#botanist's nightmare

[serumandsteel]

The Shape of Silence | B.Barnes

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Summary: It’s been three years since you ran, from your old life, from the wreckage, and from the man who terrified you in the quietest way... not for what he’d done, but how he made you feel. You built your silence carefully, stitched it together with fake names and faraway places. But peace never lasts, not for people like you. All it takes is one call—Sam’s voice on the line—and suddenly, you’re being dragged back into the ruins. Back to the man you swore you’d never face again. The question is: will you run again, or finally break? 

Warnings: PTSD, post-Blip trauma, references to violence and past missions, slow-burn romance, unresolved feelings… all the fun things 

A/N: usually I’m the one reading and not the one writing but I felt inspired and also have been in the bucky mood. feedback also appreciated…. possibly a series or pt 2

word count: 2k

read pt 2 here

You were doing really well, actually.

New name, new country, no government agency trying to shoot you in the back of the head. A small miracle.

You had a place that didn’t leak when it rained, a coffee guy who didn’t ask questions, and a rotating list of burner phones that no one—not even the faces of your complicated past could trace.

You even started keeping houseplants alive. Mostly.

For once, things were… quiet.

Which, of course, was the exact moment the universe decided to light a match and toss it directly into your hair.

Three years. That’s how long it had been since the world ended and then conveniently stitched itself back together like nothing happened. Three years, since you came back from the Blip and decided—very rationally, you might add—that disappearing again on your terms was the only way to survive it.

Three years of running. Three years of trying not to think about what—or who—you left behind.

The burner phone buzzed once against the counter, screen flashing with a number you didn’t recognize — which, ironically, meant you did.

You stared at it, chewing the inside of your cheek like that would somehow make the call vanish.

Second buzz.

You sighed.

“Goddammit, Wilson. Should’ve known you’d find me eventually,” you said, voice low, hoarse from disuse and cheap cigarettes.

There was a pause, just long enough to sting.

“You always were shit at staying hidden” came Sam’s voice, warm with just enough snark to remind you this wasn’t entirely a social call.

A crooked smile ghosted across your lips as you leaned back against the counter, a chipped ceramic mug in one hand, coffee long gone cold.

“Excuse you. I’ve been off the grid so long, I forgot what my own voice sounds like.”

“Yeah, but I still found you. What’s this, identity number seven?”

“Eight,” you corrected. ���But who’s counting?”

“Guess the Norwegian botanist gig didn’t pan out?” Sam chuckled.

“I killed that identity for a tofu vendor gig. Got to wear linen and pretend I was at peace. It was very convincing.”

“You hate tofu.”

“Yeah, well. I was really committing to the bit.”

Sam chuckled softly. But then the laughter faded, replaced by something heavier.

“I know you’ve been trying,” he said gently. “Trying to start fresh. Do something... else.”

There was a pause, long enough to feel like a dare.

“You gonna say ‘but’?” you asked, already bracing.

He exhaled through his nose. “But I don’t think it’s working.”

Your knuckles tightened around the mug. The silence stretched. “I thought I was,” you said. “For a while.”

Because you had been, sort of. At first.

It was easy to pretend. To play normal. There were days where the quiet didn’t feel suffocating, where you could almost believe the life you built wasn’t held together with duct tape and denial.

You were sleeping through the night. Making breakfast. Watching trash TV. Laughing at dumb things. Smiling at strangers. Almost human.

But then the stillness started getting loud.

The nightmares crept back in, uninvited and sharper than before. Not of missions, or gunfire, or enemy intel—those, you could handle. These were different. These were memories.

Your mother’s hands in the garden. Your brother calling you Bug just to piss you off. The last family dinner where no one knew you were already halfway out the door. You used to tell yourself it was noble, what you did. That burning the old life down was worth it.

But in the dark, none of that held up. In the dark, you could still hear the screams and torment. And not just the ones from others. Your own, too. 

A beat passed. You stepped away from the window, drawn to the flickering TV in the corner of the room. You hadn’t turned the damn thing on in weeks. Now it was flashing grainy footage of John Walker shaking hands and flashing a rehearsed grin. The stars and stripes on his chest made your teeth grind.

“You really let that dropkick parade around with the shield?” you muttered, not bothering to hide the disgust in your voice.

Sam groaned. “Don’t start.”

“He looks like someone ironed Steve’s suit onto a wax figure and then taught it how to lie.”

“That’s generous.” Sam grunted.

“He’s a PR stunt with a punchable face.” You really despised this man and you hadn’t even met him. You didn’t want to meet him.

“Well, you’re not wrong,” he said.

You shook your head and turned the TV off, the screen cutting to black with a flicker. “Steve would’ve hated this.”

“He did,” Sam said quietly.

The weight of that landed between you like a stone. For a moment, neither of you spoke. The name had only gotten harder to say since he’d… left. Since the shield passed hands. Since everything broke apart.

“I need you on something,” Sam said finally, voice a shade more serious. “We’ve got a situation brewing. Weapons smuggling, data leaks, all the usual mess. This one’s different, though. Real quiet. Real coordinated. Thought it might be your kind of thing.”

“You’re calling to ask for my help or to tell me I’ve already been volunteered?”

“Bit of both.”

You arched a brow. “You just miss having me in your ear, admit it.”

“That too,” he said, and you could hear the smile return to his voice. “I wouldn’t be calling if I had other options. But you’re still the best I’ve got.”

You hesitated, letting the pause stretch out. “Where?”

“I’ll send you coordinates. You’ll be working remotely, running comms and intel. Nothing on the ground.”

“And who else is on the team?” There was a silence. Not long, but long enough.

“Barnes,” he said finally. “And... Walker.” Your throat tightened. Of course.

“You didn’t tell Bucky you were calling me, did you?” Anxiety slowly creeping up your spine.

“Would you have picked up if I did?” Fair point.

“He’s... been different,” Sam added, cautiously. “Since the Blip. Since—everything. But he’s trying. He really is.”

“I’m not.” The words came faster than you meant them to.

Sam didn’t push it. “You answering my call at all says otherwise.”

You didn’t answer. Just stared at the black screen where Walker’s face had just been, distorted in static, and thought about how easy it had been to disappear. How hard it was to stay gone.

You’d carved yourself a quiet life out of the rubble — made it your religion not to look back. But the moment Sam’s voice cracked through the static, all that dust you’d buried rose up like ash in your lungs.

“Fine,” you said. “I’ll run intel over coms. But I’m not getting on the ground, I haven't trained combat in years”

“Not asking you to.”

“Don’t let him talk to me.”

“Which him?”

You didn’t answer that either. And Sam didn’t press. “I’ll send the drop point,” he said softly.

You ended the call before he could say anything else.

flashback

The sun was beginning to set, casting long golden fingers across the lush canopy that framed the edge of the Wakandan safe zone. From the hut’s open doorway, you watched the way the light bled through the trees, painting everything in warm, dying fire.

Behind you, the wooden floor creaked softly. You didn’t need to look to know it was him.

“You’re not resting,” Bucky said, his voice rough from sleep.

You smirked, arms folded over the railing. “You sound like Shuri.”

“She’s right.” A pause. “You never stop moving.”

“And you’re one to talk?”

That earned you a quiet huff — the closest he got to laughter most days. His presence moved closer. You felt it before you heard it. The subtle shift of air. That quiet storm energy he carried, always simmering. Always one bad day from boiling over.

“You were with Ayo today?” you asked.

His jaw tightened. “Yeah. She ran through a few more words. Just to see.” He shrugged, but it didn’t look casual. “I didn’t… snap this time.”

“That’s good,” you said softly.

He didn’t answer. Just looked out toward the trees, the silence suddenly too heavy for the space you were sharing.

“She says I’m close. To the end of it.”

“You’ve made a lot of progress, Bucky. You should be proud of yourself.” You gave him a small smile, but he didn’t quite return it. Just looked at you, brow furrowed like he wanted to say something but couldn’t get it out.

“You’re still looking at me like I’m going to snap,” he said after a moment.

Your heart dropped.

“I’m not,” you replied, too quickly.

“You are.”

“I’m not afraid of you, Bucky.”

He studied you for a moment longer, then looked away, jaw tight.

“But you were watching me.” He said it like a fact, not an accusation. “Back in Bucharest. After what happened with Steve. I wasn’t stupid — I knew someone was following me.”

You said nothing.

“Steve told you to keep an eye on me?”

A beat passed. “Yes,” you admitted. “At first.”

His eyes met yours then, sharp and unreadable.

“And after?”

You swallowed. “After... I wasn’t doing it for Steve anymore.”

Something shifted in his expression. Like a crack in armor — small, but real. He looked away again, down at his hand, fingers flexing like he didn’t quite trust they belonged to him.

“You think I’m still him,” he said. “The Winter Soldier.”

“I don’t,” you said, stepping closer. “But you do.”

He flinched like you’d hit him.

“I see you,” you added, softer this time. “You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

The silence stretched between you like a taut wire. You could feel the tension in your chest — the part of you that had been trying so hard not to care too much. To keep your distance. Keep it professional. Just until he was stable. Just until you could leave.

But there was nothing professional about the way he was looking at you now.

“I shouldn’t be here,” you whispered.

“Why?” His voice was low. Raw. “Because of what I did?”

“No. Because of how I feel.”

That stopped him cold.

The air between you buzzed — tense and fragile, like it might crack if either of you moved too fast. You felt your pulse in your throat, in your fingertips, in the space between where he ended and you began. You were suddenly so aware of how close he was. How few barriers still stood between you and everything you’d tried to ignore.

“I’ve killed people,” Bucky said quietly, voice just above a whisper. “I’ve hurt people.”

You didn’t blink. Didn’t back away.

“And I’ve hunted people,” you said. “Lied to people I love. Built systems that could level entire nations. You think that makes either of us clean?”

He didn’t reply. Just watched you — like you were the first light he’d seen in a long, long time.

Your voice softened. “You’re not a monster, Bucky. You never were. You were just… alone.”

And now you were close. Too close. Inches. Breaths. The space between you felt electric. His hand lifted slowly, hesitating at the edge of your jaw like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to touch. Like the smallest move might ruin everything.

“I don’t want to mess this up,” he said, barely audible.

You gave him a crooked smile, sad and sure all at once. “You already have. So have I.”

And then his hand touched your face — rough and warm, grounding. You leaned into his palm without thinking, like your whole body had been waiting for this. Like this was the first real thing you’d felt in months.

You don’t remember who kissed who first.

Only that it was desperate and aching, like you both knew it wasn’t going to last. Like you’d already made peace with the fact that everything was about to come crashing down.

But for now, in this sliver of stolen time, you let yourselves fall.

a/n possibly may be turning this into a mini series - chapter 2 is brewing

[4vanaa]

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, rafe cameron, 16

summary: y/n left the outer banks years ago, determined to build a life far from the memories of her childhood love, rafe cameron. now a botanist, she's moved on-though a quiet part of her still clings to the past. when an event brings her back to OBX, she's forced to confront the one person she never truly forgot.

cw: swearing | masterlist | 15 | 17 |

The moment you step into the Tannyhill estate, you’re hit with the smell of freshly polished wood and something faintly citrusy—just like you remember. As a wave of nostalgia passes through you. You walk further in, eyes scanning the familiar space, and nearly run into Wheezie, who practically bounces toward you.

“Y/N!” she says, throwing her arms around you. “You’re here!”

“Hi, Wheeze!” you laugh, hugging her back. “You’ve gotten so tall, seriously. Stop growing already!”

She pulls back and grins. “You’re just short.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” you tease, shaking your head. “How have you been?”

“Good,” she says brightly, leading you toward the kitchen. “I missed you, though. I was kinda hoping you’d be my sister-in-law one day…” Her voice trails off playfully, but she sneaks a glance at you.

You raise an eyebrow, ignoring the pang in your chest. “Wheezie—”

“Anyway,” she cuts you off, opening a cabinet and pulling out the package Sarah asked you to pick up. “Here. It’s all ready.”

“Thanks, kid,” you say, ruffling her hair like old times.

Before you can leave, you hear a familiar voice behind you. “Well, look who it is.”

You turn to find Rafe leaning against the counter, an easy smirk on his face. He looks at you like he’s trying to figure out why you’re here, but there’s no mistaking the surprise in his eyes.

“Rafe,” you say evenly, your tone polite.

“Sunshine,” he replies, pushing off the counter and walking over. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Just running errands for Sarah,” you say, holding up the package.

He nods, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. “So, uh… Noah’s coming tomorrow?” His tone is casual, but there’s an edge to it that you don’t miss.

You tilt your head slightly, narrowing your eyes. “Yeah, he is. Why?”

“No reason,” he says quickly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Guess I just assumed he wasn’t coming since you’re already here.”

You give him a pointed look. “He’s been busy with work, but he’ll be here for the wedding. You know, to support Sarah.”

Rafe lets out a breath, his smirk faltering. “Right. That makes sense.” He hesitates, then scratches the back of his neck. “I, uh… I wanted to say sorry. For last night.”

You blink. “For what?”

“The drunk text,” he admits, looking mildly embarrassed. “It was stupid, and I shouldn’t have sent it. My bad.”

You cross your arms, raising an eyebrow. “Not your finest moment, Cameron.”

He winces, but there’s a hint of amusement in his expression. “Yeah, I deserved that.”

There’s a brief silence before he speaks again. “Anyway… I was thinking we could grab lunch or something. You know, catch up.”

You give him a tight smile. “I’d have to check with my boyfriend.”

Rafe’s smirk returns, just a little. “Right. Noah. Got it.”

“Glad we’re on the same page,” you say, shifting the package in your hands.

“Alright,” he says, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “I’ll let you go before Wheezie starts asking for updates on your love life.”

You can’t help but chuckle as Wheezie reappears, looking between the two of you with a grin. “What’d I miss?”

“Nothing,” you say, turning toward the door. “Thanks for the package, Wheeze. Tell Sarah I’ll drop it off later.”

And with that, you’re out the door, back to Mia and the safety of her car. As you buckle up, she gives you a curious look.

“How’d that go?” she asks, already scrolling through her phone.

You start the engine, glancing at Tannyhill in the rearview mirror. “Same as always,” you say, pulling out of the driveway. “Too much Rafe Cameron for one day.”

Mia laughs. “Sounds like a nightmare.”

“Something like that,” you murmur, though your mind lingers on the way he’d looked at you as you left. Something unspoken, something unfinished. But you shake it off. It’s nothing. It has to be.

a/n: ahh he’s finally arriving…

🏷️: @xoxo-ada @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account @sleepiibunniiii @urbrunettebombshell @sideboobrry11 @acidfeens @marleymarleymarleymarley @hadids-world @ursogorgeous1313 @louxmcl @cyberkitty1 @pogueprincesa @rlalliehayes @evelynffics

[zekyrith]

Chromatic Cabaret [Gay Bar/Club]

Hey, Simblr peps!

Here's a gay bar/club that I created, and wanted to share with you all. I call it the Chromatic Cabaret. It's a 40x30 lot, that I built for 28 Civic Circle in Lucky Palms. I built it with guys in mind because they're my favorite , but feel free to change if you.

This is pretty exciting, as this is the first time I ever shared anything I built, and I've been playing the Sims 3 for 16 years (by the gods, has it really been that long?).

Download: Google Drive | SFS

TOU:

None! Do whatever you want. Just credit me, and maybe don't put it behind a paywall.

Disclaimer: Please, please tell me if something is amiss with it, as the last thing I would want, is to share something that's broken. Also, maybe confirm it's free of bad CC. I ran it through Custard, and it looked fine, but I'm hardly an expert with it. Lastly, you may have to reapply a couple of patterns.

Content Used:

Official Content:

Expansion Packs:

Late Night

Into the Future

World Adventures

Generations

University

Showtime

Ambitions

Stuff Packs:

Town Life Stuff

Master Suite Stuff

70s, 80s & 90s Stuff

Worlds:

Lucky Palms:

Nectar is Necessary Barstool

Casino Column

The Wong Way Bistro Table

The Wong Way Bistro Chair

Yucca Plant with Blossoms

Yucca Plant without Blossoms

Palm Royal

Sectional Cement Fence

Roaring Heights:

Liquid Light Neon Tubes (all pieces)

Store Content:

Mid-Century Modern Dining and Style Set:

Countdown Sconce

Three's a Crowd Ceiling Light

Future Shock Living:

Botanists Nightmare

Ultra Lounge Bedroom:

Mirror-Mirror

Ultra Lounge Dining:

Grove Cone Ceiling Light

Viva Las Vegas Bedroom:

City Never Sleeps

Custom Content:

Custom Content by @aroundthesims:

Neon Lights:

[Link]

Neon Light - Line

Neon Light - Circle

Neon Light - Cocktail

Irish Pub Drinks:

[Link]

Bottle of Syrup

Whisky Bottle (don't remember which one)

Vodka Bottle

Porto Bottle

Martini Bottle

Gin Bottle

Bailey's Bottle

Custom Content by @murfeelee:

C2077 LGBT+ Mini Set:

[Link]

C2077 Male Neon Light

C2077 Love Neon Light

C2077 Misty Inspired Set:

[Link]

C2077 Tube Light - Vertical

Custom Content by @simcredibledesigns:

Teach Me Passion Mirror:

[Link]

Funny Lamps Drink Table:

[Link]

Invisible Dance Floor Rug (5x5) by Superstorm:

[Link]

Serious Bartender (Invisible Bar) by @aa6x7:

[Link]

Useless Hand Dryer by Cyclonesue:

[Link]

The Sims 2 Wall Decor - Part 3/15 by @martassimsbookcc:

[Link]

Sims Must Wash Hands Sign

Recessed Light AF709 by DOT:

[Link]

Rack for Cues by Simalia. Thanks @sims3lostsets:

[Link] (it's in the casino set)

Colorful Horizontal Pics by Lamare:

[Link]

Male Paintings - Part 3 by @venusprincess-ts3:

[Link]

Male Paintings - Part 1

The Perfect Night | Miranda Mocktail Drinks by @artvitalex:

[Link]

Rainbow Geometric Collection by @wanderingsimsfinds:

[Link]

Diamonds 4

Geometric 5

Patterns by @omfgingers:

[Link]

R5

R8

Male Angel Statues by sim_man123:

[Link]

Male Angel Statue 1

Male Angel Statue 2

Male Angel Statue 4

[star-lights-up]

OKAY OKAY OKAY BUT: Cherik "The Martian" AU

So I'm rereading the martian today because i am sick again, so obviously I need hard science fiction to combat the existential dread, and my brain just kept latching onto dialogue bits and going "CHERIK! MAKE IT CHERIK"

My thoughts are:

Charles and Erik were friends at one point, maybe during college, maybe at the beginning of training, IDK, at some point they had a bit of a falling out. They're civil enough to still get put on the mission together but it's well known they don't get along.

Though there was that one night, where they were both kinda drunk, and they got together......... ("We can't do this again." Erik said, angrily, in the morning. Charles left without so much as glancing at him, let alone responding.)

There's a sandstorm on sol 6, and the team is trying to evacuate (probably the first class team because that's just easy. Hank = pilot. I bet you moira is the leader lady, lewis, military trained or whatever. And everyone else is there too, but i'm on my asthma medication so I can't think clearly, so they don't get specific roles)

The radio dish comes off, impales Charles, he blows backward while unconscious (lower gravity or some shit idk physics) and crashes into Erik, who then gets hit by more debris. The thing that impaled Charles also impaled his biotelemetry reader, and Erik's got crushed on impact/by the debris, so both of them read as dead to their crew members, who have to leave or else they die too.

Erik wakes up first, since he's not actively bleeding and his suit's not impaled and loosing air. The sandstorm is over, the HAB (think space station/tent) is intact (yay!), but the MAV (think small spaceship good for like, a round trip to and from a larger vessel) is gone (fuck).

He tries to wake Charles up, but ends up dragging him back to the HAB on his own. He takes out the antenna that impaled him and sews up and bandages the cut, while Charles is semi-conscious. It's painful for now, but he'll live. Erik's exhausted, so he goes back to his own bunk and falls asleep, kinda hoping this is all a nightmare.

It's not gone in the morning. He's still stuck on mars in a glorified tent with limited resources and his least favorite person on the team.

They talk to each other, Charles thanks him for helping him, and they decide that they're just going to have to work together to get off of mars alive.

Charles = botanist, erik is the engineer (basically gonna have them split the original main guy's braincell. They already share one anyway).

Potato farming

Along the way, they kinda sorta start becoming friends again. They're relying on each other to survive, they're the only people each other can talk to... They play chess on the computers and watch Moira's awful 70's television and listen to disco that she brought along with her. They farm potatoes and jerry rig rovers and then oops, they fell asleep in the same tiny bunk watching tv together. Oops, they hugged after the potatoes germinated. Oops, they kissed in celebration when they finally made contact with NASA again.

Just like that, they've fallen into a new rhythm. They still argue a lot, but now there's also a good amount of kissing and little fleeting touches while they work together and they put their bunks together and fall asleep in each other's arms ("Do you realize," Charles says one night, Erik curled against his chest, pressing slow kisses to his collarbone, "We're the only people to have made love on a planet other than Earth?" Erik snorts softly, "NASA's not going to be hearing about that, if I can help it." "You realize that the HAB's always recording us, yes? They'll get the footage when we get back to Earth." "...Right. Huh." Erik frowns, then shrugs, "Worth it." Charles laughs.)

Erik gets stuck inside the airlock when the HAB deflates and they loose all their potatoes. Charles is in the rover and, for a while, was convinced Erik was dead. Until he saw the airlock start to roll towards the HAB, and then he started steering the rover over.

After they got the HAB back up, NASA tells them they're sending a supply probe called "Iris." (Transmission goes like this: [08:31] JPL: Keep us posted on any mechanical or electric problems. By the way, the name of the probe we're sending is Iris. Named after the Greek goddess who traveled the heavens with the speed of wind. She's also the goddess of rainbows. [08:47] LEN/XAV: Gay probe coming to save us. Got it. Erik heads back to the HAB. "Hello, darling. How's Houston?" Charles says, not turning from his soil samples or whatever the fuck he's been doing for three days. "They're sending us a pride-themed probe full of granola bars." Erik answers, shoving off his EVA suit. Charles turns to give him a quizzical, are-you-joking kind of look, then bursts out laughing upon seeing Erik's dead serious face. "Well, it's certainly fitting," He says, walking up to Erik and wrapping his arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss.)

Anyways. Iris doesn't make it, shit keeps going wrong, BUT eventually their team catches wind of a plan -- a risky plan, but one that could save cherik. So, without houston's permission, they pilot their ship on a course back to mars. They'll do a flyby, and if Charles and Erik can get to the site of Ares 5 and the MAV for that mission, retrofit the MAV, make it to their team's ship without dying/miscalculating and shooting off into the depths of outer space, they can get to that ship and on a course back to earth by sol 549.

They spend a bunch of time retrofitting their rovers for the trip, and so begins the classic cherik roadtrip -- martian style!! (I just want to mention that there's like no space, so just picture them cuddled up for a good night's sleep on the front bench of the rover. there. cuteness among the science).

They flip at one point. I could add details but it's been a while of me writing this and my brain is slowly dying and i'm tired so. that's it.

They make it to ares 5, they retrofit the MAV, then they do The Riskiest Space Flight of All Time. Random shit goes wrong, everyone's improvising, it pretty much seems like they're done for...

They get back to the big ship. They're safe!! (well, as safe as you can be in space.) But they get a hot shower and full meals and much more comfortable bunks (in separate rooms, technically, but Erik refuses to leave Charles's side so they end up in one bunk that first night. Usually they'd try to be a bit more discreet, but what the fuck. They've been stuck on mars. They almost just died. They deserve to fall asleep in each other's arms.)

They are HEROS back on earth. They get married almost immediately -- it seems quick to a lot of people, but they're so trauma bonded that, like, it's necessary. they go to paris on their honeymoon and get lots of free stuff. They never go to space again lol (and gladly)

THE END (fucking finally, it's 12:00 am on the dot and i've been writing this for 45 minutes.)

EDIT: some art I did for this au

EDIT: I fucking did it. I started writing it. Oops.

[neverniko101]

Trying to convince my brain that I cannot make another ask blog (it is not working help)

Anyway, a swapverse! Phastasmverse? Is that too hard to spell?

Uh

Yeah, I might be making another ask blog, probably on an actually different blog this time

I’ll probably alternate between working on this and Horror Dreamtale between STP

Rambling about precious children ⬇️

Amber (Dream by Joku):

- Tall bee man

- Smug asshole

- Got rich off selling his brother’s inventions

- Runs a fancy multiverse-wide Casino/Bar/Restaurant

Pollen (Dust by Ask Dusttale):

- Sweet little guy

- I say “little”, but he’s actually pretty tall

- Botanist obsessed with flowers

- has never killed anyone

- ever

- especially not by poisoning them with flowers

- Terrified of bears, even teddy bears

Cyan (Nightmare by Joku):

- Acts scary but is really a goofy little guy

- Mad scientist/engineer

- Uses inventions to run mazes, haunted house etc. to get negative emotions

- Lives in a giant (very, very heavily trapped and guarded) castle by himself

- Mechanical tentacles/arms, Doc Ock style

Epoxy (Ink by Comyet):

- Acts like a goofy little guy but is really scary

- >:3

- Likes to climb Amber and sit on his shoulder

- definitely not some kind of horror that traps people in resin cocoons and drains their life force

Razor (Cross by Jakei):

- After his AU was destroyed, he ripped a hole into the anti void, corrupting him and destroying the remains of Xtale

- Hunts ‘bugs’ in AUs, sometimes destroying entire universes to ensure the bug doesn’t spread

- Memory issues, doesn’t remember most of Xtale

- lonely someone befriend this man

Stitch (Error by Loverofpiggies):

- Runs around AUs taking parts of them to sew into the broken parts of his own AU, Cross-style

- Often accidentally causes bugs in AUs he visits, corrupting/destroying them himself or causing Razor to destroy them

- On the run from Razor

- Can animate his puppets to do little chores

- Fights with a giant sewing needle as a weapon

- Also needs friends

Mist (Fell by Vic):

- Probably the chillest guy here

- It’s his job to make sure that everyone gets enough sleep

- Will be disappointed in you if you don’t go to bed on time

- Has several pet bunnies

Comet (Outer by 2mi127):

- Angry little guy

- One of two employees at the Multiversal Transportation and Postal services

- Runs exclusively on coffee and baked goods provided by Cookie (the only person he can tolerate)

- Can take you basically anywhere, but you’d have to convince him to do so, which is difficult even for Cookie

- Catches on fire when too angry

Azoic (Fresh by Loverofpiggies):

- Mercenary

- Unnaturally good at making improvised weapons

- Is a cowboy? Don’t know where that came from

- Has a horse named Penelope

- Trying to earn money

Toxin (Killer by Rafbawas):

- He seems fun

- Perfectly mentally stable

- Eats the fabric of the multiverse

- Turns people into mindless rainbow zombies

Marrow (Horror by Sourapplestudios):

- Bounty Hunter

- Able to switch out his body parts with other monsters and humans

- Pretty chill all things considered

Crypt (Reaper by Renrink):

- Uh

- what

- what is that

- just some guy that Palid decided to adopt?

Palid (Geno by Loverofpiggies):

- His name is a mix of Pallid (being pale or dull, like a dead person or ghost) and Paladin (a hero)

- Kind of adopted Papyrus’ personality after his death

- Precious little guy

- Finds Crypt in an ally and is like “yup I’m keeping him”

- Fights with a morning star

Ghost (Blue by Popcorn prince):

- Sad boy

- Able to manipulate water, especially his tears

- Has started following Razor around for no apparent reason

Cookie (Lust by NSFWShamecave):

- Again, just a genuinely nice person

- Runs a bakery!

- Obsesses over people easily

- Can and will give you a hug

Sweettooth/Ttoo (Ccino by Black-Nyanko):

- So high energy (as a result of experiments, probably) that they need to almost constantly be eating high-energy food, typically sugar

- Trying to find a cure along with their best friend, Cookie

- When low on energy, will start to melt and attack any nearby source of energy, including souls

help

[fandoms-in-law]

The Plant

Summary: Turns out that having been through the Upside Down makes other countries more willing to share their secrets if you specialise in something connected to what they cover up the existence of. Steve finds this out just before Dustin finds a plant that could easily have killed him if he hadn't called his botanist big brother when he did.

Author's Note: Being honest, I scripted the last scene cause for whatever reason a while back amorentia (fuck JK) was in my head, specifically the scent thing. It didn't have a fandom it was connected too but then I thought the professor sounded like Steve might so everything before that was trying to lead to the scene I'd scripted. Sorry if that makes the jumps and description of scenes leading to it feel rushed.

~

Botany had never been part of Steve’s plan when he was young. When he finished high school he’d never have imagined being any kind of scientist at all and was mostly focused on keeping himself and everyone he cared for alive.

It hadn’t left much hope for any kind of future plans, but somehow they got through it, survived and let Erica and Max loose on the government officials trying to cover up how Hawkins was destroyed.

With minimal help from Joyce and Nancy the two girls got full ride college pay outs and a hefty amount of reward money for all involved on top of the already promised medical bills getting sorted.

Even after that, the beginning of Steve’s now illustrious scholarly career started one sleepover where neither he or Robin was managing to sleep much thanks to nightmares.

“I’m not letting you squander that full ride, Steven. Pack your things and lets go learn about late admissions.” She declared, rolling out of his bed to pull the suitcase out from under it.

Steve groaned, watching her, “No, what would I even study?”

“Figure it out there.” She countered pulling faces back at his exaggerated ones refusing.

He groaned again, but tried thinking it through more, knowing she’d probably bring this up later regardless. “Do you think I could find a science nerd able to explain that hive mind including vines?”

“Or figure it out yourself if you study natural sciences.” She offered, following the thought and shivering at a passing worry that thinking about what they’d been through might encourage their nightmares more. “But if you think you can explain the Upside Down without breaking the NDA, be my guest.”

Steve swatter at her as she climbed back on the bed.

That was the night that began his journey, without any specific college in mind, except that Robin would be by his side wherever they ended up.

~

Getting degrees was difficult even being able to work together while studying. Robin hadn’t expected to join Steve in his botany or that she could manage to do so and still keep learning her languages and practising her music.

Technically she would say she hadn’t. Instead, while Steve took the subject and specialist, getting a masters and then a doctorate all in botany, Robin did multiple bachelors degrees and was still considering which masters she wanted to take.

That never stopped her from being on Steve’s research teams and pulling him back to their focus any time he thought he’d found a clue about the vines from their teenage years.

~

Steve had been planning how to explain to Robin that their next research project likely didn’t have many people allowed to work on it, and that he planned to change that risking his entire career when his phone rang.

Dustin still kept in touch after all the years that had passed and still ended up giving Steve moments of terror so he was only hoping it was a normal check in when he answered it. “Hello?”

“Steve, I’ve found the coolest plant! It’s growing out of a deer corpse and smells so good! I want to eat it, because it’s like Ma’s lamb roast.”

“Do NOT eat that plant Dustin!” Chills ran through Steve as the scent was the last comment to make him sure the plant he’d only just learnt about the existence of was the one Dustin had found.

Dustin scoffed, “But-”

“IT WILL KILL YOU!” He yelled, “I read about it last week. Leave the area and warn everyone to stay away and avoid any plants that look like it.”

A disagreeing noise came back, “I didn’t tell you what it looked like.”

Steve rolled his eyes, “And? Do you want to die by plant?”

“Fine, but I’m sending you a picture of it and get to complain if you’re wrong.” Dustin grumbled, although he usually ended up sending Steve photos of the different plants he found when abroad regardless of whether they were wanted or not.

“Thank you.”

~

Robin got back to find suitcases out in their living room, one already filled with equipment to extract plants and other methods of collecting samples and Steve running between another with clothes.

“Where are you going so urgently?” She asked, seeing him pause to check flight tickets she was sure hadn’t been mentioned that morning.

“To Dustin. He found a plant that needs removing and the area nearby surveying for more like it.” He replied, holding out a second ticket to her.

She frowned at it, but turned to started getting her suitcase filled, noticing then that it was also laid out in the living room. “Why?”

“Smells like your favourite food to Alien style escape your stomach and use your corpse as fertiliser. Reports are of towns destroyed by it, but I was only allowed to see them because of Hawkins.” He described the plant as well as he could from what information had been shared, none of those files had included images, but as soon as he called the consulate he was told to go straight to where there was a suspected sighting and the government would ensure he was given a visa and papers enough to be able to make the area safe.

Robin looked at him in concern before frowning, “You’re planning classes on it, aren’t you?”

“Dustin almost ate its fruit. Yes, I’m telling everyone about this plant.”

“Hang on, isn’t Dustin-” She started to ask, actually reading the destination on her ticket now.

Steve nodded, “Yes. Apparently a lot of countries learnt about the Upside Down and how it backfired in America, so we might occasionally have information shared that isn’t shown to most people.”

“Want to try neutralising the plants spread?” Robin wondered. It was usually her or Dustin that attempted genetic experiments, but while Dustin was currently focused on learning about the many human cultures of the world, him being at threat from a plant would get Steve worried enough to attempt it.

He smirked at her, “Didn’t I tell you I’d secured funding for our next research paper?”

~

“Steve? Did you really rush getting travel approval because of a plant?” Dustin scoffed, stopping him as he was lead through town by one of the botanists native to the area.

Seeing his guide move to tell Dustin to leave, Steve held his hand up, “Yes, and we need to you show us exactly where you found it.”

Dustin rolled his eyes “Dude, it’s just a plant. It’s not like-”

“It easily could be like Hawkins, without the separate dimension. Let us confirm that and you can go back to your travels.” Steve interrupted, knowing the patience of his guide was thin and the situation could be dire if there was more than one plant around.

~

Dustin had found the plant. He’d actually almost eaten the fruit of a plant that had found its own way to eat meat, arguably worse than the venus fly traps since it needed to be eaten to eat.

Beyond that, he’d actually found only the closest plant to the city of a colony of them that could have wiped the city out if it hadn’t been caught when it was. The country was thankful to Steve for acting quickly after the phone call and were even discussing sharing their information on the plant more openly now.

That had been why he was able to return to the USA with a carefully contained, slowly dying example of the plant and an approved lesson plan to share with his university’s students. He was only hoping that they would be rational about it.

Steve began his description with the clearest identifying feature excluding the appearance of it, “This plant smells like your favourite thing, so it smells differently to everyone. Does anyone want to share what they can smell?”

“So it smells like the person you’re in love with, right?” A girl near the front of the class called.

“No?” He couldn’t help his expression scrunching up in confusion and distaste at the idea. “Humans aren’t usually identified by scent so why would that be the case for a magical flower?”

The student smirked at him as she replied, “To help us find true love.”

He stared at her, very tempted to order her out of the hall, “What cliché have you been reading? No! It smells like something you love to eat so its seeds can use you as fertiliser and kill you! It’s called Sleeping Beauty’s flower because that’s how people appear in the early days of its growth. No happy endings to that fairytale. It’s decimated towns and is suspected that towns where the perfume industry and use is especially strong neighboured those wiped out by this flower.”

“Why bring it to school then?” A boy further back in the lecture hall called, “I have no sense of smell and hate teaching. Please someone eat it so I can be fired.” Steve stated deadpan. He knew that his classes were generally popular and wasn’t surprised when every face that had looked tempted to try eating the fruit was suddenly resolute not to.

Looking around for a moment more to see if anyone moved or asked something else, Steve changed the display he was showing, “Animals have spread how widely Sleeping Beauty’s flower is found and recently it once again was found near to a city. This one is from that time and is dying because we removed it from the body it was growing from too early, thankfully so far in that area it has only been animals like deer that have been found with the plant growing from them.”

Nobody spoke up for the rest of his lecture, everyone taking notes and paying attention to each display he offered. “Are there any questions?”

“Where is Sleeping Beauties flower from? Has it spread far?” One student asked, noticing something Steve had deliberately omitted from the lecture.

“Information on the plant isn’t widely shared. This is the first month when lessons have been approved to be given on it. That being said, only on the continent of Asia has this plant been sighted so far as I’ve been informed.”

[constantlybrainrotting]

you guys will never guess what time it is...

COMP DANCER AU TIME!!!

on todays roster, the main characters as well as the more important characters to this au, their roles, specialties and some facts (in order of oldest to youngest)!! keep in mind some of the characters are underage, as that is the prime time for competitive dancing

Mel Medarda (19)

Studio: Piltover Dance Corps

Team: Senior

Specialty: lyrical/contemp

Mel was originally born in the city of Noxus to the wealthy Medarda family

in 6th grade she ended up moving in with her estranged uncle, who lived in New Piltover, after her and her mother got into a huge arguement

he ended up signing her up for dance as a way to get her out of the house and to stop sulking

she ended up loving it so much she dedicated her whole life to it and refused to move back with her mother at all since Noxus didn't have a good dance program that she was looking for

she quickly improved and was asked to join the competitive team in 8th grade, where she thrived

this is when she met Elora, who ended up in her class that year and they quickly became best friends

she wants to become a professional dancer when she gets out of high school and has gotten an offer with the New Piltover Ballet Company for their lyrical specific program, leading to her in the end running the NPBC

she teaches the younger part-time kids lyrical and tech classes

her and Jayce ended up doing some partner work during the nutcracker one year and ended up becoming good friends because of it

she ended up having to ask out both her boys because one is dense and the other has a hard time with social ques

she is choreographing a few solos as well this year

met Lest in her civics class (her mother insisted) and she was quickly was added in to make the iconic trio (Mel, Elora, Lest)

her mother ended up moving to New Piltover when she was brought to the senior team and has become the most involved dance parent ever omg

i chose lyrical for Mel because of the way she walks and presents herself in the show. her walk and movements are soft and intentional and pairing that with the way she fights with her magic, she is shown to use a lot of fluidity with her whole body which pairs well with the fluidity of lyrical

i however also chose lyrical because of her unpredictability. while everything to her is intentional, to everyone else she can be conniving with both her movements and speech. i find it would work well with contemp because it does have these moments of chaos before softening up and moving back to a neutral state.

Sky Young (19)

Studio: Zaun Dance Movement

Team: Senior

Specialty: pointe/ballet/lyrical

Sky is Viktor's best friend and biggest pain in the ass tbh

you think being a ballet kid makes her calm?? WRONG we are agents of chaos

as one of the only ballet kids at the studio she is pushed even harder by Silco and in turn has become closer with the Lane-Shimmerson family

her favourite solo has been her demi-pointe to the song "Gypsy Dance I" from Don Quixote when she was 15 because she was given a tambourine to use (yes that was an actual dance i did and i wanted to include it because i love that one so much lol)

she is going to university next year for a major in plant science/botany and a minor in both statistics and entomology

she wants to become a botanist with a specialty in plant genetics

always pairing up with Mel in science because Mel's dweeb boyfriends are a nightmare to pair up with in science

we don't know a whole lot about her in the show but we do know that in the first season she was very timid so i wanted to give her an opposite effect when she dances.

i picked ballet/pointe for her because at it's core ballet as a whole can be both soft and intense and i wanted to create that space for her where she could be this agent of intensity and allow her to express herself in a healthy way. i did however to the opposite by picking lyrical for her as well, as to bring through that softer and timid side to her with softer and flowy movements (i really hope that made sense)

she currently works at a local flower shop part time and teaches ballet to the rec kids

Viktor Lane-Shimmerson (19)

Studio: Zaun Dance Movement

Team: honorary senior

Specialty: being a bitch <3

OH HOW I ADORE THIS GREMLIN

he was adopted through surrogacy by Silco and Vander before they gained any of the other kids actually when the two were a year into their marriage

Silco and Vander were both 21 at the time

has a good amount of health problems that no one caught when he was a newborn and it ended up giving him a nasty case of femoral anteversion that he received surgery on at one point

he uses a mix of a heavy duty knee brace, kt tape, his cane and a fuck ton of tiger balm to help with any pains and such

when his parents opened up the studio, he was the main cause for the adaptive movement program and he ended up joining as a way to help strengthen his bad leg (his physio therapist actually recommended it (DO NOT TAKE THIS ADVICE I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL, I AM SIMPLY JUST A GIRLY IN THE ARTS))

he is always around the studio to the point that the current senior group think of him as one of their own

he attends all the comps and thats actually how he met Jayce when they were younger

besties with Sky and they love talking smack

he will sit in on dance classes and tell you where you fucked up because he may not be a dancer but his entire family is so he knows what he's talking about tyvm

always pairing up with Jayce in science because no one wants to pair up with either of them (they collectively have caused so many accidents in that room)

has both a badass gf and boyfriend who both dance!!

my guy is a disabled guy surrounded by athletes and he WILL pull out the disabled card everytime

low key got a bit of the tism (his special interests are infectious diseases, cults, programming, science as a whole and unsurprisingly dance, specifically it's effects on the body)

because this man cannot take a break, he is double majored in kinesiology and mechanical engineering when he heads of to college next year

he wants to become a sports medicine physician with a specialty in dancers, as well as to create more physical disability aids, ergo the mechanical engineering degree

he's such a good older brother tbh and is the best person to go to for advice according to his siblings

Powder and him get along especially with their shared love for the sciences

during recitals, he is backstage coordinating with the backstage crew on lights, curtains, backdrop, etc.

while he himself doesn't do comp dance, he is proficient in creating choreo that he choreographs solos for his siblings that always do well

he works part time at the studio doing all sorts of odd jobs like front desk work, organizing costumes, creating programs to help with front desk, and honestly whatever Silco needs done

Vander is his dad and Silco is his tatínek (papa in Czech according to google translate so let me know if im wrong pls)

Calls Claggor ""Button Vi "Bolt", Mylo "Duckling" and Powder a mix of "Powder Keg, Shadow and Little Rabbit", and will occasionally call any of them "Sestřička" and "Bratříček"

he is the loudest mf in the audience okay, like hes so loud you can distinctly hear him in the recordings and people refuse to sit beside him it's actually a problem (no ur honor i am not projecting myself on Viktor shut the fuck up-)

Jayce Talis (19)

Studio: Piltover Dance Corps

Team: Senior

Specialty: hip hop/tap

Jayce has been at PDC since he was young and has been there probably the longest of everyone

Ximena was a professional dancer and had put him in dance to share the love with her son

unfortunately his father had passed when Jayce was 8 due to a driving accident in a blizzard when the family was driving to see Ximena's family

Ximena suffered the loss of 2 of her fingers while Jayce luckily just suffered with some nasty cuts and bruises

he hates blizzards with a passion since then and refuses to leave the house when theirs one no matter what

he loves the cold however because this man is a FURNACE

he also works at his late fathers forge part time that creates medical aid devices

i have him as a hip hop and tap kid for different reasons. this man is BIG okay, big and bulky that when he swings his hammer in canon, it is through jerky and heavy movements and I find that translates well into hip hop. hip hop would show off his more intense and rougher self that we clearly see in season 2. tap however is closer to his season 1 self, lighter and airy and overall a more laid back look to him

i believe tap would come easiest to him and he would be a natural at it, to the point that its all muscle memory to him, while hip hop he has to think about more, giving him an intense look to his hip hop

i also just think he would love the clicking of tap shoes given his part time job in the forge

he first met Viktor when they were fairly young at a competition and Jayce made it his MISSION to befriend this pathetic looking boy (little did you know, that is Viktor's ruse and that man is a MENACE)

Ximena and Vander would set up play dates with the two because Jayce would not shut up about his new friend and it was a year after the accident and he needed some cheering up tbh and Vander thought Viktor needed to socialize and no, talking on cult forums is not socializing Viktor do not listen to your other father-

while they went to different elementary schools, they ended up going to the same middle/high school where they formatted themselves as a duo

definitely has adhd and whenever someone close to him brings up a special interest or general interest, he does deep dives into it to talk to them about it

CANNOT stop moving

and for the moment we've all been waiting for, hes dating both Mel and Viktor and the three have a polyship and are known around school as the Brains and the Brawn, Viktor & Jayce as brains and Mel as brawn because as strong as Jayce is he is but a pathetic nerd and Mel grew up in Noxus where people are known to be ample fighters (she also beat the shit out of a girl when she first came to the school for talking smack about her uncle who hadn't deserved to be talked in that way)

over time he has had increasing knee, joint and muscle pain in his left leg that doctors are just straight up not believing him about and keep giving him the same 5 pages of exercises to do that don't work (it was Viktor that suggested the part time use of a knee brace and tiger balm when it gets bad)

he was accepted into a biomedical major at the same university as Viktor and will be doing a double major in mechanical engineering - he wants to be able to help people with disabilities and pains and give them better access to treatments with his inventions. it definitely helps that both he and his boyf are a part of those communities and want to work in similar fields. (in the future their most popular invention is the HexCore, a series of leg braces that helps take stress off the leg, allowing for more range of movement without allowing for the leg to loose muscle and strength (side note; do not ask me how it would work, i almost failed 10th grade science okay-))

Claggor Lane (16)

Studio: Zaun Dance Movement

Team: Senior

Specialty: ballet/tap

the second oldest of the Lane-Shimmerson clan

Claggor is actually Vander's younger brother (their mother was 17 when she had Vander and 41 when she had Claggor and she died in childbirth, their father left after their mother found out she was pregnant with Claggor and gave up all rights to the boy)

he only has Vander's last name even though he is officially adopted by Silco due to Vander's request on wanting to keep his mother's final request of her son to keep Claggor simply a Lane (her maiden name)

A 24 year old Vander was also dealing with a 24yo Silco, who was in performances quite a bit and a 4yo Viktor in his toddler years so he had his hands full but the 2 of them made do and while Claggor knew of his origins, he never saw Vander as a brother in any sort of capacity, Vander is his dad and Silco is his tatínek

he's dating Orianna Reveck (SHE'S TECHNICALLY IN ARCANE OK AND IM PROB GOING TO FACTOR IN LOL CHARACTERS IF I NEED MORE) and they are so cute ngl

i picked ballet for 2 reasons, one more selfish than the other lmao. the first reason is that with the way he uses his strength in the fight against Deckard in canon, can easily be translated into great partner work and lifting in ballet and it ties into his less intense demeanor compared to Vi and Mylo. the other is that i think a ballet/pointe duet with him and Orianna would be adorable and I think the partner work would look so good!!

i also went with tap for him because as we noted earlier, his fighting is heavy handed and i think a good intense tap with a lot of stamping would really work well with him.

Claggor is a very focused person and really enjoys the STEM subjects - he is debating on going into the biology field and asks Sky lots of questions on botany

him and Orianna have friday night dates because it's the only night they are free during the week and they tend to rotate between movie night, rollerblading, karaoke, the arcade and dinner + ice cream

his love language is gift giving and he when he finds random trinkets on the street, he gives them to who he thinks would like them like he is always bringing pretty flowers and rocks to Orianna, found a pile of gears by the junkyard for Viktor and Powder, a vintage coin for Vi, a skeleton key for Milo (which no one knows how he found it honestly even him), etc.

he has nicknames for everyone (Vik and Braniac - Viktor / Vi - Violet (he was the one to start it actually) / Lo and Pebbles (Mylo hates that one) - Mylo / Bug and Blue - Powder / Ori and Doll - Orianna / Little Man - Ekko / Kay - Caitlyn / Mar - Margot / Big G - Gert / you get the gist)

he's suprisingly friends with Margot Vyx and have been since elementary school

he works part time at the cafe and really enjoys working there when he has time

he has been dancing since the first year the studio was open when he was 4

Violet "Vi" Lane-Shimmerson (16)

Studio: Zaun Dance Movement

Team: Senior

Specialty: hip hop/contemp

our favourite head blocker is the full on middle child in the Lane-Shimmerson clan

when she was 10 years old her parents passed when they were participating in a protest for better pay at the NPBC by trigger happy cops that came to break it up (both were dancers at the company)

that was the day that Vander and Silco took her and Powder in, as per the will of their parents (the four were very close and Felicia+Connel named the two godparents of the two girls)

Vi bonded more originally with Vander since Silco was recovering from an injury he had received that same day from the protest. She calls Vander pops and it took her much longer to call Silco papa (she ends up calling him Sil more than anything though)

I had a very clear vision of what styles i wanted to have Vi specialize in

I gave her hip hop and contemp exclusively based off her fighting style and her roof running, because if you look closely, the way she moves in certain situations can work with either style

her fighting leans more towards the hip hop style, heavy hitting and strong at its core. she has a tendency to use larger but fast punches at first but switches to smaller jabs to disorient her opponents that work seamlessly with hip hops use of levels and erratic pacing. the same erratic pacing of her punches also work seamlessly with contemp, having be known as one of the more intense pacing styles of dance

her roof running however is a lot more graceful and meticulous, with a lot of quick footing that contemp loves to use and flips that are more correlated with hip hop

her and Caitlyn are in a very sweet and hidden relationship but it is quite legit only hidden to Silco and Cassandra who are always 5 seconds away from ripping the other to shreds (Vander and Tobias think its hilarious but would love for their respective partners to chill so the girls can be cute with them)

Tobias was actually very hesitant about Vi and Caitlyn's friendship at first since they started with a bit of a rivalry and it was Cassandra who told him to give her a chance because Vander is a good man and she trusts his parenting more than her urge to fist fight Silco

she takes up boxing at the closest gym and is pretty good overall

she's actually a huge reader and her favourite school book is "The Kite Runner" and her favourite non-school book/series is "Assistant to the Villain"

has a one sided rivalry with Deckard that she doesn't realize she has (he hates her and she is indifferent to him)

everytime she sees Loris at a comp she gets excited and the 2 are always cheering eachother on despite the difference in studios

Vi and Jayce are not aloud to be left alone together because last time Jayce sprained his wrist and Vi almost broke her collarbone from trying to do a stunt

it's so bad that Viktor/Mel and Caitlyn fear what would happen with the two at their respective weddings

when the two studios do a collective show, Vi and Caitlyn do the sweetest lyrical duet ever to "Physics and Love" by The Public Service

Vi teaches hip hop to the rec kids part time and does some solos when she can

Vi's contemp solos are extremely dark and heavy in theme while her hip hop solos are light and upbeat

she wants to either become a dance teacher, firefighter or a writer one day

she joined the studio during the 2nd year it was open when she turned 5 since Felicia and Connel wanted her to have a healthy outlet and support their friends new studio

Caitlyn Kiramman (16)

Studio: Piltover Dance Corps

Team: Senior

Specialty: lyrical/pointe

Cait is by all definitions a dance nepo baby but no one actually gaf because shes actually good and applies herself

i decided on giving her pointe because of her use of a rifle in the show which sounds odd but trust me on this one!!! using any sort of gun, but specifically a rifle, takes a good amount of focus, concentration and precision which are all qualities needed for pointe, so going off of that, i think she would throw herself into ballet and pointe and absolutely love it

i think that her love of ballet would also translate well to lyrical. lyrical is the byproduct of mixing ballet and jazz together so the softer lines would really appeal to her and basing off of her season 1 personality mainly, she is a soft hearted individual who can portray the emotions needed for lyrical in particular.

Caitlyn is genuinely such an amazing dancer that it's what initially drew in Vi to have a crush on her and the exact dance that made her realize that crush was to "Winner Takes it All" (side note, i found this solo while deep diving and i think it is so gorgeous that i had to have Cait do it)

she is one of the golden kids at the studio since her routines always score high and she dances in such a specific way that you can tell it's her

she teaches some of the rec ballet classes and the younger rec part time ballet classes

shes a mediocre student surprisingly! she is always studying but her grades are c+ to a- most of the time

she's a huge cry baby and you can always find her in tears after doing or watching a sadder routine

as the youngest on her team, her nickname is "mouse"

it was hilarious to them all when she asked to be cast as a rat in the nutcracker after receiving the nickname

shes always down to do a bit - that girl is a huge jokester when she gets close to you

shes also always baking and will drop off goodies to ZDC and PDC both (Vi is always excited for a sweet treat and when she first dropped off cupcakes thats when the nickname "cupcake" was born)

she is in a current debate with herself to become a journalist or to continue with dance

her and Jayce have a serious sibling/cousin relationship due to the closeness of Ximena and Cassandra and are always picking on each other

she takes pilates and yoga classes when she has the chance

she hates not being busy and tries to book up her time

has the prettiest dance photos its actually so rude

she is always cracking her joints its to the point her mother is worried she needs a chiroprator

she buys Vi flowers all the time and when they first got together, she bought a bouquet for each of the siblings

she was the one to give Mel and Viktor the shovel talk when they first got together with Jayce and it was very funny watching this 13 year old girl threaten two 16 year olds much to Jayce's embarrassment

Mylo Lane-Shimmerson (15)

Studio: Zaun Dance Movement

Team: Inter

Specialty: tap

Mylo is the second youngest of the Lane-Shimmerson clan

he was the last one to join the family as an emergency foster placement

Vander and Silco full on forgot they had signed up to be foster parents when Vi and Powder came into their custody so you can imagine their surprise a year later when they got a call at 3am about an emergency foster placement of a 9 year old boy who had come from a case of extreme neglect

he was very slow to open up to the family but ended up bonding with Powder who took it upon herself to keep him company in his sulking, just being a little chatterbox and showing him her inventions until he started to open up to her

as one of the youngest, he is constantly fucking with Powder who is 5 seconds away from jumping his ass in class

he was 11 when he finally joined the studio, wanting to relate to his new siblings easier and quickly took to it

for Mylo i took some creative liberties in choosing his specialty for a few reasons. in his fight scenes he quite frankly is a horrid fighter with wider punches and little to no muscle mass so i had to only go off his general presentation of himself, specifically the way he walks and his general attitude

Mylo at his core embodies the tap genre very well. he is loud and brash on the outside but has these moments where the quieter noises take effect to bring a softer side to him and add dimension to him and the tap genre

i also just think he would love the noise that tap shoes make tbh

he does the most intense and high energy tap solos

hes the only one that Smeech doesn't completely hate since he can pull off intricate tap moves

can jump stupidly high its so annoying but so good for ballet

he does however hate ballet so it's a double edged sword for Silco

he is closer with Silco to everyone's surprise since they bonded over their random trinket collections

hes the class clown 100% and loves to make people laugh

he and powder are really close despite how mean he was to her in the earlier years of his stay and he calls her "pipsqueak, brainiac" and was technically the first one to nickname her "jinx"

he was fully adopted when he was 13 and he low-key was sobbing when it was ruled that he could stay with the Lane-Shimmerson's

he regularly sees a therapist to help with the trauma from the neglect in his youth (her name is Leanne and she is a godsend)

he wants to become an entrepreneur when hes older and work in sales and marketing

because of this, Vander has put him in charge of the cafe's social media to help him gain some experience - the people love his posts

Ekko Prospero (14)

Studio: Zaun Dance Movement

Team: Inters

Specialty: hip hop/acro

fun fact time! his last name Prospero is from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, symbolizing control over time and destiny. (thank you namecoded.com)

i originally had him just specializing in hip hop but after reviewing his fighting scenes, adding in acro would make the most sense given his form on the hoverboards

he would be the type of hip hopper to be extremely light on their feet and move quickly compared to heavier hitters like Vi and it would translate well into his flips and tricks for both acro and hip hop

he knows how to do some insane tumbling sets that always have the crowd cheering

his parents were never together but he lives with his dad Benzo since his mom passed in labour - his step mom Amari (random name that i threw in) is wonderful to him and treats him as her own

he and Powder originally met through a party that Vander and Silco had thrown when the two were 3 and have been inseparable since

when they were younger, Ekko, Scar, Eve and other unrevealed character were in a hip hop small group ad nicknamed themselves the "Firelights" after the song they had danced to and are still a close knit group

him and Jinx do the most ridiculous and insane acro duets and they are always a fan favourite

he is always showing up to the studio with his skateboard and a dream, trying new tricks while attempting not to hurt himself so Silco and Sevika don't kick his ass

he started dance the same year as Powder did and for years he only did it because he wanted to hang with Powder until he took up acro his second year

he really looks up to Claggor and will always be watching his routines even if he is up past his bedtime

as he's grown older, hes gathered a small crush on Powder that he refuses to act on

him and Powder once did an acro duet to "Red Flags" by Tom Cardy and it got so many special awards that year

he loves doing hip hop solos with Vi

he gets such good grades because 1 he is just naturally smart and 2 he studies quite a bit, he want's to be able to be given any and all opportunites

he's a tiny tinkerer, always fixing items around the house - Benzo got him a fancy toolbox one year and it's his prized possession

always has some sort of jerky on him it's actually concerning

helps Powder pull pranks on the older kids

they once managed to tinfoil the entire studio much to Silco's annoyance

they both got grounded for that one

Powder "Jinx" Lane-Shimmerson (13)

Studio: Zaun Dance Movement

Team: Inters

Specialty: acro/musical theatre

MY GIRL IS FINALLY HERE!!!!

i gave her the acro specialty due to her quiet and snake-like movements and well as her general ability to move and flip quickly while fighting. to me that is only elevated by the shimmer she receives in season 1 and would make her SO GOOD at acro, with a further specialty in silks

her musical theatre specialty would come from her ability to act less dangerous as we see in multiple scenes throughout the show. that girl would LOVE the dramatics of musical theatre you cannot convince me otherwise

she IS the studio sweetheart as the youngest Lane-Shimmerson

she also has schizophrenia which has been medicated for years at this point but she regularly sees a therapist to help with it nonetheless

she's a little spitfire like she is in canon and that translates to her style of dancing, lots of drawn out moments followed by intensely moving scenes

because Babette does most of her musical theatre solos, she sees the woman like a grandmother of sorts and she goes to her for all kinds of advice

Silco is by far her favourite dad mostly because he teaches her all kinds of random shit outside dance and encourages her habit of inventing things

she has always followed Viktor like a little duckling and he's where she found her love of inventing shit

in later years, he has choreographed her musical theatre and acro solos both

she goes to a local gymnastics place to learn how to do silks and they incorporate it a lot with her acro solos and routines

when she first met Isha, she was her assistant and Isha immediately took to her which has led to a very sweet mentorship between the two - leading to Jinx seeing her as a little sister

she LOVES playing pranks everywhere she goes

her and Smeech have so much beef that its a genuine physical struggle to get her to tap class

Vander had to actually lift her up and stand by the door every tap class when she was younger

her favourite acro/silks solo was to "The Ballad of Jane Doe" from Ride the Cyclone and it got her a top soloist award that year

she also has a small crush on Ekko and is essentially forcing Ekko into pulling the first move because she's a little shit like that

during her last senior year, her and Isha do a final duet that they both cry every time they do it

gets mediocre grades in everything but science and art

she is determined to become both an engineer and an artist when she's older and combine the two to create insane pieces

the Lane-Shimmerson house is never safe from her glitter bombs - it used to be paint but Vander quickly shut that down for the safety of the furniture

shes always doodling

Mylo during his mean years once called her a jinx so to spite him, she made it a nickname and makes Silco put her down as Jinx on her comp registration forms every year

she loves doing flips and will give everyone heart attacks by doing them at the most un-opportune times

is ALWAYS cracking every bone in her body

always annoying Sevika and that woman cannot ESCAPE (Sevika is so tired of her shit ngl)

Isha Lowe (6)

Studio: Zaun Dance Movement

Team: Mini

Specialty: acro/hip hop

little Isha is here!!!

i am of the belief that she would want to be just like the older kids, taking after Powder in particular so she gets an acro specialty as well as a hip hop one because who wouldn't want to see this cutie do hip hop

Isha is mute from damage to her vocal cords at a young age

she does however have the LARGEST attitude omg

LOVES Sevika omg

she is always watching in on her classes when she has the chance

not a whole lot on Isha but she would end up as a somewhat important character at some point due to her relation with Jinx in this AU

[lulileetrait]

⸸ cursed; the legacy storytelling challenge

♱ i dont know why i though i would be the exception

; a mistake you commit, a heart you break, a secret you must keep, whatever is the torment in your mind, let them ruin your dreams and your life in this macabre and story-driven legacy challenge, where every heir must keep one simple gruesome tradition: being worse than the one before.

✘ ᴅɪꜱᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ

everything in this challenge can be changed as you wish or as you need, the original requires basically all the expansions for it to be completed, so feel free to play it the way you want, it’s mainly a storytelling legacy, the rules and everything are there to help you/ make a bit more fun for gameplay as well; you can play as a legacy or separated stories, your story, your way; the only permanent/unskippable thing is the “choose one” rule, but again, your challenge, your rules; this thing it’s mostly based on corecore tiktoks, but i'm a girls girl so i planned all of this through a women heirs perspective, but the challenge is genderless.

generation 01 - original sin

prompt: you killed someone when you were just a frail teenager. someone you love took the blame for you, giving you the opportunity to run away. but the case was reopened, and the new detective is after you.

rules: master logic and archeology; have six friends and two enemies; have only one child; raise the children out of the city. choose one: kill the detective or marry the detective.

traits: ambitious, paranoid, insider.

aspiration: city native

career: school administrator or salary-person expert

color palette: red and black

generation 02 - sacrificial lamb

prompt: you were raised in a farm by a sinister and controlling family, you crave attention. killing animals was almost like a hobby, nobody taught you how to act, now you need to control everything and everyone.

rules: master all the cooking skills; have 6 partners at the same time; have at least one work rival; have two kids with different partners; return to the farm with only one kid (who’s not the heir) choose one: kill one of your rivals or one of your lovers

traits: foodie, erratic, gloomie

aspiration: villanious valentine

career: food critic or culinary chef

color palette: brown and white

generation 03: soulless model

prompt: you were left by one parent, and you and your sibling were separated for life. you face was a constant reminder of the abandonment, so you searched for adoration from the world, and caught the wrong attention.

rules: master acting and dancing skills; have a room filled with paintings; have only one enemy (the sibling); acquire “refined palate” quirk; complete aspiration; only have kids as an adult. choose one: kill your sibling or let them replace you.

traits: selfabsorbed, perfectionist, overarchiever

aspiration: world-famous celebrity

career: style influencer trendsetter or acting

color palette: blue and grey

generation 04: white dove

prompt: the worst nightmare of a shy person is being pursued by everyone. you tried your whole life to not be perceived by others, but the lust your body exhaled always put you in the worst of problems.

rules: master two instruments skills; master gardening skill; avoid relationships until young adult; get involved with a married person; have a child with the married person; leave the city and raise the kids alone; fall in love when older. choose one: feed a toxic love or kill an innocent one.

traits: unflirty, neat, loner

aspiration: freelance botanist

career: politician charity organizer or gardener botanist

color palette: light pink and cream

generation 05: western devil

prompt: you were a difficult kid, like many others in the small town. not knowing half of your origins was a good excuse for your riot. maybe all of the jealousy hided a scared kid, maybe the scared kid killed the future of the adult you could become.

rules: master fitness and guitar skills; join a gang as a teenager; move three times as a young adult; have a sidekick with “good” trait; be abducted and have an alien baby; at some point, be on a killing spree; never get married. choose one: be betrayed or kill the good guy

traits: jealous, loves outdoors, self-assured

aspiration: bodybuilder

career: manual labor or agent villain

color palette: orange and charcoal

generation 06: replicating human

prompt: an alien left to born on earth, abandoned by their own race, but loved by a stranger. you admire the human condition, but it’s clear that you’re not one of them. you’ll do anything to be like them, you mean it.

rules: master charisma and parenting skill; go to sixam at least one time; have a “enemy to lovers” relationship; write fiction books as a hobby; kill the enemy of your enemy; have at least four kids. choose one: betray humanity or betray your own kind.

traits: squeamish, genius, family-oriented

aspiration: big happy family

career: scientist or astronaut space ranger

color palette: purple and blue

generation 07: chameleon without identity

prompt: growing up in a big family sounds like a dream, but you were lost in the crowd, you don’t remember the sound of your name. who are you? you don’t know, and the lack of identity will be the death of you.

rules: master singing and programming skill; reach the top of the career; leave your home as a teen; have a romantic relationship with all of your coworkers, leave them all; have only one bestfriend; have an atrocious reputation; complete aspiration as elder. choose one: kill one sibling or

betray your bestfriend.

traits: slob, hot-headed, romantic

aspiration: beach life

career: social media public relations or computer engineer

color palette: yellow and black

generation 08: manipulative obsessive

prompt: you are incapable of getting over anything, you feel everything too deeply, you’re obsessed with letting go. as a teen you discover love, a new kind of fuckery! oh, you could never get over love, never.

rules: master painting and pet training skill; have ten lovers, never hate them; be hated by at least six lovers; have a painting of every lover you had; marry as an adult, divorce as elder; complete pet aspiration as elder. choose one: always cheat when married or kill one of your past lovers

traits: lovebug, art lover, glutton

aspiration: serial romantic/ friend of the animals

career: painter patron of arts or interior decorator

color palette: green and red

generation 09: possessed teen

prompt: you had a difficult childhood, with difficult parents, no space was left for you, but something in your head was wrong, not because of the external world, but something inside: you’re born broken, wrong, possessed.

rules: master any skills for the aspiration; steal an item from everyone you meet; ruin all your relationships as teen; only work part-time as young adult; select a career as an adult; marry someone “cheerful”; try to supress evil thoughts; have at least three kids choose one: give yourself a bad ending or to your partner

traits: evil, kleptomaniac, bookworm

aspiration: renaissance sim

career: militar covert operator or law private attorney

color palette: black and lime

generation 10: the jane doe

prompt: a curious kid, always lurking and being nosy, the worst nightmare for a family full of dark secrets. you need to know in what point your family was cursed, or you were just born unlucky? you couldn’t accept it.

rules: master writing and mischief skill; know secrets of at least three friends; get yourself in trouble all the time; always sabotage things; discover a family secret; marry your boss and later get fired (you can get married more than once); complete aspiration choose one: abandon your family or be left at the altar

traits: skeptical, nosy, snob

aspiration: sucessful lineage

career: writer journalist or detective

color palette: peach and beige

you can follow my version of the challenge on insta @lulileecursed

if you liked this challenge, consider following me, and if you do your own version please tag me and let me know so I can read your story!

[sencity]

yandere!botanist x gn!darling, pt. two . . .

˚₊ ꒰ nightmare fuel 𝄁︎ obsessive/needy behavior, violent intrusive thoughts, ominous thoughts, slight leg humping, oral receiving (for y/n), overstimulation (also y/n), cumming untouched, incidental self-harm, + mentions of blood, murder, and suicide.

˚₊ ꒰ word count 𝄁︎ 931.

˚₊ ꒰ key 𝄁︎ crossed out red words indicate sencha’s thoughts. blue text indicate sencha’s messages. purple text indicate y/n's messages.

˚₊ ꒰ sen’s statement(s) 𝄁︎ you’d find pt. one here, let alone sencha’s face claim and information here. this’ll be the last part of headcanons, btw. (these hcs just keep getting longer and longer, god).

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere botanist! who leaves itemized love letters at your doorstep in the middle of the night with a flower that displayed his mood and what the love poem was going to be about. it could go from a stargazer lily with a letter sealed with a pink heart or a wilting petunia and a crumbled letter indicating that he was clearly angered with something and the letter sloppily ranted his baleful desires towards you.

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere botanist! who glowers you down as he watches the flower shop clerk flirt with you, his mind whirling with thoughts of repetitively stabbing his throat with the claw of his rake before burying his body beneath his garden to use as fertilizer. it’s a miracle that he hasn’t launched at the man by now but stood there trembling with anger, his heart thumping harshly, hearing the word “go” compulsively raid his mind, his hands twitching occasionally yet noticeably as the thoughts became louder …

“that loser doesn’t even go know where go eucalyptus originated. y’know i could tell go you everyth-STAB HIM everything you need to know, y/n. why laugh MINE …it up with this weirdo? go.”

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere botanist! who is an empty threatener. his obsession is primarily threatening to his emotional, physical, and mental health since he wouldn’t harm a fly, not him or his compulsive/intrusive thoughts. he feels a bit belittled when you brush off his outbursts, but nothing but a small smooch should be able to brush it off… for now, at least …

“i’ll kill anyone who even considers you as an existing human being! KILL THEM KILL THEM INSTEAD no one should know that you’re alive but me, i’ll even kill myself because i know you!! so loud, my head…”

“hm, that’s nice to know, sweetheart.”

“sweetheart…no, hush. you’re a bane, y/n. you never take me seriously…sweetheart, sweetheart, sweet heart, my love is sweet to them…”

“and don’t… and you a lie. now c’mon, the apples should be ripe to try.”

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere botanist! who embraces you dotingly, tightly, and longingly, muffling a loud moan into your shirt. his knees were in a gelatinous state, buckling wildly to the point where his weight shifted on top of you. he shoved himself so deep into you to the point it was painful, as if he was forcing his way into what’s beneath your skin. his arousal wasn’t discreet either since he was ‘subtly’ grinding his hips into your leg like a mutt in heat …

“hnngh, y/n? i missed you so much, did you miss me too? please tell me you miss me, i need it…”

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere botanist! with his face buried deep between your thighs, sucking and slurping you hungrily during your orgasms, seeing as his lips have not detached from you in a second. his own pants were stained with his own cum yet he hasn’t touched himself during the whole process, but solely examined your expressions as they contorted in pleasure and pain. his grasp around your thighs was hopeful and voracious. to think that someone like him would have such a hold, let alone coy look …

“i’m sorry, i’m sorry! it’ll be over soon, just one more for me, okay? just give me two more and i’ll love you harder…just five more…a few more than that, please?…sencha, you idiot…”

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere botanist! who is easy to please pt. two. he’ll take whatever you would give him sexually, even if it’s for your sadistic pleasure. he completely understands since he wants to see you in every scenario, so it only turns him on immensely that you love him so much to do such. he just wants to be useful for you, thrusting his sticky hips against you, his cum could be felt through the confinements of his boxers, which was caused by you merely kissing him and caressing his body. he couldn’t even breathe when you touched him so generously …

“please please please tell me you love me again…it’s a bold request and i’m a little messy but i know you can… i just want your love forever and—mmph, floret! your face, just look at me, catch me with your eyes and tell me i’m yours…”

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere botanist! who keeps his emotions limited to the best of his ability, but everything you do gets him so excited! the most ominous desires slip from his mouth instinctively, instinctively to the point where he doesn’t possess the mental awareness to apologize (which, again, you learned to inure) …

“i’ll skin all your friends in order to sew you a nice warm blanket to keep you comfy during the winter…”

“… that’s uh considerate, flower boy, but i’ll stick to the blankets you’ve bought me. they’re very warm, trust me.”

☪︎︎ 𝔂andere botanist! who absolutely trashes his place when you’re gone for too long with little to no explanation. once you came through the door you were greeted by a frantic and apologetic male, his roseated cheeks stained with smeared tears, his hands pricked with bloody rose thorns after destroying his vases out of resentment, and his hair was tousled and a bit damp from sweat. it was hard to be mad despite you being concerned, and what’s worse is that he seemed to calm down immensely when his hands traveled up your shirt, his breathing shaky and irregular as the thorns dragged across your skin …

“take off your shirt. i need your touch, your love, your sweat, embrace me with everything you own… i need your skin infused with mine… we’ll become one big bud of blubbery love, blooming under each other’s needs! you have a heart, don’t you?! can you show me, please? show me that you miss me. tell me that you need me. i can’t take another moment without you!”

© all rights reserved 𝄁︎ sencity. plagiarism will not be tolerated on this blog but addressed and chastised accordingly.

[guildwuff2]

A Fellow Weapon

((Drabble inspired by a Situation @galacticxangel put Mu and others of our lil guild in <3))

You remember when you first met her, the color of her eyes made you hesitate.

She was shaped like an asura; small, with a small high voice. A type of person so common and familiar to you that, even though members of their species had been your captors and creators and torturers, you found yourself at ease in their company. So much so, that you even had to adjust to the idea of people being in other shapes and sizes when you and Zoxu first found yourselves in the wide, wondrous world outside of your lab.

But the color of Zaabi's eyes had been red, red as the eyes of the golems who had handled you, poked you, prodded you, attacked you. She made no effort to conceal what she was, where she came from. But the fact she spoke like a person and looked like a person made it easy for you to pretend, something you couldn't do with No Count, or Clementine, or any of Tiallo's golems. They unnerved you, things that moved without muscle and spoke without mouths. You could like Zaabi, and you do. Did?

You remember how they-- the big golems-- felt no pain when you struck them, the ones your captors locked you in a big room with. You'd strike them or charge at them or push them, but they would not recoil, they would just stare at you with their bright red eye and attack and attack until all you could see was red and then nothing, as they drew out the unthinking beast that slept within you.

They terrified you. They haunted you. You hated being near them, even if they were not moving. You fought them today anyways, despite how hard your heart was beating in your chest, because your friends were in danger.

Hearing them today, the objects of your nightmares, beg and sob in her little high voice… It shook you in ways you don't think you can articulate with that clumsy tongue in your head. In the way Zaabi's eyes had unsettled you, in the way Clementine and No Count unsettle you. Things you had categorized as thoughtless killers in your head behaving in ways you do not expect and waiting for the mask to fall away. Was it Zaabi? Could she feel pain within them?

Was Zaabi just like them after all? Beholden to her predestined nature, a golem pretending to be a person?

Were you? Are you just a weapon, a battering ram pretending to be a botanist?

Zaabi's dial tone song echoes through empty halls patrolled by derelict guards, their red eyes ever watchful. The slow, sad notes reach you here in your shelter, an abandoned locker room within the Inquest lab Zaabi had been taken to, where you and your friends rest uneasily.

Perhaps she has a beast too, you wonder, and hates it just as much.

[imtrashraccoon]

I'm feeling down and really tired today so I've been reading some monster x human fanfiction. Anyways, I was suddenly inspired to write something for Nightmare and since my friend @superbfirnacho also seemed to be feeling down lately, I may have indulged in something comfy.

Nacho, I hope you like this, I was tempted to ask first but then I didn't, so... I was really tempted to write more but I didn't plan anything out and just wrote until it ended in a good place. Is it weird that I was also tempted to try and write a crossover that included Aylin meeting Ivy? I'm too tired to try and make that work right now, but I'm not opposed to it!

Cuddles By The Fire: Ivymare

The gentle crackling and occasional popping of the coals could've soothed even the most stubborn person to sleep. However, for a god like Nightmare, he was unaffected by the allure of rest. He could if he wanted to, but often didn't since the time doing so could be used for more productive things.

There was one exception though and she was currently laying asleep next to him.

Her name was Ivy and she was easily the best thing to happen to him in centuries. He wouldn't have thought he could feel any affection for anyone or anything again but lately he was realizing how wrong he had been.

Her bubbly personality and seemingly boundless positivity was mildly irritating, almost like sand between his bones. But it was nothing in comparison to the blazing sunlight of his brother's own aura.

He had pushed her away at first. She was basically the complete opposite to him and yet something about her kept him from leaving entirely.

All beings could experience negative emotions just as they could experience positive ones. He could sense that she was no different, despite how much she tried to hide it behind a bright smile. Maybe that was why he'd persuaded her to join his little crew of misfits.

Or maybe it was because she seemed so familiar... Almost like a long lost friend...

Whatever the reason, he wasn't about to let her leave his side anymore. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt her. He wasn't going to allow her happiness to be snuffed out.

She was a talented healer too. Anyone with even an idiom of mana could sense how powerful her soul was. Some may foolishly suggest that she was a Boss Monster but he knew better. Her strength rivaled that of his own and while he'd never actually inquired, he highly suspected that she was somehow related to a deity. Although, he wasn't sure if she was a god like he considered himself to be or if she had been blessed by one.

Healing wasn't all she could do though. She wasn't afraid to defend herself if anyone was foolish enough to challenge her to a fight. He'd witnessed her put Killer in his place a few times already and likely would again since the skeleton never seemed to learn his lesson.

She was also a skilled botanist and had a way with animals that he'd only ever seen from nature deities the few times he'd ventured into Reapertale. These talents weren't as useful for his work but they occasionally proved handy. It was just one other thing he admired about her since his own corruption didn't mesh well with most animals or plants.

He used one of his tendrils to set aside his journal for the time being and shifted her body a bit closer to him. He lightly ran one of his phalanges over her cheekbones, being mindful not to graze her with his claws and mar her perfect skin.

She stirred and mumbled something unintelligible but he was quick to soothe her back to sleep with a gentle kiss on her forehead. He lived for these rare quiet moments when it was just the two of them.

If his brother ever found about her, he knew that those Star Fools would immediately assume he'd kidnapped her. That wasn't entirely incorrect but it wasn't like she had ever tried to leave either. He probably would've let her, but at the same time, a darker side of him wanted to lock her away and never let anyone even look at her again.

His tendrils unconsciously coiled tighter around her body for a moment before he realized and loosened up his hold so as to not wake her.

She was his.

And he wouldn't let anyone take her away from him. Not again...

[transgenderer]

The Brahmanas also recorded a story justifying our treatment of animals:

In the beginning, the skin of cattle was the skin that humans have now, and the skin of a human was the skin that cattle have now. Cattle could not bear the heat, rain, flies and mosquitoes. They went to humans and said, ‘Let this skin be yours and that skin be ours.’ ‘What would be the result of that?’ humans asked. ‘You could eat us,’ said the cattle, ‘and this skin of ours would be your clothing.’ And so they gave humans their clothing. Therefore, when the sacrificer puts on a red hide, he flourishes, and cattle do not eat him in the other world; for [otherwise] cattle do eat a human in the other world.

The transaction in the other world is here interpreted as the reversal of a reversal: humans and cattle traded places long ago, and, as a result, cattle willingly undertook to supply humans with food and clothing. But cattle also, apparently, won the boon of eating humans (and, perhaps, flaying them) in the other world, presumably a place where people go after dying, though the text never spells it out like that. Nakedness, by reducing humans to the level of the beasts, establishes a reciprocal relationship, rendering human beings vulnerable to the sufferings of beasts— being eaten— when they enter the other world. But when a man puts (back) on his ‘original’ cattle hide he somehow undoes the bargain, which allows him to masquerade as someone who does not (yet) eat cattle, and thus to escape the consequences of his carnivory.

Another narrative elsewhere in this same text adds more detail to the basic idea of reciprocity between humans and animals in the other world:

Bhrigu went beyond this world to the world beyond. There he saw a man cut another man to pieces and eat him; and then a man eating another man, who was screaming; and then a man eating another man, who was soundlessly screaming. He returned from that world and told his father [Varuna] what he had seen. His father explained that when people who lack true knowledge and offer no oblations cut down trees for firewood, or cook for themselves animals that cry out, or cook for themselves rice and barley, which scream soundlessly, those trees, and animals, and rice and barley take the form of men in the other world and eat those people in return. ‘How can one avoid that?’ asked Bhrigu. And Varuna replied that you avoid it by putting fuel on the sacred fire and offering oblations.

This text is not just about animals, since trees and barley play an equally important role, but more broadly about all the things used in preparing food (vegetables, animals and fuel), about consumerism in a very literal sense. Being eaten in the other world is not a punishment for sins but rather a straight reversal of the inevitable (and not condemned) eating in this world. Other texts of this period confirm this: ‘Just as in this world men eat cattle and devour them, so in the other world cattle eat men and devour them.’ 10 And, ‘Whatever food a man eats in this world, that [food] eats him in the other world.’ 11

This experience in the other world is, therefore, as certain as death itself, and just as unpleasant. The soundlessly screaming rice and barley resurfaced in the writings of the great Indian botanist Jagadish Chandra Bose, who moved George Bernard Shaw deeply with his demonstration of an ‘unfortunate carrot strapped to the table of an unlicenced vivisector’. 12 The silent screams in the Sanskrit text have the quality of a nightmare. This is a world in which even vegetarianism is sinful, and the only way to remain without sin would be to starve to death.

Nowhere, however, does the text suggest that people should stop eating animals (or rice, for that matter, or refrain from burning fuel). It is possible to avoid the unpleasant consequences of eating; the solution is to perform the proper rituals, to restore anyone who has eaten something alleged to produce unfortunate consequences— if left unrestored. Dangers arise in the context of profane eating and are warded off by sacred feeding (the oblations offered to the gods). Indeed, the two are inextricably linked by the belief that it is wrong to take food without offering some, at least mentally, to the gods; in the broadest sense, all human food consists of divine leftovers (later known as prasad, ‘grace’). The text is not saying, ‘Do not eat animals, for then they will eat you,’ but, rather, ‘Be sure to eat animals in the right way, or they

Religion in this period makes it possible for us to slaughter animals; it washes away our fears and our guilt. Manuiv says, ‘The Self-existent one himself created sacrificial animals for sacrifice; sacrifice is for the good of this whole (universe); and therefore killing in a sacrifice is not killing.’ 13 By defining the sacrifice as nonviolent, Manu made it nonviolent. To this day it is often argued in India that the meat of animals killed for the table is poison because such animals die in fear and anger, while animals killed for sacrifice are happy to die, and so their meat is sweet.v Such texts betray that old human longing to have one’s animal and eat it.

-Doniger, On Hinduism

The Brahmanas are dated 900-700 BCE

[countesspetofi]

Today in the Department of Before They Were Star Trek Stars, William Shatner guest stars in "Cold Hands, Warm Heart," episode 3 of the second season of The Outer Limits (original air date September 26, 1964).

Shatner plays the first astronaut to enter the atmosphere of Venus. While there, he experiences 8 minutes of communications failure and memory loss. Upon returning to Earth he starts having fainting spells, flashback-like nightmares, and a drastically lowered body temperature. It eventually becomes clear that these symptoms are only the beginning of a strange physical transformation.

Other Trek connections:

Shatner's physician is played by legendary character actor Malachi Throne. He provided the voice of the Talosian Keeper in the Star Trek pilot "The Cage," and returned as Commodore Mendez in the bookend segments when it was repackaged as the Season 1 episode "The Menagerie." He was also seen as Romulan Senator Pardek in the Next Generation two-parter "Unification," and appeared in James Cawley's fan production Star Trek: Phase II. He was Gene Roddenberry's first choice to play the Enterprise's medical officer, but declined the role.

James Sikking, who plays a botanist studying Venusian flora in "Cold Hands," also portrayed Captain Styles of USS Excelsior in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. In real life, he was a close friend of Leonard Nimoy.

[madameaug]

Uncanny || Scott Summers

Pairing: Scott Summers x Black Fem Mutant Reader

The balcony was your sanctuary, filled with a lush array of plants you had grown and nurtured. It was the only way you could ground yourself after what your seemingly uneventful day turned into.

With a gentle touch, your fingers brushed against the ivy, and the reaction was instant—almost imperceptible to anyone who didn’t know what to look for. The vines coiled around your fingertips, warm and alive, as though greeting an old friend. Your connection with your plants ran deeper than simple care or admiration; it was symbiotic, a pulse of energy passing between you and them. You had spent years refining the art of hiding it, masking your abilities beneath the guise of an impassioned botanist.

Still, your powers had a way of slowing down your hectic life.

"Hello baby." A smile came on your face. The vine swayed even though there wasn't a breeze. Picking up the watering can on the ground, you generously poured water into the soil.

Your breath hitched. You lifted your hands, turning them over to inspect the faint shimmer of green that traced along your fingertips. The warmth pooling in your palms told you everything you needed to know.

The pheromones.

Dread coiled in your stomach. You clenched your hands into fists, willing the shimmering haze to dissipate. Unlike your deliberate control over plants, the pheromones had always been trickier—slipping past your defenses when you were caught off guard, swaying emotions in ways you didn’t always intend.

Your mind immediately flashed to your interactions with Scott. Was that why he looked at you that way. Holding eye contact, his confession of vulnerability tonight. Why was he sure that you, of all of the X-Men, were the one he needed the most help from. That not even the decade passing between them had no impact on his judgment of your character.

"Great. Just great." You dragged a hand down your face. The thought made her uneasy. Scott was a complicated figure from your past- one she hadn't yet read to sort out. You hated the idea that your pheromones may have slightly influenced his reactions.

The scent of cocoa butter, warm and familiar, helped ground you as you moved through the glass doors into your apartment. The transition from the lush sanctuary of your balcony to the modern, minimalist interior of your living space was stark. The warm glow of the dimmed lights cast long shadows against the floorboards, the steady hum of the city beyond acting as white noise.

You needed to clear your head.

Steam curled around you as you stepped into the shower, letting the scalding water chase away the tension in your muscles. Droplets traced rivulets down your skin, but your mind refused to quiet. Even as you rinsed away the remnants of the day, the conversation with Scott replayed in your head. His guarded expression. The way he had sought you out. The way he had said, I need you.

Before you could spiral deeper, your phone buzzed sharply against the bathroom counter.

Reaching for it, you swiped a hand across the fogged-up screen. A series of texts illuminated the display.

Mom: Hi sweetheart.

Mom: I need you to clear your schedule next week and come to DC when your stepfather presents the Genomic Transparency Act.

Mom: It's important we show unity as a family. Can you make it?

Regretting opening those text messages, you formulated your response in your head. Your stepfather's obsession with this bill was a nightmare waiting to happen. Mandatory DNA testing to identify the X-gene? It was a death sentence for countless of mutants.

You typed your initial message, ready to refuse outright and to tell your mother where she could put her "united front". But you knew better, your mother had a way of escalating things, which would only bite you in the ass.

Staring at the texts some more, a idea formed in your mind.

You: Can I bring a guest?

Your mother's reply was almost immediate.

Mom: Of course. Whoever you'd like.

You: Thanks mom. I'll let you know.

You rolled your eyes so hard, surprising that they didn't get stuck. After you silence your phone for the evening, your mind starts racing. Unsure if you could endure a circus of a congressional hearing. The last time you were in that building was when your stepfather secured his seat for the fourth time in his career, almost seven years ago.

Then your mind landed on Scott. He would be the perfect person to bring along for the ride. Besides, you couldn't shake the feeling that a lot was going unsaid between you. And if her mother wanted a united front, she was about to get one. Just not the one she expected.

The opulent halls of Congress buzzed with activity, a blend of reporters, lobbyists, and carefully chosen spectators filling the space. The presentation of the Genomic Transparency Act was one of the most anticipated—and controversial—events of the year.

You adjusted your belt as you walked to the designated meeting point with you and Scott. You put on a warm smile as you passively spoke to members of Congress who were good friends with your stepfather. She found Scott in the back of the room, just down the hall from where the conference occurred. Scott, clad in a sharp black suit and tie played his part perfectly. His glasses, tinted red concealed his optic blasts and lent him an air of casual charm.

To the public, they looked like a couple- your date for the event. You adjusted his tie playing into the facade. You both were extremely tense, taking note of everyone in your surroundings.

"I'll keep my distance," Scott murmured, leaning slightly toward you.

“Your stepfather knows who I am, and if Trask is here, I don’t doubt he’ll recognize me too. I’ll blend in with the crowd. You just focus on keeping your cool.”

You nodded, though her fingers twisted nervously around the silver cuff bracelet on your wrist. “Easier said than done. You know how he gets under my skin. And Trask—” She cut herself off, exhaling sharply. "I'd rather not have to see him."

Scott folded his arms. "If Trask's here then there's definitely bigger players in this than we can imagine. Regardless, we'll stick to the plan. Don't let them bait you."

His reassurance momentarily eased your concerns. It was a comfortable silence between you to. You hadn't noticed how close you were standing to him. They added four inches of your heel, making you eye level with his nose. The perfect height difference would be perfect if they were two characters a romantic scene.

The slight upturn of your face looking at Scott. While he was oblivious, scouting the room. Scott looked down at you, before whispering in your ear.

"Trask is coming by our left." Your reaction was like a porcupine; your imaginary quills popped up. You watched the short man walk by a briefcase by his side. It was faint yet sweet aroma came into your senses. You abruptly took a step back from Scott, clearing your throat.

"Cmon it starts in a few minutes." You took long strides down the hall. Leaving Scott trailing behind you and questioning the sudden actions. You stood tall, commanding confidence as you walked into the conference hall. Typically, the room was packed with political figures, journalists, and camera people. Your stepfather and mother stood beside the stage, conversing amongst themselves.

With a glance to Scott, you, too, parted ways. You went to the stage, joining your mother at her side. She smiled, her hands holding your arm lovingly. The moment you had been dreading arrived. Robert walked to the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen," his voice was abnormally loud. "Thank you all for being here today. Before I present to you the Genomic Transparency Act, I'ld like to take a moment o acknowledge some very important people. My wife and stepdaughter, Vivianne and YN.

With a practiced act your mother smiled, walking towards her husband. She grasped his hand, standing shoulder to shoulder. Turning at the same time, your mother extended an open hand to you.

Every eye in the room turned towards you, and the stares were slowly suffocating you. Her legs felt like cement as she advanced towards the microphone. Your stomach was resting in your ass, and your heart nuzzled in your throat. The crowd clapped politely, but your eyes swept across the audience. You anxiously anticipated seeing his smug face, knowing he couldn't have gotten that far. In the second row, in the first seat, you see him- Bolivar Trask.

His cold, calculating eyes locked onto her. The sight of him sent a chill down your spine. On his lap, you could see the handle of a briefcase, his pale hand holding onto the handle with a death grip. Your heart raced, and slowly you were feeling a subtle shift in the air. Scott leaned against one of the pillars in the back, arms folded, watching every move of everyone in the hall.

No.

No.

Not now.

You felt it, in stronger waves then ever before. An uncontrollable wave radiated off her, subtle yet growing in power. The pheromones were seeping out of your pores. To your left, you could see the two security guards standing behind you, they shifted their weight uncomfortably. Feel their gaze hone in on you.

"Today, I want to demonstrate the simplicity and effectiveness of the Genomic Transparency Act's testing procedure. With this technology, we can ensure clarity and safety for all Americans."

He gestured to his wife, standing elegantly beside him. "To start, my wife will take the test and show just how noninvasive this process is."

Your mother remained poised as a technician approached her with a small handheld device. The device scanned her fingertip, and a soft chime sounded. The technician glaned at the green screen and nodded. "No X-gene detected."

"And there you have it. Completely harmless and entirely accurate." He turned towards you, his smile impossibly growing larger.

"YN, has graciously agreed to assist as well. Please, honey, step forward."

You froze, your blood running cold. You hadn’t agreed to anything. This wasn’t part of the plan. Your stepfather’s smile held a hint of smugness, as though he dared you to refuse in front of the cameras.

Your heart pounded as you felt the pheromones stirring again, uncontrollable and unrelenting. She glanced at Scott, who was standing near the edge of the room, watching intently. He gave her a subtle nod, his expression calm but firm.

Taking a steadying breath, you stepped forward and smiled politely as the technician approached you. As the device neared your hand, Robert stiffened suddenly. His face scrunched up in discomfort, and he coughed once. Then again, the coughing fit grew louder. He waved a hand in front of his face.

"What is that smell?" he rasped, his voice strained. "Is it… perfume?"

The coughing intensified, and the room erupted into laughter. Members of Congress chuckled, some leaning over to whisper to their neighbors.

"Looks like the Senator’s not a fan of floral scents!" one reporter quipped, causing another ripple of laughter.

Your mother leaned toward him, her perfect facade cracking slightly. "Darling, are you alright?"

"I’m fine," Senator Kelly wheezed, dabbing at his face with a handkerchief. "Just—just sensitive to strong perfumes. Y/N, what are you wearing?"

You felt her cheeks flush, her mind racing as the pheromones radiated stronger in response to her stress. "Uh, it’s new," she said quickly. "Maybe I overdid it."

The technician hesitated, unsure whether to proceed. You seized the moment, sliding gracefully out of the spotlight.

"Excuse me," she murmured, moving toward the edge of the stage. Scott was already making his way toward her, his expression unreadable but his pace deliberate.

"Let’s get you some air," Scott said smoothly as he reached her, his hand lightly brushing her elbow.

Together, they navigated the crowd, keeping their movements calm and composed. No one seemed to notice—or if they did, they were too distracted by the Senator’s continued coughing fit.

Once they were clear of the main chamber, Scott quickened his pace, guiding you down a quieter hallway in the legislative building. The distant hum of conversation faded behind them as they stopped near a side exit.

"You okay?" Scott asked, his voice low but firm.

You exhaled shakily, leaning against the wall. "Yeah. No. I don’t know." You ran a hand through your hair, fingers trembling. "I lost control again. The pheromones—he was having a reaction, wasn’t he?"

Scott nodded, leaning slightly toward her to keep their voices from carrying. "Yeah, but you played it off. No one suspects a thing. To them, it’s just bad perfume."

You let out a humorless laugh, closing her eyes. "Great. My big contribution to mutant rights—a bad perfume joke on national television."

Scott’s lips quirked into a small smile. "Hey, it could’ve been worse. At least we got out before he finished the demonstration."

Your eyes snapped open, meeting his. "He’s going to figure it out, Scott. If he pushes this test on me, it’ll blow everything up."

"Then we don’t let him," Scott said firmly. His calm, steady tone firm. "We stick to the plan. Stay ahead of him, stay in control. We’ll figure it out."

You studied him for a moment, her breathing slowing. Scott's presence was solid, unshakable for all the chaos and uncertainty swirling around her.

"Thanks."

You and Scott exited the legislation building through a side door. Your mind is racing for the next step in your plan. The evening air was cool, and your exposed arms made you walk faster. You walked two blocks from the legislation building when Scott spoke.

"The tests- did you get anything from the live demonstration?"

You shook your head, frustration tightening her chest. "Nothing useful, except that they’re already in production. The fact they’re ready for public rollout means this has been in the works for months—maybe longer."

Scott frowned. "That kind of operation requires serious funding and infrastructure. We need to find out who’s backing it."

You nodded, pulling her phone from her clutch. You opened an encrypted app that Scott had shown you a few days earlier. "Before tonight, I ran a trace on the testing devices. The patents and schematics are registered under a shell corporation, but the manufacturing contracts were harder to bury." She glanced up at him, her expression grim. "Guess who they lead back to?"

Scott tilted his head, his jaw tightening slightly. "Dynamico Industries."

"Bingo." She pocketed her phone, her gaze hardening. "Morgan Hills’ name is all over this. Dynamico’s been quietly acquiring biotech firms for years, and now it looks like they’ve diversified into mutant detection. If they’re supplying the tests, they’re not just backing the Senator’s bill—they’re actively profiting from it."

Scott’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Morgan Hills. She’s not just in this for the money, is she?"

You shook her head. "No. She’s one of those ‘mutant containment for the greater good’ types. This is her big play."

Scott glanced toward the street, his expression unreadable. "Dynamico’s security is tight, but we need to get inside one of their manufacturing facilities. If we can find proof they’re cutting corners—or worse, tampering with results—it could blow the whole operation wide open."

"I’ve got a contact who works in corporate oversight. If Dynamico’s been skirting regulations, there’s a chance they’ve flagged something in internal audits."

Scott nodded. "Good. Meanwhile, I’ll see what I can dig up on their supply chain. These tests didn’t appear out of thin air—someone’s moving the materials, and if we follow the trail, we’ll find our way in."

You sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. "This feels bigger than just the tests. If they roll this out nationally, it’s not just about mutant detection. They could use this to track us—catalog every mutant, control us."

Scott stepped closer, his gaze steady. "Then we stop them. One step at a time. Tonight was a win—you handled yourself under pressure, and now we know where to look next."

You met his eyes, a small smile tugging at your lips despite the weight of the situation. "You always were annoyingly optimistic."

He smirked. "And you were always stubborn enough to pull through. Let’s keep it that way."

With a shared nod, they began walking toward Scott’s car, parked a few blocks away to avoid suspicion. The night was far from over, and the fight ahead was daunting, but you felt like she wasn’t facing it alone for the first time in years.

As they climbed into the car, Scott glanced at her. "So, what’s your contact’s name?"

You grinned. "Sarah Lynn. She’s an analyst at Dynamico. And she owes me a favor."

Scott raised an eyebrow as he started the car. "I like her already."

Their next move was clear: infiltrate Dynamico, uncover the truth about the tests, and stop Morgan Hills before her plan could come to fruition. But as the city lights blurred past them, Y/N couldn’t shake the feeling that the deeper they dug, the more dangerous this would get.

Reclining your passenger seat slightly, you massage your temples. Sarah Lynn, an old acquaintance from university, was a bit of a recluse. The only reason you were able to keep up with her after school was because she worked on the first floor of your firm. There have been a couple of occasions when she has accidently shredded some files that you managed to recover on her behalf. And it appears you were going to redeem that favor sooner than expected.

Another fact about Sarah popped into your head, a loud BAMF! filled the car accompanied with a cloud of smoke. You yelped as the familiar blue figure appeared in the backseat. His tail swished.

"You two really do know how to stay busy!"

"Kurt!" You spun around, the initial surprise melting into joy. Extending the seatbelt, you hugged the man.

"Don't scare me like that."

Scott chuckles, "Kurt, good to see you."

"And you, my feiends. It's been too long. But I'm afraid I come with less-than pleasant news."

"Let me guess- you know about Dynamico too."

Kurt nodded. "I've been hearing whispers about a mutant-targeting bill. When I heard about the Senator's bill, my suspicions were confirmed. I never expected to find you two in the middle of it."

Scott spoke next. Taking the back roads to avoid the cameras that is in the city.

"We were just putting the pieces together. Long story short, they’re manufacturing DNA tests to identify mutants, and Senator Kelly’s about to roll them out nationwide. They’re using anti-mutant sentiment as a smokescreen for profit and control."

"Surely we cannot face this alone. Where are the others?"

Your smile faded. "Things feel apart after the Professor passed. Everyone went their separate ways."

"We are still out there, but scattered. No official team."

Kurt’s face fell, his gaze shifting between them. "I see. I had hoped…" He trailed off, then squared his shoulders. "No matter. You are not alone now. If you need my help, you have it."

You reached out and placed a hand on Kurt’s arm. "You don’t know how much it means to hear that. We could use your talents, especially with what we have planned next."

"Think you can help us break into a high-security biotech facility?" Scott hinted.

Kurt’s grin returned, his sharp teeth gleaming. "Is that even a question? Breaking and entering is one of my many talents."

"Welcome to the team, Nightcrawler." Scott roared the car's engine, zooming down the empty road.

[garsideofthemoon]

progress on my 2025 book bingo by @batmanisagatewaydrug

Historical Fiction: A Shore Thing which is a historical about a botanist and an artist biking around London. One of the characters is a trans guy which I appreciated. Nicely written

Science Fiction: Revenant Gun which I didn’t like as much as the first two books but was fun

set in a country I haven’t visited: Adam and Evie’s Matchmaking Tour, lush descriptions and a clear love for Vietnam and its culture

animal on the cover: Elatsoe which is really well written! Great YA novel

romance novel: Nightmare before Kissmas which uh. What a way to ring in the new year

sequel: Ruby Fever, great end to a series I really enjoy

fantasy novel: Library of the Unwritten, which is a little too overstuffed imo