#i have to go back and likely get a root canal and who knows how much more done.

[ramblingzombpossum]

Now that my spleen is taken care of, I decided it was time to do away with my wisdom teeth.

Am I in pain?

Yes.

Am I going to do anything about it?

No.

Am I still certain if I walked out of that office without having them ripped out of my conscious mouth, I never would have gone back and lived on with infection in my mouth?

Fuck yeah I would have, I don't like dentists, and the moment they brought out the novacaine I was about to bolt. Not because of the needle, I just hate that shit.

The had to drill one of my teeth part way in half, then apply extreme pressure to break the tooth and pull it out, and 10/10, it was still better than having that first fucking drain.

[arminsumi]

★ Satoru's undercut

★ Synopsis : He fears the hairdresser like it's the dentist. One day, he accidentally gets an undercut style. He would have thrown a tantrum if it weren't for your positive response — because all he really cares about is that you enjoy his haircut.

★ Content : soft fluff, romantic tension, some mutual pining??

★ Library ★ reblog for a cake slice! 🍰

"This will ruin my life..."

"It will not ruin your life."

"I'm gonna die!"

"You're not gonna die."

"Yes, I'm gonna die! They're gonna cut my head off."

"They're not gonna cut your head off."

Satoru had a haircut appointment which you were accompanying him to as per his desperate demand request. Suguru was there also, helping Shoko with something technical on her phone. He laughed when Satoru was whining to you.

The four of you were on the train; Suguru and Shoko stood tightly packed with their backs facing other people as if they were the group shield. And Satoru sat next to you, clinging to your arm as if he were a kid on his way to the dentist.

"Don't laugh. You know I feel the same about hairdressers as people feel about dentists!" he pouted.

"Satoru, you're so weird." you said.

“I'm not!”

You shook your head at him. Satoru grumbled.

"No one understands me!" he said dramatically.

Suguru commented, "I do understand why you dislike hairdressers, Satoru; most of them don't cut your hair how you want."

Shoko nodded and chimed in, "— yup, and you usually leave with a fake smile and say "oh wowww... I love it!" but you actually hate it." then she went back to frowning at her phone with Suguru.

“My hair is important, I can't afford to have a bad haircut." Satoru said.

"Haha, you make it sound like if you have a bad haircut it could cost you millions." you laughed.

Satoru sat up straighter and spoke seriously, "It may as well cost me millions!"

You didn't understand why Satoru was being so dramatic.

****

The hairdresser looked at you, Shoko and Suguru and then wondered why so many people were accompanying this grown man to his haircut, as if he were about to get a root canal for the first time.

Suguru whispered into her ear, and she blushed at his alluring charm like anyone would.

"He's scared of bad haircuts... so please do your best, he has a girl to impress. See that one sitting there?” Suguru pointed to you, “Yeah, that's the one."

He accidentally flustered her, and he smirked about it when he returned to you and Shoko.

"Suguru, your head looks as big as a bubble about ready to pop." you joked, noticing his smug demeanor as he took a waiting seat with you.

"I think I just flustered the hairdresser on accident." he said.

Shoko chuckled, "Is it ever an accident? I think you do it on purpose — oh, Y/n, I think Satoru is trying to get your attention. Give him some comfort."

Satoru recoiled when the cold blade of the scissors touched his neck, and looked distressed when the hairdresser touched his hair.

You knew he was highly sensitive to touch, especially his hair — he hated people touching his hair (reason X for hating hairdressers). The only person who was allowed to touch his hair was you. Suguru and Shoko needed a "valid reason" for touching Satoru's hair.

But you could comb your fingers through his hair any time, any place for no reason and Satoru would go limp with a smile on his face, completely melting for the act of affection.

Sometimes when it was just you and him alone together in his apartment, especially during his sleepless nights, Satoru would lay his tired head on your lap and ask you to play with his hair. Each stroke of your hand mellowed him out. He especially loved the feeling of your fingers running through his hair when it was fluffy and long.

So really, he feared not the hairdresser or even the bad haircut, but the fact that it might be too short or not fluffy enough for you to enjoy. It had to be just right. He had to maintain his fluffy hair for you.

He wanted to make sure that when you saw him at every party and get-together, you'd think "Wow, Satoru's hair looks so good.". He wanted you to compliment his hair and make him feel good and blushy.

And most of all, he just wanted to please your eyes. He wanted you to be starstruck when you looked at him.

So, a good haircut was critical.

****

Satoru's panic calmed after you took the empty seat next to him. He watched in admiration as you struck up a friendly conversation with the hairdresser. She turned out to be kind. She was an apprentice (picture nervous Satoru stiffening his shoulders when he learned this) and her mother owned the establishment next door.

Satoru was mostly quiet and focused on his reflection in the mirror. He squinted in suspicion when the lady brought out a hair buzzer.

But then you distracted Satoru by asking about what the four of you were doing after this. He stuttered a bit, half-looking at the hair buzzer and jumping a little when it turned on.

You talked so much that Satoru was completely distracted, and the lady could work. Though, it was hard, because Satoru didn't really specify what he wanted... so she winged it.

She thought hey, this guy would look good with an undercut. So, she cut an undercut for Satoru, and looked at you and smirked. His girlfriend will appreciate it, she thought as she looked at you and Satoru talking with hearts in your eyes.

You weren't his girlfriend. But you may as well have been. The two of you were anyways soulmates since kindergarten. Sure, you went away for five years to work abroad, but the link between you and Satoru wasn't broken by the distance.

****

Satoru gasped and nearly fainted when he saw how short his hair had been buzzed at the bottom. His neck felt exposed and suddenly it felt more drafty.

"What the—"

"— oh, you look hot, Satoru." You said.

He immediately shut up and went red in the face.

"Thanks, yeah it looks... yeah." Satoru hesitantly complimented the hairdresser's work.

She beamed proudly and wrapped up the haircutting session. Satoru took off the black dressing gown and stood up and shimmied the white hair off his pants.

"The cat is shedding." you joked, making Satoru grin with sealed lips.

You picked a white strand of his hair off the back of his shirt when he stood in line to pay at the checkout. He didn't notice. Such a cute boy.

Satoru was just grumbling to himself about how he'd need a scarf or turtleneck to compensate for his "practically naked" hairstyle now.

You stared at his undercut and felt your heartbeat get a bit frantic.

Then you kept staring as you left the barber shop.

Satoru wrapped an arm around your shoulders out of habit, as if he were your boyfriend, so the hairdresser felt sure that you two were dating and said something as you two left that really made you and Satoru blush;

"Your girlfriend loves it." she winked.

"I'm not his—"

"She's not my—"

"She sure does! Thanks for everything, see ya." Shoko cut off you and Satoru from responding and shoved the two of you out the door.

****

That comment lingered in the back of yours and Satoru's minds for the rest of the day.

On the train home, you grazed your fingers over Satoru's undercut and it elicited the funniest reaction out of him; he shivered like a cat that had just been scratched in a sweet spot.

"Haha, does that feel good?" you asked.

"It does. But my neck feels naked." Satoru shrugged.

Oh my god, do that again, he thought. It felt so good.

"Aw, then Y/n should wrap her arms around your neck." Suguru said in a flirtatious murmur.

Shoko laughed and propped a cigarette between her lips.

The four of you got off the train, you parted ways. Suguru and Shoko lived in different places and had to wait for their respective trains to take them home. So, you said your goodbyes and went with Satoru.

When you and Satoru moved out of your university housing, you both decided to live on the same street. You can say it was for X reasons, like oh it's a good neighborhood or oh the prices are great or oh the apartment walls aren't thin... but let's be honest; you and Satoru just didn't want to live too far from each other. You were inseparable, even cry-babies whenever the two of you were separated.

Satoru was always clinging or touching you in some way – hanging off your shoulders, resting his chin on the top of your head, draping an arm around you, holding your hand, snuggling into your neck. The closeness brought him more comfort than his own bed. He even claimed once that he could fall asleep on you more readily than on his bed.

Sometimes he was just shy of kissing you when you two met up, or when he knocked on your apartment door some mornings. His lips would graze over yours by accident in some circumstances, and though the two of you would laugh it off, there was an unmistakable spark in the air between you and him.

****

“Do you like it?” Satoru asked.

“I love it. You look really good.” You replied.

Satoru smiled to himself, hiding his face in your lap.

The TV was playing the most recent episode of that trashy romance soap opera – the episode where the two love interests kissed in the rain. Satoru stared hard at their lips connecting, and thought of why he hasn’t attempted to kiss you again. He didn’t want to ruin anything, so he kept his confession to himself even if it was obvious that he liked you.

You noticed he went a bit silent as you ran your fingers through his hair. He made a soft, long groan when your fingertips tickled up the back of his neck and over his prickly undercut.

“You sound like a cat.” You laughed.

His eyes were closed, brows relaxed into a sleepy arch. Whenever he got drowsy in your lap, his lips would part and show his two front teeth.

****

After getting an undercut hairstyle, Satoru was living in heaven with how much attention you gave his hair. Every day you’d find an excuse to play with his hair.

It made his heart beat harder and his mind go blank whenever you touched his neck and hair. He’d get shivers and close his eyes each time you did it, and would even stop talking mid-sentence.

In time it grew out. He refused to go back to the hairdresser, and instead insisted that you cut his hair for him. At first, he attempted to do it himself, but then he wimped out as soon as he held the scissors to his hair.

So, after he practically begged you on his knees and voiced his fear for the hairdresser, you agreed.

Cutting Satoru’s hair was a whole event. You invited Suguru and Shoko over to your apartment, and the four of you were laughing in the cramped bathroom together.

You had no idea what you were doing, and the online tutorials didn’t help much.

Satoru was dramatic when he thought you were cutting it too short or jagged, and he was so very picky that it drove you nuts to the point of putting the scissors down and leaving. But then he hugged your legs and apologized cutely, so you came back. Suguru and Shoko had to get it on camera because it was pure comedy.

“Alright, fairy princess. How did I do?” you asked Satoru.

He checked himself out in the mirror. His jawline and shorter hair drove you a bit wild, it was hard to contain yourself.

“It’s okay.” He replied cheekily.

“Just “okay”?! I put my soul into this!”

He grinned. “I’m just teasing.” He said, “I like it. Now let’s test it out.”

You looked confused. “Test it out?”

“Play with my hair.” He explained, “And tell me you like how it feels or else I’ll cry.” He added dramatically.

© arminsumi

I do not permit the copying/reposting/translation/plagiarism of my works. Do not steal what I've worked hard to create.

This is fictional work.

[milunalupin]

— 2:30pm

poly!marauders ft. lily evans x reader (platonic?) dental office!au ★ 400 words

"It truly made my skin crawl."

You shuddered as you retold your coworkers about walking in on one of the doctor's more intense surgeries.

"That's why I work up here, where it's clean." Lily chirped, pumping hand sanitizer onto her freshly manicured hands, rubbing it in more than what was usually deemed necessary.

"Well not always, there was that one patient who's gums wouldn't stop bleeding over the counter-"

"Peter, please!" Lily gasped, hastily rummaging through her desk drawers to find her antibacterial wipes.

"C'mon Pete, you know how Lily feels about invasive periodontal surgeries." the office hygienist, James, strolls up to the front with his current patient. "Now let's get Phoebe scheduled for her next cleaning, please."

While your coworkers handled the scheduling, you followed James to the back to help the assistant clean the rooms for the upcoming patients.

"Hey sweet tooth," Sirius grinned at you, perfect canines on display. "Did you get all dolled up for me today?"

You rolled your eyes in return and helped pick up the trash in the room while he collected the used tools. "I'm wearing the scrubs as you are, Sirius."

"And you're making them look fantastic. Sexy, if I may."

"You may not. But, you may finish setting up room four, that root canal should be here any minute."

You shook your head with smile as he huffed and turned on his heel. Tossing the trash in the bin on the way to the break room, you see Dr. Lupin leaning against the counter with his eyes closed, fingers curled around his steaming mug of coffee.

"Still not awake, Remus?" you teased, opening your locker to replace your scrub top with your fuzzy jacket.

His eyes slowly peeled open, "I've done a root canal and two extractions already, with another root canal on the way."

You send him a sympathetic smile as you go to leave the break room, but James blocks the exit, insisting that you two just have to hear his new joke. Remus and you exchange amused glances before letting James continue.

"What's a dentist's favorite time of day?"

The hygienist looked back and forth between the two of you with the shiniest grin, leaning in as if to tell you his biggest secret.

"Tooth hurty. Get it? Two-th hurt-y. Like two-thirty? Why aren't you guys laughing? I worked on that all—"

"I'm going on my lunch."

[dovveri]

peach soda should come with a warning

synopsis: your girlfriend has had a really bad toothache for the last week but she hates going to the dentist so it's your job to get her to that appointment!

warnings: comfort and fluff! dentist visit so mention of needles

w/c: 2.9k

a/n: conan concert + lenys discord server and being around POSITIVE twiceland enjoyers + my dentist appt today where i got the news that i will be needing a root canal brought back a sliver of motivation to write 😀 I HATE THE DENTIST 😔

ྀི

you knock on the door impatiently, rapping your knuckles against it hard until someone finally comes to answer it.

sana's still a little sleepy, not minding when you brush past her and into the apartment she shared with nayeon and momo. you offer a quick greeting and kick off your shoes, moving into the space with ease.

"how is she?"

sana yawns, rubbing her eyes, "nayeonnie's trying to get her ready. she managed to get her to the bathroom but then she locked us both out and she's been in there ever since."

you curse, quickly walking towards the bathroom while sana sighs and plods towards the kitchen to make herself a much needed cup of coffee. it was way too early to be dealing with this.

you see nayeon toward the end of the hallway at the entrance of the bathroom, able to hear what she's saying before you reach her, "momo c'mon. you have to go soon."

you arrive and nod at nayeon who smiles at you tiredly, then you hear your girlfriend's stuffy voice come out from behind the door, "n-not ready!" she sounds like she's been crying.

you sigh, gesturing for nayeon to go join sana in the kitchen and that you could handle this. she pats your shoulder encouragingly before trudging off.

you knock on the door, this time much softer than you had their front door. "momo? it's me baby."

you can make out a few sniffles inside, there's no response for a few seconds before she speaks up. "i don't want to go."

"baby you have to. you told me your tooth was hurting since last week right? don't you want it to feel better?"

"'s fine. it doesn't hurt anymore."

"i know you're lying. you couldn't even use the left side of your mouth yesterday to eat your food. c'mon baby. open the door for me? please?"

you press your ear to the door, trying to hear what's going on inside the best you can. there's a little shuffling around, the sound of the sink turning on and off before momo responds again. "no. you're gonna force me to go and i don't want to go. i'll deal with the pain it's fine. don't make me go. you know i hate the dentist y/n."

you don't have to see her to know she's pouting, you can imagine the pleading puppy-dog eyes she'd be giving you right now if she could see you.

"i know you do but you have to go baby. you'll feel a thousand times better afterwards i promise."

"but it'll hurt during!"

"it'll only hurt for a little bit. just one hour at the dentist and then you don't have to feel like this anymore and you can eat anything you want! how about if you open the door and come with me now, i'll take us to that new hong kong cafe you wanted to try? the one with the cute little bear ice blocks and tea?"

it's quiet again and you can practically hear her internal debate through the door, tossing up her choices.

finally, you hear the soft click of the door unlocking and peeking open just slightly so your girlfriend's head pokes out.

you smile brightly, even though she's still pouting adorably and her eyes are slightly red, you were overjoyed to see her face again. you already missed seeing her even though you had just seen her the night prior and sana had accidentally let it slip that she had a dentist appointment today which she had happened to 'forget' to tell you about.

"your treat?"

you grin at her, nodding enthusiastically, "my treat! you can get as much as you want and you can takeaway anything you like for the girls as well!"

she frowns, deliberating in her head again, before opening the door slightly larger, slipping out cautiously.

you immediately go in for a hug, squeezing her tight into you, lifting her off the floor slightly.

she squeals, laughing as she yells at you to put her down.

but you playfully refuse, spinning her around on the spot instead, and kissing her sweetly, finishing off rubbing the tip of your nose against her's while she giggles against you.

"there we go. that's my girl." you set her back down, "you brushed your teeth already?"

she nods, bending down to pet boo and dobby who came running as soon as she unlocked the bathroom door, eager to get attention from their mom.

"okay. you go feed the dogs and apologise to nayeon and sana. i'll get all your things and we can go okay?"

she looks back up to you with a frown on her face, "why do i have to apologise?"

"because i can only imagine how hard it was for them to get you out of bed this morning."

"it wasn't that hard!"

you roll your eyes affectionately, stepping away and heading towards her bedroom. "i love you but i don't believe you sweetheart."

she protests from behind you but you laugh to yourself, going to collect some of her things scattered around her room.

when you come back out and head into the kitchen, momo's pale as a ghost, gripping the countertop in terror.

you hesitate, trying to assess the situation, nayeon and sana are looking at each other with wide eyes.

you hear nayeon curse under her breath when you step towards momo slowly, coming up behind her and placing a hand on top of hers. "baby? ready to go?"

she turns to look at you almost in slow motion, her pupils blown, "i-i- no- can't- no-" then all of a sudden she's yanking her hand away and running.

"momo!"

everything is thrown into chaos, the dogs start barking and jumping around, thinking you're all playing some sort of game, sana and nayeon rush to intercept momo while you try and pull her back towards you.

eventually you succeed, with your arms wrapped around her waist, squeezing her against you, keeping her put.

she still struggles against you, "let me go! i don't want to go! don't make me go!"

"mo- stop- tell me what happened!"

"nayeon said they'll stab a needle into me!"

you look up to the elder girl, her eyes and awkward smile apologetic while sana scolds her. she tries to rephrase herself, "no momo- they only do it to make it not so painful when they treat you!"

"so they will stab me with a needle!"

"no- well maybe- but it's gonna make the rest of the process a lot less painful!"

"hell no! you know i'm terrified of needles!"

"momo darling please. they might not even have to use a needle! c'mon i promised you i'd treat you to anything you wanted after right?"

she stops struggling in your arms for a second, you can see the cogs turning in her head, but then she turns her head to look up at you, eyes teary, "b-but- what if they-"

your heart squeezes at the sight, you cup her cheeks, offering an encouraging smile, "even if they do i'm gonna be right there okay? i'll distract you so you won't even feel it!"

she whimpers, and the moment you see a hint of acceptance in her eyes, you're pulling her out the door and saying goodbye to nayeon and sana before she can change her mind again.

with the grip she's got on your hand it's hard to seperate from her when you try to get into the car. she asks if she can just sit in your lap while you drive which made you laugh a little, earning a pout from her, she was completely serious.

"i'm sorry baby i can't drive with you on my lap. i'm pretty sure it wouldn't be legal either."

she grumbles, ducking into the passenger seat and having to let go of your hand, but you rush to the other side of the car and get in on the driver's side, your hand finding hers before your butt finds your seat.

the drive is quick, you've put on some of her favourite songs to distract her as much as you can, hoping she'll dance and wriggle along like she always does but she stays unusually still, shrunk in on herself. at every traffic light and stop sign, you either bring your intertwined fingers up to kiss her hand, or lean in to kiss her cheek or temple, brushing your thumb over her knuckles to remind her you were still there.

when you finally park, you can feel how clammy her hands have gotten against yours, she takes a breath, turning to you, eyes still watery, pleading with you one last time, "do i really have to go? i promise i'll be good! i'll floss and brush my teeth twice a day and i won't eat so much junk anymore!"

you smile, brushing your unoccupied hand lightly over her cheek, she leans into you on reflex, "i'm sorry baby. i know how much you don't want to do this. but we have to okay? even if you do all of those things now it's only gonna prevent having to come again in the future. we gotta fix the problem first and then you can do all of that so we don't have to worry about having anything done the next time you get checked up okay?"

her lips wobble, sniffling, and then putting on a brave face, nodding. you lean in to peck her quickly before getting out of the car, walking into momo's worst nightmare hand in hand.

ྀི

it’s a little hectic inside the surgery but you’ve somehow managed to convince the dentist attending to momo to let you sit as close as possible where it wouldn’t disrupt them so you could continue holding momo’s hand.

momo’s lying back on the chair, staring at you wide-eyed with the little dentist bib around her neck, her hand clenching around yours in anxiety. she’s handed a pair of sunglasses but when she doesn’t move to take it, completely frozen in fear, you move forward and take it from the dental assistant’s hand, sliding it onto momo’s face and tucking her hair behind her ears.

“it’s gonna be okay baby. you’re gonna be okay. you just gotta lie here for a little bit alright?”

she gulps, nodding robotically.

the attending dentist smiles at the sight, and you move back out of their working area, sitting at the end of the chair still clutching momo’s hand.

“momo? i’m just going to have a look inside now okay? open up for me…” the dentist taps the pedal to start reclining the chair backwards, momo’s grip on your hand tightens, and you squeeze back reassuringly. the overhead light is placed over her mouth and she hesitantly opens it.

“wider for me please momo.”

momo complies, the dentist then gently prodding around her mouth with the mirror and explorer. at one point momo cringes obviously, her hand growing impossibly tighter, wriggling around on the chair in discomfort.

“hurts here?”

momo mumbles with her mouth open, letting out a gargled yes.

you can tell her eyes are clenched shut in concentration, not opening even when the dentist eventually stops prodding around inside her mouth, wheeling backwards and asking for a few supplies from her assistant.

you take the opportunity to talk to momo, trying to distract her.

“so what do you want to try at that new cafe sweetie? aside from the bear shaped ice tea of course.”

you can see when momo’s eyes open slightly to look at you, her eyebrows unfurling slightly. her voice is almost a squeak when she speaks, “u-um i wanted to try one of the c-claypot rices, the bread looked really good as well-“

“yeah? the sweet ones? do you know if you want anything inside it?”

“mm- not really, i can do whatever you want as well if you have any preferences. i want you to enjoy it too. otherwise we can just try the plain one with the condensed milk-“

"that sounds good!"

you let momo go on a small rant about what she wants to eat, grateful for how understanding the dentist found the two of you, slightly amused even.

“okay momo- bad news, you’ve got a pretty big cavity where you’ve got that tooth pain. we’re gonna inject you with a little numbing agent so that you won’t feel anything when we fill it up okay?”

momo’s hands immediately clasp down on yours again, her eyes wide behind her sunglasses, “i-inject?” she squeaks out.

“yeah. it’s just gonna be a little pinch, and trust me it’ll hurt a whole lot less than if you were to get your cavity filled without it.”

momo looks between you and the dentist, mouth hanging slightly open, whimpering a little at the thought of the needle.

you notice the signs of her beginning to panic and step in quickly, “hey hey sweetie look at me, it’s gonna be okay. i’m right here okay? and just like-“

you look towards the dentist who offers her name, “sunmi.” you nod appreciatively.

“just like sunmi said it’s only gonna be a tiiiiiiny little pinch okay? and you can close your eyes you don’t have to look at anything okay? just focus on my voice. i’ll talk you through it okay?”

you can tell momo is holding back tears, trying her best to not cry in public, but she purses her lips, nodding resolutely and settling back into the seat, her grip on your hands diamond hard.

you gesture for sunmi to get started, who understands immediately, talking quietly to her assistant to hand her the necessary tools.

“okay momo open up- you’ll be okay your girlfriend’s right there okay?”

momo opens her mouth up shakily, her lips quivering.

“do you want me to count you in or just make it a surprise?”

momo thinks for a second, “-ur-ise” she manages out while her mouth is still open with sunmi prepping her gums.

sunmi smiles beneath her mask, her eyes crinkling up kindly, “surprise sounds good doesn’t it? you can just focus on your girlfriend talking and you won’t even realise when it goes in yeah?”

momo hums in response.

“okay baby you’re doing so good for me right now. my pretty brave girl. i can’t wait for you to get out of this chair and we can go grab all your favourite snacks and put on all the monsters inc movies and cuddle up on the couch with boo and dobby. that sounds good doesn’t it? just us, maybe nayeon and sana if they want to join-“

suddenly momo lets out a whine from the back of her throat, her hand almost breaking yours with how tight she’s squeezing down, legs tensing up, you bring one of your hands to her knee and rub over it slowly to ground her, still continuing talking as if she wasn’t just stabbed in the gums with her worst fear.

it’s only a few seconds before momo relaxes against you, the numbing agent slowly working across the top left section of her mouth.

“you did so good baby! you were so unbelievably strong for that and you looked so cool too with those sunnies and everything i think i fell in love with you all over again!” it’s obviously an over exaggeration but it makes momo smile, giggling a little at your dramatics.

“feels funny.” she mumbles when sunmi lets her up to wait for the numbing agent to set in.

“that’s probably the numbing setting in. you won’t be able to feel that side of your mouth so that it doesn’t hurt when they fill up your cavity. smart right? means it won’t hurt!”

momo nods happily, almost as proud of herself as you were of her.

the rest of the appointment goes by relatively smoothly, momo was much more relaxed even when the loud whirring and machines working in her mouth give her a little headache.

"alright! we're all done! you did great momo! but if you don't want to come back and do that all over again you're gonna have to lighten up on those sodas okay?"

momo pouts, mumbling to herself quietly but you catch it, "peach soda should come with a warning. needles and pain in future. drink with caution."

you stifle a laugh, your girlfriend was simply adorable.

when everything's done and you thank sunmi for being so understanding and kind, you head back towards your car, giggling at momo practically skipping and rambling on about her experience.

"i was so good wasn't i? did you see the needle? it was a big one right?"

you unlock the car, smiling, "you were soo good baby. and yes! i'm so proud of you for taking that injection! you looked so brave!"

momo giggles, getting into the car excitedly.

"so what do you wanna do now baby? you can pick whatever you want. we can go home and watch monsters inc ooooor we can go out?"

"ice cream!"

you grin, already having anticipated her answer, "okay!"

you pull out of the parking lot, driving towards her favourite ice cream joint. even though later, when you arrive and momo finds out she actually can't eat ice cream because half her mouth is still numb, you throw your own away as well and promise to bring her back the next day, taking her home and making a blanket fort with the dogs to watch all of momo's favourite comfort movies cuddled up and in love.

[ms-demeanor]

I just saw your posts about dentistry and finally managed to see a dentist for the first time today since 2008 due to major health and financial issues, and they told me that I'm likely going to need a root canal on one of my teeth. I've never had one done, but my mom has ages ago, and I'm terrified of the idea of them. What are they like? How many people are involved? How long does it take? Etc. TY in advance!

So it's going to depend on the dentist!

The dentist I went to who placed my gold crowns worked solo in his office and didn't even have a hygienist; he usually took between one and two hours with a return visit to seat the crown.

The last root canals I had took quite a bit longer and I'm now seeing a dentist who calls in a visiting endodontist for root canals; in that office it's 2-3 people involved, but usually two, the dentist doing the drilling and filling and an assistant who helps with suction and cleanup during the procedure.

The process is basically:

Dentist drills out the center of the tooth and around the outside of the tooth, making it into a smaller shape than before and making it hollow

Dentist drills/files out the nerves (the roots) and removes infected tissue

Dentist cleans and fills the nerves with an inert material

Dentist seals the hole in the tooth with epoxy and seats a crown (may be permanent but more likely is a temporary)

If it's a temporary, it's in your mouth for a few weeks while the dentist waits for your permanent crown to arrive; then you go back and they remove the temporary crown and there is some minor filing/drilling/testing as they seat the crown and adjust the bite, then they will cement the crown in place with an epoxy that binds it to the tooth stump

They will use a lot of anesthetic for this because it's a procedure that is extremely painful without anesthetic. If they start drilling and it is painful, let them know right away. If it starts hurting after they have been drilling, let them know right away.

If everything goes well I generally don't find root canals to be as horrifying as a lot of people do. There are a few ways they can go wrong, most of which involve the roots being more complicated than expected or having adverse reactions to anesthetic. If the roots are complicated it's usually just going to take longer than anticipated. Sometimes it also means the roots are deeper than where a typical anesthetic shot will be helpful, but as discussed in the other post your dentist should have multiple levels of anesthetic to help you get through it.

But since you are worried about it you should definitely call your dentist's office ahead of time! Let them know that this is your first root canal and you want to know about the procedure before you're actually in the chair and ask them what the process will look like at their office.

If you are working with your dentist and they are managing your pain during the procedure it may be a *long* process but it shouldn't be a horrible process.

Good luck!

[cerealboxlore]

Can I ask about Brace for Impact? College is killing me too!

Definitely! Sorry for replying to this ask so late, I had to finish an assignment that ended up taking way too long! (why did I take a 3-week class...aaaaaa)

Brace for Impact is the first Billy Batson fic idea I ever had! It's nearly done and just sitting in a google doc of mine, gathering dust for a long while now, but it's time I head back to it.

The idea is about Billy getting braces, and how they impact his personal and superhero life. After being taken in and adopted by the Bromfield family, Billy would likely get taken to doctor appointments to catch up on his medical history and vaccines, so he can have good health after being without a proper doctor/check-up for so long. This would naturally include Billy's first trip to the dentist in years. Fun!

Not for Billy though. After getting cavities and root canals dealt with, he'd be informed by the dentist of his need for braces; something he wasn't too excited for. Mary laughed until she was also told she needed braces.

Now having metal in his mouth, being a part of a new family, and going to a new school, Billy has some trouble settling into his new home life. He's glad he's safe and sound now with a family who cares about him, but it's going to take some getting used to. He isn't used to being cared for.

This would also affect his transformation as Captain Marvel, as he'd think he'd lose them with the power of the living lightning, but to his surprise as the lightning strikes him--jolts of static electricity shock his teeth with a zap! And he opens his eyes as Captain Marvel, who now has braces, too... his days just get worse in his opinion, haha!

It was supposed to be a comedic one-shot idea about the agony of braces as a kid, but it spiraled into comedy with angst sprinkled into it. I also really wanted to write about Captain Marvel not smiling and the people of Fawcett and his superhero friends noticing and wanting to know why. Did something happen to their happy, bubbly friend? Is he in a rare bad mood? Why isn't he talking?? Who do they have to beat up?! But it's just because he's embarrassed at having braces in his Captain Marvel form, too. I should work more on this one.

[paradoxlemonade]

Like a Flower in Bloom; chapter 3/3

Fic summary: Doc Monster is a many things: he's a tinkerer, a college graduate, a creeper hybrid, and a husband to his wonderful spouse, Ren. Most importantly, he is a father. And he would do anything to make his trans daughter Scarlet happy. Even if it means becoming a Buttercup Scout troop leader and herding a trio of middle school girls.

Chapter summary: Doc makes contact with the parents and the first troop meeting is held.

This is my @mcytblraufest fic, made in collaboration with my artist @watchmewhirl and beta-read my @raivaughn. You can find the masterpost for the art here.

Warnings: Grian's parents are doing their best but they're not the greatest (brief scene, nothing serious happens)

Ao3: Here!

First ; Previous

---

Scarlet gets Doc the phone numbers for Mumbo and Grian’s parents the next day and he’s able to reach out to them about the new troop. Mumbo’s dad already knows what he’s talking about and is excited that his daughter wants to try new things.

“She’s always been really shy, you know?” Xisuma Void says. “I’m glad your daughter reached out.” Doc can’t help but agree. The running joke among their family is that she collects introverted people like baseball cards, since she decides she likes someone and then doesn’t quit until they agree the two of them are friends. She takes after Ren in that regard, who hasn’t known an ounce of shame in his life.

Xisuma is personable to talk to and the call goes well.

Grian’s parents are another story. 

When they pick up, they don’t have the slightest clue what he’s talking about when he brings up the new Buttercup Scout troop that his daughter was starting and invited Grian to. He’s put on speaker phone so both of them can listen at the same time.

Mr. Vigil Penumbra makes an unsure sound. “And you say that your daughter—Scarlet, was it?—wants Grian to be a part of her troop?” He’s asked for clarification a few times, as if something about what Doc said is hard to believe.

Nevertheless: “Yes, that’s right. They met at school, and Scarlet put the offer out.”

“And how did you get our number?” he asks. 

Doc pinches the bridge of his nose. Never has he been so glad to be having a conversation over the phone instead of face to face. “I asked Scarlet to ask Grian for it, and then Scarlet passed it along to me. I’m still in the process of getting certified, so it’ll be about two weeks before we can start scheduling meetings. I just wanted to reach out to verify your interest and let you know what supplies you’ll need to get beforehand.”

Vigil chuckles, mostly to himself. “Ah, I’ll need to ask if Grian still has all her things, or if she got rid of them after her last troop.” He holds the phone away from himself and clears his throat. “Grian! Can you come downstairs?”

There’s a response of some kind that’s too far away for Doc to make out, and then the quiet knock of footsteps down wooden stairs. “Yeah, what’s up?” a girl, presumably Grian, asks. Her lilting voice is high in her throat, brassy but soft on the edges, and lightly accented. The question comes out stilted.

Vigil clicks his tongue. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you say that again?” There’s a dryness to his tone, one that tightens the nerves on the back of Doc’s neck.

“Uh.” Grian coughs. “Yes, father; what do you need?”

“You still have all that Buttercup Scout stuff?”

“I do, yeah. I said I would only burn it if Mumbo told me she’s no longer interested in scouting, remember? She’s planning to join, too.”

Mrs. Iris Penumbra takes the opportunity to join the conversation. “Thank you, dear, but don’t talk back. Why don’t you go get a glass of water from the kitchen, since hydration is—”

“—healthy, and you can’t talk back if you’re drinking a glass of water,” Grian finishes the sentence alongside Iris with all the enthusiasm of a root canal. “Yes, mother.” There’s some more footsteps as she fully descends the stairs.

“Thank you, baby. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Now she sounds further away.

A lightly muffled Iris, a little quieter than before, makes the offhand comment to her husband, “I’m somewhat surprised anyone asked her; she’s not exactly the friendliest girl around.”

Doc winces at the bluntness. There’s a good chance Grian is still within earshot.

Vigil hums in thought, but doesn’t offer any comment on the topic. “It’ll be good for her to socialize with someone other than just Mumbo.”

With that, Doc is finally able to regain their attention and steer the conversation back towards the new scout troop.

In the end, Xisuma, Iris, and Vigil agree that having their daughters join a brand new Buttercup Scout troop run by someone who’s still in the process of getting certified is a grand idea. Tuesdays are unavailable since Scarlet has physical therapy those days, and earlier he learned that Fridays don’t work for Mumbo since that’s the standing date she and Xisuma go to see her Uncle Exiona. The other days of the week seem open, for all three of them, so they pick Thursday as their day for new troop meetings.

***

A few weeks later, the date selected for the first meeting rolls around.

It’s hosted at their house, since they’re hardly a big enough troop to warrant asking the community center, library, or local church to sponsor them (Scarlet was mildly peeved that they weren’t going anywhere to make it feel more “official,” but agreed once Doc pointed out that the couches in the family room were much more comfortable than folding chairs). She’s practically vibrating as she flitters between the button maker Doc is setting up on the coffee table and the front door, already tired of waiting for her new troop members to arrive.

The button maker is an old thing from his and Ren’s college days. It’s practically a relic at this point, but it still works just like it used to. (He’d checked.) Making their buttons during a meeting seemed like a good way to break the ice. No way is he going to have a bunch of middle schoolers trying to make cookies like Symmetry’s troop, not without an idea of how messy the other two are.

He tightens the final bolt as Scarlet gears up to take another trip to the door. Before she can even stand, Ren reaches over and scoops her off the couch, making her shriek in surprise. “I’m starting to wonder if your feet are on fire, since you’re having an awfully hard time sitting still, baby,” he teases.

“Nooooo!” she whines, giggling despite herself. “Put me down, they’re going to be here any minute!”

Doc laughs heartily at the two of them, but his gaze does flicker to the clock hanging on the wall. He and the other parents agreed to start the meeting at seven, and 7:01 just ticked by. It’s nothing he needs to be worried about yet, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t worried anyways.

Ren sways back and forth with Scarlet in his arms. “Hm, tell me why I should set my little princess down?”

“Um… Because you love me?”

He bonks his forehead against hers. “I think that makes me want to hold you just a little bit longer, actually.”

Scarlet scrunches up her face and goes to respond, but the doorbell rings before she can speak. Her eyes widen. “That’s why! They’re here!” She resumes her wiggling with full force until Ren frees her and she rushes over to the door. Her shoulder clips the wall on the way and Doc calls out a “Be careful!”, but she’s hardly paying attention to him.

Doc stands with a stretch, popping his knee joints, and follows after her. He turns the corner into the entryway just as she's opening the door. 

Waiting on the porch are the girls from Scarlet’s phone, Mumbo and Grian, as well as a tall, long-limbed man wearing a vintage band shirt with the sleeves cut off and a chain necklace. Grian and Mumbo have matching uniform sashes, though Grian went the extra mile and also has the beret. (They elected to get Scarlet the vest since they were worried about the sash falling off her shoulders and her struggling to adjust it when she's using her crutches.)

Scarlet is quick to usher them inside with happy words and exchanges of fist bumps. Ren gives Doc a thumbs-up, so he turns back to talk to the parent.

The man smiles and shakes his hand. “Hello! I'm glad to see that we’re in the right place.” Ah, Doc recognizes that voice; this is Xisuma, Mumbo’s father.

“As am I. Scarlet has been really looking forward to this troop meeting. You're welcome to stick around, of course, though I am curious—” His gaze flickers between Xisuma and the empty space behind him where there's only the door. “—Did you carpool? I was expecting to meet Grian's parents as well.”

Xisuma makes a face, but he's quick to smooth it back out. “Yes, well, something came up for them at work. And since I would be driving this direction anyways, they asked if I could help. I couldn't just leave Grian without a way to get herself here or back.”

Doc nods in understanding. “I see. Regardless, I'm glad to have you and your daughter here today, and Grian as well.” He walks back towards the rest of the house, Xisuma following so he can see his daughter’s first Buttercup Scout meeting (“and to keep an eye on Grian,” he added in a hushed voice.) The thought is nice, but it’s hardly a necessity.

Ren has corralled the girls into sitting on the couch together in front of the button machine, where the three of them joke together in unsubtle cacophony. His tail is wagging behind him and he gives Doc another thumbs-up. Xisuma nods and takes a seat on the armchair off to the side.

Doc claps his hands together to capture the room’s attention, and the group conversation slowly peters out. “Welcome,” he says, “to the first official meeting of Buttercup Scout troop M77. Today we’re going to be going over our goals for the troop and making your first official scout buttons.”

Grian unpins the large button on the top of her sash, presumably from her old troop, and limply holds it up. “Don’t most troops go to an official scout store for the button ceremony?” She props up her head on her hand. 

“That’s true, yes, but take a look at the design.” He points at it and she lowers it to get a better look at the screening, which was a simple outline of the flower in black with a yellow fill. Mumbo and Scarlet lean in to look as well. “It’s nice, but the picture is just printed on—lots of other girls have a button identical to that one. If you make your own, then no one else will have one like yours.”

Grian thinks on that for a moment before nodding and shoving the button in her pocket, seemingly mollified for the moment.

Mumbo tilts her head in thought. “Can we—are we drawing these, or…?”

Doc smiles and kneels down next to the coffee table. He slides a tub out from the small shelf attached to the underside and brandishes it for the group. It’s full of markers, colored pencils, and other art supplies from when Scarlet was younger. “Take a circle of paper from the pile next to the machine”—Scarlet reaches over to snag a few and hand them to the other girls—“and draw the design you want for your button!”

They go back to chattering amongst themselves as they draw, and Doc breathes a sigh of relief. So far, so good. Having three parents present for as many girls was definitely overkill, but he knew his Scarlet very well, and apparently Grian had a bit of a reputation. What precisely for, Doc couldn’t be certain, but it was bound to be exciting, a headache, or both.

It's not long before Ren takes the opportunity to walk around the backside of the couch and observe their work. He hums in appreciation as he does. “I like the cat face, Scarlet!” he says to her, and she beams at the praise. Doc should’ve guessed that’s what she’d make; it isn’t as if she’s been obsessed with cats since she was five, or anything like that.

Ren steps to the side to look at Mumbo’s pin, but she curls over it the second his shadow falls over her. “Don’t look at it! It’s not ready, and it’s bad, and!” She shakes her head, eyes scrunched shut. “You can look, but only once it's done.”

Ren softly agrees before she can work herself into a tizzy and leaves her to it. His expression once he gets a look at the button Grian is making has quite the strong resemblance to the face he made when he was shown that blood can be used as a substitute for eggs in baking—mostly off-put, a little confused, and just interested enough not to look away. He blinks a few times. “Er… Are you sure that's what you want to put on your Buttercup button, Grian? It's a little bit. Violent.”

Grian glares at him. “Yes.”

Xisuma murmurs under his breath, “Goodness me, not already,” and goes to stand up, but Doc gestures for him to stay seated with a flick of his wrist.

He instead ambles over with a practiced casualness, looking between his husband and all 4’11” of angry tween girl in his family room. “What seems to be the problem?” By this point, both Mumbo and Scarlet have drifted away from their own projects and keep stealing glances while trying not to look overly nosy.

Grian scoffs and holds up the paper she was working on. “I’m just sketching the design for my button. The handbook says that you can put whatever you want on a Buttercup button, and I want to draw this.”

Ah. Hm.

Really, the amount of detail she's managed to work in with just off-brand colored pencils is impressive. The shape language and clear design on the rabbit’s organs are notable, and the knife’s texture stands out well from the fur.

The handbook’s blithe statement of ‘whatever you want’ is almost certainly meant to be followed up by an unspoken ‘within reason and good sense, of course.’  Bunny viscera isn't exactly a part of the family-friendly Buttercup Scout image.

And Grian is staring him down, eyes daring him to tell her no.

Doc reaches forward and takes the drawing, telegraphing his movement enough for her to snatch the paper back if she desires. She doesn't, and he puts on airs of inspecting it closer.

“Do you draw often?” He asks.

She shifts a bit and crosses her arms. “Sometimes.”

Mumbo snorts and leans over. “Sometimes. Gri, you've filled three entire textbooks since the end of winter break.” Grian hisses and swats at her shoulder, though Mumbo just laughs in response.

Doc clears his throat and Grian snaps back into him. “I can tell you've been practicing; you're very good at this.”

“Mhm.” She doesn't sound impressed. “But…? There's always a but when people talk like that.”  She's still awaiting some specific reaction.

Doc just shrugs and hands the drawing back to her. “I’ll definitely help you make this one, but I'd prefer if you made another to be your official Buttercup button. I'm just worried that I'll get in trouble if you wear that while in uniform, since I'm your troop leader.”

Grian's face twists in confusion, though Scarlet’s eyebrows have shot up—she knows this technique well enough from her own upbringing, and she also knows well enough not to interrupt .

“...You're not telling me I have to throw this one out?” She's tense, like her unconscious mind can't decide whether or not to defensively raise her shoulders, or to completely unwind. Her gaze flickers between what she's been working on and Doc’s steady expression. “I can still make this one?”

“Sure, why not?”

For a moment, Grian doesn't have anything to say to that. 

At once, her off-kilter confusion is packed away into an uncertain, projected nonchalance. She leans forward and selects another sheet as if that has been her plan the entire time. “Whatever. I'm gonna draw my Minecraft skin.”

Mumbo perks up. “Wait, we can do that?” She crumples up her first paper and darts forward for another. “That's a much better idea!”

Scarlet bounces in her seat a little bit. “Let’s all do it! So then our buttons will match!”

Grian waves the two of them off. “I don't care; you guys can do whatever you want.” Despite that, there's a ghost of a smile threatening to break her mask of indifference.

Doc smiles at Ren (who easily returns it) in satisfaction and strolls back over to Xisuma. He raises one eyebrow in inquiry.

Xisuma’s wide eyes dart over to the rambunctious trio and back. He nods.

There's still the button ceremony, passing out number patches for their uniforms, selecting future goal events, and the closing ceremony left until the meeting is over, but in that moment, the controlled chaos is the perfect state for the meeting to be in.

As the meeting closes, Scarlet has made two buttons and two new friends. Doc couldn’t be more proud.

***

A few months later…

Doc claps his hands together and the girls fall silent. Three sets of wide, expectant eyes stare back at him. He smiles at his scouts. “Welcome back to another Buttercup Scout meeting, everyone!” With a finger held up for emphasis, he asks them, “Now scouts, who knows what we will be doing today?”

Grian smirks with self-satisfaction and casually offers, “Violating the Geneva Conventions?”

Mumbo and Scarlet giggle to each other before giving him an innocent look.

“Tax fraud?” Mumbo asks.

“Arson?” Scarlet chimes in.

Doc gasps in mock horror, hand pressed to his chest. “What?! No. No no no no, no!” The fake suggestions are a part of the routine at this point—Grian started it, Scarlet picked it up almost immediately, and Mumbo joined in a little bit later once she felt comfortable. He makes a noise like he’s considering their ideas. “Well, maybe tomorrow, but not now.”

They chorus whines of disappointment (Grian acts like she’s especially offended) and Doc continues, “Today we are going to work hard, earn some badges, and—”

Ren chooses that moment to bound back into the room. He throws his arms around the scouts in a quick hug. “And let’s sell some cookies, dudes!”

The group cheers, even anxious Mumbo, even temperamental Grian, and Scarlet is right in the middle of a group of people that care about her.

She got exactly what she wanted from the Buttercup Scouts.

Doc couldn’t be happier.

[captainharlock]

life updaate cause writing actual diary posts on my blog makes me feel like a person

so the last time i wrote one of these you all saw my big tale of woe back in september fighting for my dumb gay medical exam-- it gets funnierrrrr. to summarize

september: getting all of my visa stuff together. you guys already know you saw it

october: going to montreal for my interview. this was the longest 3 days of my life and the train broke down both ways (genuinely if you live in the GTA and wanna go to montreal just fly. its literally just as expensive to go through via rail and their shit breaks down and you dont get a free snack and its so much longer. i hated itttt. (didn't help that my mom who came with me took window seat both times)) but the upsides were that

1. at my interview i got a really nice old lady US embassy employee and she immediately approved me and told me that i was approved, not leaving anything up in the air. she was so sweet too.

2. i got to go out for dinner that same night with my really awesome long-time online friend fran, we ate at this korean place she suggested and it was such an awesome congratulatory meal given how happy i was from getting approved and also getting to see someone i've known for a decade in person finally!!! we walked around downtown montreal a bit too and it was awesome. just an awesome awesome day.

then the next day i went home, and the rest of october was spent crowdfunding my teeth because they were so evil

november: prep for moving, and i actually got to fix my teeth this month! its so crazy how i felt like my entire head was rotting off beforehand. like i would consistently complain about how it felt like something was... decomposing, in me. its hard to explain. but as soon as i got all the dental work i needed (a whole slew of normal fillings + THREE root canals) the feeling was just... gone. who knew that having holes and infections and rot in the bones in your head would make you feel rotten. huh. thank you everyone who helped with that by the way!!! on the 26th when i had my final appointment i thanked the student dentists who worked on me and got them cards and everything-- i really hope for the best for them in their dental school journey they were so nice to me.

on the 28th i finally did it! i flew out to americaaaa. now i'm here with my wife and everything is okay and fine and its the holiday season. life couldn't be better ^^ thanks everyone who stuck around with me through all the woe of this journey!!!!!!

[basket-of-cats-and-witches]

Tidbit Tuesdays: And We're Back

*slides in with a coffee and sunglasses to hide the dark circles under my eyes*

It hasn't been two weeks since I posted, I don't know what you're talking about.

Anyway, an emergency root canal, a crown, and quite a lot of money later, I'm back on my LaDs grind. Truth be told on top of everything else, I'm going through writer's block, so WIPs is just about all I've got.

Can't commit to anything, like my teeth can't commit to my mouth.

If you've survived this rambling, bless. This week's WIPs are just a random assortment of things. And if you're new here, this is where I post things I'm proud of, just generally like, or am currently working on.

If you enjoy this (or just generally appreciate people) please leave a like or a reblog! It lets me know people like what I'm doing, and encourages me to keep writing!

---

Notes: first up is Zayne and Kiri, my MC. I recently finished catching up on the new (!!!) main storyline additions, so this is your spoiler warning before I continue.

I loved where the story went, and so decided to do a "what if" in which Kiri temporarily has her memory restructured by the Protofield and the Myst, dropped into a dreamscape that reflects Dreamwalker's world.

It's fun. It's SUPER fun. I should get back to it soon.

❄️❄️❄️

Kiri’s day ended like this:

Akso hospital had strict regimented shifts to combat the constant wave of abominations. At the end of hers, she got scanned, tested, and questioned before she was allowed to leave. A pair of military men in uniforms escorted her down out of the hospital campus, waiting with her until someone could come pick her up.

They never needed to wait long.

Zayne was almost always perfectly on time.

The black silhouette appeared silently through the thick mist, her escorts tensing before realizing who it was. She patted one on the shoulder, saying her goodbyes before stepping forward.

Her hand found Zayne's before she'd even said a word.

“How was work?” He murmured. In his other hand were groceries, the plastic sack sagging with the weight.

Kiri sighed, pulling her hair loose from its bun. “Long,” she replied. “Three more cases today. The ACU ward is overflowing already, and Chansia hospital can't take anymore. They're bursting at the seams.” She leaned into him, her pink scrubs brushing against the wool of his coat.

He frowned at her. “You took your jacket this morning. Where is it?”

“Hm?” Kiri blinked in surprise. “Oh. Someone needed it more than I did.” She smiled at his exasperated sigh, tugging on his sleeve. “Come on. I have you to keep me warm, don't I?”

Zayne shook his head, a slight smile forcing its way through his irritation. “Still. The nurse can't help people if she gets sick, can she? Your health has to come first.”

She hummed, neither agreeing nor denying it. He huffed in response. “Let's go home, my moon.”

Kiri had worked at Akso hospital as long as she could remember. She'd graduated top of her class, with perfect marks, and settled easily into her new life. Work in the Abominations Containment Unit was intense, and it seemed her coworkers were on a revolving door roster. Few people stayed as long as she did, with cases increasing every day.

It was at some point during that that she met Zayne.

A former patient of hers had cornered her in an alley, begging for help before turning into an awful, monstrous thing.

A sudden explosion of black ice had been her saving grace.

The man in black had vanished as quickly as he'd appeared, and, well…

As if following a thread of fate itself, she chased after him.

It was unconscionable for a nurse and someone like him to fall in together. Kiri was well aware she was breaking the code of ethics, not to mention the oaths she'd taken.

Yet here they were.

It felt like it had been forever since they'd gotten together.

It felt like it had been no time at all.

❄️❄️❄️

Notes: This one's been in the mental WIP for a while. I usually let ideas ferment in my head for a while before I bake them into fics, like a good sourdough.

This one focuses on Kit and Sylus, Kit being his second in command and NOT the MC. If you've been here a while, you know her. Anyway, I wanted to do a "what if Kit got hurt" thing, and as usual, they can't help bantering even when she's been stabbed. Go figure.

Fair warning, this one does feature some gruesome imagery. Not a lot though.

🐦‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐈‍⬛

The remains of the building shuddered, dust and sheetrock crumbling down. Sylus ran his flashlight over the rubble, keeping an ear out for any voices.

“Keep a low profile,” he murmured to the twins. “It's not just Kit that might be down here.”

The twins nodded firmly.

The building was a winding, gray mess, shadowed corners scurrying away at each sweep of the flashlights. Every once in a while, they would have to make a wide berth around slowly seeping pools of red, checking the remains for identification.

So far, there were only strangers.

“Fan out,” Sylus murmured. “We'll get more coverage that way.”

The twins and the other men he brought along nodded, splitting up into groups of two. All of them had radios, but it was a shot in the dark whether they would keep working in the lingering metaflux.

It was eerily quiet down here.

The rubble blocked all outside noises, leaving nothing but the occasional whisper of dust or the clatter of stone.

At last, he came to a room that was nearly intact.

It appeared to be a lab, the viewing windows completely shattered. A single threadbare bulb struggled to stay lit, swinging to and fro as it flickered dangerously.

Sylus carefully stepped inside, his feet crunching softly on the broken glass.

A body lay inside, the head twisted unnaturally. A badge on the lab coat proclaimed this to be someone who worked in the building.

The position of their hand was odd, and he leaned closer to examine it. There were faint marks to indicate they'd tightly gripped something before they died.

A second later, his instincts screamed for him to move, and he rolled out of the way, just as someone dropped down from a ceiling panel.

He swiftly got to his feet, ducking left as a shot fired, cutting through his jacket. With a lunge forward, he slammed his hand down, disarming his opponent.

A blade kissed his throat from their other hand, and he looked down into the cold, wild eyes of Kit.

“It's me, sweetie,” he said breathlessly.

Kit blinked. Her hair was messy and dusty, falling out of its usual braid. She held herself strangely, almost curling forward as she gripped the blade.

“Prove it,” she snapped.

Red mist yanked the blade from her grasp, pulling her into his arms. Sylus let just enough power through to make his eye glow without invading her thoughts. “How's that?”

She hissed in pain, grabbing his jacket to steady herself. “That works,” she grit out. “Someone had a doppelganger evol here. They looked like Evan, our diagnostics head.”

Sylus swore, thinking of the nervous man he'd spoken to before. “He might have made it out. I just spoke to Evan before we entered. Are you alright?”

Kit shook her head. “Took a piece of rebar to the side. I didn't have the luxury of keeping it stuck in there, there were people trying to kill me. How did you of all people not notice Evan?”

He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “Occasionally things do escape me, kitten. It's harder to tell when the man in question is always sweating like he's in a sauna.” He glanced at her sidelong. “Speaking of, you bring up a good point. What's to say you aren't a doppelganger? A good one, but one nonetheless.”

She reared back, offended. “Excuse you! Are you implying my fighting is on the level of any average person?”

Sylus smirked. “Your ability with firearms does leave something to be desired.”

“You motherfu- eep!” Kit squeaked as Sylus picked her up, his arm settling neatly under her bottom. She clung to his shoulders as a scarlet flush swept across her skin.

He chuckled. “There's that beautiful full-body blush. No imposter after all.”

“If I survive this,” Kit snapped, “I'm going to do my best to choke you out.”

“I look forward to it.” He stepped out of the room, grabbing his radio. “Twins, can you read me?”

The radio crackled for a moment before a reply came through. “Loud and clear, boss. Has mama bird been located?”

“I take it back,” Kit muttered. “I'm killing them first, and then you.”

Sylus smiled at that. “Mama bird is with me, yes,” he replied, his eyes crinkling at the murderous glare she shot his direction. “We're exiting the building now. Withdraw and rendezvous at South Tower.”

🐦‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐈‍⬛

Note: Ahahaha. Our last one is Omegaverse. That's flustering and fun. This one's less suggestive, mostly due to the fact that I was jotting down headcanons for Omegaverse AU and it turned into mini fics. So this one is Zayne and Kiri.

❄️❄️❄️

For some reason, the universe decides to bless Kiri with the worst possible heat to go along with her myriad of health problems.

In the week leading up to it, she feels exhausted and sick, throwing up food easily and sleeping poorly.

Previous doctors have told her that it's because she has an extremely high hormone production rate, and it means she's extra fertile.

That she should be grateful.

She had to hold herself back from strangling them.

It also means she can't take suppressants.

Zayne, at least, is sympathetic. Even long before they begin a relationship, he reaches out through his connections to find her hormone specialists, people who can help her manage her symptoms.

And after they start dating, well.

He spoils her rotten.

Zayne can only really take the week of her heat off, with how vital he is to operations in Akso Hospital. However, the clean house, fresh linens, and hot food he gets for her goes a long way towards helping.

She always tries to protest his help after his shift is over, stating that he already works enough.

He just does it anyway. All her plushies get scented, her favorite pastries are bought, and her extra expensive jar of tea is left out by a new mug on the kitchen island.

She could just cry from how sweet he is.

When her heat strikes, it's similar.

Kiri becomes very particular about her nest, only choosing the most recent articles of clothing he's worn. She gets exhausted very quickly, and Zayne purchases scent blocking candles to light throughout the entire apartment.

(He's seriously considering how much it would be to get a house outside of the city. If he catches another Alpha lingering at his doorstep or below his balcony window, he's going to break his doctor's oaths on purpose)

❄️❄️❄️

Thanks for reading, and have a good Tuesday!

[asbestos4president]

Hamuel Burger and the American Dream episode 4 trancript

Episode title: Indeterminance Night and the Mercurial Vision (audiobook part one)

Patty: How about this?

Indie: So you're wearing a minecraft hoodie. Puke green cargo shorts. A tamagotchi necklace permanently stuck on the death screen. And on your head is a baseball cap with the text "the only thing I love more than chess is being an aunt". 

Patty: It's funny cause I'm not an aunt! 

Indie: I love it, I really do, but I'm just worried the Australian Prime Minister will see your outfit and not be able to avoid falling in love at first sight. That's how the Trojan war started! Another Trojan War would ruin my vacation!

Patty: You don't have to worry about that. I would never let a horse inside my home. In fact, I'm very afraid of horses. They have this permanently disappointed expression that always reminds me of my mother. Have you ever noticed that?

Indie: Fair. You know we didn't have to go to a thrift store to get you clothes, right? You are currently one of the richest women in America.

Patty: Which is exactly why we had to go to that thrift store! Look at all the bargains I got. Here's a mug that says "I Heart Root Canals!" Here's Glee: The Board Game! Here's a sock I lost back in 2014! I needed to buy all of this for my emotional wellbeing.

Wait, you're not mad, right? I know you weren't exactly your husband's biggest fan, but I get it if you don't want me spending his money on- have I shown you this one? It's a toaster that prints Hello Kitty on your breakfast! Yeah. Sorry. I'll ask if they have a return policy.

Indie: Actually, I think we can salvage this. Just put one of my blazers on over your hoodie and we can call it business casual. If anyone asks what business you're trying to be casual about, run.

Patty: Not the blazer! I don't want to look like Hillary Clinton.

Indie: Oh, honey. Hillary Clinton wouldn't be caught dead in those shoes. Now get out of here! Scram! Pokemon Go to the golf course! I love you.

Patty: What?

Indie: What? That was an exceedingly normal thing for the first lady to say to her wife. In fact, it would be highly suspicious if you didn't say it back.

Patty: Oh. Um. I love you too!

Indie: Oh, you love me? Embarrassing. I'm going to hold a press conference to tell everyone, and they're all going to point and laugh. 

Patty: Ugh. 

Ah, wait. Just one thing before I go. So I had this stack of letters… I usually keep them with me, but I can't find them. I'm really worried they were in that bag we threw out. If you have time to look through our stuff to see if they're there, that would be nice. They're really important to me.

Indie: Okay, love you, bye!

Patty: Nice try. If you find those letters, maybe I'll say it back!

[door closing]

(quieter, to herself)

Oh my god. Was that smooth? That felt smooth. Haha! I am a romance wizard!

Judith the Butler: Is Mrs. The President ready for her private jet to the golf course?

Patty: Ah! Judith! You scared me. Have you been here the whole time?

Judith (over creepy sfx): I have been here since before the world began and I shall remain here long after it ends, sweeping up the ashes in preparation for the next species of sentient life to find themselves in need of a butler. I see all and I know all, but what I see is none of my concern and what I know is none of yours. Does Mrs. The President have any further questions?

Patty: Many!

Judith the Butler: Good. Allow me to escort you to your ride. 

[scene change signified by music change to Mysterious Jazz]

Indie: Indeterminance Night and the Mercurial Vision, book the first. Based on a true story. Dedicated to Dr. Medulla O'Blongata, who said my work was derivative. Look at me now, bitch! Please call me if you read this. I miss us. 

Chapter the first.

Sitting alone on her bed, Space Baroness Indeterminance Night found herself conveniently reflecting on the events that had brought her up to this point. She had been but the Baron's lowly wife before a dashing assassin burst into their bedchambers and vanquished him with a laser sword. 

"Oh my," Indeterminance said, for she was wearing only her bedtime spacesuit, which was lacy and diaphanous but in a sort of futuristic way.

That was when the assassin had removed their helmet to reveal a torrent of violet hair. The most beautiful woman Indeterminance had ever seen was standing in her bedroom, and she made a mental note to introduce her to a better brand of conditioner. 

"My lady," said the assassin, dropping to one knee and taking Indeterminance's hand in her own. Indeterminance couldn't help but notice her sultry Space Australian accent. "My lady, I have come to save you from this wretched fate, for tales of your intellect and beauty have spread throughout the galaxy, and I knew I could not rest until I had you for my own."

"Aha!" Said Indeterminance. "Wait until the groupchat hears about this! They all said I needed to lower my standards because I would never find a hot butch space knight. Fools, the lot of them, and lacking in whimsy, too!"

"I must leave you now," said the assassin, her wide brown orbs clouded by sorrow, "for I have to fight off the guards. Would you do me the great favour of disposing of the body?."

"Anything!" gasped Indeterminance. "But what is your name, beautiful stranger? Will I ever see you again?"

"My name is Petroleum Hotdog. I have hidden seven letters around the space palace. If you collect them all, you shall find within the secret code by which to summon me. Until then, farewell, my love!"

"Like Slenderman!"

"This story is set on planet Mercury. I don't know who that is."

Then Petroleum vanished in a gust of violet petals, and Indeterminance was left holding only her right glove, still warm. She shook her head, dispelling any thoughts that might distract her from her mission, and slung the baron's corpse over her shoulder. Her biceps were large and hauntingly beautiful. She scuttled through the space palace, careful not to knock over any of the baron's space vases in which he kept clippings of rare space plants like dandelions and spinach. Under the sounds of fighting outside, she was able to make her way to the doors of the kitchen. They were wooden, a reminder of the planet humans had fled from long ago, and though Indeterminance had never seen a tree in person, the sight of them filled her with nostalgia. She pushed the doors gently, and-

Judith: Mrs. First Lady. What are you doing in the hotel kitchen, if I may ask?

Indie: Uhm.

(back into reading mode)

The space butler! There was no way she could tell them her secret plan to put the Baron's corpse in a blender and feed him to her pet asteroid, Cousin Rockmorton. They would never understand!

Judith: A blender, you say.

Indie: No! I just got lost looking for the hotel pool. Can you point me to it? And let the staff know that the first lady is in there and wishes to remain undisturbed.

Judith: Of course, ma'am.

Indie: Phew!

(back to reading mode)

Her plan having worked effortlessly, Indeterminance set forth for the space palace gardens, which were mostly full of rocks. Space fact: space has a lot of rocks in it. At the centre of the garden was a crater filled with clear blue water, a man made pool heated and dyed to mimic a geothermal spring. She dipped a finger in and tasted it. Chlorine and food colouring. This pool was the crown jewel of the garden, for though it was neither large nor deep, being able to afford decorative water on Mercury was a powerful status symbol. She positioned the baron's body at its side, ready to push him in. Surely he had just been staring at his reflection in the water when he lost his balance and fell.

Judith: I've brought refreshments for you and your companion, ma'am. I do hope I'm not intruding.

Indie: Gah! 

[splash]

My… Companion?

Judith: Yes, your gentleman friend. I can't quite make out his face under the… Is his skin rotting?

Indie: None of my friends are gentlemen, Judith! You know very well that I only associate with harlots and scoundrels. This is just my inflatable liferaft, and it has a skin condition that it's extremely sensitive about.

Judith: My apologies. I shall sit here and perform lifeguard duty as per section 46 of the Good Butler's Guide to Butlering Goodly, Swimsuit Edition. Look, it even has a centrefold containing a diagram of the proper technique by which to build a construction code appropriate sandcastle. In full colour! How very salacious.

Indie: You know, Judith, I suddenly feel rather too cold to swim. I may retire indoors. Is there a fireplace in this hotel at all? Do you think it may need topping up? I have acquired a rare and beautiful piece of kindling that looks like a dead man and smells like a dead man, but has been certified by several coroners to be a log. No need to look too closely.

Judith: There is a fireplace in the dining room, ma'am, however-

Indie: Say no more! I'm off!

(back to reading mode)

So there she was, Space Baroness Indeterminance Night, stalking through the palace like the mighty tigers of yore. Rather than an antelope, her prey was that most elusive beast: the fireplace! 

Writing fact: there are no tigers in space, but I couldn't think of another simile. 

Space fact: Well, actually, space is famously very large, so there could totally be space tigers out there somewhere, chilling. You're just not cool enough to be invited to their parties. 

Indie fact: Now I'm thinking about all the space tiger parties I haven't been invited to, and it's making me sad.

(out of reading mode)

Oh, there's the fireplace! 

(into reading mode)

She approached it trepidatiously, for it could attack at any moment, but all it did was hum quietly and loop the same gif of the platonic ideal of a fire. Gently, as she was a little sorry despite herself, Indeterminance placed the body down and turned her face away. However, instead of the scent of burning flesh reaching her nose, there was only 

(out of reading mode)

- is that seaweed?

Judith: 'tis merely my cologne, ma'am. It's supposed to be elegant and sensual, yet dangerous and masculine.

Indie: You smell like a dead jellyfish.

Judith: Elegant and sensual, yet dangerous and masculine. I came to inform you that this fireplace is electric, so you may have to find some other method by which to dispose of your government certified log. 

Indie: God. Alright. Well, I suddenly feel the need to perform a governmental inspection of the hotel garbage shoot in accordance with current health and safety standards. You know, making sure it's in good enough working order to transport large, cadaverous, formerly presidential items, just as a random example.

Judith (over creepy sfx): You needn't worry. I already tested the strength of the rubbish shoot this morning by tossing down the head chef of this hotel after he tried to serve you eggs that were one degree too cold. He's still in one piece, but so are airpods after you accidentally run them through the washing machine. 

Indie: I see. Are we paying you for these inspections, Judith?

Judith: Oh, no, I do it for the love of our glorious nation.

Indie: Alright, I'll hide this corpse the old fashioned way- with a shovel and a dream. You must have a shovel and a dream in you somewhere, Judith. Please?

Judith: I own no shovel, and I haven't had a dream in years. What's this about a corpse?

Indie: It was here that Indeterminance was confronted with a choice that would change her life forever. Could she trust the butler with the knowledge of her crime? Between her saintly dead mother, her neglectful father and her two horrible step sisters, Rutabaga and Trout, the only one left to raise her had been the butler. They had brushed her hair, tied her laces, soothed her when she cried… If she could not trust this one person, she could trust nobody at all. And yet, still she hesitated.

Judith: You hired me two weeks ago, ma'am. You're paying me ten dollars an hour.

Indie: Fine. Whatever. Just go ahead and ruin my narrative suspense, why don't you. Here's the deal: the president is dead. I replaced him with a purple-haired bisexual woman who wears sandals with socks and is overly passionate about moving horses around in some ancient boardgame. I feel pretty good about this decision. Now, are you going to help me hide his body, or am I going to have to hide yours as well?

Judith: Oh, the president? I've been trying to kill that fucker for years. Pass him over.

[thump]

Thank you. I shall wrap him up and dispose of him discreetly. Like a tampon!

Indie: It's that easy?

Judith: You're rich, you can kill whoever you want. Would you like a lemonade? 

Indie: But Indeterminance had no time to partake in the sweet juice of the lemon, for one more mystery remained to be solved: where were the seven secret love letters of Petroleum Hotdog? She checked the kitchens, the bathrooms, the dining hall, the study, the jewel-counting room, the observatory, the… Aha!

[phone dialling sounds / ringing]

Patty: Hi, you've reached the voicemail of Patricia Bur-

Asbestos: Whatcha doin'?

Patty: Recording my voicemail. It's kinda like when the library's closed so you have to stick your books in the return slot outside, but the slot is a recording of me saying "please leave a message after the beep". Say hi to whoever's listening to this!

Asbestos: No. I don't trust them. What are your intentions with my earth hostage, stranger? State them immediately or I shall blow up your mobile communication device with my mind! Also, please call back and explain to me what a library is. I've been pretending to know so that Patty thinks I'm smart, but based on the metaphor she just laid out, my prior hypothesis that it was some kind of dairy product or perhaps a fancy dog breed has become somewhat challenged. Love and kisses, Asbestos Sputnik Le Guin. 

Patty: What? You didn't tell me you had a cool middle name! Mine is Tomato. Anyway. Please leave a message after the beep. Bessy, do you want to…?

Asbestos: Beeeeeeeeeeeee-

(prolonged coughing fit)

-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! And don't call this number again, you hear me? Bad things will happen if you do! Real bad th-

[recording ends]

Indie: Hello my normal wife. I'm choosing to ignore whatever that was in favour of informing you that I have found your missing correspondence, and that it was in your other jacket. You know, the one that's exactly the same as your regular jacket except in a slightly greyer shade of green. Don't worry, I haven't read your letters! I am a woman of great honour and standing. Sometimes great sitting. I'm multifaceted that way.

[end voicemail]

[Indie hangs up, then picks up the phone again]

[phone ringing]

Operator: You have two new messages.

[beep]

Indie: Hello again, my single-apparition comet. Because I value transparency in our relationship (which we founded entirely on lies) I'm just calling to let you know that I opened one of the letters. I only did it in the interest of national security, and freedom, and because I really wanted to know what was inside. I haven't read it! But I will. I definitely will. Yours truly, love and light, her first ladyfulness Independence Liberty Day.

[beep]

Indie: Hi Patty! I didn't know you had a little brother. He appears to be in severe mental distress. How cute! Listen, there was a letter in there that you must have forgotten to send. So, because I felt a little guilty about reading it, I posted it for you! No need to pay me back for the stamp. XOXO, Indie.

P.S: Okay, if anyone is tapping this phone call, stop it now. I need to talk to my wife ALONE.

Okay, so you want to hear the real gossip? I heard that Independence Day is voiced by Jenny Wang, Patty is voiced by Monkozia, and Judith the Butler is voiced by N.V. May. Asbestos Le Guin is apparently voiced by Bulk, which is wild. I also heard that Spikes edited this episode! Really scandalous stuff. It could ruin their whole careers if it got out that they were such sick freaks! That's why I'm only telling you, and nobody else. K, love you, bye! 

[wirewitchviolet]

When Complete BS Becomes "Common Knowledge."

Someone told me they stopped paying attention to someone who reviews movies after one too many mean-spirited jokes about trans people, and it was one of those cases where the reviewer in question definitely had the vibe of someone who'd go around doing that, but I couldn't think of any real flagrant examples. Cut to me watching a movie the other day, remembering that oh yeah, I skipped that one guy's review of it because I wanted to go in blind, and sure enough, that review has this big long crappy 5 minute aside of an out of left field "DID YOU JUST ASSUME MY GENDER!?" routine. So that's a shame.

Now this particular guy rather famously Does Not Get Out Much. Pretty sure he hasn't really have any exposure to a single trans person, or to any real die hard transphobes, and most likely what happened here is he saw I dunno, an episode of South Park or a facebook post from some bigoted aunt, or some Tiktok video, something like that, and just blithely assimilated it into his world view.

But you know, the reality is... to the best of my knowledge no trans person has ever actually said this, or anything similar to this, and we sure as hell don't live in a world where anyone would have the back of someone who did? But you know, here we are.

Now I want to be clear, this isn't some kinda thing where trans people can't take a joke or anything. Literally while I was typing this, some cis guy just tossed this out, and this is a real tired old hokey one, but I cracked a smile, because oh yeah, the whole "programmer socks" bit really is a weirdly accurate stereotype.

And there's plenty of other trans jokes I'll laugh at. Ones directly at my expense. Some real dark ones even. You wanna go off on trans women all having the same like 10 names and them all sounding like we were born in the 1800s, go for it. Other stuff about how we all dress? Coping mechanisms? Low standards? Being too into pickles and sriracha? There's plenty.

But "DID YOU JUST ASSUME MY GENDER!?" and while we're at it, "I identify as..." don't even have the vague shape of something you're ever going to encounter in reality. Like if I didn't know the context of where these came from and hadn't had them posted a thousand times or so by people with swastikas for avatars and such, these probably would get a laugh from me the first time I heard them, because they sound like weird surrealist humor. Like, "don't you hate how every time you go to the laundromat, you have to play chess with the dragon before they let you in?"

But, again, I know the context. And the context is a bunch of fascists want people like me dead, and they're both too scared to pick up a gun to do it themselves and too incompetent to know who to point it at or where to find them. So they sit around with each other and go "hey, what sort of person does everyone hate? Let's all say trans people talk like them!" And because they haven't spoken to a single human being besides each other and the rich parents they're sponging off since getting banned from the Something Awful forums in the 90s/punk bar in the 80s/whatever, they settled on "rich white person calling the cops on somebody for walking down the street" and "didn't I first get into being a hatemonger because I was stupid enough to think that time I saw someone roleplaying he really thought he was a big scary dragon?" Which has honestly worked out weirdly well for them when you stop for half a second to appreciate just how absolutely ridiculous it is to ever imagine cops coming to the aid of trans people.

Like... here's a situation that actually plays out in reality. I have a bad tooth. Dentist says I need a root canal, and she doesn't do them. Refers me to another dentist like an hour and a half away. I walk in, write my Victorian sounding name on some paperwork, fill in all my various medications, wait a bit, hop into the big dentist's chair, so far so good. This dentist busts out the pick and the mirror about to have a look, and goes "hey, so I noticed on your medications you're taking a ton of something called divigel? What is that?" I say "oh, yeah, I'm trans, so I'm on supplemental estradiol." She almost drops the mirror, stares at me like she just realized I'm Venom and if she bent down to look at my teeth I was about to swallow her whole head. She stands bolt upright, says, "your teeth are fine, get out." I'm a bit confused, but I can read a room, so I say "well that's weird, but OK..." and start to leave. I get a "have a nice day SIR!" shouted at me. And then I go out, call the cab company to say my appointment ended early, and get told too bad, it's coming when it's scheduled, and someone snickers. See, at some point in having to take cabs to all my appointments, a driver worked out that this woman he'd been picking up from this address for the past year has a similar voice to and maybe vague family resemblance to who he'd been picking up from that same address the year prior, and after getting the courage to ask me, guess who's constantly having cabs show up late, or not at all, or on time with a driver staring angrily into the rear view mirror while blaring AM radio with someone shouting about all "the gays" needing to be rounded up so they can burn in hell. And I just need to suck it up and live with it. I'm sure as hell not going to pick a fight over it. I'm just gonna stand out in the cold (fortunately with nice warm knee-high socks) waiting for this cab for an hour because I sure as hell can't stay in this lobby.

But again, the whole weird myth here posits a world where trans people are all-powerful and control the government and stuff. And the basis for that is like... sometimes people refuse to pass ridiculous laws to stop trans people from doing things we only do in bigots' imaginations at great taxpayer expense, and SOMETIMES someone is responsible enough to double check what's up before they allocate the funds. Like... hell, you know what's exactly as completely divorced from reality and honestly the same people doing to same crap? That wild BS about "schools keeping litter boxes in classrooms because all this acceptance of trans people means we also have to accept kids who think they're cats!" Like... how the hell can anyone actually be stupid enough to believe that anyone else could be stupid enough to believe that they're actually stupid enough to believe such an OBVIOUSLY made-up narrative? Like... lawmakers bring that one up and try to get bills passed on it. Everyone else in the room is socially obligated not to laugh and ask whether they also want to pass legislation against Bat Boy and UFO abductions. This is Ralph Wiggum tier absurdity.

But like... what do you do about this sort of thing, really? As the person ultimately has to deal with the dentists who think I'll bite their heads off, ask to speak to their manager, and drop trou over a sandbox the state mandates they keep in the middle of the room, I'm... not in the room when this BS gets concocted, or discussed, or shared in Minions meme some film critic sees and imitates to try and be relatable and relevant. Can someone else start grabbing all these people by the lapels and shake them and shout questions about how they can be this stupid, maybe invite them back to reality for me?

[ramayantika]

A goodbye needed

From being born in Hyderabad to living in the northern part of India, that is Gurgaon and then the Western side, Maharashtra to Vishakhapatnam in the south and finally in the eastern states of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Odisha, I do get to say that I covered eighteen years of my life in the four main directions of India. But my favourite city has and will always be Kolkata.

To be honest, my brother desperately wanted to live in Kolkata because of Eden Gardens in our GK book. I wasn't that interested until I arrived in Kolkata in 2016 to appear for the written test in my school. The exam went well and so did the interview. I remember my father lived in a small bachelor's one room apartment in Ruby Park. My eleven year old eyes were stunned as they took in the grandeur of the old buildings from the British era to the modern metros and malls of Kolkata. When I came back to Raipur, all I knew was Kolkata would be life changing for me.

And in 2017, I did come home. To Kolkata. A small roadside apartment facing a canal where you don't have crystal clear water but drainage water. Somehow the water wasn't stinky until the arrival of the monsoon showers. I lived there from 2017 to 2020. I was supposed to stay there until 2022 but fate had other plans but that's a story for another day.

I always call Kolkata home even though I am from Odisha. It was the only city that embraced all shades of me. I spent the first two years of my teenage there. The damp roads leading to my apartment have heard my songs above sweet love and true friendship. On quiet midnights, my tiny balcony knew the whispers of my soul, and the questions it asked about fate and the world. The monsoon rainfall told me how to appreciate nature and beauty. I learnt to dance with storms, and dream of stories that I now write and desperately wish to be a part of.

I met a teacher who told me in a tone akin to a whisper in front of the class that I am like a small pandora box, hidden from view but having the most wonderful and beautiful things to offer the world. The next month I danced for a school event and God since then I never looked back. Kolkata connected my soul to literature and culture.

I am no longer in Kolkata but each time my calendar notifies Rabindranath Thakur's jayanti, my heart goes to the old tunes of Rabindra sangeet; the beauty and tenderness of his songs that captured my heart and caused me to spill some of my poetry in the last page of my rough notebook.

I visited kolkata again in December 2021 after first term examinations of class twelve. My connection with kolkata broke like a plant uprooted from its soil. It felt as if I had been banished from home. All the months that passed, and all the seasons that changed showed me memories and dreams of what could have been in kolkata. But when I visited kolkata, I saw how some things had changed.

My home appeared....... different? I always say that my young soul blossomed in Kolkata. The same soul turned sad at the emotion that the city showed me. Perhaps that's how growing up is. To see that things around you change, people, roads, hearts everything but somewhere there still lies a calling that says, 'hey, I know things are different. But I am still here. Look at me, embrace the new me. Embrace yourself. You are changing too.'

Where it once used to be wonder, nostalgia filled my heart as I met my friends after two years. I passed through my apartment again and smiled at the balcony, my small corner for solitude. I saw a few towels hanging there.

Going back from Kolkata felt a little sad. I could not accept the change. I had been uprooted from my roots, and when I come back I see new flowers springing up. Without me?

Then after a year, I visited Kolkata again in July 2023. I had grown so had the city. When I passed by the same British era buildings and Howrah bridge, the same wonder struck my soul. I saw a few flowers growing on the pathway, getting their nourishment from the July showers. The empty space in my heart too was filled with flowers. My friends who are now in their respective colleges, doing their own things with their own friend circles now but somehow we come together. Just like old days before.

Home is always home no matter how far you go or how long you stay away from it. Home will always welcome you back. The fragrance of wet earth filled my soul with a warm blanket, as if telling me that all this while, I waited for you. I am different but I am still your friend.

Era sukher laagi chahe prem, prem mele na.

Shudhu sukh chole jaye emoni mayar cholona

This song will always remind me of Kolkata, the warm monsoon nights that were filled with a longing of love, friendship and magic. It will take me back to dreams and whispers of a fantasy that my heart still believes in that I would one day bring forth the wonder and beauty of my Self to the world. It will remind me that there must be tender days to be spent in reading poetry on a cool evening.

The day I boarded the train to Durgapur, my heart hummed the tune of Era Sukher Lagi from Choker Bali. As the train left the station, I waved at my young self through the window. It was farewell. I would come home later for my dance work, a thread that shall tie me to this wonderful city forever but I would never come home this way ever again and for the first time I was happy. And perhaps to witness an end to a heartwarming journey of nostalgia, acceptance to change and farewell, the clouds showered rainfall against the window just like the cool monsoon nights years ago.

All was well....

[dr-jingles]

Art is hard when Life is Happening but we persist- That's to say I've had a Big Life event happen recently, and a series other things to keep the punches coming. Some context below [ CW death, pet death, uh tooth issues ?]. I want to get back into drawing a bit more regularly- to get back some normalcy in my life. I might start up streaming again, or I might just start posting more whatever doodles here to help keep me on track. But thanks to everyone who has stuck around, and for all the love you've given me and especially my silly little characters.

On July 20th my father passed away. I still don't really know how to cope with it- or process it. I can't rightly put to words how important he was to me, just like the rest of my family. He was always supportive in his own way- encouraging of my art- and was the one who introduced me to the wonders of video games and MUCH more. Then August 3rd, two weeks later, our family dog passed away. I know it will get easier with time, but it's still hard. It all sucks a lot. I've got great friends and a good support system to help me through it, and I'm so thankful for that. So then of course I have to get some dental work done [root canal babeyyy] which was not cheap even with insurance [love that American health care system] and it will need a crown sooner rather than later just to add the cherry on top of this Sundae. I swear it better start going up from here cos I'm starting to run out of pegs to get knocked down from. [ I will be alright, just using a bit of some good ol humor to help cope].

[lady-phasma]

sooo...in the wake of all of that...thoughts? feelings?

i actually really enjoyed it!! i feel like they dialed down the volume of the drama (still there ofc) but they made it more understated so it hit a lot harder and i think they did it really well, plus everyone's acting was a-mazing <3 i'm so excited for what comes next :))

Hi! I have been sitting on this for a while because life got crazy (root canal, birthday, back to work). Plus I really wanted to have time to think about my answer.

I'm going to do a "positivity sandwich" - I learned this as a lead at one of my retail jobs. 😂 It helps people receive negative feedback.

I agree that the acting was phenomenal. I posted about Emma's acting and how brilliant it was that they only spoke four words in the entire episode. I think TGC really brought it as well, thankfully with more screen time as aged-up Aegon. Everyone did a great job with what was scripted. (I think that's an important qualifier for me.)

I am overall very underwhelmed. I know that the season had to set up the events that immediately followed Luke's death and the ramifications. I just felt like the pacing was off. I would have liked a cliffhanger between B&C getting in the castle and the actual event. Move that to the beginning of episode two and give it more than 8 mins or whatever it was. Not to make it more graphic, that choice was fine with me, but to make it have more emotional impact. At this point, the beginning of episode two is going to feel disconnected from the final scene in episode one.

We have seven more episodes and I am in it for the long run (as long as Matt is in it). I didn't have expectations for episode one really, just seemed... anticlimactic after all the press and hype they threw at us. I love my dragon soap opera and hope the pacing will get better. I'm certainly looking forward to Harrenhal and how crazy/spooky those glimpses of it are in the trailers. And, as always, the more dragons we get, the better.

Lastly, in addition to Rhaenyra, Rhaenys, Alicent, and Helaena were so well performed in this episode that they are the main reasons I want to do a rewatch before Sunday.

I have lots of questions (like Corlys doesn't know who Alyn is?) and lots of ideas (Daemon encountering Alys is going to give me so much brain rot if it happens), but mostly I have no expectations other than Matt. Kind of unrelated, I am oddly proud of him for getting top billing after Paddy left. That's really cool.

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #251

Who was the last person to shake your hand? I don't remember.

Coke or Pepsi? Coke, I don't like Pepsi.

When was the last time you struggled to get to sleep? I struggle to sleep every night. It consistently takes me at least two hours, oftentimes more.

Which of the four seasons is your favourite? Autumn. I love almost everything about it, other than it getting dark so early and I'm seeing I think my allergies are worst this time of year.

Do you still have all four of your wisdom teeth? I only had two grow in, the other two aren't even in the x-rays within my gums, and I had those two taken out this past year.

When was the last time you were in pain? What caused it? Earlier today. I'm having bad tooth pain that I have to go to the dentist for on the 17th, it's on a tooth that I need a crown for and most likely need a root canal, and I'm surviving off the maximum dose of Ibuprofen.

Have you been diagnosed with any chronic health conditions? Certainly mental health ones, and only recently I learned I have a birth malformation in my spine that has caused bad back and hip pain, something I've become more aware of with age, and I have to regularly see a chiropractor for it. I also have sleep apnea, if that counts, hypothyroidism, and asthma.

What are some of your favourite Christmas movies? Jim Carey's How the Grinch Stole Christmas is without competition to me, I adore it, my whole family does. I'm also a fan of especially Home Alone 2, but the OG is nice too.

Have you ever met up with someone in real life that you first met on the internet? Was it just as good as you hoped? Yes, and it was a great experience, regardless of how we feel about each other now. I was nervous we'd be awkward about it at first, but honestly it was like we'd known each other forever.

What are some of your favourite smells? Fresh baked bread (fresh bakery items in general), coffee, lilac, stuff fresh out of the dryer.

When's the next time you plan on going to the cinema and what will you be going to see? Mom and I are going to be seeing the new Mufasa movie sometime after it comes out.

If you have pets, what colour are they? Roman is gray and white, Venus is shades of tan, and Cookie is white with brown splotches.

What is plugged into the nearest outlet? A surge protector that my laptop charger is plugged into.

Have you ever received a card signed individually by a large group of people? I don't think so.

Who do you know that’s pregnant right now? My old middle school friend is pregnant.

What did you last use scissors for? To open something in the kitchen, can't remember exactly what.

Who have you helped move? My ex Jason.

At what age did you get your first period? (Sorry if this one question doesn’t apply to you) I want to say 12. I'm pretty sure I was in the 6th grade.

And what age was your first kiss? *I* count my first real kiss being at 16. It was mutual and consensual. I was kissed *by* someone when I was 15, but I turned into a statue, I didn't want to be kissed at all, and even in elementary school (pre-k and I think it happened in kindergarten too), I had two boys who would chase me to hug and kiss me without permission. One of the boys changed schools, but the other - Christopher - I had to keep dealing with.

With whom are you planning trips currently? I'm not planning trips with anyone right now.

What size is your bed? Queen.

What is the last YouTube channel you watched? John Twolfe, it's John Wolfe's gaming channel, he's been my favorite lately.

Who is the last friend you spent time with? He's more than a friend, but Girt. If you don't count him, Summer, for her birthday dinner.

How many people have texted/messaged you today? No texts, but I've messaged Girt and Nohr in Discord.

Last person to comment on your anything? I told a niece happy birthday on FB and she replied to it.

When was the last time you painted your nails? What colour(s)? Oh it has been YEARS, I honestly don't have the slightest idea.

What’s your least favourite alcoholic drink? I honestly haven't tried too much, but I do know I hate wine.

When you’re upset, do you tend to comfort eat or lose your appetite? I'm an absolute comfort eater. It's a large reason I'm obese.

Who was the last person to send you a message on Facebook? Does/did that person go to the same school as you? My mom, and we went to the same college.

What is your favourite brand of haircare products? I don't have a favorite.

Have you bought any alcoholic drinks in the past week? No.

Has a stranger ever offered to buy you a drink? No, I'd honestly be scared of this person. This is not something I would find flattering or attractive.

When was the last time you used a public toilet? Uhhhh I'm not sure.

What is something you’d be happy to receive as a gift, that doesn’t cost a lot? Pajama pants are a big thing on my list this year. I want more that fit the way I like.

Has anyone ever asked for your phone number, and you refused to give it to them? No.

Do you have a favourite comfort food, that you absolutely must eat whenever you’re ill or upset? Not a food, but a drink: Mountain Dew, especially Mountain Dew Voltage. If I've had a rough day, I REALLY want one, more than normal.

If you were to decide now that you wanted to get drunk, what alcohol is available in your house? I don't even think we have any.

What kind of music does your significant other/crush like to listen to? The same as I do: metal and rock.

When was the last time you ate cake? What type of cake was it? Summer's birthday dinner. It was a mix of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.

Who did you have your first kiss with? Do you remember what colour his/her eyes were? Jason, brown.

Whose Facebook timeline did you post on most recently? Her name's Erica, one of my nieces.

Do your grandparents ever ask you about your love life? All my grandparents have passed, but no, they didn't.

Who was the last new artist you came across, that you really liked? I'm not sure. Probably someone on Instagram.

What was the last thing a friend bought for you? Girt bought Advil for my toothache while I was at his house.

Do you like Rice Krispie Treats? I do.

Are you a fan of Pokemon? I am! I'm not big on the games, they're too repetitive for me and I'm also not good at learning type weaknesses and strengths, although I do like Pokemon GO. I love the creatures themselves and the show was one of my first obsessions.

Do you like chips and salsa? Love it.

How many couches are there in your house? Two, both are just two-seaters. One came with the house.

Are you using a laptop or desktop? Laptop.

Have you ever been depressed? I've been depressed since I hit puberty, I have it chronically and severely.

Have you ever felt torn between two guys/girls? I have, I was once torn between Jason and Juan before Jason and I got together. Thank the fucking lord Juan and I never got serious to be honest, he was not a good person and I dread to think what could have happened between us.

What is your ethnicity/culture/heritage? I'm Caucasian with German, Irish, and Polish heritage, that I know of. I don't really know Dad's heritage, I don't think he does either.

Do you enjoy going to the dentist? HELL NO. I used to not mind, but then I started to pay for dental neglect because of depression, and now I hate it. I dread the appointment I have coming up.

When did you last eat something you didn’t like? Honestly, I don't eat things I don't like. Even to "be polite," I can't fake that shit.

Do you think you’d survive if zombies took over the world? Hell no. The VAST majority of people wouldn't, I really don't get those folks who get excited over this topic, like no, odds are so immensely high you're dead, too.

Do you like the colour yellow at all? Yellow is actually one of my least favorite colors. I don't mind a pastel yellow, though.

If you were to write a novel, what would it be about? Definitely my meerkat RP universe.

Do you think fortune tellers are the devil’s messengers (haha)? I think they're manipulating people.

Have you ever had a serious issue involving your eyes? I mean, I have terrible vision in especially my right eye. I also have an astigmatism. Nothing terribly serious, though.

Have you ever watched South Park? Who’s your favorite character? I never cared much for it. I found the humor usually immature, but I also didn't hate it.

Do you have sensitive teeth? Kinda, but especially lately with my bad tooth I've mentioned.

Do you turn pale when you get sick? I've been told I do before throwing up?

Does it bother you to get shots in the mouth? Does it hurt? Yes, these are my worst experiences with needles. Getting a shot deep into the roof of my mouth at the dentist once was my worst dental experience I've had, it was an absolute nightmare, and I mean that. While keeping my head still of course, I was basically writhing in that chair.

Is anything exciting coming up in the next three months? Christmas of course, and I'll have my birthday, plus my youngest niece's.

Have you ever thought you might just have obsessive compulsive disorder? I have a form of OCD, the obsessive ruminations sort, but I'm on a medication that works for it. I'm not the ritualistic OCD.

Does it creep you out to see people with mullets? ?????????? a hairstyle is supposed to creep me out??????????

What is your biggest responsibility in your household? Taking care of my cat and snake.

Do you ever wonder what your exes are doing? Sure, I think that's normal if you were once close to somebody.

Do you use the Oxford Comma? Yes.

Do you enjoy baking? If so, what’s the last thing you made? No.

Are you a playlist making type of person, or do you just shuffle all your songs? I'm a "pick and song and binge it on repeat" type person. If I have my iPod, I'll listen to a song by artist.

Let’s say you would make great money doing so… would you ever be a beekeeper? Nah.

Are you a country music fan? No, I tend to really dislike country. There are certainly exceptions, though.

Do you have the cilantro "tastes like soap" gene? Or do you enjoy it? I'm actually not sure??? I'd have to eat something I knew had cilantro in it.

Do you believe in an afterlife? I don't. I kinda wonder if remnants of our conscienceness remain, like I think I believe in ghosts to some extent, but I don't think we're really fully "there." I think death is like before we were born, just nothingness.

Do you think there is one true god and the others are fake or what are your thoughts on religion altogether? I don't believe in a god and I despise organized religion.

Have you ever had any unusual pets? Would you ever want one? This depends on what you classify as "unusual." Yes, I tend to like less traditional pets, but of course still those that do well in domesticity, nothing too crazy.

Have you ever watched Dragon Tales? What was your most watched show as a child? I LOVED this show!!! I had a plushy of the two-headed one. My favorite show as a child was Pokemon.

What do you think of leaving Christmas trees up year-round and decorating them for different holidays? I wouldn't do it, but I don't care if you do. Do what brings you joy if it's hurting no one.

Would you rather give up bread or cheese for the rest of your life? Cheese.

Do you have a fan in the room you're in? I do, but it's not on.

What's something you wish you liked but you don't? Soup/stew. Mom's got something in the crockpot right now and it's made me think about it. Healthy, filling, but I just don't like anything I've tasted.

What's something you've been made fun of for before? My weight.

Have you ever been to a drive-in movie? No. I think it'd be a fun experience.

Would you rather listen to rock or rap music? Rock, I generally hate rap.

What's something you have a strong opinion on? Abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights, general body autonomy, liberty for Palestine, free universal healthcare, equal treatment and rights for POC, meerkats never being pets, etc. I have a lot of strong opinions, I'm very opinionated.

Do you like watching scary movies? I'm not really a movie person, but I do tend to *favor* scary movies.

[ancientcraftnoccultism]

Beginner Class - Cleansing 101

Ancient Craft & Occultism

Cleansing 101

___

By KB

Introduction

Welcome back to class! We occasionally need to rid ourselves of any negative feelings, stresses, and issues. Now that we've covered how to connect with our personal energy, how do we keep it up hygienically? Many places of employment may advise us to leave our personal issues outside the building, but if you're really struggling, it may be difficult to do. We're going to cover the basics of cleansing and how to incorporate it into your life!

What Is Cleansing?

Purification, often referred to as cleansing, is the process of removing and letting go of negative energy as well as energy that is just out of date, stagnant, or no longer helpful to you. This is sometimes referred to as "energetic hygiene" because it's something that can and should be done on a regular basis rather than just after a bad experience. When the energy is off and you know it's time for a refresh, you might perform a cleansing ceremony or ritual. It's all about getting rid of the old to make room for new, energizing energy to flow. Cleansing assists in preventing the energy of the people who pass through a space or object from lingering for an extended period of time.

Why Should I Cleanse?

Well, it's simpler to maintain something than to have to fix it when it breaks, just like physical cleaning or other sorts of cleanliness. You know it's better to brush and floss your teeth twice a day than to need a root canal, right? Cleansing functions similarly. It's much harder for bad or unwanted energy to enter your environment in the first place if you frequently cleanse it. It's also simpler to let go of negative energy when it does occur or when it manifests.

It's also crucial to remember that this applies to your house and spaces as well as your physical and energetic body. It's simple to pick up on someone else's negative attitude, anger or grief, or lack of motivation since many of us, especially those of us who are more intuitive or empathetic, can be quite sensitive to the emotions and energy of others. A pretty effective approach to make sure you're always in your own energy is to cleanse yourself. A fantastic approach to accomplish this is to take a bath or shower at the end of the day, either by themselves or in conjunction with more energetic routines.

How To Cleanse?

There are various ways to cleanse, and we're going to cover a few of the most popular ones. As always, these suggestions aren't the only methods of cleansing or purification. I encourage you all to research other methods of cleansing and purification.

Physically Cleanse

Physical spaces and objects absorb and hold energy, just like they do with smoke, or other harsh fumes. It's important to keep physical hygiene and cleanliness of a space and of self in order to prevent stagnant or unwanted energies from interfering.

Smoke Cleanse

This is probably one of the most popular ways to cleanse. Again, please do not confuse this with Smudging, which is a completely different topic and ritual. This is exactly as it sounds, where you use the smoke of an herb or incense to clear the metaphysical aura around you and the space you are in. When you waft the smoke around, much like how atoms and particles begin to dissipate when heated, the smoke acts as a way break apart unwanted energies and allow the energy to return to neutral, and free flowing. It is important to note not to do this while pets are around.

Water

Just as water physically cleans, it also metaphysically purifies as well. Although, not everything would be ideal to be cleansed with water, such as certain crystals, paper items, etc. Always do research, as chemical reactions ARE a thing and CAN be dangerous.

Earth

Much like with grounding, earth naturally cleanses and purifies. Burying an object in earth for several hours can remove and transmute unwanted energies.

Light

Both illuminates in the sky provide wonderful light to cleanse with. Our ancestors knew of the sun's power to kill harmful bacteria, and the moon's intensity to bring about rapid change. It aligns things on a molecular level.

Sound

Since everything is a frequency, it only makes sense that sound would aid in purification. Bells, drums, and other noisy instruments are particularly wonderful for cleansing large, open spaces.