that the environment is clearly a low priority issue despite the very real existential threat to so many people, is beyond my ability to understand. I do partly blame the public education system for offering no mandatory environmental science curriculum or any at all in most places. What it means is that it will take the support of everyone who does care to make any amount of difference in this steeply uphill battle.

There are not enough environmental scientists to solve these issues, not if public support is not on our side and the majority of the general public is either uninformed or actively hostile towards climate science (or any conservation science).

So what can you, my fellow Americans, do to help mitigate and minimize the inevitable damage that lay ahead?

I'm not going to tell you to recycle more or take shorter showers. I'll be honest, that stuff is a drop in the bucket. What does matter on the individual level is restoring and protecting habitat, reducing threats to at-risk species, reducing pesticide use, improving agricultural practices, and pushing for policy changes. Restoring CONNECTIVITY to our landscape - corridors of contiguous habitat - will make all the difference for wildlife to be able to survive a changing climate and continued human population expansion.

**Caveat that I work in the northeast with pollinators and birds so I cannot provide specific organizations for some topics, including climate change focused NGOs. Scientists on tumblr who specialize in other fields, please add your own recommended resources. **

We need two things: FUNDING and MANPOWER.

You may surprised to find that an insane amount of conservation work is carried out by volunteers. We don't ever have the funds to pay most of the people who want to help. If you really really care, consider going into a conservation-related field as a career. It's rewarding, passionate work.

At the national level, please support:

The Nature Conservancy

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (including eBird)

National Audubon Society

Federal Duck Stamps (you don't need to be a hunter to buy one!)

These first four work to acquire and restore critical habitat, change environmental policy, and educate the public. There is almost certainly a Nature Conservancy-owned property within driving distance of you. Xerces plays a very large role in pollinator conservation, including sustainable agriculture, native bee monitoring programs, and the Bee City/Bee Campus USA programs. The Lab of O is one of the world's leaders in bird research and conservation. Audubon focuses on bird conservation. You can get annual memberships to these organizations and receive cool swag and/or a subscription to their publications which are well worth it. You can also volunteer your time; we need thousands of volunteers to do everything from conducting wildlife surveys, invasive species removal, providing outreach programming, managing habitat/clearing trails, planting trees, you name it. Federal Duck Stamps are the major revenue for wetland conservation; hunters need to buy them to hunt waterfowl but anyone can get them to collect!

THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE, but these are a start.

Additionally, any federal or local organizations that seek to provide support and relief to those affected by hurricanes, sea level rise, any form of coastal climate change...

At the regional level:

These are a list of topics that affect major regions of the United States. Since I do not work in most of these areas I don't feel confident recommending specific organizations, but please seek resources relating to these as they are likely major conservation issues near you.

PRAIRIE CONSERVATION & PRAIRIE POTHOLE WETLANDS

DRYING OF THE COLORADO RIVER (good overview video linked)

PROTECTION OF ESTUARIES AND SALTMARSH, ESPECIALLY IN THE DELAWARE BAY AND LONG ISLAND (and mangroves further south, everglades etc; this includes restoring LIVING SHORELINES instead of concrete storm walls; also check out the likely-soon extinction of saltmarsh sparrows)

UNDAMMING MAJOR RIVERS (not just the Colorado; restoring salmon runs, restoring historic floodplains)

NATIVE POLLINATOR DECLINES (NOT honeybees. for fuck's sake. honeybees are non-native domesticated animals. don't you DARE get honeybee hives to 'save the bees')

WILDLIFE ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER (support the Mission Butterfly Center!)

INVASIVE PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES (this is everywhere but the specifics will differ regionally, dear lord please help Hawaii)

LOSS OF WETLANDS NATIONWIDE (some states have lost over 90% of their wetlands, I'm looking at you California, Ohio, Illinois)

INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE, esp in the CORN BELT and CALIFORNIA - this is an issue much bigger than each of us, but we can work incrementally to promote sustainable practices and create habitat in farmland-dominated areas. Support small, local farms, especially those that use soil regenerative practices, no-till agriculture, no pesticides/Integrated Pest Management/no neonicotinoids/at least non-persistent pesticides. We need more farmers enrolling in NRCS programs to put farmland in temporary or permanent wetland easements, or to rent the land for a 30-year solar farm cycle. We've lost over 99% of our prairies to corn and soybeans. Let's not make it 100%.

INDIGENOUS LAND-BACK EFFORTS/INDIGENOUS LAND MANAGEMENT/TEK (adding this because there have been increasing efforts not just for reparations but to also allow indigenous communities to steward and manage lands either fully independently or alongside western science, and it would have great benefits for both people and the land; I know others on here could speak much more on this. Please platform indigenous voices)

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (get your neighbors to stop dumping fertilizers on their lawn next to lakes, reduce agricultural runoff)

OCEAN PLASTIC (it's not straws, it's mostly commercial fishing line/trawling equipment and microplastics)

A lot of these are interconnected. And of course not a complete list.

At the state and local level:

You probably have the most power to make change at the local level!

Support or volunteer at your local nature centers, local/state land conservancy non-profits (find out who owns&manages the preserves you like to hike at!), state fish & game dept/non-game program, local Audubon chapters (they do a LOT). Participate in a Christmas Bird Count!

Join local garden clubs, which install and maintain town plantings - encourage them to use NATIVE plants. Join a community garden!

Get your college campus or city/town certified in the Bee Campus USA/Bee City USA programs from the Xerces Society

Check out your state's official plant nursery, forest society, natural heritage program, anything that you could become a member of, get plants from, or volunteer at.

Volunteer to be part of your town's conservation commission, which makes decisions about land management and funding

Attend classes or volunteer with your land grant university's cooperative extension (including master gardener programs)

Literally any volunteer effort aimed at improving the local environment, whether that's picking up litter, pulling invasive plants, installing a local garden, planting trees in a city park, ANYTHING. make a positive change in your own sphere. learn the local issues affecting your nearby ecosystems. I guarantee some lake or river nearby is polluted

MAKE HABITAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Biggest thing you can do. Use plants native to your area in your yard or garden. Ditch your lawn. Don't use pesticides (including mosquito spraying, tick spraying, Roundup, etc). Don't use fertilizers that will run off into drinking water. Leave the leaves in your yard. Get your school/college to plant native gardens. Plant native trees (most trees planted in yards are not native). Remove invasive plants in your yard.

On this last point, HERE ARE EASY ONLINE RESOURCES TO FIND NATIVE PLANTS and LEARN ABOUT NATIVE GARDENING:

Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Pollinator Pathway

Audubon Native Plant Finder

Homegrown National Park (and Doug Tallamy's other books)

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder (clunky but somewhat helpful)

Heather Holm (for prairie/midwest/northeast)

MonarchGard w/ Benjamin Vogt (for prairie/midwest)

Native Plant Trust (northeast & mid-atlantic)

Grow Native Massachusetts (northeast)

Habitat Gardening in Central New York (northeast)

There are many more - I'm not familiar with resources for western states. Print books are your biggest friend. Happy to provide a list of those.

Lastly, you can help scientists monitor species using citizen science. Contribute to iNaturalist, eBird, Bumblebee Watch, or any number of more geographically or taxonomically targeted programs (for instance, our state has a butterfly census carried out by citizen volunteers).

In short? Get curious, get educated, get involved. Notice your local nature, find out how it's threatened, and find out who's working to protect it that you can help with. The health of the planet, including our resilience to climate change, is determined by small local efforts to maintain and restore habitat. That is how we survive this. When government funding won't come, when we're beat back at every turn trying to get policy changed, it comes down to each individual person creating a safe refuge for nature.

Thanks for reading this far. Please feel free to add your own credible resources and organizations.

[w1770w]

GUMROAD IS BANNING NSFW CONTENT IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS

I haven't seen anyone talk about this yet, so I might as well.

They've updated their content policy to comply with payment processor Stripe and Paypal's censorhip. They gave 24 hours. On March 16th 2024, Gumroad TOS will no longer allows sales of any written or drawn nsfw content.

This is going to hurt for so many creators. Giving that little time leaves people's source of income wildly unstable, especially with such a huge overhaul of what content is allowed.

I hate this. I hate what censorship is turning the internet into. I hate that nsfw content creators keeo getting pushed to the fringes, that they need to digitally migrate so often, because nowhere can be trusted to allow their art for long.

I don't know what to do next, there isn't some sort of "here's what you can do to help!" People just deserve to know.

[howdoyoudothedew]

i was told to torture the blonde man more so here's an old never-posted whumptober warmup for jaune with the 2019 prompt "isolation"

Jaune has never been alone. It sounds weird and even to him sounds like something that should ring false, but it’s true. Throughout his entire life there’s always been someone else. Mainly Marion. That was the price of a large family. The price of being so close to your twin. Lack of privacy… and lack of being alone.

So he feels unprepared now. Because now… he is alone.

Utterly alone.

The cave seems to stretch on for miles like a yawning mouth. It's dark. His footsteps echo off the walls like a constant reminder. You’re alone, you’re alone.

The thing is, he chose this. The thing is, his team was gone, and the world was shit, and he chose to be alone.He chose to be alone because there seemed to be no other choice. It’s been months and this cave is only another stop, another temporary home on an endless walk. The silence was loud these days. Weighty. Crushing and suffocating in ways he didn't know silence could actually be. In ways he hadn’t been prepared for. Not that he’d been prepared for any of this. There was never a time he’d known he’d have to be prepared for this. Jaune sighed and the noise seemed to echo around the cave walls but he wasn’t sure if that was true or just something his mind decided. At least, just for a moment, his world wasn't so quiet anymore. And for just a moment, he could pretend he wasn't so alone anymore.

torture the blonde man some more

[violetheart77]

that time of year again

[sanct1f1ed]

favorite stan twins characterization is that they're both equally insane. stanley just gets more air time to show it off. loosely inspired by a post i read earlier but here's some absolutely insane things both of them have done

stanley:

drugged a person and turned them into an exhibit in the mystery shack

had a vegas wedding to a prospector-themed novelty dispenser

gave mabel a grappling hook

failed to steal an animatronic badger

chewed his way out of the trunk of a car

punched at least three bald eagles

is multiply divorced, possibly even with the novelty dispenser

committed premeditated murder on a llama

faked a heart attack to get on Wheel of Fortune

took his clothes off in front of a live studio audience on Wheel of Fortune

has a rivalry with a fifth grader, a grandmother, and a man who exclusively dresses like a corn cob

stanford:

pulled a gun on a bus driver when he wouldn't let a pig on board

directly assisted in mind-controlling ronald reagan during his election in 1980

gave mabel a crossbow

got bitten by a vampire bat and subsequently began sampling human blood

owns contraband outlawed in 9000 dimensions; keeps it in an extremely flimsy plastic case

"accidentally" set a hawk on fire

has exes ranging from as normal as his old college buddy to as weird as a triangle and an alien with 7 eyes who put a metal plate in his head

wears turtlenecks because he's hiding multiple tattoos he regrets, including one themed around "all star" by smash mouth

is an Extremely wanted criminal across hundreds of dimensions; was completely kicked out of one for card counting

is, bizarrely, super into the band Eurythmics

can see shrimp colors

[howdoyoudothedew]

Rated: G

Characters: MK and Tang

Word Count: ~900

A/N: In a nebulously after season four era, I write out my feelings about MK's new monkey form (sorta) cw gender dysphoria talk

"Alright, MK," Tang says, taking a seat next to MK at the bar just before closing. "Why do you hate your monkey form so much? I know it's not just because of demon stuff."

"What do you mean?" MK laughs nervously, refusing to look at Tang, as he grabs bowls off tables. Though MK can't see it, Tang gives him a rather flat look in return. The way MK's shoulders go up, nearly to his ears, Tang knows he can sense it. "I'm not acting weird at all! I'm just being MK. Good ol' delivery boy MK. Perfectly normal, not weird, MK! A good 'ol boy."

An awkward laugh follows the ramble, and Tang's mouth screws up, because that's just it. Not MK being normal or not normal, but the defensiveness of it. How much he asserts just who he is. And suddenly, it hits Tang, like a lightning bolt, and he feels a little dumb for not seeing it sooner. Because he has seen this exact behaviour from MK once before. Gently, Tang pats the stool next to him. "Come on, tell me what's really going on."

MK frowns hard, biting his lip and squeezing his fingers around the bowls till Tang thinks the ceramic might just break. Then he puts them down on the counter with a sigh which makes his whole body deflate, sitting next to him. "I just-" MK starts, leg bouncing and playing with his fingers. Tang watches patiently, leaning on the counter. The foot MK isn't bouncing curls around the stool's bar, his knee knocking into the leg. His voice is quieter when he starts again. "Every time I'm in the monkey form, it's like-" He flounders, hands coming up to gesture, his fingers curling into his palms. Reopening them, MK looks down, seeing the familiar lines and pale skin he's used to. There's no fur there, not now, but a part of him still sees it. Like it's hiding, just under the surface, and for a moment he's scared he'll glitch again like he did in the scroll. But he hasn't glitched since they got out, not really. (It doesn't mean the form isn't there, hiding under his skin like an omen. Like a crawling itch he can't scratch but makes him want to claw into his skin and pull, that feels so wrong in a way he can't articulate. Curling his hands up again, he tucks them between his thighs, grasping the stool under him. MK takes a breath, and lets it out slowly, reminding himself that even if the others won't understand, Tang will.

"I like my body," MK says slowly. A corner of his mouth ticks up, a small huff of a laugh leaving him. "Really like it, actually. It's- It's me." He looks at Tang with a smile. "I look in the mirror, and I'm able to go 'yep. that's MK!' and believe it, you know? But the monkey form... that's... that's not me. That's not MK- I don't know what it is, who it is, but it's not MK."

MK bites his lip again, feeling emotions he hasn't felt this strongly in a few years crop up again, swirling in his throat like weighted heat. Really, all of this just feels like a reminder of a few things he'd prefer to forget. Of fears he'd forgotten, when the surgery made those fears obsolete. He sighs again, resting his forehead on the counter. "It feels like I'm reliving puberty. Which sucks, like, I thought I was done with all that, you know? You and Pigsy, you... You helped me fix it, and now it feels like it's all ruined. Like I'm getting a body I don't know again, except this time I don't even know if I'll be permanently stuck with it like Monkey King is or what. And everyone wants me to just accept that! Like, sure, MK, have fun with weird demon monkey puberty!"

Tang watches as MK rubs his hands through his hair, making it a mess and causing his headband to slide down into his eyebrows. Frowning softly, he reaches out, gently readjusting the cloth to rest higher up MK's forehead. Really, he feels sort of ashamed in himself, that he hadn't even considered this. It'd... it'd mess him up, too, if he were the one with the sudden new form. MK looks at him, eyes big and brown just like Pigsy's, tears making them watery. Tang brushes his hand higher, straightening MK's hair. "Do you want me to talk to Pigsy for you?"

"Please?" MK says, lower lip out in a pout, and Tang ruffles his hair, completely undoing what he'd just fixed.

"Of course, MK," Tang says with a smile. If anyone can really understand what MK's going through, it'll be Pigsy. After all, Pigsy has his own demon form. "We'll fix it together, okay? Just the three of us. It'll be alright, you'll see."

Eyes watering, MK moves forward, wrapping his arms around Tang in a tight hug. Tang hugs him back, just as tight. "Thanks, Mr. Tang."

[linkito]

Kiss Prompt Scarian 30 …as comfort? :3 -🎀

ange asked for this as well, so it’s gotta be hhau, right? ft. some unused dialogue from our Big RP™

Scar hates seeing Grian like this— curled up and miserable, wings tucked so tightly against his back that they may as well be invisible. His hands fidget with the ribbon tied around one of his wrists, body mostly hidden under the length of his cloak. He’s pressed up into the wall in a way that can’t be comfortable and Scar just can’t take it anymore.

He needs to do something.

“Grian,” Scar tries, and though his ears droop slightly when Grian barely twitches in response, he still continues. “Did I ever tell you about my idea for a cookie shop?”

Grian does perk up slightly at that, but it’s mostly to cock an eyebrow in confusion, wondering why Scar would possibly think to bring up such a thing now of all times.

They hardly ever talk about Hermitcraft. And for good reason— it usually results in nothing but pain.

But something about Scar making cookies brings warmth to Grian’s frigid, aching heart, and despite his better judgement, he mumbles, “…cookie shop?”

Scar smiles, feeling successful already and deciding to ride that high. “Yeah, and I was going to bake them myself! None of that villager crap.”

Grian doesn’t reply directly, but he nods, eyes now regarding Scar with renewed interest, glad to tether his attention onto something that isn’t his own self-loathing and despair.

Scar is happy to take what he can get. He also scoots in closer to Grian, craving the closeness, just wanting to be within his orbit. It takes a moment, but Grian returns the casual affection by idly running his fingers over Scar’s knee, which is more than enough to keep Scar going on with his daydreamy nonsense.

“I was gonna grow out my hair and have this whole elven theme going— live in a tree, work right out of my house.” Scar runs a hand through his messy hair, noting that it’s already begun to grow out quite a lot, even if it looks nothing like how he would have intended. He probably looks more like some sort of goblin than a lustrous-haired elf.

Grian chuckles softly, pulling Scar out of his thoughts. “What, like a Keebler Elf?”

“What’s a Keebler Elf?” Scar asks, entirely genuine.

That gets Grian to laugh fully, and even if Scar doesn’t understand why, it makes his heart about melt. He loves Grian’s laugh. He doesn’t get to hear it enough these days.

“You know,” Scar adds, feeling cheeky now that he’s already earned this small victory. “I had a particular cookie in mind that I bet you would have loved.”

“Tell me,” Grian says, eager for more of this delightful distraction.

Now that he’s got him, Scar begins a long-winded explanation, theatrical and exuberant: “Well, I make a delicious chocolate chip cookie, of course, but you can’t have those—“

“I’m not allergic to chocolate, Scar.”

“You’re not??” Scar gasps, earning a small eye roll from Grian (he’s still smiling though, so still a win). “Well no matter! Because I had an amayzin’ idea for incorporating chorus fruit into the icing for sugar cookie.”

“Chorus fruit, really?” Grian replies quietly, now weirdly finding himself craving the odd, purple fruit that he likely would have never eaten otherwise. He feels the edge of doomed nostalgia begin to creep in, but only for a moment because Scar keeps talking, snagging his attention back to this fantasy of a quaint little cookie shop.

“Yeah! A treat and a surprise!” Scar exclaims proudly. “One little bite and zzzzzooooop!”

Grian laughs again, weaker, but still amused by Scar’s antics. He wants to let the daydream linger, to picture bright purple frosting and a fantastical treehouse without feeling a sense of great loss of what could have and should have been. He struggles, but Scar’s smile keeps him grounded, leaves him leaning in, gravitated toward that unbridled joy he somehow manages to hold onto.

But maybe his sorrow still shows through, because Scar leans in closer, presenting that smile so it fills all of his vision. “You know what I was going to call them?”

Grian blinks, barely able to process anything other than the closeness of Scar’s smiling face. He manages a small shake of his head, eyes still anchored on Scar’s bright green ones.

Scar’s smile widens, seeming incredibly pleased with himself and whatever this answer may be.

“Elven kisses,” he coos, closing the distance and pressing their lips together, softly, like a feather brushing over skin.

The name hardly makes sense, if Grian is being honest, but he doesn’t care in the slightest. Something about the prospect of a simpler time, where Grian is surrounded by the fresh smell of cookies and a beautifully woven treehouse and the image of Scar presenting him with that name just as proudly, a shy little blush scattered across his cheeks.

He should have kissed Scar a long, long time ago, he thinks, somewhat sadly.

But Scar’s lips are on his now, and it’s possibly one of the only good things left in this wretched nightmare of a server— an uncomplicated affection, something genuine and pure. Something gentle and loving when everything else is coarse and cruel.

Grian moves, grabbing both sides of Scar’s head with desperate, yearning hands, and kisses him fully, hungry for the comfort of Scar’s breath against his own, lips intertwined, passionate and unwavering.

Alive. Alive. Alive.

He feels Scar’s mouth curl upwards into a joyous smile, pressed into his own, private— theirs alone to enjoy— and for a moment, everything feels like it might be alright.

For a moment there’s sweetness dancing across his tongue, and Grian willingly falls into the illusion of its simplicity.

[proxycrit]

Day 26- Lanayru Mountain

Perhaps dragon song sounds familiar. No matter; it’s time to get to business.

On that note, magnesis is reacquired! Purah’s still working on the other glyphs.

(“We’ll find a cure by the end of this year, I promise.”

“I hope we do, Mimi. I really, really hope we do.”)

((This is a totk au called familiar familiar! Zelda doesn’t go back in time, history is forever changed, and link is beset by ghost memories from his magic arm as per usual.))

(Want to throw a coin to an exhausted art hermit? Check out my patreon!)

[mikgreo]

☆ twt nsfw links. ☆

『starring 』：blue lock, tokyo rev, and jjk men!! 🗯️

a/n: i loooveee these fine men . i could just eat them

mommys good boy, always melting at your touch<3.

he’s your own little princess seat ♡.

he’s such a good boy, mommy’s lil slut<3

he loves how you use him for your pleasure!!

naughty boys deserve punishments..

CHOSO, yuji itadori, bachira meguru, ALEXIS NESS, KAZUTORA HANEMIYA, takemichi hanagaki, shinichiro sano, CHIFUYU MATSUNO, (your fav)

using his big fingers to get into those nice places<3

he loves overstimulating u!!! so mean:(

he’s so big.

he’s so big pt.2

hes HUGE

size kink..

TOJI FUSHIGURO, sukuna ryomen, KUNIGAMI RENSUKE, shidou ryusei, oliver aiku, DRAKEN RYUGUJI, taiju shiba, rindou haitani, HANMA SHUJI, (your fav)

fucking you like the brat you are

you love how rough he is<3

he loves facefucking his fav doll.

your punishment for being such a slut

teasing his cute girl💔

geto suguru, gojo satoru, YUTA OKKOTSU, isagi yoichi, CHIGIRI HYOMA, michael kaiser, MIKEY SANO, ran haitani, kokonoi hajime, SANZU HARUCHIYO, (your fav)

your punishment for being such a spoiled brat

he thinks you’ve been a bad girl.

making you beg for it

loves fucking you dumb

something he would do to make fun of you

Nanami kento, Higuruma hiromi, SUKUNA RYOMEN, GOJO SATORU, TOJI FUSHIGURO, SAE ITOSHI, shidou ryusei, karasu tabito, (your fav)

he loves your soaky cunt<3

his fav postion!!

making his pretty princess do all the work:(

he pays such close attention to your holes<3

letting him use your mouth

megumi fushiguro, INO TAKUMA, inumaki toge, Rin itoshi, REO MIKAGE, Barou Shoei, Inui seishu, chifuyu matsuno, KAKUCHO HITTO, (your fav)

he fucks you so good

he’s so sweet to you and ur cunt<3

he luvs toying with you.

he lives to pleasure you and only u!!

what was supposed to be a tutoring sesh..

yuta okkotsu, kashimo hajime, KOKICHI MUTA, higuruma hiromi, NAGI SEISHIRO, otoya eita, YUKIMIYA KENYU, reo mikage, MITSUYA TAKASHI, izana kurokawa, HAKKAI SHIBA, (your fav)

:3

[kawareo]

Frog...

Illustration for the previous chapter of Godsbound!

[brnd3y]

NEW POST FROM @munybagd

i am going to fuck him … i have a thing for men that moan especially the ones with deep voices .. mm makes my toes sweat 😛 ( NSFW )

whimpers came out as he tried his best to talk “ mmm fuck baby p-please,” his nail dug into your hips as he helped you bounce on his cock faster. he didn’t want you to stop — oh no, he doesn’t know what he would do with himself if you stopped .. maybe he would cry or beg on his knees. honestly, he would do anything for you to keep going. “ oh yeah … don’t stop — i w-want you to make a mess of m-me ” oh he looked so pretty under you … tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked at you -sucking on your fingers .. he so nasty but you like it. LINK 1

he fucks you sooo good that he’s moaning too. “ o-oh my good girl .. my good fucking girl ” his plan is to slut you out doesn’t matter if it’s in the bed, living room, kitchen, or even the car. he wants you a moaning mess which slowly turns him into a moaning mess as well. “ yeahhh th-there you go .. mm you’re daddy’s good girl, taking my c-cock so fucking well ” It’s like a race ‘ who can tap out first ’ by the way he’s moans you would think it’s him with his heavy breathing but little do you know that this is just the beginning.. LINK 2

sensitive, dom, and a moaning mess … he is a three-in-one! gosh, you love it — the way he sharply breathes in when he strokes his cock into you, the way he moans in between words, and the way he talks dirty to you excites you. “ mm s-say it .. u-use your words, baby ” makes you wanna cum right then and there. he loves hearing you talk, even if it’s just babbling, it makes him smile, but not like you would know cause his face is pressed against your neck due to him leaving deep bite marks. LINK 3

( BOUNS )

no shame in his game . he enjoys making audios for you, especially in random places it’s his favorite thing to do and he ALWAYS sends them to you when you’re out and about. “ guess where i-i’m at baby — mm i’m in our parking g-garage ” things like this turns him on and he knows that you get to turn on hearing him slur and stutter on his words. “ i-i-i have our f-favorite toy .. fuck i wish y-you were here to use it on m-me” gosh why does he do this to you and when you come home he acts like nothing is wrong :/ LINK 4