#folks I'm having a moment. I'll be back with you shortly

[carlostck]

@cable-salamdr @garmaballs ROCK!!!!! ogh and sonadow too...

Projecting my sillay irl shenanigans onto my boy Sonic

[14dayswithyou]

💖 Day 3.5 is now available! 💖

For the last couple of months, only Server Boosters had access to the 3.5 update... Buuuuut now it's available for everyone to play in the 14DWY Discord — and soon itch.io once I'm happy with the QA and state of the game — so please don't feel pressured to join unless you want to!!

The full devlog + even more screenshots are under the cut ^^

What's been added to the 3.5 version?

📺 Streamer Mode!

I've been told that it's difficult to stream and monetise age-restricted videos on YouTube and Twitch, so I added an option to remove the sexual content and strong language used in the demo.

Now y'all can invite Ren into your bed for cuddles without putting your streamer career on the line /silly /lh

This won't affect the 18+ rating or dark themes/elements of the game, however! Although Streamer Mode will prevent you from seeing any "gruesome" CGs in the future, most of the core elements of the game will still be tied to the choices and decisions you make. So you won't miss out on the overall experience by using streamer mode!!

⚙️ Custom Pronouns!

It only took me one entire year to get around to it, but you can finally choose your own preferred pronouns (or use a set of pronouns instead)... At the cost of being able to change them mid-game ^^;

Since the original pronoun screen wouldn't update until a new scene was displayed, I temporarily disabled the feature. But once I find a workaround, I'll bring it back!

💗 Choose how others perceive you!

You can now choose how the cast and narration perceive you! Originally, the narration was kept strictly gender-neutral (outside of pronouns and genitalia picked by the player), but this will soon change in future updates.

For more clarity: you don't get to choose the words specifically, but you can choose between masculine, feminine, and androgynous terms!

📋 Separate top and bottom genitalia!

You can now choose your tatas and pps separately! >:3

Alongside that, you can also choose your preferred body type!

I removed the "both" genitalia option because a few players still assumed it was an obscure version of "intersex". That wasn't my intention and I don't want to mislead anyone, so I took it out for now ^^;

I also didn't want to include a screenshot of the new genitalia choices in action (because it's NSFW), so y'all get the same character menu screen for the nth time instead lmao

📱 Relationship Screen Overhaul!

You can now change your own status for more immersion, and long-term Server Boosters will eventually be able to submit and use their own icon within the game as well!

Stalking finding your friends has now become easier by using "Buddy Maps"; a new app that allows you to see the location of all the cast members!

I want to offer players more incentive to check the relationship screen since they tend to miss the status updates, so hopefully this might help ;v;

It also says it "updates every few hours" so folks don't go overboard and check every 5 seconds to see where Ren is gdsghf (also keep in mind that he's a hacker lol)

🖤 Additional Scenes Update!

Day 2 received a brand new CG!!!!! Originally, I planned on only adding a few CGs sporadically throughout the game, but it didn't feel right to leave Day 2 so... empty... so I added a brand new CG to (hopefully) make things feel more balanced and natural!

If you decline Teo's offer on Day 3, Leon will now call and try to convince you to reconsider. However, players are still allowed to decline, and if they do, they'll reach a dead end.

After listening to feedback on itch, I changed some of the dialogue during Days 1-3 to make it seem more consistent! They're only small changes though, so it's honestly not worth looking for sdgjssga

🎶 Updated BGM and SFX!

I wanted to try out a different style of music to see if it fits the vibe of 14DWY more! The BGM features more acoustics to suit the "beachy" theme of Corland Bay, though I made a conscious effort to include piano elements as well to stay true to the original!!

I figured it'd be better to give players a live example before I make a poll (to see if they prefer the change or not) and publish it to Itch.

Some new SFX have also been added, though it's very minimal and honestly not that noticeable.

How to download and play the update?

(warning: clicking on the following links will open Discord!!) To download the Day 3.5 update, simply join the 14DWY Discord server, verify your age, and visit the "14dwy-updates" channel!

Alternatively, you can also wait until the update is publicly released on Itch to play it as well!! (It normally gets released shortly after a round of QA testing/getting feedback from the server, though I may release it earlier if I feel like it hehe ^^)

Enjoy!!

[conkers-thecosy]

Hi Conkers!

I've just read the ask where you mentioned your original works, could you tell us something about them? I read more fiction than fanfiction so I'm always looking forward to the next good story 😁

Hope you'll have a lovely day, and no pressure to answer this anytime soon (or at all, if the mood doesn't strike!)

Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

Hullo!!

Thank you for sending this, but I hope you know what you've done by asking me about them! 😂 Brace yourself!!

Okay, so I have a few ideas for original stories, but the two that I've started are "The Prince & The Botanist" and "All's Fair". I write exclusively queer fiction and romance, because when I was a gay little kid growing up there wasn't a lot of variation, and certainly no fantasy novels with queer leading characters! (Which I suspect is why I projected so much onto The Hobbit and LotR, and Bilbo in particular)

"The Prince & The Botanist" is my murder mystery! It's about a reclusive botanist, Dante Morsatra, who has isolated himself from the rest of the nobility, and started up a sort of school/apprenticeship for the common folk. He's considered pretty odd, and the Court all give him a wide berth and let him get on with it, until one day someone who antagonised him and made his life miserable growing up is brutally poisoned. One of the princes of the realm, Lucien Advaris, is put in charge of finding the culprit, but after meeting Dante he decides to use his knowledge of botany as a resource, all while keeping an eye on his prime suspect.

Despite having started this wayyyy before I started writing fic for The Hobbit, I'll be honest and say this one is extremely bagginshield coded! To the point where I actually considered turning it into an AU, lol.

"All's Fair" is my captured princess/enemies-to-lovers story! Alenia is my leading lady, a lonely princess who's waiting to come of age so she can be wed in a political marriage arranged by her father and older brother, but the realm is at war, and shortly after her father rides out to lead the failing armies of their country, they lose. The enemies are at the gates and take over the capital in a single night. Virion, the new ruler of the country, decides to keep Alenia and her older brother, Alosrin, alive as hostages to make the transition of power easier and not rouse any sympathy in the people who don't currently seem inclined to fight back against the new regime. Virion finds Alenia much easier to deal with than her older brother, so the pair of them end up speaking often, playing chess of an evening, and eventually making a deal to benefit them both!

*Sighs happily*

Thank you for asking me about them! I have such an itch to work on them at the moment (specifically "All's Fair") but I want to finish BTTW and Soldier, Poet, King first, at the very least! In the meantime, any chance to info-dump about them is helping to soothe my muse while I focus on other things, haha!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!!

[kanmom51]

JK live 25 April 2023

Cr./creators of media used in this post.

As usual, you guys know the drill already, I wake up to stuff already gone down.

JK went live at 4:48 KST on 25.4.2023

Don't need to work hard to see the numbers here. Coincidence again? Maybe. But here we go:

4+4=8

2+5+4=11

8+2+2+3=15

8/11/15

It just works.

Ok, so I'm not going to do a full live post at the moment, seeing JK was going for an hour and a half, most of which I missed. I will wait for the full translated live to talk about it in depth, if needed.

A few things noticed:

JK is fully clothed. Like Jeans, belt, shirt tucked into pants like at the premiere.

Identical tuck of shirt and looks like similar T shirt, although neck line might be different (not sure about that, as it looks like it's folded in a little in the premiere photos).

Also, don't seem to be same jeans/pants, nor does it look like the same belt.

Did JK come home, change to comfy clothes and then put change back into jeans for the live?

What for though? Not like he didn't do lives in PJs or comfy sweatpants before. I doubt he'd dress up for a cooking live just before bed.

Did he come home after the premiere, change, go out, come back and start the live? Or did he go somewhere else after the premiere, change pants, come home and start the live?

The one thing I am quite sure of is that JK must have just returned home shortly before the live.

Where he was or with who Idk (I can guess and have a guess to that), but he clearly hasn't been home long.

Previous lives and past statements make that kind of clear.

JK IS wearing THE necklace.

The mood lighting without the stars.

Clearly the man was in the feels.

He felt the need for comfort and he turned on the live for that. These aren't easy times for them. For him.

Hobi and JM. The two people that give him comfort, that ground him emotionally. Hobi just enlisted, JM is off to NY for more than a bit.

So yeah, he's in the feels.

The man is adorable.

His creation:

Anyways, our emo boy, yes just look at him, this doesn't look like a 25 yo CK model, came, sat, cooked, ate and left.

Wait, I take it back. Definitely a 25 yo CK model.

So, man was tired. Ate and wanted to go sleepy-by, ending the live.

Well, not before realising he actually needs to wash up before sleep.

And then posted this:

You have got to love this man.

He is definitely one of a kind.

That's it for now folks.

I'll end this here with JK's famous words (well, they will be famous):

"I'm sleepy, bye".

[dont-f-with-moogles]

Terra my love 💚

So many questions about your WIP post it note 😜

(remember the post was actually a WIP ask game, right?)

1. Is the whole story planned with chapter structure etc... or even partly written already?

2. If you already know, how many chapters will there be for this fic?

3. Will they kiss? & more importantly will they fuck? /jk

4. What other SNK characters will appear throughout the fic?

5. May I ask for a sneak peek? (because there was no "WIP it Wednesday" post yesterday 😢)

Could be from the next chapter or another random chapter, I'm so in love with this fic & in love with your writing style & greedy that I'll take any crumbs 🤲 🧎🏻‍♀️

Love you lots & even more 💚

Val! Thanks for sending these questions. I'm always so excited to talk about what I'm working on! I think A Sunrise Without You Is Coming will probably be my longest (and last) fic.

1. Is the whole story planned with chapter structure etc... or even partly written already? The whole fic is planned from start to finish :)

2. If you already know, how many chapters will there be for this fic? I planned 25 chapter outlines originally but ch3 ended up being longer than I thought once I had written it. I had to snip it off part way through. This might happen again so let's guess somewhere between 26 and 30 chapters in total.

3. Will they kiss? & more importantly will they fuck? /jk Honestly, I haven't included anything more than pining and eye fucking in my ch outlines! To give the story an authentic feel, I'm going to feel my way through their relationship as it grows. If the moment seems right, I'll take things to the next level ;)

4. What other SNK characters will appear throughout the fic? Apart from OG Levi Squad, Moblit, Nifa and Nile... you can expect to see Miche, Marlo and Floch very shortly. In future chapters we will also be joined by Hitch, Reiner, Erwin, Zeke, and Kenny.

5. May I ask for a sneak peek? (because there was no "WIP it Wednesday" post yesterday 😢) I have skimped out on the WIP It Wednesdays, huh? Fair's fair. Let's have a sneak peek then:

From ch4: I'll Not Speak A Word Despite a lingering chill and the last vestiges of afternoon light, the folk of Shiganshina were still leisurely browsing the marketplace. At the centre of the military village, where the earth roads converged, stood three avenues of unembellished stalls, each exhibiting their wares. 

Levi walked amongst civilians, hesitating as he drew level with a metal rack of women’s clothing. Inconspicuously, he cast his eyes around, before approaching. 

Thick woollen cardigans hung amongst long floral-patterned skirts. Levi peeled back a knitted sleeve. Then, with growing impatience, he swept past one garment after another.

“Hello? Are you looking for anything in particular?” asked the proprietor, a woman with dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail. At her intrusion, Levi quickly withdrew his hand.

With a final sweep of the area around them, Levi inclined his head as though he were about to mutter his response. He opened his mouth. He closed it again.

“This is part of our Fall Range…” The woman lifted a yellow button-down shirt, smoothing the material. “You know this is what they’re all wearing on the continent.”

She crooked a finger, beckoning him closer. With an expression of resignation, Levi obliged her.

“...I saw pictures in a Marleyan magazine once,” the proprietor boasted. 

Levi nodded, uncomprehending, as the woman seized a peasant skirt to tempt him with next. The pocket of his khaki military coat vibrated. Thankful for the interruption, Levi removed his cell phone. 

“I’ll take them all,” Levi indicated the entire rack with his hand. Flipping his phone open, he held the device up to his ear. 

“What size is she, sir?”

Levi hesitated again, his palm covering the mouthpiece.

“She’s… tall.” Turning away he answered in a low voice. “Miche?”

Delighted, the woman began bagging the clothes up.

“Levi,” came the Section Commander’s voice on the line, “I still haven’t been able to reach Erwin.”

“Sir, will you be needing underwear?”

The woman slowly pulled back the navy blue cloth which covered the stall, unveiling a low shelf of bras in different colours. Some were frilled and elaborate, others dark and lacy. Some contained padding, wired supports and front clasps. Others were elastic, unfilled or entirely strapless it seemed. 

Levi made a small noise in the back of his throat.

“Levi?” came Miche’s voice.

Covering his cell phone once more, Levi glanced at the proprietor.

“I’ll… take all of those too.”

 On the other end of the line, Miche gave an impatient sniff.

“Look, whether Erwin’s off having breakfast or the world’s longest shit, this can’t wait,” Levi hissed, “the MPs seized a vehicle of defectors right outside our base. How can he have nothing to say about that?”

“Which size is she, sir?” The woman held up a large, padded bra helpfully.

Levi stared determinedly past her, over to where smoke rose from red brick chimneys.

“...any,” he replied faintly, lips barely moving. He blinked. Cleared his throat. 

“You didn’t hear about the traffic incident?” Miche continued, “happened last night on the central road to Mitras.” 

“The one where the pedestrian was killed?” Levi turned away from the proprietor who was now tucking numerous bras into another bag. “They found a woman’s body according to a member of my squad.”

“Worse,” Miche countered, “the vehicle that struck her was being driven by two MPs. Skidded right off the road. I’m sorry, Levi. Every one of those defectors was killed.”

(Thanks again for your questions, Val!)

[maddiehu7]

Honorable | Elijah Mikaelson

Chapter 1

I hear my alarm ringing turning over groaning

"Ugh" I huff out smacking my alarm shutting it up, after a minute of procrastinating I finally get up brushing my teeth and getting ready for the day

"Outfit time" I sigh out looking at my closet flipping through some options I decide on a black cropped tank top some black skinny jeans and a dark green flannel open overtop

I go over to the door sliding my black combat boots on and I'm ready to go i grab some of my files and head out the door getting into my Chevy impala I was never a big car fan but when I saw this baby I had to have it, I'm heading to a bar/restaurant called mystic grill see if any locals seen anything out of the ordinary.

I walk in looking around at the place

"Hm nice" I say to myself heading to the bar i order a sprite and sit down, when I get my drink I sip it looking around at some of the people in here normal nice looking folk maybe there's no vamps here after all

"Hey your a new face" I hear someone say sitting down next to me I look over to see a pale black haired blue eyed tall man looking at me I'm on guard immediately getting a bad vibe

"Um yeah just passing through" I say smiling fakely hoping he leaves but he just smirks looking at me weirdly, I decide to pull my famous trick

"Hey want a drink" I say smiling at him

"How could I say no to that face" he says smiling back leaning on the counter

"Let me guess, bourbon?" I question

"How'd you know" he says looking a little confused

"You just have that vibe I guess" I say laughing

"Hey one bourbon please" I tell the bartender he nods making it fast handing it to to the man well he's not looking a pull out a little bottle of vervain slipping it in my sleeve

"I never got your name" I say licking my lips pretending to flirt

"Damon-damon Salvatore" he says reaching his hand out discarding his drink

"I'm more of a hugger" I say leaning over wrapping my arm around him as my other pours the vervain in his drink he hugs me back hands a little low for my liking, I back away

"Well cheers to new friends Damon" I say raising my drink he smirks raising his I drink mine slowly looking in his eyes he try's to do the same but when he drinks it he spits it out yelping in pain, Well there's definitely a case I think to myself

"Hey you ok?!" I feign innocence but he looks up at me in realization

"Who are you" he demands

"Me? Nobody" I say smiling he grabs my arm

"Come with me and I won't kill you right here" he says smiling back trying to not make a scene

"I'm calling your bluff" I say as I wretch my hand away from his hold getting up walking out of the bar I knew he'd follow so I pull my wooden dagger out hiding it in the waist of my jeans when I'm almost to my car I feel a strong wind behind me and suddenly I'm forced against my car Damon holding me by the shoulders

"I'll ask again nicely, who are you" he demands

"Vampire hunter but I guess you could've assumed that" i say smirking up at him he just scoffs going to say something when we hear a voice coming near us

"Damon?" A girl questions coming closer at this Damon let's go of me backing up

"Elena what are you doing here?" He questions annoyed he was interrupted

"Just getting some food what are you doing" she says looking at me confused

"Vampire hunter meet Elena" he says sarcastically

"What-what" Elena says confused and a little scared I could tell she was human

"Yep our very own Buffy the vampire slayer in town" he says with fake enthusiasm Elena looks deep in thought for a second

"Damon could I talk to you for a second" Elena says pulling him aside they talk and bicker for a moment before coming back to me

"Um so what's your name?" Elena asks politely I look at her in question but go along with it

"Scarlett" I say shortly she nods playing with her hands

"Scarlett, so your in town cause of vampires right?" She says I nod back at her looking at Damon which makes him put his hands up theatrically

"Ok well maybe you can help us then" I look over at her at that and laugh

"Me...help you....and your vampire" I say through laughs she just looks at me confused

"Told you it wouldn't work" Damon looks at Elena victoriously she rolls her eyes stepping closer to me I back away on guard even if she's human

"We're not gonna hurt you I promise" she says holding her hands up I look at Damon which makes him nod reluctantly in agreement

"What would you even need my help with?" I say curiously Elena smiles

"Have you ever heard of an original vampire?" She questions

"Yeah but those don't actually exist" I say factually which makes her look at me seriously I squint at her....no way

"Tell me everything" I say more intrigued than ever

( to be continued ) Elijah will come in soon I promise lol

[susan-gampre]

Your character receives an anonymous package. Within it seems to be a bag of extremely fine black and gold sand. A small handwritten card within reads: "Pour me out but don't worry, I'll always return to the bag when you're done." (The sand will magically create the image of a person's face or the entirety of their person as a perfect replica of how you remember them. This person though has to be deceased for it to work. Who does your character think of? Why them? Sending this to a bunch of folks for the holidays so they have a surprise IC gift that might also hit them in the feels! Happy Holidays!)

The note was held to the light, the candle glow allowing the Madam to consider its words before cocking her head toward the bag atop her desk. She had been made aware moments before that the bag had been received and delivered by her assistant sometime before holiday, The Madam had only just returned from holiday herself... She was left curious and seeking. The note implied something enchanting in its context, thus her curiosity drove the woman forward. Discarding the note to her paperwork she in turn takes up the gift, nails prying it open before unceremoniously dumping the contents out.

Before she had time to truly brace a warmth of familiarity overcame her, her eyes slowly welling with tears of longing as she stares up at the manifesting image -- The figure stood taller than she, masculine and broad. As the face began to materialize she knew at once she could not betray her heart in hoping... It wasn't real, that much she knew. Watching as the enchantment fully come to reality would leave her nearly crying as it was, a hand cupping her mouth to hide her trembling lip as she looked on at an old love.

"Oh, Tomen..."

The scent of cheap cologne wafted across her nose, a memory sparking behind widened eyes. It felt as if she had been transported back to nineteen, watching as the scraggly haired brunette with a mustache and beard bushier than a pandarens fuzzy ass was -- with great effort to show the action of it-- smiling down at her. Her heart was beginning to betray her now, squeezing and aching at the memories of years before.

"Baby... I've never needed you more than I do now, you always had a way of calming the storm and bringing reason -- Even if you were completely uncouth while at it."

The Madam bit her lip hard then, squeezing her eyes shut to trigger the tear drops that just wouldn't fall, hands furiously swiping away the leftover tears before they had time to stain her cheeks. She'd shake her head, trying to get ahold of herself before expressing, "I'm going crazy, engaging with magic like it's alive."

Before she could help herself the Madam's golden eyes would glance up at the image once more, managing a small smile as she approaches to get a closer look, hands moving to hover over the jaws of the replica, not quite willing to touch for fear he would crumble before her eyes. Her smile only widens, eyes brightening with admiration as she remarks, "Just as handsome as the last time I saw you..."

The dark memory of that night followed by events of his death shortly there after only soured this experience some.. Those were hard memories that the Madam never quite settled with, all these years later. She only lived with them now, coped. But seeing the man before her once again, it brought her some comfort. Returned her to a time before the abduction, before the pain and confusion.

Slowly Susan would lower her hands, nodding gently while she reaches out toward the bag which the sands whence came, quick now to bring herself to reality by disturbing the sand illusion, making a quick gesture toward the opened bag while turning her eyes away-- Else his face would disintegrate before her sight. Once the act was complete she would bring the bag toward the shelves in a corner of her office toward a real wood open display cabinet, ever so carefully tying it the strings of the bag back together.

A new keepsake for the collection of valuables-- the Madam was quite known for being a maximalist, but everything she collected had its purpose. She was meticulous in how she decorated her spaces, only things which truly meant something to her would be kept in immediate vicinity. And this particular gift, one she made a note to send a thank you note for, would find it's home nestled up against a gifted vase on the top of the , it's long stemmed silk flowers shading the bag beneath their beautiful display. The contrast of the evergreen stems and maroon flowers against the golden vase only made for a gorgeous surrounding for such a wonderful curio.

Thank you kindly, @dinthoqaf! This was a fun reflection to write, and a great opportunity to see a snippet of a new side to Susan!

[ell-vellan]

WIP Wednesday

My first little BG3 drabble as I get used to everyone's voice! Not sure if I'll go anywhere with this, but it's fun to play around.

Summary: Folk hero Tav (Safiel) frustrates Astarion to no end. One evening, she asks him why.

Tagging if anyone has anything to share! @thebookworm0001 @shretl (happy birthday! 🎈) @thegoblinwitchqueen I consistently forget which of my mutuals is a writer/artist so if you want to share something, please do and tag me in it so I can see/remember!

---

"Astarion, why does it bother you that I help people?"

Astarion startled out of his book. The silly little half-elf was looking over at him with those unsettling, mismatched eyes of hers. He tittered. "Oh, my dear, I'm quite certain you don't want my honest opinion."

But she was undeterred. "By all means, go ahead. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

Astarion sighed shortly and snapped his book shut. For all her ditzy naiveté and sickeningly sweet do-goodedness, the girl had let him tag along with her and the snooty cleric and the fearsome githyanki, increasing his odds of survival at least a tad. She'd been a useful tool so far, hadn't blinked when he fessed up to being a vampire after she'd caught him (almost) red-handed, and had even offered her neck willingly with that wide-eyed conviction of the young and foolhardy who haven't yet learned how the world works.

He studied her for a moment. She never seemed put off by his fits of temper, even when he was trying to annoy her. Either she was just that dense, or she had incredibly poor survival instincts, which seemed an unlucky trait for a druid.

If he hadn't needed a source of fresh blood and someone to watch his back out here in the sunlight, he wouldn't have thought twice about slitting her throat. Even after he quite nearly gutted her, she had acted as though he'd behaved with perfectly reasonable self-preservation, and forgiven him immediately. 

But she was going to earn herself – and worse, him – a knife in the back if she didn't learn. And quickly.

Fool child. It rubbed him the wrong way.

And yet...

"My dear, simply that there are a million reasons why we should not waste what very little tentacle-free time we may have left on the plights of strangers, and I cannot think of a single reason why we should."

"We seem fairly tentacle-free so far. And if I happen upon someone who could use my help, why wouldn't I at least try?"

He gaped at her, flabbergasted. "Why wouldn't you – perhaps it has crossed your mind that we are risking our lives for random passers-by who could not be arsed to give a single shit about us in return? Fine, fine, do a few jobs if you need coin, if you must. But for free?"

She just looked at him placidly, a little smile on her face that annoyed him. "I had a wildcat once. A kitten, really – I found him, orphaned and half dead. He bit me when I tried to heal him, and bit me every time I fed him. But I didn't mind. I knew that to him, I was very big, and he was very small and scared, and he was only doing what he felt he needed to do to survive. I chose to help him even knowing I would be bitten, and scratched, and that perhaps he would never come to see me as a friend no matter how much kindness I showed him. But I couldn't walk away from something in pain knowing I could do something to ease it."

Astarion glared at her, but she either didn't notice or didn't care. "Is there a point to this frustratingly saccharine monologue, or can I return to my book?"

"You remind me of him," she quipped, a teasing glint in her eye when he, predictably, glowered at the comparison. 

"I am the disheveled bitey kitten you scooped up and fed scraps to? My dear, your analogy has a few holes."

Safiel laughed and tossed another branch into the fire. "I know. I didn't say it was perfect, only that you reminded me of him."

"Darling, I am no one's pet."

"He was never my pet. He was a wild creature. When he was well enough, he fled back to the woods where he belonged. I never planned nor attempted to tame him."

He eyed her suspiciously. "You see, this is precisely my point. Did you never think that perhaps one day, the fully grown wildcat you so lovingly wasted your energy on would pounce out of a tree and make you its dinner?"

"Of course I considered that. But should that day come, it would only be acting according to its nature. And if I couldn't defend myself, it would be fully within its rights to eat me."

Astarion glared. "You may not mind taking foolish risks with your life. In fact, I would encourage it! If my own fate was not so terribly twisted up with yours."

Safiel shrugged. "You're free to continue on your own way whenever you like, Astarion. I don't mind that you disagree with me. And I understand your reasoning better now – thank you for answering my question. I'll do better to consider that lives other than my own are also at stake here, and take your point of view into account in the future."

Well, Astarion did not know quite what to do with that. He couldn't remember the last time someone had thanked him for his opinion, or promised to take it under advisement. Not honestly, at least. 

"I don't want to take actions that others are uncomfortable with. Everyone has their opinions on the best course of action. But we all have the same very dire problem, so I hope we can find a way to work together. And to help each other."

Gods, she was so ready to believe they could all be a happy little family. And he truly believed her to be perfectly truthful about all of this.

What fairytale grove had she come from where life was all sunshine and rainbows? 

Astarion threw up his hands, book clutched in one of them, and made a frustrated sound. "Well, yes, I would agree to that. Our odds are certainly better together. If we don't spend our remaining hours saving kittens and starving little orphans."

Safiel had the gall to laugh. She inspected a branch in her hand, stripping off the leaves idly. "A reasonable request. But let me ask you – isn't it just as likely that one day, we may come to need help, and someone else may come along to offer it without expectation of reward? That the good we do now for others may find its way back to us?"

Astarion sputtered, speechless with outrage. "No!"

Safiel grinned at him. "Then you have not spent much time around druids, I imagine."

She actually winked at him. Then stood, brushed off her knees, and sashayed away to chat with Shadowheart, still smiling. 

"Ridiculous," Astarion muttered, rolling his eyes as he opened his book again. His eyes tracked her retreating form, wondering if people this empty-headed actually survived into adulthood, or if it was some sort of long con she was playing. If the latter, he had never seen such a good actor. "Absolutely absurd. Going to get us all killed, that naive child."

But still…he snuck one last glance up at her from beneath his lashes, scowling, wondering. 

[twatkcox]

[TWATKRant The 20th]

(Written November 2024)

The latter part of this post will trigger some toxic uneducated folks out there, especially the older ones (a.k.a. boomers). Like I care, you stupid piece of trash.

xxxxxxxxxx

2024 is supposed to be a perfect year, but the ugly dragon reared its ugly head shortly after the Baguio trip. And a few upsetting moments came after that. I used to love dragons, but not anymore.

Needless to say, that ugly dragon caused me a bunch of misfortunes, such as that unfortunate incident back in fourth grade (2000) where I was suddenly ostracized by my peers and that troublesome roof during a typhoon months after graduating from college (2012). I also had numerous upsetting moments during these years. It seems that God also had a hand in these misfortunes.

So now what? 2024 is gradually turning out to be a crappy year, as expected from the year of the ugly dragon. Like I'm expecting something better to happen throughout this year.

xxxxxxxxxx

Social media has become a joke since the mid-2010s. It only shows how people can be misled by false information and the toxic mindset of other social media users, as well as the proliferation of fake accounts and spammers. I won't be surprised if it's gonna have a massive decline in the next few years. Facebook will soon face the same fate as Friendster, as well as X (if Elon Musk continues to make some massive unnecessary changes to the already f***ed up site). Call it ridiculous, but these sites will soon become a fad. After all, nothing lasts forever.

Anyway, that's not what I'm ranting about. It's the toxic attitude of social media users. Just by looking into their social media posts and comments, I can easily judge who's more judgmental and who's more respectful. Fanatics, trolls, bashers, and hypocrites made up much of the social media users. No wonder why Facebook and X are starting to get even more toxic than ever.

Sooner or later, I'll get tired of social media altogether. Well, just the mainstream ones like the ones mentioned. Instagram is okay, Mastodon is meh, and Threads can do better. I have high hopes for Bluesky, which will soon become Twitter's successor. I just hope that the butterfly app don't end up like X. And I hope Elon Musk keeps his hands off Bluesky.

xxxxxxxxxx

I already knew that my dad was a boastful, delusional old fart. He will die soon. Hopefully by the end of this year, since I'm getting really impatient just to make my old man disappear from my life for good.

As if I'll ever get along with that senile old man. He can wish, but he will never get it. After all, he is the reason why our lives are ruined. No amount of forgiveness will fix it. Even if he changed, I still won't forgive him.

You can say anything you want, but you don't have the right to lecture me. You don't know anything, you piece of nosy trash.

xxxxxxxxxx

Well, this is where I'll end my rant for this year. After all, it's the holiday season. The last thing I need is unnecessary stress, especially from my family.

Hear that, God? I can't fully entrust my life to you, but you can take my useless, arrogant dad away from me (and put him in hell). We don't need him anymore. Maybe I'll put my faith in you again if you do.

[shamarphillips]

NOT BY BLOOD

Chapter One: The Call

“And that’s all for today, folks. I’ll see you in class next week. Don’t forget to study for the pop-up exam. Some of your lives are depending on it.”

At the sound of Professor Dan’s dismissal, Zara grabbed her things and rushed for the door. It would have been nice if she could have gone home to lounge around all weekend, but she had to punch the clock immediately after.

Her dream of saving up enough money to move to Hollywood was always on her mind, and she knew slacking off wouldn’t get her there.

“Shit!” She was startled by her screeching cellphone while trying to find her keys at the bottom of her purse. “Yeah? Hello?” she answered sharply.

“Hi, I'm trying to get in contact with Zara Hayes. This is Detective Sanders with the Chicago Police Department.”

An unpleasant voice boomed from the other end of the call, making Zara double check the caller ID.

“This is her,” she frowned while getting into her car. “How may I help you?”

“I wish I were calling under better circumstances,” Sanders said. “Unfortunately, this is about your mother. Her body was found in her apartment this morning. It looks like an overdose. I’d like to have you come to the station to identify her. Also, children and family services are here with your sister, Amara.”

Zara felt tightness in her chest. She hadn’t spoken to her mother in weeks. Being so busy with school, work, and the maintenance of her relationship, she barely had time to take a breath.

Even though her relationship with her mother wasn’t the best, Zara loved her. Through all of their ups and downs, makeups and breakups, she kept an open space in her heart and hoped that things would get better for them.

“Ms. Hayes?” Detective Sanders sliced through her silence. “Are you there?”

“Yeah,” she said softly, fighting back tears. “Yeah. I'll be there shortly.”

Zara’s tears fell the moment she left the parking lot. Accepting the reality that it was too late to bridge the gap was tough for her. It was even tougher when she thought about Amara and how afraid she must have been. Even though Amara treated her like an enemy, they were still sisters, and Zara still cared about her.

When she got to the police station, she threw her car in park and raced for the entrance. Immediately, she asked for Detective Sanders and was escorted directly to his office.

The door swung open and revealed a tidy room, bland in color, and full of stale cigarette smoke. There was also Amara, sitting in front of his desk wearing torn jeans and sunglasses. A social worker sat on a leather sofa in the back of the room, and everyone just kind of stared at each other. Waiting for someone to speak first.

“Zara Hayes?” Sanders asked.

She nodded, her eyes fixed on Amara as she waited for her sister to look at her.

“Come in. Have a seat.” Sanders invited Zara to take the second seat in front of his desk. “Mrs. Carter from Children and Families will want to speak with you. In the meantime, I’ll fill you in on what’s going on and how we move forward.”

Zara sat down next to Amara. The tension between them was thick and unwavering. Amara rested her chin on her fist as she stared straight ahead, without a single ounce of emotion on her face.

Her calmness was offensive to Zara and made Detective Sanders uncomfortable. However, neither of them spoke on it. Since the incident was still fresh, they figured Amara was in shock.

“Are you two real sisters?”

Zara looked at Sanders as if the answer should have been obvious.

“No. My mom married her dad when we were younger.”

“Where is dad?” Sanders asked while jotting notes on his notepad.

“Who the hell knows?” Amara scoffed. “Son of bitch walked out and left me with them. Isn’t that something?”

Zara winced at her tone. It was harsh and dry, just like her attitude toward their mother’s death. It was no secret that Amara felt out of place most of her life, but their mother never gave up on her. Not even during her own struggles.

“Well, as of right now, her death is ruled as stated. If anything changes or I have any additional questions, I'll be sure to reach out to you. If you have any questions for me, I'm always available. Mrs. Carter will be your social worker and help you fill out the paperwork to accept guardianship of Amara. Since she is still a minor and you’re the only next of kin we could find.”

“Wait, what!?” Zara jumped to her feet. “Guardianship?”

She looked frantically at Mrs. Carter, who finally made her way to the front of the room, then back at Detective Sanders.

“What do you mean guardianship? I’m only 23. I can’t take care of a teenager by myself. I have work, school. I have a life. I can’t just put everything on hold until she’s 18.”

“Of course she wouldn’t take me,” Amara chuckled sarcastically. “She can barely take care of herself. Besides, I'll be 18 in two years. I can figure out my own shit. Just like I've been doing since she left.”

Zara’s eyes filled with sorrow. She didn’t mean to sound so uninviting, but the thought of being responsible for another human being terrified her. It had only been a few years since she moved out of her mother's home, gotten over the nightmares she faced while living there, and finally started making her way.

“It’s not that I don't want you to live with me, Amara. I just. I don’t know. This is all so sudden. I haven’t even wrapped my head around the fact that mom’s dead.”

“Yeah, well, you better start wrapping,” Amara shot. “Anyway, it’s fine. I don’t have to live with you. I can stay with friends until I find my own place.”

Mrs. Carter observed their interaction and knew the situation would be a challenge, so she said she’d make other arrangements.

Zara felt guilty about that. She knew those other arrangements would be foster care and group homes, and that was the last place she wanted Amara to end up. At the rate she was going, Zara knew her sister would more than likely end up on the streets.

“Wait,” she sighed and took her seat again. “Amara and I have such a strained relationship, but we are sisters. Mom would want us to be together throughout this.”

She looked softly at Amara, who still hadn't removed her sunglasses. Her jaw clinched as she fought back tears she thought no one could see, and for the first time in a while, Zara held onto her hand.

“She can stay with me,” she spoke proudly. “I’ll sign whatever paperwork I need to sign and take whatever steps we need to to make life as normal as possible.”

Detective Sanders looked surprised. Mrs. Carter too. Though she’d run into the same scenario a dozen times and it never ended well, she had hope for Zara and Amara.

“Alright then,” Mrs. Carter said. “I’ll see you in my office tomorrow so we can discuss the details. For now, I'll let you two get out of here so you can start your healing process.”

As everyone cleared out of Detective Sanders office, he russled through some things he snagged from the scene. When he found the pink envelope with Zara’s name on it, he stopped her.

“I found this. The stamp is still fresh and unmarked, which means your mother hadn’t had a chance to put it in the mail. I thought it might help you with your healing.”

Zara took the envelope into her hand and traced the edges with her finger. Tears filled her eyes as she removed the sheet of paper and read her mother's last words.

Zara,

I love you, and I'm proud of you.

Things have been different, and I wish I could go back in time every day. Life has just been so hard with Amara.

I’m fearful of how she’s turning out. So full of rage and anger.

Although my time is consumed by her behavior, I couldn't go another day without telling you how proud I am of you.

I miss you dearly.

Love, Mom.

FOLLOW THIS STORY ON WATTPAD AND INKITT.

But of course, i'll be back to share more

[thorntonkrell-blog-blog]

While I'm waiting out the local tornado threat for our town thanks to Tropical Storm Helene, I gotta write something for all of us fat, ugly, old, and afraid folks. I can most certainly relate while the rain pours down, the wind blows and the sewers overflow. Earlier this horrendous week, we went to the Men's Wearhouse to pick out a new suit for Mary's wedding. Nothing fit my size—not in the store, not in the Wearhouse warehouse. In the process, I tried on a few options that were either way too tight or clownishly too big. One pair of suit pants was so large that they actually slipped off while I was staggering around the floor which briefly exposed the adult diaper that I wore underneath as a protection from leaking urine into the clothes that I was trying on which seemed to amuse the manager of the place in a sad way who was till trying to insist that with a tight belt and suspenders the pants would look just fine. Another pair of pants tried to cut me in half.I went from 10 pounds of potatoes in a five-pound sack to 5 pounds of potatoes in a 10-pound sack and back and forth a few times while posing sheepishly into a truly ugly mirror. that automatically distorted when I stepped into its peculiar view. We left the Wearhouse soundly defeated, humiliated and still without a suit.

Later that night, we were watching TV when a show came on that put a camera on an old guy wearing an unbuttoned button-down black sweater open over a white shirt semi-tucked into a pair of baggy black trousers. The guy was wrinkled and white-haired, and obviously the casting director had chosen this guy to portray an out of it character who was way over the hill, patiently trying to find some sympathy in the valley below. I said to Lynn, "Well, honey, aren't you glad I don't look like that?" to which she responded, "What makes you think that you don't? He's an old man, and so are you." MMMMMKKKKAAAAYYY, not what I expected and putting me even deeper into the dumps.

And then yesterday, we went for a consultation with my new best friend, the dentist, who used an X-ray as evidence to describe the broken ruin of what was left of my teeth and suggested nine surgical extractions and a denture for the top row of my teeth before we even begin to figure out the disaster that is the bottom row. True, I haven't smiled in at least 10 years. I've been hiding behind that Mona Lisa-style grimace that we dentally challenged folks use to express the emotion that we used to cover with a smile, but the thought of all that surgery makes me shudder with fearsome anticipation, which will shortly morph into dread and procrastination until the next emergency erupts when I'll have to get extractions magnified by infections that dwarf the paon of the extractions as well as the time of healing.

I love that term "healing". What it really means a time of pain blunted by Tylenol but still dominating each moment althogh not quite as dominant as the decayed mess of an ache that preceded the healing.

I know. I know. I'm exaggerating. I must be. I can't possibly be this old this fat or this ugly even though calendars, scales and mirrors try to convince me otherwise. I see skinny women look into mirrors or step off a scale and consider suicide over an additional five ounces. They think they're fat and they're not. Maybe I just think I'm fat but I;m really not.

Don't think so though...

So yeah… word to all of us old and uglies out there: You're not alone. I'm with ya. Now I can only hope that the tornado misses us and for God sake let's hope the teevee continues to work.

[hereforawile]

Well, I'll be! I wasn't expecting our interview to go like this, ha. Catch the live footage of my interview with a Jirachi Fanatic and the real deal now!

[It's a video, with a MV385 news ticker scrolling slowly over it, captioned "Rare Millenium Comet Draws Jirachi Enthusiasts".

Rohan stands in a MV385 Jirachi-branded T-shirt and holds a microphone out, next to a Jirachi fangirl wearing a star-shaped hat decorated with tanzaku, a Jirachi t-shirt, and holding a large Jirachi plush.

"So, what would you say you love most about Jirachi?"

"Its cute little sleeping face! I wouldn't even want a wish from the little cutie, just all of the pictures in the world! I know you can't really say whether the reports from sightings are right or not, but I've heard it looks just like a swaddled little baby while it wakes up, and it's the absolute cutest Pokémon ever! Doubly so because it's rare! And even if I don't see the real one, I can take a picture with the comet overhead..."

As the fangirl continues on excitedly, Rohan glancing at the cameraperson for a cue on when to cut off this answer for the next one, a small yellow white and blue Pokémon drifts into sight, bumping sleepily against Rohan's side as its ribbons unfurl. It rubs its eyes.

"It appears we've got a guest here, for all of the folks at home. Say, you look just like the real--"

"JIRACHI!"

The fangirl descends on the miniature mythical as it continues to slowly wake up, confused; the camera zooms in on the Pokémon as if to confirm the spectacle on air. Rohan holds the mic out to the Jirachi, stifling a laugh.

"Your honorable Jirachi, any comments on today's momentous comet passing?"

"Jiii..." The Pokémon yawns into the microphone.

"Mr. weatherperson guy. You have GOT to make a wish! This is literally once in a thousand years!!! It's just sitting there!"

"Come on, Rohan," the cameraperson remarks, the camera shaking. "I've got a pen here, so go ahead and wish for a billion Pokédollars or something! And then I'm going next!"

"Oh, come on, I don't even know what I'd wish for... I've got everything I need! Incredible wife, perfect kids..."

"I dunno, I'd still take the billion..."

Rohan thinks, smiles kindly at the Jirachi, and then takes the pen, writing in tiny font the camera doesn't pick up. Rohan kneels down to Kachikachi, below camera height, and tilts his head, but stands up and shrugs shortly after.

"Oh, oh, I think the wishes don't get granted until its third eye opens or something!! I think that's when the comet is totally overhead! Or maybe after?"

"Well, if it doesn't work, it's no skin off my back. What about you? Need me to take the camera?"

The camera's quickly shuffled from the cameraperson to Rohan, who chuckles behind the screen as the cameraperson repeats to themselves "one billion, one billion..."

Unsurprisingly, no billion Pokédollars manifest, but Jirachi yawns and floats away slowly after the wish is made, prompting the Jirachi enthusiast to follow after as the camera switches hands again and Rohan adjusts his tie.

"Well, you've seen it here, viewers! An exclusive interview with Jirachi, the wishmaker! Stay tuned for the Millenium Comet any moment now!"]

[the-firebird69]

There's a huge number of people who are understanding that this folks just don't want to do anything and they need to be cleared out and they're grabbed him and they're all done. It's a huge day and the studs things happening oxygen levels are going up here it's about 24 I might go up one more point and it's because of algae but the water came down and so far has pushed another foot out and really it's only a 2 or 3 ft through the harbor and River and the canals are getting cleared out an inch every time it'll change and soon enough it'll be completely clear and that's the goal but the oxygen levels are high 24 and most people are not used to it or something seems to be okay and he gets inflamed a little and he takes anti-inflammatory that he's been doing clean living for a long time and trying to stay in shape.

-the heck of the day there's a ton of stuff happening huge crowds of marlock are fleeing Florida. We're leaving from all over the state in moments on the state will be cut in half by morning we take only 30% will be here and or will be back waiting. Now will be there Monday and that's not very good the population of warlock to others is only 10%. And the clothes disabled the AI using huge Jager and a lot of them and they got the design and they have it and they pull their hardware into the mega caverns and they're still working to try and get those lasers activated there's something for the Mohawk to evacuate and go do a lot of them want to and they probably should and they destroyed our son's clan any destroyed our daughter's plan they're not really their people but it left them alone and they're very pigish about it and they're losers and they get hit a lot they get hit a lot and they think there are these Giants running around so there's a deterrent there you know sun says cut the s*** off step on your base I'll turn you into a fountain. So he was all your stuff's huge too and huge isn't the word for it bulbous massive.

-there's a huge number of things happening and we're on it we are recruiting like madness and people are learning about our son's Army of Galactus and Galactica by our daughter and they are amazed but need to react immediately there are others like Moana Ariana and Muriel and goddess wife and others but they're not as big and there's four per planet or more where they had one per planet and their gigantic there's no way of saying how big they are nothing can stop them if they so desired but they are ours.

-I'm going to get back to you shortly with some updates

Thor Freya

We're having fun but there's a lot happening it's way too hot and used to cool off

And other and right now

Hera

Olympus

[maple-seed]

Thrown - Chapter 12: Any Port in a Storm

Summary: Loki takes cover in your studio, and learns something interesting about the day you first met.

Word Count: 1,589

Author’s Notes: One day I'll write chapters that are consistent lengths. Today is not that day.

Masterlist

Thor and Loki were strolling the streets of New Asgard with Brynjar, the stout, grey-haired official from the human town. Thor was showing him the adjustments to the buildings, the new construction, the site where the hall was to be built. Brynjar was very impressed with all the progress that had been made, and seemed to agree wholeheartedly with Thor's vision.

"It is wonderful. Wonderful to see your people are settling in so well." Brynjar then turned to Thor with a serious expression. "Tell me, has there been any trouble with any of our folk?" Thor thought for a moment. "Perhaps a little friction here or there, but nothing more than is to be expected in such a circumstance. Most of your people have been quite gracious." Brynjar looked relieved. "That is good to hear." "In fact," Thor continued, "my brother and I have become very good friends with a local Midgardian." "Oh?" When Thor gave your name Brynjar did not recognize it. Loki was about to speak up when Thor elaborated. "She's the potter that lives in the cottage at the bend in the road." Brynjar's face lit with recognition. "Oh, yes! Young Terna, Gerdy's student. She's been a wonderful addition to our community." "You know her, then." Thor turned to him now. "Tell me, do you know how she got that scar?" A deep chuckle sounded from the man's chest. "In ten years I don't think I've heard the same story twice." This brought a quiet smile to Loki's face.

The three men were gradually working their way through the streets, and to Loki's surprise they did not part ways at the edge of town. Thor and Brynjar continued talking as they walked down the road leading out of New Asgard. He had not been made aware of this plan. Were they just escorting the man back to town, or was there a meeting waiting for him at the end of this road?

His mind was racing for a plausible escape, when your farm came into view. The studio door was propped open. The perfect opportunity. "I beg your pardon, gentlemen, but there's something I need to address with our friend. I'll catch up to you shortly." The other two nodded, though Thor gave him a brief look of suspicion, and he stepped off the path and slipped into your studio.

You were working at your wheel, startled by his entrance. "Oh! Loki. Hey." "Hello." He responded flatly while peering through the window behind you to check that Thor and Brynjar were proceeding. You quirked a brow and followed his eyes. When you spotted the pair walking you gasped and turned back with an admonishing look. "Loki! Brynjar is a nice man." "Yes, I find him perfectly agreeable when out-of-doors." Loki straightened, satisfied that his previous companions were on their way. "However, you have never heard him speak about permits." You pursed your lips, unconvinced. "So you came here to hide?" "I'm not hiding." Ash had approached, Loki ignored him. "I'm making my escape. I assumed you wouldn't mind." "Well, you're right. I don't mind." You admitted, returning to your work. After checking that you were occupied, Loki reached down to pet Ash, who was satisfied by the gesture and returned to his bed.

Loki leaned against the wall and watched you form the lump of clay into a shape, as if he hadn't already seen you do this a dozen times. When you had a stout cylinder you stopped the wheel and cut the vessel from the table. You set it on the board beside you, where a few others were waiting. Then you did something different. You took an oblong lump of clay, held it from one hand, coated your other hand in water, and began pulling the clay downward, over and over, stretching the clay into a long, thin, slightly flattened strip. Once you were satisfied with the length and shape, you laid the strip out and began cutting it into pieces.

"I'm making mugs today." You explained. "Ah. Handles. I had been wondering."

You smiled slightly, shaping the pieces a little more before setting them aside. You stood, retrieving another board from a shelf, this one had mugs upside-down, handles rested next to them, unattached. The undersides had been carved out and bird silhouette was already stamped there. These also had the silhouette raised on the outside.

"Thor mentioned you to Brynjar." Loki watched as you lifted a handle, marring both ends with a needle-like tool. "Oh? Good things I hope." You didn't look up from your work, making score marks on a cup as well. "Actually, he didn't recognize your name." You laughed. "Right. Yes." "Which name do you prefer?" "Oh, I'm not picky." You were now dabbing the scored areas with a clay slurry. "As long as it's said with kindness." "Hm. Well I'm not certain I can promise that." You gave a scoffing laugh.

He watched you for a moment as you attached the handle to the mug and smoothed out the transition between the two.

"I noticed Svala called you Terna as well." "Yeah, it's how I typically introduce myself." "Why did you give us your other name?" You briefly stopped what you were doing, staring at the mug in your hands. You seemed to be deciding on a response, perhaps considering a lie. Eventually you set the mug down. "I... I was flustered." You sounded embarrassed to admit it. Loki raised a brow in disbelief. "You were flustered." You threw your hands in the air. "Yes! Of course I was! One minute I'm trying to fix a stupid broken gate, the next I'm talking to Thor and Loki!"

Amusement danced on his face. He thought back to that first meeting. He had seen no sign that you had been unsettled. Of course, he'd thought you hadn't known them at all, so perhaps he wasn't as adept at reading you as he thought. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I've been known to have that affect on people." You rolled your eyes, picking up the next mug. He had a smug smirk. "It's to be expected, you are only mortal after all." You made a show of ignoring him while you worked. "Actually, you should be quite proud of your constitution. Many people swoon." You were steadfastly attaching another handle. "In fact, I once had an entire retinue of courtiers faint at my feet." You heaved an exasperated sigh. "Loki." "I just want you to know that you've no reason to be embarrassed." He was grinning, now. You shook your head. "I knew I shouldn't have told you." Loki smirked. "You knew you couldn't lie." You gave a defeated sigh and nodded, picking up the next mug.

He shifted his weight as he leaned against the wall. He briefly eyed the chairs in the room but resisted taking a seat. That would be too deliberate. This would become a visit, rather than just a convenient escape.

"Any recent criminal undertakings?" You laughed. "No. I would have invited you." "Does the woman suspect you?" You flashed him a quick grin before returning to your work. "No. She's never suspected me or Gerdy. At least not outwardly." "Strange, considering you said they were rivals." "Hulda has a tremendous tendency to underestimate people." Your voice dripped with disdain. "The more she hates them, the less she thinks they're capable of." Loki frowned at the implication. "She hates you?" You gave a derisive laugh. "Hulda hates everyone. I am included."

Loki scowled. He could not imagine the sort of person one would have to be in order to hate you. Well, he supposed, that could have described him a few short months ago. But that hadn't been hate, necessarily. Irritation, perhaps. And it had come from a place of ignorance. He found you perfectly tolerable now. This woman had known you for years and still hated you, which seemed unthinkable. "She truly has poor judgement." "I told you, her opinions aren't worth acknowledging." Loki hummed in agreement.

A shadow appeared in the doorway. "Loki, if I didn't know any better I would think you weren't trying to catch up to Brynjar and me." "Yeah," you smirked, "it's almost like he's doing something else entirely." Loki pushed off the wall, quick to change the subject. "Thor, did you know that when we first met our friend here we flustered her terribly?" You groaned, bringing your face down into your hands. "Is that so?" Thor had an impish grin as he stepped into the building, reaching down to greet Ash as he met him at the door. "Don't fret, my lady, it's a common response. After all, we are quite something to behold." "Precisely what I said." Loki agreed. You growled, sitting up and pulling your hands away. "Boys, I'll feed you both dinner if we never talk about this again." Thor and Loki looked at one another in silent conversation. Thor looked back to you and nodded. "I find the trade agreeable." "Fantastic." You tone was flat and sarcastic. You stood and pointed to the door. "Now get out of my studio."

With another smirk, Loki followed Thor outside. Once you finished putting things away you joined them, leading them to your cottage. You brought them inside, confident in your deal that dinner would put an end to the teasing on this particular subject. If you hadn't been so distracted you might have noticed that Loki had not made any agreement on the matter.

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@mischief2sarawr, @imalovernotahater, @norestfortheshelbywicked, @purplekitten30, @ozymdias, @chantsdemarins, @pdraxxi

[your-nanas-house]

Make-up on Tiktok

Pairing: Jerome Valeska X Reader

Warnings: kidnapping? Tied, makeup, insult to Jeremiah, Jerome on tiktok, not very delicate Jerome

Words: 767

Summary: Jerome makes a live on Tiktok and shows how to make a clown makeup.

Note: Sorry for the mistakes and the English. This is the first part of this new series.

...................................................................................

"Are you filming, Patrick? Am I on live?" Jerome asked as he looked at the camera of his phone a week after discovering tiktok and trying to figure out how it worked; Patrick a boy from his cult chosen by Jerome at random was holding the phone for him filming everything that would happen for the second tiktok of the ginger "yes, boss! " Jerome's eyebrows furrowed as he yelled at him not to ruin his video and that he had told him before to be silent but his expression quickly changed as soon as he finished yelling at him, a radiant smile appeared on his face in the moment his eyes met the camera "hello folk! it's your Jerome here again! today we're experimenting with something new that I randomly found in my carnival!" he murmured giggling as he grabbed some makeup showing it to the camera while moving to a small makeup table where there was a person tied to a chair with an unhappy expression "Today we're with my doll face!" the ginger exclaimed excitedly as he put his gloved hands on the person's shoulders ”say hello! " she shook her head staring at the camera "I'm not your doll face-" the sentence was interrupted by his squeaky voice and the kiss on her cheek as he looked at the different makeup he possessed grabbing the first one which was a face oil starting to put it on her face making her make funny faces, playing with her cheeks while receiving annoyed looks from her, the second thing he picked up was the white foundation, he stood studying it for a few seconds trying to open it, ending up freeing Y/n's hands who helped him not having much choice, the man's hazel eyes looked at the phone again while smiling "The makeup we're going to try today is the clown makeup, so first you have to get the sponge, an odd little sponge" he showed a makeup sponge and began to smear white foundation on her face covering it all over, even her mouth, he looked again at the makeup he possessed and glanced at the young woman who lightly pointed to what he had to take, thus causing him to grab a bronzer and begin to slightly hit her with another randomly picked sponge trying to mimic the picture he was looking at, he smiled as he finished nodding proudly "it's taking shape, don't ya think? " he asked those who were on the live watching him, he grabbed a gray eyeshadow and began to rub it over Y/n's eyelids, afterwards he rubbed some white eyeshadow over it then put it all down on the table "after we put the colored powder on let's fix the eyebrows! ...give me the colored pencils, doll" Y/n made to grab something muttering that she was not his doll but he preceded her by grabbing the eyeliner instead of the right one "let's use this!" and began to fix her eyebrows biting his tongue focused.

As soon as he finished he grabbed the lipstick while starting to smile mischievously "now the lipstick.... pretend you're kissing someone, dollface" she shook her head and he frowned annoyed "do it or I'll squeeze your cheeks together and ruin your makeup so we have to do it all over again" a loud sigh escaped her lips as she did as he asked "don't get any ideas" he chuckled happily again as he began to put on the plum colored lipstick, quickly pecking her lips giggling at her angry expression, he reconnected their lips again in a hungrier kiss falling with her to the floor even though she was still tied up, shortly afterwards he pulled himself up fixing everything and smiling with lipstick smeared lips at the camera, he put the lipstick back on her lips grabbing a hat and placing it on her head.

Jerome turned Y/n's face toward the camera when he finished showing a picture of Jeremiah first "This is a clown make-up" he moved the picture away showing a pretty much identical make-up that Y/n was now wearing "make a clown face, doll face" Y/n's expression became blank as she looked at him and a guttural laugh came out of Jerome's throat "perfect" he turned toward the phone when he calmed down waving excitedly " BYE BYE, folks! That's it for today!" and so the live ended.

Was Y/n released? You will find out in Jerome's next live performance. Will Patrick still be there? Probably not but there are many followers to pick, right?

Taglist:

@gabile18

@mrsfullbuster500

@trainer--taylor

@elizamalfoyy

@eovjjj

@animefan3223

@jeremiah-va1eska

@gothamchic16

@rabbiteggz

@dieg0brandos-wife

@rottenecstasy

@lazyexcuse

@teh-vampire-bunny

[bumblerhizal-art]

Seven Snippet Sunday

I define snippet a touch loosely here. I think it's still Sunday at least. While i'm now starting compiling this post, it is at least. No promises for when i finish. But seven? Seven is dead-on.

Got tagged for this by @heniareth a short forever ago and tagging you back in return as well as @icylook @wild-houseplant and @scarletkilometers

The first six are coming from Novhen's prelude rewrite and the last one from shortly after. It's been in progress for a while, but i don't think i've posted any of these before. If i have, oops. Because of how i skip around writing, there are bits from all over the story so fic spoilers ahoy probably, but it's about the journey not the destination, y'know? Especially for a rewrite like this is

CW: Alcohol (#2, 4), Death (#5), Implied Sexual Assault (#5)

<1> Starting with a bit of "All or Nothing" foreshadowing

"You have no idea how lucky you are," Shianni twirled her dress. "The outfits, the music, the wine. It's a whole party all about you! Well, one-quarter about you." "So now you want to get married?" Novhen said. 'You do know what comes after, right?" She rolled her eyes. "Of course I do, and I'm sure I'll figure something out to get around it when the time comes.” "By which you mean you'll make me figure something out?" Shianni waved her hand flippantly. "Same thing."

<2> Those kids i missed on my first playthrough you get to tell the story to

In the dead of night long after the city's nobles had drifted off into their whiskey-scented sleep, she sent a prayer to the Dread Wolf and melted into the shadows-- "Who's the Dread Wolf," Sera interrupted. "One of the old elven gods from before the fall of the Dales. He was the god of rebellion," Novhen explained. Sera wrinkled her nose. “How many years ago did you say this story was?” “Not that many,” he answered. “There are still elves that worship the old gods.” Efraim raised his hand. "But I thought Andraste freed the elves. Shouldn't she be god of rebellion?” Novhen said, "Yes, she freed us, but she wasn’t a god. And the Chantry folk really don't like it when you say that. She was a prophet, remember. Now, are we ready to continue?" They nodded. "Good," Novhen said.

<;3>

"C'mon, wasn't it worth it to see their faces light up?" Soris shrugged noncommittally, "I guess. We should go find the rest of the wedding party." Soris began walking out of the alley, leaving Novhen to catch up. He teased, "If that's your attitude, let's hope your bride doesn't want too many kids." "I have to agree with you there," Soris laughed awkwardly. "What about you? Going to give Uncle Cyrion the army of grandbabies he's been begging for?" "I thought I made myself clear. The moment you turn your head, I'm climbing the wall and finding the Dalish." "You haven't left yet."

<;4> Back to the break in! I know i've posted scenes near this one

The guard tried to say, "What do you want?" But as his speech was garbled by sleep and, by the smell of it, alcohol, what came out was "Wharryawan?" "Could you tell us where Lord Vaughan's room is?" Novhen said. The guard lazily looked him up and down. "And who are you?" "We're the new help. We were supposed to start today." The guard snorted derisively. “Wish they would tell me about these things. Go find somebody else to hold your hand. I have a station to man.” “Right. Sorry, ser,” Novhen said apologetically. He grumbled and crossed his arms as he leaned back in his chair. Already, he was nodding off once again. "Load of good that did," Soris mumbled. Novhen gestured for him to keep quiet and opened the door. He made no special effort to open it quietly, which was just as well as it would have squealed no matter how he opened it. The guard shifted in his seat and barely opened one eye. Seeing nothing unexpected, he went back to sleep. He wouldn't remember them by the time he woke up.

<;5>

Novhen stared at him. "Fine. Give me 40 gold and the women, and I let you live." "No, no, you misunderstand. 40 gold and the girls return alive tomorrow. I can't leave my guests without entertainment. What kind of host–" An arrow sprouted from Vaughan's throat.

<;6>

"Where are you going?" He had been spotted. It wasn't Duncan's voice. It was that recruit from Redcliffe. Alistair was his name. "I just need to take a piss," Novhen said. It was only half a lie. Alistair visibly relaxed, "Oh, okay. Just stay in range of the fire. You never know what could get you at night." Novhen grunted affirmatively and trudged away from the camp. If he ran, Alistair would be ready to raise alarm immediately. It would take less than a minute for Duncan and Riordan to begin pursuit. If this were Denerim, he'd be able to shake them without problem, but this was as far from Denerim as he had ever been.

<7> Hey, this one isn't from the rewrite. What's up with that?

The messenger said, "Warden-Commander, the Arl of Denerim requests the presence of Warden Tabris in his tent." The hairs rose on Novhen's neck, but he remained still. If he had not already been identified, he would rather not give it away in his reaction. "What for?" Duncan asked coolly. "He would not say, ser." "Well, I'm afraid that unless the arl is willing to disclose his purpose, I cannot help. All of my Wardens are already preoccupied with more important matters." The messenger squirmed in his boots, "I understand, ser, but the arl was quite insistent that I fetch him." "And you will find me quite insistent that I cannot allow that," Duncan answered firmly.