#and shell out any amount of money they might want

[shippingmyworld]

I'm addicted to Photo Mode, so have some various shots of my Warden Rook, Oscar, in the Kirkwall's Finest armor.

[stars-in-a-jam-jar]

So I said this in a reblog chain and it got me thinking about the differences in how movies whose target audiences are children and/or families are perceived and received by the general public.

'Cause like. For Children is not a genre. Not unless we wanna say it's a genre in the same way Queer movies are a genre where the tone and subject matter and Most Things can be anything but it must speak to the queer experience to be considered a queer media. I wouldn't carte blanche trust a child's value judgements on Ghost in the Shell in the same way I wouldn't trust a non-queer person's value judgements on I Saw the TV Glow not because they're incapable of getting anything at all out of those works of art, but because they are functionally overhearing the conversation the art is having with its intended audience.

Children and families deserve art that speaks to them, and of course in the same way various adults love a Big Dumb Action Movie or a Completely Unrealistic Goofy Romcom or a Coming of Age movie whose plot, characters, and emotional beats they can see coming 20 miles away all just for the passive comfortable entertainment-- in that same way many children love movies that are just [Thing you already like] The Movie. Children do not have enough life experience to understand their undeveloped critical minds are being exploited for the sake of easy money.

Also importantly: children do not have purchasing power. Their parents do. Their very tired, very fallible parents.

Parents who are trying to raise a human who still needs to be told things like 'Don't eat off the floor' and 'You can't have everything you want all the time forever', who has to deal with things like their child having a tantrum at the supermarket or seemingly refusing to just listen to simple instructions, not at all heeding the basic principle that you know more than they do and they NEED to listen to you when you're telling them important shit and everything would be easier for everyone if they didn't demand 10 steps of persuasion to behave themselves, because children don't know what the fuck principles are until they feel Personally Wronged in which case they will abide by Their Own Principles And Not Yours DAD-- Oh, also, you still have to deal with The Horrors (the care and keeping or yourself and your home, the family finances in this economic hellscape, your relationships, your AND your child's schedule, and ANY emergencies that might come up) without cracking and offloading toxic nonsense onto your child because They're Like 7 and the most chores you can assign them is emptying the dishwasher, picking up their room, and raking the lawn. Which (depending on your child's personality) they don't even reliably do because those tasks are Boring!!!

So if your child (who does not know how to gague ahead of time that they will not get much of value out of the Minecraft Movie because as far as they're concerned they will probably get the same amount of fulfillment out of it as they do watching their favorite Minecraft Youtubers, but this movie is New and Different and Bigger and therefore More Exciting) says they wanna go see the Minecraft movie, and you recognize what that is and clock it as a safe choice both in terms of your child actively enjoying it and it probably not having anything you wouldn't approve of your child seeing/internalizing, (because most adults don't have the fucking TIME to vet absolutely everything their child comes in contact with) AND it has Jack Black who you almost certainly know is a phenomenal actor 'cause you've always been entertained by him and he keeps on getting cast in movies so obviously Hollywood also believes he's good at his job-- then it's the easy choice for what to do for two hours on the weekend.

And thus the online sphere cannot singlehandedly pull a Morbius on The Minecraft Movie because it is exploiting a demographic overlap that the people who initially made memes about how bad this movie was gonna be are almost certainly not part of. Almost none of that demographic are parents. Of the ones that are, they do not make up a big enough proportion of parents to entirely prevent the Minecraft Movie from making money without a lot of organization and campaigning to other parents to have higher standards for the movies they put in front of their kids than 'It shouldn't actively model and encourage bad behaviour'.

I think we should be just as mad about movies that exploit the difficulties of parenting and the accepting/trusting nature of children as we are about movies that queerbait and I say this with complete seriousness.

[pokemonshelterstories]

Any tips for helping a tinkatink make a hammer she’s satisfied with? My girl was pretty content with her current hammer for a while, but recently she’s gotten the urge to make a new one, and isn’t satisfied with any of the metals I’m offering her. It’s gotten to the point where she’s trying to steal my pots and pans… have to keep them up high now. Could she be close to evolving, maybe? One thing I haven’t tried offering yet is metals derived from steel-type Pokémon, mostly because I don’t know if there are any that don’t have to be… harvested, for lack of a better term, for their metal. If there are any steel types that naturally shed their metal, would that be a good choice to offer?

this is definitely a matter of the quality of metal you're offering her. if she's wanting to add on to her hammer, it's possible she's close to evolution, or her current hammer may be wearing down. tinkatink tend to get pickier about the materials they use as they get more experience and learn which metals work best for their hammer, so it's not unusual to see them refuse materials they were okay with before.

there are plenty of steel types who naturally shed out some of their metal. corviknight and skarmory molt their feathers once a year, and pawniard shed out their blades as they wear down. getting large amounts of pokemon-based metal is usually pretty expensive, though. instead of shelling out tons of money for those materials, i'd recommend contacting your local recycling/scrap metal yard to see if they'd be willing to let you bring her over to pick out some metal! in paldea at least, a lot of recycling plants will allow tinkatink line trainers to pick out some metal for a small fee. if you're confident in your skills as a trainer, you can also go to places where steel types are known to gather and search for any naturally shed metals- but keep in mind that can be really dangerous if you aren't prepared for any wild pokemon you might encounter.

[cthonic-bunny]

hay what do you think of 8h stellium in a composite chart??

If this relationship ends, you will probably never be the same. You two are transformed into two unrecognizable people as a result of the lessons you learn from one another. Your shadow sides can deeply resonate with one another. You two get a lot out of your private time with one another. You can just sense what the other person needs and wants on a primal level. You never want anything to happen to them. They are your most prized possession, one that no amount of money can buy. I feel like there is a higher chance of codependency with this set-up. You two might feel like a shell of a person when you’re without the other. You two have an immediate agreement that this relationship is not to be taken lightly. “We either merge completely or you leave me alone.” You two might have your finances become completely entangled if you don’t monitor this enough. You can become addicted to one another’s energy. You want to possess them mind, body, and soul. If there were more than just mind, body, and soul, you’ll want to possess that too. You guys will never hesitate to share with one another. “What is mine is always yours.” You two construct your own void to escape in to, a cave that can only be roamed by one another. The sex here can be transformative and bring about changes in your perception of pleasure. You guys might dabble in kinks you once were hesitant to explore with others. Once you two can fully give yourselves to one another sexually and let loose, the sex can be extremely vulnerable and beautiful. You will find it difficult to leave one another even when issues pop their head in. If toxicity begins to control the reigns of your relationship, get ready for the uncontrollable tears, screaming, destruction, and exposure of all your ugly sides. You will shoot to k*ll. Saying the most horrendous things to one another, getting into their psyche, and then still feeling like you are unable to leave despite your resentment and disgust can be a possibility with too much 8H influence playing out in a dynamic. Breaking up feels like you can be preparing to mourn a real death. Just know that you can take the lessons you’ve learned and take on a fresh, healthier approach to life once you’ve moved on. Do not encourage toxicity in anyway because it can get out of hand and it won’t be “cute” or “sexy.” Your safety and wellbeing matters, and you do not need to compromise it to keep anyone around. On a more positive note, I feel like you two can share a lot of interests or have parts of yourselves you only feel comfortable revealing to the other. I feel like you can confide in one another and share secrets you don’t feel like you can tell others. This is another match that wouldn’t be phased by period sex. I feel like 8H relationships can be apt to get each others names tattooed. When you two are not together, I think you can easily find things to remind you of your partner. “I look for you in everything.” You two can really get each other the most wonderful sentimental gifts. I feel like people underestimate how great Scorpionic energy can be when it comes to giving gifts. They know what screams “you,” because they’ve made the time and effort to psychoanalyze you. You want to know what makes the other “tick.” You are keenly aware of any shift in the other persons mood, and want to right it immediately. You can dive deep into each others brains and work passed any trauma you may have. You two can experience infinite deaths and rebirths by being together. This couple could feel like their partner is the only one who truly “sees” them and understands them on a deep level. “You are the light at the end of this dark tunnel.” If the other one hurts you or acts out of malice, this will feel like they legitimately tore your heart out of your chest. Any sort of betrayal is extra hurtful, and can lead to irreconcilable differences. “I’ll never forget what you did to me, even if I’ve forgiven you.” I feel like these two can become more antisocial once they are together.

“I’d live off the grid with you.” (Funny enough, I wrote this sentence in January of 2024; in March of 2024, i reconnected with someone I have an 8H composite stellium with, and within the first day of reconnecting he made this joke to me lol)

[majoliish]

Ok… so here me out…

The main cast x royal reader.

Omg yes I love this idea!! I imagine the Devildom is smaller than the human world in terms of sheer numbers (think millions vs billions) so the demons kind of assume you’re more widely known/a bigger deal than you actually are. 

I had a lot of fun working with this prompt (especially for Diavolo, there's just something about the idea of him connecting with someone else who is royalty that charms me)

Main cast x royal!reader (gender neutral, referred to as ‘you’) !!

Lucifer - He employs a pretty decent amount of respect towards you, though won’t hesitate to make it known that you shouldn’t expect to have the same luxuries in the Devildom that you did back in the human world. He may ask the occasional polite question regarding it all, but won’t go out of his way to question you. He acts with a mild distaste if you try to pull rank or do anything that normally wouldn’t be acceptable within polite society - he won’t hesitate to scold you or remind you of how he thinks royalty ‘should’ act.

Mammon - He mostly cares about the money, jewels, and your previous lavish lifestyle. He’ll ask a million questions, but all of them somehow circle back to those three things. He takes it upon himself to become a ‘butler’ of sorts, but in reality that’s just him making up excuses to give others orders that he’s come up with and demand things that he wants under the guise of it being for you. He does think it’s pretty cool though, and secretly sort of looks up to you because of it. He may also kick up quite a fuss if anyone dares to look down on you in any way.

Leviathan - Totally freaks out upon finding out. Kind of trips up over himself a lot and uses a bunch of weird (and a lot of irrelevant or out of date) titles for you, bows and natters away at you until he catches himself and gets super flustered. His self deprecation is kind of bumped up a notch thanks to this - he’s always saying things about how he’s not worthy of being in your presence and so on. You’ll also get compared to just about every royal fictional character he knows whenever you so much as breathe.

Satan - He’s kind of weird about the idea at first, almost to the point of being outright rude to you - he’s unsure of how to act and covers that up with his usual surly demeanour. It takes some time and work to break his hard outer shell, but once he’s got it through his thick skull that you’re not at all as bad as he assumed you’d be, his interest is piqued. He has lots of questions about the inner workings of royalty in the human world, and wants to know all about the intricacies of your family and their various dealings.

Asmodeus - He thinks it’s a super attractive quality in a person, and is immediately all over you, asking all sorts of questions about what kind of luxuries you experienced back home, how strict the rules were, that kind of thing. He’s just fascinated to know about the lavish life you must’ve lived back home, and also really wants to hear about any deep family gossip. His outfit and accessory choices when he’s shopping for you will also be tailored especially with your status  in mind.

Beelzebub - It’s all pretty much the same to him, really. His only real interest might be in what kinds of food you got to eat, the big meals you must’ve had, being royalty and all. He doesn’t treat you any differently than he would if you weren’t royalty, he’s a pretty straightforward demon for the most part. 

Belphegor - He’s a little apprehensive of it at first - he expects you to be stuck up, full of yourself and not willing to listen to others (much like a certain someone else he knows), so he keeps his distance at first. It’s a pleasant surprise for him to realise that you’re far more down-to-earth than he expected. He’s pretty quiet and shy around you at first, but as time goes on he seems to open up and may even ask you questions about your rank and lifestyle.

Diavolo - He feels a special kind of connection with you from day one - he takes solace in the fact that you must’ve been through a lot of the same struggles he has and seeks to have you as one of his best friends/confidants. Though the vast population difference between the human realm and the Devildom isn’t quite something he understands, he kind of assumes that just because you’re royalty, you must have control over a large swath of the human world, with millions of subjects under your immediate command. Regardless of that, he’s really interested to hear about every detail in which your status differs from his, and will often try to pull you aside for a conversation about it - his curiosity is insatiable.

Barbatos - He defers to you in a way that’s almost comparable to how he treats Diavolo (though of course he gets priority). He’s polite almost to the point of infuriating, always waiting on you and trying to anticipate your needs before you’ve even recognised them in the first place. He fusses and preens and may sometimes even pass light judgements on things that you wear, say or do, ‘wondering’ aloud at whether certain actions would be seen as proper for human royalty, since they’re not for demons. It comes across as passive-aggressive, but he is one hundred percent sincere about it.

Simeon - He’s sort of nonchalant about your royal status - not in a rude way, but it tends to be an aspect of you that he might playfully poke fun at every now and then. It’s a point of mild interest to him, and for the sake of knowledge he’ll ask you occasional questions about things he’s curious about, and may even ask if he might be allowed to visit you some time. Though, he may get a little snippy if he thinks that someone isn’t showing you the appropriate amount of respect.

Luke - He’s not entirely sure how he should be acting around you, and thus tends to subconsciously mimic the actions of those he looks up to. It’s almost funny, watching him cycle through the behaviours of Simeon, Lucifer, Solomon, Barbatos and Beelzebub (sometimes all in one conversation), trying to get a grasp on how best to approach and speak to you. He’ll just keep doing this until you address it with him directly. When reassured (multiple times) that he’s free to act however he likes around you, he’s closer to his normal self, with his usual sense of wonderment and excitement, asking you lots of questions to try and understand you better.

Solomon - Somehow, he knows more about your family, lineage, alliances and inner political workings than you do. It’s almost uncanny, the amount of information he seemingly just has on hand about you, and it can be very off putting when someone asks you an innocent question about an ancestor of yours, only for Solomon to come swooping in with all the answers they’re looking for and then some. He doesn’t often directly ask you any questions, unless there’s a specific gap in his knowledge that he hasn’t been able to fill, so the questions he does ask get almost freakishly specific.

Please don't repost, steal, copy or otherwise plagiarise my writing! I do not consent for my works to be translated and posted elsewhere, or used to teach bots!

[thevirginwitch]

New Moon in Capricorn - January 11, 2024

This post was posted 8 days early over on my Patreon! Be sure to follow me on Patreon for free to be notified when I post new content, or when I make important announcements!

This is a successful period for career development and long-term planning. You may be feeling extra ambitious to tackle new projects, or finally gather the courage to go for the new promotion or job you’ve been looking for.

Your emotions will be moved to the backburner during this time, however. You may be feeling more guarded and there will be a breakdown of communication between your heart and your head – try not to dwell on these inner turmoils, and be wary when spending time with others who may not be understanding of this emotionally-absent period.

Your energy is best spent on patience and self-control, and investments and long-term plans. Plus, a little self-care never hurt anyone!

Correspondences

Herbs/Plants

Hemlock

Comfrey

Hemp

Pansy

Ivy

Red & Black Poppy

Horsetail

Pine

Elm

Yew

Poplar

Crystals

Turquoise

Amethyst

Other

Gold

Green

Off-white

Earth

Winter

Goats

Pigs

Number 8

Journaling Prompts

What does “success” mean to me?

How can I re-evaluate my finances to better suit my goals?

What is a project I’ve always wanted to start, but was too scared to? What small steps can I take to begin that project?

Spells, Charms, Rituals & More

Successful Growth Jar Spell

This spell is a lot like a sourdough starter – keep feeding it and as it grows, so will your success! This is very similar to a money bowl, but in my opinion, it’s more like an altar that you can constantly work on and change. Plus, it kinda looks like those vases from the 90s/2000s filled with neon sand art, so… that's a plus.

Materials

A large, tall jar (I'm using an old pasta jar)

Rice for abundance

Bay leaves for wishes, luck, manifestation and abundance

Coins and/or dollar bills for abundance

Ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks for success and abundance

Pecans and/or walnuts for success

Paper

Pen or pencil

Permanent marker

Instructions

Take your rice and layer a good amount at the bottom of your jar, maybe an inch or so. This will be the “foundation” of your spell, and represents the beginnings of your success.

Next, write on a few bay leaves what the “seeds” of your success will be. For example, “time”, “energy”, or “commitment” – things that will grant you the success that you want. Bury them in the rice.

Sprinkle ground cinnamon on the rice (or, shove sticks of cinnamon into the rice). This will represent your efforts to grow your success.

Lastly, sprinkle walnuts or pecans on top. These pieces will represent the “buds” of your success; the beginnings of your rewards.

Now, as time goes on, with each accomplishment you make, write it down on a strip of paper, fold it up, and place it in the jar. With patience, the jar will continue to grow until it is overflowing with accomplishments and successes.

Walnut Charms for Prosperity

Materials

Whole walnut(s) for prosperity

Whole cloves for prosperity

Bay leaves for wishes, luck, manifestation and abundance

Rice for abundance

Super glue or twine/string

Golden metallic paint and a paintbrush (optional)

Instructions

Carefully open your walnuts and clean out the shells.

In each shell, place cloves, crumbled bay leaves, and a few grains of rice.

Charge each shell by meditating, with a candle, or however else you see fit.

Once charged, carefully superglue or tie the two halves of the shell back together.

(Optional) Paint your walnut with gold metallic paint.

Leave on your altar and carry the charm with you when you feel the need for some extra prosperity. Once you feel it has done its job, you may bury the charm in your backyard.

Other Ideas & Considerations

Paint your nails gold or green

Carry cinnamon sticks and/or bay leaves with you or in your wallet

DIY your own wind chimes to carry in good luck

Great time to begin any long-term workings you might be considering

[yzafre]

The thing about TMNT 2012 is that while I like Rise more on an as-is basis, '12 gives me more creative inspiration.

Part of that is the "they dropped all these interesting, weird character beats then refused to do anything more than surface-level writing with them, if that", which makes me want to pull them apart and put them back together and write out what I was wanting from the character writing the whole time. That instinct to say "okay but what if they did this. focused on this. developed this. did this better." Which... is a thing I might eventually write out. It does exist rent free in my head, like... minimum 20% of the time lately. ((a problem when I need that space to finish my kh fic I've only got 5 chapters left to draft I'm so close))

But also it's like. I tell my self stories with a little enemy-to-ally OC guy in my head while driving or trying to sleep (as one does) and the next thing I know I'm thinking about like. The internal operations of the Foot clan. Shredder's branch in Japan vs Bradford's US branch. Like I think Shredder's was referred to as a crime family at some point, but was Bradford's? He wasn't just recruiting soldiers then making train and stay in waiting, was he?

And like, I assume he was recruiting through his martial arts classes, and I got the feeling his dojos were like a chain thing? Were they all across the country? What happened if he recruited from somewhere in California? Did he make them move to New York? Did he have, like... HR people to help him get situated?

What about Xever and Bradford's rivalry that supposedly pre-dates the show. Was Bradford just recruitment while Xever was doing jobs? Was Bradford also doing, like... missions or jobs? Were they usually tapped for different types of jobs? Were they, like, trying to improve their reputation and putting in bids so Shredder would send them more jobs over the other guy?

Bradford also had a TV show. So he had, like... businesses? With departments, maybe? Were those kept separate, or were they part of the whole crime family.... thing. Were anyone used for money laundering? Did the people working for them know what Bradford was up to? Were they staffed with Foot clan recruits? Who was in charge of Finances?

And like if they were doing actual crime things... what were they? Do I need to look up how crime families work to see how all they earn money? Was it really mundane or were they doing more complicated ninja stuff? ((I bet you could do crazy insider training if you could break into any company in the world. Also if you could sabotage companies to control the market. I don't know, the most I know about crime is what you see in Leverage.))

Also, like... equipment. The uniforms, and the weapons, and the gear, for all those recruits, that's gotta come from somewhere. How is that.. handled? Do they have free rein? Get a certain amount per year but have to pay if they lose it? Always have to buy it themselves? Where does it come from? Do they own the manufacturers through, like, shell companies? Do they have an R&D department that doesn't do combat? Information and logistics?

And suddenly I'm so many layers deep in it and I turn around and I don't just have one guy living in my head, I've got like - 6 at minimum.

[mcalhenwrites]

I have made a few decisions. None of them regard that mention of deleting my accounts online, though. I am looking into where else to publish my work outside of the Evil JB Forest. I need spoons for that, and I barely survived work today. (It was very busy/hectic.) I have decided that I'm also going to save for a house. Will I ever make enough money? Who knows! I'm going to try! I'm taking commissions (mainly sketches/art), I have some Geckos bookmarks coming in soon that will be for sale, and once I have my full answers on where I'm going to publish my works, more stories are coming. I might also try to query Rascal. Any reassurances on that matter would be excellent. I'm trying to find alternatives for meals when I have low spoons, since it's expensive to just stop by for fast food chains or convenience stores for dinner after work. I've been buying stuff like "just add water" mashed potato cups, ramen bowls, tortilla shells, peanut butter, cheese, rice cups, etc. PB in tortillas is good btw. I need housing. This amount of instability is bad, made worse by the fact that things are going to get even worse for Americans across the damn board. I need money for housing. I'm so tired of being apologetic about it while working so hard. I'm so tired of having to justify myself to people that I only work part time - especially when my hours fluctuate so much. (I got very lucky that after my hours were cut, I needed to cover a shift. Then I find out I'll get some hours back in April.) But honestly, I can't work more than 3.5 days without harming my health and giving up writing, and I will do neither. Which may make people upset with me, but I have close friends who've lectured me to take care of myself. I'm trying to respect my limitations! I did write 1k+ words twice this past week, and that was refreshing. One was "at work" (I wasn't clocked in yet, I just didn't want to drive into the city, then out of it again, just to drive all the way to the other side of that same city to another town later that day. So I took my laptop and sat behind the counter and worked on The Dragons' Cosmos for a couple of hours while I chatted with the desk person) and the other was on the clock yesterday at my other workplace. :') It was nice! And I'm trying to get walks back in now that the weather is warming up and my surgery is behind me and there are so many cool places to walk...! Anyway. Bear with me while I make some changes. But this change. I need it. I want to work toward it. I'm tired of feeling like my only option is to end my life so that it's convenient for everyone including myself, because taking care of my disabled ass is so hard damnit. Haha. So yeah, any support would be awesome. I'll repost some info when I have things switched over too. And if I am annoying and you don't want to see that or my writing, you can always unfollow this account anyway. Always an option! You don't have to be here! Wow, concept. Anyway, expect me to be annoying you on your dashboards endless otherwise. :)

[the-darkness-does-not-bargain]

Rated E for Elden Ring

So this was a funny little silly idea that somehow turned into a 6000+ word monster.  Don’t ask me how.  It is set in my Twitch AU or Gamer AU, where Ava is a Twitch streamer and Lilith is a lawyer.  They live together and are in love.  This originated from a small writing prompt about a month ago that you can read here, and I just got inspiration to expand on it.  Hope you guys enjoy!

Rated: E for Elden Ring (officially made this the title hehe)

//////

It was supposed to be a surprise.  That’s what you had planned for.  And you really did.  Plan, that is.  You thought of everything.  You picked out the day almost two weeks in advance, you changed your stream schedule accordingly so you would have most of the night free, you even covertly snuck peeks at Lilith’s work calendar to make sure the timing was right.  You did your research while she was away at the courthouse.  You hovered around the front door of your apartment building like a creep to intercept the package and hide it before she got home.  You even sacrificed your practice time with the new COD game to watch literal hours of tutorial videos to make sure you wouldn’t mess it up.  You did everything, all for her.

Lilith’s caseload had been driving her to exhaustion for the past month.  Her schedule had been packed wall-to-wall with difficult court battle after difficult court battle, and it showed no sign of easing up any time soon.  Being the most well-regarded civil attorney in the city had many advantages, but the price she paid to do it often seemed just as high.

You could tell that the stress was slowly wearing her down to the bone.  She was accustomed to working long hours, but this was excessive.  There were days where you barely saw her because she would leave for early meetings and not get back until you were getting into bed.  She was bristly by nature, but as the weeks wore on, she was becoming downright moody, grumbling and growling at the smallest inconveniences.  Three days ago, you caught her slapping the printer around when it had the audacity to jam.

It was all getting to be too much, and you wanted to try to help before it could get any worse.  But it was a tall order to fill, and for a while you weren't sure that you could do it.  You weren't a lawyer, and quite frankly you didn't know shit about laws and courts and whatever, so it's not like you could make her actual job easier.  You had briefly entertained a fantasy of breaking into the courtroom MGS-style and rearranging all of their schedules, but that was as far as you went down that avenue.  No, if you were going to pull this off, you'd have to utilize your own special set of skills.

You knew a large part of Lilith’s frustration was sexual.  It had already been a week since the last time you both had the energy and time to do anything, and for two highly physical people, one week of blue balls was tantamount to torture.  (You were feeling it too.  Your vibrator had seen more use in the past four days than it had since you started dating.)  So, you figured the best way to help her cool off was to, paradoxically, spend an entire evening having really, really hot sex.  Thus, the seed of your eventual plan was born.

Lilith wasn’t one for big gifts or grand gestures.  You suspected that any fondness she might have had for them was long ago drained out of her by her family.  This wasn’t really big or grand, but you put time into it, and you made your decisions with her in mind, so you thought she would appreciate it more.

Your grand scheme was this: Lilith was supposed to get home around 5, the earliest she's been able to manage in weeks, and you were going to be ready.  You had made the arduous trek to the nearest liquor store to find a bottle of her favorite wine and shelled out a tear-jerking amount of money to buy it.  When she got home, you would present her with a glass and coax her into relaxing on your couch while you went to do your stream.  Then, half-way through your stream, you would place an order out to the Lebanese place down the street to show up around when you finished.  Finally, when the stream was done and you were able to lure her in with delicious takeout, you would reveal your surprise.

That last part proved to be the most difficult, which you probably should have expected.  Even now, with thirty minutes to spare, you couldn’t resist peeking down your t-shirt to make sure the configurations you had painstakingly labored over were still holding up.

Who knew there were so many types of bondage ribbons?  Okay sike, you did, because this idea didn’t spring fully-formed from your brain meat on a whim.  What you didn’t know was just how many ways they could be used.  There was legit, like, a whole-ass art form about it  Your research had led you down a somewhat dizzying rabbit hole of bondage 101 and shibari tutorial sites, deep enough to have you sounding out terms like "loop chain", "gote", and "hishi karada".  You knew you wanted something you could hide under your clothes, and within that parameter alone there were almost too many options to choose from.  You settled on one that looked elaborate but that the tutorials promised would be easier than most: the diamond hishi karada.  This tie would see lines of silk criss cross along the whole of your torso and back, framing your tits, looping low around your neck, and forming a lattice that would hold securely for as long as you needed it to.

Once you decided on the tie, you picked out the ribbon.  Lilith was reticent by nature, and often kept her thoughts and feelings thoroughly closed off to others, but there were some things even she couldn’t hide from an observant eye.  One was that she was kind of obsessed with fine fabrics, the nicer the better.  When you first started dating seriously, she was quick to lavish you with gifts of expensive clothes, silks and cashmeres selected by hand and meticulously tested for quality before she brought them home.  (The very first time she did this was one of your favorite memories of her.  She showed up at your shitty studio apartment with a glare so focused and serious that you thought she was breaking up with you two weeks into your relationship.  Imagine your surprise when instead she stiffly presented you with a box from one of the most bougie boutiques in the city.  She was so serious about it that you couldn’t help but laugh at how severe her face was as she gave it to you.  You teased her about terrifying some poor shop girl before kissing the responding scowl right off her face.)

The second thing she couldn’t hide was her favorite color.  It showed up in little ways in her wardrobe, and around her space.  It was always just a touch, an accent, nothing that could ever be called overwhelming or garish, but you were quick to cotton on to it.  Lilith loved blue.  All kinds, but especially darker shades like navy and midnight.  It was evident if you knew what to look for, and therefore obvious to you since you made a hobby of watching everything your girlfriend said and did.  A blue blouse tucked neatly inside a neutral gray blazer, sleek silver jewelry crusted in tiny sapphires, an indigo phone case and small pieces of furniture, never larger than a lamp or the cushion of a chair.  Lilith was taught to restrain herself in every aspect of her life.  That was apparent almost from the moment you met her.  But she couldn’t suppress everything, and you had been working very carefully over the past year and a half to coax her into expressing more her tastes and interests.

So with that in mind, picking the ribbon was pretty easy.  You took some haphazard measurements of your body in order to select the right length, and you researched what kind of fabric would be strong enough for the activities you wanted it for.  The guides you read suggested silk (and boy, was it not cheap), so you found the brand with the right colors and the best reviews and paid to have it shipped as quickly as possible.

Now, you were here, finally triumphant after laboring intensely to tie the knots correctly and make the lattice fit comfortably on your body.  With fifteen minutes left, you busied yourself by doing a very cursory clean of the apartment before getting out a glass and opening up the wine.

This was where you made a mistake, however.  You had never been very good at patience or waiting around when you knew something was about to happen.  You were restless and fidgety by nature, and you would inevitably look for anything to occupy yourself with.  In this instance, that meant turning on some tunes with your mini speaker and dancing around the kitchen while you waited for Lilith to get home.  As a result, you didn’t actually hear her when she came in, and you only realized she was there when she put a hand on your arm out of nowhere while you were pouring the wine into her glass.

“Shit!” You yelped, spinning around without thinking, the mostly full glass still clutched in your hand.  You managed to avoid barreling right into her, but there was nothing you could do to stop the ruby-colored liquid from splashing out of its container and directly onto the front of her work suit.  “Babe, I… shit, you startled me!”

Lilith was silent, looking down at the wet mess you’ve just made of her clothes.  You saw her jaw tense, watched it tick to the side a bit as if she was grinding her teeth.  And then, she sighed sharply.  “Ava.”  She pressed her lips together in a tight line, looking like she wanted to say more, but thought better of it.  “No, it’s fine.”  She straightened up and started shrugging off her coat with stiff shoulders.

“Babe?” You asked tentatively, setting the treacherous glass on the table and taking a careful step toward her.  “I’m sorry…  I didn’t hear you come in.”

She nodded shortly.  “It’s fine, Ava.  The fabric is dark, it’ll wash out.”  The very obvious tension in her frame told you it was not, in fact, fine, but you were at a loss for what to do about it.

“Are you okay?” You asked softly, watching her mouth twist angrily at the question.  “I-I mean, how was work?”

“Shit, like always,” she growled, grabbing the buttons of her blouse to undo it with rough movements.  You stayed where you were, not touching her just yet when she was so clearly upset and trying to contain it.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” she bit out, and then stopped.  She finished unbuttoning her shirt and let her hands drop loosely to her side, all while shutting her eyes tight and taking several deep breaths.  You waited, letting her regain herself the way she preferred to.  When she opened her eyes again, she looked calmer, but her attention dropped down to you; or rather, your shirt.  “There’s some on you,” she said, reaching out and ghosting her fingers over a spot on your abdomen.

You looked down and realized she was right.  While it wasn’t the theme park splash zone you’d just made of her clothes, there was still a decently-sized stain there.  “Crap,” you hissed and, without thinking, pulled up your shirt to get a better look at it, oblivious to Lilith’s eyes watching you like a hawk.  “This stuff comes out with peroxide, right?  Aren’t you supposed to mix it with the detergent—?”

“What’s that?”  You looked back up at her, only to find her eyes locked on your belly.  Oh.

“Oh, uh…”  Blushing hard, you tried to shove your shirt back in place.  “Uh, it’s nothing.”  Your efforts were thwarted, however, by her hands shooting out and catching yours before you could re-hide what you had inadvertently revealed.  Biting your lip, you let go, allowing her to lift your shirt back up again, baring the lower half of the ribbon tie to her inspection.  She just stared at it.  You could see her eyes following the many criss-crossing lines, seeing how they framed your stomach, stretched around to your back, and climbed further up your chest where the shirt still concealed them.

She was completely fixated.  You couldn’t tell what she was thinking, only that the gears of her brain were spinning like crazy.  You decided to just come clean, as clearly there would be no salvaging your initial plan of action.  “It was supposed to be a surprise,” you explained lamely.  “I was going to show you after my stream, but uh, well…” You smiled sheepishly at her, rubbing the back of your neck.  “Surprise?”

Lilith looked back up at you but didn’t say anything for a long moment.  Her fingers twitched against your waist, the pads pressing into your ribs.  Her eyes slowly dropped again, tracing a path back down to your belly that you swore you could feel like a laser on your skin.  With one hand holding you in place, she ran her middle and index fingers along the length of the deep blue silk, following the groove of it up your body and stopping just below where your shirt had ridden up.  She looked up again, wordlessly asking for permission.  When you nodded, licking your lips, she delicately lifted your t-shirt up over your breasts.

“This is for me?” She asked, voice quiet and accented with awe.  She caressed the elaborate lattice with her fingertips, so lightly that you wouldn’t notice if you weren’t watching her every move.  She touched the knot at the center of your chest and pressed it against your sternum, provoking a shiver from you that had you leaning forward into her hand.  Her eyes were on yours again, and they were full of dark fire, raging with an entirely different emotion from the one she started with.  She covered the knot with her open palm while she used her other arm to pull you in close.  “You said you have a stream tonight?”

Lilith’s voice was painfully sexy in normal circumstances, but the raw desire in her tone was enough to make your knees shake.  “Y-yeah.  It’s not long, just a couple hours.  I… I could cancel.  It’s not a big deal.”  Please tell me to cancel, please tell me to cancel, please, please, please…

The corners of her mouth quirked into a crooked smile while you watched with captive fascination.  “I have a better idea,” she said, pressing that crooked mouth right up against your ear.  What she whispered to you then, hot and hungry and smug, made you flush pink from head to toe.  “Yes, Aves?”  She asked, smirking against your cheek, already knowing what answer you would give.

“Yes,” you whimpered.  “Yes, please.”

“Good girl,” she purred, stroking the ribbons again, making you whine.   She took a small amount of pity on you and pulled you in for a kiss.  It was slow and wanton and sweet, paradoxically letting you regain your composure while making you dizzy all over again.  When you broke apart, she said, “I need to get changed, and you need to get ready for your viewers.”  She pulled your shirt back down and rearranged it so the ribbons were fully hidden once again.  It was an oddly gentlemanly move, given the situation, but that’s just how Lilith was.  She pecked you once on the forehead before retreating to the bedroom, leaving you standing alone in the kitchen with a half-spilled glass of wine, a stained shirt, and panties you would definitely be throwing out by night’s end.

🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀

“Yo-yo-yo, what’s up, nerds?  It’s ya girl Ava back again with Elden Ring!”  Jesus Christ, why the fuck did you think this was a good idea?   Stupid, horny brain.  Stupid, beautiful girlfriend.  “And guess what, peeps, we’ve got company tonight.  Chat, say hi to Lilith!  Lilith, say hi to Chat!”  Lilith was a solid presence against your back.  She was sitting in your gamer chair like she belonged there, lounging on it with you in her lap, held there securely by a single strong arm.

“Hello, chat persons,” she greeted coolly.  Immediately you saw the chat explode with excited messages, a mix of greetings and exclamations.  Your long-time fans greeted her with familiarity and spammed the feed with bat emojis, while your newer fans sent swarms of questions which were all some variation of “Whoa, is that your girlfriend????  She’s so hot!!!! 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀” or “You have a girlfriend??? Lmaoooooooo, no way, loser 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡”.  You could practically feel her smirking at these comments while the game’s menu theme started to play.  Her fingers skated evilly along the hem of your freshly chosen shirt, pausing occasionally to tug on the ribbons until they snapped lightly against your stomach.  You tried to distract yourself from this by bantering with chat, but there was nothing in the world strong enough to divert your attention from what was going on between your legs.

Because what the chat couldn’t see, what you had carefully positioned the camera to conceal, was your lower half.  More specifically, the apex of your thighs, where you were being stretched open by Lilith’s dick, practically staked on it while you soaked her boxers with your arousal.  Evil girlfriend.  Evil.  It was one of your biggest ones too, indigo blue and thick as all hell.  It didn’t see much use compared to some of your others, but when Lilith sauntered out of the bedroom holding it while looking at you like a mouse she wanted to devour, how were you supposed to say no?

The fullness was so much, too much.  You were struggling just to form complex thoughts let alone competently play a video game.  You had no idea how you were going to manage Elden Ring’s difficulty while also refraining from fucking yourself to completion in front of hundreds of people.

You did your best, practicing deep breathing exercises to keep your body relaxed while you loaded up your save and responded to messages.  Your Tarnished stood up from the Site of Grace you paused at last time, deep in the Altus Plateau, and you milled about checking your inventory for a minute while Lilith rubbed idle circles beneath your belly button.  Her muscular thighs were spread wide, keeping your legs open, and you had to make a conscious effort not to glance repeatedly at where your slickness was dribbling down between them.  At your insistence, there was a towel there to contain the mess (because you paid good money for this chair and you were not about to ruin it) but you knew that if you looked, it would only make things worse.

In the interest of self-preservation, you tasked Lilith with keeping an eye on the chat while you played.  It wasn’t much of a defense, as your girlfriend was unfortunately a very good multitasker, but it was better than letting her have total free reign to torment you as she pleased.  If only your own body would behave itself too, you might just get through this stream without incident.

You summoned Torrent and set off in the direction of Volcano Manor, intent on starting the dungeon there and taking on the Godskin Noble and possibly Rykard if you got far enough.  Along the way, you also figured you would try to take out the Ulcerated Tree Spirit on Mt. Gelmir to level up a bit.  This was where the problems started to occur, because Ulcerated Tree Spirits were a shitfucking, goddamn, bitch and a half to fight when you didn’t have a massive sex toy sitting in your cunt, and now that you did, well…  To say that your performance was lacking was a bit of an understatement.  By your third death, Lilith didn’t feel like holding her tongue anymore, and chose instead to mercilessly tease you.

“I see now why you’ve been cursing so much recently,” she gently mocked, earning a flurry of agreement and 💯💯💯💯💯 from the chat.  Then, when she snapped the ribbon against your skin and made you miss a very easy charged attack, she asked, “Why do you insist on using such a large weapon?  Wouldn’t it be safer to fight from range?”

“Well, duh, it would be safer,” you snarked back.  “But you’re not supposed to play these games safe.  You’re supposed to get the biggest weapon you can find and swing it at them until they’re dead or you’re dead.”

“I see.”  After two more failed attempts, you finally managed to kill the bastard, taking your runes immediately to the nearest Site of Grace to put them to use.  While you argued with chat about the merits of Strength/Faith vs. Dex/Int builds (Strength/Faith was superior, obviously), Lilith must have decided that things were too peaceful, because she chose that very moment to start rubbing her middle finger along the side of your clit.  You bit your cheek nearly hard enough to bleed to stop your treatise on greatshields from ending with a comically loud gasp.  She didn’t let up, stroking slow, torturous circles against you and occasionally dipping down to playfully frame the space where your pussy and her cock met.  She kept doing this, heedless of your fingers leaving nail marks on her knee, all while the towel beneath the both of you developed an increasingly large, dark stain.

Only when you were on the verge of insanity, bucking into her touch and riding Torrent into the stomp attack of a troll, did she show you mercy.  She withdrew her hand and wrapped both arms around you to still your canting hips, all while she rested her chin on your shoulder.

The chat was bumping, but even with the high traffic, you still managed to catch messages now and then saying stuff like “You guys are so cute 😍😍😍” and sometimes more nerve-wracking things like “Why does Lilith look like a dragon hoarding treasure? 🤔🐉”.  You did your best to ignore them and the warmth of your girlfriend’s body as you pushed on and finally made it to the start of the Volcano Manor dungeon.  You didn’t think you would get to Rykard or the Godskin Noble today, but you wanted to at least make significant progress in the dungeon before calling it a night, so that’s what you set out to do for the rest of the stream.

After two hours of playing (two hours of torture) consisting mostly of you fucking up and getting lovingly owned in chat for it, you wound the stream down and said goodbye to your viewers.  Lilith even offered them a stoic and detached good night, prompting a flood of “Good Night, Lilith!!!! 🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌🛌” messages in response.  And she waited patiently for you to close everything up before speaking again.

“Is your camera completely off?” She asked, while her nails teased the skin of your ribcage over your shirt.  You bit your lip hard and nodded, even going through the motions of double checking that all of your recording equipment was shut off while she watched.  “Good.”

She moved without warning, shifting forward until both her feet were planted on the floor and then pushing you both up off the chair with nothing but her legs.  You yelped in surprise as you unexpectedly fell forward, catching yourself on the desk while your pussy convulsed around her huge dick.  She caught you by the hips to steady you, rubbing soothing circles into them and humming apologetically for the sudden change of position.  

“Alright, Aves?” She asked, leaning forward to brace herself over your back.  You nodded, but then whined pathetically when she tested your honesty with a push of her hips.  “Use your words.”

“Mm, I-I’m good,” you managed to stammer.  “You just surprised me.”

She hummed again.  “One good surprise deserves another, don’t you think?”  As she spoke, her hands slipped under your shirt and tangled themselves in lines of silk.

“I can take my shirt off,” you offered, trying not to shiver too much at the feeling.

In the dark reflection of your computer screen, you saw Lilith shake her head.  “No, this is good.”

She clearly had you exactly where she wanted you, but you tried to regain a little bit of the upper hand with a joke.  “You know, the point was for you to unwrap them.”  All you get in response is a firm smack on the ass.

“You’re my present, aren’t you?”  Her tone was imperious.  “I’ll unwrap you when I like.  Right now I want you like this.”  One of her hands traced a searing path over your ribs and onto your back.  She picked a spot between your shoulder blades where the lines of ribbon crossed and dug her fingers in there, taking such a firm hold that the silk was pulled taut against your tits.  Her other hand landed on your ass again, possessively palming the pink spot where she smacked you.

“Do you think any of your fans guessed what we were doing?”  She prompted, pressing her hips flush against you so the toy was buried up to the hilt.  “Do you think they realized what a little slut their idol is?”

“Y… your slut,” you moaned, pushing your ass back on her.  In the reflection, you could see the look of delight that took over her features.

“Mmhm, my slut,” she agreed, slowly pulling herself out of your cunt until only the tip lingered inside you.  Just as slowly, she pushed back in, ending the thrust with a burst of extra force that made you whine.  She did it again, using her grip on your back like a harness to pull you down onto her cock.  “When did you come up with this idea?”  You didn’t immediately respond, too caught in the maelstrom of sensations, and her free hand smacked you again.  “Answer me, Ava.”

“Ten days ago,” you whimpered, unashamed by the way you arched into her commanding touch.

“Ten days?”  She sounded genuinely surprised, even a little confused.  “How did you know I would be free?”

“I looked at your work calendar while you were gone,” you admitted.  “You didn’t have any extra meetings scheduled tonight, and I kept checking it to be sure.”

“Sneaky girl."  She started moving at a slow, teasing pace, carefully coaxing your muscles to adjust to the girth of the strap.  “Is that why you planned your stream this early?”

You nod.  “So we could, mmf, so we could have the night together.”  You ducked your head down so she wouldn’t see your face flush.  “That’s why I got the wine.”

“I was curious about that,” she said.  “You don’t like red.”  Her free hand was back to petting your hip while she maintained her hold on you from above.

“It’s, fuck, it’s not that I don’t,” you protested.  “It’s just not my favorite.  I can barely drink as it is, so I have to be picky.”  Because polyneuropathy is a fucking bitch.

She hummed again, thoughtfully.  “And how long did it take to learn how to do this?”  She asked, indicating the ribbons by yanking on them again.

“Four hours,” you admitted, the words trailing off into a whimper as your whole body was rocked against the desk by a powerful thrust.  You probably should have moved the towel to the floor, because you were positive that you were starting to drip onto the hardwood.

“All that just for me?”  The quiet awe from before was back.

You nodded fervently.  “All for you.”  Then, because the air felt a little bit too heavy, you added, “The knots were hard as shit to learn.”

She cooed sympathetically, but you could see her smirk turn devilish.  “Then it’s good you’ll be getting plenty of practice now.”

You shivered, a flurry of images from the tutorial videos swirling around your head like cartoon stars.  “Yeah?”

“Oh, yes,” she purred.  “You went to all this effort.  It would be a shame to let your new skills go to waste.”  Her hips started pushing harder, increasing their speed by mere degrees but burying her cock inside you with new intensity.  “You’ll wear it under your clothes again,” she told you, commanding you more like.  “You’ll be tied up all pretty while you entertain those enthusiastic little cretins on your livestream.”  Her free hand traveled up your body to grab a fistful of your hair, forcing your head up until you were staring into the blank computer screen.  “They’ll watch you for hours, and never suspect a thing.  And the entire time, you’ll be thinking about me, and about this.”

You keened, shaking under her hands while she fucked you deep and hard.  “I always am,” you panted.  “Thinking about you.”

“Sweet girl,” she crooned.  “My perfect little slut.”  Her words ended on a rough grunt as she started grinding against your ass, revealing how affected she truly was by all this.  “I love fucking you this way.  Why didn’t we think of this before?”  She let your hair go so her hand could drop onto the desk on top of yours.  She twined your fingers together as she braced herself above your back.  She started moving faster, her other hand moving from your back to one of your tits, long fingers tugging harshly at your nipple.  The sounds of sex were becoming overpowering, echoing off the walls and making you extremely grateful that this apartment complex actually gave a shit about their wall insulation.  “You’re so wet, Aves.  Two hours I spent feeling you soak my lap, and somehow there’s still more?”

“Your fault,” you pointed out breathlessly.  “You wouldn’t stop teasing me.”

“You liked it.”

“My Tarnished didn’t like it.”

“What’s that term you're so fond of?  Sounds like a ‘skill issue’?”  She mocked, grinning right against your ear.  You huffed, craning your neck to the side so you could shut her up by shoving your tongue down her throat.  She allowed this, but retaliated smoothly by sliding her fingers back down to your clit.  You were unable to keep the kiss going after that, breaking off with another helpless gasp.  If she wasn’t actively turning your brain to mush, you would feel aggrieved at how effortlessly she played with your body and how easily you bent to her whims.  As it was, however, your brain was thoroughly mush-ified, and thus it had other priorities.

“Fuck, baby, please,” you begged, shutting your eyes tight while your face burned.

“Please?  Please what?”  Instead of doing the kind and reasonable thing of just giving you what you very obviously wanted, she did the opposite.  She slowed everything down to a standstill, holding herself stationary in your cunt, and when you wiggled around frantically to get more friction, she pulled you upright and wrapped both arms around you to cage you in place.

“Lilith…”  You whined petulantly, arching back against her and feeling the sweat on your skin soak into your shirt.

“Ava, be a good girl,” she chided firmly, pinching your nipple between her thumb and index finger over the damp fabric.  "What are you begging me for?"

“I’m so close, baby, please let me cum,” you pleaded, leaning your head back on her shoulder, baring your throat to her.

“You want to cum?”  You nodded wildly.  “I suppose I’ll allow that.  But you’ll do it the way I want you to.”  Without another word, she let you go, carefully pulling out of your pussy and backing away.  You were left standing alone, the cool air of the room raising goosebumps across your body in the absence of her warmth.  When you turned around, you found her sitting in your chair again, lounging in it just as she had before.

“Up,” she said, patting her lap and grinning.  “Facing me this time.”  You obeyed, stumbling forward on jelly legs and profusely thanking your past self for getting a gaming chair that 1) didn’t have wheels and 2) was wide enough for you to do this comfortably.  Lilith was kind enough to help you get into position, holding your waist steady while you carefully dropped back down on the strap.

While you were busy adjusting to the stretch again, her hands gripped the bottom of your shirt and pulled it up over your head, tossing it into the same pile with your ruined panties.  Finally, you were naked before her, fully open to her appraisal.  And what an appraisal it was.  “Beautiful,” she whispered, tracing her fingers over the knots again.  She was still wearing her black undershirt, creating a sharp contrast between your two states.  It honestly made you feel a little vulnerable, being held open and on display while she was still partially clothed.  But the hunger in her eyes was gentle now, the hard edges of frustration and stress worn away.  As if sensing that whisper of anxiety, however, she was quick to reassure you.  “I’ve got you, love.  It’s okay.  Take what you need.”

You did exactly that.  You started out slow again, wrapping your arms around her shoulders to anchor yourself.  She buried her face into your neck, lavishing it with wet, heavy kisses.  She licked and nipped her way down your collarbone before taking the same nipple she had mercilessly teased between her teeth, sucking and biting it until the noises coming out of you could test even this building’s level of soundproofing.

The intensity kept ramping up and up.  You picked up speed until you were wildly riding her, and she grabbed the silk ties again to pull you down onto her with increasing force.  You could feel the pressure in your gut building to its breaking point, and knew from the way her breathing stuttered that she was getting there too.

“Fuck, that’s good, Aves, you’re riding me so well,” she growled.  “You can come when you’re ready.  I’ll be right behind you.”

As if flipping a switch, it seemed like her permission was all you needed.  You took the whole of the strap inside you and started to grind in her lap, all lucid thought fading away in your frantic search for completion.  “Baby, baby, it’s happening!  I’m—!”  You came with a long, tremulous cry, collapsing against her limply while she took over with her hips, using her powerful core and legs to drive up into you with near bruising force.  She grabbed your hips hard to hold them steady and buried her teeth in your shoulder, keeping you in place so expertly that no rope or ribbon ties could ever compare.

She came a minute later with a rough, deep groan that sent vibrations through your whole body.  Gathering you close, she released your shoulder and started covering the bite mark with open-mouthed kisses.  You were both breathing hard, your chests brushing together with the force of your pants.

“That was amazing,” she said, pressing her lips to every inch of your shoulder and neck that she could reach.  “My love, you did so well.”

“I did?” You asked, cringing just a bit at how small your voice sounded.

“Mmhm,” she murmured, petting your sweaty hair.  “You were so good for me.  You’re so good to me.  I didn’t…” She sighed.  “I didn’t expect this at all.  Thank you, for all of it.”

Her words made your chest feel curiously tight.  You buried your face in her hair to stifle this.  “I wanted to do something for you.  You’ve been so unhappy.”

She stilled, completely caught off-guard.  “I’m not unhappy,” she protested softly.

“I thought work—”

She shook her head.  “My work is frustrating, annoying more than anything.  The idiocy and rail-roading I’m expected to put up with every day is maddening.  But I’m accustomed to it.”

“It stresses you out, and makes you angry.”

“Because of you.”

“Me?”

“Mmhm,” she confirmed.  Her free hand began to trace circles in one of the gaps created by the ribbons.  “Because it keeps me away from you.  This past month has been so hard.”  You knew that, of course, but you waited quietly for her to continue.  “Before you, I never thought much of the hours I worked.  It was the job, and I was used to it.  I didn’t have anything at home for me to miss, apart from the occasional book.  But now I have you, and I miss you terribly, all the time.  Your clumsiness and your stupid jokes and your clutter.  Your laugh.  Your smile.  I miss the warmth when you’re not with me.  I was… very cold before you came to me, and I didn’t realize it.  Does that make sense?”

You nodded.  It did make sense.  You felt the same way.  Before her, your life was fine.  You had your cramped apartment, your job at the bar, the occasional hookup, and your little streaming channel.  It was barely anything, but you thought it was enough.  Until you met her, that is, and you realized that you could do better, could ask more from life than just subsisting on scraps.  You wouldn’t describe your life before as cold, but you would say it was small, too small to be what you really wanted.  But now it was big, in so many ways.  And most of it was because of her.

“I’m thinking about making some changes,” she continued.  “It can’t happen right away, but I’m going to try.  I’m pushing to become a partner in the firm.”

“Are you?”  You knew that would be a serious deal if she managed it.  Yes, she was one of the best and most sought after lawyers in the city, but it was another level to become a named partner in a firm.  “Obviously, you’ll get it.  They’d be idiots not to promote you.”

“I hope so,” she murmured.  “Until then, things will continue to be difficult.  I don’t want it to damage what we have.”

“It won’t.”  You pressed your lips into her raven hair.  “I know things are going to suck.  They’ve been sucking.  But I’m still here, Lil.  Everyday you come home, I’ll be here.  Promise.”

“I love you,” she whispered, pulling you back to look into your eyes.  “You know that, don’t you?”

You beamed.  “Of course I do.  I love you too.”  You kissed her then, curled up in her arms in your gaming chair.

So what if your surprise didn’t go according to plan?  This was the best outcome you could’ve asked for and more.

[thefirstknife]

I've not played D2 long, all things considered, and have never shelled out for a Season Pass (Tho they're switching to something else now??) I DO like following the game's story but worry I don't play regularly enough to get my money's worth out of temporarily-available content. What sort of time investment do you (and others) feel you need to put in to keep it from feeling like a waste?

It honestly depends on you!

They're switching the seasonal stuff, yep, and we don't know how Episodes will work yet, but so far seasons have been streamlined to be fairly easy to finish even if you don't have a lot of time to play. Finishing the season pass has not been too hard, especially with the seasonal challenges that give massive amounts of XP.

The story could be done week by week or you could just wait until it's all over and then do it in one go, depending on how much time you had to play. You could technically wait for the last month or so and then do everything in bulk; the story, seasonal challenges, levelling, any extra content.

I play quite a lot, but I finish the story and the pass without any targeted grinding. I don't do bounty prep, I don't minmax XP gains or anything, I just do the story weekly and whatever else I feel like playing and I've always been able to finish all the content normally. I do have a regular raid/dungeon group as well so that helps; playing solo will always put you at a little bit of a disadvantage, but with the in-game LFG, it's now little easier to find people to play with!

I wouldn't say you need to play like a full-time job to make it all worth it and I hope they keep that for Episodes! There's plenty of time to get things done even if you don't put 15+ hours a week. As long as I finish the story and the season pass levelling, I feel like my time/money spent was not a waste. Anyone else with any extra input feel free to share!

If you know you aren't really playing regularly, I'd definitely suggest to wait before getting any of the seasonal content. You can always purchase it separately if it interests you or if you know you'll have more time to play and you can skip some stuff that you might not enjoy or have time for. You can always check things out online and decide if you want to spend money on it later!

I'm always of the opinion that it's better to skip on things/"miss out" than spend money and then regret it or force yourself to play when you're not interested. Your money and your enjoyment should come first. Preordering the whole yearly pack is not really necessary, especially if you know you're going to be skipping some content. You can always just buy stuff you specifically want and know you'll play and check the rest online.

Hopefully some time soon they'll tell us more about Episodes. So far we know that they'll last longer than season, but there will only be 3 per year, instead of 4. There might be more levelling to do, but you'll have more time as well. We still need more information about it though, so if you're not sure, don't invest into it yet.

[lizzienoodles]

9, 11, and 14 for Gail!

9. Is your OC laid back or do they thrive on drama? What role do they play in their group of friends/associates?

Gail is soooooooo laid-back. At least, that's how you might first perceive her, and how she'd prefer you perceived her. She doesn't have big reactions to things and can take a surprising amount of things in stride. She's the type that even if you yelled in her face she'd probably just stand there like a stone wall. But... underneath that, she's very anxious. Every move is calculated. She's constantly assessing possible ways events could go so that she'll be prepared for anything. Drama is just... one of those things. She'll rarely start it, but is always prepared for it. She's already calculated who is most likely to be upset about something and how to handle it.

As far as her role... she doesn't have friends, at least for a big part of our story. She DOES have associates- she's a security strategist and works with clients. She's usually in a contracting role, so an outsider, just brought in for a short amount of time. She's professional, a bit cold. Not memorable besides her good work. Just how she wants it.

With the Valentine Crew it's different. She's moonlighting as an anti-security strategist for them, once again a contractor. But the Valentine Crew is tight knit and Gail's cold business-only attitude does NOT endear her to them. They... kind of hate her. But Valentine keeps hiring her, because she's good at what she does.

11. What does your OC believe in? God(s)? Monsters? Love? The power of unbreakable bonds of friendship to overcome any obstacle? The ability of money to open any door? Or are they indifferent?

Gail believes in Fate. She's always following these strings of potential orders of events and she's gotten pretty good at recognizing how things are going to go- and she personifies this a little, thinking that Fate has preferences and that she's carefully attuned herself to them. This ends up being far more concrete than she ever assumed when she meets the Norns- otherwise known as The Fates- while trying to save Loki from them. Like if a handy metaphor you'd used your whole life just showed up knocking on your front door. It's because of Gail's keen attenuation to fate that the Norns have singled her out to do a very important task for them in return for allowing her to save Loki....

14. How important is friendship to your OC? Do they prefer to have one or two close friends or a large group of casual friends? Or do they prefer their own company over that of others?

As mentioned above, Gail doesn't really have... Friends. She used to have friends. When she was a kid, she had a ton of them! But... they were all her twin sister Erica's friends, really. She just piggybacked on it. When they joined the Fledge Fighters, Gail had real friends for the first time- people who she got along with who really knew her and stuck around for a long time. But when she lost that life and that universe- and lost her sister for a time- she found herself alone and pretty emotionally closed off. She didn't want to rely on anyone else. Her life was pretty much just working and sleeping until Loki came along. He sort of barged into her life despite her treating him coldly like everyone else- and she let her guard down a bit because it kind of seemed like they were intellectual equals. So now, she has one friend! Eventually, she'll get more. That's kind of what happens once the shell starts cracking.

Thanks for asking!! These answers are so long because i love gail sooooo much

[thebigshotman]

The day after Christmas. A rough day for any Addison or salesperson, given that the day was almost exclusively taken up by people returning their gifts and forcing them to shell out money instead of making it. If you didn’t sell anyone anything for Christmas, though, you had nothing to worry about and had a relaxing, normal business day.

That was what Spamton was going through for most of the day today, trying to restock his shelves now that most of them weren’t clipping through the floor. He might be able to reopen soon! And with that he’d have to leave Eileen. A lump in his throat formed at that thought. He didn’t want to do that. What could he do to prolong doing that?

His thoughts were derailed by the lump in his throat bubbling into a gentle hiss of static that transitioned into the screeching of dial up.

Startled, he stumbled to the floor and onto his side, smashing the S. POTION he was carrying onto the floor. He could feel his skin hardening; it hurt like hell. They didn’t say this was going to happen going back, too!

If they had he might not have chosen to be affected by their magic at all!!

*HeaVEN, this hurts…Eileen!! Saff!! An YONE!!!!

His voice was on the frizz underneath the dial up, once again transitioning between throat and voice box. His teeth were growing, that stupid dumb award-losing smile stretching back onto his face whether he liked it or not. How wide he was smiling hurt. His teeth growing hurt. His hair falling out again, the black and white clumps piling up in front of him, were humiliating. His clothing itched.

Someone help him. He screamed beyond the static, only for it to cut off halfway with a startup noise.

He couldn’t feel his thumping, pounding heart anymore. Glitches split his vision now as his glasses became solid frame once again. He squinted his eyes shut, that last bit of moisture trickling off of them as they became simple decoration once again. His plastic hands flew to his head. It was throbbing as the noise and static and voices returned, mocking him.

*[[A]] [[A]] [[A]] [[A]] [[A]]

It was about all the noise he was capable of making at this point as the pain and humiliation built to a fever pitch. Why couldn’t he frown and scream and beg like a normal person could, maybe someone would be able to help him and make this all just go away-

Not like they’d be able to. They’re not real. Like you.

Your angel’s not real, either. Why are you so attached to her?

His eyes flew open.

*…SHUT UP.

He muttered to everyone and no one, for the shop was empty as always. Like a bad nightmare, the pain had passed, as horrific as it had been, and he was back to himself. He was dissociating somewhat as he touched the ground but couldn’t feel the shattered glass, grumbled but in a voice that wasn’t his own. That would pass, too. At the end of the day, no matter how powerful the magic, this was the state he returned to.

…But. He would always make the most of the magic when it was given to him. No matter what the consequences or catches.

*SHE 1S REAL. SHE HAS TO B3. I’D GO [[*cuckoo clock noises*]] IF SHE W4SN’T. SHUT UP.

He slicked back his black hair in annoyance, once again fake and once again layered with an inhumane amount of gel and grease. He hadn’t felt it returning. Probably because it wasn’t real hair that grew, not anymore.

He checked all of his systems now that he was back to normal. His mini-Spams were okay, he could access his Inventory, and his cherub wasn’t in pain anymore! If nothing else, those were pluses. The only other thing was his voice…but what else was new?

That was when he got up without another word, except for a bright, eerily positive-after all that just happened, anyway-confirmation noise leaving his mouth, and went into the back of the shop to check on his mini-selves. Some customers had wanted one, right?

Back to business.

[gandalfsbignaturals]

do you have any tips for getting into magic? it looks cool but also so scary…

woof. magic is tough to recommend because like, if you spend any amount of time on it, eventually you are going to want cards you dont have, and that requires either trading up or shelling out $$$ for the cards you want. if youre the kind of person who falls for microtransactions or gacha games, you should probably stay away from magic because it pioneered the same models those things use. it is an expensive hobby that is constantly trying to get you to spend even more money. i wont say that it isnt worth it, because like, i get a lot out of playing magic and collecting magic cards, i genuinely really enjoy the game mechanics and the social act of playing the game. but it is not without its risks!

anyway, disclaimer out of the way, the easiest way to learn is in paper with someone who knows the game sitting there to explain it to you. the basic things to know are the seven main card types, the structure of a turn, and from there everything tends to come from playing the game. if you go to your local game store, you might be able to convince a stranger or even a store worker to take you under their wing. look up friday night magic events in your area, or, if youre specifically interested in playing commander, one of the more popular formats, try looking around for a prerelease event for a commander set.

the second best way to learn is free but requires learning more things at once. theres a program called cockatrice that can be used to play magic online with your friends, look up cockatrice mtg and youll find the github. learning both the cockatrice hot keys and the game magic at the same time is hard, but it can be done.

the third best way is to look up some videos on youtube. theres lots to choose from, but the most important things to learn are: the 7 basic card types, the land/mana system, and the structure of a turn. this will get you what you need to get started, but you cant ask a youtube video questions, and it cant correct you if you forget something or get it wrong, which youre likely to do early on because its got some quirks to it compared to other more modern tcgs.

godspeed and good luck. magic has been one of my favorite hobbies ever since i got into it, but it really is best experienced in person with someone who can help you learn.

[freezerbnuuy]

Act 4:11 - Water Under the Bridge (Page 2)

LORE | CHARACTERS | ABOUT / CHAPTERS / WARNINGS

← PREVIOUS | BEGINNING | NEXT →

Daniel

Josiah and I take a walk around the park. He seems so much older over the last year or so. I still can't believe he's at university. I'd be bored having to read from books all the time. That's why I like working with wood and stone- it's hands-on.

"How's your time with Owen been? I met him some time last year. Didn't know how to feel about him."

"I don't really like him. He's definitely shady, maybe not as shady as Samuel was, but time will tell." He seems a bit more confident, but he's still got ways to go until he comes out of his shell. "I have to admit, he's a good teacher, at least. I've read some of his medical journals. It's amazing how much he's learned, but I always feel like there's something he's holding back."

"It's pretty fun now that we're also doing a little stonemasonry as well. Only small carvings at the moment, but in a few years, who knows? We might be carving statues of the biggest pricks in Henford for huge amounts of money," I tell him, and we both laugh together. 

Josiah looks down into the grass.

"It's weird to think that it was this time not that long ago that..."

That I was made to become a witchfinder. That Micah was killed. That Oskar was killed. What a time for a family reunion. Eli had mentioned similar, and when I told him about possibly trying to reschedule, he told me to go see my family and leave him to his work. Over the years, he's become a completely different person.

He still visits his brother now and again, and he's planning to visit his nephew for the first time- but he doesn't do much else outside of his work. I remember when we first started getting closer to each other, how we spoke of a dream of a life outside of work, and now he doesn't want to think of a life outside of it. 

"I don't know why everyone's bringing it up. I thought this was supposed to be a fun catch-up?"

"It's hard not to bring it up," Josiah replies, with a sigh. "I'm not worried about us, Dan. That letter said we'd be left alone. It said nothing about Father." We keep walking, and Josiah's gaze is still fixated on the ground. "The reason I decided to study medicine is because I wanted to heal people instead of hurt them. Everything that's happened with both you and Father-"

"Father hasn't hurt anyone for years, Josiah. The only person I hurt was Oskar, and it wasn't that serious. On top of that, he convinced Volpe that he'd killed Oskar. It's fine. We don't have to worry about Volpe, not until he builds up another army of his witchfinders again."

"But-"

"But nothing. Stop worrying about it, and leave it all where it is. Father sorted it. Got that?"

Josiah gives me a reluctant nod. "We should head back home. Father had a special dinner planned for us."

"Oh, really? Is it fish, by any chance?"

Josiah chortles to himself, and a smile replaces his concern. "You know it."

Eli

It's been almost two years since the day the witchfinders attacked.

Henford has felt empty since. There aren't a lot of women around; even the ones without magic didn't feel safe after that. I don't hear as many playing children outside, either. There hasn't been much going on since that night, but I know the conflict between Volpe and the witches is far from over. 

Violeta has been a line of contact between my sister and my niece, delivering letters between us - and Reynold and I have sent the odd letter. The last one I got from my sister was a year or so ago, and all it mentioned was that she was safe where she was and that she hoped I was getting on well. Violeta told me that she's safe in Glimmerbrook with a little 'family' of fellow witches.

Business has been a bit quieter in Henford, but in the other nearby countries, but word got around about my work- it was the familiar Nivelheim signature that attracted most buyers, but I did my own next to it, for transparency's sake.

I had enough money to set up a proper workshop, and with Dan at my side, I can get things done a bit faster…not much faster, since we're a massive distraction to one another…but people are happier to wait now I've built more of a reputation for myself. Strangely, but thankfully, no-one thought I was piggybacking off of Oskar's family name, and they saw it all as homage.

As well as woodwork, I've also gotten into a little stonemasonry. So far, I've only made small projects, but it's nice to have something different to work with.

The animal statue proved to be quite popular, as did the wooden toys. Sometimes, I make things for fun and just sell them off after. It's nice to be able to just make whatever I want on occasion.

Oskar's room hasn't been touched since his murder. I sometimes peer in there for the sake of memories, but I try not to dwell. Trouble is, there's so much that doesn't make sense to me. I still feel like there is plenty being kept from me, as there always was. It's not until recently that I've allowed myself to inwardly question any of it. I just wanted a period where I didn't have to think about who was lying about what, where I could just focus on trying to overcome what happened.

Samuel died from illness- that was what everyone was told, and what everyone believed. There were a couple of times I visited Owen when he said that Samuel was bedridden, and for ages, I didn't question it. The more I think about it, though...The last time I saw Samuel was that night, when he argued with Owen about something.

There isn't anyone in the surrounding area who didn't want Samuel dead, and Volpe knew of his magic. Is there a chance Volpe's witchfinders killed him? I never truly believed Samuel and Volpe had anything close to a friendship. Samuel only tolerated him to save his own skin, after all.

Before I have any more time to think about it, Dan cuddles up behind me, and rests his head on my shoulder.

"Do you mind?" I tell him, laughing. "I'm working on something."

I can never seem to think about anything in his arms. It's blissful. 

"You've been working on it for hours. You could do with a little break."

Dan is both the reason I have time to do any of this, and the reason I end up getting everything done a lot slower than I would do if I were alone. Since him living with me, I've been trying to think of the future. Eventually, I wouldn't mind taking on an apprentice or two.

If I get on okay with that, part of me wonders if Dan might want to adopt a child. I honestly don't know what I'd be like as a father- all I know is that Oskar made me want to be one, eventually.

"I could also do with getting this thing finished off..."

Ever since we first started getting closer to each other, there was something about being around Dan that was almost dreamlike. I didn't have to worry about anything, or think about anything. All I could think about was how lucky I was to be with someone like him, and now, how lucky I am to share the business with him.

Eh, it's only a personal project. It can wait until tomorrow.

[cadyrocks]

The idea that this is simply a matter of energy extraction in the 20th century is somewhat undermined by just how comically evil large corporations have been. To this day, they are spending massive amounts of money to lie about climate change, lie about their culpability, and lie about the feasibility of any shift away from fossil fuels. As a result, we continue to drag our feet on addressing the problem.

This is not some formless natural outcome. Various people and organizations made (and continue to make!) choices that helped lead us here. Oil and gas companies chose to hide and lie about internal research on the effects of burning fossil fuels. Oil and automobile companies lobbied hard for car-dependent sprawl. Mobil directly advertised against electric cars and various oil companies pushed back against the rollout of EV charging stations in the 90s. Automobile makers intentionally bought up and destroyed public transit infrastructure. None of this was a natural result of energy consumption habits. They were decisions. Decisions made to further the short-term greed of a handful of shareholders at the cost of a world in which Bangladesh isn't underwater.

There may be an alternative universe where, shocked by the research they had commissioned, Exxon and Shell stepped forward and said, "this is a big problem and we need to drastically change things to avoid a future where the gulf of Mexico is a jacuzzi and Florida is underwater", then led the charge on renewable and alternative energy sources. It would be a better universe than the one we have today, where people who got disgustingly rich off oil decided to use their wealth to ensure nothing changed.

The actions, both past and present, of companies like Exxon, are sociopathic, selling out the future for a quick buck. The people in charge have spent decades making these sociopathic, selfish, deeply harmful decisions and facing zero repercussions. Maybe some repercussions would make the next guy in line ask, "is what I'm doing likely to make people want to kill me?" before spending another billion on climate disinformation. Currently, I see no reason to believe any of the bastards who are still running these corporations are even the slightest bit concerned that their actions might have consequences. That's a problem.

You want underlying material reality? We've known since the 80s at the very latest that burning fossil fuels in bulk will have drastic consequences. That's a material reality we have proceeded to ignore for *checks notes* my entire fucking life, in large part because of the actions of the oil industry. We've known for an entire fucking generation that we need to drastically change things, and we still aren't doing it. We don't need oil! Certainly not in the amounts we've been using it. There has been an active, malicious campaign to keep people using as much oil as possible and to shut out alternatives, because it makes certain people very rich. If you're looking for villains in this story, there they are. And I think they should spend a lot more time wondering if their latest scheme to get even richer at the cost of countless lives will lead to someone saying "no" in a very loud, double-barrelled voice. They've had it coming for a very long time.

Tl;Dr: what @togglesbloggle said in the comments.

[easyloanhub]

Overcome the pitfalls to avoid unproductive spending habits

Are you anxious about your spending habits? Do you purchase things without researching and analysing the necessity? Your presence here confirms that you are not in a happy zone.

Besides, it indicates that your expenses have exceeded the optimal financial limit you can bear. It is concerning if you do not think twice before buying anything. Another thing is that you do not pursue a budget before spending money.

No matter how much you earn or save, budgeting is the ultimate step to be organised about finances. There are clear signs of your unproductive spending habits. If you repent buying something later, it shows how careless you were while shelling out money.

The cash amount you have spent could have been saved by making confirmation about the requirements. Purchasing things without taking note of the necessity is impulse buying. This is called wasting resources that could have solved other financial problems.

Not everything is meant for you and this should be kept in mind. For example, the emergence of home collection loans has occurred to help a special category of borrowers. Someone who does not have a bank account and needs loans can consider this option.

These loans allow them to receive loan money at their doorstep. Now, since the facility is available and involves less obligation, you should not jump into getting it, especially without a purpose. If you do so, you will welcome new debts that can harm your finances.

Thus, regardless of what features a loan offers, you should not borrow without any proper reason. This same logic applies when it comes to spending money. Find out how you can point out some of the bad spending habits.

Discover and treat useless spending habits

Spending habits can vary from person to person. People cannot give up this habit totally. However, the journey to reduce this type of indulgence can always be started at any time.

You will be able to witness a change in mindset if you can spot and rectify the mistakes. You are here since you have realised that your spending habits are not good. This is the first step towards liberating yourself from the shackles of this mindset.

Dig deeper to find out common spending mistakes you can make.

· Purchasing on a whim

Buying things without taking note of the actual need is impulse buying. This results in unnecessary dresses in the wardrobe. Besides, this can happen in the case of grocery shopping.

You end up buying spices and other ingredients which you either do not need or already have. This can create a clutter in your wardrobe or pantry. Besides, you might not have the needed money available for other purposes.

On the flipside, you can be more patient in deciding whether or not to buy these things. This careful thought process will be able to convince you to avoid buying unnecessary things. Thus, you will not drain out your money impulsively.

· Impulsive use of credit card

Having a credit card can make you carried away and spend beyond your means. You might find it easy and convenient to pay for things you want with this card. You no longer have to carry cash.

Since the swiping of the card seems easy than taking out money from wallet, you tend to misuse the card. However, not to forget that this card does not facilitate free money. You are liable to pay some charges and interest for being able to use it.

You conveniently forget it at times and use this card to sponsor your purchases. At the end of the month, you get a mini heart attack seeing the credit card statement. If you are paying the balance on time, you might be in a safer position.

Nevertheless, the interest rate will start accruing once you miss or delay the payment. To avoid such problems, it would better for you to skip the idea of getting a credit card. Even though you obtain one, you must stick to responsible use of it.

Keep it at home especially when you are planning to go out for shopping. It should be a hard to reach place for you.

· Brainless shopping experiences

When you spend money without thinking carefully, you tend to buy whatever is available. Later, you come to realise how unimportant the purchase was. However, you cannot reverse this decision and have the money back.

You have to continue keeping this item which will remind you of the brainless shopping experience.

The bottom line

You need to understand that your spending habits are unproductive. If you do not control it on time, you will soon realise the requirement to borrow instant cash with no credit check compulsion. This could be a loan that allows you to get funds despite poor scores.

Although you can pay off an urgent bill with that, you cannot borrow again and again. This will be threatening to your financial condition.