#grapevine panel

[image-appreciator]

"Grapevine Panel", Louis C. Tiffany [ca. 1902–15]

A leaded favrile glass panel depicting grapevines climbing up a trellis, on display in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum.

[Photo: NYClovesNYC on Blogspot]

[ivythyrsus]

some gold doodles

i think im gonna keep doing these nightly doodles

[micahdodoodles]

some character sketches and a panel sketch for my comic

[relaxxattack]

okay because of the differing opinions on @calware's post i had to go and check for myself. after all, we've all heard info passed down the fanon grapevine over the years. so, here it is:

is dave strider right or left handed?

obviously, this being homestuck, character sprites flip like every half a second, so i'm trying to take that into account here. alright, let's plow through an entire comic's worth of dave panels.

in his very first appearance, dave uses a katana from his wall to slash through his name command left-handedly.

he proceeds to use his left hand for many actions he takes in his apartment, including typing.

he then uses his right hand to fistbump cal, open the attic, pick up a sword, and escape the puppet pile. his computer is also set up for his right hand.

so already we've got a lot of switching going on, as to be expected with homestuck. i'm going to just try and focus on "main" shots now and not minute sprite details, since those seem to switch constantly.

dave climbs the staircase after picking up the sword with his right hand. however, when beginning the strife with bro he switches it to his left.

during that fight his sprite (and dominant hand) flips many times. while he is laying on the floor beaten he texts john with his right. once he gets up, he resumes typing with his left. [EDIT: he pretty much always uses his left hand when texting; there are very few panels where this sprite is flipped.]

during the [s] enter, dave is famously seen drawing a sbahj panel with his mouse right-handedly. he does this again talking to tavros later. his computer setup seems pretty consistent in this way.

during [s] accelerate, dave flips his sword between hands multiple times both in sprite and hero mode.

then, for no apparent reason except for that he probably hates me and wants me to suffer, dave switches his main hand back and forth repeatedly for the entire rest of the comic.

he frequently carries his sword in his right hand, except for stray panels where, when actually using the sword, he favors his left (panels 5 and 8 above). however, this isn’t a case of him only carrying with his right and then using his left to actually wield— because as you can see in panel 9 above, he also uses it right-handedly.

he uses his left hand during the entire fight with jade and bec, but then, switches back to his right during cascade.

during meteorstuck he seems to use his right hand for most activities, including drawing and writing, except for the penis ouija scene, in which he uses his left.

he takes all his selfies with his right hand, then confronts jade with his left hand. his watch is also positioned on his left wrist, which is traditionally an indicator of right-handedness; and he holds his sword in his right again as he absconds.

during the dogfight he makes most of his attacks with his right hand, and switches to his left to parry bec. when he dies in game over, he's holding his sword in his left.

he's using his right hand in essentially all of the non-sprite shots in collide, except for this last big red one.

that's all i've got.

conclusion: ????

in all honesty, he seems to switch between either hand frequently enough that you could make an argument for almost anything. hooray, everyone's headcanons are valid!

though i will say that he definitely uses his right hand more frequently in panels. if you only count panels where he's actually using his sword, it's closer to an even split, but i'd still tentatively say that he favors right more often than not.

the widespread fanon concept that he canonically only uses his right hand while drawing and otherwise uses his left, is unfortunately mostly cheryypicked in terms on panels. but that's not to say it's necessarily wrong. there's too little consistency in the art to definitely call it false

considering he's been seen both writing and swordfighting with his left, you can headcanon whatever the fuck you want! (and let's be honest, he has leftie vibes).

that's all! hopefully this helps someone. this took way too long to do help

[tomicscomics]

04/26/2024

It's a metaphor!

What's a meta for?

Nothin! What's a meta for you!

*wheezes for six minutes straight without taking a breath*

___

JOKE-OGRAPHY: 1. In this Bible story, Jesus describes Himself as a vine (like a grapevine), and His disciples as its branches. Branches can only bear fruit while connected to the main vine. If their connection is severed or tainted, they wither and die, and then they're pruned, suitable only for being tossed in a fire. Jesus is warning His disciples that their mission's fruitfulness depends on their continued, dedicated, healthy connection with Him and His Father. 2. In this cartoon, after hearing Jesus's metaphor, Peter declares that he and the other apostles (the "branches" in Jesus's metaphor) will "stick" with the vine. A "stick" is a long, thin piece of wood (like a branch), but "stick" can also mean "stay connected to." This is an inferior pun, because while the word "stick" has the two above meanings, only one of those meanings makes grammatical sense in Peter's comment (the latter). 3. Jesus replies that the vine (Him, in the metaphor) will be "rooting" for them. "Rooting" can either mean "laying down roots" (as in a tree growing its roots into the ground), or "cheering on" (like an audience cheering for a sports team). This is a superior pun to Peter's, because both meanings make grammatical sense in Jesus's comment. His declaration can be taken to mean either (1) that, as the vine, He'll provide the apostles with roots to nourish their fruitfulness, or (2) that, as their teacher, friend, and Lord, He'll be cheering them on and supporting them in their mission.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is another "Tomics Resurrection," where I have plucked the desiccated husk of an old cartoon from the withered branch of the past, and gorged it with so many steroids and hormones that it blasphemes nature but looks way more colorful! Also, it's been slightly reworded to flow better while maintaining the meaning of the passage; the disciples have been moved inside to the Last Supper, since this reading takes place either during or just after; and the image of the grapevine is in the second panel now, including a lush branch and a withered branch to illustrate what Jesus is saying. Tell me, how does it compare?

[sgiandubh]

A heads-up, thru the grapevine

Outright Lies Anon (https://www.tumblr.com/sgiandubh/764598948828790784/theres-a-big-difference-between-having-a?source=share):

'You can defend all you want with 'believe what you want' but when you see Caitriona's interview tomorrow about how she spent her birthday.'

Anons know everything, right? Except when they don't.

I think Anon meant the Paleyfest panel, but I could be wrong [later edit, for accuracy] taping for the Kelly and Mark Show, which will be broadcast tomorrow. She went there alone, as everyone knows.

The question was about the way C spent her birthday. Thru the grapevine, well informed people know what she really said:

Art gallery -> lunch -> theatre. With the, as of yet still vaguely designated 'husband'. But because unsolicited details always effectively kill a good story, people in the know also heard thru the grapevine that ' well, his birthday was a few days later and she only got him a card'.

I mean, it's always classier to tuck that paycheck away in a card instead of just a #silly envelope, don't you think?

Thank you, sweetheart -you know who you are 😘😘😘😘💖.

[azuphere]

ten of pentacles: success, accomplishment, permanence, domestic bliss, wealth, financial stability, and solid foundations. despite any setbacks and challenges, everything will work out in the end. all your effort will eventually pay off and you will be proud of your accomplishments. your legacy will stand for a long way to come.  (sources: 1, 2, 3) 

my submission for @dnptarot, long explanation under the cut!

comparison with the original/most common design for the 'ten of pentacles' card [example on the left]:

so bc the card centres around accomplishments and a sense of permanency, i rlly wanted to include the phouse somehow - especially the selfie they took when everything in the living room was already set up and they were no longer #boxboys

and in the 'original' tarot card design, the foreground in front of the archway includes a wealthy old man who's accomplishments provided financial security to his family + future generations, and there are family emblems and flags on the wall

so for my card, instead of showing literal generational wealth, the foreground is used to pay homage to a bunch of their old projects/accomplishments - like their tours, awards, radio show, etc. so i like to think of it as past!dnp setting the way for current!dnp to live comfortably and 'everything working out in the end'

and the 'original' card having two dogs was the Perfect reason to include a shiba inu and corgi. and i also had to include the golden pig, seal, and lion and lioness, cause they're literally part of the phamily

and the 'original' card also includes grapevines and moons as symbols, so i incorporated the grapevines on the walls and their clothes. and the moons are incorporated in the moon-inspired rug (which is also a throwback to dan's moon rug which looked dif), and in the pentacle design where each pentacle is a dif moon phase

and the pride over their accomplishments also being represented by them wearing their own merch - dan in the wad merch, and phil in the glitch hoodie. and the green pants were originally inspired by their dapg pyjamas, but i incorporated the grapes instead

and current!dnp being in the background means that i like to think of it as their 'journey' not being over yet. like there are still projects in the works, represented by the tablet/notebook on the sofa and phil's glitch merch originally saying 'to be continued'

and some extra details that are less obvious:

the blue box on the sofa represents the box from the tatinof/tabinof reveal trailer, as another way to represent dnp's relationship with their audience and how their legacy will continue to live on

in the wall mural, i wanted to incorporate truth bombs somehow, so i used ba-bomb (which they have a plushie/statue of in their gaming channel room) with a lil "T" on top. in the same panel, all the lil lines is meant to represent danandphilbeats cause the lines are based on the spotify code for their artist page

i wanted to incorporate their japan trips somehow, so instead of doing the bamboo painting (cause. i couldn't figure out how to draw it sdjfs), i did a pair of koi fish instead. and idk if this goes against standard tarot rules, but since the meaning of the tarot card is different when the card is pulled upside-down, the koi fish will still be upright regardless. so bc koi fish can represent good luck, perseverance, and balance, i like to think of it as a hopeful sign even when the card is upside-down <3

[fanartbyherd]

Gotham Map

whoo! I'm not 100% done but if I don't stop now I will never stop.

over a month of work and I can now say I have completed my own map on Gotham!

as well as Bludhaven and summer set,

Bludhaven famously being the sister city of Gotham and primary haunt of Nightwing.

Summerset is a community between the two cursed cities that is just extrodinairaly normal. (I don't know what comic it is but I got the name from one I was looking at.) but here's the panel.

(No idea what issue this is from, I was browsing quickly through a large collection of older Batman comics and didn’t have time to sit and read it yet.)

So! Some Good Golly Gosh Context for the existence of this map. Before someone comes at me for non cannon accurate information and BS I'm about to pull.

This map was created for my use for a Transformative work I started toying with the idea of, that now has a hundred something chapters drafted (note: Drafted dose not mean written only one of those chapters is written and available to read. Dandelion puffs)

found here:

this map is a combination of the (mostly taken as) Cannon Map and the map that briefly appeared in "the Doom That Came to Gotham" film. the main inspiration for the Fanfic Idea. as well as things scavenged from Fannon and my own head cannon. some parts of it are also cobbled together from other bits of cannon, things such as the long halloween, Batman Year one, the one Nightwing comic I have read all the way through, a Batwoman and Catwoman comic, The Arkham Knight games, Actual maps of New Jersey (I mentioned that in my previous post about this map), The Harley Quinn Show, Joker (that movie) especially the subway map that apparently appeared in that film. Multiple Batman films... I'm not actually sure what batman movies I have watched just that one of them had Ra's Al Ghul and the scarecrow in them and featured the Narrows, and the 2022 batman film, and birds of prey. I really should have been keeping track of all the inspirations I used. I do that for Original works... but not for fan works as I'm not that used to making them or something.

this map operates with the assumption that the year is somewhere around 2020. and that in 1920 the city of Gotham suffered from a destructive fire. (see events of the doom of Gotham)

and in the late 1950s suffered from a catastrophic earthquake. (haven't read it but heard through the grapevine about Batman: no mans land. lots of the online maps reference it)

Also opperates under lovecraftian horror rules, because that's what this elderich horror AU...

the colors are a bit hard to see unfortunately, but they are mostly for my own use.

Gangs of Gotham:

Lime Green-Jokerz: they have close ties to the cult of the clown posse. operate mainly around the Amusement mile.

Scarlet red-Redhood: Headed by the mysterious Warlock Redhood. the gang is relatively young but rose to power quickly in 2005. most of Park Row (aka crime ally) and some of the surrounding areas are under the red hoods control.

they took their name from an earlier gang that was wiped out by the jokerz. The higher members of the gang jokingly refer to themselves as Red hood's merry men.

Red hood has a deep hatred for the Joker and Black mask considers him his primary rival.

Cyan Blue-Siloni: A Gotham grown mob, that consists of many different families that merged to become a singular mob.

Indigo-Moronei: Major rivals to the Falconies, they also got mostly destroyed in the same incident that destroyed their rival gang, but there where people to pick up the pieces

Gold-Cosa Nosta: a collection of families mobs originating from Sicily

Grey-Falconies: in the early 1940s the family was nearly destroyed following a series of incidents.

Dark green-Thorn: American Gangsters.

Colbalt blue-Penguin: Took their name after the moniker used by a professor at Gotham university. Rose to prominence in the 1920s during probation as the main go too if you wanted to set up a speak easy. under the leadership of Ms. Ollie "the penguin" Cobb. the gang was nearly taken over by the falcons in the 30s but after the destruction of the original falcon famaly managed to establish themselves. even operate as a half legitimate business a good portion of the time.

Orange-Lucky hare: collective term for the Irish mobs such as the Rileys, Sullivans, and so on.

Maroon-Black Mask: Run by the ambitious warlock Roman Sions Aka Black Mask. dominating he aria of the Bowery, He and the Red hood have a very violent Rivalry. He covet's Red hood's "red burial shroud." and territory. The black mask gang has ties to both the older sionis mob and the false face society.

yellow-Maxia: the gang Run by Maxie Zeus and the twelve olympians. the gang was founded by Greek immigrant Maxine Seuss. former Archeologist who went a bit mad after the death of her husband and daughter. she immigrated to the United States in 1922, after her American husband's death. her son Maximilian took over after his mother.

pale pink-Yakuza: are what they say on the Tin, operate both in Gotham and in Bludhaven.

purple-Scareface: one of the old Gaurd of street gangs. Is headed by “scareface” and his Vantriliquist. Scareface is a man who was opporating in Gotham back in the 1890s and 1910s but was hung by the place that later became Blackgate Penitentiary. He was also the man who ordered the death of Cyrus Gold and the subsiquent dumping of his body in Slaughter swamp.

brown-whispers: the collective name used for the Russian and Ukrainian mobs in the area. They operate partly out of the old subway tunnels. Mainly consists of the Ibansscas and Odessa gangs but there are others referred to by the collective term.

jade green-Evening Dragons: collective term for a good deal of gangs and organizations that have East Asian origins or influences.

this includes the East side dragons, Ghost Dragons, Golden dragons (might see where the name came from) the Lucky Hand Triad, Hanoi tan.

sky blue-Whites: A merger of the Black gaters gang and the Gangs run by Warren White "the shark".

pink-Other: a bunch of smaller gangs, gangs that are not organized or seen as being one of the largest players. gangs that are less well established or gangs that are extremely local to a certain neighborhood.

Intergang (metropolis baisses), street Demonz (local biker gang), the Mutants, sprang bridge soldiers, Burntly Town Massive, Decons, Escabedo Cartel, The stonewall Drug lords, Pealuan cartel, Skevers, Moon, and para military groups like Bane's and TYGER. and on rare occasions when Two-Face's Gang on the periodical basis that they become an issue.

Cults of Gotham:

I'll probably make some other post on a more in-depth chat about the cults of Gotham, the Occult comunity, and how they interact with the gangs, elite and citizens of Gotham. but that's not this post. here's a quick overview.

-Cult of Ghul: its leaders were destroyed in 1920. prior to this they had a lot of influence in Gotham as the guardians of the Lazarus pits that exist below the city. after the 1920s they lost most of thir influence, they still ave plenty of influence in other parts of the world with the surviving al ghul daughter.

-Court of Owls: been around forever want "what's best for Gotham" at least what they think is best, after the dismantling of the Cult of Ghul took over as the head honchos in the city.

-Baset's cats: Catwoman runs this cult, its a sect that broke off from a cult in New Orleans.

-Court of the yellow sign: They're a problem, and looking to make themselves everyones problem. very popular among the elite as it is a lot about pleasure and indulgence, and theatrics. work often and closely with the cult courts and the wounderlanders.

-She who Breaths: has a few other names, but is primairly a fertility and prosperity cult dedicated to Shub Niggurath and simular entities. they have a close and cordial relationship to the Green lady and is well respected among the Gotham and surrounding areas cults.

-Court of winter: the local fairy court.

-False face society: have a lot of pull and sway in the criminal underworld. also deal with the fay and vampire population of Gotham.

-Rail hoppers: A strange and loosely organized secret society whose worship revolves around the public transit system... people aren't really certain what thier deal is. but they're normally harmless.

-Pain: pain anyone? sort of your typical demon worshipers.

-Dead's Dawn Society: they have some weird beliefs around necromancy. the bats and birds is a decisive topic.

-Clown posse: people who believe that they can somehow appease the Entity known as the Joker. its a bit more complicated than that.

-Green Lady: Worshipers of the green.

-Bat and Bird watchers: one of the most yet least organized cults on the list. they aren't always considered a cult by the other cults in Gotham and has many facets to them. the

-Torch bearers: worshipers of Yeb and Nug. more so Nug than Yeb.

-Mad Society: AKA the brotherhood, a section of Gotham vampires worship here and seek to bring about the end of humanity and have vampires rule the world. or something along those lines.

also might want to create an army of werewolf women. this causes issues with the wounderlanders.

-wonder landers: in reality encompasses a great number of smaller cults who are all associated with the dreamland and dreamland deities in some way or another. but the main part style themselves after the book Alice in wonderland, the Avatar of the Elder God Hypnos. the current Batwoman's sister is a member.

-Triad: worshipers of the Earth Gods Lobon, Zo-Kalar and Tamash.

-Court of Dagon: Mostly dock workers and Deep ones who worship Dagon and Mother hydra.

-Court of truth: primarily worshipers of Aletheia, have some loose connections to the order of Saint Dumas.

-Court of stone: a group who seeks the caves of Solomon. spend a lot of time spelunking in the tunnels and cave systems of Gotham.

Stops on the Railway system.

H. Red Line: Redwall, Avalon hill, bludhaven port, the spine, old station, Melville station, Drawbridge station, Mealtide park, span bridge station, Gotham university, Cemetery hill, city council, Gold Gotham station.

8. Sea Line: Arkham, Arkham bridge park, Eastside, dockside, old city hall, memorial park, old Gotham, city council, Cemetery hill, Southside, span bridge station, lainly point station, Mealtide park, train yard.

0. Silver line: Steel st, Wayne Central, clock tower, city hall, central library, Roman st. Ottisburg, Park row, old Gotham

J. Tree line: Ash st. Oak st. clock tower. chinatown, Alder st. park row, Lemur park, spring st. cherry lane. Robinson park, Ottisburg, Roman st. Old Town

K. Central line: Wane central, clocktower, Penguin station, Millers Harbor, china town, old town.

9. the Loop: Wayne Central, Owl station, Burnley, Penguins station, Elliot Center, Precinct station, justice station,

A. Amusement line:Airport terminal, Kane street, Riverside, stadium, blackgate, Sheldon park, city hall, clock tower, Wayne central.

(some stations are not yet named, especially on the silver line, central line and tree line.)

the city also has an extensive Bus and Tram system, but if I drew that I may actually go crazy and try to bite someone's head off.

(stuffs mislabeled slightly on this map below but its accurate enough)

Parks

Robinson park- a park just outside of park row. its said to be the domain of some strange being known as poison ivy.

Memorial park-houses the 1920s fire memorial.

Wayne park- between North City park and Southside park. its located in the Financial district.

Sheldon park- the park next to the amusement mile. it could use some clean up, but is popular with teens and explores as it allows for an easy access to the cave systems of Gotham.

Southside park- houses the Gotham City zoo. and just outside of the flood area of the Cauldron.

North city Park- near the Gotham central hospital.

Lemmars park- in the cherry hills district. it was converted from the old Lemmars and other farm lands when the city expanded.

Arkham bridge Park- a rather large and wild park that takes up much of the eastern coast of Old Gotham Island.

Anders park- a small park south of Robinson park. its well known for cult activity.

I'll figure out the bridge situation some other time, just know that for this Span Bridge is the one that connects Bludhaven to Gotham.

Districts.

1.Bristol- Island home to Gotham's Elite and Wealthy. the entire island essentially acts like a gated community. there is no metro trains to Bristol but there are a handful of bus stops. home to Gotham Academy a prestigious K-12 private school. Wayne manor and Drake manor are both located in Bristol.

2. Old Gotham- Mostly destroyed in the 1920s fire. the revitalization and rebuilding of the district left it with a very Art deco look.

home to the city council, the old city hall, and the Old Library.

3. Downtown-Built in a gothic revival style as an honor to the cities name and legacy. its history has been shifting with its demographic for years. still a rather populated and well lived in neighborhood, even if some businesses have moved to the financial district.

on the other side of the water to the area known as the Cauldron

4. Arkham City- Relatively unpopulated compared to other other parts of the city. is notable for its unique Victorian Gothic revival architecture. a lot of the structures are original to the area as Arkam Island survived relatively unscaved from the 1920s fire and the earthquake in the 1950s. the more populated parts of the island are heavily crowded and home to the failed "ark project" and the failed "wounder city." the most famous feature of this district is located on a small island just off the coast of the larger Arkham Island, and that is the infamous Arkham Asylum.

north of Arkham island are three islands of Founders, Bleake, Miagani Islands.

5. Docks- the main Port and Docking Area of Gotham. there are a lot of warehouses and industrial buildings in this area. also home to plenty of famous food stands and hole in the wall places like Mama Mathew's shrimp, as well as a good assortment of Bars and Dives, such as Sandyhood, Noonan's and Siren's whale (favorite bar of the Gotham City sirens).

the docks also hosts the Empty water tower that has Become one of Omen's Roosts. (note: Omen is Red Robin)

6. Parkrow- More well known as Crime Ally. once a prosperous neighberhood, it survived both the 20s fire and the 50's earthquake and fallout of both incidents. in the 80s, some of the area was redeveloped into "projects", though crime had already been on an upward spike since the 30s. some classic revival buildings survive from the cities heyday.

the old courthouse that hadn't been in use since 1903 was in this district as well as the famous monarch theater. and Leslie's Clinic.

the district has the cheapest renting all of Gotham but also a huge homeless population.

home to the Oldman building, the abandoned fire station, and is well known to be the haunt of the Red hood and the strange spirit known as the red wraith.

park row has its own community culture. you are likely to get stabbed.

7. Narrows- A narrow strip of land between the South (old Gotham) and North (new Gotham) islands. it is densely packed with buildings that frankly are not up to code. its just as densely packed with people. people make the best of the situation they find themselves in.second cheapest rent in the city, largely lawless.

jacks junkyard is a bit of lifeline in the area.

8. China Town- this districts architecture and open-air markets are what the it is famous for. Alongside its colorful nightlife (and we aren't talking bats!) Traditionaly played host to the cities east Asian immigrant communities. some parts of the districts are known as Korea-town or little Japan, there is also the statue street, that traditionally housed a lot of immigrants from India. the district is well known for having its own spin on the cities beloved gargoyles.

9. Little Italy- little Italy and the surrounding areas play host to many immigrant communities from the 1830s to 1950s. it rebuilt stronger and better both after the 1920s fire and the 1950s earthquake.

home to Maroni's pizzeria, leaty tile bar and the falcon statue.

10. Bay Ridge- another mainland district on the east side of the river.

11. Dimond District- the crystal, and glass facade that covers up much of the corruption of the city.

a popular district with locals and tourists both.

houses the main precinct of the GCPD, the County court house

12. Fashion district- An extension of the Dimond district but houses many more shop and places of entertainment. it's known for its 1950s futuristic appearance as it had to be rebuilt after the 1950s earthquake. has few fewer gargoyles compared to the rest of Gotham. relies on a series of flood dykes to keep from flooding. less prone to flooding compared to the poorer district of Coventry.

part of the area known as the cauldron.

13. Burnly-a large district that is a mix of residential, financial and industrial. it's a safeish neighborhood. though there's plenty of issues, but if you follow common sense rules for Gothem you should be fine... probably. its not as safe as some of the rich neighborhoods, or the mainland neighborhoods.

Gotham cathedral is in burnley, the watchtower is at the edge of the district.

14. Coventry- home to the Central library, the Elliot center, Iceberg lounge and millers harbor.

Millers harbor was created by the use of floodwalls and dykes in order to drain portions of the once marshy land and create a new part of gottam city. as a result most of millers harbor and coventry sits below sea level and is prone to flooding.

part of the area known as the cauldron.

15. City hall district- has a lot of crossover with the financial district and Dimond district. City hall, Gold hotel, National history museum are all located in this district.

16. Financial district- home to office buildings of most of Gothams companies. including the influencial Wayne industry. there are also several upscale apartment buildings in the area. Wayne tower is located here and the cities Subway system has its central station

the historic clock tower is towards the edge of the district.

17. Tricorner- a handful of small neighborhoods but the island is less populated, there is several industrial areas here, such as Kane industry having their plant in the area. Fort Damas is located on this island. its an inactive fort, and is now a historical site.

18. Newtown- a residential neighborhood with classic brick houses, different areas of knew town have different and rather recognizable styles.

19. Cherry hills- once upon the time used to be orchards. though there was space city earlier, the area was built up a lot on the 1970s. it is a pleasant area famous for the flooring trees that are in the area some still around from when the area was farmland. its also a testament to the fact that Gargoyles never go out of style in Gotham, even when the city dose brutalism. its a popular place especially during in spring. Bech tower is located in cherry hills.

20. the Bowery- the third cheapest place to live in in Gotham. the Bowery suffers a lot from the same issues that its neighboring district the Narrows and Park Row. Most buildings in the Bowery are Brick or stone. Gargoyles are quite popular here.

Black mask dominates the streets. Sal's Dinner and Hogan's ally Bar.

21. Upper Gotham-part of West Gotham

22. Lower gotham-part of West Gotham

23. Robbinsville-East side of Gotham river.

24. Lesser Gotham- the largest district on the new Jersey main land. it's practically its own city and was built up during the 1950s. its got its own police precinct (I feel like that's the wrong word) hospital, fire station and schools. probably one of the safer places to live in Gotham, but its still Gotham. people who move into Gotham from outside and can afford it tend to move here. largest issue is that

25. Gotham town- facing The Atlantic Ocean, its a relatively industrial area housing Star labs, Orion chem, Cobolpot steal and one branch of Wayne enterprise.

26. Ottisburg- A quite popular neighborhood, fox tech is located here.

27. Gotham Achors-located on the east bank of the River. A good deal of bridges that go into Gotham proper are here.

28. Midtown- part of West Gotham. location of Gotham general hospital.

29. Gotham village- part of the suburbs of Gotham, located in the west bank of Gotham River (seriously that's what it's called?) the Gotham Aquarium is found here.

30. East side- connected to the down town area, east side is a nebulous region that includes districts like the docks, millers harbor and down town.

31. South side- relatively industrial area. in recent years has seen revitalization in the form of parks and green spaces. relatively considered a tourist attraction as people from bludhaven will actually visit the area. its water front is relatively clean, and its proximity to Gotham university means that entertainment venues get a good deal of traffic.

the ferries to Gold Island and metropolis leave from that area.

gold island hosts the "statue of lady justice" that stands at the entrance to Gotham Bay.

within south side is the rust district. its still largely industrial and

32. Amusment Mile- Createdwith the intention of it being a boardwalk, it has several venues and pairs that fulfill the purpose. it is mostly safe during daylight hours, but should be avoided by anyone who's not looking to risk thier life at dawn or dusk, and especially it is ill advised to go there at night unless accompanied by a member of the clown posse, even then... the chance is high of encountering a certain clown prince of crime and his carnival of fools.

33. Harthrow Docks- part of East Gotham. A private docking area. was rebuilt in the 1920s. unlike millers harbor in coventry its a natural harbor.

((Also I welcome suggestions and idea on the "personality" of the different districts and locations that exist there and what the places look like.))

A huge thank you to @downtherabbittrail and @theredhoodedcryptid.

the red hooded cryptid gave suggestions on maps to use as resources.

I recommend checking out her cryptid batfam fic its quite nice.

meanwhile I stole (got permission from) Downtherabbittrail to use a lot of the street names they invented for one of their fics.

other street names are scavenged from other sources (cannons or cannons) as well as me just making stuff up.

Here are several closeups of the parts of the maps. Still illegible but it is what it is.

Here is a close up of bludhaven. It’s a lot more accurate to the maps I found online. especially compared to the maps I used for Gotham.

Things to know about bludhaven.

It’s the sister city to Gotham and is on the other side of Gotham Bay.

Bludhaven was founded as a port for whalers. It never saw as large success as its sister city. As the city of Gotham is practically a city state in some regards. The city of bludhaven survived in part thanks to its close relation with Gotham and its businesses.

As well as seeing a steady stream of crime in its waters since the very early days of the settlements existence. The Span bridge crossing over into bludhaven ascos the Gotham straight was built in 1878.

the overall architecture of the city is more modern, but a lot of Americana style brick houses and apartments are around.

Bludhaven districts- I can tell you less about these, as I'm having harder time finding info, might have something with bludhaven blowing up in cannon at some point?

Centeral business district- is what it says on the tin. houses both bludhaven's main hospital and the BHPD (bludhaven police department.)

2. Melville-the older parts of Bludhaven and Bailey's church. (had a goat named Bailey once, my uncle named her because she stared at him the same way his at the time GF did.)

Melville is also the place where Nightwing's apartment and Roost is.

3. Caernarvon- a more inland portion and houses a great deal of industrial areas as well as many places of worship.

4. LAnely- the peninsula its mainly a residential area

The Spine: is what Bludhaven has instead of a Main Street. It is the largest street in Bludhaven and Acts much like a Strip. with clubs, restaurants, hotels and other establishments. it has a reputation but most of the businesses are legitimate during daylight hours. some business or another is open on the Spine 24 hours of the day. the spine goes right along an industrial area of the Bludhaven port and officially ends just before Avalon Hill

The largest crime boss In Bludhaven was BlockBuster between the years 1989-2007

the largest cults in Bludhaven

-Blood hounds: a local vampire cult. they actually have quite a bit of bad blood with the Mad Society.

-Cormorants: An odd Cult who are the self-proclaimed guardians of Bludhaven. thier opinion on Nightwings presence is a bit split and has caused a schism in the cult.

-night doctors: bad news.

-bird watchers: made a jump over from Gotham when Nightwing moved cities. they also watch the activity of the cormorants

-Rail hoppers: because the Bludhaven Metro and the Gotham Metro connect to each other the Cult of the Rail Hoppers extended their reach with the reach of the public transit.

(There’s a good bit of lacking information online about Bludhaven when I went digging, which is surprising as the city has been in publication since 19, certainly it’s not Gotham that’s been a thing since 19, but still. )

Final note about this map is that it likely will have updates, especially as I get around to writing and growing more confident in my research on the whole thing.

[here4tripitaka]

Chapter 56: Tripitaka gets mugged; Tripitaka and Wukong have a blue

In this chapter, rather refreshingly, nobody wants to eat or have sex with Tripitaka. No. In this chapter, Tripitaka has the equally disastrous but rather more mundane experience of getting mugged.

Yep. Not realising who he is, some run-of-the-mill local bandits try to mug him, just like they would any other guy on the road. How’s that for equality?

It also goes to show how important it is to be in the know. If only they’d realised who he was, they could have eaten or sexed him and gained immortality. Clearly word doesn’t travel as fast on the human grapevine as the demonic grapevine. You’ve got to pay more attention to who’s been reincarnated recently, lads.

Anyway. I’m loving Bajie and Wukong’s dynamic in this chapter. They’re just two guys joking around, having fun and annoying each other for shits and giggles. Bajie is trying to hurry up Dragon Horse - who doesn’t care, and keeps plodding along at the same speed. Wukong rebukes Bajie, but then decides Bajie has a good point about hurrying up, and sends Dragon Horse sprinting. Owned, Bajie.

These hijinks lead to Tripitaka being galloped way up the road, all on his lonesome, where he is surrounded by bandits who want to mug him:

Pardon me. Not mug him. They are… self-appointed… tollway men:

They take payment in the form of clothes, horses and gold. And they don’t give concession rates to monks. Failure to pay may result in detention up a tree until one of your mates can come up with the money.

Now, what did I say about Tripitaka being better when Wukong isn’t around? There are no tears here: Tripitaka handles it like a pro. Sort of. He explains that, as a monk, he’s not exactly their best bet if they’re looking for sweet cash money. When they demand his clothes and horse instead, he just calmly explains that his robes aren’t worth stealing. He also implicitly threatens them that they’ll get a bad incarnation if they’re mean to him:

I love this little backgrounder about how the robes are made. It seems like the patchwork thing is a true story. Apparently, traditionally:

“Jiasha are made by piecing together sections of cloth donated from members of the community in a patchwork-style design. Unlike patchwork, the arrangement of panels is very specific, influenced by the Buddhist mandala motif, with a core center and flowing symmetry. The modest cut of the jiasha and pieced-together appearance references the rags worn by the Buddha during his ascetic period.”

Anyway, the muggers slash tollway men still aren’t impressed, so Tripitaka starts lying and pretending that Wukong will turn up any minute with the cash they want. That’s fine, but the narrator has a mega brain fade:

What? “Never lied in his life before”? Uh, remember two chapters ago, when Tripitaka was swearing to love and cherish the queen of Woman State til death do they part? Yeah. That little thing.

In any event, this is where Tripitaka begins crying. Well, fair enough. He did really try. The bandits tie him up and leave him dangling from a tree, where Wukong finds him.

I have to say, I love Wukong’s personality in this chapter, dubious as it may be. He’s so jovial:

I love him trolling the bandits, channelling pretend spirituality:

… before sweetly telling them that perhaps they should actually give him THEIR money:

And playing with the bandits - telling them they can have his staff if they can pick it up:

Ah, the iconic needle/staff in the ear:

But I’m interrupting myself:

Wukong is having a blast. Needless to say, he kills a few bandits. The rest flee.

Tripitaka proceeds to absolutely lose his marbles about Wukong committing homicide. And don’t get me wrong: it’s homicide. But Tripitaka manages to do it in a way that makes him come off as a jerk - which is quite something, when you’re protesting homicide.

When he discovers what’s happened, Tripitaka loses all spiritual composure. He starts acting like a road rager stuck in peak hour traffic, muttering low-grade verbal abuse:

Wukong isn’t even in earshot at this point. When he does get within earshot, Tripitaka continues:

Spite? That doesn’t sound very spiritual!

He attempts to give the bandits a proper burial, which seems nice at first. He gets Bajie to bury them, and tries to find incense and candles for the ritual - or substitutes, at least. But once he starts praying, it becomes clear what his real motives are. All he wants to do is suck up to the deceased, point the finger at Wukong, and make sure no ghosts come seeking retribution against him. It’s totally self-centred and fear-driven - not coming from a genuine place of caring for the deceased at all:

There is more to his prayer, and… it isn’t great, either. It’s just him telling the bandits that he, Tripitaka, tried to play nice (so it’s their own fault they got killed); that their deaths are Wukong’s fault (not his); and that he’s been very nice to them by doing this funeral ritual (ie he didn’t perform this funeral for selfless reasons: he did it so they will give him credit).

He could at least have wished them a positive reincarnation. Or something, anything, that was purely for their sake and not for his. Alas! Our young Tripitaka still has a way to go, spiritually.

Bajie sees through Tripitaka’s pseudo-spirituality, and teases him:

Wukong is less amused. He seems to find the ass-kissing funeral schtick ridiculous and kind of cowardly. Wukong isn’t afraid of any ghosts coming after him and makes this clear - perhaps more to make a point to Tripitaka than anything else:

Next, they find shelter at an old couple’s hut. The old man is nearly hysterical at the sight of the disciples, and won’t calm down. His wife is far more grounded, and gets him back on track.

I love how blunt people are about Bajie’s looks, and how indomitably cheerful Bajie’s response is:

They all have dinner, during which they find out that the old couple’s son is one of the bandits. Wukong offers to kill the son (huh?!), but the old man prefers him to stay alive, so he’ll have someone to dig his grave one day. The disciples gently remind Wukong that it’s none of his business.

Let’s cut to the middle of the night, where the bandits gatecrash the old couple’s house and decide to kill Tripitaka & co in their sleep. The old man tips them off.

I want to pause here to observe how bizarrely calm and composed the old man is. This is a guy who became hysterically scared just looking at the disciples’ faces. Now he’s in a tense and unexpected emergency situation, trying to sneak one group of guests out of the house, lest his other guests murder them. Yet he acts like it’s nothing. Is this not the first time that his bandit son has tried to murder a houseguest? Tripitaka is shaken by the news, but the old man sneaks them out and falls back asleep without a second thought:

Of course, the bandits give chase, and Wukong kills many. He goes out of his way to identify and behead the son of the old man - then show off the head to Tripitaka. 

Why Wukong would do this, I have no idea. Is this meant to indicate something about Confucianism? Or is it just Wukong’s usual love of homicide? I feel like I might be missing some cultural context.

Tripitaka falls off his horse in fright, yells at Wukong and, as soon as he’s able to stand again, breaks out the band-tightening spell on him. This, to me, is where Tripitaka crosses the line. It’s like he’s performing the Cruciatus Curse:

More than ten times? It's awful.

Now, just a heads up. I was VERY upset that Tripitaka did this, and I wrote a lot about it. But I realise we all have different perspectives. So if you don’t feel like reading a giant essay about why I felt this was so bad, here is a pretty picture of a traditional jiasha for you, and let’s pick up again next week.

Alright, brave reader. Here’s my reaction to Tripitaka’s torture spree.

I’m not saying that it’s inherently wrong to punish somebody for homicide with something along these lines. It would be a very different story if Trikitapa had taken time out, reflected on the whole thing, and soberly decided that it was necessary to do this as a punishment. But it just seems like he’s lost his temper and lashed out.

I think I’m more annoyed with Tripitaka than Wukong, because Wukong has never pretended to be anything other than a fighter and killer. Tripitaka acts like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth and preaches compassion. Wukong didn’t want to become Buddhist and has only done it under duress. Tripitaka may not have chosen to become Buddhist originally, but he seems to have embraced it pretty enthusiastically. Wukong’s job is to keep Tripitaka alive on the road, so Tripitaka can get to the west - and Wukong is well and truly doing that job, even if Tripitaka doesn’t like the way that he’s doing it.

It’s easy to criticise others and backseat drive. Tripitaka is expecting Wukong to be both a consummate fighter and spiritually precise. Maybe, for Wukong to be the fearless fighter that he is, he needs a certain level of callousness. Wukong goes into situations that nobody else will - again and again. Who says it’s so easy for him to be proportionate when he’s fighting? It’s not always possible to be in two different gears at once. Tripitaka is all too ready to criticise and demand, without ever having walked a mile in Wukong’s shoes.

And Tripitaka seems to expect more of Wukong than Tripitaka expects of himself. Tripitaka hasn’t even tried to learn self-defence. He has not tried to become more well-rounded. Yet he tortures Wukong because, in his eyes, Wukong is not perfect enough or sufficiently well-rounded. I think Tripitaka should have to try to learn the 72 forms himself before he gets to even THINK about using torture on Wukong.

I never expected to find myself defending a killer - even a fictional magic monkey killer. Let me be very clear, I condemn homicide completely. I’m just saying, I think Tripitaka is a prick to use torture here. It was different when he used the band-tightening spell to try to prevent Wukong from killing somebody. That’s fair enough. But using it to lash out is inexcusable.

And it’s totally hypocritical. Tripitaka claims that he’s trying to teach Wukong compassion. It’s like he’s saying, “So help me God, I’ll beat you until you’re more compassionate.” How is that meant to work?

It disturbs me on the level of allegory, too. Like, if Wukong represents the mind-heart, what is this saying? That the mind-heart has to be dominated through force and brutality? Really?

After the band-tightening spell, Wukong begs Tripitaka to use his words, and Tripitaka obliges - saying he doesn’t want Tripitaka as his disciple.

Horrifyingly, Wukong kowtows to the guy who just went full Voldemort on him. I’m gonna say that kowtowing to someone who just tortured you seems like an excess of filial piety. But at least Wukong isn’t getting violent with Tripitaka like Tripitaka just got violent with him.

He begs for an explanation. This is pretty staggering. As wrong as it is for Tripitaka to use the band-tightening spell like this, it should be obvious to Wukong why he’s angry. Wukong clearly hasn’t listened to a word Tripitaka said, and he is a massive jerk for that.

Tripitaka explains (unsurprisingly) that it’s due to all the unnecessary killing, and tells him to get going before he uses the band-tightening spell again. Wukong vanishes.

Oof. Well, that was all very unpleasant. But I certainly want to see how this turns out next week.

@journeythroughjourneytothewest

---

Image credits: The usual spiel. The images above are either AI, or random pictures from the web that I’ve modified, or a Frankenstein of both. They are not original. The AI image generation is by Stable Diffusion. The pre-existing images should turn up with reverse googling, but feel free to ask and I’ll dig up sources.

[tenebriskukris]

Oshi No Ko Chapter 164 - My Thoughts/Analysis

It seems the authors have somehow managed to pull off a chapter that was worse than I could have intentionally come up with myself. Spoilers for Oshi No Ko Chapter 164 below.

This chapter starts off with a montage of events that have absolutely no relevance to the Aqua’s life hanging in the balance. How many pages was it? Three pages that could’ve been dedicated to the actual plot rather than a Windows Powerpoint Slideshow. I’d be more lenient with things if there weren’t two bloody chapters left.

And now, back to Oshi No Powerpoint, we see Aqua’s probable death. Nine panels of a slideshow that could’ve easily been folded into the past three or chapters. More than half of the chapter at this point has just been close to, if not completely superfluous. This “death” scene might as well have been thrown out because last chapter’s ending could’ve been enough to put the nail in the coffin for any hope of survival for Aqua and this series’ ending being somewhere even remotely close to decent. 

I don’t even care that Akane is basically infodumping everyone’s reactions to this travesty and her thoughts on Aqua’s death. If the police found his body, that means it’s over. They’re not going to mistake Aqua’s body for Hikaru’s especially since Akane mentions that the damage to the corpse was minor. I guess that confirms that Aqua’s dead, huh. As sad as Akane’s reactions are, I just can’t bring myself to care about the writing equivalent of someone’s shit being smeared onto a plate and having it actually being published. It’s an insult to all the well written manga that only have a fraction of success this godawful manga has garnered thanks to one lucky anime adaptation. 

I’d heard off the grapevine that one of the author’s other mangas that wasn’t Kaguya-sama was axed and if This is the kind of output that the author has been churning out, then that cancellation is more than deserved. These last ten chapters might as well have torched the series. I wouldn’t trust the authors to teach a fucking high school writing class, let alone go anywhere close to writing a popular manga again.

Alright. Fine. Final thoughts on the chapter. I’d like the time investment that this manga stole from me back. I don’t even feel the need to rub my braincells together to type out a competent analysis of a chapter that was just so objectively garbage from almost every angle that you’d think that they were trying to completely trying to nuke the manga’s quality. With how these past chapters have been going, it’s not the worst media ending I’ve ever seen, but it’s certainly up there. At least in the top 20 at best, and we’re not even fully over.

On a more serious note, it’s hard to meet this chapter where it is mostly because I don’t want to get my boots dirty in the filth that it’s swimming in. It’s difficult to meet the manga halfway and actually putting effort into analyzing something that the authors obviously didn’t even put a smidgen of effort into in terms of anything but the art. It’s almost the inverse of trying to analyze that one piece of installation art that is literally a urinal. If the creator of said piece of art wasn’t an actual good artist and didn’t put thought into Why the bloody thing was a urinal, then people wouldn’t be debating endlessly over it even to this day. Unfortunately, this manga isn’t a urinal, though with the quality of it being so piss poor, it might as well deserve that title. There are children’s television shows that can handle themselves better than the ending of this series even on a bad day.

So. Aqua’s dead. Probably. They found his body so he’s probably dead. Doesn’t mean that Crow Girl can’t deus ex machina him back and reincarnate him again. Would not even be surprised at this point. Maybe he’ll reincarnate as Ruby’s child. That feels about on the level of garbage writing that this series has been doing. I went on a whole tirade on Why this was a bad decision in my last analysis, and oh boy the authors proved me right again. This chapter was executed so badly that I think there are some people who have zero writing experience who could end it better. It’s actually impressive.

With this chapter out, it almost invalidates the last one. Which is certainly Not what you want to do when you only have a handful of chapters left. Hell, you could probably just read 162 and 164 and skip 163 and you would lose absolutely nothing but Aqua pitying himself for making some objectively bad decisions, because somehow Nino trying to stab Ruby was forgotten by the narrative at large. So was Akane, by the way. If Aqua really wanted to get rid of Hikaru in a more subtle manner he could’ve very easily just asked for her help for an alibi after getting rid of Hikaru. It’s all just so idiotic.

It’s a fucking crime that we don’t get to see Ruby in this chapter. All these side characters get a turn on the react couch to Aqua’s death and Ruby is just a footnote in this entire thing when she was the reason that Aqua went to these extremes in the first place. I’d say that the authors don’t know how to handle their characters, but that implies that they knew how to handle them in the first place, which is very debatable. The cracks in the series may have become more evident as it leapt toward the finish line, but they were still there at the start. They were just hidden because there was still decent writing that distracted from the rot hiding beneath the surface.

From what I gather, this arc’s title was Toward The Stars and Dreams. I have a better title for it. Toward Burning The Manga Tankobons Down. The funny thing is that all the emotions I have for this manga have crystallized into apathy with all the horrible decisions the manga is taking. I didn’t feel sad at the end of the chapter when everyone was reacting to Aqua’s death. It felt too much like a slideshow of things that should’ve been given more time in the spotlight. It’s just a feeling of “oh, that’s how they’re going with this? huh. that’s garbage!” and then go on my merry way. If you’re losing the emotional investment that your readers have with the work as as you sprint toward the finish line, then you’ve done something really wrong.

Two chapters left. Let’s just get on with it. I’m not going to be getting my time investment back with this godawful series, but at least I can put a little bow on it and rip it to shreds when its over.

[clickoly]

Fic-O-Ween - Day 12

Many thanks to @noots-fic-fests for the header and the fantastic fest! And to @lumosinlove for these beautiful characters 🧡

The year was 1464, in the European capital of the Renaissance, when a young artist and a man destined to Magnificence fell in love, challenging their destiny. 

Pairing: FinnLo Rating: M, but it's very lightly seasoned Watch out for the final line: this isn't quite a happily ever after (yet)

Finn had been staring at the canvas for far too long. The sun had risen high in the sky, and the bright rays streaming through the window cast the perfect shadows over his work in progress. 

Why did everything feel so blurry?

The verdigris pigment he'd mixed on his palette was too bright, the malachite wasn't enough. And the half-painted eyes of a young Dionysus were staring right back at him. 

"I know," Finn sighed. He was tapping his chin with the handle of a brush in an uneven rhythm. "I am being dramatic," he muttered to no one in particular. Alex always made fun of him for that. He looked around, still unsure of what he was searching for, what he was missing. Between empty wooden panels, endless sheets of paper and the pungent, earthy smell of tempera paints, a revelatory answer was nowhere to be found. Another exasperated breath escaped his lips, "Perhaps a hint of blue?"

"It must be some serious commission if you're talking with yourself." 

Finn jerked towards the front door. 

"Again, dare I say."

"Ah," he began, then had to stop to steady his breath. He bit back what must have been a foolishly smitten grin. "Blame my Muse," Finn opted for a mocking smile instead, as playful as the voice that had just enlightened his soul. "Gone so long, I'm afraid I have lost my touch," he gestured to the unfinished portrait. "And perhaps some sense." 

The nest of Logan's curls shook in a scolding nod. Slowly, savoring each step, he closed the too vast, one month-long distance between them, holding out a hand as his eyes darted across the painting. "Dionysus, I see.”

Finn let go of his instruments and reached out, catching Logan's hand a little shakily. God, had he missed him.

"Isn't he fascinating?" he said, turning to admire the interplay of colors as well. "The most delicate balance between hedonism and chaos, abundance and intoxication." 

"Wine and sex," Logan paraphrased. He made Finn laugh—real and spontaneous as only he could. "Sounds fun."

"Uninhibited and wild. Sounds familiar," Finn teased, leaning down to kiss the back of Logan's hand, whose warmth enveloped him. 

"He looks familiar," Logan countered, closely focused on the details of Finn's artwork. Dark hair, curling beneath a crown of verdant grapevines. Full, red lips drawn into a delicate smile, the arch of a perfectly shaped bow. A muscular, artfully proportioned body, the immortal and timeless beauty that belonged only to gods. Finn hadn't exactly tried to be subtle about it. 

"It's missing something unique, though," he whispered as he turned to cup Logan's jaw between his chalk-stained hands. He brushed gentle thumbs along the sharp contours of his cheeks, already lost in the brilliance of the rarest gems he'd ever laid eyes on. "Oh, never mind." 

The most perfect shade of green.

"Found it," he breathed out against Logan's lips and brought their mouths together in a tender kiss. "Hi, angel. You came back to me." 

Logan's smile blinded him—the slightest hint of bashfulness just there, the soft blush on his olive skin, never fading away, even after such a long time. "Always," Logan mumbled into another kiss, pulling Finn close as if to never let go. "And I brought a surprise." 

"For me?"  

Logan hummed softly and let Finn brush their noses together with feathery strokes. "But you have to follow me first." 

"Where?" Finn prompted, leaning back enough to twirl a finger in the perfect lock of hair that fell over Logan's forehead. He couldn't help it—the wave of anticipation hit him hard, burning wildly in his chest. He would have followed Logan to the edge of the world, through hell and heaven, to faraway lands unknown to mankind. 

And judging by the look of devotion that spread across his face, Logan was well aware of that. It didn't stop him from playing the little banter that was theirs to live in—a breath of fresh air, a safe place to revel. He pinched Finn's waist, amusement now filling his crooked smile. "I'm not telling you." 

And then Finn had to worry, just a little. Because Logan had probably been traveling for days and he looked exhausted and in desperate need for sleep. He wanted to hold him in his arms, to erase the tired furrow from his brows and let him glow in his celestial beauty. 

"Are you sure?" he leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Don't you need some rest?" 

Logan just grabbed the collar of Finn's shirt and captured his lips in a fierce, biting kiss. "The only thing I need right now is you."

The ride into the countryside had felt timeless—up to the browned hill that rose just outside the ancient city walls. Though it must have been a brief journey. Side by side, riding their horses along golden paths, restless hands finding each other again and again in swift touches, brushing against the crisp air. 

The vibrant greens and browns of endless vineyards and terraces of majestic olive trees set the perfect backdrop for Logan's strong features against the afternoon light. Behind them, the outlines of a fading Florence, whose monumental beauty was inescapable, perfectly framed Logan's tales of his latest trip to France, spilling forth like leaves caught in the gentle winds of autumn.    

Oh, the sea. You would have loved Marseilles. I must take you there, my love. 

Yes, French wine is good, but it would taste better on your lips. 

Mais oui. I will teach you all the new words I have learned. 

I missed you too. 

I don't want to leave you for so long ever again. 

Sometimes it was days, more often weeks, of duties to fulfill somewhere too far away. Leaders to befriend, alliances to forge. The fourth and youngest child of the Tremblay family, the leading voice of the Republic, had to learn the ropes of the family business alongside his older sisters. A kind soul in thick armor, Logan was a powerful, beloved statesman to the people of Florence, a Cupid's favorite to the greedy eyes of wealthy and charming suitors all over Europe. And a devoted, passionate lover to Finn O'Hara.

Logan had more than once called them a life worth cherishing. But was the undying love of a young artist enough for such a privilege? 

At a loss for real answers, Finn knew only one truth. Then, in the midst of pristine, whistling nature, they fell in love for the umpteenth time. There, in a boundless corner of a rusty heaven, Finn allowed himself to be just a man, drowning in the glorious lust of two bounding souls.

~

A small palmate leaf, dried-out of its bright colors, fell silently on Logan's sleepy head, nestling in his messy curls. It broke the peace of his even breathing when Finn's graceful fingers reached out to brush it away, and down Logan's face in feathery patterns where it wasn't pressed against his bare chest. 

At the first hint of movement, Finn turned his head to press a gentle kiss to the tip of his cold nose. 

"Did I fall asleep?" Logan murmured hoarsely. Slowly, groggily, he stirred against Finn's body and squeezed his arm tighter around him. 

"Last I checked, those pretty eyes of yours were very much closed."  

A grunt of disagreement rumbled against Finn's skin, "No—it's your fault. It's so warm in here."

And it was. A cocoon of blankets and intertwined bodies beneath a clear sky and a fresh breeze. 

"Can we stay?" 

"As long as you wish," Finn promised. 

"What about you?"

Finn rolled slightly onto his side and rubbed a hand up and down Logan's back under the thick wool. "What about me?" 

Logan squinted one eye open, "I can hear you thinking out loud." 

"Sketching," Finn corrected. "I got my Muse back, after all." 

Logan tentatively smothered his ticklish smile down Finn's pale neck. When he finally pulled back and blinked his dream-laden eyes open, it was to reach sneakily behind their heads and grab Finn's notebook from his satchel. "Show me," he settled back into Finn's waiting arms. "I want to see everything I've missed."

Curled up in his touch, Logan flipped through pages of black carbon sketches and rivers of disorganized notes while Finn told him stories about those faces, landscapes, anonymous bodies whose proportions he had been meticulously studying and trying to replicate for months. 

As expected, Logan lingered over the outlines of a portrait, the first messy, smudged draft of one of his latest commissions. "Is that Adonis?" He asked, somehow in awe. 

Finn stifled his laughter with a loud kiss on Logan's burning cheek. "That's what I thought when I first saw him. But this man? Oh, he was even better. Imagine..." he said dreamily, tracing a light finger along the darkest lines of his drawing. "A tall, young, cherubic angel with deep, cerulean eyes walking into my studio..." 

Finn felt Logan press closer to him. "Who is he?"

"His name is Leonardo. He came all the way from Venice to Florence in search of a manuscript," Finn said wonderingly. "Actually, he was on his way to the Apostolic Library. He's a philologist, and he's working on translating fragments of a Greek poetess whose work is quite unknown. He left for Rome a few days ago." 

"Hm," Logan grumbled. "And what could he possibly be doing in your studio?" 

An amused smile played on Finn's lips. "He asked if I could draw him and paid me to pose for a portrait. He wanted a small memento of his time in Florence and said my art sounded like the notes of a lyric poem." 

Another wave of delight washed over Finn as Logan lifted himself up on one forearm and pinned him to the ground with a piercing look. "It does," he whispered softly, leaning in to brush their mouths together. "And so do you." 

Glittering sparks simmered inside Finn, and Logan's kisses burned like oil on a living flame, explosive, so consuming that he felt he had no air left to breathe when Logan suddenly pulled away. "Wait here," he said faintly, leaving Finn shivering at the loss of contact. 

Logan slipped out of the intricate tangle of sheets they had bundled themselves in and stood up—a perfectly sculpted marble statue, glowing in the golden light the sun was casting all over the hard planes and hills of his body. He walked barefoot to the horses, peacefully resting in the shade of a tree. He carefully took something from his saddlebag, and ran with three long strides back to Finn, where they sat together with their legs crossed.

Finn draped a blanket over their shoulders and wrapped them in a gentle embrace. "You're going to catch a cold," he scolded, just as he noticed the small velvet pouch in Logan's hands. "What is it?" 

Logan simply looked at him for a few moments, motionless, a whole world flashing behind his glazed eyes. "Did I ever tell you how much I love this time of year?" 

"I think the first time you did, we were thirteen," Finn laughed, but let his eyes wander around, imagining what Logan might actually feel in front of such a special blend of colors. He wanted the same emotions to strike him as much. "But you never told me why." 

Logan smiled, a tender, shy curl of his full lips. "It feels like home," he said, drawing a long breath as he lovingly caressed Finn's face, "where there's warmth to look at...to look for when it's cold outside. This," he nodded to a pile of reddish leaves under an almost bare beech, "feels like nature showing us the beauty of hope when everything is falling down. And you," Logan whispered, wide eyes locked with Finn's, struck by golden strings. "It always feels like there are pieces of you everywhere." 

Finn found himself with only a thin thread of voice, trembling. "Logan." 

"Here," Logan handed him the pouch. It was dark green, the fabric smooth, and it felt almost empty to the touch, were it not for a small, round object at the bottom. Finn deftly untied its strings when Logan added, "This is your surprise." 

"Another one? Is it better than this?" He looked around at the private, dreamlike spot Logan had found for the two of them. "Are you trying to spoil—oh." 

On Finn's palm landed a perfectly polished band of gold. Set in the metal, brighter than a starry night, were three dazzling, fiery rubies. 

Logan took the ring between his fingers and Finn's hand in his own, all the while Finn couldn't form a coherent thought that wasn't What did I do to deserve you?

"I asked the jeweler of the King of France himself. I wanted something special made just for you, and this saintly man—Pascal, he said was his name. He listened to me," Logan gave a soft laugh, "rambling on about the love of my life for longer than any good man should endure. And he made this," he stroked the gold band. "For my Rouge." 

"For your..."

Logan ran his fingers through Finn's hair, "My Red. Pascal taught it to me." 

Finn squeezed Logan's hand tighter. If he opened his mouth, he was going to cry. 

The love of my life. 

"Finn," Logan's voice was breaking into tears as well, but his eyes made no move to look away. "You have been by my side since I have memories. I can't foresee the future... I don't know what my fate will be. But I do know that I want you to be a part of it." 

A tear fell heavily down Finn's cheek. It made everything feel real—too real to be just a dream.

"One day," Logan wiped away that love-filled tear. "One day, I promise," he kissed the ring and slowly slid it onto his pale, freckled finger. "I promise, I will marry you." 

Oh, so this is what it feels like to be immortal. Elation, a slight tremor, the promise of eternal bliss.

"Close your eyes," Finn managed with a faint scrape of his voice. He couldn't help the soft laugh that burst out right after, tearful yet wholehearted. 

Logan held him close, looking as confused as intrigued by his reaction. "What are you..."

"Close your eyes," he urged again. He pulled back enough to find his satchel with a shaking hand and dug into the small pocket where he had hidden it. The pendant was a bit coarse, but the silver reflected the warm tones of the sunset almost perfectly. Finn slid the black leather cord over Logan's head, and the small fleur-de-lis bounced lightly on his chest. Logan caught it between his fingers almost instantly.

"Finn..."

"It's nothing like this," he kissed his ring where Logan had placed it, "but I shaped it myself," he said proudly. "Well... to be completely honest, the blacksmith helped me a little. But mostly he made sure I didn't get fatally hurt." 

Logan's disbelieving laughter warmed Finn all over. In his ears, it carried echoes of indelible memories—long walks between fields of white lilies and stolen, timid first kisses.

"But he also said you are very lucky to have me, so... I'll be there," Finn said solemnly. "With or without me, you're destined for the greatest achievement a man could inspire. And I will be here," he pressed his palm over the pendant on Logan's chest, "whatever awaits us out there."

"And when I have you, and you have me..." Logan's voice quivered with a choked breath. 

"What's the worst that could happen?" 

A whisper, Logan's tender lips on Finn's temple, calling forever and sealing a fate.

One they couldn't know wasn't meant to be theirs. 

[propenseverbosity]

"A Helping Hand" - WIP (Gale x Tav)

Another snippet from the longfic marinating in my drafts. This is how SJ and Gale met (Again)

[Gale's POV]

------------------------------------------

The rune carved into the cliff face wasn't unlike the one they had already passed near the ruined temple, save for the dangerous-looking purple vortex threatening to suck in anyone who approached. Despite the warnings from her companions, Shoras decided to investigate. The others ventured on towards the dead goblins in the middle of the path in search of supplies, leaving Shoras to the mercy of her curiosity.

She reached out towards the vortex, feeling a sharp pain shoot through her fingertips as the malfunctioning magic retaliated with an electric shock. Anyone else might have left it alone, realizing that perhaps the sigil didn't want to be disturbed, but in their brief moment of connection, Shoras sensed the presence of a different kind of magic from within. Dangerous, volatile magic that didn't match the rune, or even the control panel on the Nautiloid.

Before she could determine where she'd sensed such magic before, an arm shot out from the center of the vortex. It couldn't have been a conjuration, not with a faded purple sleeve and a pale human hand, waving erratically as if reaching for something.

Someone was trapped inside the stone.

"A hand?" asked a disembodied voice, presumably the one attached to the rest of the arm.

"Who are you?" Shoras asked, taking a cautious step back.

"Just your average traveler, stuck between realms." The voice replied, as the hand continued to grasp for purchase. 

After a quick examination of the rune, Shoras took a moment to attune her magic to it, pleading with it to calm down. The portal began to expand, allowing the hand to reach further towards her.

"Yes! That's it! Whatever you're doing is working wonders! Now, a quick little pull should do the trick." His voice almost sounded... familiar. Where had she heard it before?

Taking the hand in both of hers, Shoras dug her heels into the dirt as she pulled with all her might, hoping it would be enough to free the stranger. To her surprise, her limited strength was enough.

The rest of the human (thankfully, still attached to the arm) flew out through the portal, landing ungracefully in the dirt. Shoras stumbled backwards to land beside him, watching as the vortex shrank into obscurity, leaving behind a simple teleportation rune.

Once they managed to pick themselves up and dust themselves off, Shoras got a better look at the human she’d saved. Shoulder-length brown hair with eyes to match, a short beard, and purple wizard robes.

The beard was new, but Shoras couldn’t shake the feeling she’d seen him somewhere before.

The wizard grabbed her hand for a firm handshake, catching her even further off guard.

“Hello, I’m Gale, of Waterdeep. Apologies, I’m usually better at this.”

Of course. It had to be him.

The infamous ‘Wizard of Waterdeep’ was well-known within the arcane community of Baldur's Gate. Back when Shoras worked in Sorcerer's Sundries, she occasionally made small talk while he waited for appointments with other mages, and even sold him a scroll or two. She often heard grapevine rumors about the accolades of Mystra’s former chosen, but she never heard what became of him after he was banished from Elysium.

“No need to apologize.” She instinctively replied. “Are you alright?”

“A bit shocked. But, friend, it’s a relief and a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He grinned. “Say, but I know you… don’t I?”

Shoras blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected the wizard would remember their limited interactions in the magic shop.

“I suppose you do. It's good to see you again.”

“Well, in a manner of speaking. You were on the Nautiloid as well.”

Or perhaps he didn’t.

“Oh… Uh, yes. I was.” she replied. “I take it that means you also ended up with a worm in your eye?”

It was more of a rhetorical question as her tadpole began to writhe. Somehow she knew he’d been infected as well.

“Indeed. You don’t happen to be a cleric by any chance, do you?" he asked. "We are going to need a healer, and soon. If my math is correct, we have approximately 7 days to find a cure.”

How far they’d fallen. Respected members of the arcane community, reduced to nothing more than hosts for mind flayer tadpoles.

“Unfortunately, I’m not a cleric. But I’m also not alone. There are other survivors from the crash, just up ahead. You’re welcome to join us."

“Ah, wonderful!” he exclaimed. “A parasite shared is a parasite... halved. Or... something to that effect.” he trailed off. “Shall we?”

“Sure.” Shoras chuckled quietly at his rather amusing turn of phrase. “The others are this way.”

The wizard fell into step alongside her as she guided him towards their growing company of adventurers.

“I didn’t catch your name.” he said, almost in the form of a question.

She hoped he wouldn’t catch the hesitation before her reply. Their reputations in Baldur’s Gate were nowhere near the same level of renown, but there was a chance he’d learned of her recent exploits, and subsequent banishment from the community.

“SJ.” she lied, refusing to make eye contact as she made a mental note once again.

“Well met.” he nodded, cordially.

“And you, Gale of Waterdeep.”

“Please, just ‘Gale’ will suffice.” he smiled.

“Gale it is, then.”

“I don’t suppose you know of any wizards in this troupe?” he asked. “There is a matter I’d like to seek advice on.”

“Couple of bards, a cleric, and a druid from a grove nearby. I’m the closest thing we have to a wizard so far, but if we all survived, there have to be others. Why? What do you need?”

“Oh, nothing you need concern yourself with. You’re right, there must be other survivors versed in magic…” he said, casually.

“What exactly is it that you need advice on? I am a sorcerer. There’s as much magic in me as there is in you.”

The wizard didn’t seem inclined to agree. “One might as well compare apples to oranges where the Weave is concerned.” he chuckled, lightly. “You’ve an innate connection to it, of course, but where you merely call upon the Weave, I’ve spent decades learning to compose it.” he added, with a flick of his wrist. 

“That’s a bit of an unfair assumption, don’t you think?” She replied, in a more defensive tone than she intended.

“Oh, I do apologize.” 

Somehow, she doubted the sincerity of his apology.

“Are you studied in magic?” he asked.

“I mean… a little?” Shame burned in her cheeks as he called her bluff. “I’ve been trying to study more, I’ve just been… preoccupied, as of late. You of all people should know what that’s like.”

[tea-withnofixinsplease]

We're makin leaps and bounds with this whole sustainability thing since we moved from our apartment a few years ago. Whenever i feel like im not doin enough I lay out all the tiny swaps we've done on the table

we no longer by styrofoam cups and reuse the ones we have

We no longer use plastic plates, we either use glass or compostable ones (and throw the compostable ones in the compost)

Our building has solar panels for electricity

Our soaps are zero/low waste

My mother and I started our loc journey so its much easier to find all-natural, plastic free hair care

I use reusable pads

I don't buy new clothes often if at all, 4 shirts in the last 7 years

3/5 of us eat strictly plant-based bc we're vegan,

We have an indoor hydroponic system growing leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers and fruits, and we bought seeds in bulk. We're planning on swapping rockwool cubes with reusable and compostable hemp fiber cubes

Since the hydroponic system is so bright, and the led lights last for 5 years at a time, we use the living area lights much less, opting for natural sunlight if the hydroponic system is not enough or is off.

We have a bokashi indoor compost bin for food scraps, and an outdoor cold compost bin for the scraps that cant go in the bokashi bin to make our own soil

We started a kitchen garden, and a pollinator/tea garden, and as of 2023 we now have a plum tree, a grapevine, two blackberry bushes, 5 reusable grow bags, 4 big planters and 2 big raised garden beds, lookin forward to fruits and vegetables in the spring, summer, fall and winter. We're planning to buy one more steel raised bed to ensure that we are cycling through what we're growing each year to limit pest-control methods, even neem oil, and planning on purchasing a lot more perennials and native perennials/annuals.

This fall Im gonna purchase a mushroom growing chamber kit for more low waste vegan meat alternatives and to add some healthy mushroom soil to the compost cycle

Our laundry detergent is environmentally safe

Our washing machine is water-efficient

We have a fridge with a water filter for cooking and drinking water

We have reusable grocery store bags

Im gonna try to grow lufas next year to replace our kitchen sponges and steel wool scrubbing pads,

Our property is small, and our neighbors are not as social/gungho about bartering or Co-Op food gardening,

but I'm proud of wat we've done so far, and I can do a lot more, and I plan to do so, so any advice would be welcome

[linh-cindy]

An Unexpected Rejection

The scene where Cinder is asked by Prince Kai to be his personal guest at the 126th Annual Peace Ball but she declines- in Kai"s point of view!

Kai was late.

He really needed to see Dr. Erland, but apparently, time wasn't on his side.

He spotted the nearest elevator behind him and as it was about to close, the elevator operator was able to hold it.

"Please hold," the voice announced.

"Sorry, sorry," Kai said to the person inside the elevator, practically slipping into it, "thanks for the hold--"

His voice caught when he saw the person inside.

Linh Cinder was leaning on the elevator wall, arms crossed, and she seemed genuinely shocked to see him standing there.

"Linh-mèi?" Kai blurted out.

She froze. She pushed herself off the elevator wall, something that Kai should have told her not to do and risk her being uncomfortable.

"Your Highness," Cinder muttered quietly, bowing.

Kai could sense the tension radiating off her. He wished he could do something to ease it.

Silence filled the elevator. A minute passed before Cinder spoke.

Cinder cleared her throat. "You should, um, just call me Cinder. You don't need to be so-" She slammed her mouth shut.

Kai's mouth twitched into an almost-smile.

Stop! Act normal! Kai scolded himself.

"All right, Cinder," he said, thankful his voice was steady. "Are you following me?"

Cinder frowned, which made Kai a little guilty he was teasing her. "I'm just going to check on the med-droid," she said. "That I looked at yesterday. To ensure it doesn't have any remaining bugs or anything."

Kai nodded. This was not going well. "I was on my way to talk to Dr. Erland about his progress," he told her to cut the silence. "I heard through the grapevine that he may have made progress with one of the recent draft subjects. I don’t suppose he said anything to you?"

Cinder fidgeted with her belt loops. "No, he didn't mention anything. But I'm just the mechanic."

They didn't say anything after that.

She doesn't know.

The elevator stopped. Kai motioned for her to exit first, then he followed her.

"Your Highness?" said a young woman in front of him. "I am so sorry."

"Thank you, Fateen," said Kai quietly. He kept walking.

Cinder frowned, confused.

Not a dozen steps later, they were halted by a man who also gave his condolences to Kai.

Kai saw Cinder shiver beside him. She stopped.

"You haven't seen the net this morning."

A heartbeat later, Cinder's eyes widened and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

Kai was surprised, but it faded away easily. He ducked his head. "Good guess."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know-" she stammered frantically, her voice hinting at a million apologies.

Kai tucked his hands into his pockets. "I wish my father's death were the worst of it."

Cinder's eyes clouded over. Was something wrong? "Your Highness?"

Kai turned to look at her. He was getting sick of all these "Your Highnesses". Of course- not when Cinder said it. Wait-

"You can call me Kai," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Excuse me?"

"No more ‘Your Highness.’ I get enough of that from…everyone else. You should just call me Kai."

Cinder seemed momentarily dazed before he continued. She blinked like waking up from a daydream. "No. That wouldn't be-"

"Don't make me turn it into a royal command," he said, smiling.

Cinder scrunched her shoulders up by her ears. "All right. I suppose."

"Thank you," said Kai gratefully. "We should go then."

After a bit of quiet walking, he asked curiously, "What was wrong with the android?"

Cinder scratched at an oil stain on her glove. "Oh, I’m sorry. She’s not done yet. I’m working on her, I swear." She's talking about Nainsi.

"No, I meant the med-droid," said Kai, pushing down the urge to ask more about Nainsi. "That you fixed for Dr. Erland?"

"Oh. Oh, right. Um. It was…it had…a…dead wire. Between its optosensor and…control panel," she stammered.

Kai raised his brow. She was lying.

Cinder cleared her throat as if to clear away the awkwardness. "You, uh, said that something was worse? Before?"

Kai said nothing.

"Never mind," said Cinder, shrugging. "I didn't mean to pry."

Dammit, Kai. You just blew it.

“No, it’s all right. You’ll find out soon enough.” He lowered his voice. “The Lunar queen informed us this morning that she is coming to the Commonwealth on a diplomatic mission. Supposedly," he told her.

Cinder almost tripped, and Kai felt a pang of guilt as she stumbled after him. "The Lunar Queen? You can't be serious."

“I wish I weren’t. Every android in the palace has spent the morning taking down every reflective surface in the guest wing. It’s ridiculous—like we have nothing better to do.”

“Reflective surfaces? I always thought that was just superstition.”

“Evidently not. Something about their glamour... It doesn't really matter."

“When is she coming?”

“Today.”

Cinder looked horrified.

“I’ll be making an announcement in half an hour," said Kai.

“But why would she come now, when we’re in mourning?”

Kai smiled grimly. “Because we’re in mourning.”

He stopped.

Shoot, Nainsi.

Kai turned toward Cinder nervously. “Look, I really appreciate your helping with the med-droids, and I’m sure the best mechanic in the city has a million jobs to prioritize, but at the risk of sounding like a spoiled prince, could I ask that you move Nainsi to the top of your list? I’m starting to get anxious about getting her back. I—” He paused long enough to catch the anxiousness in Cinder's face. “I think I could use the moral support of my childhood tutor right now. You know?” He wanted her to know he was lying. He needed to let her know he was lying. Lying for something far more important than childhood attachments or moral support.

Understanding flashed across Cinder's grease-coated face. “Of course, Your Highness. Sorry, Prince Kai. I’ll take a look at her as soon as I get home.”

Kai would have hugged her.

Oh, Cinder, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Kai stomped down his ridiculous thoughts and gestured at a door that had Dr. Dmitri Erland's name labeled on it.

As soon as they entered, Erland leapt to his feet. "Your Highness--I am so sorry. What can I do to help you?"

“Nothing, thank you,” said Kai. Then he reconsidered. "Find a cure."

“I will, Your Highness.” He pulled his hat on. “Of course I will.”

Cinder looked at Dr. Erland and guilt immediately clouded her eyes after a few seconds.

Kai cleared his throat. “I found your pretty new mechanic down in the lobby, and she tells me she’s here to check on the med-droids again. You know I could get you funding for some upgraded models if you require it.”

Oh shoot shoot shoot, did I just call her pretty? Kai thought furiously. What was I THINKING, oh SHOOT.

He willed himself to ignore her.

“No, no, they only needed a touch of maintenance,” said Dr. Erland, reassuringly. “Nothing to worry about, and I would hate to have to program a new model. Besides, if we didn’t have any malfunctioning androids, what excuse would we have for asking Miss Linh back to the palace from time to time?”

Kai saw Cinder glare at the doctor from the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help smiling.

“Doctor," Kai started, “I heard a rumor that you’ve made some sort of a breakthrough in the past few days. Is it true?”

Dr. Erland seemed as if he could slap anyone who started the rumor, but so far he seemed calm. “My prince, you should know better than to ask after rumors like that. I hate to give you hope before I know anything concrete. But when I do have solid information, you will be the first to see the report.”

“Right. In that case, I’ll leave you be and hope to see a report cross my desk any day now.”

“That could be difficult, Your Highness, considering you do not have a desk.”

Kai shrugged, unprovoked, and turned toward Cinder. "I hope our paths will cross again." He bowed his head a little.

"Really?" asked Cinder, grinning quite stiffly. "In that case, I guess I'll just keep following you."

Regret shined in Cinder's eyes for half a breath before Kai laughed.

Kai took Cinder's hand before he could stop himself. Panic crossed her face as he lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss on it.

Kai let go of Cinder's hand and bowed, exiting the room.

Then he got an idea.

An idea so crazy, it just might work.

"Gracious," whispered Dr. Erland as Kai opened the door.

“Pardon me, but might I have one more brief word with Linh-mèi?”

Dr. Erland gestured toward the mechanic. “By all means.”

Kai turned to her, still in the doorway. “I know this sounds like very poor timing, but trust me when I say my motives are based on self-preservation.” He inhaled a sharp breath. Please let this work. “Would you consider being my personal guest at the ball?”

Cinder froze for four heartbeats and a half. Her eyes were big and scared.

Kai waited.

And waited.

Then he raised his brows to catch her attention.

She blinked. "E-excuse me?" she stuttered.

"I assume you are going to the ball?"

“I-I don’t know. I mean, no. No, I’m sorry, I’m not going to the ball.”

The hope rushed out of Kai in a millisecond.

SHOOT.

“Oh. Well...but...maybe you would change your mind? Because I am, you know.”

"The prince," Cinder completed for him.

"Not bragging," Kai blurted out, feeling sweat trickling at the back of his neck. "Just a fact."

"I know."

After a long moment, Cinder said, “I-I’m sorry. Thank you—I… thank you, Your Highness. But I must respectfully decline.”

Kai took a moment to process what she said. Once he did, he attempted a grin that hurt his face muscles. “No, it’s all right. I understand.”

In truth, he didn’t.

Hell, she was probably in love with someone else.

“My sincerest condolences, Your Highness,” said Dr. Erland. Kai nearly forgot he was there. “In more ways than one, it seems.”

Cinder glared at the doctor. Kai found it cute when she narrowed her eyes at him, scrunched her eyebrows and pressed her lips together.

Kai blinked a few more times to clear his head of that ridiculous thought.

“It was nice to see you again, Linh-mèi,” said Kai.

The look of annoyance was peeled off Cinder’s face and was replaced by panicked apology, but Kai couldn’t stand a second longer in there. Her mouth was just opening when Kai wrenched open the door and closed it behind him quietly.

Kai leaned against the wall beside the door to Dr. Erland’s office and dragged a hand down his face. “Stars,” he breathed. How could he be so foolish?…

Kai heard the doctor’s faint voice through the wood.

“What a shame you cannot blush, Miss Linh.”

Overwhelmed and exhausted, Kai cleared away his confusion at the doctor’s statement.

Can my life get any worse?

Tags:

@kaider-is-my-otp

@cerenoya

@just2bubbly

@impossiblesuitcase

@thetlctrash

@opakitty

@winterrhayle

@cindersassasin

[in-sistant]

Also just a picture from my baby's wake and the tattoo I got for him

I haven't been posting much here for obvious reasons. The past week has involved my 10 year old cat dying, a cat I viewed like my baby more than I did a pet, a cat I trained and spoiled rotten and couldn't walk past without saying hi, petting, hugging or kissing, a cat that would wait for me to get home from work every night, a cat who didn't like anyone but me, a cat who should have lived longer and was supposed to live longer. My entire family is blaming my dad for it, days later it's still hard for us to even talk to him and he's turned all of us against him, including my mother. Then I almost lost my job, my manager got fired, I got my job back, but I have no money for the two weeks I went in limbo. Then I'm still working on panel prep despite not having the motivation, energy or money bc its a once in a lifetime opportunity and I would be letting both myself and my panelists down if I canceled. Especially since this con's panel selection was very difficult to get into this year.

Needless to say, it's been a pretty shitty month. Oreo's birthday was also in September and he didn't even properly make it to see 10. And every time people message me "We know how much you loved him, I'm so sorry" it makes me angrier. I treated that cat like he was my own flesh and blood and like every single action I took mattered to him mentally, emotionally and physically. He died in my arms. It's a comfort that he died with but something I'll have to live with forever. Everyone messaging me condolences is messaging me like I lost a normal pet. I lost my baby. My other cat lost his little brother. I hate getting condolence messages. So naturally my mood and moral keeps plummeting every time someone hears way too late down the grapevine that he passed and messages me days later "Hey just a reminder that he's dead, I'm so sorry!"

Things will get back to normalcy when people stop reminding me. I can remind myself and only my immediate family could possibly understand how much I loved him. We still have a shrine to him in our living room and I still say I love my boyS.

On the upside, we took Colt to the vet after Oreo passed and he has a clean bill of health. My mom and I have taken complete control over Colt's health, food and vet bills, my dad has no more involvement. He made Oreo a martyr and we hate him for it.

[manyothermusingsofmine]

Probably still the funniest notion to me when it comes to my xmen oc is that I can usually look at a pretty wide variety of kurt ships with not a single peep out of her. Until like one singular comic panel of him kissing Amanda.

I have my own hold ups about that whole situation because from what I heard through the grapevine uhhh I don't really vibe with that one fellas. Which like because I don't like it that much is canon I ignore and if I were to say he's been with an Amanda it would be the Xmen Evolution interpretation of that.

And because of that the only explanation I have for my oc going "i dont care i literally dont even care- wHO THE FUCK IS AMANDA" is just that the name is really similar to hers; Miranda. Like I'm sorry it's funny and its really in character for my idiot to be like "no i genuinely dont care who you dated before but I am somewhat lowkey and kind of irrationally upset your prev gf's name is so similar to mine like dude for real?!?"