#anyway I hope you enjoyed the read haha

[yellow-faerie]

The Story of Bakkru and Misu

or, The Boy Who Lived, and Died, and Lived Again

In the slave quarters beneath one of Nal Hutta's largest auction houses, a grandmother is coming to the end of her life; her family - those that can be there - come to her side. There, they hear the story of Bakkru and Misu, an Ekkreth tale about dancing and fire, and freedom and death, and the bond between a grandmother and the child she helped raise.

I tell you this story to save your life.

If you're interested in any commentary on the choices I make in this story with the Amavikka or Amatakka, as well as some general thoughts on the Amavikka of Nal Hutta, check under the readmore :)

First of all, thank you for coming down here to check out my inane ramblings about the Amavikka people in the wider galaxy (in this case, Nal Hutta) for more words than in the actual fic - I will almost definitely end up writing stuff for other planets/groups, just you wait.

Second of all, huge thanks to @adragonsfriend and @looseleafteeaves who've both made dictionaries and guides that I used extensively through writing this, I would probably have given up if they hadn't been available so…thanks for sharing those to the general public, and for creating them in the first place!

The whole language and culture was originally created by @/fialleril but if you have any interest in Amatakka and the Amavikka beyond that, their dictionaries and guides are a really good place to go to (and that is where I get most of the words that I use from).

And last of all, here's the fic commentary!

Names

There are several new names and characters in this - I'll start with the characters I made for the framing part, and then I'll do the names for the actual tale.

A general note on Amavikka names: first names tend (not always) to be just a word from Amatakka, although there is some variance - this isn't always the case, but I've decided it tends to be even more common within the Nal Hutta community and so all of the characters have first names in this pattern.

Similarly, last names tend to be two words put together. Again, there are exceptions (especially if the Amavikka in question was not born into the community and has a name they wish to hold onto from before they were enslaved) but I've opted against using any in this fic for reasons known as, I think it's way too fun to make up names in this style haha

OK, so onto the actual names:

Qelin Omerukka

the name Qelin is literally the verb 'to talk, to tell a story', and it's perhaps a little on the nose but then again, so are several names throughout the Star Wars lore

Omerukka means 'Lightspinner' and is the name her mother and father made for themselves when they were married

(I have a small headcanon that one thing that a couple can do when they get married is to mix their names together, so there is always something that connects them - this is most common on worlds where slaves get sold off planet a lot, like on Nal Hutta, and less common on world like Tatooine where the slave trade tends to be far more local. As always, there are exceptions to the rules)

Sudu, Orrin, Lutlu and Rethka, the children of Qelin

Sudu is a word that means 'whirling, spinning, swirling' - Nal Hutta Amavikka are likely to see this name and think of the swirling eddies that you sometimes get in water due to the unstable catacombs beneath much of the planets surface, that can be incredibly dangerous is you are in the water and too close to them

Orrin is a word that means 'bird of prey' - this is a loan word from Ryl but is often used on Nal Hutta to mean a very specific, slightly carnivorous and rather large bird of prey that targets Hutts

Lutlu is a word that means 'surprise' or literally 'chaos now!' - there is no particular connotations for this word on Nal Hutta

Rethka is a word that means 'strider, walker' - again, this is a name that would likely be quite common throughout Amavikka communities, as the idea of walking a long distance into the wilds to free yourself are very common (be it the desert or the swamp or the frozen tundra or up out of the mine tunnels), but not so common on water worlds

Shursu La-Nalikeh

Shursu, like the other names, is a word that means 'root, foundation, base', and on Nal Hutta, would probably make Amavikka think of the strong foundations of the huge swamp trees that survive

Lah-Nalikeh is a surname that means 'Wet-Life' - it's a very traditional Nal Hutta name, which has connotations of escaping and living a 'wet life' away from the homesteads within the wet swamps

Leshna Rapshmi

Leshna is a word that means 'lightning' and is an idea that is somewhat connected to the Lukka that Amavikka raised on Nal Hutta would know - where on Tatooine, Lukka is the seven winds come together, on Nal Hutta he is the storm (the thunder, the rain and the lightning) and the flood come together

Rapshmi is a surname that means 'Wiseword' which is not a surname that's particularly linked to any dialect of Amavikka

I imagine that Leshna's family was probably slaves of some sort of spacer faction and so never had a firm community to fall back on, but only what they learned from the few people they came in contact with (and I have...an idea for a tale about this, which I might just use Leshna and the Rapshmi's to tell)

She and Orrin have only been married a short while, and have yet to decide whether to merge their names or not; if they did, it would likely be Omeshmi, or 'Light of Wisdom'

Peha Rillochelii

Peha is a word that means 'to rise, to get up' which I think has connotation of freedom in it

Rillochelii on the other hand is a desert name from Tatooine, which means something like 'Dunerunner' which definitely has connotations of freedom as chelii literally means 'runaway, or escapee'

Peha was unlucky to be sold off planet and away from her family as quite a young age, but she had been old enough to remember her name which is deeply important to the Amavikka, so while she is being fostered by the grandmothers of this new quarter, she keeps that name

And that is all the names in the framing section! I know most of them barely speak, but I did want to use them to highlight some of the differences between various Amavikka dialects.

So, onto the actual myth names:

Bakkru:

Bakkru is a type of dance that fialleril commented as being a dance that was often used to convey hidden messages; on Nal Hutta, it is told to be the name of the boy who created it, but in most other Amavikka cultures this tale has been lost, or is simply not told that much

This might be because Nal Hutta is one of the worlds where slave dancers are very, very prominent and in large enough numbers that having a dance to convey secrets makes sense due to the fact that Nal Hutta is considered the luxurious homeworld of the HUtts (another world I can think of might be Zygerria, if any Amavikka ever ended up there)

Bakkru is also known as just Ru, and that is how he is referred to in any myth that he appears in (usually as a silent agent of Ekkreth, and usually to help dancers to escape their masters) beyond his origin myth

On a small tangent about the name Ru - I quite like the idea that any dancer who has learned how to dance the Bakkru and uses it, may add the prefix Ru- to their name to signal this to other people in introductions

(For example, if Peha ever were to become a dancer and she also learned Bakkru, she might introduce herself as Ru-Peha; it is less an honorific, and more a way to tell someone that they should be watching her dance very closely)

Misu

Misu literally means 'the act of sharing of memories after a loved one's death' and she is named for how she speaks often of Bakkru's memory after his death so that she might teach the rest of the people the dance that had saved their lives

Misu as a character within Amavikka mythology definitely turns up in some form in most dialects as her name is synonymous with one very important aspect of Amavikka mourning (sharing memories, one of the only things that they will have of their lost love one)

On Nal Hutta, she is used in Bakkru's story and is rather minor to the story, but on Corellia, she is the one who holds all the records of the debtors and so knows all who are enslaved that way, and speaks of their memory to anyone who comes to her, and is a major part of a lot of tales

Also her name being similar to Mittu, as in the Ebra and Mittu story on Tatooine is not a complete accident; there are a lot of parallels in the relationship between grandmother of the community and a young child, and on Nal Hutta, the story of where Tzai comes from is very different (as they do not have the Tzai plant - I still have to work out how Tzai works on Amavikka planets that aren't Tatooine, and specifically how the lore around them works)

Jula

Jula, as sort of implied/explained in the fic, means 'flame, ember' and is an epithet for Ekkreth which is particularly popular on Nal Hutta

It's not common for Ekkreth to be portrayed as anything but a living thing, but on Nal Hutta, fire is considered to be somewhat sentient and thus, Ekkreth can take it's shape

Fire in general is closely linked with the idea of freedom on Nal Hutta - just as daylight/the sun is freedom for the Amavikka confined to mines, and rain is freedom for the Amavikka of the desert, so is fire linked to freedom on Nal Hutta

Fire is quite uncommon on the planet and where it does burn, it is often put out quickly by rain or just not enough dry kindling for it to burn as everything is wet but the expensive sort of houses that Depur own that are dry - another reason why fire is considered freeing is that it will tear through those houses greedily while leaving the much damper, wetter slave quarters alone

I will say that the Ekkreth parts of this fic feel like the weakest section - I feel like Ekkreth should be more tricky than they are in this, and I'm not entirely happy with them turning into fire itself - perhaps a creature who could sit in the flames for the first conversation with Bakkru, where Bakkru thinks that he is speaking with the flames themselves, and then perhaps a creature who breathed fire for the later meeting, but I wasn't sure what creatures would fit

(All of these names come from

Some General Nal Hutta-Amavikka Worldbuilding

So there are a few things that I mention throughout the fic that I feel are worth talking about

Evokka

So Evokka - the Amavikka name for the planet - comes from the original name for Nal Hutta (in Legends), that being Evocar, which was the home of the native Evocii who got enslaved by the Hutts when they decided that Evocar would be a good new homeworld for them

I thought it would be neat if Nal Hutta was thus referred to as Evokka, a name that is a slight shift in pronunciation from the original to fit Amatakka better but which still holds the spirit of the original name in tact

Abbu-Dabbu (and Ru)

Abbu-Dabbu and Ru are both characters of myth that are mentioned in the third installation of Blue_Sunshine's Desert Sun Series, Fallout and I don't believe they are mentioned again

I used both as part inspiration for this fic, using Ru as the main character (although changing his name slightly) but using his name of the Boy Who Lived, and Died, and Lived Again as the title for this fic

Ru is probably more akin to a prophet (like Maru and Tena) than to the more godlike figures of Ar-Amu and Ekkreth, and Lukka and Leia, (and Vokkri, who I will come to later) but I did list Abbu-Dabbu with the divine figures, so I'm thinking that she probably is divine

Abbu-Dabbu is also mentioned in this fic - I'm not quite sure what to do with her within a tale centred on her yet, but I am comfortable using her as a character who is prone to turning up in stories if there is need of the character being Safe For A While

I don't think that she actually needed to be in this fic beyond her first, brief mention but she ended up there anyway, so

Anyway, she is apparently quite linked to salt which I find interesting; in my mind, this has something to do with the swamps of Nal Hutta mostly being salt water and when it is dried (such as with fire) it creates salt

So this makes me think that as a witch, Abbu-Dabbu has some level of control over fire which allows her to dry the surrounding area enough that she can create a house of salt that doesn't get dissolved in the water

(This idea of salt being left behind is slightly mentioned in the fic when Bakkru is crying and Ekkreth-as-Jula dries his tears until all that is left is salt on his skin)

A Translation of Abbu-Dabbu's name, and the Nal Hutta dialect

With this in mind, I am going to attempt to come up with a translation of her name:

So, the important things in her story are salt, fire, being a witch/magic, home, being a beacon for the lost

But if her name is made of two of these ideas smooshed together, they would probably be related due to how similar Abbu and Dabbu are, and so I would be tempted to say Salt and Fire

With the current breadth of the Amatakka language, we have some words for these ideas already

Salt: tabtu (for preserving meat and fish), tavetabtu (red salt), amnabtu (black salt)

Fire: jula (flame, ember), itza (cooking fire, hearth), and anu (which means rain on Tatooine, and daylight in the mines, and fire on Nal Hutta)

So, here is where some dialect things come into play - I am honestly quite scared to consider dialects as I am not at all a professional conlanger but someone who is just fascinated with cultures and languages and all the moving parts of them, but here goes

So I propose that Tabtu -> Dabbu

The first T changes to a D, probably through a general phonological drift in the dialect, and the second is dropped altogether - I might play around with the idea of T's getting dropped or changed in the Nal Hutta dialect, although I'm not sure yet why this might be the case

Either way, this makes the part of the name Dabbu mean salt which then means we have to think about the Abbu part

Words for Heat on Tatooine and Nal Hutta

Now, both words for fire or flame don't fit at all, so I shifted my thoughts more towards heat

Using what we have, I would probably use jula if I was going to have a heat that was aggressive or angry, and so words for heat on Tatooine probably derive from this or maybe the word for white which is linked to the hotter of the two suns

So I'm thinking something like Terajula which means flame of the desert, and might mean heat - this would probably be tempered with a time of day to let the other person know how intense the heat was, as evening heat is different to midday heat, etc.

Itza has more of an implication of being a homely sort of fire, and I don't think that on Tatooine there would be much use for a word to describe the physical warmth of a home (perhaps the metaphorical kind though)

Meanwhile, on Nal Hutta, you have several types of heat - dry heat, wet heat, flame heat and artificial heat

Wet heat usually goes hand-in-hand with humidity, often the sort of heat you get in the swamps, and would translate as something like Lahjula

Flame heat is the heat that comes from flames and is quite similar to dry heat in how it feel but is far more important due to it's relation to fire - Dagrilela is the word used to refer to this, from the word 'Tagr' with a softened 't' meaning 'white' (white flames = the hottest, and so white has similar connotations on Nal Hutta as it does on Tatooine) and 'lela', the word for 'shine', which is from the shimmering affect that happens with heat, (all with an added 'i' in between so the consonants don't get mushed)

As fire is linked so closely to freedom, I think flame heat might also have some connection to the word anu

Artificial heat is the heat that is usually found in places where Depur lives, where they can control the temperature as they please, and so is described as something like 'Fake heat'

All these words for heat are somewhat irrelevant (and definitely need some workshopping haha) to the one I actually want to focus on - dry heat

There might also be a fifth type of heat, a 'home heat' so to say, which is some sort of mix between Fire Heat and the idea of home...but this whole heat discussion is really getting out of hand for someone who knows next to nothing about conlanging

Back to Abbu-Dabbu

Dry heat is what Abbu-Dabbu would need to keep a house of salt alive within the swamps; it would need to be absolute and blanket quite a distance all the time lest her house melt around her

(And perhaps the building of her house might be one of her stories, of trying again and again, and it is only when the lost and unsure wander into her home and she lets them give advice (ultimately showing that she is stronger when she is part of a community) does it hold)

Abbu is this dry heat, and it's actual meaning derives from the idea of salt - this is the type of heat which can be used to get salt from the water, and heat is such an integral part of the salt itself, it's most of the salt's name

So the D in Dabbu sort of signifies that it's the result of the dry heat (if that makes any sense, it is getting very late and I know I am becoming nonsensical)

Vokkri

Vottra is a god that does not come from Amavikka tradition but got folded in from the Evocii tradition and that is why he is mostly only on Nal Hutta

The name Vottri comes from the original name of the Sky God Evotiirin, a name that slowly shifted over time to Vottri, and he is often represented as a bright star that shines bright enough to guide runaways through the thick swamp mists

The star in actuality no longer exists - it went supernova at one point and vanished - but there are a lot of myths about Vottri vanishing to hide from Depur, and how he will return when all the Amavikka are free to guide them to safety

I think this would be an example of a word where the 't' does not get softened into a 'd', probably because it's in the middle of the word and if it were dropped, it would rather ruin the structure of the word

Also because the name is holy so is cared for more diligently - some words, like greetings and goodbyes and certain figures in myth are told in the same way throughout the Amavikka as they are so precious to them that they make sure to pronounce the words exactly right rather than let linguistic flow take them

I'm not entirely sure what his name might meant as 'kest' is the word for star in the Tatooine dialect but I think this might be an example of where there is an entirely separate word for star on Nal Hutta - 'vottrak', which would translate to 'of Vottri'

On Lukka, Leia, Ekkreth and Ar-Amu

So I talked a bit about Ekkreth in his name section but I also wanted to touch on the other gods who end up everywhere (there are those that end up throughout pretty much all Amavikka tradition, those that end up through all of the tradition on a specific planet, and then those (often prophets) which are region specific)

Lukka was not created by fialleril but by @/blue-sunshine-mauve-morning in the same Desert Storm series I linked above (I love that fanfic so much), and she states in her fic that Lukka is a Tatooine only kinda god

I like Lukka too much so...I disregarded that and made him, along with Leia, Ekkreth and Ar-Amu, one of the gods who ends up pretty much everywhere in the galaxy

The themes that they represent throughout the galaxy are fairly consistent to; Ar-Amu is the mother, the one that all the Amavikka return to one day; Ekkreth is the trickster, which no chain can hold, whatever shape it is; Leia is the dragon, the anger of slaves that comes to crush slavers; and Lukka is the storm, that is safe for Amavikka to pass through but that will destroy any who follow.

Lukka

On Tatooine, Lukka is closely linked to the seven winds - some say the winds are Lukka's children, and some say that the winds are even older than Lukka and are what came together to form him - the winds are quite a common thing throughout Amavikka communities, although sometimes it is four winds rather than seven

On Nal Hutta and other more watery worlds though, Lukka is often referred to as The Storm and the Flood, although again, which came first is debated as the biggest threat on Nal Hutta is the terrible rainstorms that cause the swamp to flood into inhabited places

It's quite difficult to defend against these floods too as the water is everywhere, so it affects Depur as much as it affects the Amavikka in terms of destruction of property

Leia

Also from Blue_Sunshine's story, Leia is referred to as the Nal Hutta dragonsnake which is a creature canon to Nal Hutta, and I love this idea

She serves much the same purpose on Tatooine as she does on Nal Hutta but instead of the desert, she haunts the swamps

Dancing on Nal Hutta

So I mentioned this earlier but I really wanted to go into the implications of dance on Nal Hutta

Like I said before, Nal Hutta is a pleasure world for the Hutts and their cronies so there are a lot of places where slaves are used for entertainment like dance, which is why Ru's story is so important here

Of course, Ru always danced for himself in the way this story was told - some areas of Nal Hutta will have Bakkru being a dancer for Depur initially, or will have stories of Ru (who has already lived and died and lived again) returning to Depur to dance for him and to help free dancers as he returned to free his grandmother

But although dance is quite intrinsically linked to Depur on Nal Hutta, it is also very holy, in a way it's not really in most other places - due to Ru's story, it's linked a lot to fire and freedom, and the dancers who know the Bakkru are often fundamental pieces of the Freedom Trail

Ru's Symbol would be something that is carved onto the equivalent of Japor snippets on Nal Hutta, and is often given to dancers or those who have been picked to be pleasure slaves (who are often synonymous with dancers) as a charm of protection and good luck

Te bakkruker a anu or, 'You will dance in fire' is quite a common phrase to use when saying goodbye to a loved one who is either sold off or dying - it is wishing them freedom, as Bakkru was freed

However, it should be noted, that they are not wishing their loved one to die - although Bakkru died, Ru leads a lot of figures later to dance in fire to be freed who do not die, and so it is the more general idea of freedom

Final Words

This post grew absolutely massive so I feel like a final words section is appropriate haha (this is why I didn't try to put it in the AO3 author's notes section)

Thank you for getting this far! If you're interested in any of my thoughts about Amatakka and the Amavikka on planets outside of Tatooine (and on Tatooine too - there's a reason I love all this lore so much and it's because it worked so beautifully with Tatooine) please do hit me up, I'd love to talk about it more!

(And I'm neither an expert on the language nor a conglanger, so I would love some help with the words I was trying to make, and on how to distinguish dialects lol)

[waywardstation]

Look for anything (or anyone) that could be familiar

For part two:

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[pokimoko]

Hello!! i just discovered your blog and firstly i wanna say that your art is gorgeous! <33 and secondly, if youre still taking requests could i get a lesbian/non binary cheetah? /nf

Thank you! Cheetahs be upon ye!

[waterfallofspace]

9, 42, and 45 for a sick, sneezy vash please, if that’s okay? 😄

Thank you for the ask, of course that's okay!! (it does feature a hint of W/olfwood action too, just a smiiidge, hope that's alright hehe~ It's also a V/ashwood story since, well, I figured that would be alright~!) 1.9k words, prompts 9, 42, and 45, story under cut! 9. “You’re trembling.”  42. “Baby, you’re all sniffly.”  45. “Your nose is literally twitching.” (Brief mentions of anxiety just incase anyone doesn't like that!)

~~~~~~~

“hn’chh-! hh’keshh-! ‘Scuse me, sorry.”

“I told ya, no need for the ‘pologies.” 

“Y- you did but it’s a hahh... habit. hek’ishh-! Sor-”

A dark look from Wolfwood cuts off the apology, Vash being reduced to stuttering out some nonsensical syllables in his effort to recover. His leg is still, but there’s constant movement in his hands as they attempt to find something to grab onto. Anxiety was never a stranger to the man, despite apparent lack of concern for his own safety most of the time.  

The town they find themselves in doesn’t have a motel, which isn’t that unique in these parts. They’ve grown quite used to sharing a room, or even just a bed, wherever they could find one. For instance, they’re currently sharing a guest room above the town bar. Not an awful crashpad, a couch, nice radio, their own bathroom. 

It’s secluded from the rest of the bar too, giving them a bit of privacy. Sliding onto the bed, Wolfwood motions for Vash to join him. Surprise crosses his sharp features as the request is denied. Instead, Vash points himself towards the couch, offering a wave over his shoulder as he spins away. ‘Well that’s new…’ 

“What, suddenly too good to share a bed with me, Blondie?”

“Wh- what? No, not at all! I just… I figured you’d- en’chh-! ih’tshhie-! Excuse me, sorry. Where was I..? Oh right, m- maybe you’d want it to yourself this time and I don’t mind t- taking the couch.”

“‘Cause of your cold? I don’t care, now get over here.”

“Because of my- what? I’m… I’m not sick?” 

Wolfwood doesn’t reply, instead he lets the uncomfortable silence settle over the room as he watches Vash. ‘Either he’s playing dumb, and doesn’t want to admit it, or the needle noggin really didn’t notice. Gotta know which before I make my move.’ Under the weight of tension starting to spread through the air, Vash gives a heavy sigh. The breath comes out shaky as his body vibrates, hands starting to rub his arms.

“You’re literally trembling. You tryna tell me that ain’t shivers?”

“It’s not! Well okay… I mean it is shivering, but not from sickness, it’s just cold in here, that’s all! ennchh-! Sorry, excuse me.”

The sneeze brings a fresh round of shudders as Wolfwood raises a brow at the display. ‘So denial it is then. If it was cold in ‘ere I’d’ve noticed long before him.’ A blessing almost slips out, but that’ll just lead to a new round of apologies. Right now it’s more important to get an admittance and go from there.

“Blondie, we’re in a fuckin’ desert. It’s not cold anywhere.” 

“W- well they must have the air on! Or… or something… probably the air, b- because it’s so hot out, so they uh… they want it to be cool indoors.”

“Guess I should go ask ‘em to turn it off-”

“Hey- wait no, uh… it’s- it’s actually starting to uh… warm up..? D- don’t bother them. hk’ishiee-! Sorry. They let us stay here, I don’t- I mean we don’t want to be a burden on them-”

A hint of pride starts to break through Wolfwood’s mind as he grins. ‘And there it is. Gotcha.’ Vash has always been hesitant to be a burden. Not a horrible mindset to have for most people, ‘Hell, a few could use more of it’. The problem is that his definition of ‘burden’ includes things such as eating, sleeping, breathing, or simply existing when he’s not actively helping in some way. 

Sickness was high on his list of ‘things that make me a burden on everyone I come in contact with’, despite Wolfwood’s constant reminders that he doesn’t mind. However, there is something above it, and that’s ‘bothering someone else’, especially when it’s for a made up reason. Given the choice between admitting sickness or waking the bartender to ask them to turn off the ‘air’ that doesn’t exist, well…

“-Okay fine. I might be… a little bit sick… but- hh’ishh’iee-! hehh- en’chhh-! heh’kshh’iew-!” 

“Blessin’”

“Thank you, sorry, it’s really not that bad!”

“Then get in bed ‘fore it gets worse.” 

“I uh… I really don’t think that’s-”

“I’ll even read from the book I’ve been finishin’. But that's a limited time offer, Blondie. Goin’ once, goin’ twice-” 

Before he can start the next word, Vash hurls himself towards the bed, an excited set of vibrations starting to replace the shivers. Wolfwood chuckles, lifting the blanket from his legs to wrap it around Vash, giving his shoulders a light squeeze. In response the huddled form leans into his lap, head resting against his chest. 

“Ready?”

“Yehh… yep!” 

“Alright. The second reason he realized she was gone was from the smell. The air had lost a sweetness. One he’d grown so used to he hardly recognized it anymore. That is, until it was gone. -----” 

Wolfwood continues reading, his focus being drawn away from the world once more. ‘Would’ve thought romance books were more Blondie’s thing, but… well… after he gave me that one about the garden love story… I guess I could understand the appeal… But only because Vash likes it when I read them. That’s all.’ No one else can hear him, but Wolfwood still feels the need to justify the surge of emotion starting to creep through his heart. 

Maybe it was the fact Vash had given him them. Maybe it was the fact that blondie was gazing up with a hazy adoration as each word leaves his throat. Doesn’t really matter why. All that matters is how the words seem to glide off the page, through his deep voice to dance around their heads, playing out each scene as he reads them. This sensation is short lived though, as soon he feels himself snapping back to the bedroom where a soft sound has begun.

“hkk-! guhh…” 

“Brushing the branches from his uh… from his face, he starts to cut through the dense forest.”

“heHh-! hhh… Snnff-”

“T- the branches, oh wait read that already, ah here we go. The dense forest. Eyes seem to be peering at him through the-”

“hahHhh- snff- hkIH-! hehh…”

“Through the, uh, the-”

“hhih-!”

“Christ, Blondie. Just sneeze already.” 

Vash’s head pops out from its blanket cocoon against Wolfwood’s chest, a pink tint spread across his cheeks that has nothing to do with his cold. Bringing up a single finger to lightly rub his nose, Vash tries to offer a sincere smile. What instead crosses his face is a look that just screams itchy. Wolfwood feels a sympathy tickle through his own nose. 

“Wh- what?”

“Your nose is literally twitching. You’re makin’ me itchy from the look of it. Jus’ sneeze, it’s okay. I’ll even pause my readin’.” 

“I- I don’t… okay yehh… yes I do- I’m so sorry ehH-!”

“Don’t ‘pologize. Nothin’ to be ‘shamed of.”

“eH’tmmfshh-! hh’mmshhii-! hk’ishh’ieee-!” 

He attempts to muffle the first two into his hand, the third escaping with a pitch that sounds incredibly unsatisfying. ‘No wonder he always has these long drawn out fits. Those sound like they do nothin’ to relieve the itch.’ Pausing his analysis, Wolfwood leans towards the nightstand, grabbing a handful of tissues and pressing them into Vash’s unused hand. 

A timid smile meets the gesture as Vash brings them to his nose, humming a sigh. The action seems to bring a new level of irritation, his breath snaring as the tissues are gripped tighter. It teases him for a minute, Wolfwood choking back a laugh at the whimper the tissues barely muffle. Finally, after what seems like a lifetime, a desperate “hnnchh-! ih’tishiee-! keshh’ii-!” break through. Wolfwood lets a knuckle crush his own nose, sympathy waves running through it again.

“Blessin’.” 

“Thanks. Sor-”

“You’re only welcome if you don’t finish that apology.” 

“-So are you gonna keep reading..? hih’ishhiee-! hk’ieshh-! Excuse me.”

“Blessin’s. Good save, Blondie. Remind me where we were?”

“Eyes in the- eh’kshhiee-! forest.”

“Blessin’, alright. So- wait… hold on a sec.”

Wolfwood lets the book rest on his knees, staring up through his sunglasses at the ceiling. Vash attempts to follow his gaze, but can’t notice anything worth staring at. Deciding to ask, Vash leans up to meet his eyes. Hardly a noise escapes before Wolfwood holds up a finger to silence him, tilting his sunglasses down and blinking through the brightness. 

“huh’yIEZzshh’oo-! ai’GNZSHhh’oo-! Whew, that’s better.” 

“Oh- bless you! Did- did I get-”

“No you didn' get me sick. My immune system ain’t nearly as fragile as yours.”

“Hey! Well then, is- hh’tieshh’ii-! Excuse me. Is something bothering you?”

“Nah, jus’ a tickle. Think it was ‘cause of the itchy look you were wearin’.”

“Oh, okay! S- sorry…”

“Nothin’ to be sorry for, Blondie. Now, back to the book?"

"Yes!"

"Eyes seem to be peering at him through the darkness. Watching his every step, daring him to come closer. Daring him to betray his heart alongside his kingdom. What did they know? Surely not his heart. That was something that couldn’t be known by anyone, not after her. ------.” 

Wolfwood feels the words flow from him once more, almost before his eyes can trace their forms on the page. Figures begin their dance, chasing each other in beautiful patterns through the humid air. The only thing pulling him from the daydream that he finds himself in far too often with Vash is the sound of constant sniffles. 

There is an outright refusal to address the noises, so instead Wolfwood continues reading, making it through another two chapters before giving in and setting the book back down. Vash looks up with an innocent gaze, absentmindedly rubbing his palm against his nose as another sniff breaks free.

“Baby, you’re all sniffly. You can blow your nose.”

The pet name gets the reaction it was meant to, Vash suddenly laser focused on Wolfwood’s every word. ‘Alright, easy now with this next part. He’s jus’ about there, gotta be delicate. Which… has never really been my strong suit.’ There’s a hint of unease beneath Vash’s smile, palm crushing against his face again. 

“I know you’re sick, Vash. You told me that earlier. So you can drop the ruse.” 

“We- well…”

“It’s just us.” 

Vash flushes as Wolfwood passes him another handful of tissues, but brings them to his nose anyways. He turns away, ever mindful of others, and blows a couple times. The first seems unsuccessful, but by the third he manages to get a semblance of airflow through his sinuses. 

Giving a heady sigh of relief, Vash turns back to Wolfwood, mouth open as if to form words. He never gets the chance, the next breath through his sensitive nasal passages bringing his hands up to his face by instinct. Wolfwood chuckles, letting a hand drop to rub his back through the fit. 

“hH’ieshh’ie-! keshhh’iee-! hihh- tnnshhii-! Ih’tieshhiee-!”

“Blessin’s. Heh, you’re awfully adorable at times, Blondie.”

“I am no- heH’ishh-! hk’ishh-! tieshh’iee-! not!” 

Humming out another laugh, Wolfwood brushes the hair from Vash’s warm skin, planting a kiss on his forehead. Vash responds with a sigh, airy and light, before he sinks back into Wolfwood’s chest, wrapping himself deeper into the blanket. A smirk crosses Wolfwood’s face, ‘Not cute, huh?’ before he lifts the book once more.

There, in the safety of Wolfwood’s embrace, Vash finds himself drifting off to sleep, figures dancing through his mind as the deep voice fades off into a peaceful darkness.

[keylovesstuff]

Omg guys stop what you're doing I actually wrote instead of just playing out scenes in my head lmao!!

Can I offer you guys a little update on this fine Monday?

Little events Ch.2

AO3

FFN

"Why don't we just let her stay here with us?" Questioned a Green toad from the opposite end of the table.

Toadsworth looked up from an unsearched area on the map and fixated his companion with a perplexed look. It had been three months since the little girl they decided to call Peach wandered through the pipe to their little village. Naturally there were questions from others upon seeing the child the next day and the scouts answered. Toadsworth, being the leader of their group, felt a sense of obligation to get her back home safely. They started their search going through the pipe directly from where she came only to find the town completely abandoned. They weren't expecting to find the area like this and Peach didn't seem to have much of a reaction to the place. Nevertheless they decided to hang around for a while in hopes they would encounter someone looking for the child.

The day came and went without anyone showing up and Peach had started to grow restless as the day grew later. There were only so many things around to keep her entertained. The group returned to their village and for the rest of the week, they came back to the deserted town, even going as far as visiting during different hours of the day. When they saw that routine was going nowhere they pulled out their map and looked for areas where humanlike creatures resided. This method proved to be better but not by much as people who were willing to hear them out didn't know who she was. Now here they are and there is only one place left to go. If nothing comes out of this visit could they really just raise her on their own?

"Absolutely not" Toadsworth raised his voice slightly after causing everyone's eyes to widen "We face enough challenges taking care of our own. The needs of humans are too much" he rationalized to the group and to remind himself.

"Well what do you propose we do if we don't find her a home today?" One Toad raised a hand and asked.

Toadsworth thought about it for a minute and couldn't come up with anything. Before he could say as much another Toad spoke up with an idea.

"We could take her to an orphanage or something... She'll be around other kids and someone who wants her will adopt her" The toad finished and added "Maybe her family's looking for her at one of those places you never know" they added.

The mustache toad considered it for a minute with fingers on his chin. On one hand the thought of just leaving the child alone to be given to just anyone scared him a bit. There was always a chance that the people who would take Peach, not being able to give her the love and life she deserved. Then again, the toads themselves were pretty much taking their own chances with each person they approached offering to give her to because they 'supposedly were or knew her parents' so to an extent the solution was similar. On the other hand no one has done this in their three months yet so he had some faith that whoever would take her would give her the world.

Maybe it had to do with how short of a time they have been caring for her but, Toadsworth has been growing rather fond and protective of Peach. He was starting to think that the longer she resided with them, the harder it would be for him to let her go and return back to his old routine. With that final thought, he came to the conclusion that today had to be the day they found her a new home and family.

"Very well, I'll keep that in mind as we go about our day." He nodded to the toad's suggestion, adjusting his glasses. "Be prepared to leave in thirty minutes. I'll see you gentlemen at the gate" After everyone was dismissed, Toadsworth followed heading straight to the area where all the kids gathered every morning.

Bright blonde hair stuck out like a sore thumb but at the same time she looked so natural sitting in the circle chatting and laughing with the smaller toads. Peach's blue eyes met his beady ones as he approached the group. Wide smile she hopped up from her spot and skipped over to him while nine other kids followed.

"Good morning Mrs Toadsworth" they all greeted him happily. Peach wrapped her arms tightly around his body as if she didn't just see him an hour ago and did the same thing.

"A pleasant morning to you kids as well" he replied while rubbing the top of Peaches head. "You all go back over and finish your breakfast now." He told them after noticing half empty plates of fruit and crackers where they once were.

"Are you taking Peach to another place today?" One of the children asked him as they walked back over to their spot. He nodded in response.

"Can we come too? Peach says you guys always have fun." Another one chimed in with a question of their own.

"Certainly not, you all must stay here and tend to your work." He shook his head as they all sat down in their places. "Besides we don't go to have fun, we're taking her home today" he finished explaining.

"You say that all the time Mr.Toadsworth but she always comes back" yet another child stated in between bites of apple slices.

"Yeah 'sides Peach says she likes us and wants to stay here" a purple spotted toad spoke up as well and Peach nodded along eagerly.

Of course Toadsworth knew that. Days where they didn't go out searching, Peach would always come to him expressing how much fun she had that day with her friends. She'd tell him how she wished she could stay with them all forever. Everytime he bought up the idea of her maybe being happier with people like her, he'd always get a nonchalant 'maybe' before she returned to playing and talking more about the day. He always chalked those moments up to that just being an excited child's attention span but she'd give the same answer when settling down for the night. The kids were still talking to him while he was lost in thought and he only focused back in when another voice joined the conversation.

"Alright kids, let's finish up and stop bombarding Mr.Toadsworth with questions. We got a big day ahead of us." Toadannie sweetly told them while handing over Peach's clean clothes to Toadsworth. "Wouldn't you guys want someone to get you back home if you got lost?" She asked them. Some of the kids shook and nodded their heads.

"No, because my mom and dad always make me eat gross vegetables and go to bed early. My new family wouldn't do that" One of them said and the whole group laughed, some of them agreeing. 

"Ok I hear you all. I'm sure Peach will come and visit us with her family. Right honey" Toadannie asked her and she nodded. "See? Her hair has already been brushed" she directed the last statement to Toadsworth who was going to ask that question next.

"Thank you Ms.Toadannie. let's go now Ms.Peach, we have a big day ahead of us." He cleared his throat and offered his hand to help Peach up. She took it and they waved the other children off as they left to go about their day with Toadannie.

"Do I really have to go home today?" Peach looked up and asked Toadsworth as they headed back to his place.

"That's the plan my dear. We all have a good feeling about today. You're going to love it." He told her in hopes of getting her excited. The desired effect wasn't given.

"If you say so. I love being here with you all more" Peach told him staring straight ahead.

"We all love you being here with us too but we also want you to be around others that can give you what you need. You'll understand it when you're older, I promise." He finished as they made it back to his house, opening the door. "Now you go get changed, we have to meet up with everyone in fifteen minutes time." He looked at the clock on the wall and handed her her clothing.

Once she disappeared into his room he gathered some extra snacks from his pantry like usual and placed them in the bag by the door. He did some last minute thinking about the future really hers to himself. Are they really doing right by Peach with the lengths they are going to when it comes to wanting her with her own kind? If they were willing to give it a try, could they actually be enough to raise a human child into a proper adult? While he had many doubts about these things, there was a little trust that it all could work out. If only her guardians wherever they were would just show up, take her home, and care for her. He was once again pulled out of his thoughts by her voice.

"I'm ready" she called out to him. Toadsworth gave a once-over of her appearance and there was only one thing out of place.

"Your shoes are on the wrong foot my dear Peach." He chuckled, bending down to help her fix them. "There we go, now you're ready." She giggled and reached out to his hand and he took it.

They held onto each other tightly and left the house.

__________

The search went by as it usually went. Five minutes in from the moment they entered the town, of course Peach had a million of things she needed that they all had to attend to. After a few potty breaks, some lunch, and getting her to take a nap they were finally able to talk to the locals asking their usual questions. Toadsworth asked an additional question to those who were willing to listen about places that housed and took care of abandoned children. Turns out the place wasn't too far from where they were and people had nothing but positive things to say about it along with the staff. While the words did make him feel good about maybe leaving her there, he wanted to see this place with his own eyes. 

That's exactly what he decided to do around two in the afternoon. He left Peach in the care of his two companions at a park along with a few other kids. The place was about a five minute walk from the playground. That was a pretty good distance he thought and surely they don't let the smaller children roam about on their own without some sort of supervision. The building itself was pretty tall, about three stories as a matter of fact and well taken care of on the outside. The lawn was well-kept as the grass was short, bushes were trimmed, Flowers scattered about, and with what little he could see of the backyard looked pretty much the same.

There's more to things than just the outside, that's what he told himself. Toadsworth wanted to see and talk to those on the inside. Before he had a chance to knock, the door opened and out ran a boy that looked older than Peach, though not by that much. There was an older woman behind the desk who greeted him with a smile.

"Good afternoon sir, how can I help you?" She asked, standing up from the seat and approaching him.

"Ah yes well you see we have this child and we aren't sure where she belongs. We were referred to this place and I wanted to learn about how you all run this establishment. If you don't mind" He told her. 

It took a little minute for the women to say something. The longer they stood in silence, the more convinced he thought she would decline his offer and turn him away. Instead after what seemed like forever she led him to the office behind the desk. The door was left slightly ajar as they both took a seat, her behind a computer. Toadsworth learned a lot more things from the worker after explaining the events from the past three months. Apparently a lot of kids of all species were brought here by others after stumbling out of pipes. Although she never saw someone take care of a child for this long before bringing them here.

"We thought we'd find them or even a lead by now but nothing." He told her "We just think she'd have a better chance of finding someone better fit for her needs." He added with a thoughtful smile.

The women seemed to understand him fully and gave him a brief rundown about how things were run around the place. Everything Toadsworth was told made him feel even better about the decision of leaving her there. They make sure all the kids are provided with a balanced three meals everyday and have availability to get snacks throughout the day if they want. All kids are well supervised throughout the day, especially the smaller ones who aren't allowed to leave the premises alone without an adult. There are plenty of things for them to do both inside and outside in the front and backyard for them to do. They do their best when it comes to teaching the smaller children reading, writing, and math skills before they are old enough to go to the school they have them all go to. All of that sounded really good to him but his next questions went along the lines of how they make sure the kids who do get adopted are going to live with good people.

Again she gave him an answer that was great to hear. They make sure to do routine background checks on adults prior and during the adoption process. They make sure the condition of the home is up to satisfactory standards. Once the process is complete they send in random wellness checks on these kids to make sure they are being treated well.

All questions answered, Toadsworth felt that Peach would be in really good hands staying here and even after leaving. They have plenty of clothes for her however long she stays. He told them all about her little quirks he's noticed throughout his time with him. They did some paperwork before he left to go get Peach and bring her here to meet everyone. Along with saying his final goodbyes to her.

Toadsworth returned to his companions at the park where he left them. One of them was pushing Peach on a swing while another one was sitting on a bench. Spotting the older toad he shook his head silently communicating to him that they still hadn't found anyone willing to take her during his time away. That was something he was used to by now but, today is different and he was ready to share what he learned from his little visit. They too felt good about leaving Peach in this place's care and while they were also feeling a bit sad about seeing her go, they knew it was best for her future.

After having Peach get acquainted with some of the adults at the place and asking him one final time if this is what they all really wanted to do, they were getting ready to say their goodbyes and head back home. Toadsworth told them to keep their farewells short so as not to cause a huge scene. While the other two toads were waiting patiently, he was the one who's been hugging Peach for almost an entire two minutes.

"Remember to be nice and use all your manners that I taught you ok?" He reminded her. She sniffled out an 'ok' nodding her head. "You just be your little bubbly self and everyone you meet is going to love you. Yes?" Again she nodded against him and he pulled back with arms still wrapped around her.

"Will you come and see me?" She asked him while rubbing the snot from her nose.

That question broke him just as much as her red face and tear streaked cheeks. He had to be truthful even if it would hurt her more. The thought of coming to visit her for a little while a few days out of the week till she was gone crossed his mind a couple of times. In the end he concluded that it would be more detrimental to her finding a home. Peach wouldn't want to go with anyone cause she'll always be looking forward to spending time with him and that was far from what he wanted to happen.

"I'm sorry dear but, I won't be able to do that." She cried harder after he finished saying that and she immediately wrapped her arms back around him "It's better that way. You'll understand it when you're older.ok?" He promised. 

It took a little minute for her to calm down but once she finally did, he pulled her away again and reached out to wipe her face and held her hands in his.

"Hey now, we'll see each other again one day. I'm sure about that." He told her with a smile "you're far too pretty to have that look on your face and I don't want to leave you like that. Can I see your little happy face before I go?" He asked her hoping that would be enough for her to comply. 

Instead of doing so she reached out and touched the red bow tie he wore around his neck. A silent request that he could easily give in...even if this was his favorite. He reached behind himself to loosen and pull off the tie.

"Now you make sure to take good care of this." She nodded as he wrapped it while not too tightly around her wrist. "When you don't have that blanket around your neck you can have someone help you properly put it on. " He chuckled and she giggled with him, finally giving him that smile he would always remember.

Satisfied he gave her one last hug before leading her up to the steps of the place to the person waiting. The pair waited at the door as Toadsworth headed to the others. Both sets of people waved one final time before the toads took off in the direction of home. 

They began to walk. The other two toads made small talk about random stuff and looking forward to getting home for the day, Toadsworth was quiet. Peach was finally the one step away from getting the life she deserves and yet here he was with an empty feeling in his heart. He knew that with time this feeling would dissipate but how long would that take? How could something or someone being in his life for such a short amount of time cause him to be feeling like this? If he was willing to put in the effort could he have been the best guardian for her?

For the umpteenth time that day, he was lost in his thoughts and not paying attention he bumped into one of the toads who stopped suddenly. Toadsworth was about to ask why they stopped until he heard her crying and footsteps right behind him, the woman slightly behind calling out her name.

"Daddy! I want you" she called out to him jumping into his arms when he turned around. He easily caught her and was only shocked momentarily before he tightly held onto her. Peach continued repeating the second statement.

Toadsworth was caught up on what she called him. He felt that his heart would leap right out of his chest. The other toads stood there watching the scene in just as much shock. 

"Peach" was really the only word he could say as she clutched tightly to the back of his vest.

"I think she already knows where she wants to call home" The woman said aloud with a smile.

"Hmm... Peach, is that true? Do you want to stay with us?" Toadsworth asked, trying to pull her away to face him. A futile effort as she held on tighter in order to stay in place. She nodded her head frantically.

At her age, she seemed to have complete trust in him to do right by her and wouldn't take anyone else for an answer. He still wasn't sure if he could do it all alone and was about to return her to the lady when another thought came to mind. Like all the children in their little village, everyone did their part to make sure they were well taken care of. They would adjust accordingly as she grew and she would surely be fine. They could only really give her their best so that is what they would do if she would allow them. 

"Alright dear I hear you loud and clear. We'll honor your decision." He said, patting her back in a soothing motion. 

[melverie]

Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh today I've been constantly experiencing the urge to un-private today-in-the-devildom & start writing for it again

[datheetjoella]

A Future With You (MakoHaru Week 2023)

Hello, friends! It’s been a while since the MakoHaru week ended, but I didn’t have the time to put all the fics together in a collection-post before, so here it is now. Here you can find all the fics that I wrote for the occasion along with a little description. You can also find the whole collection under the name “A Future With You (MakoHaru Week 2023)” over on AO3!

Day 1: Hidden in Plain Sight Prompt: Body Worship. Rating: E. Word count: 9,6k Setting: Historical AU. “For the past five years, Makoto has been working as a servant at the earl’s estate, the last four of which as the valet of the earl’s son, Lord Haruka. But no one knows the true nature of his job and, if their secret were to be discovered, it would have catastrophic consequences for both Haruka and himself. When Haruka makes him a life-changing proposition, Makoto has to decide if he dares to risk it all for a shot at happiness.” (AO3)

Day 2: A Piece of Me (is Always With You) Prompt: Love Letters. Rating: T. Word count: 6,4k. Setting: Post-Canon. “While at a training camp in Stockholm, Haruka finds himself feeling lonely without Makoto, who is studying for exams back in Tokyo. When he’s reminded of an unanswered letter Makoto sent him when they were children, Haruka thinks this might be the perfect opportunity to finally respond to it.” (AO3)

Day 3: Hydrangeas, Orange Blossoms, and Everything in Between Prompt: Flowers + Soulmates. Rating: G. Word count: 5,1k Setting: Soulmate AU. “On his late grandmother’s birthday, Haruka goes to a flower shop to buy a bouquet with his grandmother’s favourite flowers. There, Haruka finally meets the person responsible for the ever-changing soulmate mark adorning the inside of his wrist.” (AO3)

Day 4: A Spoonful of Love Prompt: Cooking. Rating: T. Word count: 5,6k. Setting: Post-Canon. “After two weeks apart, Haruka is finally coming home from a training camp and Makoto wants to surprise him with a special dinner. With the moral support and guidance of his mother, Makoto whips up a dish he’s never made before.” (AO3)

The rest of the fics are beneath the cut!

Day 5: Toast to the Future Prompt: Proposal. Rating: T. Word count: 5,5k. Setting: Post-Canon. “After months of working hard for the Olympics, Haruka and Makoto go on a luxurious vacation to relax and unwind. But that’s not all Haruka has in store for Makoto; he surprises him with a romantic date night that sets the course for the rest of their lives.” (AO3)

Day 6: Tell Me Once More Prompt: Cuddles. Rating: T. Word count: 3,2k. Setting: Post-Canon. “When Makoto comes home from work somber and upset, Haruka knows just what to do and say to raise his spirits.” (AO3)

Day 7: Heart-Shaped Chocolates Prompt: Genderbend. Rating: T. Word count: 7k. Setting: High School. “Although Valentine’s Day is Haruka’s least favourite holiday for one specific reason, when Makoto requests her help to make chocolates for their friends and classmates, she can’t refuse. But when Makoto asks her who she’s going to hand out chocolates to, Haruka can’t avoid confronting her true feelings.” (AO3)

[spiritsncrystals]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Yubel/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki, Johan Andersen | Jesse Anderson/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki Characters: Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki, Yubel (Yu-Gi-Oh), Hane Kuriboh | Winged Kuriboh, Johan Andersen | Jesse Anderson, Elemental Hero Neos, Austin O'Brien | Axel Brodie, Saotome Rei | Blair Flannigan Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, someone else gets left behind, diverges from episode 130 of gx, One-Sided Relationship, Angst, Non-Consensual Touching, light Violence, slight reincarnation mentioning???, bc idk maybe i like infiniteship, roleswap sorta Series: Part 1 of GX CANNON DIVERGENCY Summary:

Waking up alone after the duel with Yubel wasn't a good thing for Judai. Nor exactly is the realisation that you're alone with them which is exactly what they wanted.

Everyone knows Johan was the one that was supposed to be left behind so why is it Judai instead?

[hopecomesbacktolife]

hey, just. friendly reminder that fanfiction is morally neutral.

yes, that includes smutty fics. yes, that includes self-insert fics. yes, that includes the fics you consider Problematic TM and the fics you don’t think are Smart or New. in fact that’s kind of why I’m writing this post.

I know we all love to talk about Themes And Narratives, but—and please listen to me very carefully here—you are not earning Good Place Points for only reading the kinds of fan fiction you feel are Smart or Only Focuses On The Important Things Like Themes.

fan fiction is morally neutral.

what I mean is this: no one is harming you, themselves, or anyone, by writing a fic about two characters having sex. (are you uncomfortable with the fact that I typed the word “sex”? hi, this post is about you. people have sex. and they write and talk about it. it’s seriously fine.)

no one is being harmed by self insert fics, by smutty fics, by anything not exclusively Smart TM about the fandom or analytically adding to it.

(and that’s not to say these two types of fics, that any type of fic, can’t have those elements— some of my favorite fic authors, my mutuals, my tumblr friends, write fic in these genres, and they also explore Themes and Emotions and analyze character traits and histories and write brilliant plots and incredible character arcs and yknow what, it’s amazing! it’s fantastic to examine what makes two characters react a certain way to x situation while also having them fuck nasty about it!) (and yes, I did just type ‘fuck nasty about it’ and I promise, that’s fine, too.)

what I’m saying, though, is that it doesn’t NEED that to, I dunno, somehow validate it into existing. it just Is. it just Exists. it doesn’t need an aspect you Approve Of TM in order to earn the right to be shared, to be written, to be published and commended and interacted with and read. it just. Is.

and I think a lot of especially younger, or newer, tumblr users especially get uncomfortable with that, and they unintentionally veer right (..ha) into self-censoring, puritanical behavior which is exactly what every person trying to ban books and generally kill art, wants. (and we’re not even going to examine in depth here, beyond mentioning it, the fact that policing, censuring, and banning art has historically and still today is being used to silence marginalized voices, so, I ask you to keep that in mind as you think on this, too, please.)

what I’m trying to say is this—if you personally don’t enjoy smut, don’t enjoy self insert fics, don’t enjoy a certain genre, that’s great, you do you! but, you must, must understand that this is not a moral stance. You are not objecting to a problematic practice, exploited workers, consent issues, labor crises… none of that applies, because no one in these stories is a real person. a story written about two Star Trek characters kissing on the bridge of the Enterprise is just that, a story. there is no actor for whose rights to fight, no wages to dispute fairness of, no ethical ramifications of scenes to discuss. these are Fictional People in Fictional Situations.

fan fiction is morally neutral.

and the moment you try to make yourself feel Better TM, More Correct TM, or—one of the ones I encounter the most—Smarter TM, by saying oh, I don’t read that kind of fic, I read the good kind, with thought in it—

you’re not only causing harm, you’re actively employing art censoring behavior. is that something that you want to do? I hope not. I certainly don’t.

next time you see a fic or a genre you don’t Approve Of TM, please remember the easiest way of exhibiting that— simply scrolling by or blocking a tag! If you’re on ao3, their system is incredible for niche content searches, and blocking a tag even here on tumblr will (most of the time) work.

I just., there’s so many better options out there for you than to… act like this. I believe you, we, all of us, can be better than this.

fanfiction. is. morally. neutral.

[whumpy-wyrms]

hey guys

[todayisafridaynight]

i solemnly swear not to write a fic with a similar premise as one ive done in the past but also i like it when people slow dance.....

[shopwitchvamp]

Now that we're well past our moving crisis, etc. I'm trying really hard to get back onto any semblance of a schedule. You know, just like.. eating and sleeping regularly and not working 100% of the time? But dang. It's hard. It's past 9pm though so I'm gonna try to like play a visual novel or something and then go to bed at a decent time instead of working on shop stuff all night. Wish me luck. ✌️😭

[ssreeder]

I love your fic and am feeling so much anticipation for dialogue next chapter. So 9 for the wip game.

Awww I love that you love my fic <3

9. Favorite dialogue (I can’t give too much out without spoilers but I just wanna include these two moments that perfectly convey Sokka’s feelings during the “family dinner” haha)

“Well… This was fun.” Aang laughed.

“Yeah… Yippie…” Sokka grumbled, and Katara glared at him.

- - - - - - - - -

Toph laughed, kicked up her feet, and took a big bite of her komodo-chicken leg.

“This dinner is going great.” She announced.

Sokka glared at her, “Speak for yourself. This dinner sucks.”

[waterfallofspace]

A Word-Filled Update

that no one's asking forrrr~

Sooooo, hiya~ ^^

Realized I kinda dropped out without much word, and wanted to give a lil update to anyone who may care, (and specifically to all the unfilled requests that have been sat in my inbox for months now T~T)

Dropping it under a cut because it gets quite long~ but I'll also TL;DR it with: been a bit burnt out, trying to get back into this, I apologize for all the unanswered asks, and I will be trying to get to the ones I can, but I'll be focusing more on trying to enjoy the process of making content~ Thank you to anyone who's stuck around <3

(Tw for brief mention of mental health/neurodivergencies~ nothing in depth or dark, but just incase anyone wants to avoid that <3)

Nothing serious has been going on, mostly just burn out and a bit of drama in main friend group, combined with free time just being a lot more limited recently~ (not a bad thing, most of it is because I'm getting to talk more with friends I've gotten closer to this past year~)

That said, I've been trying to get back into content, making it, reblogging it, etc, without letting it become all-consuming. I find, with the way my brain works, mostly to do to some wonderful neurodivergent tendencies, I tend to fall heavily into 'all of nothing' mentality.

This shows up in my day to day life, (ie: can't wash the dishes for weeks until I suddenly do them all in one day) and I've definitely noticed it with content creation. Need to write and finish a story in one go, record a wav as fast as possible, always afraid I'll lose that motivation.

But honestly? I love making content on here! And I'm not a huge blog, nor do I care if I am (at least trying not to, if I'm being painfully honest~) but I genuinely love making content. Whether it's just for me, a request that I am hoping one specific person will enjoy, or a story I write with a community in mind, I just love creating~

So, I'm trying to ease my way back into this! Bit by bit, let it be fun, and enjoyable, with less internal pressure to produce as much as I can, as fast as I can, and make it be perfect.

I won't lie and say 'numbers don't matter to me', if I'm honest, they do. But I'm learning more and more how to let it be about the content, and to just enjoy the process~ (and if people like it, that'll be a wonderful bonus!~)

Wooo this is getting so long, I apologize sincerely! Last thing, something I've mentioned a few times previously but never really let myself get into... requests~

I'm so honoured that people care about my content enough to have asked for things, and getting any ask, request, praise, ask lists, heck even just a 'hi!' is honestly the best part of this blog for me!

Buuuut, I definitely worked myself into burn-out before with a "every request needs to be filled and fast" mentality, that led to just... not filling any.

So! I'm going back through my inbox, and deleting some older ones that I don't have a clear vision/motivation for. I apologize to anyone who requested them, though by now it's possible they're long gone~ But I think this will help me not only start enjoying the creation process without feeling so overwhelmed, but also start actually getting more content made~

There are definitely a bunch that I still adore, and am thrilled to get to test out, but if there's one you remember sending, and you really want to see it completed, please feel free to send another ask saying what it is you want done, and I'll see if I can get that going <3

And if you've stuck it out to the end here- uh hi! ^^ I'm sorry this is so long, I'm such a words person, but I appreciate you so much, not just for any support you've offered, but just bothering to read this <3 I genuinely didn't expect most to make it this far, so thank you so deeply <3 and I hope to see you guys around as I start reblogging stuff more!~

[meownotgood]

just saw your tags on your last post and I have a confession:

I call csm my car accident anime. I dislike it very much, but I can't stop watching. The only reason I come back every week is the opening and aki. So far, the only episode I enjoyed watching was kill denji. I always hope that it changes, because a lot of my friends enjoy csm and it is their favourite anime currently airing and I want to enjoy it with them.

Your tags have given me hope that it will change now maybe, because I can see why people like csm, I just don't.

Keep up your good work. Hopefully your shadowban situation will be resolved soon!

—💤

I totally get what you're saying!!! to be honest, even though chainsaw man is and has always been popular, I've always thought it wasn't going to be for everyone.... like I knew the anime would take off, but I was sure a lot of people would watch it because it was popular and end up not enjoying it. there's a lot of stuff in chainsaw man that's weird and out there, a lot of stuff that's vastly different from main stream animes. I think it's an amazing series but I understand why people don't like it

for now I'll say just continue watching, this arc that's coming up is when chainsaw man truly begins in my opinion. and I think this arc embodies what the rest of chainsaw man is really about, and what's to come. if you finish this first season and you still don't like it, then the rest of the series is probably just not for you, and that's cool

[inkykeiji]

Omg we get spanked by Fyodor??? <3

we dooooo anon! twice!!!!!! he’s harsh as fuck so be prepared (will include warnings with each post as always, of course <3) one is a lot worse than the other but for some reason i have a feeling you’ll all like that one the best eeeee (*/ω＼*)