#YOU CAN STILL SEND STUFF IN! It'll just be delayed

[isobug]

I feel really sick today so I won't be able to work on rqs, I'm sorry!

[sapphlopods]

This will be one of the hardest things I ever have to do, but I need help even though I hate asking for it.

Please help me escape my homophobic and financially abusive parents. More under "Keep Reading"

I'm Chaim, and ever since I graduated high school, I’ve lived with my parents. Australia has an incredibly bad housing crisis, and it’s nearly impossible for me to move out without friends or roommates who have a pre-established house, which I have none. 

Over the course of the past 4 years, I have watched my father devolve into this angry right-wing conspiracy theorist who thinks all “Wokes” should d1e. He has no idea I’m a lesbian as I fear for what he will do if he ever finds out. 

My mother has a range of health issues, in 2022 she had a heart attack, and this year, she was diagnosed with brain and kidney cancer, which she is in and out of hospital for. Her financial assistance has been delayed over and over, we still need to wait 2 months to get help. 

So, my household's only income is from my father and me. My father has an incredibly bad gambling, drinking and tobacco addiction, he goes through a pack of 30 cans and a pack of 30 cigarettes in 2 days. Tobacco and alcohol are heavily taxed here and are upwards of $60+ each; that’s $120 every 2 days, he earns $1600 fortnightly and spends roughly $840 of it on just his addictions; that’s more than half his pay, and that isn’t including the horse races he bets on. 

That leaves me to pick up the slack on groceries, rent, my mother's medicine and lend them money when Dad “overspends” at the pub. My father would rather starve than lessen his addictions a bit so we can afford to stay in our house and have food to eat. 

This has been happening for years even before my mother fell so ill she couldn’t work but it's gotten worse. I do not want to leave my mother, but she will not leave my father no matter what since she sees nothing wrong with what he does. I’m tired of being nothing more than a piggybank and a maid to my parents since I will never be able to move out when all my money goes towards keeping a roof over our heads. Even while I was on vacation, they still called me up and asked for money. 

I’ve wanted to move out for a long time, but my situation is getting direr by the day, and I can’t save a single cent to leave like this. I know many problems are going on in the world right now that deserve people’s time more than this so thank you for reading this far. 

If you can spare anything, please send it to my ko-fi. It'll be going towards getting stuff sorted so I can move to my partner Cinna, who lives far away in Chile, but I have no other option now. 11/12

I also have a few items listed on my eBay that people might like, a lot of it is fandom stuff and collector things I have accumulated, I'll be putting more stuff up slowly as I sort through my things preparing to move. https://www.ebay.com.au/usr/sapphlopods

[anonymitywriterprescott]

The ding of the door opening gets my attention, so I walk, minding the gap, onto the train. Looking around for a seat, I notice the empty train car and choose to sit close to the door.

I scroll on my phone as the train starts moving again. 6:09 pm. A call notification appears on screen as the ringtone echoes through the car, making it sound bigger and emptier than it is. "Babe <3" is calling. "Hello love, what's up?" "Sooo I may have promised a lovely homemade lasagna but we will probably be having your choice of fast food tonight instead." They say, sounding sorry as ever and a bit annoyed. "Oh noo, What happened? You ok?" "Yeah, no bruises, burns, or blood, but the oven shit the bed again, and I already called the office to see if and when it could get replaced this time instead of just a duct tape fix, but they said it would be at least 3 weeks." "3 fucking weeks? They expect us to not cook for 3 fucking weeks, really?" My voice is barely below yelling. "Hey, it'll be ok; I already texted my mom, I can go over tomorrow and premake some stuff, aaaand she's giving us her microwave because she never uses it, so we can reheat it all." Their voice sounds desperate to calm me, knowing how much I hate that stupid, old-ass, fucking oven. "I guess I'll need to sneak a $50 in her pocket because I doubt she'll let us pay for it." "You would be right. So, do you wanna pick up dinner on your way, or should I order delivery?" "Delivery," I glance at the time on my phone. 6:27 pm. "feels like the train is taking forever, and I don't wanna carry the food up the stairs." "Alright baby, text me what you want, Love you." "Love you, bye." I tap the end call button and go to our texts, filling out where to order from and what I want. The text continuously attempts to send but fails. I have no signal, of course.

The clock reads 6:30 pm. This route is usually like 10 minutes, and we haven't stopped moving, so why is it taking so long? The windows show only darkness and an occasional flash from the tunnel lights. I walk to one of the doors and press the button to open it, but nothing happens. Same with the second door. A bright white light floods the car, but it's gone before my eyes adjust. The text continues failing to send. No signal means I can't call anyone or look up anything about train delays. The clock reads 6:30 pm. Still? I look at the walls to see if there is an emergency or call button or something that says a phone number to call if I get signal. Nothing. The clock reads 6:30 pm. I stare at my phone. 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi… …59 Mississippi, 60 Mississippi. The clock reads 6:30 pm. Maybe I was a bit off on my timing, I tell myself, waiting for the minute to pass. It doesn't. The clock reads 6:30 pm. Finally, soft light seeps through the windows. Outside, a dim forest, trees with twisted limbs, and long-hanging vines whizz by. Every so often, I think I see a creature, but it looks… wrong. One of them was a deer, but the antlers looked like its legs? So time is… frozen, I can't get off the train, I am alone, and I'm seeing things?

"You're not seeing things, darling." A voice comes from the other side of the car. Startled, I quickly turned to see it. A tall, rectangular figure, wearing a red hat whose top scrapes the car's roof, whose brim covers its face, and a matching red suit that looks like it's made of silk. I stare wide-eyed, not knowing what it is or its intentions. Or why it can hear my thoughts. But I keep calm, "What am I seeing then?" "Not the thing you think." It says, speaking "That's upsettingly vague." "It's more literal than you realize." It cocks its head as if it's examining me.

Its face.

It feels like it's… out of focus? No matter how hard I try, I just can't quite… see it? "Don't hurt yourself." It says, looking me up and down. "Look at the wall if it helps." It sounds annoyed at my existence. Like my inability to see its features is an inconvenience of the highest accord. "May I have your name?" It reaches out its hand as if it expects me to give it something. Its hand has long, thin fingers that come to a point, like a pale grey claw, which turns pitch black towards the fingertips. "Only if I can have yours," I reply, using the same reply my mother always gave when people asked for her name. "Not worth the trade… no offense." It sneers at the end. "But your mother taught you well. Did you come here intentionally?" "Well I got on the train intentionally, but where ever we are now was not where I wanted to go." "And where do you wish to go?"

"Home." "Home it is."

My eyes close, and I feel a rush of air circle me. As the air dissipates, my eyes open, and I am in front of my apartment door, plastic white bags containing our dinner at my feet. The door swings open, and I see my partner's face and baggy pajamas. "Hey baby, good timing!" Silence fills the air, I try to speak, but my voice feels stuck in my throat. I can't wrap my head around this. "…baby? You ok?" Their hand strokes my shoulder, a slight touch, yet it feels like it drags my soul back into my body. I gasp, startling my partner. "I… don't know how… I got here…" I stumble out. "Well, you got here, and you seem unharmed. Come inside, love." They guide my arm, pulling me inside. As I walk into the apartment, I look for my phone, finding it in my pocket with a small, folded piece of paper that reads, "Safe travels, darling. Your mother says hello." The clock reads 6:30pm.

[ovinophobia]

intro post !! im jumping if i have to do this one more time/hj

‼️ rules! ‼️

† · basic stuff! don't be a dick

† · use common sense (^^^^)

† · no NSFW asks ! minor flirting is alright, but im not comfortable w anything else

† · yeah, i get its gabriel nd wtv, but don't be unnecessarily rude

† · do remember im a person nd i have crap to do a lot of the time ^_^

minor timeline/au stuff !

† · kinda like my lem blog, it doesn't have a SET time, but one can be made if needed !

† · obviously gonna be some sort of modern time, or smtn between 2005 — 2015

† · honestly it can be whatever, it follows the same lines as my other blogs; jonah survived the crash, nd mark survived the attempt

† · gabriel isn't specifically anywhere if asked - it just sorta exists if that makes any sense ? he's not anywhere, but still there/present

† · dm me if you need more info ! either on here or discord (@/jonahmarshall77) !!!

small stuff ;; other blogs, tags, more misc. info

silly info !

† · I am a minor running this blog! please be considerate of that when sending in asks, reblogging w responses, etc

† · im busy quite often, and i run way too many other accounts, so theres definitely gonna be a slight delay in responses !

† · im most definitely applying hcs and refs nd crap LMAO...idk if some stuff might not make sense but anywaysq

† · if I don't answer your ask, it probably made me either uncomfortable or i forgot to answer it; if it's the latter, it'll eventually get a response !

† · (↑) i will NOT be responding to any asks that make me uncomfortable, or are just generally weird eugh

tags !

( excluding any additional tags, such as #tmc, #mandela catalogue, and so on )

† · That's not Gabriel / ooc post : as it says ... ooc post

† · Gabriel speaks : Answering asks !

† · Gabriel's interactions/int : once again, as it says, interactions w/ any other blogs

claimed anons !

📞 , ☎️ / 🌹

other blogs: @battery-enthusiast , @certified-dentist , @jonahmarshall77 , @mrkheathcliff , @no1-gummyfishlover

updated: 10/30/24

[gray-ace-space]

i'm gonna use this little crisis of mine to give myself a bit of a break from posting here. idk how long it'll be, maybe just a couple days, maybe a lot more. i'll see how i feel. you can still send asks and stuff, it'll just be a delay with the responses, but i will absolutely come back.

[vinylcrime]

Guess who’s doing a One For The Leaving lyrics analysis for fun?!?!? THIS GUY :DDD

You might be asking, ‘Islo, why the fuck are you alalyzing the lyrics of a song that no one knows written by some guy on youtube that has one video recording of it?’ BECAUSE I WANT TO, OKAY??

ANYWAY

The lyrics, as I know them, are as follows:

Chorus:

And it’s one for the leaving, two I must go

Three for the wishing, ah what for (four) you’ll never know

Cause at 5 o’clock we hit the dock, we’ll never more be seen,

For we sail away by brake of day to serve our northern queen

Verse One: intro

Come gather round ye laddies, come listen to my song

My story is a simple tale, it won't delay you long

On how to choose your lover, the true love of your life

If you list right well to the tale I tell it'll save you all some strife - This implies that the main character has gone through pain because he fell in wrong with the wrong person. He’s giving advice and warning people against making the same mistakes he did, which is later revealed to be falling in love with the northern queen

Chorus:

And it’s one for the leaving, two I must go

Three for the wishing, ah what for (four) you’ll never know

Cause at 5 o’clock we hit the dock, we’ll never more be seen,

For we sail away by brake of day to serve our northern queen

Verse Two: this is where it gets interetsting

I’d always been rover could never settle down - pretty self explanatory, he had never found someone to settle down and fall in love with

I had a lass in every port a lad in every town - he was a whore

But when they tried to claim me I had to tell them no - they tried to date/mary him but he declined because he was interested in someone else

For the northern sea would beckon me and off to her I’d go - that someone else being revealed in this line as the northern sea, refering to the northern queen in the who is mentioned in the chorus. The use of the word ‘her’ when referring to the sea proves this, because I said so.

Chorus:

And it’s one for the leaving, two I must go

Three for the wishing, ah what for (four) you’ll never know

Cause at 5 o’clock we hit the dock, we’ll never more be seen,

For we sail away by brake of day to serve our northern queen

Verse Three: shit gets real

And then one day I saw her, the lass I’d call my own - he finall found someone he would mary

Although she loved another who beside her sat the throne - plot twist, she’s a queen, the NORTHERN QUEEN?!

I entered in her service, she sent me far away - in order to have some sort of relationship with her, he offers to serve her, and she sends him away, presumably to the northern sea as mentioned in the next line.

So now I roam the northern sea and to ye all I say

Chorus:

That it’s one for the leaving, two I must go

Three for the wishing, ah what for (four) you’ll never know

Cause at 5 o’clock we hit the dock, we’ll never more be seen,

For we sail away by brake of day to serve our northern queen- HES SERVING HER BECAUSE HE LOVES HER, and also the plural language ‘we sail’ as opposed to ‘I sail’ implies that he isn’t the first/only person this happened to.

Verse four: ending/warning

So when you find your lover, make sure their love is free - He is warning them not to serve someone for love like he did with the queen, as it will only cause pain.

And pray they love no other or soon you all may see - He fell in love with the queen who was already married n stuff which was a mistake.

That love it can be fickle just like the ocean green

Now my tale is done so I must run to serve my northern queen - after a giving this warning, the main character leaves, as he is still in service to the northern queen for her love.

Chorus:

And it’s one for the leaving, two I must go

Three for the wishing, ah what for (four) you’ll never know

Cause at 5 o’clock we hit the dock, we’ll never more be seen,

For we sail away by brake of day to serve our northern queen

Outro: For we sail away by brake of day to serve our nothern queen

They are stuck here in this life, perpetually. It was a mistake falling in love with her, one that he can’t escape, and he decided to write a song about it to warn others not to be as foolish as he was.

[sins-of-the-sea]

It seems Shylow's cousins have come for a visit!

The shadows all giggle and wiggle as they form a line of children lead by a very large humanoid bat. "Pardon the intrusion, Captain," the bat greets "my class today is learning about different sailing ships and Servac mentioned you wouldn't mind if we dropped in? He said you'd be happy to answer their questions."

The children are all practically scrambling over one another, their hands raised and begging to be called on first. Though that doesn't stop some from just calling out their questions before they can be picked.

"Why're there so many sales?"

"What's that big stick on the front for?"

"How's the wheel connected to the turny thingy under the water?"

"Where do you go to the bathroom?"

"Have you ever met a mermaid?"

"Have you ever punched Poseidon?"

"How do you pronounce anemimey- an- aninimy- amemory-"

@thegcblinfather

Use anon to send some children to ask my muse questions.

Abena couldn't help but tear up as she watches her husband beam joyously as he is being surrounded by so many children.

"Settle down! Settle down! We'll answer your questions! We're more than happy to!" He takes a moment to recompose himself. "We'll answer one at a time. Why don't we start with you, love? Why does a ship have many sails?"

"Oh, sweetie, it's because as much as boats can float, it's still very heavy and at the mercy of the waves! The bigger the boat, the more sails we'll need! Winds can only blow so hard with one sail, and depending on the weight of the vessel and its shape, it may not go very fast either! So a big boat with lots and lots of sails not only can make it go where it needs to go, but it can go really fast too! And you'll need those many sails to go the direction you'll need to go too! Now, Ruixiong, what is the big stick in the front for?"

"Ohhh, I got this! That big stick is called the bowsprit! Not every vessel has one, but when it does, it's intended to support the forestay--the rigging (rope) that supports the forwardmost sail. If it stick out far and strong enough, it can be used to support the figurehead as well--the lady that is carved or stuck onto the front of the ship's hull! It's a dangerous place to go unless you're an experienced sailor who can balance well, so don't try to walk the bowsprit on your own, children--you could fall off and hit the ship's hull along the way! And it'll hurt! As for the wheel connected to the 'turny thingy'… Rashid can do that one better!"

Rashid couldn't help but chuckle at the children's enthusiasm. "The wheel is called the 'helm', and usually the one tasked to handle it is called the 'helmsman'. The turny-thing in the water is called the 'rudder'. The helm is connected to the rudder by a series of beams, spindles, and other wheels within the back of the ship that directs the rudders a certain way when you turn the helm a certain way. It's not as easy as it looks--it's very heavy, the movement will not pick up subtle turns like it would for a car or bicycle, and the results of your movement may feel delayed. You'll also need to take account of the sails' direction to go where you need to go. That's why a ship needs more than just someone at the wheel--it needs a whole Crew. Now why don't you answer the one with the bathroom, Guy?"

"Why me?" The man chuckles nonetheless. "Back in the old days, we just use chamberpots-- ceramic pots where you do your business in them and collect the waste before you dump it overboard at later time. Eventually, though, ships may have a bathroom installed in them simply called the head--because it's located in the front-most part of the ship's hull below deck, just above the waterline. It simply uses gravity to get the gross stuff down, then we wash up with seawater if there is a pump or bucket for that. Our ship thankfully has a head, though if it gets stuffed up we know precisely who to blame."

Rashid glares as the rest of the Crew laugh.

"I'm afraid we have yet to meet a mermaid, children, though sometimes we like to think we do! No, we never punched Poseidon, I'm pretty sure that's rude. And-"

"…..What?"

"I think they mean 'anemone'. As in the sea anemone!"

"Of course! It's tricky in English, but we call it by other names in other languages, heh. Don't touch one if you see it, however! It can sting!"

[uh-oh-its-bird]

I'm seeing all sorts of articles about how "some flight attendants confess to having to sleep in cars because they can't afford a home" and "flight attendants find out they qualify for food stamps" etc. Etc. And I keep going yeah lmao duh before I remember that like. Oh. Right. That's a bad thing.

The thing ab being a flight attendant is they say that they pay you 27-30ish an hour (american airlines numbers there) but they only actually pay you that specifically for flight time (aka once the plane door is closed and locked)

(Yes that means boarding time does not count, nor does it count the hour you're supposed to be at the airport before that, or the hours between your flights when you're still stuck in the airport waiting for your next job— whether it's bc that delay between work was scheduled or because had weather has you trapped somewhere for hours)

Otherwise you are literally making upwards of $1.50 an hour. That is an actual number. I, as a flight attendant, am payed $1.50 an hour for my time away from base.

They're actually very squirley about saying what you get paid for what— they like to brag about that 27-30 number but when you realize its for flight hours only and start asking stuff like, "Ok well then how much do I get paid for standby (staying at the airport as a potential substitute for flights if smthn goes wrong, usually either in 6 to 8 hour shifts depending on your company (mine does 8 hours rip)) or while boarding the plane" they just straight up don't fucking answer you. I had multiple trainers dodging this question and none of the flight attendants I've thought to ask know either.

On top of that they can legally make you work for 14 hours a day!!!! 14 !!! Hours !!!! Nonstop!!!!! And you might only get paid for 3 fucking hours of it depending on how that day goes!

Oh right! Also there are no lunch breaks. Nor are there mandatory periods of time where they have to give you some room to breathe within flights. Hahaha yeah. They can schedule you for back to back to back flights with literally not a single minute between boarding and you just kind of have to deal with it.

You can call in to request a lunch break to try to find food at the airport— but only for the big boy bases, like Dallas or Miami. That's bc they'll send people to board your flight for you, so you have the time to get your food. But oh, right, they will often keep you on hold for upwards of 20 minutes at a time, and again, only possible at the big bases, so even if you can do it it's often too fucking late bc now everyone's on the plane and if you leave it'll stall the whole flight from leaving and then your ass will risk getting fired

(Also there's this odd guilt of doing it?? Like you really have to go out of your way to beg them on the phone to send a pre boarder. It makes me feel bad and guilty even tho it SHOULDNT)

(ALSO also, that's considering the airport youre in even HAS food that's a) close enough to get quickly, b) affordable to your budget, or c) something you can eat if you have diet restriction)

That's not even STARTING on the hell that is trying to pack a lunch that can last you potentially an entire week (all while being safe to eat after days of being in a hot plane) that also isn't having to pack the same meal for every single fucking trip + having to deal with lugging it around + like, you're going to want fresh food. But that means money.

There's literally a joke about "the flight attendant dinner" where you eat literally nothing all day other than the chips and cookies in the snack basket because its all you fucking have and you aren't in the position where you can buy food (either bc there is physically no time or place to get it or you're genuinely too poor to afford it)

(There have been days where I've legit eaten nothing other than 3 bags of chips and some preserved olives and soda)

People are always like "Oh wow a flight attendant!! You must make sooo much money" girl I qualify for food stamps and if things keep going the way they are I think I'm gonna have to go for it

That's not even STARTING on the living situation, holy shit yall don't even want me to start on that trust me. I've heard so many horror stories about crashpads (flight attendant specific houses that usually rent out by the bed) and know multiple FAs who not only live in their car but brag about it, because "its sooo much better than a crashpad" (and honestly sometimes they aren't wrong!)

It's soo bad and when you complain about it or the actual physical pain it's been causing you to friends and family they just go "oh... but have you been to hawaii yet tho 🥺" GIRL IM TOO PHYSIFALLY EXAUSTED TO GO FUCKING GROCERY SHOPPING IM ABOUT TO FALL OVER AND DIE !!!!

The economy is in shambles and some of our most glamorized and romanticized jobs are in fact just as fake and shitty as the rest of the "good jobs" out there

Anyways, all of that is to say this;

As a flight attendant, they can have me work 14 hours a day, then only give me either 6 or 5 hours to sleep (depending on whether I choose to waste time eating dinner + shower and change) before I have to wake up at 3am for a 4am shuttle to the airport to work another 13 hours that day.

And then only get paid $200 for it.

(The worst days of my life have been working this job)

[namuneulbo]

week one hundred and thirteen

okay, trying a new format which will be proper grammar but all lowercase. i'll see how it goes and how i'll like it.

this week's been A LOT. yet very exciting. i moved to stockholm on thursday. had to wake up at 3 am but surprisingly ended up falling asleep quite late. the flights were not great, i felt quite anxious on both of them but i took melatonin for both and ended up sleeping for most of them.

i've of course also been listening to lots of kent. i feel like such a poser walking around town with kent in my ears even if no one can hear and no one would care.

one thing about stockholm is that it's very humbling walking around town because literally everyone's hot. it's insane. like, people are so fashionable and fancy and conventionally attractive while i feel like i barely match their level in a full face and my best outfit on a good hair day. truly so humbling.

on friday i met up with m for food and drinks. we struggled finding each other first because of the friday after work rush hour but once we got to the restaurant/pub thingy, it was very empty although it filled up over the time we were there. it was a burger place and it was really good although i got one of those humiliating cough fits at one point and never truly relaxed afterwards.

afterwards we went to an irish pub and, oh my god, it was so epic! i'm so happy to have someone to go to irish pubs with. i love drinking guinness and listening to celtic music. it was also nice because once we got there we really started becoming more natural with our conversation. i did feel quite sick on my way home though which was not the greatest because the bus home was delayed quite a bit so i just ended up walking home and lowkey died.

anyways, on tuesday, earlier in the week before i had moved, i had my last hangout with l for a while. we had subway and then they were my emotional support for asking my talking stage l on a date. it was so... okay, spoiler, i am going on a date with him but i still want to tell you about the interaction because it was a bit silly.

me and l (my bff l, not talking stage l) are sitting in the hallway of my old school and discussing what i should say and how i should send it and stuff. so i'm planning every single message out word for word in my notes app. once i've received approval from my friend, i open snapchat and stare at the conversation for a tiny bit before starting to type the messages out. i wanted to type them out rather than copy pasting so it would still feel a bit more real (for myself) in a way. literally started off with a single "btwwww" and his bitmoji shows up immediately and i literally yell and my friend starts yelling too because we didn't expect him to see the messages in real time. he replies a few quick silly messages just copying me but in swedish and then since i haven't typed out my second message yet he's going "TYPE". it was funny but it was so weird because it almost felt as if he knew it was happening right there and then.

i continue with like "you know how i'm moving soon" "to stockholm" "and i'll become a stockholmare" and he's like "yeah, you'll become swaggy" and then i just type out the entire question and i'm freaking out but i just go as quickly as possible over the keys so it'll be over:

"so i was wondering if you maybe wanted to go on a silly little date?"

i added the shy fingers emoji combo and like a looking down kinda sad/desparate i don't know emoji and he replies with like the emoji with a salute emoji and the same shy fingers and then a second message saying "hell yes" WHICH WAS SO RELIEVING OH MY GOD LIKE I DID THINK IT WOULD BE CRAZY IF HE DENIED AFTER HAVING TALKED FOR THIS LONG SO I WAS EXPECTING IT BUT LIKE HEARING IT AND IT BEING SO ENTHUSIASTIC WAS SO NICE!

we planned to go for drinks next weekend and now we've decided on friday and i'm literally shitting myself every moment ever right now. i'm so nervous. I'VE NEVER BEEN ON A DATE NOR HAD LIKE A THING WITH SOMEONE AND ACTUALLY MET UP NOR KISSED SOMEONE OR LIKE DONE ANYTHING! I'M GOING TO EMBARRASS MYSELF SO BAD!

hoping the drinks will help me out! love y'all! i'm gonna die!

sotw: kent - beskyddaren

[redsonoftheday]

Little update

Hello everyone, it's the mod! I'm just here to post a little update for the blog as I've just been letting it run for most the month by itself haha.

First on the list: I've not been very active in reblogging on here as I'd like to be thanks to being sick. I can't promise I'll be super active in reblogging but I'll try to get better at it :) As always you can send in submissions if you'd like for your work to be shared on the account! To find out what the submission rules are check out THIS post!

following that: September screenshots are all queued up! No need to worry about there being a delay between the screenshot! I will always fill up the queue before the month starts :)

thirdly: As you know twitter is kinda falling apart and because of that I"m planning to focus more on the tumblr blog. The twitter account is still up and running and will continue to be so until twitter implodes or becomes completely unusable. But expect me to be doing more work on the tumblr than twitter.

fourthly: Yes, I do plan to continue collecting S3 screenshots. Unfortunately I haven't had a lot of time nor energy to do so with being sick. I've been debating on accepting screenshots from others but I would like to properly credit you guys for that if I did. so far the plan is still to collect them myself - I just got to set up my program and actually get to going frame by frame for them.

and finally: Yes, I still would very much like the account to be fully automated when it comes to posting the screenshots to the account but unfortunately I just don't have the time to actually learn to code a tumblr bot from scratch (I've sort of given up on coding a twitter bot seeing as twitter is on it's last legs) While I hope to be able to do it in the future, I'm just too sick to really try doing that while trying to keep this account up and running along with other life stuff. Tbh i don't suspect it'll make much difference atm as I'm doing fine with keeping up the queue with my little system i have. I just thought it best to be transparent about everything I'm doing with the account at the moment.

and thats it. sorry for it being long and ramblely I'm a little out of it and just wanted to update you guys :)

[dogs-over-people]

https://www.tumblr.com/dogs-over-people/660506506783014912/the-norwegian-graphic-novel

I know you don't like urls, sorry, but I don't know how to refer to this otherwise as I didn't see your answer 21st of August 2021, but yes, in that survey can you now suggest these "Nordic Manga" (which I still think is weird to call them, but oh well). Although they now allow international suggestions too and not just Japanese stuff 😀👍. I kind of want to make a post, but I have no idea how to make it viral and I don't want people to get angry at me, but it'll make things easier than sending asks to people who might be interested, maybe... Thanks for your time and sorry for the 1 1/2 years delay of an answer...

Thank you!

[destielficarchive]

General Fic Archive-y Update

Hey y'all! I'm officially two weeks post-op and things are going well! My back is healing great according to my docs, and my pain levels, while still existent, are waaaay down, like, night-and-day. I can function and walk again, it's very lovely.

I've got a TON of catching up to do - on here, on my other side projects, on my own writing, and of course on my actual, ya know, job. I did a decent job of gently putting all my juggled balls down so none broke - none of my projects got fucked up too bad - but it'll take me a bit to get them all up in the air again. How this applies here primarily is:

1. if you've asked me anything or sent me a DM where I said "I'll do this when I can" and...I haven't...I'd really just appreciate if you could DM me again. I don't have the time or oomph to sort through everything to see which I actually missed. (I'm going to go through Asks right after posting this so hopefully won't miss anything there? there's only a couple tho.)

2. I'm still behind on the Destiel surveys of course. I've got 150 surveys (so as many as 1500 more fics, oof) more to collate/add to my sheet, and only once I've added everything will I start sending out the new invites. I'm so sorry about the delay, and thank you all for your patience. <3

3. I've not been able to get Python working right on my laptop yet, and still don't feel confident to sit at my computer instead, so I'm not able to do mass downloads rn, BUT I've still got roughly 35k fics to go through and add to my main sheet (yes, really) and I'll obvs work on that while I can, but I'm def well behind. So note that just cause it's not on my sheet doesn't mean I don't have it, and I'll do my best to get things added but in all honesty it's likely to take me literally years to get it all done.

Thanks everyone!! I'll do my best to get on top of stuff!

(tho note that if I get flooded by "now that you're feeling better, can I get..." kind of DMs, I usually get overwhelmed within answering 3 or 4 so it could take me a few days to get back to you.)

-unforth

[freddiekluger]

i love the "mike seeing the ghosts" idea SO much in general, so i've interspersed the main cap headcanon with some ones for the other ghosts- i love mike sm so thanks for requesting!!!

it started as a tickle in his throat, but come evening mike comes down with a serious chest infection. alison drives him to the doctor's in time to grab some antibiotics, but they've got a function at button house this week so for the most part alison has to keep her distance- can't afford for both of them to get sick, especially considering how many repairs, decorations, and vendor meetings still need to be sorted. mike pops a couple tablets before passing out.

the next morning, alison has to go out to run some errands, so mike finds himself stumbling to the kitchen for breakfast the next day. julian's already there, doing his trademark lunges while listening to the horse racing (it's become his ritual whenever the races are on- he's insufferable otherwise, so alison lets him keep the radio). they share a nod, and it's not until after mike sits down with his cereal that he realises he's just nodded at a dead politician with his balls out. between that and the phlegm in his chest, it was a rough start to the day to say the least.

after he gets over the whole "ohmygodicanseedeadpeopleholyshit" (and at least one reenactment of the hospital scene from the sixth sense), along with greeting the various ghosts he encounters on his way back to bed, via the loo (both him and mary got quite a shock when she "peeked on him at privy"), mike collapses onto the bed.

a pillow over his head, mike lets out a few substantial groans before hearing a cough that, surprisingly, doesn't come from him. he slides his head out from under the pillow and sits up to see a greying, slightly awkward figure in period military dress standing in the doorway. he assumes this must be the captain.

captain:

mike: hi?

captain: oh, hello. i was just on my way back from my morning run* and mary mentioned that you can, well, see us now.

mike: yep. [coughs] that's pretty much the deal. not sure why though

captain: oh that'll be the antibiotics you've got there. strong stuff, eh? anyways, i thought i'd stop by and say hello. hello

mike: hi. i would say nice to meet you, but [a coughing fit ensues]

captain: ahem, quite

[silence]

mike, holding up a video game casing: well, i was just gonna play this, if you don't mind?

*this is technically true. the captain is indeed, on the way back from his morning run, except his morning run finished half an hour ago, and he's been waiting for the right time to introduce himself to mike. unlike thomas, he doesn't expect anything to lead anywhere, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to be alone with the rather handsome buffoon.

mike's holding one of those war themed combat games, the kind with a vague plot but mostly battles and button mashing. the captain's temporarily distracted from staring at mikes arms, and starts quizzing him about the game itself. by the time the loading screen is done, mike's already gotten the impression that the captain doesn't want to leave for a few different reasons, and it's not like you have a WW2 army captain of hand to help you work out strategy every day, so they pretty quickly end up teaming up- long gone are mike's days of button mashing (or, mostly long gone. "sometimes it works!"). the only condition was that the captain had to stop calling mike 'michael'- mike said it reminded him of his grandad too much.

- the game has moments where your character can romance any of the other characters, regardless of gender- mike's a dirty player, the captain gets rather awkward when mike decided the best way to achieve his immediate goal is to seduce all relevant characters into giving up troop information, and mike would be lying if he didn't find it at least a little bit entertaining to watch

- in between levels, and when waiting for lives to replenish, mike asks cap about his time in the war, and the captain loves having someone to listen to all his stories (even if most of them are second hand). he keeps having to remind himself not to stare, because mike can actually notice his eyes wandering, but of course that just makes him even more aware of it and the cycle of awkward noises and obviously-not-looking continues. alison has let slip to mike that the captain is likely a bit of a bender, and is relatively flattered by the possibility of cap liking HIM (not to mention not wanting to accidentally send him into a toxic 40s shame spiral), so mike just keeps the friendly conversation going to keep cap feeling comfortable. the captain's crush migrates to the left, and by day four or five him and mike really are friends more than anything else- if there's one thing the captain couldn't stand, it would be turning into one thomas thorne, although he still gets a few butterflies when mike compliments his strategy after a tough level. (it's not every day you have the attention of a handsome man who thinks you're a genius- especially when you're dead)

- it warms alison's heart to see the captain having the closest thing to fun he's had since they arrived, and the whole ghost set up works well for her and mike- mike needs the company, and alison can't afford to get sick or fall behind on jobs

- kitty loves mike (not romantically, she just thinks he's neat!), and eventually joins him and cap for their video games. cap was dismissive of her at first (one part possessiveness over mike's time, one part disbelief that kitty could be a good player), but kitty ends up rivalling him when it comes to strategy. after one too many nights locked outside and having to break back in to her own home, she's become an expert at espionage (even if she won't admit her experience was anything other than a fun childhood game.) with cap and kitty helping him out, mike makes more progress in a single day than he had in a week of gameplay. not to mention, kitty could really use the confidence boost from mike's compliments which he gives to both of his gaming partners frequently, although he draws the line at kitty's georgian cough remedies

extras:

- fanny ignores him as overcompensation for Redding Weddy. well, i say ignore, but she's somehow always the first one to volunteer when alison asks one of the ghosts to check on him

- mike considers going down to the cellar to get a look at the plague ghosts. mike heads to the door. mike remembers the sheer amount of skeletons when they dug up the plague pit. mike pulls his blanket tighter around his shoulders and heads away from the door.

- obviously, thomas avoids mike wherever possible. mike barely even knows what thomas's voice sounds like by the time things go back to normal

- mike feels bad for humphrey, and keeps trying to pick his head up and place it amongst the action before remembering he can't actually touch him. he also feels bad for screaming everytime he sees humphrey's body stumbling around. it was in the bathroom one night, and let's just say it was lucky there was a toilet nearby.

- pat invites himself to watch mike, kitty, and the captain as they tackle the final levels together, on the proviso that he doesn't make a sound. pat's rubbish at tactical planning, even if he can plan a mean scouts activity, but he's just happy to watch. it's nice to see the cap really having some fun, and see kitty included. it'll be sad for everyone once mike finishes his course of antibiotics

- thing eventually do go back to normal, and the captain misses mike's company far more than he thought he would. mike's still around, but not being able to properly talk to him is tough, and the captain realised that he was maybe more fond of mike than he convinced himself (mike will still make a thomas thorne out of him yet). mike strangely misses the funny soldier, and the georgian 'battlemistress' (kitty chose the title herself), and alison finds herself constantly passing messages between them. they're currently testing out all the ghost-communication equipment under the sun (within a reasonable price range) to see if they can find a better solution

thanks sm for this one, and so sorry for the delay! i've been battling with hardcore brain fog, so it's been difficult to create totally new stuff with words- hope this was up to scratch

[genesisinferno]

This was meant to be a future chapter for "Follow His Footsteps" but the scene wouldn't leave my brain so now you guys can have it and I can finally get it out of my head. I'll probably have to something a little differently for this planned scene, rip.

////

"Just this once," Cross said. He wouldn't do this again. He wouldn't let his guard down again - he couldn't. If only for himself, he couldn't afford to let his guard down more than once. He had to stay on track, he had to stay focused, he had to be cold and distant at all times...

But just this once. Just this one time, he could afford to let his guard down, right?

"Just this once," Killer agreed with a nod, something almost sly in his empty gaze. They both knew he didn't truly believe that and was just going along with it - he had every intention to get Cross to drop his guard again, regardless if Cross wanted to or not. Cross should care, he should withdraw or be annoyed. He should keep his guard up. But he was tired. So, so very tired. So, this time, only this time, he would let it go. But he would never do it again, no matter how much it hurt or how much it killed him inside. Just this once.

Cross stares at Killer for a moment, cautiously. A part of him still didn't want to let go - he had built this mask up for so long and he'd forgotten what he was like underneath. It almost scared him, not knowing who he was anymore. He'd been a different person in X-Tales and had worn a mask ever since he'd destroyed his home. To let go now, even if only for a short while, was terrifying. It was a vulnerability he hadn't allowed himself in so long. He could still put his mask back on after this, right? He could still pretend, right? Killer wouldn't... try to draw him out again, right? (He knows he would.)

Something in Cross snaps, strained and tired from the pressure of holding himself together for so long now, and that's all it takes. He ducks his skull, wrapping his arms around Killer in a loose hug. Cross drops his skull onto Killer's chest, his arms tightening until he's almost crushing Killer in his grasp. Killer, for once in his life, is silent as he wraps his own arms around Cross, returning the hug. Unlike Cross, Killer doesn't hesitate in holding him tightly, as if he's afraid that if he doesn't, Cross will run from him again. Something about the action, something about the unspoken intentions and feelings that lay underneath causes Cross to shake. He has to physically restrain himself from crying. He knows what he is and he knows what he does. Not just to Killer, but to the Dust and Horror too. Even to Nightmare and Error. He knows how he worries them, how he brushes off their concern so easily that it makes them frustrated to the point they feel angry and helpless. How they look out for him all the time and just want him to let them in - something Cross can't afford to do. Something Cross is too scared to allow, in his current situation. Because letting them in means getting more attached, means putting them in even more pain when he leaves. It means it'll hurt them further.

Just like Killer is hurt now, because of him. Cross hates the feeling of helplessness he feels, the frustration at not being able to help further, the guilt and the pain, and the worry and fear of losing Killer. He hates how he knows that they feel like this about him on a daily basis. But like he's done for so long, he doesn't allow himself to lament on his own mistakes or shortcomings - instead lashing out at the one before him.

"Dammit, Killer! You almost died, you idiot!" Cross snaps, glaring at the injured skeleton with unshed tears in his sockets. For a second, Killer seems almost surprised but then his signature grin stretches over his skull.

"Yeh, but I didn't," Killer states it like it's some obvious fact he's proud of, when he should be more concerned with the fact that he nearly died and still isn't completely in the clear yet. Until they find a way back to the castle, Killer's still very much at risk. Especially since Cross' makeshift first aid wouldn't do much more than support Killer's injuries until they could get proper help.

"That doesn't make it any better," Cross whines, almost childishly. Oddly enough, Killer's casualness helps to keep the tears at bay. If he can still do that much, then it's possible it's not affecting him as much as Cross had originally feared. It's something he has to chance to bounce back from like usual.

"Sure it does," Killer chirps and looks at him teasingly. "Ya worried anyway?" The question takes Cross aback, because of course he is. It had been his fault Killer was injured to begin with. He got hurt protecting Cross while he was stupidly distracted by something or the other. Despite how much Cross tried to deny it, tried to refuse the feelings, he cared about Killer - about all of the bad Sanses, even though he couldn't afford to. He's discovered he's absolutely terrible at remaining detached when put in front of skeletons hellbent on caring for him - even though he didn't need the care or the worry.

"I... of course I am. You... you're hurt and it's my fault. You could have died and it would have been my fault," Cross mumbled sadly, the tears finally spilling out of his sockets. They dropped down onto Killer's shirt, soaked up by the fabric.

"Hey. Hey. Don't say shit like that, makes you seem like you really care underneath all that bravado," Killer chuckled. Cross gripped him tighter for a second, remembering himself. Killer was right. Even if Cross decided to let his guard down for a bit, he still shouldn't say stuff like that. He couldn't take it back. Killer seemed to notice the change, quickly speaking up again.

"In all seriousness... don't worry 'bout it. I ain't going anywhere. Think you can get rid of me that easily?" Killer seemed amused by the thought that anyone could even consider the thought of it. As if he were immortal. He wasn't. He was strong but even he could die. Not to say that it was easy to kill him - Killer was like a parasite with a grudge, hellbent on taking everyone down with him.

"No..." Cross sighed and Killer's smug grin sharpened. Cross just sighed, burying his skull in Killer's chest and simply soaking in the fact that Killer was alive and allowing himself to be relieved at the fact instead of pushing it away. He'd gotten him out in time. He'd been there. They've avoided the worst case scenario. Killer was alive and they still had a chance out of this.

"...do you want me gone?" Killer's voice is quiet, far quieter he's ever heard it, and Cross can just barely pick up on the insecurity hidden within it. His skull snaps up, more from the tone than the actual question itself. Killer is supposed to be annoyingly confident, not sad or insecure.

"No!" Cross denies immediately, surprised and more than willing to fight Killer on this if he has to. There's the slightest shift to Killer's expression and a tenseness to his body that Cross isn't familiar with. To his surprise, at his words, Killer's expression returns to normal and he relaxes slightly, pulling Cross closer to him minutely.

"Then it's all good, yeh? Besides, I'm getting a voluntary hug from the solitary soldier himself, so it wasn't all for nothing. Heh," Killer chuckles, and Cross glares at him for it. He has half a mind to ignore Killer entirely. His inability to shut up ruins everything.

But then the smile drops off Killer's face again and Cross finds himself unable to keep the glare up, instead watching Killer in concern.

"Just this once... tell me something, Criss-Cross," Killer's voice is quiet and soft that it doesn't even sound like his voice anymore. Cross isn't used to this vulnerability and it's beginning to send him into a panic. He doesn't know how to deal with stuff like this anymore. He hasn't dealt with stuff like this - even for himself, that he doesn't know what to do. "Do ya care at all? Would you... be better off without me?"

Everything about that question was wrong, especially coming from Killer. From secure, overconfident, stupid Killer. And it hurt. Crap, it hurts and this is exactly what Cross was trying to avoid. He didn't want to hurt and he certainly didn't want any of the Bad Sans to hurt because of him. Apparently, he'd failed both points, because Cross cared so damn much that it hurts. He didn't want to lose Killer. He couldn't stand the thought of it, let alone bear the pain that would come from it. He'd lose whatever sanity he had left if he lost one of them, he just didn't want to admit it. That is, he didn't want to admit until Killer asked. Because now Cross was willing to, if it meant that Killer would just stay.

"I don't wanna lose you. So don't go, Killer," The tears spilled out of his sockets, as he whispered, "You've gotta... You've gotta stay with me, okay? D-don't leave me." Killer held him tighter, as if afraid to let him go and Cross clutched onto him for dear life, afraid to ever leave this moment.

///

I don't own any characters. This is meant purely platonically but I guess you can see it as Kross if you want to. But yeah, this is meant to be brotherly, with Cross being super afraid to open up and finally taking one of the first steps to. I wrote this instead of writing the next chapter but since this isn't a major delay, I think I can get away with it.