#back and fix that or like re-add that thread in

[desolateice]

For the ask game: Next :)

NEXT — the next line. meaning i will finish the sentence I’m on and write a new one, which you’ll get.

Making me write right now huh? 🤣

Chozen held his wrist up so it got more sunlight coming through the ceiling of the Euglena Mall, looking extraordinary pleased, before taking Johnny’s hand. I'll put what the item is under a readmore (also in case you want to see it too @yallwildinrn )

[aemondsbabe]

The Gods and Everyone

summary: you and aemond sorely overestimate how much time you have before a small council meeting, which leaves the two of you in quite a scandalous predicament

pairing: aemond targaryen x reader

warnings: mature/explicit, 18+ (minors dni!), no use of y/n, afab reader, cockwarming, public sex, slight breeding kink, fingering, aemond being an absolute menace, dirty talk, aegon being a little shit but what else is new, let me know if i missed anything!

word count: 5.6k

a/n: based on an anon request for cockwarming! i hope you're still with me and that you enjoy this, friend! sorry it took me so long to get to it!

creds to @bbygirl-aemond for the gif!

likes, comments, & reblogs are very appreciated but never required!

🌟add yourself to my taglist to be notified when i post new fics!

You watch, concerned, as your husband flits around the Small Council chamber, your eyes following his lithe form as he checks and re-checks the parchment with notes he had written for himself earlier that morning – you’d awoken in the pale hour just before sunrise to see him already hunched over the small desk in your chambers, scribbling away furiously with a quill, his pale hair glowing in the dim light of the candle next to him. All of your attempts to lure him back into bed with you had fallen on deaf ears. 

“You know you needn't do all this,” you point out, perched against the Small Council table, your eyes tracking him as he paces back and forth across the space, going over his notes for the upteenth time, “Your only job is to be on time like everyone else, husband.”

“Things will improve with time,” he rushes out, fixing you with a pointed look, “Hardly two moons have passed since Viserys…” He pauses, pinching the bridge of his nose, “The least I can do is ease this transition for Aegon and mother.”

“My love, it is a transition for us all,” you soothe, striding to him and gently taking his hand. His fingers, rough from all his years of training with swords and spears, instantly wrap around your own as he lets out a tired sigh, “You included. Aegon named you Master of War, not master of everything.” 

“I know,” Aemond murmurs, eye softening as his gaze traces over you, “I find it hard to be still when there is so much chaos – Dorne has yet to be subdued and there are whispers of rebellion from the North. There is so much still to be accounted for.”

“I understand,” you reassure him, your fingers threading through his long, silvery hair, lips quirking into a smile as the gesture makes his eye flutter closed for a second. “But all this stress cannot be good for you, husband,” you sigh, gazing up at him with a mournful smile, “You need rest and calm and…and I need you.” You nearly whisper, blush creeping across your cheeks as Aemond’s eye darkens. 

“Sweetling—“ He starts with a sigh. 

“Aemond, please,” you cut him off, wrapping your arms around his trim waist as you lay your head against his chest, his heart thumping in your ear, “I cannot bear to hear another excuse, I feel as if you have been away for weeks.” 

He’s quiet for a moment, wrapping his long, lean arms tightly around you as he rests his chin on your head, your breaths the only sound in the stony chamber. “I’m sorry,” he finally whispers, smoothing a hand up and down your back, “I miss you too, my sweet girl.” 

You hum, leaning further into his embrace after going without it for so long, “You haven’t touched me in weeks.” You say quietly, his touch already igniting a spark in the pit of your stomach. 

“Perhaps tonight,” his breath is warm against the top of your head as he speaks into your hair, “I will try to cut my meeting with–”

“You’ve been saying that for weeks,” you cut him off once more with a sigh, pulling back to look up at him, “I can’t take anymore, my love, I need to feel you.” You whine, nearly petulant like a spoiled child. If it were any other time, if you were any less desperate, you’d be embarrassed at your behavior. Right now, though, you could not find it within yourself to care as you stared into your husband’s darkened eye, finally feeling the passion you had gone so many weeks without. 

Aemond chuckles as he looks down at you, conflicted between feeling pleased to see you reduced to such a state while also feeling a similar fire in his own belly. “Sweetling, the meeting–”

“Is not due to start for at least another hour!” You interrupt, determined to persuade him to this. Taking you in various parts of the Keep was not new to him, both of you had plenty of memories from your courtship and first year of marriage of rutting together in all sorts of nooks and crannies of the old castle. 

Aemond gazes at you for a long moment, an unreadable expression on his face, though his eye remains dark with desire. After a second, he nods to himself almost imperceptibly, seeming to come to some decision you weren’t privy to. Finally, finally his lips descend upon yours as he sweeps you into an all-consuming kiss, his arms tightening around your waist as he pulls you to him, groaning lowly in his throat as he licks into your mouth. You shiver in his grasp, finally tasting him properly after so long as you whimper and whine into his mouth.

“Aemond,” you gasp as you finally part from him, mewling as he immediately trails kisses down your jaw, “What–”

“Seems I can never deny you for very long, sweetling,” he huffs, halfway laughing as he guides you over to the large table, pulling you up by the waist until you’re sitting on the cool stone table, your legs bracketing his trim waist, “I’ve missed you too, my love.” He confesses, sweeping a lock of hair from your shoulder before trailing kisses up across your neck and jaw, one hand already desperately pulling up the bottom of your gown.

You huff out small moans and whimpers, relishing his warm touch. His nimble fingers finally manage to undo the knot at the front of your smallclothes and he tugs them down quickly, leaving you bare for him under your skirts as they fall to a pile on the floor just beside his chair at the table. 

“Husband,” you pant, tugging at the drawstrings at the top of his trousers, “Please, please do not make me beg today, I–” Your train of thought is cut off as a moan, louder than it should be given the location, tears itself from your throat when you feel his long fingers ghost over your center.

“Shh, darling,” Aemond grins as he feels your arousal immediately coat his fingers, a pleased hum emanating from deep in his chest as he feels it already coating the insides of your thighs as well, “I don’t have the patience to restrain myself today, sweet one,” he mutters, watching your face carefully as he spreads your folds and teases your entrance with a finger before carefully sliding it in, groaning with satisfaction at the feel of your walls already tightly clamping down on it, “Nor the time.” He adds with a slight smirk, pale hair cascading like a curtain down his shoulders as he leans his forehead against yours. 

“Oh, Gods,” you whimper, eyes fluttering shut as your hands white knuckle the dark leather of his tunic, too uncoordinated with lust to manage the ties on his pants, “M-My love, more please!” You whisper, angling your hips to try and catch another of his fingers. 

You hear him chuckle above you before he pulls his finger from you, smirking as you whine pitifully at the loss. Before you have a chance to protest, he quickly undoes his trousers, not bothering to pull them down at all and opting to merely loosen the laces at the front enough to free his cock. Your eyes widen as you watch his hand stroke over his length momentarily, taking in the way it already throbs in his grasp, the head flushed and leaking from merely having you in his hands once more.

“Ready, sweetling?” He asks, gently tilting your chin up as he captures your lips in a sweet kiss, his other hand positioning his length at your entrance. 

You part from him and nod eagerly, widening your legs and angling your hips, “I’ve been ready for you for weeks, Aemond.” 

He smiles softly, pressing one more kiss against your neck before finally pressing into you, growling as he sinks into your slick heat. “Seven,” he grunts, cradling the back of your head with one hand as his other slinks down to grab at your hip, “You feel better every time, sweetling.”

You moan hotly against his shoulder, sinking your teeth into the thick leather of the shoulder of his tunic in an attempt to quiet yourself. Your eyes squeeze shut at the feel of him sliding into you, filling you to the brim perfectly. You’ve been without him for so long that he feels enormous, your walls aching as he stretches you out, pressing in and in until he’s finally seated fully within you. 

Without another word, Aemond started thrusting into you, slow at first but quickly picking up the pace with every firm roll of his hips into you. After only a moment, he’s already grunting like a madman into your ear, holding you to him even as you cling tightly to his shoulders yourself, your legs wrapped loosely around his waist. 

You feel a fire building in your belly at a breakneck pace as he ruts into you, the hand on your hip no doubt leaving fingerprint bruises across your skin, even through the fabric of your gown. If the low groans from your husband are any indication, he isn’t doing much better. He threads his fingers through your hair, pulling you into a desperate kiss, teeth and tongues clashing together frantically as if the two of you are trying to fall into each other, to become one. 

“My love, I—,” he pants against your lips, jerking your head back by the grip he has on your locks. His eye meets yours, the light lilac almost entirely eclipsed by his pupil as he stares at you hungrily, “It’s been so long, I don’t know how long I can last.” 

His breath is warm as it fans over your lips and you nod dazedly, zings of pleasure radiating up your spine from Aemond’s grip in your hair only adding to the warmth quickly threatening to overtake you. “It’s okay,” you swallow thickly, eyes already rolling back with pleasure, “I can’t either.” 

Nodding in return, he picks up the pace, the head of his cock rutting against the most sensitive spot within you hard enough to make you see stars. He hasn’t even needed to tease your pearl and you’re already nearly unraveling as Aemond mumbles nearly incoherent praises, the hand on your hip traveling lower, nearly cupping your ass. 

Just as you’re about to warn him of your inevitable release, muffled voices sound from behind the thick wooden doors that lead into the Small Council chambers. Aemond slows within you as both of your heads swivel to the doors — just in time to hear the guards stationed outside begin to tug them open. 

You freeze, eyes widening as the doors open, seemingly in slow motion. Thankfully, your husband moves quickly enough for the both of you, nimbly scooping you into his arms before hastily dropping down into his chair, hurriedly scooching it forward until both of your laps are hidden under the stone surface of the table, before kicking your smallclothes under the table at the last second. 

Your head whips around to face Aemond and you give him a panicked, wide-eyed look just as people start filing into the room, unaware that you’re still being split open by your husband’s length. One hand, still on your hip, tightens, silently commanding you to be still as his lilac eye pleads the same; his other hand is already poised on the table, relaxed against the cool surface as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. 

“Yes, yes, we must certainly ask him once he’s back in King’s Landing,” Lord Tyland’s voice fills the chamber as he walks in, engaged in a conversation about something or other with Lord Corlys, the two sharing a laugh before finally taking notice of you and Aemond, “Prince, princess.” Tyland bows his head at the two of you with Corlys following soon after. 

You sit frozen atop your husband, gazing blankly at the two men without a word. Thankfully, Aemond has the presence of mind to bow his head politely, though he stays quiet. As they walk further into the room, you can only see Tyland and Corlys from the corner of your eye but you don’t miss the odd look they share, silently asking each other why you were present and certainly why you were sitting on Aemond’s lap. Blood rushes to your head so quickly you feel lightheaded, your cheeks stinging as a harsh blush quickly appears on your face from their attention. 

Maester Orwyle files through the doorway next, doing a double take at you and Aemond before bowing his head, a gesture that you thankfully remember to return this time as you stiffly nod your head. Thankfully, the older man simply takes a seat at his place at the table without any comment, though you can hear the two other men speaking quietly in the corner of the room, throwing glances your way as they do. 

Your walls tighten around Aemond’s length as the rest of you tenses up when Larys creeps in, leaning against his cane as he moves; Aemond thighs tense underneath you as you hear him suck in a breath, only slightly more hasty than normal — the hand in your hip tightens, warning you to keep it together. 

“Prince Aemond, princess,” Larys nods as he approaches the table, “To what do we owe the pleasure of such… intriguing company?” He questions, tilting his head as he narrows his eyes ever so slightly, his eyes bouncing between you and Aemond. 

Your head spins as you stare straight ahead, willing yourself to respond, to say anything, to appear somehow normal. Yet, nothing comes out as your center throbs uselessly around Aemond, your head cloudy with need as your eyes stare ahead blankly, though registering just enough to pick up on the small smirk playing at the corners of Larys’s lips. 

“My wife appears to have taken ill this morning,” Aemond drawls from over your shoulder while affectionately petting your waist, a gesture entirely for show, a lie to placate the men in the room, but it comforts you nonetheless. He clears his throat before continuing, the only tell thus far that your warmth around him is affecting him at all, “My presence brings her great comfort, I see no reason why she should be without it.” 

“I see,” Larys hums in response, his dark eyes sweeping over your form, sparkling ominously as if he knows the truth, “What shame, let us hope the Gods grant you reprieve from this…illness soon, princess.” 

“Yes!” You finally squeak, snapping back to attention as Aemond just barely squeezes your side, “Yes, let’s hope so. Thank you, Lord Larys.” You breathe, managing a smile small. 

You shift on your husband’s lap and immediately you know you’ve made a mistake as the head of his cock prods directly into that overly sensitive patch within you, nearly making you topple over on the spot as a small groan escapes you. Blessedly, you have enough presence of mind to cover it up with a cough, sparks jolting down your back as Aemond presses a soft kiss to your cheek, one of his hands coming up to rub soothing circles against the back of your shoulder. 

“There, there, sweetling,” he says softly, again, entirely for show as you put on your best performance, “Once the meeting is over, we will have the servants make some tea for you, that will help with that cough.” Even if it was for show, you couldn’t help but shiver at Aemond’s low voice, at how he’s being so soft and caring with you. That, combined with the incessant prodding to your sweet spot, has you throbbing around him, your heart hammering in your chest. You can hear Aemond suck in another barely there gasp behind you, a groan low enough to remain silent rumbling against your back while at the same time his hand almost imperceptibly twitches on the table; his composure makes you feel all the more lightheaded, blushing somehow deeper at the fact that he’s taking you apart this easily without so much as moving a muscle. Your thighs trembled atop his lap, the insides already sticky with your arousal as you struggled to stay still, silently thanking the Gods that at least your laps were hidden. 

“I’m sorry,” Corlys began, striding over from his spot in the corner with a sheepish look, “I really feel I must speak up, this is really most unusual.” He finishes through an awkward laugh, Tyland following closely behind him as they saddle up to the table. 

“What is most unusual?” Alicent asks, entering the Small Council chambers with Otto, followed closely after by Aegon and Ser Criston. Her eyes sweep over the room, pausing when she sees you, though she quickly corrects herself with a soft smile. “Ah, my dear,” she nods hello to the various men in the room before sitting at the table, “May I ask why your wife joins us, Aemond?” She peers at him curiously, throwing a nervous glance at Aegon who is smirking far too much for her liking as he slinks up to the table. 

“It seems the princess has fallen ill, your grace,” Larys answers quickly, slyly smiling as he turns to face the dowager queen, “Prince Aemond insisted she stay so that she may be…comforted.” You quickly look away from him as his eyes meet yours once again, piercing through you as though he can see directly through your gown. 

“Yes, which is most odd,” Tyland butted in, throwing glances between you, Aemond, Alicent, and Aegon, “She is not a member of the council, she should not be present. Surely there is some way the princess could be comforted that does not involve being privy to government matters.”

Aemond stays silent behind you, glaring daggers at Aegon over your shoulder, watching carefully as he traipses over to the table and stands at its head, his eyes never straying from his brother’s as they stare one another down. The other members, some reluctantly, take their places at the table as well, each of them standing so long as Aegon does, though you and Aemond remain seated; your eyes never stray from the marbled surface of the table.

“Aemond, please,” Otto sighs from his place next to you, “The least you and the princess could do is stand for–”

“I see him everyday,” Aegon interjects, breaking eye contact with your husband as he rolls his eyes, “I don’t give a shit if the fool stands.”

Your eyes dart up at that, shocked that Aegon isn’t taking the chance to thoroughly humiliate Aemond by putting him on the spot. The king’s violet eyes meet yours, sparkling with a mischief that makes your center flutter around your husband’s length – Aegon’s smirk grows as if he knows exactly what just happened. A thin sheen of sweat makes you feel clammy as Aemond’s cock twitches inside of you, pushing him against your sweet spot all the more. 

“Very well,” Alicent swiftly cuts in, determined to keep the peace, “Shall we get st–”

“Are we really going to allow for the presence of–” Corlys starts, only to be viciously cut off.

“She stays,” Aegon says flatly, shooting a bored look at the man, “If anyone has an issue with the princess’s presence they may take their leave.” His violet eyes pass over the room, almost daring anyone to move. Everyone remains still, though you can feel Tyland and Corlys glaring at the side of your head, and after a moment, Aegon takes his seat followed by everyone else; blessedly, the meeting finally begins. 

The Small Council meeting drones on and on, with various conversations of coin and ships, concerns abroad in Essos, and other diplomatic matters that mean nothing to you. In the back of your mind, you know it’s hardly been any time at all but it feels like an eternity has passed with Aemond’s hard length still piercing into you, twitching against your pulsing walls every so often. A part of you wonders if he does it on purpose, gives you just enough stimulation to cruelly tease you before going stock still once more. 

The small, unnoticeable to everyone but you, hitches of his breath tell you otherwise and deep down, you know he’s just as affected as you, no doubt steadily leaking into you, though you dare not consider the thought for very long. 

“Aemond,” your breath catches in your throat as Otto directs his attention to your husband, everyone else's gaze quickly following, “Any further communications from Dorne?”

Behind you, your husband clears his throat and you feel him shift beneath you, sitting up slightly straighter in his seat, both hands now clasping your waist to keep you steady on top of him. “Negotiations with the Dornish remain stagnant,” he begins as you practically wilt on his lap, the added attention from the council members making the knot in your belly tighten in a way you shudder to consider, “We received a raven from Prince Qoren some days ago rejecting any dealings with the crown, no matter the amount of coin we have to offer.” He finishes, pointedly looking at Tyland, who proceeds to butt in.

As soon as the attention shifts off of the two of you, it’s like the air around Aemond changes, becoming charged all of a sudden as you feel his chest heave against your back. At the other end of the table, Tyland begins to raise his voice, debating hotly with Corlys and Otto, drawing the attention of everyone else to them. 

“Do you think you can be still?” Aemond whispers, his breath hot against your ear although his voice is barely audible even to you. He must sense you freeze on his lap as the hand on your hip begins to move slowly, dragging your skirts up your legs until his hand can slip underneath them, making you tremble as he grips the soft skin of your thigh, “Tighten around my cock if you can be still.”

Against your better judgment, you do as he says, tensing as you clench your walls around him; his only reply is a low growl against your back. He stays still for a moment, trying with all of his might to appear as if he’s taking great interest in the ongoing argument taking place. 

Finally, once he’s positive everyone is too preoccupied arguing over coin to pay attention to either of you, his deft fingers slip through your folds before finally twirling against your aching pearl. 

You have to bite harshly at the inside of your cheek to keep quiet, trying to keep your breathing steady as you focus on not moving even though you so badly want to rut your hips against his fingers as they rub against you. 

Aemond swallows thickly behind you as he slowly circles his fingers, careful to keep his pace light and steady to not stir up any slick sounds from your wet cunt, though he longs to hear them. 

Your elbows rest against the top of the table, your hands clasped tightly in front of you. The conversation around you seems to shift as Otto begins prattling on about some Tyrell woman finally being with child. Aemond’s fingers suddenly pinch at your sensitive bud and a gasp tumbles past your lips before you can stop it, drawing everyone’s attention. 

“Is everything alright, princess?” Alicent questions from across the table, her dark eyes narrowed with concern. 

You nod quickly, coughing to conceal a moan as you open your mouth to answer her, “Y-Yes, I’m sorry,” you apologize with a weak smile, “I’m just so pleased for the Tyrells, what a j-joyous time this must be for them.” You say quickly, stumbling over the words as your core clenches tightly around your husband’s cock, his small touches driving you steadily to your peak despite the circumstances. 

Alicent gives you a curious look before quickly collecting herself, “Yes, I’m sure the family is quite thankful, children are always such a blessing,” she smiles politely before turning back to her father, “Please, continue.” 

Otto’s voice hardly reaches your ears as he picks up where he left off, though you don’t miss the horribly put out looks you garner from Tyland and Corlys. 

Aemond’s fingers just barely speed up as they swirl over your bud, though the small change is enough to drive you wild and you can feel the way his chest heaves against your back as your walls twitch around his length, threatening to milk his cock dry without him having to move an inch. 

The heat that has slowly been building within you finally begins to bubble over and your husband’s fingers show no signs of stopping as he pushes you closer and closer to your breaking point. The hand of his that has been resting idly on the table top comes over to casually rest against your clenched hands and rubs soothingly up and down your forearm, Aemond’s silent way of telling you he knows you’re close. 

Your eyes flick around the room as you feel your peak threatening to spill over you, frantically checking for any onlookers at the last possible second. You nearly jump out of your skin as your eyes finally land on Aegon, only to find him already staring at you, an amused smirk plastered across his face as he studies you. 

Aemond chooses that exact second to pinch at your pearl again and the small touch is your undoing. Your teeth bite down firmly on your tongue as your walls pulse rhythmically around your husband’s leaking cock, your eyes still locked on Aegon’s violet ones, now darkened with lust. 

Your muscles tense up as you peak helplessly, waves of pleasure lighting up every nerve ending within you. Somehow, you find it within yourself to remain quiet and still on Aemond’s lap as your eyes finally flick away from his older brother’s and you gaze, apparently absentmindedly, at some point on the wall on the opposite side of the room as your high subsides. 

Thankfully, Aemond takes pity on you and slips his hand away, his wet fingers resting gently in your bare thigh, still underneath your gown. 

You slowly come down from your high as the Small Council winds down, Aegon and Otto quickly discussing a few final points before the king formally adjourns the meeting. Tyland and Corlys practically bolt from their chairs, quickly bowing before they exit as they mumble between themselves, no doubt about the displeasure of your presence. 

Otto and Maester Orwyle take their leave soon after, each bowing politely. Aegon busies himself at the head of the table, leaning back in his chair as he lazily sips from his wine cup, the gleam in his eyes making you shiver. 

Across the room, Alicent and Larys whisper between themselves. Strangely, your mother-in-law blushes, shaking her head suddenly and mumbling a quiet, “Not here,” before glancing around the room.

Larys merely shrugs, turning to you as he shuffles from the room, “Do get better soon, princess.” He says with a feeble bow, although the look on his face makes you blush heavily. 

At that, Alicent turns to Aegon, “Would you care to come see the children with me?”

“Go on,” he dismisses her before nodding toward you and Aemond, “I wish to have a word with my brother.” He catches your eye with a quick wink. 

“Of course,” Alicent mutters, glancing curiously between the three of you, “I’ll ask the maids to bring some tea to your chambers this evening, princess. They make a wonderful lemon one that always seems to lift my spirits.” She says with a kind smile, coming around to place a comforting hand on your shoulder before she too heads to the door. 

“Thank you!” You breathily call after her, voice squeaking at the end as Aemond shuffles impatiently beneath you, his cock still prodding against your sensitive walls. 

Aegon chuckles darkly as soon as the doors close once more, standing from his chair with a wide smirk. “I must say, I’m impressed,” he taunts, eyes glinting as he looks between you and his brother, “I didn’t think either of you had that much gaul in you.” 

“What exactly are you tittering about now?” Aemond asks lowly behind you, his voice rough and choppy as his patience clearly wears thin. 

Sniggering, Aegon saunters around to stand beside you, violet eyes scanning over your laps still concealed under the table, “You’ve had your cock in her the whole time, have you not?” He teases, laughing harder still as Aemond merely hums in response, “Come brother, you should be proud of yourself,” he clasps a hand over your husband's shoulder, “She was nearly falling apart when she peaked.” He comments with a final wink as he ambles to the door, stopping to throw one last amused look over his shoulder, “You might want to do something about that bite mark on your shoulder.” He says casually before slamming the doors closed behind him. 

At his comment, you whirl around and your eyes grow wide as you spy a clear impression of your teeth marks in the leather of Aemond’s tunic, on his shoulder where you’d bitten down earlier. Your cheeks heat up at the thought of it being there throughout the entire meeting. 

You don’t have long to dwell on the thought though as your husband roughly pushes you from his lap until you’re bent over the table, cheek pressed to the cool stone surface. “Seven!” You sequel as he unceremoniously shoves his cock back inside you, his hips pumping wildly as his hands grasp at your waist harshly, no doubt leaving bruises. 

“Fucking finally,” he grunts, eyeing the way his cock disappears into your slick heat as he bunches your gown up over your ass, “‘M not gonna last.” He warns lowly, already panting with the speed of his thrusts. 

Your head spins once again as his cock moves within you, his pace nearly bruising. Your teeth sink into the skin of your forearm as you desperately try to keep quiet, another peak already welling up within you. 

Aemond growls and quickly threads the fingers of one hand through your hair, making you whine loudly as he pulls your head back until his chest is once again pressed against you, his other hand coming to rub against your abused pearl once more. 

“Aemond!” You moan, shaking your head in his grasp, one hand braced against the table as the other grabs at his forearm, feeling his muscles twitch as his fingers swirl against your center, “P-Please, I cannot keep myself quiet, I know I can’t—“ You start babbling. 

“Let them fucking hear,” he growls, eye squeezing shut as he feels his stones tightening up, “The whole keep can listen for all I fucking care, I won’t be stopping this time.” 

Your eyes roll back in your head at his words, never having heard him sound this possessed and overcome with pleasure before. After only a few more thrusts, you feel your walls twitch once more, a loud gasp rattling through your chest, “H-Husband, I’m—!”

“That’s it,” Aemond groans, redoubling his efforts against your pearl as he continues to rut into you at a nearly inhuman pace. “Peak, sweetling,” he commands, his voice low and raspy in your ear, “Peak while I breed your precious cunt.” 

His words nearly take your breath away and you whine loudly as another high washes over you, your walls milking your husband’s cock as they clench and pulse against it. 

Behind you, Aemond groans lowly, grunting as his cock twitches strongly inside you, his thick seed flooding into your heat as he finally, finally peaks, the pleasure of it making him dizzy as he leans against your back, forehead pressed between your shoulder blades. 

The two of you are quiet for a moment, your tired pants the only sounds in the chambers. Finally, Aemond untangles his fingers from your hair, both of his hands coming to rest against the cool table as he finally pulls his cock from your center, soothing you with soft shushes when you whine, the emptiness in your core such a foreign feeling after being filled for so long. 

He sinks into his chair once more and pulls you with him, wrapping a protective arm around your waist as you rest your head on his shoulder. Once your breathing is steady, you pick your head up, a displeased groan tumbling from your throat as you see your bite mark more clearly up close, a finger coming up to trace over the intents in the black leather. 

“I’ll need to send this to the seamstress for repairs,” you whisper with an apologetic sigh, “I believe this is beyond my ability to fix.” 

Aemond chuckles beneath you, lilac eye gleaming with pride as he clasps a hand over yours as it still rests on his shoulder, “Don’t trouble yourself with it, my love.” 

“What?” You question, smiling despite the way you tilt your head in confusion, “Aemond, I cannot fix it myself and I’m afraid the mark will not simply go away—,” 

“You misunderstand me, sweetling,” he says, smiling as he looks down at you, “I intend to keep it as a mark of great pride. I shall wear it as a trophy for all to see.” He explains with a teasing laugh. 

You playfully smack a hand against his chest, which only makes him laugh harder, “You can’t be serious!” You admonish with a wide smile.

“Why? I simply wish to remember this day,” he chuckles, “The day I made my sweet wife peak in front of the Gods and everyone.” 

“Aemond!” You cannot help the surprised laugh that leaves you, “You’re as disgusting as your brother!”

tagged lovelies: @helloworldiamnotarobot @drakonflames @marysucks-blog @watercolorskyy @valeskafics @iamaegontargaryenwife0 @aemshaircare @1997babyyyy @lovellies @little-moonbeam-666 @blackswxnn @demirunner @eponaartemisa @trshngyn

(tags are based on your answers to my google form; if you were mistakenly tagged, please contact me & update your answers on the form! thank you!)

[vigilskeep]

do you actually have a ranking or like. rundown of each love interest's particular brand of insanity re: tranquil beloved...? or if that's too big an ask perhaps the highlights.. i am sitting so attentively reading all of the ones you've detailed thus far

in no particular order

zevran: cruel to the end to ask him to have his love’s blood on his hands again, but if he believed it was what they would have wanted, it would be the gentlest, tenderest, of assassinations

morrigan: what power does a templar possess that is beyond her ability to reverse? she will claw the answer from the far corners of the earth and the furthest reaches of the fade before she abandons what is hers

leliana: once, the chantry sunburst was a comfort, a sign of refuge in a world of darkness. now she can only see the one burned into their skin, the wondrous gifts the maker gave to them stolen in the maker’s name, the cruellest game he has played yet. could she keep her faith through such a test? would she even want to?

alistair: there is a hollow in his life that can’t be laughed around. a sick weight in the stomach, remembering flipping his runic token between his fingers in distraction through every chantry lecture where they promised this was necessary. he’s angry. he’s beginning to think he might be a very angry person, really. he’s beginning to think he’s got good reason

fenris: he wonders if, when the lyrium was touched to their forehead, it burned the way his does. he thinks better of asking. there was a time when magic felt like a curse on them both that he couldn’t break. he wants it back

anders: history always repeats itself. there are certain inevitabilities, foregone conclusions, lessons the circle teaches well. you escape, you get caught. you love something, they take it away. you destroy the last thread tethering a mage to humanity—you’re that brutal, that cruel, that stupid—and all you’ll have left is an abomination

merrill: she never understood tranquillity until it was this close; she could never really believe it was possible. it doesn’t matter. her love’s not quite here right now, even as she chatters away to them, but it doesn’t matter. you can fix anything, as long as you’re willing to pay the price

isabela: it’s her own fault, really. her own fault, for taking a chance on someone so targeted, so foolish, so—brave. her own fault for believing them, when they promised she wasn’t going to lose them. she should leave. there’s nothing left for her here. but it’s gotten so hard to run away

sebastian: this changes nothing. his love is as cold as the portraits that line the halls of the palace in starkhaven, as silent and empty as the chantry statues that offer no guidance for what will come. he still kisses their cheek, takes their hand, walks at their side. he is still a husband; he still has his vows, and one more to add to the rest—to find who blackened the maker’s name with this, and teach them what His judgement truly looks like

[elena-illustration]

My Windswept picrew is back up 🌟

Thanks to all who sent kind messages asking about it. It wasn't a glitch and it wasn't purged. For a while, I'd been thinking about ways I've wanted to re-make the picrew - I have ideas to make the process more efficient so that I have the time to add more items (such as more face/body shapes, or hair colors), but fixing what I want to fix would mean starting over from scratch - and because I'm very busy with university, I don't have that kind of time right now.

Originally I didn't have plans to take it down - at least, not until I had a replacement picrew made - but a little while ago I stumbled upon a thread where my picrew was posted on twitter, and various people commented there weren't enough options and the style was ugly. I've always known the picrew isn't perfect, but it was still months of hard work and a real, honest labor of love for the friends I originally made it for - not to mention something I shared for free. Finding that thread was discouraging, and I just wanted to take it down and start over entirely. But because I don't have the time, I just took it down. I really didn't realize how many people still liked it.

Thank you again to those who reached out and my apologies for the scare. I want to make a better single-person picrew some day. I hope, if that time comes, you'll have fun making things with it :')

[truths33k3r4]

CHAPTER 26 - Blurs and Pixels

Mikey blinked away the growing tears on his face as he shook away the memories he had re-lived in his mind.

No. That’s all in the past. Don and Raph are home now- stop thinkin’ about it-

Mikey clicked with his tongue to fill the uncomfortable lack of sound looming in the room. His leg began to bounce again as he plucked at the stray threads from the couch cushions. 

Mikey. Hated. Silence.

There’s silence when there’s no life. There’s silence when a joke doesn’t land. There’s silence when he’s ALONE.

Nope- stop it. Leo’s right there, I’m not alone. Quit it, brain. La~la~la~la not listeninggggg ~

Just to prove it to himself, the youngest turned his head to face Leo, who was now silently asleep deep into the couch cushions.

Yup- there he is- my fearless leader. He’s right there.

Mikey quietly hummed to himself in contemplation as he inched closer to Leo’s side.

Just… move…. Slowlyyyyyyy...

As smoothly as he could manage, he slid next to Leo and gently placed his head on the oldest’s shoulder. Mikey took a silent deep breath as he cozied next to his brother, the warmth of each of their bodies wrapping them cozily. 

.. A nap doesn’t sound so bad right about now…

. . .  

After THOROUGHLY sanitizing Lotus’ implant, Don had been hard at work trying to decode the infuriating piece of tech. His keyboard clicked and clacked as the images of his monitor reflected in his glasses’ lenses. He’d decoded technology before, but nothing this advanced. Normally it would be re-wiring the toaster, or installing an emergency alarm-

Don’s focused pupils constricted slightly.

His breathing started to hurt.

His hands which had laid firmly on his keyboard, working with precision and practice, began to misspell words. Every time he tapped the backspace, the sound got louder as his shoulders raised in irritation.

Focus Donatello. Get your scrambled brain back to the mission at hand.

After misspelling the word “ what “ as “ wuht “ he had given up, sighing loudly in defeat as he swiped off his glasses to clean the lenses. 

So much for actually getting some WORK DONE.

He had lost so much time. SO. MUCH. TIME. Everywhere he looked in the lair something needed to be fixed or tightened or re-installed. Even as he was decoding the implant, his eyes would stray to land on the two new leaks dripping from his ceiling. Thankfully, the light pitter patters of the sky’s condensation only fell onto the floor, and NOT his computer. Still though, it bothered him greatly.

Ok. Add that to the list.

Don pulled back his sleek, dark purple chair from his desk as he reached into one of its drawers. He pulled out an untitled lavender notebook.( He hated when he would start a new notebook with its own title, and then later in its pages change the subject, resorting the title plastered on the front to be nearly entirely useless, so he left all his notebook covers blank. ) Once he landed on a blank page, he wrote of the two new leaks as numbers seventy-one and seventy-two on his list of to-do’s.

Seventy-two. Hmm. I expected there to be more..

As his eyes began drifting through the pages, taking note of all that needed to be done, all that he had failed to do, he felt his heartbeat begin to quicken. His hands clenched and wrinkled the notebook’s pages as his anger grew. He could feel a pulsing burn spread over his cheeks as tears started to form on the corners of his eyes.

Stop that right now, Don mentally shouted at his own body, I do not need this emotional crap- have you SEEN the SIZE of my to-do’s??! SO MUCH needs to get done and I will not sit here and cry- I will use this time CORRECTLY and LOGICALLY. Crying like an infant is neither logical nor correct- SO STOP IT.

With a defiant rub of his arm to erase the liquid nonsense, he tried to go back to his computer. His eyes needed to squint with how bright the screen now shone, which was.. a bit concerning seeing how earlier his vision was just fine. 

Probably just the stinkin’ tears…

As he tried to focus harder, squinting even more, the image didn’t change.

But his tears were gone…

He decided to do a little experiment. 

He closed his left eye, and his vision returned to what it was before. Nothing was out of the ordinary as he could clearly read all his notes on his computer, the glowing light now faded to a more comfortable level.

Huh. Interesting..

Then he closed his right eye.

The view of his computer pixelated into a glowing square on his wall. All the codes and words and notes on his desktop now deteriorated into nothing but faded lines. He focused as hard as he could, shifting his glasses, squinting his eye, but the distorted view stayed the same.

At first, he questioned if he needed to update his prescription.. But the piercing sting in his left eye forced his whole train of thought to go careening off its tracks. He hissed in pain as he covered the offending sensory organ with his hand. And then a memory hit him so hard he found himself on the ground, clutching his now racing heart.

. . .

It was just reaching sunset, the sky alighting with vibrant orange and pink hues. He and Raph had finally been allowed by Sensei, ( and a very reluctant Leo ), to go on their first mission on their own.

Raph had just found some kind of cd player in the piles of scraps at the scrapyard. It was a little dented, very dirty, but worth a shot to revive.

 Mikey loves his music, so perhaps this player could make a good 13th birthday present. 

Don contentedly placed it into his satchel as he and Raph continued to search for more useful items. 

And then… something sharp jabbed into his neck…and his thigh… He instinctively raised his bowstaff defensively as Raph readied his twin sais. 

“ WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT??? DON!! “

The world began to distort and blur as he felt every muscle in his body begin to defy his will. The sky of the lot lit up with a blinding white light. Before his brain could catch up, he had hit the unforgiving pavement. An ache shot up his shoulder and hip at the impact, as his glasses and staff both scattered out of his reach. He found he could only unleash a low groan at the pain, slowly watching as his body fell into the darkness creeping into his vision.

He felt so tired.

Tranquilizers he had thought to himself as he heard the muffled sounds of his twin crying out as a dart was thrust into his leg. And then another into his arm. 

“ R-raphael-l.. “ 

“ D- Don!- “

His twin fell to the ground next to him. 

He had to act fast. He needed to warn his brothers NOW. He put all his focus into pulling out his phone. His hand hesitated only for a moment as he pushed down onto the Panic button. 

His fingers hadn’t even let go of his phone as a heavy-duty boot came down, crushing them under its merciless pressure. Don cried out as whoever it was that was stepping on him twisted their foot, further injuring his fingers with a sickening *CRUNCH*. With all the strength he had left, he kicked the offender in the most sensitive area he knew of. Said person then cursed loudly and fell backwards onto his posterior, freeing Don’s mangled fingers.

THANK YOU, ANATOMY CLASS.

Don turned over onto his side, now facing his fading brother. Raph fought tooth and nail to stay awake, but his body, too, was slowly turning on him.

Grasping onto their last moments of consciousness, they looked each other in the eye, intertwined their hands, and squeezed as tight as they could. 

The sounds of a helicopter and footsteps coming from every angle echoed into nothing as they finally gave in to the darkness.

When Don woke, he was met with a literal gun to his head.

At least.. he thinks it was a gun. The brutes who took him and his brother captive had taken away his glasses. Rude. When he tried to stand up from the chair he was sitting on, a heavy tug of chains sounded, keeping him from any movements past raising his cuffed hands to his chin. By the fact that no one came and disciplined him for trying to stand, he assumed he was alone.

Even with blurry vision, he still tried to get a hold of his surroundings. 

It was dark. That much was obvious. The only light Don could see was peeking through four thin rectangular windows above him and Raph. 

RAPH.

Don could sense his brother’s shell slumped against his own. He calculatedly backed up his head and leaned over his twin’s shoulder. Thanks to the deathly quiet room, Don was able to hear Raph’s slow, but steady breaths.

Thank God…

He nudged Raph’s head gently. At first there was no response, which was somewhat normal seeing how he would normally need something with the sound range of one hundred and twenty decibels to wake up his fiery twin for school when they were kids; Raph’s always been the heaviest of sleepers.

So, to counteract his twin’s tendency to sleep like a grizzly in hibernation, Don gathered as much spit in his mouth as possible, and sloppily licked the side of Raph’s face.

… That… may not have been a good idea.

It was effective…. But at the cost of Don’s nose getting thwacked by Raph’s shoulder.

“ HHUGHHH! .. Raph!..ughhhhh.. “ Don moaned as his face grew a painful shade of red.

“ WHY. Would you DO that?! “ Raph scolded, whilst he attempted to rub off the remainder of Don’s spit with his shoulder.

“ Nevermind that. What can you see? “ 

“... Skies a blue.. Red roses too- “

“ RAPHAEL. “

“ Dude, you gave me an opening- “

“ I’M SERIOUS, RAPH. What do you see?.. “

The older twin looked around the room. 

“ Looks like we’re in some kinda garage… I can smell motor oil and grease, and there’s a box of tools on a bench to your far left. “

“ Are there any cameras? “

Please no. Please no. Please no-

“ Yeah, there’s one in the corner of the ceiling. Pretty sure it can see us. And it’s blinkin’ red, so I think it’s on. “

Frickgoshdangit.

“ Wait- why are you askin’ me to look around? Don, CAN YOU SEE RIGHT NOW??? Did those JERKWADS BLIND YO- “

“- No, dear twin of mine. I simply can’t see because the insolent koalas stole my glasses. My eyes are still functioning properly. “

“.. The what now? Dude, aren’t koalas all cuddly ‘n stuff? “

“.. Yes, and they have one of the smallest brain-to-body ratios of mammals. “

“....”

“... They’re Dumb-Dumbs. “

Don felt a heavy sigh leave Raph’s body, not only releasing his built up steam, but also a small chuckle.

“ Ok.. You said there’s tools to my right? “

“ Left. “

“ Right..ok- “

“ Dude, I just said left. “

“ -NO- RAPH- ‘RIGHT’ AS IN CORRECT. “

“ Then just say ‘correct’, man! “

“ I DID, YOU SON OF A SPITEFUL POPTART. “

“ Ppfft- Dude seriously, you need better insults. I got a list we can go through when we get ho- “

The two brothers flinched at the sound of two metallic clicks.

Don REALLY wished he could see right now.

Judging by the way Raphael’s whole body tensed it wasn’t anything good.

“ Raph. What is going on? “ The purple-clad turtle whispered.

“ There’s two guns pointin’ at us.. And I think they’re loaded… Any ideas, Brainiac? “

“..Working on it.. “

“ Work faster… “

That's it for this chapter! :) We're finally getting to what happened to Don and Raph, and man it's gonna be a ride. ;)

Hope you enjoyed!

~ Melissa

MASTERPOST <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

[arisenreborn]

Okay here's my outline for the gist of how Olivia and Emrys's different cycles go, without getting too into the nitty gritty details. Mostly just how they end. Spoilers for sure and big gratuitous headcanons of course. <3

CYCLE 1: 

The Bad Ending. Emrys goes ‘purgener mode’ in the Unmoored World, mostly kills Olivia*, and then proceeds to wander through other worlds until killed. Time restarts and loops back for them. 

(*I think she was kept very slightly alive, the tiny thread of her remaining life 'elongated' by being fused into a dragons heart, but obv in a not very pleasant way or sense, and for a blessing she wouldn't have been very aware of it.)

CYCLE 2: 

‘Dream’, or False Cycle. This is a really warped, distorted cycle. It happens, but even more outside the typical parameters of the world than usual. It's a result of being the ‘bridge’ dragon!Emrys created, connecting the failure of the first cycle to a true, renewed attempt in the third cycle after a fashion. 

(Basically, he's creating the parameters for the time loop, using his connection to the Brine/greater powers via dragonsplague. The implications here are pretty big but we won't see more of that until the True Ending.)

Emrys is the Arisen, Olivia (fittingly after her death, an ‘empty vessel’) is his pawn.. It ends with the bittersweet victory of Pawn!Olivia sacrificing her newly realized will, prompting Emrys to realize this isn't 'how things should be', and the world loops back again.

CYCLE 3:

The Unmoored World goes very differently. Emrys seemingly overcomes the dragonsplague to help her defeat the Pathfinder Dragon, Olivia disappears for several months after the final battle. When they find her she has none of her memories, and it takes over a year for them to finally start to return - whereupon she is officially made Sovran. 

It’s a good, happy ending - until many years later their son, Idris, is made the new Arisen. They realize that while they may have gotten rid of the Pathfinder and Brine, the Dragon’s Dogma itself remains. When their son tragically perishes, time loops back once more.

CYCLE 4: 

The Final Cycle, The True Ending (Until I start getting more bright ideas.) I like to think the Pathfinder would be slightly more of a threat here -when- they realize they were overcome before, and were only returned to their ‘rightful place’ by… means unknown even to them. 

Ultimately a new order is created. Emrys ascends up the dragon ladder, overcoming dragonsplague and subsuming the Pathfinder/Brine. He essentially becomes a new class of dragon, holding that role in perpetuity, with Olivia as Sovran and Seneschal. 

Basically they become living gods and re-define the Dragon’s Dogma. 😌 (And they have their kids later and Idris never has to become Arisen.)

Notes!

Cycle 2:

It's almost dream-like/nightmarish in the way I imagine it is, yes, close enough to the basic DD2 story experience, but Emrys's actual perception of things is often skewed. His personal memories don't always add up, essentially, because they were cobbled together 'on the spot'. Basically he didn't actually 'exist in the world as a human' in the history leading up to him awakening at the excavation site when time looped back - he’d been a pawn up until that point. The chaotic result of Cycle 1’s ending and him trying to patch things back together, trying to ‘fix Olivia’, but ‘Olivia’ being ‘gone’ resulted in him getting slotted into the role of Arisen and a haphazard backstory shifting into place between the fell curse of amnesia.  It doesn’t all exactly make ‘sense’ because I just want to be able to slap an Arisen!Emrys cycle in there and it’s just inherently not right on any level.

Cycle 3 has the most alternative endings that are genuine, AU endings, that don't really fit in the scheme of continuity... but they're out there. 😂

The Neutral Ending. After several bad turns with Dragonsplague, Godsway, and dealing with Olivia’s brother, he begs her to give up her charge and simply leave with him. Though reluctant, she eventually agrees. They live out their days, sometimes avoiding and other times assisting new Arisen. The Happy Ending. Despite their son becoming Arisen, he later manages to truly break and end the cycle, and all is well. Some of it has overlapping plot points with the True Ending, but with Idris playing a more central role. It’s likely in this one Olivia and Emrys would eventually grow old together.

[veemo4]

2023 Media Thread (Re-do to add a Read More Link)

Spark The Electric Jester 3:

Man I was holding off on spoilers for MONTHS until the holidays when I could get this game, and I only beat it in the beginning of the year and well…HOLY SHIT I didn’t know I needed existentialism in my funny little platformer- Gameplay is INSANELY solid, like honestly some of my favorite platforming controls I have ever used! Music is top notch as well!

Nier Automata: The End of YoRHa Edition:

Holy fuck how did I manage to avoid spoilers for this game for YEARS??? That ending was beautiful~ (Yes I did do all the main endings)

Chrono Trigger: I should preface this by saying I did modify this game a tiiiiny bit to have PS4 button prompts and fixing the Classic filter. Other than that, I can see why it’s a lot of people’s favorite RPG! Short enough in case you wanna replay it, and the foundation of the NG+ system definitely helps incentivize replays! Can’t wait to play Chrono Cross!

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII:

I binged both FFXIII and FFXIII-2 during October and November of last year, but took a short break to avoid burnout. And well, yeah this game was neat! I will admit though that since there’s no way to REWIND time like in Majora’s Mask that I got INSANELY stressed out but that didn’t take away from the sweet release of seeing these characters I love finally get their well-deserved happy ending :)

Mega Man Zero:

I put this one off and on throughout like 2 years because I just wasn’t good at it, but it taught me a VERY good lesson in perseverance! Really excited to play Zero 2!

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion: ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK ;w; Story was pretty…alright for the most part, but I couldn’t feel attached to any of the original characters :/ Honestly my eyes were on Zack just…being real with what’s going on. I may not feel bad for when people he cares about dies, but I can EASILY emphasize with him because I know that HE knows them. Knows them more than we ever will know. Also the gameplay and music are fucking stellar.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes:

I should preface all of this by saying I don’t remember what order I beat all of these in lmao. Anyways my route was Golden Wildfire and the story for it is such an improvement over its equivalent in Three Houses!!! I love Shez so much as a protagonist even if his outfit is a tiny bit dumb.

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

Man I really wanted to like this. And like, music and area wise I loved it! But the story feels…It just doesn’t feel like the finality for all we’ve done so far. I could not care at all for Meteion because they spend approximately like 20 or 30 minutes making us meet them and then throwing us IMMEDIATELY into the angst like, no. This isn’t even a case of “Well I don’t care but I can understand why others do” NO THE GAME MAKES YOUR WOL FEEL BAD AS WELL, MEANING YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO CARE! NO! I DON’T! I was able to at least pretend a little bit to roleplay as needed but man. At least Footfalls and the post-endwalker dungeon themes kick ass though. (Warrior of Light’s name for me is M’bahlon Tia)

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe

SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE I love kirby games sm and this is no exception. REALLY loved how hard the Magolor Epilogue got at certain points though that was great.

Fire Emblem Awakening

I CAN SEE WHY THIS SAVED THE FRANCHISE WHEN IT CAME OUT!! It’s a REALLY good game! I went with the default male Robin settings since that’s what’s in Smash Bros. And man just, everything about this game is AMAZING!!! Sadly cannot see myself replaying it anytime. I could just load my endgame save and grind out support conversations with other characters or do that…new game plus thing I think it was?

Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space: Bound Wills and the Hollow Puppeteer

I did this event initially back when it came out (and in fact is the main reason why I played the game in the first place) But I got horrible units and died super often, and revived every chance I got. But losing my save data and getting a better unit HEAVILY boosted my chances of getting through the event and man, it was a lot of fun! I love seeing tiny mona :3 JUST LOOK AT HOW SMOL HE IS AAAAAAAAA

Mighty Gunvolt Burst:

I had a lot of fun with this one! I used one of the DLC characters (I think they’re the Zero character from Mighty Number 9 but) it’s a great romp!

EDIT: ALSO SHOULD MENTION IT FUCKING OWO’D ME

Final Fantasy XV

“Walk tall…my friends.” I got this game YEARS ago but haven’t truly delved into it recently. And well… That ending got to me. It really did. The gameplay took me so long to get used to (especially since I had been more used to the more refined gameplay of Final Fantasy 7 Remake 3 years prior) Music is amazing, love the characters! I just wish the other episodes were finished and weren’t just put in a novel :/

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

HOLY FUCK THIS GAME WAS SO COOL. I always heard like, right, about how good this game was but I figured it was just nostalgia talking for people. NOPE. As someone who’s first paper mario game was super (never beat it, I was a really stupid child) and then played Sticker Star (Again, very stupid child but also that game is bullshit because everything is so obtuse and it sucks) But this? This was a big breath of fresh air. I am so excited to go back and play 64 and Super!!!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Honestly? Way better than I was expecting. You can FEEL nintendo had a strangle-hold on the movie’s production though from how Chris Pratt in the final movie actually fucking voice acts somewhat (it’s a start), there’s no bad Illumination tropes, Peach is a dragoon, Toad and Bowser easily steal the show, and just, ALL THE REFERENCES WOW. EVEN THE NEWER THINGS. I didn’t see any Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi references though which makes me sad. I hope that if there’s a sequel it’s actually better and doesn’t fall into any traps movie sequels usually do, maybe even say if the other kingdoms from Mario Odyssey are in this universe (and maybe Isle Defino) The movie definitely could have used an extra 20 minutes spread throughout to add more to the main group dynamic.

Mega Man Zero 2

OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO MUCH BETTER BALANCE-WISE HOLY SHIT Cyber-elves requirements to be leveled up were MASSIVELY lowered and the enemy AI isn’t as overly aggressive! Loved the music too, especially Departure and the ending theme which was adapted for the song Clover! Can’t wait to do Zero 3!

WARE WA MESSIAH NARI! HAHAHA!

Mega Man Zero 3 was really good, but either I am getting way too good at these games or they are getting easier haha. Loved the music and gameplay though, and how Cyber Elves were handled here is absolutely the best they have ever been! If there’s any game in this series I am gonna replay, it’s Zero 3 without a doubt! On to Mega Man Zero 4, the last of the GBA era.

Mega Man Zero 4

I finally did it. I beat the entire Mega Man Zero series. While I do not agree with how the parts and cyber elf system were handled, It was not a bad experience by any means! It felt nice following Zero’s character arc throughout these games. I’m maybe gonna take a break before I tackle Mega Man ZX, but hey, I feel like that game’s gonna be fun! It’s the only one I actually OWN on its original hardware after all! :D

Sonic and the Black Knight

This was a fun distraction for a few hours! I had a lot of fun with this! Granted the second King Arthur fight took me an hour but besides that it was a quick and good romp! Probably has one of the best final boss themes in a sonic game I’ve ever heard! :D

The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past

Pretty fun game all things considered, but I didn’t like how punishing some of the design philosophies were in the end parts of the game. Music’s great though! Maybe I’ll revisit it one day, but not anytime soon. Still, can’t say I disliked my experience.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Where…do I even begin with this?…It was…genuinely amazing. I was waiting for a sequel to Breath of the Wild for years, and during my high school years I was wondering how they would even follow it up! Doing a sequel to an open-world game is harder than a lot of other genres.      But yet….they did it. They somehow did it. Those 6 years of development time more than paid off. It felt…amazing to run around a changed Hyrule from the last game. The mechanics were amazing, and the character development was really cool! The new rune abilities are dope!!!    BUT THE MUSIC MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM THE MUSIC OH THE MUSIC IS SO GOOD THE ENDING MUSIC MADE ME ACTUALLY CRY AHHHHHHHH PLAY THIS GAME PLAY IT NOW

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

And here we are! Finally got around to this! It was a really dope game! Loved the combat and music! I even did most of the bonus content and the Ultimate Cup Z, but I kept dying at the final phase of the final boss of that so I just gave up lol, it’s purely bonus content anyways lol. But honestly I loved this game! Can’t wait for the next mainline kirby game!

The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

FINALLY GOT AROUND TO PLAYING THIS ONE! I owned this on real hardware since its release date but never got far. I finally got around to it with the motivation of beating Tears of the Kingdom, and I gotta say, it’s pretty good! Not exactly like, absolutely top tier game that everyone MUST play but, it’s decent! Bosses are a big sour point though. Music was pretty decent, though the final dungeon theme is a bore. Only other current Zelda games I gotta beat are the 2D/Top-Down ones, so maybe I’ll do one of those next! Possibly either Phantom Hourglass or Spirit Tracks.

Pokémon Scarlet

HOLY SHIT THAT ENDING SEQUENCE WAS ACTUALLY COOL AS HELL!!! Like yeah, the game has its decent chunk of technical issues but, holy shit….those last two hours of the main story are phenomenal. TOBY FOX CONTINUES TO BE THE GOAT THE MUSIC HE COMPOSED IS AMAZING! I love how easier it is to capture pokemon compared to Sword and Shield as well. I do like Dynamax raids more as a multiplayer component, but I much prefer the Tera mechanic in terms of PVP. I stlll need to do the post game before the dlc comes out later this year, but all I really got is just the refights against the gym leaders and all that jazz. There’s also the Needle thingies I gotta pull out and the wall things I gotta investigate in order to get the other legendaries, but all I really care about is finishing the core of the main story, I got other games to get to lol. Probably thinking of either Paper Mario or Chrono Cross next haha.

Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Riders

Okay so context: my friend @arcadiusdragoneyes​ is showing me and @darkspine576​ Kamen Rider Build since it’s one of his favorites and he wanted to indoctrinate introduce us into Kamen Rider AND IT’S FUCKING WORKING. I only know one part of this crossover, but I think it did a good job of giving across the feel of the other Kamen Rider series very well! Kamen Rider Build is so extra I love it. Can’t wait to finish Kamen Rider Build!

[purrincess-chat]

For the writers truth or dare ask: 🌿❄️🍄

Give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

So, this is something I've actually been dealing with a lot over the past year. Some of it is out of my control, but the other side is just a general lack of motivation. Here are a few tips I've found that are helpful for me:

First, identify where your block is coming from. Is it because a scene isn't working and you don't know how to fix it? Is it because you don't know what to do next in the story? Is something else in your life stressing you out? Do you suffer from a mental illness that may be making you feel disconnected? Once you recognize what kind of block you're facing, you can find ways to overcome it.

The way you handle your block is going to depend on what kind of block it is. For me, I've been dealing with a lot of outside stress in my personal life that doesn't usually leave me with much mental energy to devote to writing or even some of my other hobbies. In cases like that, I've found it's best to be patient and kind to yourself. I've been working on managing my stress and taking breaks to fight the burn out. If this is the case for you, I can tell you it's sadly a slow process depending on your circumstances. Be kind to yourself, write when you can, and don't beat yourself up if you are struggling, it will only make it worse. Try to rebuild a habit of writing. Maybe set aside a certain time every day or every other day to write, even if you can only manage a few words. Building a habit will help you get back into the swing of things. If your daily life is too hectic to allow for that, then put the writing down and take care of your business. Sometimes things are just more important than writing, and you shouldn't feel guilty for putting aside a hobby. Life is hard. You'll get there.

If your struggle comes from being stuck on a particular scene, I have a couple of remedies that usually work for me. One way is to skip ahead and bridge the gap later, so for me if a conversation between characters isn't going how I want, or what happens more to me is filling in exposition between conversations, I might skip ahead to the next portion of the scene or chapter that I can clearly picture in my head and work on that for a while. Often times I find when I go back to bridge the two sections later, it's a lot easier seeing where exactly I need to end up, and I can usually fix the problem with a sentence or two that was previously tripping me up. The second option that I also sometimes run into is if I follow a particular thread and find out it's a dead end or just not flowing how I want, I might cut a chunk of the most recent bits I've written. Sometimes I delete it, other times I just cut it and paste it either further down on the same doc or by itself onto a blank doc. That way if I decide I want to keep it or add it back later, it's not totally gone, but sometimes going back and rewriting a particular bit that isn't quite working how I want gives me a fresh start to try something else. Writing sometimes is throwing things at a wall until something sticks. It's okay to delete something you've already written or cut it. In fact, oftentimes it's needed. It can be frustrating when you realize something you've spent a lot of time on just isn't working, and you have to cut it, but in the end, if it will fix the issue, it's unfortunately time to swallow your pride and just cut it.

On the other hand, if your block is coming from just not knowing what to do next in the story, I have a few options to re-spark inspiration. First, I recommend rereading over what you've written. Get a sense for what you already have on the page or in your notes. Next, revisit the source material you're writing from if you're writing fic. Sometimes I find that putting myself back into that world helps me put myself back into the characters heads, and sometimes getting a renewed sense for who the characters are and what drives them can help me figure out how they would react in a given situation or what choices they might make. Third, ask yourself what your end goal is, then work on figuring out what you need to get your characters or plot there. I know a lot of people don't like outlining, but if you find yourself running into this issue a lot, it might be worthwhile to figure out a system that works for you. I utilize a number of different kinds of outlines when I write. I usually start with a bare bones outline and summarize each chapter in a sentence or two. What is the main focus of each chapter? After that I work on a more detailed outline and fill in the blanks, focusing on what I want for each character throughout the story. What challenges will they face, what lessons do they need to learn, what flaws are they going to overcome, and how are they going to grow? Once I know that, I work on putting them in situations that will accomplish that. Sometimes, when you're making things up as you go with no real plan, it can be easy to write yourself into a corner. Planning a little bit ahead of time can help you see where you're going and hopefully avoid pitfalls. If you've already fallen into a pitfall, I'd recommend advice I gave earlier and go back to the point where things went wrong and cut the parts that aren't working and try a new approach. Writing takes patience, and you don't always get it right the first time. That's perfectly fine, just keep trying.

Some other remedies that work for me are taking time to clear my mind and refocus on the story I'm telling. I may go for a walk, or clean my room, or listen to a song that reminds me of the characters/story. I'm not the best example of it, but also sometimes reading other people's work (professional or otherwise) can spark inspiration, or studying the way they tell their story can help you figure out how to tell your story. Also, keep in mind that you're not going to crank out 3k every single day. Sometimes all you can manage is 500 words or even one sentence. That's fine. Every day is different. Just keep going. It's difficult to give a blanket piece of advice because everyone suffers differently. Hopefully any of this advice was helpful 😅

What's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

Ooo, so it depends. I have a lot of ideas all the time, and I love all of them in different ways for different reasons. I've been dipping my toes into the LoZ fandom lately, particularly the botw/totk side. I've been working on a Zelink fic that picks up right after botw ends and bridges the gap between botw and totk following how they began recovering from the calamity, so right now that is my dream fic, I suppose. I've also been working on my secret project for ML that I'm not quite ready to reveal yet, but it's another Adrinette centric story (surprise, surprise, Cat) where the reveal has happened and they're together, but things aren't as wonderful as they'd hoped. As for who will write them, ehhh me 😅 all of my ideas are things that I would write. But typically if I post about something publicly like in one of my brain dump posts, I don't mind if other people get inspired by the idea and want to write it. 🤷‍♀️

Share a head canon for one of your favorite ships/pairings

I'll give two because my brain lately is oscillating between love square and Zelink.

For the love square, I headcanon that Adrien would be the dad that wants to take his kids to do everything that he couldn't do as a kid, and Marinette has to reel them back in bc I don't care if it's fun for you, you can't take our five year old skydiving. Let's just go to Disneyland 🤦‍♀️

For Zelink, I headcanon that post botw, pre totk when Zelda is a teacher at the school in Hateno, that Link often brings her a picnic lunch, and they sit outside under a tree in the school yard and eat his cooking while talking about their day. I also hc that Zelda would absolutely rope him into teaching PE to the kids.

[thylacines-toybox]

first off I LOVE YOUR BLOG it brings me so much joy each day.

If you have the time, I wanted your expertise on stuffedy alteration- or even just a book/website recommendation?

how would I go about making a lil buddy from a sort of stiff and fixed pose to a more loose and squeezable buddy?

my brother got me a Bulba for Easter and I love it very much but he is a very stiff little fella.

also, the tip of his bulb seems to be stuck inward in a weird way...do u think I could fix that as well?

thanks so much, keep rockin

(Firstly, I love a non-traditional easter animal as a gift lol. I got an easter mammoth from my granny once as a kid. Wish I’d kept that…)

This got a little long so just popping it under a cut!

It sounds like you have a pretty firmly stuffed bulbasaur there! Are you hoping to just make it a little squishier, or make it beanbaggy? I’ve given a couple of other stiffly-stuffed Pokemon plushies the beanbag treatment and it definitely makes them more fun!

Can you find the closing seam on its body somewhere? It’s likely to be on the back, tummy or butt of an animal (probably not on a bulbasaur’s back with the bulb in the way) and will look like a more wibbly, obvious bit of hand stitching, done with a thicker tread than the rest of the seams. You can carefully snip this thread to open up bulba and take out his stuffing.

Try taking out a bit and squishing him around, or take out a lot and fluff it up a bit more if it’s too tightly packed, then put just some of it back in. You can also look for a softer, puffier type of stuffing in craft stores, if the current stuffing feels a bit too cheap and dense!

If you’d like, add some beans! Could be literal dried beans/lentils/rice (make sure bulba always stays dry if you use that!) or small beads, but best of all is plastic poly pellets designed for beanie toys. You can sew a thin fabric pouch filled with the beans to put inside, but honestly since bulbasaur is a pretty simple shape I’d just pour the beans right in there (carefully) and fill him up. Makes him extra nice and heavy! Leave the head and bulb filled with the fluffy stuffing.

Once you’re done just sew up the closing seam again using a ladder stitch! (If he’s full to the brim with beans put a little wad of the soft stuffing at the entrance just to stop bean escape while you sew.)

As for the funny bulb tip… is there a single stitch in there to pull it inwards? It might be a case of unpicking that and re-stitching it a bit more neatly, but it’s a little hard to tell what you mean from here! Feel free to message me and we can take a closer look at that.

[kuraikyu]

Anonymous: What happens if Kenjaku's upper part of head is entirely removed? And do you think his stitches are ordinary?

As long as the brain stays /in/ and not /out/ of the body, he's fine. Kenjaku even demonstrated that to Gojo during Shibuya Incident by opening the upper part and revealing his purple-plump real form. But here we have this father / son sorting issues, which repetitively proves that even if his entire skull-lid blasts off ... it changes nothing except for the discomfort of fixing himself. He still maintains control over the body because the brain remains intact and neatly stored in his newest fancy suit to promenade in.

The mystery of Kenjaku's stitches is such a morbid deep thrill for me I literally wanna cry about because of overall lack of content around it!! But I would like to think they are not ordinary. At first, I thought it could be any absorbable monofilament suture ( Catgut ) that is often used in plastic surgery but as I re-checked a few panels over and over again, that idea gradually lost its grip on me, and I eventually pressed pedals for something more interesting such as: 'thread' as a part of his technique acting as a last piece of puzzle / a seal to complete the procession of body switching. OH, by the way, while I'm at it we know stitches remain on the forehead of the person Kenjaku hijacked, plus I discovered Gege mentioned somewhere that those stitches act as Binding Vow = thus why they never heal. I suppose it could have something to do ( or maybe not but either way I would like to use this for headcanon ) with Kenjaku being forced to spend a certain amount of time in a body to obtain its technique and use it in a different body ... *coughs* Kaori *coughs* anti-gravity ... Here goes cardinal connection to how his stitches look like. But I would like to add another spice here, and that is how Sorcerers & non-Sorcerers can see them.

Thread headcanon: there is one single thread created purely from cursed energy which is a part of his innate technique. While other Jujutsu users can see it only the curse users can touch and remove it. The longer he stays in a specific body the less actual stitches are visible to the naked eye and could even blend in visual confusion posing just as some weird scars. Stitches run horizontally along the forehead; never entire head.

-> If thread is partly destroyed by another technique and at least one small fragment remains in the skin, it automatically restores itself to the previous length. -> If it is destroyed entirely he has to go through a long and exhausting process of re-casting the backup replacement WHICH DISABLES HIM TO PARTICIPATE IN COMBAT & TEMPORARILY USE THE TECHNIQUE OF THE BODY HE'S USING until the thread is restored. I purposely counted how many stitches he has ( pic below contains 6 where 6th is under the bangs ) but I can't use much esoterical symbolism here because Akutami draws them differently and mostly they don't match in number; yes, I also counted the body of Noritoshi and Kaori too, and -- *shrugs* unfortunately. BUT is what I came with so far.~

Hijutsu-shi are likely to see this:

( Chapter-143 ; Kaori talks to Jin and her father-in-law - likely both non-Jujutsu users and second. ) ( Chapter-167 ; Kenjaku in China talking to the government & confirmed non-Jujutsu users. )

And here I go back to what I mentioned before - the 'spice'. The stitches look the way they do because he spends long enough time there to obtain other's technique and are not really visible to non-Sorcerers. While Jutsu-shi can see this:

Juso-shi (only) can remove the stitches.

Stitches are visible because he possesses a body for a short period than his vow / technique requires.

[why485]

It’s kind of amazing that having read only a couple chapters ahead from when I wrote my previous post that was just the teaser for the big reveal(s). It’s always been a bit weird to me that this series has as high a score as it does, but I think I get it now after this because it’s a hell of a twist.

I’ll probably do one more Fuutaroubowl update, though I’m not sure how soon I should do it yet. Looking ahead at the chapter names, it seems like there’s a very lengthy school festival arc is coming up and then the last volume which presumably just wraps everything up, so maybe it’s better to do it sooner than later.

Yotsuba’s past finally gets fully revealed in chapter 90 and it recontextualizes literally everything that’s happened up until now. Yotsuba was the secret main character this entire time. A tragic character and, while not what you’d call a mastermind, behind any of the weird and/or ambiguous events that didn’t quite add up. After a couple more chapters (Last read 95, ~30 away from the end) this is such an insane loose thread, with so much room for growth, that when combined with Itsuki’s apparent status reversal, a Yotsuba win seems very likely.

The craziest thing is that it even fixes some plot holes that were bugging me. Up until this point, I’ve been assuming the mangaka has been making it all up as he went. That the reason for so many of the quint shenanigans was to keep it as ambiguous as possible so the story (and winner) could be tweaked over time based on either his own preferences or some other outside forces. Now though, I’m not so sure.

I went back and read through some of the early chapters and everything is consistent. This actually cleans up a lot of the problems I thought existed around the Rena character and Itsuki’s part in it all. All my insane theories during the Nino arc only made sense at the time, and now after everything’s played out it’s hard to imagine it going any other way. I don’t know that I want to re-read the entire thing yet, but I will say that it’s renewed my interest in the anime, because I’m really curious what an edited version of this story looks like. Maybe nothing actually needs to change to keep it internally consistent. Maybe all of this actually was planned out in advance.

[botchallthethings]

Status of various clothing repair and alteration projects:

Sweater gusset project: 90% complete and fully wearable. Not marked fully complete because I may at some point go back over the line demarcating the original cuffs with black stitches to make it look intentional, and may at some point swap out the buttons for prettier ones. I may also line the neck with a softer woven fabric, as it can be scratchy on my skin if I’m not wearing a high-necked shirt underneath

Pullover to cardigan conversion: complete! I’m very satisfied with it and have gotten compliments on it already. I personally think that the cut lines are slightly stretched out and wavy and would do things a little differently next time, but they’re quite secured and stabilized now (sewn, rolled into a hem and sewn, then a grosgrain ribbon was sewn on). This really fits my style, and I like the three clasps at the bust that make it fit more like an empire-waisted garment than a normal button-up cardigan.

Funky-neckline dress bodice to bolero conversion: functionally completed but I’m not satisfied yet. I think I want to re-sew the bottom hook and eye (again!) so it pulls less. Also, that will necessitate re-sewing the button for visual balance (it was supposed to be functional but that was a pain and I gave up) Ugh, this just was not constructed in a way to fit me but it is pretty enough that I want to salvage it. I may rip out the princess seaming and do a bust reduction; alternatively, I might just get some cups and batting at the sewing store and pad it out so that it doesn’t cave in.

Faintly bleach-stained sweater: Fixed with sharpie, and you know what? I really like it a lot more! Funny how little tiny things can make something feel worn out and unlovely.

Grey undershirt with pinprick holes: mended (and wow there were so many of them! How is it that once you start mending, you find so many more holes??). Now I’d like to soak it in oxyclean because it’s yellowing in some areas. Despite the fact that nobody but me will ever see it, I’ll like it more if it’s well-cared for.

Old cowl-necked black shirt that I resented but also could not bring myself to throw away: mended and loved once more! I could not bear throwing it away, and once I secured some loose threads, fixed a run in the sleeve, and picked away some mysterious red flecks and sharpied the rest, it feels new. It turns out I really love this shirt and my feeling of frustration and boredom was directly linked to all of the little evidences of wear that were not noticeable to anybody but the wearer. It’s really quality, too! Very soft and not pilling despite the amount of wear I’ve put on it

Stained shirt embroidery project: put on hold for an unknown amount of time because I realized I’d forgotten the fact that I owned a matching square scarf with a floral pattern; my original dandelion design needs to complement it and I think I need to re-think it and get new embroidery threads

Coat strap: Shortened effectively and while the thread’s not a perfect match, literally no one but me is going to notice and I really don’t care about it

Socks: two pairs of socks to darn, one of them a pair of wool toe socks (ugh but worth it to fix) and the other pair a decorative pair of cotton socks that are cheap enough that they really don’t deserve mending but I don’t really have any other pairs of lightweight tall socks and like these, so I’d better mend them before they’re too threadbare.

Boat-neck shirt that’s too wide-necked for comfort: experimental lacework at the neckline complete and functional. Unfortunately this shirt needs more work and I’m not keen on doing it, but it’s a nice long-sleeved shirt and really comfortable, so I should get on with it. Ideally I’d add cuffs in matching yarn, and add something to the hem as well (needle lace might be something to look in here). It’s also got some ink stains that I have no idea what design to use to cover, but I have beads and ribbons and thread. This is probably a backburner piece for now. I think I’m going to use it to experiment on and keep it as a comfort/casual shirt for now. I’ve got a darker teal version of the shirt with all the same problems and promises, sans stain, and I think it has a chance of being more polished than this one if I do it right, so I want to make all the mistakes on the stained shirt.

Sweatshirt that I love and treated carelessly: buried with my summer clothes from the move. *sigh*...this is all my fault. I used it to hold ripe wild persimmons and turns out those do NOT like to come out, not even from dark navy clothes. Then, when I tried to use oxyclean because that fixed my last stain, I neglected to read the info that says don’t use it with metal! And my lovely sweatshirt is lovely because of its metal zipper and fixings! So now it’s got purplish-reddish spots on it from the reaction of the metal to the oxyclean and I don’t know how to fix it. I know I need a good blue to balance out what was lost, but the spots are big enough that a real dye rather than a permanent marker is probably in order, and it’s got white cloth lettering so dyeing will be a little tricky.

Not mending: tablet weaving! Slow work in progress and I need to unpick some stuff (ugh! spent a few hours stuck on that last night!), but it’s looking a lot more successful than it did a few days ago. Also, I have oodles of yarn that I should spin. I haven’t, because I think I’m a little bored with the plain white color, but I eventually will get back to it. I should look into dyeing, frankly. Also, I would like to make a sweater, some mittens, and maybe a pair of socks, but I don’t know what my skill level at making yarn is or what I could tolerate the feel of the most, and I’ve got a 50$ gift card to my LYS, which is not too shabby but also not enough for a sweater. I figure I could get a pair of mittens or socks out of it, or I could use it to discount the cost of a sweater. Gotta find patterns I want to use, though...

Lessons learned:

There’s a lot you notice consciously or subconsciously about your clothes that someone who doesn’t wear them wouldn’t, and sometimes small changes can transform how you feel about them.

Once you start noticing things, you keep noticing them, and so you’ll probably find a lot more to mend once you start, but I promise it’s worth it

It’s tedious to finish projects but it’s worth it to stick with them to the end and not call quits until you’re actually satisfied, because “it’s okay” and “it’s exactly how I want it, or at least the closest I can get to ideal using my skill set” is the difference between reaching for clothes and ignoring them for ages

To flesh that out a little, there’s a difference between “I don’t care”  and “I do care but haven’t noticed/acknowledged it” and “I’m too frustrated to keep going but I am actually still bothered.” The first one is a good place to stop, but the others are not. Being able to tell the difference between a) genuinely not being bothered by the myriad of little imperfections in handmade/altered clothing, b) being bugged at the subconscious level, and c) being quite bothered at a conscious level but too frustrated to keep going/giving up is really important. A is a good stopping point, B is something that it pays to notice and address, and C is something that asks you to step away for a project for a while but come back to it, because projects in a state of B and C are going to bother you at some level, even if you’re calling them “complete,” and that negativity is going to affect your relationship to the clothes, even if it’s subconscious. A is great, though, definitely stop there if you genuinely don’t care.

It is complicated to figure out how a jacket should fit and attach, especially when there are curves and overlapping edges involved!! Not a quick fix, lots of trying on to do

Iron stuff before sewing. It makes a difference. Really.

Probably don’t use the zigzag stitch to secure an edge of a lacy sweater you cut in half because it stretches it out and you’re probably going to roll the edges anyways and it’s hard to un-stretch and un-curl

Read the instructions of cleaning projects. Yes, even when you’ve used them before on different garments

I also learned how much red goes into navy, though, so I guess there’s another lesson. I wish it just didn’t have to happen to my Perfect Sweatshirt. I have not fully ruled out buying a new blank one from the company that makes it and re-sewing on the decoration, or making a new Perfect Sweatshirt from one of their base ones, but I haven’t decided if that’s overkill or not yet.

[steelwallpoolsgermany]

2 x Punch-Outs For Pool Lighting in the Casing of the Stainless Steel Pool

Before you attempt any work on your pool or equipment, please read through the entire instruction book that came with it. There are a lot of tips and tricks that will save you a lot of time, trouble, and money.

One of the most common problems with pool lighting is that it won't turn on after you change the bulb. There are a few reasons why this may happen: Check their site to know more details Stahlwandpool.

Check the power. Make sure the breaker to your house is turned off, and the switch on the pool light is also in the "off" position.

Sometimes the screw that holds the fixture in place breaks off, making it difficult to remove the lamp for servicing or replacement. This can be caused by corrosive pool chemistry, which weakens the metal and screws. To remedy this, a product called a Light Wedge can be inserted between the niche and the fixture to provide a tight seal.

Another reason a pool light won't turn on is the switch inside the light niche is broken or not working. This can be fixed with a special tool from the pool supply store called a Niche Tool. It's a little like a wrench, but it fits the hole in the wall and holds the switch in place so it can be turned on.

You can often get by with just replacing the pool light bulb, but some times the fixture itself needs to be replaced. When this happens, there is no need to drain the pool. Typically, the fixture has a tab on it that fits into a receiver in the niche, so the fixture can be pulled up above water and onto the deck for servicing.

Once the fixture is above water, the cord can be coiled around it, and then the niche can be pushed back into position. The final step is to re-screw the fixture back into place. This can be a challenge, as it is sometimes hard to get the screw to go through the light bezel ring and into the threaded niche hole without breaking off the flange on the bottom of the niche. If you are struggling, a mask and/or goggles will help you see what you're doing.

If the light still doesn't come on, you may have a bigger electrical problem, and this should be checked by a professional electrician. It's important to have this work done correctly, as electricity and water don't mix. A qualified electrician will add a circuit to your home breaker box, run the wires from the breaker to a junction box in the pool deck, and then from the junction box to the lights. The electrician will also bond the junction boxes, ladder sockets, and light niches together to make sure they're all connected properly. This will reduce the risk of any electrical problems in the future. If you are building a new pool, this is something that should be included in your plan from the start.

[jeweled-legacy]

Jeweled Legacy

You probably have firm convictions about the jewelry you choose to adorn yourself with. It's obvious that you've given this a lot of thought. This is why it might be upsetting to lose a necklace or bracelet clasp Jewelry Repair Perhaps none of your rings will function.

Performing regular upkeep and inspections could have prevented several of these breakdowns. We can repair many types of jewelry issues, such as:

Research Topics

Diamonds in metal settings are held in place by "claws" called prongs. The stones are back with their rightful guardians. The novelty of once-reliable technology may wear off with the passage of time. Even anything as tiny as a thread or a hair might destroy a prong. Doing so may cause damage to the diamond in your finger.

Our Santa Barbara jeweler may be able to fix a prong that has "pancaked," or worn down to the point that it is as flat as a pancake, by "re-tipping" the prong with fresh metal. The sharp edges of these implements make them hazardous to use. "pancaked" can also indicate "having the consistency of a pancake after being battered." Cut off a small piece of the old prong head, roll it up, and re-melt it into position before soldering on the new tip. You can accomplish your goal by employing this strategy.

If you don't check your setting with a loupe on a regular basis, a loose flat prong could cause your stone to fall out. Get moving if you give a hoot about your wedding bands. Wearing rings daily necessitates more regular checks than one every six months. Every three months of this and you won't have any issues. If you care for your stone properly, it could survive for decades. Snagging can also be avoided with regular maintenance like this. Fewer problems appeared after this maintenance was done.

Fragmented rock

There are many advantages to purchasing a stone straight from the mine. Taking out each stone one at a time is a laborious task. This is an evident perk when compared to buying gemstones already set in jewelry. Morganite is frequently misidentified as diamond due to their superficial similarities. When you need a highly reflecting stone but can't afford to spend a fortune, morganite is a great option.

The first step in reattaching loose stones is to clean the stone with a stiff synthetic brush or wire brush and compressed air. This is the first stage of putting the pieces back together. This is the first of many processes needed to finish forming a rock. Loose stones can be reattached with the help of masonry adhesive and a caulking gun. Follow the instructions and use only a few tiny beads of adhesive.

Additional stone settings can be added to the shank, shoulders, and sides of a halo ring to alter its overall appearance. The first thing that pops into my head is "Halo" rings. The halo ring is a lovely representation of this progress. The amount of loose stone can be greatly reduced with routine maintenance and inspections. It makes a huge difference in how things look generally.

Broken Nuts It's important to have a reliable clasp while stacking multiple necklaces and bracelets. A competent jeweler can repair any broken clasp. If the chain on your favorite necklace or bracelet breaks, you shouldn't feel awful about getting a new one. The stones in the ring are in danger of slipping out due to the setting's fragility.

A broken container can be fixed by applying glue, replacing the flat part, and bending the safety clasp ever-so-slightly. Neither choice requires a lot of work or time. You may simply add a new crimp bead to your necklace if one of yours breaks or gets bent. Crimp beads allow for rapid and simple assembly of necklaces and bracelets.

In order to better serve their consumers, most modern jewelry stores now offer services beyond only pearl necklace repairs. However, one of the jeweler's most in-demand services is restringing pearls. These stores can fix anything Jewelry Repair from a lost clasp to a shattered larger diamond. If you have trouble keeping a tidy house, we can help you with specialized cleaning solutions.

Adjustments Jewelry Improvements When a material or joint is repeatedly subjected to stresses of varying intensities, fatigue sets in. This increases the likelihood of rusting in the metal. Closures, clasps, and hinges that rely on rivets to stay together eventually break down due to regular use. The degree to which indoor and outdoor performances are similar or dissimilar can be greatly influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature, vibration, and corrosion. It's possible that adjusting some parameters would solve the problem. The current order is rapidly disintegrating. Tiny fissures propagate throughout the metal, then seal back up again, causing metal fatigue. Furthermore, metal fatigue might contribute. There may be two distinct textures on the fracture surface after some time has passed. We've entered the upkeep phase at the moment.

Use the part strictly within the "stress safety envelope" described in the design documents to avoid metal fatigue. This procedure prevents metals from rusting and oxidizing. The ultimate tensile strength, yield stress, and fatigue life of a material can be calculated using these three values. You're free to repeat this process as many as you wish. The value of an item declines when it is used more frequently. Modifying a component's design iteratively can help lessen stresses in specific areas. Careful handling can extend the life of the component. Cutting notches, slots, and keyways into metal speeds up its deterioration. These modifications put additional stress on the area compensating for the shortfall. A rise in shear stress could be the cause of this peculiar result.

[fictionallyinparadise]

I finally wrote something based on this post but it's the comfort specifically while I think about how the other stuff would work

Content Warnings: Mentioned violence (not descriptive), mouth horror, description of blood, attempted brainwashing mention, torture mention (not descriptive), feel free to ask for more.

His eyes opened again, staring at their hands. A slight tremor, the weapon they stole dropped a few feet behind them. Clean from any bodily fluids physically but not mentally. His head was pounding, the accelerated heart beat not helping the noise.

Freedom was here yet it felt so far away. He had no fucking clue where he was or what was around. There could be traps or other threats about. Worrying over that made their head hurt more. "Damnit. How do I get home?" D'zca muttered, starting to wander around. Nobody was out, likely all fixing the damage he caused. As if they had actually planned to do so much damage to aid their escape. There weren't any thoughts, just...violence.

Which was what those bastards wanted technically. Mindless actions. Just not the kind they wanted.

D'zca kept walking, legs shaking with every step. They stretched their wings out to try and balance themselves, though it just added weight. He ended up stumbling into a nearby wall, cursing under his breath. "D'zca? Where are you, baby?" A familiar voice called out. They stood still, repeating how his name was said over and over. It eventually sounded like a fake name after the seventh mental repeat. The torture technology that these other Ricks had made was incredible, but nothing could mimic the way their Rick said his name.

He was here. Real and here, not a trap. They approached, stumbling like a newborn deer. Thankfully the scientist spotted them. Rick caught up to him halfway, wrapping his arms around them tight. Was it to keep them upright or to confirm they were real?

Either way, it was appreciated.

"Sorry it took so long to get ya, sugarcake. I got a little caught up in 'how do I make sure these shitheads don't try shit again' and-" Rick stopped himself from talking, taking a breath. "I'll talk your ears off when we get home."

Home.

D'zca lifted their head from his boyfriend's shoulder, blinking his smaller eyes. "How long have I been gone?" It felt like a week, maybe three. It had to have been.

"A day and a half."

He blinked all their eyes at that.

"...a day and a half?"

Rick nodded, his face dropping at the question. "They really did a fuckin' number on you." He muttered. It wasn't a question, just a statement that had revenge plans brewing behind it.

"Already showed 'em." D'zca muttered, wings drooping down.

Rick was silent for a moment, the sound of fabric rustling implying he was searching for something. "Is it okay if I activate your human disguise? Everyone's already gonna freak the fuck out about you being kidnapped and tortured. Finding out you're an alien would probably give Jerry a heart attack." He paused after that, as if to add a correction to his last sentence but decided against it. "Not that I'm ashamed that you're an alien but like, you mentioned that you didn't want to reveal the truth so-"

"You can do it." D'zca mumbled with a weak attempt of a smile. Slender and strangely soft fingers brushed against the side of their neck before stopping.

"Did...did they fuckin' rip your threads out to re-do them?"

They froze at the question, lips parting to the painful they spent hours achieving. Blood crusted around and on their lips like a dry lipstick, the taste permanent on his tongue. Salty metal with an unnerving sweetness to it.

"I tore them."

"What? Why?"

"...to talk back."

Rick raised a brow, gently pressing to the spot on their neck that would activate the human disguise Rick had made months ago. "What did ya say, hun?"

"...that you made a fighter, not a bitch." D'zca muttered after opening and closing their mouth a couple of times. Their jaw was sore from grinding their teeth so much.

"Attaboy. Let's get you home, baby." The sound of the portal gun followed as well as the weightless feeling of being returned home. The garage; it's familiar smell and sights. The screwdriver that kept rolling back and forth on the desk, the assorted screws scattered on the floor, the blueprints crumpled up near the garbage can, the smell of rich metals and oil.

Home. It smelled like home.

Rick carefully laid them on the makeshift full bed that was made whenever D'zca was first brought here. The flannel sheets felt softer than a feather, cooing the oracle to sleep.

They reached out a sleepy hand towards his partner, tugging on his labcoat. The question was understood without words, Rick laying next to them. His face was the same as those bastards but it was...kinder. More smile lines, eyes that always carried softness to them until someone said or did something to make that go away.

"Just let me know if you need me to leave." He whispered. "I'll understand. You're safe either way. I've got you...and the garage's got you. So, two forces to be reckoned with."

D'zca managed a smile at that, eyes closing. Tired and sore, it was hard to resist sleep. The feeling of something warm being put around him- Rick's coat or blankets, he couldn't tell- and that was all. They frowned slightly, curling closer towards their partner.

A careful arm wrapped across the oracle's body, waiting for a moment. Then those thin fingers curled into D'zca's, squeezing his hand gently. Just that arm around them completed the feeling of being at home.

Rick always gave amazing hugs. Even if he was covered in something, those arms were always perfect. Warm, secure, and carrying the scent of chemicals and cheap cologne. It didn't take long for D'zca to fall asleep, breathing in the scent of home and Earth's oxygen.

[kamainen]

oh shit, it broke: now we come to the elephant in the room: your sauce breaks. this often happens spontaneously, after a successful completion of the recipe. it's just sitting there and suddenly turns into a watery egg-thread-and-liquefied-butter soup, just to cause maximum stress at the worst time. why did that happen and what do you do about it? all credit here to @souris-detoile who saved my bacon, literally and figuratively, by using (and then teaching me) these tricks at the last minute and saving me from serving like a dozen people a runny, broken mess. - i do not know food science (as i understand it, the issue is "eggs and butter loathe each other for occult reasons". the internet probably knows more, trust kenji lopez-alt with your life, your children, and your bank account when it comes to questions of food science), but I can speak empirically to the "why" here. things that can make hollandaise spontaneously break, in my experience, include: letting it sit for more than a few minutes; making too much (big batches break spontaneously more often, no idea why); transferring it to a serving vessel; adding stuff (even powdered spices) after you're done emulsifying it rather than spicing it at the beginning. - seriously, do not transfer it for serving. leave that shit in the double boiler, warmed by a bunch of recently-boiling water and the thermal mass of the boiler vessel. decanting it into a nice-looking-but-cold pitcher or whatever is the kiss of death. breakdown city. as in mental. as in buttery brunch panic attacks. i have been there. not pretty. - if it does break, your CPR process is: turn the double boiler back on, re-seat the broken-sauce-filled boiler vessel on it, start whisking like your life depends on it, and hit that shit with a splash (say 1oz) of near-boiling hot kettle water. this is the cure. the magic trick. sure, you can fix an emulsion by building a separate emulsion somewhere else with an egg and water/fat and then adding that back into the broken one, but ... why bother? you can do that in-place with the addition of near-boiling water. just whisk like hell as you pour a splash in from your emergency kettle. the amount doesn't even matter that much, anything north of an ounce should do the trick (two if you are making a huge batch of hollandaise). - the fix-it-with-boiling-water trick works multiple times. if your sauce keeps breaking (e.g. because your breakfast guests are being unbelievably slow as shit getting their asses to the table and your sauce keeps cooling down and breaking as you wait for ungrateful assholes to show up and yes i am projecting now thanks very much) you can keep restoring it to the boiler and hitting it with a splash of near-boiling water to bind it back together. the metaphor of CPR is apropos: each water-add buys you a little time, during which you need to get that fancy mayonnaise-but-we-don't-call-it-that into your diners' face holes before it happens again. three water administrations is basically the limit; after that your sauce will get too thin and you do have to start thinking about adding more eggs/just making another batch. - doing the blender-emulsion trick that the internet loves so much can help stabilize your emulsion, but it will only buy you time; blender emulsions can and do still break (and i don't prefer them to trad double-boiler technique anyway, since i think the difficulty of the latter is overstated--just don't stop fucking whisking--and i think the sauce can get a lot thicker and better cooked over boiling water versus blender friction/motor heat). regardless, if blenders are your thing, the emergency plan above still applies: have the kettle hot and nearby in case things go to shit, and be prepared to run the blender on low while streaming in a slug of near-boiling water. that should restore the emulsion, albeit temporarily. - since this stuff breaks at rest, spontaneously, it can sometimes break after it's been plated up and served. that is your diners' fault for not eating fast enough. brook no argument on this point.

that's all I got. i'm just a home cook, kind of a garbage fire, and about as far from french as it's possible to be, so please god tell me if i am giving awful advice or missing anything important here. good luck!

Hi, 🙏🙏 I need a bit of help, of the cooking variety! A few moths ago, my grandaunt went to germany and brought back a pack of some weird chubby white asparagus, said they went great with Hollandaise sauce. Tried making that. Failed miserably. Twice. Chopped the asparagus into soup. Wasn't half bad.

Would have been fine with that but TODAY auntie calls me and asks if I liked the asparagus with the Hollandaise sauce and if she should bring more next year. Apparently these things grow in spring so I have time, but when you catch a moment I would like to sell my soul for your most fool-proof Hollandaise sauce so I don't die of shame in front of my aunt. Please.

----

brO I AM NOT THE PERSON TO ASK FOR THIS SADLY

when we had egg week (one of my semesters in culinary school was separated by protein, so like egg week, poultry week, beef week) I thanked every deity that there were a handful of absences,

cuz I needed an extra 4 eggs

BECAUSE I BROKE MY HOLLANDAISE 2 TIMES BEFORE I GOT IT RIGHT THE THIRD TIME

just in case you have better luck than I though, here's the hollandaise recipe from my old textbook:

the reason i only needed an extra 4 eggs and not an extra 6 is because you can use your fucked up hollandaise as a base to to unfuck it by adding more eggs, i don't remember the exact methodology that chef taught us but there's plenty of youtube videos on that exact subject