#i hope this helps! or that its at least interesting aheh

[triptychofvoids]

Howdy howdy, this is kind of based on the last ask-and-subsequent-answer, but what are your feelings towards your partner like? Like, what does it feel like? I’m also aroace, or at least I think I’m aro, but it’s kinda hard for me to figure out whether I love my friend romantically or platonically. I don’t think I’ve ever been in love before, and we’re both autistic so I see love kinda differently than what’s portrayed in media. I’m just having trouble parsing my feelings, and I think it might help to hear about your experiences/thoughts, if you’re cool with sharing! I know it’s a spectrum so it’s not going to be the exact same for you as it is for me, but I think it’d at least help give me a perspective other than my own and the perspective of nt people/media!

Anyhoo it’s really cool to see another aroace person living happily and comfortable with his identity. Just…you’re cool.

from one autistic aroace to another, i assure you that your difficulty parsing feelings is not solely unique aheh.... well! before i get into answering this, ill have to state that i am certainly not the stereotype.. namely, i am the opposite of the sex/romance adverse person many people tend to think of when they hear aroace...

now, when it comes to my feelings towards my partner (without getting too detailed) ive found i often dont differentiate between platonic and romantic very well at all. for the longest time i never even thought there was a difference between the two, and i still struggle to differentiate them even now. however, from what ive learned, most people that are not aromantic have a list of behaviors and feelings they would consider inappropriate to do with/feel towards a friend, and that they would only do/have with a romantic partner in most cases. but my personal opinion on it is that a platonic relationship can be just as important and valuable as a romantic one, but its up to you to determine what sort of behaviors you are wanting to engage in with another person, and see if that want is mutual. in my case with my own partner, that includes affection and things that are probably seen as romantic to most! but like i said, i dont see the act of being affectionate as something purely romantic or platonic. it just is, and you have to decide if thats something you want or not. i could go on but i think you get the idea. its confusing, and the line is very thin in my experience.... my partner is also someone i consider to be one of my best friends, and the friendship aspect came before the committed relationship aspect, if that helps!

when it comes to the sexual side of things (again, without getting into too much detail) you still have to do some self-reflection and decide what it is that you want or do not want! but one thing that i can talk about from experience is that most people that are not asexual will feel sexual attraction simply by looking at their partner, and i do not. hence me being asexual aheh.. but there are many other kinds of attraction! in my case i do find my partner to be pleasant to look at, but i like to use the comparison of a piece of art or a landscape. as in, a beautiful sunset can sometimes seem like you are viewing heaven itself but generally speaking that beautiful sunset, pretty as it is, will not be sexually arousing. i also think its important to know that there is a difference between libido and attraction and it can be good to keep that in mind when looking at other peoples (or your own) experiences as well.

so... there is just a very small amount of my experience and thoughts on the matter. my feelings as an aroace person who is favorable towards romance and sex are likely going to be very different from an aroace person who is sex/romance adverse though. the point being, that having little to no romantic/sexual attraction is the core of being aroace, but beyond that its entirely up to the individual what their wants and needs are! i am happy to share my experiences though!

[cosmicbash]

One the angsty prompt ideas I’ve been thinking about is Kells practicing how to cook for weeks so he can surprise Em by cooking him dinner, maybe for an anniversary or something, and on the day Kells has planned to surprise him, Em is hours late, leaving Kells alone for the evening. If you’re interested maybe you could write something like this? 🥰

3 years together. One thousand and ninety five fucking days between him and this old dorky man.

It's insane. Downright impossible to believe but Colson knows it's as real and true as the 2 year sobriety chip he's got hung around his neck on the gold chain Marshall gifted him with it this morning.

Both their relationship and his sobriety are as intertwined as their lives are now. Marshall's like the glue that holds all of his pieces together. Picking Colson back up, time and time again whenever he shattered in the beginning and filling in the gaps with his own loose pieces until it was Colson's turn to do the same. Which, by then, it only made sense to combine their puzzles and broaden the picture.

Now Marshall swoops in for Casie's PTA meetings he can’t make during tour. Holding the phone and helping him FaceTime for soccer games and school conferences when flight delays or bad luck keeps him late.

Colson tags along to Whitney's first few dates out in LA, weaving through the public spaces Marshall never could without drawing attention just to make sure she's safe and respected.

They tag team any situation involving the girls, even though Alaina and Hailey both still snicker at him from time to time, and Casie rolls her eyes at Marshall's rules. They're more than just dating now.

They're family.

And even just thinking about that brings tears to Colson's eyes.

Or maybe it's the onions. Baze said chewing gum helped mitigate this fucking problem but goddammit does it burn-

"Fuck!"

He has no idea how he got it in his mind that he could actually cook a meal, let alone a full anniversary dinner for Marshall but here he is. A pot and pan already cooking on the stove and his fingers knicked a dozen times in his rush to cut up more veggies for the sauce. 

It's insane.

But Colson's following through with it anyway, because he fucking loves Marshall and that bastard cooks dinner for them every single holiday or occasion so it's about time he stepped up to the plate and did it himself. 

Plus he's been secretly practicing for weeks with Baze over both FaceTime and a few in person lessons. Perfecting his simmering styles and meat seasoning to make the tastiest meal he can manage all on his own.

So far the last three times he's made the dish his bassist had given stellar reviews so there's little chance he'll somehow fuck it up tonight knowing it's for Marshall…..at least, he hopes.

The minor setbacks his butchered fingers have brought aside though, so far everything was coming along perfectly. His noodles are boiling (never over the rim, thank you wooden spoon trick), his meats marinating, and as soon as he tosses these sliced onions in his sauce will be cooking down beautifully.

All in all the night is starting to look like it just might be perfect.

Until 6 o'clock passes by and Colson's ears never pick up the click of the front door knob, or the hum of Marshall's escalade pulling up front outside.

The food's still simmering, minutes away from being actually done so he doesn't worry too much. Sure he was hoping to have a sweet moment where his boyfriend comes home and catches him cooking at the stove like a traditional housewife, but seeing his face when the food's done and plated promises to be just as cute.

Besides, Marshall has always fit the housewife role so much better than him anyway. Even the apron Colson's wearing is one of the older rapper's, stolen from his small collection in the pantry to protect his designer sweater.

Colson doesn't start to worry at 6. Traffic can be a bitch.

7 though? And then 7:30 when his texts go unread and his calls ring all the way through to voice-mail? That's when the blonde starts to fret. 

He's luckily put off plating because some brief flash on uncertainty had run through him after the food finished so it's stayed warm and simmering on the stove. But even that had to come to an end before 7:30 because his sauce would singe or his noodles might squish, so now Colson's trying to keep busy by perfecting the presentation. Shaky fingers swiping around the edges of Marshall's plate to clean up a splatter of sauce. Every Chopped Judge rambling off feedback in his head until he has it looking like something he's certain even Gordon fucking Ramsey would ask for a bite of.

By 8 the dinner table is set. His plate, Marshall's, the bucket of low alcoholic wine they both love chilling as a centerpiece. Colson even lights a few candles and adds some flowers from this mornings gift exchanges to keep himself from screaming.

There's a pit in his stomach that's steadily been growing though. Every passing minute and glance to his phone where he finds no change only carving it deeper. 

Marshall should be home. He never runs this late at the studio without a call, let alone without a message. He's treated his work like any other 9-5 job since before they ever even got together, always strict about his routine and careful to make up for over run hours by leaving earlier the next day. Usually Colson likes to bust his balls and insist he live a little more spontaneously but tonight isn't the one to pull that.

Especially not if it means Marshall's going to completely forget to check his fucking phone and leave him trying not to think the worst.

Colson only males it another 5 minutes before he caves and texts Paul. Fingers tapping fast across his screen to draft multiple desperate sounding messages before he finally settles on a "Em bust his phone again?" That feels just casual enough to not embarrass him in the off chance Marshall decides to burst through the front door seconds after it sends.

The door stays closed though and Paul doesn't open the message at all. 

Now Colson can't even start passive aggressively eating dinner on his own if he wanted too. The pit in his stomach has torn itself open wide into a nauseous chasm. Every scary possibility he wanted to avoid thinking about spilling forth from the dark trench like ghouls.

He's dead. Some crazy fan broke into the studio and shot the whole place up. No one's gotten around to tell him yet, that's all. They're too busy dealing with the fallout.

No, Em's security is beyond top tier, and with how close Colson and his current bodyguard are he knows the guy would call him immediately. Marshall's fine.

Unless… what if he was in a car accident? Or some road rage incident gone fatal? Colson's seen Marshall's short temper flare up while driving. They've made dozens of jokes about it in the past, so is it really that unreasonable to believe?

Colson's pacing in the front haul when he calls Porter. Phone tucked between his ear and shoulder while he fights his shoe laces, heart racing in his chest. Prepping to fly out of the house the second Denaun tells him what fucking hospital Marshall's staying in, praying it's at the ICU section and not some fucking morgue.

"Kelly?" The older man sounds confused when he finally answers. Voice high and tone light like he's expecting this to be a butt dial. "What's up man?"

The lack of rush or worry in Denaun's voice almost soothes Colson's panic right on the spot. Surely he wouldn't sound so casual if something had happened. 

It's enough to keep Colson from immediately pleading for Marshall's safety at the least. "H-hey, uh nothing really-" Maybe Marshall is even with him right now, realizing how fucking late its gotten and how shit of a boyfriend he's been and that's why Denaun sounds awkward too. "Just uh, waiting for Marsh to get his slow ass home ya know? Sorry, aheh, I'm probably sounding like a fucking needy girlfriend right now, calling his friends and shit-" the longer Colson rambles the more embarrassed he actually feels in the moment.

God he must sound pathetic right now. Panicking over Marshall being a few hours late.

"Waiting? Didn't Marshall head out like 2 hours ago?"

"W-what?"

Colson's blood feels like actual ice in his veins.

"He isn't home? I mean, I know he was gonna stop at- fuck is it already half past 8? Marshall seriously isn't home?" Denaun's sudden panic only heightens Colson's own, but he can't get any more words to come out. Not with how a rock feels like it's jumped up his throat. "Shit, Ryan are you getting through to him? Try Paul-"

Ryan's there too? 

"What? Paul's gotta fucking answer-"

They can't get ahold of Paul either?

"Kelly have you-"

Marshall's missing. Colson's been standing around making dinner for hours, worrying over the portion sizes and appearance of his plates and Marshall's been fucking missing. What kind of partner is he? What will he even tell Hailey? Alaina? And fuck Casie is supposed to be coming up this weekend so they can all go vacation together before his next tour-

The front door bumping into his shoe startles Colson out of his frozen panic. Denaun's angry shouting dropping from his ear, as he twists and meets a pair of sheepish blue eyes peeking around the hardwood.

"Hey." 

Marshall's…..

"Is that my apron?"

So fucking dead.

"Is this your--" Colson's fingers are curling around the edge of the door so fast he doesn't even care that it makes his phone fly to the floor. "That's what you want to fucking say to me!?" His anger is boiling fast, replacing the cold in his veins with lava. "You fucking piece of-"

Marshall stumbling inside with the yanked door is expected, but the flash of bandages and a sling douse Colson's flames like a bucket of water. "Ow, fuck just give me a second to explain-"

He's hurt.

Now with all of Marshall visible Colson's hyperaware of dry blood splattered on his white graphic tee and scratches partially hidden within the rapper's beard along his cheek. "I got in an accident out on the M-8, it was minor but-"

Colson really can't handle all these rapid mood switches Marshall is putting him through today.

“You fucking idiot-“ Tears are bubbling up in his eyes and it’s like his hands can’t reach his partner fast enough. Pulling Marshall into his arms for a tight hug despite the pained noises his actions inspire. “Stupid, old asshole-“ Marshall’s hurt, the cars probably wrecked, but he’s home and that’s enough of a relief to finally smother that pit weighing down his stomach. “Don’t ever scare me like that again!”

A moment passes before he’s hugged back, shock more than likely freezing his partner up but when Marshall does loop his good arm around Colson he pulls him close. So close Colson is the one who’s bones feel like they might ache. “Can’t make any promises about that,” The older rapper’s palm feels warm when it climbs to cup his neck, Marshall’s face turning to press a kiss into Colson’s throat. 

That brush of lips is the final crack to release the flood gates.

"I love you."

"I know."

"I really really fucking love you."

"I know baby."

"I don't care how old your ass is, you better hold out and fucking die after me like a proper goddamn boyfriend, you hear me Marshall?" He's getting snot all over the older rapper's shirt. Full on smearing it across his own cheek and the fabric with every pointless rub of his face. "I love you so fucking much. Can't do this without you."

"Told you I'm not dying after you unless you kill me first, and I'm chasing you into the afterlife once you do go too. Fuck all the marriage shit, death ain't parting us either you brat." Marshall's tone is light and his palm is doing wonders to comfort him by rubbing circles into his back. It's enough to slow his hiccupped breathing down a few notches. "I dunno if you noticed but, I'm a little obsessed with you."

That drags out a wet snort. "Y-yeah?" When Colson pulls back to meet Marshall's eyes he swears he can see a wet shimmer starting to glaze over his partner’s as well. "Prove it then."

There's a flicker of something in blue eyes, so fast that Colson almost thinks he hallucinates the emotion altogether. But then Marshall's wrapped up arm wiggles between their bodies. The dark blue of the sling catching and sliding so his scratched up fist can shimmy its way partially out. "Planned on it-" There's something clutched tight there, black peeking out from between Marshall's finger and thumb. It's got Colson's heart dropping down into his stomach all over again. "What do you think I was driving so late on the M-8 for?"

"Marshall-" It can't be.

"Colson." But his shithead of an accident victim boyfriend is pulling back, both his good arm and slung arm awkwardly flailing in the air for a moment as he drops down on one knee. The visible wince not hidden as well as Colson imagines the man wants it to be. But Marshall's eyes are softening, and the blonde feels completely cemented in place. The only part of him moving being the uncontrollable shaky quiver of his bottom lip. "I had a whole moment planned, there were flowers, balloons, and those stupidly expensive alcoholic chocolates you love, but they all got absolutely trashed in the crash. Like, half of Detroit is probably going to think the Macies Thanksgiving parade started early. Paul called to have it all replaced, and honestly some intern is probably going to come banging on the door in about 20 minutes but I don't want to wait-" There's a flash of genuine worry that's furrowing the skin between Marshall's brows as he continues. "So I'm sorry this isn't gonna be that fancy perfect proposal you've always dreamed of-"

"Shut up." Colson's voice can't go above a whisper. His tone quick and clipped from how anxious he is to hear the man finally finish. "Just- shut up, ask me. Ask me Marsh, please-"

"Fine, always need to rush me."The rapper's lip quirks at the corners. Hands transferring the small box between eachother with a bit of fumbling. "Will you, Colson Baker-" Until Marshall can finally get it open with an audible clunk. "Legally commit to being with my annoying old ass forever?" 

[elk-and-thearchivist]

The (Mis)Adventures of Two Children and an Irresponsible Chaperone, Ch. 1: Enter the Peak

The first chapter of my RP with @heart-the-vessel / @zykaben ! The beginning of a beautiful friendship. Also, the beginning of the shenanigans of a True Chaos Trio

This chapter’s artwork is a collab between me and @zykaben ! I did the composition and sketch, she did the flats and shading, and then passed it back to me for effects! You can see a process gif here.

The streamlined, edited version is on AO3 here.

Words: 2542 Characters: Wiki, Elk, Heart Regular is me, indented is @heart-the-vessel Dashes are POV shifts.

Crystal Peak was truly a marvel unlike any other in Hallownest. Its glittering spires were visible from any point on the surface—though, admittedly, most of Hallownest was underground.

Of most interest were the crystals, shining with their own unique light. And with their own mysterious properties. Enough bugs certainly felt drawn enough to spend their entire lives and subsequent un-lives mining away at the ore.

Indeed, the crystals and their unusual properties were what drew Wiki and Elk to the caverns this day.

It wasn't long before they found themselves trailing behind a crystal crawler, Elk walking slowly behind it as Wiki observed its processes.

“Walking” was more “using amorphous tendrils to climb the walls” and “processes” was more “firing lasers,” though.

“Fascinating. Very fascinating!” Wiki floated in front of Elk, their tendrils hovering around the crawler. “Periodically focusing the energy in the crystals into a point of destructive light… They do say that these crystals can help you focus your energy. Perhaps it could improve your own focus, if we are able to refine its properties…”

“That would be pretty helpful… ” Wiki could feel Elk's spark of interest. “I don't often gather enough soul to easily heal. If the crystals help…?”

“Mm.” Wiki hummed. “They can, I'm sure. Just not sure how.”

No sooner had Wiki finished their sentence than they and Elk heard the faint sound of something—or someone—scrambling hastily against the rocky ground above them. Whatever it was sounded small, but they both knew that assumption wasn’t grounds to guarantee their safety, not in a place like Hallownest.

Then, with an almost startling amount of speed, something was dropping from above and to the ground, landing not even throwing-distance away from them. The both quickly made out the small figure, standing somewhat shorter than Elk and looking similar in build—a vessel. One with horns that curved up and inwards, ending in what looked to be sharp points. The only other real thing of note was that they seemed to wear a red scarf around their neck.

The vessel stared at Elk and Wiki before they took off towards them at a break-neck pace, arms waving frantically above their head as they did so. The vessel barely managed to skid to a halt before crashing into Wiki and Elk, still waving their arms spastically.

"Wh-" Wiki jerked back in surprise, leaving Elk to receive the brunt of the impact.

Said vessel could do little but try to catch the newcomer by their flailing arms, almost toppled by their momentum. "U-uh..." Elk pulled backwards, looking over the vessel before glancing to Wiki.

They placed a tendril on their chin as they drew near. "Hello, there! We didn't expect to see another vessel here. Where did you come from?"

The vessel waved at Wiki for a few more moments before stopping. Once they had stopped, they pointed upwards, head craning back as they did. They looked back to Wiki and Elk, letting their gaze drift between the two of them. They then reached under their cloak, seemingly rustling around for something.

The length of quiet stretched before the vessel perked up and jerked their arms back up. Held in their clutches were a sparkling necklace of gold with a royal blue gemstone strung from the end, a smooth, sparkling rock with a soft green hue, and a pink crystal—the same kind that grew unrestrained in Crystal Peak. The vessel held out the items towards Elk and Wiki, practically bouncing as they did so.

"Oh?" Wiki leaned towards their collection. "Ohoho?"

"These are so pretty!" Elk reached towards the vessel's handful of items, before hesitating in their approach. "Are these..."

"I do hope you wouldn't mind if I just-" Wiki used a tendril to lift the necklace with the blue gemstone (despite a half-hearted protest from Elk), eyes riveted on the glittering facets. "The way the light catches this stone! Hardly any skilled jewelers exist anymore, yes this is cut quite well. Oh, interesting... very interesting..."

Elk fidgeted nervously. "Sorry, uh... Come to think of it, we don't know what to call you. Do you... have a name that you'd be able to share? If you can emote, or write, or..."

The vessel seemed to perk further up at Wiki’s words but quickly turned their attention back to Elk. They nodded to them, reaching under their cloak once more before producing a wrinkled piece of parchment and a simple quill. They scribbled on it hastily. After nodding to themself, satisfied with their work, they turned the parchment around. Sketched messily onto its surface were several hearts, an arrow pointing towards the largest one. They then gestured towards Elk and Wiki with their quill before cocking their head to one side.

Elk looked intently at the paper. "A bunch of hearts... oh! Heart! That's your name?"

Wiki gave a huff of amusement at the enthusiasm clear in Heart's scribblings. "Aheh... it suits the shape of their mask." Wiki traced a vague shape of a heart in the air, following the curvature of Heart's horns. "And, oh! If you were asking about us - this is Elk," Elk waved as Wiki gestured to them, "and I am Wiki, the Archivist. We share the same voice, sometimes the same body, and occasionally the same mind."

The vessel—Heart—nodded excitedly at Elk and Wiki before waving at both of them one last time in greeting. Once they had stowed the paper and quill away, they made a large, sweeping gesture around the area before pointing at Elk and Wiki, letting their head fall to the side in question again.

Wiki tapped their chin in thought. That would be... "Are you..."

"Asking what we're doing here?" Elk mirrored Heart's head tilt. "If so, it's mostly Wiki wanting the study the crystals and me wanting to see the sights."

Heart nodded, obviously pleased with Elk's deduction. They threw their arms around Elk in a short but strong hug before stepping back and swaying cheerfully.

Elk squeaked a but in surprise, Wiki chuckling a little in turn. They could feel Elk's slight embarrassment at that filtering through their connection. I wasn't expecting it, alright? Not a lot of bugs hug bugs they just met.

Understandable. But still amusing. Wiki turned to Heart. "You seem... much friendlier than I'd expect for a vessel. Certainly, more than most bugs, but my point still stands. I do wonder how long you've been wandering around here, free to develop your own mind..."

Elk smoothed out their cloak. "And it isn't really... safe, around here. I suppose you'd have to... hmm. Do you know your way around this place?"

Heart nodded to Elk’s question, their chest puffing up slightly with pride. They glanced at Wiki as they rambled before stepping forwards to deliver another quick hug to one of their tendrils. Once they had, they darted away and trekked a decent distance away from Elk and Wiki. They stopped and turned back, waving towards the two of them and then making sweeping motions towards themself.

Wiki blinked. My turn to be dazzled by such friendliness? They shook their head a bit, before looking towards Elk. Well... looks like they want us to follow.

Elk met Wiki's gaze, before turning back towards Heart. They seem nice. Might as well.

"Then, let us follow!" Wiki melted back into Elk's void, and they swiftly made their way over. "Lead the way, friend."

Heart gave a quick nod to Elk and Wiki, skipping along as the two trailed behind them.

——

Heart was so excited that they were practically shaking.

They had been scouring Crystal Peak for more shiny trinkets and pretty baubles when they had happened upon Wiki and Elk—and they were both so amazing! The fact that the two of them shared a mind was so interesting! Heart wondered what that would be like... maybe they could find a way to ask them. After all, they had taken Heart’s gifts, so that meant they were all friends now!

But that could all happen later. For now, Heart wanted to show their new friends what they had been leading to.

They had finally reached their destination: the large, decrepit mining machine that leaned against the cavern wall. The Crystal Heart (at least, that’s what Haunt had called it) had been a lucky find, one that Heart wasn’t looking to give away any time soon. There were probably more scattered about the mines, but Heart hadn’t found any yet.

Regardless, Heart turned back to their new friends and raised their hands up in celebration. They hoped that they would both be excited about the machine.

"Oh!" Elk craned their neck, peering at the machine. "That's... so cool. Do you know what it is?"

Wiki interrupted before Heart could respond. "A mining golem!" They all but exploded out of Elk, tendrils splaying across the stone and rails as they drew closer to Heart - and thus closer to the machine. "Amazing! I thought they would all be destroyed by now, a lot of bugs were concerned about their safety... And its core is still intact!" They turned to Heart. "How did you find this? Are there any more?"

Heart remembered all too well how they had found the machine. They pointed upwards to the hole above them. They still remembered the feeling of panic that had overtaken them when the ground under them had crumbled. But it led to such a beautiful discovery that they had long since made peace with it.

For the second question… Heart shifted their balance from one foot to another as they tried to remember. They might have seen another one, but it was on the other side of a tunnel that was filled with all sorts of hostile bugs—they hadn’t even tried to get to it. But maybe Elk and Wiki were strong enough to get through? Or maybe they were at least braver than Heart was, which wouldn’t surprise them.

It wouldn’t be a direct path, but Heart knew the way. There was a bunch that they could rest on that wasn’t too far away, and there was that fun area filled with all of the conveyor belts going up and down. It would be a fun adventure with their new friends!

Heart finally nodded to Wiki’s last question. Maybe there would be another Crystal Heart that their new friends could have!

Their eyes practically lit up with excitement, a contrast to their mildly concerned expression mere moments ago. "Truly? Do you- could you- do you think-"

Elk patted one of Wiki's tendrils, shaking their head. "What we want to ask is: could you take us to where they are?"

"Yes!" Wiki was near vibrating. "Oh, we'd love to study them, but I didn't know if you'd be alright with us messing around with this one if it was the only one you found."

Elk gave a huff of a laugh. "Though I suppose we should ask if they're easy to get to, as well."

Making sure to look directly at Wiki, Heart gave a cheery nod. They were more than happy to guide their friends to the other golem, especially since they seemed so interested in it.

Turning to Elk, Heart swayed from side to side before settling on a shrug. It wasn’t a particularly hard area to get to, but there might be problems if they encountered strong opponents. Heart could probably shield them all with their spell, but it was… less than ideal. If the journey ended up not working out, they could always show Wiki and Elk the Crystal Heart they had stowed away in their inventory, maybe even give it to them if they both really wanted it.

But for now, they’d leave the decision of whether or not to go up to Elk and Wiki.

Said two were looking at each other meaningfully, as if having some kind of silent exchange. Elk gave a one-shoulder shrug, turning back to Heart. "We'll take that as a 'sort-of.' Is it trouble from the mines if some parts are unstable, or trouble with the bugs around here?"

Wiki hummed. "Mm. We're quite good with maneuvering around environments. Having a number of amorphous limbs is quite useful, heh. As for dangerous bugs..."

Elk fidgeted with their hands. "We... I don't really fight. We're generally good at avoiding them and running away, heh, but we're not too familiar with this place..."

Heart watched Elk’s fidgeting. Plum said that some bugs did that when they were feeling nervous and that simply wouldn’t do! Heart stepped forward and gave their friend a big hug before they stepped backwards and brought out their parchment and quill again.

They sketched the ovular shapes of the miners and made sure to draw on very angry eyes to represent their hostility. After a moment of deliberation, they also drew on the crystals that some of them used to fire beams of energy. They added a quick depiction of a crystal hunter above them as well, giving it a smirk and the same angry expression.

Satisfied with their work, they turned it around to show Elk and Wiki.

Elk seemed to lean into Heart's embrace, moving a little towards them even after they pulled away. Wiki shot Elk a look, but the vessel simply gave a subtle shake of their head - Heart barely caught it.

Elk moved to look over to Heart's drawings, and despite their inability to make expressions, their eyes seemed to sparkle. "Oh! You draw so well!" They clapped their hands together once. "We saw a few of these earlier - we did our best to avoid them, though."

"That one, though." Wiki pointed to the crystal hunter. "That one was truly a pain. We got away, of course, but that doesn't make them any less irksome."

Heart perked up at Elk’s compliment, something warm and cozy settling in their chest. Maybe they could draw something for them later as another gift, something without mean monsters that wanted to hurt people.

Heart nodded in commiseration with Wiki’s comment. The crystal hunters were the worst. They flew around and attacked anyone they saw—and their crystal attacks just shattered into dust after less than a minute! It was a cruel thing, making something so beautiful that caused so much hurt and then just disappeared. At least the miners kept their crystals.

Heart stowed the paper and quill away before turning back to Elk and Wiki. They gestured vaguely back to where they had all came from and cocked their head to one side, trying to ask what the two would like to do.

"Are you asking if we still want to go?" Wiki tilted their head.

"We still do!" Elk pumped a fist, punctuating their statement. "A little danger can't hold us back from a fun adventure! Though we'd have to take your lead for this one."

Heart nodded eagerly, finding themself getting caught up in Elk's excitement. They rushed forward and pulled Elk in with one arm and Wiki's tendril in with the other and did their best to hug them. They let go and bounced back towards the entrance of the cavern and waved, ready for an adventure.

Elk bounded after them eagerly, Wiki once again merging into their void.

[briteboy]

MORE ASKS I’VE BEEN IGNORING!!!!!!!

GET ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE HOT

P.S. ALL OF U WHO SENT ME THE CHAIN THINGY ILYSOMUCH 

Why is her step-douche such a foken piece of shit? omg i hate him

some mysteries are never meant to be explained tbh. why is he so ugly and evil? who wronged him? but also who cares he’s in jail forever now good riddance ugly

I know this is probably really bad, but after I saw the newest molly posts, I thought of that video where the little girl is yelling "MISS KEISHA, MISS KEISHA, oh my fukin gosh she fukin dead"

OMFGFD I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THAT VIDEO WAS SO I JUST WATCHED IT AND I’M LAUGHIN

i don’t blame u i bet when it happens i’m gonna be like “u know she ded”

(To the previous anon) i agree with you so, so much! In Poland, these dumbass politicians are letting shooting pregnant bisons (?? Im not sure how they're called) become legal. Like BITCH WHAT. Can you imagine??? A fucking pregnant lil' cow getting shot????? I feel Molly's pain on an emotional level rn (sorry if this is too nsfw, just needed to get that outta my system...)

i think this was in response to someone saying that hurting pregnant women is one of the worst crimes but um WTF shooting animals at all makes me itchy but pregnant ones..............nah that’s......nah

it’s ok get it outta ur system i’m here 4 u

the first thing I check in the morning is your account.... you have me whipped! ;|

OMG WHA LMAO REALLY that’s wild. i feel like i’m the only one who looks at my page which is dumb but like idk i still feel like a little kid that no one cares about lmao. but then you guys exist and amaze me with your responsiveness every day and i just ;____________; ily all

hi Sunny. first of all i'm gonna say i love your story and your editing style so much! your blog is goals like literally. i need an advice if you don't mind. you always find such amazing angles for your pictures while mine are so boring. any tips or tricks you can share?

HI thank you so much ;-; sooooo i’ve been thinking about this question the past couple of times i went in game, trying to figure out how to describe how i take pictures. for one thing i live in tab mode lmao. meaning you press the tab button on your keyboard to go into camera mode and get all these sexy angles and super zoom and stufffff. i almost always zoom in super far idk why. so there’s one tip. i honestly just play around with going up and down with the q and e keys (i think?) until i find angles i like. i take a lottttt of pictures with so many different angles just so i have a lot to choose from. basically i try to focus on different things in each picture in order to get a mix of the most diverse and dynamic shots possible. you just need to experiment and get creative. i know that’s the most vague advice ever but really just try a new angle that you’ve never considered before and i bet you’ll get cool results. an interesting setting is also the biggest factor, because certain objects and their placements will give you interesting results. 

i honestly want to print out your reaction pic to that one post and just hang it on my wall, put it in my heart locket necklace, stamp it on people's faces, start an email thread with it. i love it.

an add on to the last ask i sent about your reaction pic. i've been looking at it religiously since it was posted, and i dont regret a minute of it. LMAO I'LL STOP NOW.

SAKJDLJKGKSDAF STOPPPP LMAOOO i looked so ugly but that was my pure unadulterated reaction to that question and i trust you all to not judge my ugliness and instead share this reaction with me. i’m glad u liked it that much, i just printed it out and i’m cutting it into a small heart to put inside ur locket ok

everytime i hear cigarette daydreams by cage the elephant i think of a serious case of the novembers like its so fitting and then i get all emo when i listen to it lmao rip

OMMMMGGGGGGG YESSSSS how have i never made that connection before honestly. cage the elephant is one of my faves and i’ve seen them perform twice actually!! i’m watching the music vid for that song now and even that reminds me of my story ;-; i cry

thank you for sending this, and also i cry @ the fact that you used the actual title *dies* now this song is gonna make me emo til the end of time thx

i might sound like some crazy stalker fan but i just want to say you are so freakin awesome and nice and funny and cute and (i can go on forever) so caring! i love your blog so much and all the hard work and care you put into all your posts and followers. thanks for making my day and making me smile so much. you have no clue how much i look forward to seeing your posts and your hilarious hashtags and answers from asks and AMAZING story posts. im sorry i just wanted to let you know ur awesome ily

OFMG WHAT!!!!!! I AM ONLY AN EEL!!!!!! but no you don’t sound like a crazy stalker, i actually love this, you’re too sweet, thank you ;-; i’m just blushin so much reading this omg. YOU EVEN LIKE MY TAGS WOW that’s true love. ily ;-; <333

how do you get your sims' facial expressions to line up with your scenes? I feel like my sims' faces are never right :(

tbh i just use a lot of the same neutral poses...my go-to’s are @helgatisha‘s poses lol. they’re the easiest to work with when i do just plain talking scenes, and often i tweak my sims’ eyebrows and mouths with the liquify tool if i want them to look a bit more concerned, sad, mad, happy, etc., it works like a charm!! i also tend to play around with angles, you’d be surprised how much a different angle can enhance a scene.

Hey smol bean, I'm sent you an ask and now I feel bad that it probably made you feel anxious because you didn't answer it. It was the one about you not liking my posts, I have anxiety too so I'm sorry If I made you feel sad. I think I'm just looking for validation from people I look upto you get me? Anyway sorry again, don't worry about it! Love you!

hiya bb, i know you saw my answer to your original post (and i’m sorry it got some negative attention, i didn’t mean for that to happen by any means) anyway don’t sweat it, and i really appreciate this follow-up message. you didn’t make me feel sad, i just wanna know what i can do. it’s just a hard question y’know. i understand what you mean, i think everyone wants validation to some degree. tbh you can just come off anon and message me, i promise it’s not as nerve-wracking as it seems! ily

How did you make Santi's tattoos? I want some like that for my Sims but idk how to do it

boop

I HAVE A FEELING THAT MOLLY IS GOING TO DIE DURING THE BIRTH OF THE BEAN OR IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH HER STEPFATHER FINDING OUT ABOUT THE BEAN

WELP U WERE RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING

how did you make your characters page on your blog like that?

uoohhh like what?? i used this theme (monolog) if that’s what you mean aheh. here’s a guide on how to use custom page themes

okay so THIS IS MY THEORY: they might keep the baby and molly might actually carry it to full term, but then the kid dies in childbirth and either molly also dies or maybe kills herself or gets killed later? or maybe she's still alive but just won't speak to santi anymore cause she like can't look him in the eye after all of that or idk?? since ppl were sending theories i wanted to add mine lmao. another possible theory is that the stepdad finds out and kills her but thats TOO DARK omg

TOO DARK U SAY...WELL!!! it’s not AS dark as you guessed but only marginally

If Molly turns out to be alive and raising their kid alone (though from what I'm seeing in response to most questions I think that may not be the route) am I allowed to slap Santi (unless Molly didn't give him the option to help) because raising a child alone is not easy I've watched my mom do it for years.

YEAH i would give you permission to slap him lmao he would be a grade A piece o’ shit if that were the case. i would never ever write that tho because santi does own up to his actions if they’re that detrimental. his altruistic nature, no matter how backwards, would never allow him to do that.

There will be complication with the abortion so she will not be able to carry a baby anymore and she's going to kill herself OR her step dad is going to find out and he'll beat her to death. And in both situation Santi his blaming himself because he wasn't there at the right time... Okay I really really hope I'm wrong now !

I don't even follow your story very closely but every time I see your posts my heart hurts.

OMFG...that’s how u know the pain is real

but like wow my stuff is really so visceral that even my apathetic followers can feel the hurt...that’s real...that’s real my guy

omg!! you should 100% play or at least watch a playthrough of life is strange! legit the best game ever made, its so beautiful. the storyline kills you a thousand times over (much like your beautiful story) <3333

yaaaa i’ve heard lots of good things about it!! my bf played it actually, maybe he’ll revisit it again someday and i’ll watch him do it (i’m only a fan of video games if i can watch them like a movie lmao) thank you btw <3

I am shook and I worship you and your story and you are amazing WOW BYE

WORSHIP LMAO WHAT!!! PLS I AM UNDESERVING...ily tho don’t worship false gods

Do you let Molly and the younger versions of your characters frolic around your main save or do they have a separate one?

UM YES LMAO because i didn’t even know you could have separate saves until after i started the flashbacks lmao i’m...a noob. i don’t want separate saves anyway because 1) it’s too much of a hassle switching back and forth and 2) it gets too confusing for me and i’d be afraid of overwriting one save with another and NOPE too much anxiety for that soooo yeah there’s three santis in my game: child, teen and adult lmfao (fun fact: teen santi’s name is literally just Lil Santi)

I made it to my senior year with 6 A's and 1 B ... Be proud of me too? 😂 Lmao I told this to people and some of them were just like .. okay cool?! LMAO it's so funny but also kinda sad

I AM PROUD OF YOU TOO!!!!!!!!! my smart childrens

“okay cool” UM PLEASE that’s a feat...at my school if you got an A in a class in senior year you were allowed to be exempt from the final. so yeah that rules. ily