#a note from myself from about an hour in:

[moonymarvel]

Exams (oneshot/mcu peter)

🂱︎ pairing: mcu peter parker x female reader

🂱︎ synopsis: Peter gets caught up studying for his exams.

🂱︎ genres: established relationship, fluff

🂱 warnings: none :) for my first fic I thought I'd keep it nice and fluffy

🂱 notes: my first fic on here! I've posted this ages ago on Wattpad (ew) but I think it deserves to be put up on here too :)

The door to Peter's bedroom creaks open as it reveals dozens of papers all over the floor, pencils scattered across his desk, a calculator for some reason webbed to the wall, but no Peter in sight.

You balanced the plate of newly baked cookies on one hand as you made his way across his room, using your other arm to balance yourself as you looked down on the floor trying not to step all over his notes.

"Peter?" You called out.

There was no answer but the sudden sound of a keyboard clicking from behind you. Nope, not from behind, on top of you.

You take a cookie and reach your arm up to the ceiling, and feel his hand touch yours and steal the cookie away.

"Are you gonna come down?" You asked finally looking up at your boyfriend, sitting cross legged on the ceiling, typing away on his laptop.

"Sorry darling, give me a second." He replied biting into the cookie, a few crumbs falling on your shoulder.

You brushed the crumbs of the hoodie of his you were wearing, and checked the time on your phone. It reads 6:12pm.

"I texted you I was on my way here, did you get the message?"

"Er--" He says pulling his phone out of his pocket, to see your message pop up on the screen.

"I guess I did, sorry, been preoccupied." He replies, absentmindedly putting his phone down (on the ceiling) only to have it fall down to you, with your reflexes quick enough to catch it before it made contact with the ground.

"You should get down here soon. Your head looks like it's ready to pop like a balloon." His head did in fact not look like it was about to pop, due to his spider-powers that allowed for him to comfortably remain upside down. You did however want to stress that it was about time he give himself a break. You make your way to his bed, putting his phone down on his side table.

"mhmm, in a minute. I think better up here. Maybe it has something to do with the blood flow to my brain or the lack of distractions on my ceiling." He replies still not having looked at you properly once since you got here.

"Peter?"

"Yes y/n." He replies

"What time do you think it is?" You add.

"Uh, 4:00." He replies.

"Wrong, it's almost 6:15 so I think it's about time you head back down here and let gravity do its job."

He finally looked at you, his brown hair falling every which way.

He sighs, and closes his laptop. You make your way under him once again, catching his laptop as he let it fall to your hands. He followed suit and jumped down, coming nose to nose distance to you.

"Hi." 

"Hi."

He lands a quick kiss on your nose. He stumbles, tripping over some pencils scattered around the floor.

"Falling for me are ya?" you tease.

"always." he replies.

You make your way to his bed, and he settles his pretty little head to rest on your stomach, your hands lacing around his brown curls.

"Ooft, should have probably come down sooner." He says suddenly breaking the peaceful silence.

"I figured, you were up there for like 2 hours?." You replied.

"4."

"4 what?" You asked

"I started at 2, I've been up there for 4 hours."

"PETER!"

"What? Like I said, I focus better up there."

"You have to take better care of yourself! Have you even had a drink of water since then?" You asked

"Uh, no..."

"Let me get you a glass then--"

"It's fine I'll get one myself." He replies getting off you. He reaches the door and turns the knob when the sound of the metal crunching under his hand bring your attention to him.

He releases the knob, only to find it crumpled like a piece of paper.

"Sorry, er... It happens when I'm tired and forget to control my strength." He adds shyly before exiting the room.

"you web-head." you reply. He chuckles and exits the room. Your curiosity gets the best of you and you decide to check out what Peter's been working so hard on. 'Ew, calculus.' you think to yourself as you flip through his notes.

You hear Peter enter the room behind you, and he sets his glass down and wraps his arms around your waist from behind, resting his head on your shoulder and pressing his chest against your back.

"Ew, calculus right." he says, you chuckle lightly under your breath.

"my brain hurts." he hums into your hair.

"haha, I can tell." you reply going through one of the equations he couldn't seem to finish.

"mhmm" he replies tiredly, taking in the fresh scent of your shampoo.

"one of these pythagorean conjugates is wrong." you add suddenly.

"hm? No, I triple checked that." Peter replies.

"Nuh uh, you might've just read it wrong but this is meant to be cosine not cotangent." You add lifting up the paper to his eye line and pointing out his careless mistake.

"No. NO WAY!" He says pulling away from you and snatching the paper out of your hand.

"I KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT THAT WASN'T RIGHT!" He adds, one hand almost crumpling the paper and the other pulling at his already disheveled curls.

"Maybe you're just not as smart as you think, bug-boy." you reply laughing at his distressed state.

"No, I just have a genius girlfriend!" He drops the paper and picks you up by the waist and spins you around. Your laughter fills the room and that would've been enough to light up Peter's whole world. He set you down slowly and covered your face with soft kisses, leaving your mouth for last.

"Thank you." He adds, his eyes looking deep into yours.

"Not a problem my spider-man."

[nottsim]

— ᴡʜᴀᴛ’ꜱ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʀᴏᴏᴍ 𝒽𝑜𝑔𝓌𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓈 𝒹𝑜𝓇𝓂 ᴇᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ

══════════════

⊹ ࣪ ˖ quick disclaimer: i scripted out the canon ravenclaw dorm for this, um..masterpiece? it’s pinterest approved, chaos infused and definitely not up to standard ravenclaw aesthetic. sorry, i like my personal space with a side of whimsy and highly overpriced.

and yes, i sleep peacefully knowing that there are no dusty tapestries or whispering paintings in my room. my bed? a trap. productivity doesn’t live here. and to the right, you’ll find the three socks lost to the void (no pun intended) ୨୧

ahem, anyway… not to brag but i may have poured my soul into this mood board for you. so, welcome to the full experience—pretend you're here with me.

way up in the ravenclaw tower, where the air is thin and the academic stress is thicker, you’ll find my dorm, with the best view in the castle and where beauty sleep is taken very seriously. my dorm is a love letter written in soft cotton sheets that feel like whispered secrets, with my dove duvet crinkling with every shift. sigh. can you tell i love my bed? my bed is the kind of cozy that turns waking up into a personal betrayal. yes. it’s that deep. once you’re in, there’s no way out. my canopy drapes like a royal decree that shall remain cozy forever. my pillows? massive. comically oversized. one wrong turn in my sleep and i’m lost in the fluff, never to be seen again. a tragic fate some might say. i highly disagree. my beds comfort level makes me consider skipping morning classes in favor of one more minute (hour) of warmth. alas, i carry the burden of the ravenclaw tendencies..so i drag myself out of my personal cloud and into the cruel, cold world of academia.

beside my bed, you’ll find two nightstands. because symmetry is important, and so is convenience. each has a lamp because i refuse to subject myself to the harsh betrayal of the big light. a glass vase of peonies sit on one of them because, yes. i am both romantic and delicate (my dad sends me them). next to it my silk sleep mask waits, ready to shield me from the cruel reality of early mornings. the wall behind my bed is dressed in classic toile print, all delicate scenes in muted a rose. it looks like it belongs in a countryside manor, the kind with sweeping gardens and letters sealed with wax. very fitting for someone who hoards handwritten notes and thinks too much about which shoes match the mood of the day. what can i say? i needed to feel like i stepped into a historical romance novel every time i walked into my room. sigh. at the foot of this luxurious trap is my little couch seat. it’s expiate solely for dramatic lounging, contemplating life’s biggest mysteries (why i own so many shoes) and acting as my clothing rack for when the wardrobe is an inch too far.

then there’s my vanity/desk hybrid also known as my personal command center. this is where business gets done. makeup, hair, staring contests and my dreaded assignments. it holds everything that makes me feel pretty..and random quills because, i am both beauty and brains. you know how some people have motivational posters? i have a hairbrush that speaks to me in rhinestones and whispered affirmations..beside it? ah, my fragrance, my signature scent if you will. vanilla. it’s not just any vanilla, it’s the vanilla. soft, fresh, sweet. it’s just enough to gain a baker title. skip dessert, this tops it. also. if you read my last post (ily), you’ll know i live in constant fear of bad breath, yes. i’m very particular about how i smell. and, if we’re being completely honest, my whole room smells like vanilla at all times. why? because this fragrance is so powerful that it quietly infiltrates every corner. so, if you're wondering what this room smells like, it’s not vanilla :’)

my mirror you ask? what? this mirror? perched on my vanity like a regal heirloom? ornate, vintage and the closest thing to a masterpiece i’ll own…yet somehow, the real highlight? the little note taped to the corner..Theo’s doing, of course. one of many, because my vanity is where i usually end up when i’m avoiding the black hole that is my bed. i like looking at it…like a little reminder, i am indeed adored. i might’ve spared a kiss for it. it’s still there, slightly smudged, like a love note and a signature all in one. then there’s a bear and a bunny, aka me and Theo in stuffed animal form. the bear naturally, wears a slytherin tie. because even in plush form Theo has to be extra. together? they’re like our tiny, fluffy alter egos, silently judging my makeup skills.

what else is crammed into my room, you ask? my box of pictures. because naturally, i must document everything like a historian with a flair for the dramatic. most pictures are taken with my beloved pink digicam which i treat like a priceless artifact..if you zoom in you’ll get a visual representation of how much free time i have. and speaking of prized possessions? allow me to introduce my holy grail of footwear..(that rhymed). anyways. my repetto ballerinas. these shoes are the unsung heroes of my chaotic life. they’re sleek, they’re chic, and they somehow manage to elevate every outfit..at least from the ankles down.

and here we are, the grand finale of the tour, where the chaos meets its inevitable, slightly tragic, conclusion. anyways. that was my dorm, basically the physical embodiment of my brain, trapped within four walls. it’s a curated ecosystem at this point. questionable priorities, comfort and clutter tied together with a deep sense of regret and the sheer unwillingness to leave my bed.

from my bed, 𝐣𝐚𝐬 “𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨” ୨୧

[dangraccoon]

Untitled Spreadsheet - PRIVATE

Chapter 2 - Touch

Word Count: 352

Content: Gay disaster Cody, Rex is so over this whole thing

For @literallyjustanerd, based on this post

Cody’s alarm went off at what could be considered an unholy hour of the night. It didn’t bother him though; in fact, he’d already been awake for nearly an hour with a nervous energy buzzing through his bones. 

He straightened his armor and back and began the walk through the camp to where the General would be for his watch shift. 

It wasn’t exactly customary that a High General (or a Marshal Commander, for that matter) would take regular watch shifts, but General Kenobi had insisted, so Cody added both of their names to the circulation. 

A part of his brain - that Cody swears is purely professional and comes from striving for efficiency and no other reason - longs for a chance to spend a watch shift with the General instead of one of them relieving the other. 

He physically shook the thought off, turning the last corner of the paths through the camp that would bring him face-to-face with his General.

“General Kenobi, sir,” Cody rapped out. “I’m here to relieve you from duty.”

“Hello, Commander,” Kenobi smiled. His expression was warm but tired. The light from the nearby campfire lit his auburn hair, causing it to nearly glow a gloriously vivid red. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

Cody didn’t think his body could feel more rigid when he was already at attention. “Sir?”

“At ease, Cody; you know better,” the General chuckled softly. “Thank you for taking my place; it’s been a long night.” 

Suddenly, Cody felt as though his shoulder was on fire, but not unpleasantly. He came to realize it was because the General was touching his shoulder. Time stood still in Cody’s mind. He longed for a way he could return the simple gesture. At the moment, however, the professional part of his brain was more fried than a B1 after a droid popper. 

“Commander, are you alright?” Kenobi’s voice brought him back to the present. 

“Yes, sir,” he blurted. “My apologies, sir.”

“That’s alright,” the General smiled. It was such a lovely smile. “I’ll be heading to my quarters should you need anything.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Rex: so he just touched your shoulder

Cody: Yes.

Rex: orivod really

Cody: It was for quite a long time.

Rex: how long

Cody: Is “not long enough” something I can say?

Rex: do you want me to get echo to read off the regs to you

Rex: because im sure hes more than willing 

Rex: and fives will think its funny

Cody: You can’t tell anyone about this, Rex. 

Rex: relax codes it was a joke

Cody: This is not funny!

Rex: wanna bet

Event: Touched my shoulder for an amount of time that could be perceived as being too long to be professional when I relieved him of his night watch

Rational explanation: General Kenobi was tired or distracted and didn’t realise what he was doing. Alternatively, I myself was distracted by the physical contact and the moment did not last as long as I believed it to

Irrational explanation: He wants to touch me because he’s attracted to me because he has feelings for me

Additional notes: The General’s hair is an especially vivid red when lit by firelight

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Thanks for reading! - River

Untitled Spreadsheet - PRIVATE Master List DangRaccoon Master List Tag List Form Read on AO3

Tags: @nekotaetae @lokigirlszendaya @get-wr3ckered @jediknightjana @idoubleswearimawriter @lucyysthings @unstable-kiwi @6oceansofmoons @l3xi3luv @savebytheodoresnonjosestuff @winter-phoenix1995 @nomercyforthewarrior @padawancat97 @wishyouthetest @orangez3st @flowered-bicycles @error6gendernotfound @techs-goggles9902

[greetingfromthedead]

20. S.O.S.

Series: Apple Blossoms Pairing: Knives x GN!Reader Word count: 3k This chapter has been beta-read by kn1vesm

Author's Note: Once again I am sad to announce that Apple Blossoms will be on a break until further notice, and this time it will actually be a longer one since there are other things requiring my full attention. But don't worry, I will absolutely return to this story! In the meantime, feel free to join our little Discord community where I might drop some breadcrumbs and maybe even an exclusive look at the scrapped enemies-to-lovers story? :O Be sure to follow me to never miss an update!

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High-pitched barks start as soon as you step off the stairs, like a security alarm. The tiny fluffy dog hurries over across the faded carpet but calms down immediately as you come into view. It wags its tail happily and turns around to return to Lucille, who waits by the reception in her voluptuous nightgown. She yawns as she picks up the dog, who seems to vibrate with excitement.

"You really had to leave this early?" Lucille asks with disappointment as she strokes the dog's soft fur.

"Sorry, but this way we have the most daylight for travel. Days are short enough as is." You smile apologetically. "And you didn't need to send us off; I could have just put the keys back myself like usual."

"Nonsense. I had to see you two before you disappear for another year," she says while shuffling closer. "And it might be my last chance to lay my eyes on that handsome fellow whom you've been hiding from me! It is very unfair of you!"

"You're imagining things!" You reply with mock outrage, even though you know that she is right; you have been avoiding her.

"After I provided you two with the best room in the house as well!" she shakes her head with disappointment.

"You could have warned us about the shared bathroom," you mumble.

"Did I not?" She feigns ignorance. "Oops!"

You notice the tiredness leave her body as mischief takes over.

"Are you sure we can't pay for the rooms?" You prod again.

"I absolutely am!" Lucille puffs out her chest, "So if you insist on leaving, then we are done here. You owe me nothing! And I do expect to see you again! I will always find room for you here, even if I have to personally kick someone else out. And don't wait so long to return next time. Or at least write me a letter and let me know how you're doing. I worry about you!"

Lucille's demeanor softens, and she walks over to you, taking your hand and squeezing it to drive her point across. It is obvious from the lines on her face that she does care. She is sad to see you go, and you feel a bit guilty for avoiding her while you've stayed in town. You should come back once you get things sorted with your supplies, Knives, and Silvercrest.

"And you!" Lucille turns to Knives, who stands a step behind you. "Take care of my savior! You hear me? There are too many people who would be distraught if something bad were to happen to this angel! And while you're at it… don't wait too long to make up your mind. Someone else might snatch up what you want while you're sitting on a fence. No matter how handsome you are."

"Lucille!" you squeeze her hand, a frown creating a crease between your brows.

"What? I didn't say anything that wasn't true!" she makes herself sound as innocent as possible before laughing and letting go of you. "Take care! I hope to see you soon!"

It is bittersweet to leave this town in the early hours of the morning. The sky is still dark and the streets are quiet as you make your way to the gate. You're let through without issue, and together with the howling winds, the suns appear too—slowly creeping over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the land. Each step forward makes your stomach feel heavier. After all, you are heading towards Octovern.

Knives is plagued by a sense of… something. He expected relief, as he is finally out of that room. He has some freedom back; he is in the open desert, just like he had wanted with all his being just a few days ago. But now that there is nothing but dunes in front of him as far as the eye can see, he does not feel relief. He doesn't know what this feeling is or why it has settled in his gut that is already overcrowded with butterflies and black holes. All he knows is that it's not going away. He shifts his gaze to you. He looks at the back of your head as the strong winds whip your cloak around you. At least this time you are alone on your tomas, no more unwanted guests to make Knives's blood boil. He doubts he would be able to just stand by and watch this time.

There is also Lucille's request that got stuck in his head. He was asked to take care of you. What does it even mean? Does she expect him to protect you? It seems like a fool's errand. You are always way too eager to dive in headfirst. Do you even want to live with an attitude like that? And how ironic for anyone to ask for him to protect a human. If anything, he is a bigger threat to you than any man. Or so it used to be. Something has changed. Actually, a lot has changed. Knives's hands seem incapable of hurting you at this point. There is no distaste left in him towards you. His body is drawn to you, not at all repulsed by a human being. It is as if Knives has gotten stuck in your orbit, unclear if the trajectory will pull him closer or eventually push him away again. To his terror, it appears that he doesn't mind this.

Knives pushes for his tomas to move a bit quicker until he catches up to you, his ride falling in line with your bird. Knives sees you turn your head toward him with a slight smile, and his heart does a little leap in his chest—his heart skipped a beat. Just like described in those grandiose poems in the book. Knives tries to ignore it.

"How did you save Lucille's life?" he asks, raising his voice to shout over the wind.

"Huh?" you ask in return, not able to pick out what he said over the roaring gale.

Knives takes a deep breath, ready to shout even louder to be heard, but catches himself before he can do that, holding on to his dignity. He gives a little wave with his hand, letting you know it is not important, and then turns his gaze back to the horizon, where the suns are climbing their way up. He is disappointed, cursing the strong winds for making it nearly impossible to talk to you. He wants to hear your voice; strangely, he wants it to fill the air like it did when he first woke up in your house.

Your gaze lingers on him a while longer. He tried to tell you something, or maybe he asked something? You aren't sure, but it made you happy regardless. He spoke to you. Voluntarily. On his own accord. It makes you nearly as happy as when he first talked to you. It brings a smile to your face. You will definitely return to this potential conversation once it is possible to hear the other and the wind doesn't kick up sand into your mouths.

The next settlement should come soon enough; depending on how the toma hold up, it might even come too soon, and you would waste a lot of daylight if you spent the night there. But then again, it would be better to stay in a settlement; it would be safer in every way. You ponder about it, weighing your options while turning your eyes forward. There probably wouldn't be any big worms to worry about. Less likely to encounter bandits who would take you as easy targets. You could purchase food and water, saving your rations. If you get lucky, Knives can sleep in a clean bed, reducing the risk of infection. But on the other hand, there are people, and they could recognize him. You are too close to Octovern, things are riskier; the military police and Earth's forces can catch up to you in a blink of an eye in their cars. You don't stand a chance. You also don't come to these parts too often; you don't have much of a reputation to fall back on. You doubt you could talk your way out if something were to go south.

Knives keeps glancing over while you are deep in thought. He can tell from the furrow of your brow that you are wrestling with something. He wants to ask, but you wouldn't hear him anyway, so he keeps his mouth shut. He guesses it is about Octovern. You are heading straight for it now, as far as he can tell. There was a time when that would make him cautious, perhaps even worried, but at this point, he feels at ease with you. The nagging thought of you handing him over has disappeared. You would have done so already if it were your plan. You wouldn't look so nervous if that were the case.

For the first time in a while, Knives starts to wonder about the future. What it might hold for him. And you. He finds himself rooting for you, hoping that you will succeed in finding a supplier so you can keep doing what you have been for a long time. He wonders when his wound will heal and what comes after. Will you push him to go and find his own way? It would make sense, yet Knives can't begin to guess what he would do. He has been relying on you to guide him in this world that has come after his failure. He can't even imagine going off on his own. Somehow, you are always there in the future that conjures itself in his brain. Perhaps the strangest part about this train of thought is that for once, Knives doesn't mind the way you invade his brain.

Knives takes care of the toma while you prepare to make dinner. He strokes their long, feathered necks as they drink the water he offers and let out cooing sounds of contentment. Knives has his back towards you, allowing you to watch him in peaceful admiration. His demeanor has changed. He did show some affection towards the birds even before, but right now he seems more open, genuine. It's as if he has finally let down his guard, even just a little bit.

"What did you say earlier, after we left Fairvale?" you ask him now that you have left the merciless winds behind.

"Nothing important," he replies, not turning towards you, instead feeding the birds some grain from his palm.

"You can tell me anyway," you say softly and click on the little gas burner.

"I was just wondering how you saved Lucille's life." The words slip from his mouth before he can catch them by the tail. He should watch what he says; he should keep his walls up, but it has become so hard with you. He wants to hear your voice; he wants to feel your brave gaze that doesn't look at him like he is insane, like he is a villain. It is an impossible thing to admit to himself, so he remains in denial, even though, deep down, he already knows it is the truth. But he can't bring himself to accept it.

"By pure luck, to be fair." You smile softly, glad he decided to let his curiosity win. "Fairvale has its own clinic, so I don't go there too often. At least not like I do with the little towns and villages closer to home. But I did go to the Solstice festival some years ago and just happened to be right there when I heard a woman complain about chest pain. The moment I managed to pick her out from the crowd, she nearly collapsed. I rushed over and helped her. Apparently this wasn't the first time, but it was the worst. I get more credit for that whole ordeal than I deserve. Everything about that encounter was lucky. That I was in town, that I was almost next to her when she started to complain, that I had almost all of my supplies on me… the list goes on. But most of all, everything that happened happened on time. In a matter of 10 minutes, I don't know if there would have been anything I could have done."

"Lucky Bug," Knives mutters under his breath, not loud enough for you to hear.

"I stayed in town a bit longer after that. I watched over Lucille and consulted with the local doctor. I helped out while I was there, got to meet many interesting people, and Lucille wouldn't stop talking to anybody who would listen about how I apparently saved her life. That got me quite a lot of job offers, both from the clinic and the mayor himself. It was bizarre."

Knives hangs on to every word you say; he listens to your voice as it entangles into his mind. He still has his back to you because he knows that if he meets your gaze, that would be all he could focus on. As soon as you fall silent, he starts to crave more. He waits for a moment longer, hoping you would continue to speak, but then turns around. He sees you staring off into the distance, your brows furrowed in concentration. Knives notes the soft glow of the gas burner on your profile, barely noticeable since it hasn't gotten completely dark yet, a soft twilight. You look concerned, and it makes his stomach feel uncomfortable. He wonders what could be troubling you. He follows your gaze into the distance. Somewhere far, close to the horizon, there is a barely noticeable light. It is hard to spot it on the backdrop of the fading sunset colors, but it is there, and it is flashing. Three short, three long, three short. Pause. Repeat.

"What do you think this could be?" Knives asks as he turns to look at you again.

"That's a distress signal. S.O.S." you reply, gaze still nailed to the light. "Someone is in trouble."

"Don't you think it could be a trap? Just drawing people in." Knives suggests, reminded of human cruelty and trickery.

"They are signaling to us. They saw the light of our gas burner; it would be bright enough for them to see. They know we are here; if it were a trap, they would sneak up on us," you explain. "We have to help."

Knives can't get another word out before you are already on your feet, packing up and preparing to head out. You leave the light burning as you hurry around him, rolling up your bed and going to saddle the toma. Knives isn't convinced by your explanation. As you pass him, he grabs hold of your wrist to make you stop for a second.

"What if it is a trap after all?" he asks, his voice stern as he looks at you.

"What if it isn't?" you reply, looking him in the eye with resolution he cannot deny.

He lets go of you and wordlessly starts to help you to get ready. He helps you saddle the birds and attaches the gear while you pick up the last of your supplies. After everything else is sorted, you pick up the still lit burner and wave it over your head before extinguishing the flame and putting it safely away.

A million worrisome thoughts cross your mind about what this could be. There shouldn't be a settlement there, and they probably wouldn't flash for help like this. They could, but it isn't likely in your mind. This flashing light isn't a fire; it has to be some sort of lamp. Something bright. Car headlights or a large torch. Someone must be stranded in the desert. They could be victims of bandits. They are likely hungry and dehydrated. Hopefully they aren't hurt. Whatever the case, you have already mounted your ride and push forward with a brisk pace, Knives shortly behind you.

The distance seems endless; the light comes only slightly closer as you hurry over the dunes. It settles a heavy weight deep in your stomach, each bounce of the toma conjuring up a new thought about the trouble the light might be signaling. It still flashes the same pattern of distress. Three short, three long, three short. Pause. Repeat. You take mental note of your diminished supplies: with what you have, there is only so much you can do. You only have enough for a few more wounds. There is only so much pain you can take away, only so much fever you can banish. And everything else… is almost hopeless.

With your mind firmly focused on doom, the stretch of sand finally starts to close. The flashing lights are two separate sources—car headlights, just like you had guessed. But there is more, a glow of softer lights moving about in the distance. There are at least a few people. New thoughts of worry begin to creep in. What about Knives? What if he is recognized? You can't outrun cars on your toma. It makes you stop on top of a ridge that overlooks the boundless desert.

"Pull up your hood," you instruct Knives, "I don't think they will have any ill intent towards us, but just in case… Be careful."

"What is that?" he asks, looking towards the lights as he covers his hair and part of his face with the hood. "Is that a car pulling something?"

It makes you look again, this time a little more carefully. It is hard in the darkness that has settled over the whole area. You narrow your eyes, straining to see what he does, and indeed you begin to make out a silhouette in the glow of the dimmer lights. A very familiar sight that makes your heart jump with glee.

"That's a caravan! Those are traders!" you exclaim, not even noticing how you push yourself up from your saddle, leaning forward.

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[outfoxt]

Affixes, Clitics, and Particles

i think that these parts of language are really cool! so im going to try to explain them :D also i definitely did not get sent down an hours long rabbit hole of linguistic papers and i also definitely didn't find out that the reason i wanted to make this post is actually a misconception :D i love ignoring things :D

Affixes:

the wikipedia article for affixes says that "in linguistics, an affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word or word form."

in hopefully simpler terms, this basically means that an affix is a letter, or a group of letters that form a single sound or syllable, that is attached to a word stem to form a new word or word form.

some examples of these are the somewhat well known prefix and suffix, but also the beloved infix:

prefix: undone suffix: spotless infix: abso-fucking-lutely

sidenote: my favorite thing about english infixes is that they pretty much only work with expletives. in fact, there's a tom scott video about expletive infixations!

Clitics:

wikipedia defines a clitic as such: "a clitic is a morpheme that has syntactic characteristics of a word, but depends phonologically on another word or phrase."

in layman's terms: a clitic is a letter, or a group of letters that form a single sound or syllable, that has the function of a word in a sentence, but depends on another word or phrase based on the sound rules of the language.

a few examples of clitics can be seen in finnish (which also has a great many affixes but we're not talking about those right now):

-ko/kö -han/hän -pa/pä -kin

the spelling of the clitic depends on vowel harmony. if you want to learn more, this dissertation is all about finnish clitics!

you may be asking yourself how to tell the difference between clitics and other parts of speech. well this study has just the thing for you! quite a few tests are suggested by the author of this study if you want to be able to tell if something is a clitic or not, including some of the following:

a phonological test observe how the clitic forms a phonological unit with an independent word. (do not ask me how this one works i dont know) accentual test "clitics are accentually dependent, while full words are accentually independent." put simply, if you can't put stress on it, it's probably a clitic syntactic test a word can stand on its own and be subject to normal word processes such as tense changes while a clitic cannot do this

Particles:

"'Particle' is a cover term for items that do not fit easily into syntactic and semantic generalizations about the language[.]"

read: "particle" is a miscellaneous, catch all term for anything that doesn't fit into the above two categories (or any other word categories like nouns, verbs, etc.)

the author of this study (who i'm going to refer to as Zwicky from now on because it's easier) says that theres no such thing as a particle and that its distinction from affixes, clitics, words, and clauses is unnecessary. i think thats an. interesting take.

anyway even though Zwicky just said theres no such thing as particles (which, how could he do that? theres kids around! we dont want to ruin the magic!) he concedes that there is actually a group of words that are commonly called particles that he agrees are actually particles. but he decides to call them discourse markers instead. because fuck you.

i dont like any of the words that Zwicky included so i made a list of my own:

-ね (ne) eh (canadian english) innit (common transcription of "isn't it", british english)

the funny thing is im coming out of this still not entirely clear on what a particle is. i thought i knew, i did some research, realized i didnt know, and now i'm here. based on how Zwicky puts it, it feels like the category of "particle" exists to accommodate the fact that there might be words* that arent affixes, clitics, words, or clauses but it feels like Zwicky is just being contrary. I should probably have done more research but this post was supposed to be done 24 hours ago.

out of context highlights from my research process: - sanskrit - the panini rule - doch - verbosely long section titles

*i dont actually mean words, i mean a morpheme which is a letter or a group of letters that form the representation of one sound that carries meaning, but i didn't want to make that sentence long and unreadable

if i'm wrong, please tell me! i would appreciate being corrected, i know i am not an expert on this topic in the slightest.

[butchfalin]

the funniest meltdown ive ever had was in college when i got so overstimulated that i could Not speak, including over text. one of my friends was trying to talk me through it but i was solely using emojis because they were easier than trying to come up with words so he started using primarily emojis as well just to make things feel balanced. this was not the Most effective strategy... until. he tried to ask me "you okay?" but the way he chose to do that was by sending "👉🏼👌🏼❓" and i was so shocked by suddenly being asked if i was dtf that i was like WHAT???? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?????????? and thus was verbal again

[aflamboyanceofflamingos]

In order to turn a very embarrassing moment of my life into something funny have this stupid Timbern au:

The Drakes are alive so Tim is still on track for being the heir of D.I. but is interning at W.E. for the summer because Bruce offered a position

Bernard has been interning at W.E. as well, for volunteering hours

The both work in a small, newer branch of W.E. that focuses on cultivating more information about Gotham’s history

Bernard’s there because it's the most teen focused thing and Tim’s there because he wants to figure where exactly the Lazarus pit is under Gotham so he can mess with Ra’s

They are currently stationed at an old house that was made into a museum which is managed by Wayne Enterprises, but since most of it is a museum there are only a few rooms to actually work, however it being a teen thing it’s very much choose your own hours so that prevents too many people from being there at once

Tim, who doesn’t want someone to come in a see the fact that he’s already finished cataloging all of the 2023 Donations to the museum and is instead using the time to further research the numerous curses in Gotham and/or watch Demon Slayer, is very happy about this fact and only comes at either the earliest or latest times so he gets a room to himself and only has to pretend to be going through boxes when someone checks on him

Bernard immediately messes up Tim’s plan

He’s always there- morning, night, even when Tim changes up his schedule

And no matter how many how many empty rooms there might be he always finds Tim and sits with him, even the time Tim tried to hide in the attic under the guise of organizing a couple boxes up there

Being the paranoid idiot that he is Tim assume that Bernard is a from the League of Assassins and enacts a 46-step plan to figure out what he’s planning (read: stalks him) and in the course of it ends up falling in love

Meanwhile on Bernard’s side, the first week of the internship he walked into the room Tim was in and wanted to be friends with the cute boy

The reason that he kept finding Tim was that he was talking to Dick Grayson, his gymnastics instructor, and Dick had realized that the boy in question was his honorary little brother and told Bernard that “Timmy’s shy, you just have to break down his walls to get to know him” and tells him when Tim’s going to the museum

Dick is well aware of what Tim thinks the situation is because he’s the one Tim rants to, but he thinks it’s funny and will make for a great story to tell at their wedding

[scramblecat]

Something I really love about Nerdy Prudes Must Die is how it completely subverts the ‘uncool kid joins the popular kids’ trope.

Typically with a story that has a similar premise (a friend or a love interest in a higher place on the school hierarchy from the ‘uncool’ character) I feel like a lot of the time we see the same thing happen over and over: the uncool kid finds a place in the popular kids, and starts behaving like them, treating everybody they used to hang out with as below them. If it’s ‘resolved,’ it’s by the main character realizing the popular kids are actually shitty people that they don’t want to hang out with. Even if at the end they go back to the uncool kids, that pipeline and change still happens, and it’s central to the plot.

And that’s certainly what I thought we were going to see in Nerdy Prudes. After Pete’s phone call with Steph (‘just these two fuckin’ nerds who won’t leave me alone!’), I was genuinely, actually starting to dread seeing Pete go through that change and start to treat Richie and Ruth like shit. I can even go so far to say I was expecting him to, given his newfound boost of confidence and thinking he’s impervious to even Max Jägerman!

But Nerdy Prudes doesn’t do that at ALL.

Pete never rises to the status of ‘popular kid’. Instead, Steph is the one to join the other group.

It’s clear that she’s certainly reluctant to do so— she’s been conditioned by the school environment and her popular kid status to think these kids are losers and Weird and uncomfortable to be around. But she’s also reluctant to actually be a shitty person to them, especially after she starts falling for Pete.

Speaking of Pete, he really is her link into the group, just like the role of ‘popular kid’ usually is played in this genre of storyline. But it’s handled a lot differently, and the way it is fits so well into the plot.

The only reason that Steph is willing to join the group of nerds in the first place is, of course, to get revenge on Max. But at the start of the musical, it’s clear that she doesn’t even know the magnitude of what Max does to the nerds— she straight up asks Pete who he’s running from right before Literal Monster, for Pete’s sake (ha do you see what I did there—). I don’t think she’d have to ask if she knew how much of a monster Max really was. Seeing what he did to Pete was what snapped her into that realization of how fucked up Max’s behavior is (and that nobody is going to punish him for it), which is why she joins the group.

‘But Scramble where’s your Evidence that just sounds like a theory?’

Bear with me here while I talk about Bully the Bully.

Bully the Bully (and the scene prior) is actually the single greatest indicator of how Steph’s opinion of the nerds shifts. At first, she looks and sounds like she absolutely does not want to be there. She takes a place standing FAR away from the group—

— and retorts back at things they’re saying multiple times, insulting them a little, and just generally looking down on them. (‘God, you guys are nerds.’).

She comments on how she thinks the things the nerds are doing are weird (such as the way Grace spins around) and seems very resistant to participating. She still looks down on most of them, and she doesn’t even try to hide it.

But as the song goes on, she starts getting a little more into it. Grace swings her into the group, and she starts participating just a little, joining in on the lineup, laughing a little. And while she doesn’t contribute her own solo line on the rest of the ‘fealty, a duty’ bit like everybody else does, she joins in on Pete’s part once she sees that he’s participating, too. And she’s starting to smile a little!

She starts joining in on the antics a little more after that, and this time on her own! She’s genuinely having fun!! All of a sudden she’s alert and a little more enthusiastic about this, starting to match the energy of the nerds, because she’s realizing that it isn’t so bad after all, and actually that they’re fun to be around!

I really like this sequence here— she’s fully involved at this point, but is thrown off when she sees the other nerds all of a sudden improvising with the moves —

—And tries to come up with one of her own the next time around.

Even if she doesn’t get one in, it’s still clear that she wants to be a part of it, too.

My favorite part however is when she joins in on the ‘bean school’ bit, where she seems a little not sure of what they’re doing & hesitant to do it, but tries to go along with it nonetheless, just like the improv poses— no matter how odd and random it seems to her at first.

It’s a sharp contrast to how she’d been at the start of the song, separated from the group and looking down on them for doing these weird little things. But by the end, she’s realizing how enjoyable this group really is! She’s dancing around with them, fully and eagerly joining in on what they’re doing, having fun just being goofy and weird! And she doesn’t see it as a bad thing anymore!

(Okay Scramble note: while making this gif I noticed that Steph is actually the first to initiate the snapping at the end WAAAA… I love the little details in this show. reminder to me to make a post compiling some of my favorites because there are so many I’ve noticed on my rewatches...)

The transition of Steph’s attitude toward the nerds is absolutely delightful. There’s none of that ‘returning to your own position in the heirarchy’ stuff, either. She’s made herself comfortable as a part of the gang, and she enjoys it!

While Steph is the biggest and most relevant, there is actually another (short-lived) example of this— with Max Jägerman, right before his death.

Max is the antagonist of the show. Hell, there’s an entire song at the beginning of the musical dedicated to establishing how much of a terrifying monster he is, and how all the nerds fear him. He even says these things with his own mouth, and he says them with glee. He’s proud to be a bully that people fear, he’s proud that people cower down around him, and he’s absolutely not afraid to be horrible toward those he deems below him.

But after Max is told that the nerds put this together purely to scare him— and that he deserves it— his demeanor towards the nerds changes ENTIRELY. All of a sudden, he’s not the literal monster that he’s explicitly been shown to be up until this point. I’m not saying that ‘he was like this all along’ or whatever— he very much does not regret anything he’s done, and does not regret the person he is, and still is that person. But for a single moment, he sheds the god complex, and for the first time, treats the nerds like equals— and not even in the way Kyle and Jason are ‘equals’.

He’s genuinely excited and happy about all this! He expresses how he really liked how they went about this, and compliments Ruth!

And he’s not bringing them up to his level, either— he is meeting them where they’re at. Similarly to Steph, he’s starting to be okay with some of the aspects of how the nerds behave, and even finding it fun in his own way. Even if the intent was to scare him, he likes the way they executed it, and takes it as something they did to make him happy. Obviously he never gets to have a chance at adjusting to it like Steph did, but hey, I’m counting it as a small example regardless!

(And this all is not to discount the fact that he’d very proudly done— and continued to do— fucked up things. he’s.. not a decent person regardless of this scene AJDHAHRHA im not exactly a max redemption arc truther. but that just kind of showed that he had the Potential to adjust. and then he got killed and turned evil again </3)

Anyway. Really delightful how they executed this trope subversion, and I’m so happy that they did. Not only does it help to emphasize that these characters care about each other/are genuine to each other (especially in the case of Steph and Pete, and Pete and the other nerds) but it really feels a lot neater and nicer to watch than it would’ve been if they’d gone the route with the trope as it’s usually played!

I am notoriously terrible at figuring out how to word a conclusion, so have another little gif and compare it to the first image in the post :]

[lostinthefrigginwoods-art]

Zelda outfit number one out of I don't remember how many! Maybe I'll even draw them all! Who knows!

Composition high key inspired by pieces by @the-phantom-peach , love the way they do work. Also I've been into collages lately instead of like. My degree.

[iknowwhereyousnoozeatnight]

couple of mello + near doodles

[a-dotrivenitupontop]

barry:

sally:

[juliets-roller-derby-awesomeness]

favorite psych fics??? 👀

i honestly haven't read too-too many but here's an incomplete list:

food is life, and life hates juliet. this was the first one i read and i found it through @/thespiritssaidso answering my ask about spoiler free psych fics and it's so cute aksjsjdbs. i wrote a short little continuation here but it's a spoiler free shules sickfic/whump and it's pretty short and i've read it like 3 times bc it makes my feet kick. @/thespiritssaidso (Isolation68 on ao3) writes a bunch of really cute shassie stuff too but i like juliet far too much for this not to be my favorite of their work.

hidden emotions. it's less than 1k but just really good. it's pov second person (following jules) and has spoilers for the season 3 finale, but i love it a lot. i found it from someone answering my spoiler free psych post telling me to sort by date updated on ao3- which like- i wish i could find that notification and give you a hug bc that changed my life lol. i really really loved reading like a detached 2nd person fic, it's so well written because it doesn't make you feel like juliet but it gives so much information on her thoughts and feelings which was just a really cool experience and inspired me to write this (which i swear i will update soon i have like half of the next chapter on my notes app), which slight spoilers for season 4 but it's cannon divergence. anyway i love the concept and i love the execution and i love juliet o'hara

the door before me is open just enough. it's just really cute. another shules one shot i found the same way and it really stands up to re-reading

love game. fluff and smut, shules one shot i found the same way. there are a couple sexy shules fics that i love but for some reason this is the only one i have bookmarked. it's so good and the author does a really good job of keeping the characters believable throughout. theres some shawn and gus friendship stuff and karen vick, i just like it a lot

there are a lot more but these were most if the ones i bookmarked, if you're interested there are like 60 fics when you search psych >> shules >> english >> updated between 2006-2011, they're all pretty short (6k max i think) and probably 50 of them i liked so definitely check that out lol

edit: @/attic-nights was the one who told me to sort by updated on ao3!!! you are my favorite i love you so much go send them hugs lol

[deus-ex-mona]

monachan haul has arrived ✨safely✨

[stevethehairington]

.

[4letteraroace]

It’s important to remind yourself that the book you just finished reading is FICTION. It came from somebody’s head. The author is allowed to take a long time to write the next one

Anyway, the fuck you mean “the end”

[skitskatdacat63]

I will read the most inane and useless stuff for hours just for my own interest/enjoyment, but reading academic papers is like pulling a tooth 😭😭 like I genuinely think I'd find the info interesting but the fact that ik it's in pursuit of doing an assignment somehow manages to kills my motivation 100%