#i will make it clearer i promise

[kitsunesakii]

Printer issues

Chapter 1

(A conversation between Sasha and Micheal before the siege of Jane Prentiss)

Sasha stared as the printer sputtered and grunted. A pause, another sound before silence. She grumbled and hit the roof of the printer a second time. Nothing. A small mechanical shutter and then nothing. Sasha let out an exasperated sigh and sat back. It was unbelievable that she could hack into anything Jon asked her to, but she was thwarted by a damn printer. She considered bugging Elias about it but she wasn't in the mood to deal with him. If she wanted the details to the statement printed, she'd have to use the printer at the desk to artifact storage.

Just lovely.

Sasha dragged her hands through her hair as she made her way to the other end of the Institute. She didn't have to pretend she enjoyed the place. It wasn't... Natural. She had figured out that much. And not just because of the worm infestation gathering outside the walls of the Institute. She had felt it before as well. She sensed it when they had followed up on statements only to find the person dead or missed. She had noticed it when at her desk and it felt like a thousand eyes staring daggers into the back of her head. And she noticed it now as she sat behind the Artifact storage reception desk and logged in, praying desperately that the printer would connect and behave in a timely manner.

The printer made a small wine and a short compliant huff before a paper started feeding through. Sasha dared to breathe. The paper pushed its way through and the printer made a delighted chime. She frowned. The printer paper, which should have printed out an information sheet about a drug company in relation to a health crisis, was instead a mess of colors and patterns, Sasha found it was hard to look at after a while.

Just. Bloody. Lovely.

She didn't have time to think before laughter ricocheted off of the wall and shattered through her mind. Micheal. Lord, she really needed to get paid more.

Sasha forced herself to at least try and stay calm.

"Hello again, Archivist Assistant, what leads you down here to such a place?"

She eye'd him carefully. The last interaction had left her compromised and almost dead in a graveyard and while she was safely within the Institute, she doubted that would actually be a genuine factor against him.

"The printer wasn't working." She answered rather dumbly.

He giggled and walked forward, picking up the headache of colors splattered over the paper and looking it over. "It doesn't seem broken to me." He laughed again and she felt it in her bones.

She shook her head and swallowed. "No- not this one, the one upstairs."

"Ah yes, well that one has never seemed to work." He giggled again and she managed a small frown.

What would he know about the institute's printer? She thought it was best not to ask. Instead she carefully moved towards the computer and gestured at the screen. "That's why I'm opting to use this one."

"You should try again then." His hair washed over his jaw and his shoulder as he tipped his head. His grin spreading further than the confines of his face.

Right. Sasha clicked print and watched the printer go through the motions of odd sounds before spitting out yet another distorted array of colors and shapes. Maybe she'd just be better off telling Jon he wasn't getting a paper version. Surely she could just email the details to him?

Micheal's laughter reverberated through the room as he leaned against the counter, holding his face in too long fingers.

"My, my, Assistant, whatever are you printing?"

Sasha let out a half hearted chuckle. It was too late into the day to have to deal with this. She ignored his question. "Yeah, obviously this isn't working."

"Giving up already? Oh Assistant, come on, give it another try." His smile was all teeth.

"It's Sasha." She said, rubbing her forehead.

"The printer has a name?"

"No, Micheal, my name. My name is Sasha."

He laughed again, his form spreading out like smoke before reflecting colors like glass, just transparent enough to see through whilst also noticing your reflection.

"So you say, will you try again?"

"Yes cause I'm sure it'll work better than the first two times."

"Sasha?"

She snapped her head in the direction of the voice, seeing Sally walking towards her with a concerned expression and carrying a stack of books.

"Who are you talking to?"

Sasha turned back to where Micheal was standing, except Micheal was gone and the door he had come from no longer seemed to exist. Of course.

"Oh um, no one, just talking to myself."

Sally didn't press the matter, instead disappearing down an adjacent hall. Sasha scowled and tried pressing print again, almost crying with relief as the document finally printed. Sasha quickly grabbed it and went to walk away before glancing back at the tray. Back at the two distorted pages. She grabbed those as well, folding them up and tucking them into her purse.

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

"Thank you, Sasha, I'll have Martin look into the drug company's representative tomorrow."

"Great, just don't ask me to print out anything in the future, I've had quite enough to last me for a while."

Jon gave her a quizzical expression and Sasha let out a belated sigh.

"Nevermind, I'm headed home. Don't forget to feed yourself, Jon."

He muttered some backhanded response and she headed for home.

Sasha tossed her purse on the kitchen counter and started brewing a cup of tea. She spent most of the evening getting out of work mode and into comfier attire. Finally pulling out the distorted papers from her bag and looking them over. The colors were...pretty. For lack of a better word. Oddly distracting, mildly disorienting, but pretty nonetheless. She hummed and taped them to her fridge. A bit of eye-catching decoration never hurt anyone.

Chapter:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

[unspecifiedfigure]

something happens and i’m head over heels ✨

[wtowingedtragicobsidian]

Characters who need to make themselves believe the ends justify the means. Forcing it down their throat, again and again and again. Till its second nature, till its addiction. And maybe the ends don't feel so pressing anymore, cus who knew the means could be so good.

[lecliss]

The choice from Sunday is kinda weird cuz the options are build a cage in the house for the bird or build a nest where it fell and one leads to the bird growing up but dying once its set free and the other one probably leads to it dying much sooner. They both feel like the same option and even tho obviously the most kind, caring, morally right thing to do is keep it inside so at least it lives longer even if it's in a cage. But like to me both options suck and are basically nothing cuz I'm sorry if I look like a bad person for this, but I'm not sorry, but I'm not fuckin touching a wild animal. Even if I knew it was there even if I bothered to check out the sound to find a bird, which I wouldn't, I'm not touching it. I'm not even getting close enough to find out it's too young to fly yet. Whatever happens to it happens man and I'll never know what happens to it cuz I'm not even gonna look at it. Like, where's the 'you seem like an asshole but really it's quite a normal choice' in this whole trial thing??? That's usually an option you can pick. Sunday!!! Sunday, listen!!! There are more than two choices!!! You don't have to always do something!!!! You can just walk away!!! You don't have to try to do something for everyone all the time!!! Think about yourself sometimes!!! It's not selfish I promise!!! SUNDAY!!! OH MY GOD HIS WINGS ARE COVERING HIS EARS HE CANT HEAR US!!!!

[ashored]

finished the colours for nami's star guardian design... 🥹🩷

[bxtonpxss]

.

[jackdawsdrawings]

Haven't used the paints that I have much recently so decided to try doing the Stardew Valley title screen!

It also worked as some good practice for painting clouds and doing gradients which is something I've been wanting to get better at!

[wheelercurse]

me when I don't know the concept of character development:

[professor-cold-ramen]

how can I explain to anyone that the funniest inside joke ever boils down to a green bean

[robinwinghood]

First OCKiss art, and we have April and Horizon trying to disguise an elf man as Normal Human Dude Who's Not From Another World, by putting him in April's clothes.

[theasstour]

hi! i didn’t want to ask in case you were busy but it’s been some time. will you perhaps continue ever a never after? i really enjoyed it 🫶

Hiya!!! No it’s completely ok, I should’ve been more open with people outside of patreon about EANA sjshd! I’ve just been going through a bit of a depressive episode and have lost all kinds of inspiration, so it’s been horrible for me to even try and sit down to write. I’ll finish it soon, probably in June, and then I’ll post the last few parts on wtp as well!

[forgotten-contract]

[Read these as if they're movie stills with single subtitle LOL]

Have a bunch of thumbnails of some of Silvaire's history within Garlemald times >:)c

Also known as 'fucking ouch' ;; I'll probably finish them in full form slowly but surely.

[reignpage]

Mornings with Husband!Nanami

He finds mornings bittersweet. 

On one hand, he has to go to work, and worst of all, leave you. And on the other, he gets to see a side of you he only sees in the early hours of the day, when most of the city seem to still be asleep and he gets to catch sight of your slumbering face without you knowing and grumbling about it.

Husband!Nanami always has the ring on his alarm off. So instead of that obnoxious blaring, he’s instead woken up by vibrations which rumble under his pillow. Why does he do that?

Well, of course, because he doesn’t want to wake you. 

Even before you two officially began dating, you made it abundantly clear how much you hate waking up early. And then when you had started dating, you made it exponentially clearer how much you absolutely, irrevocably despise — nay, resent! — having to part ways with his warm, solid body. 

Husband!Nanami slides himself out of bed, dressed only in his boxers, and he tucks the covers back over you, smiling to himself as you snuggle against his pillow. 

Once showered, he makes a quick breakfast and makes sure there’s a fresh pot of coffee for you before he heads back into the room to change as quietly as possible. Tiptoeing, he makes his way around the room, avoiding the parts of the floor that creak. And despite his best efforts, his darling wife apparently has instincts a successful sorcerer with quality skills and talents cannot overcome. 

“Kenny,” you groan out. 

Husband!Nanami sighs, mentally kicking himself for his carelessness. “Morning, sweetheart. I’m so sorry for waking you.”

“Mmm, it’ll be okay if you kiss me.”

He watches you push yourself up with your eyes closed just as he buttons his shirt. There’s a sleepy smile on his face that’s dazzling and your eyes are compelled by that divine light to open just enough to beckon him over. 

Husband!Nanami loves to tease, so he says, “I’d love to, darling, but your morning breath is infamously deadly.”

A laugh is startled out of him by the finger you shove in the air.

Husband!Nanami can’t ever say no to you. He just can’t. He’s tried a couple times: when you asked for a parrot, when you wanted to squeeze him in a pretty dress of yours, and when you tried to propose to him. 

Sometimes he was successful. Sometimes he wasn’t. This time is the latter. 

“Alright, but just one kiss, okay? And then I have to go. Promise me, honey.”

Husband!Nanami knows you have your fingers crossed behind your back when you nod with a cheesy grin, citing, “Scout’s Honour!”

And just as he suspects, you do not stick to your promise and he finds himself wrestled into bed with your surprising strength — though, he won’t admit that he doesn’t exactly fight your hulk-like grip. 

Husband!Nanami arrives at work right on time, which by his standards is late, but he doesn’t complain. In fact, when he settles into his office, he’s opening the picture you sent him and it's an arrow to the heart. You're in bed wearing his shirt, and just his shirt, with the most adorable pout ever. It takes him all his strength to fight the urge to drive home and bury himself in your arms…

Maybe even between your legs, but that’s lunchtime’s problem. 

Husband!Nanami can't wait.

[tinybro]

my theory is that there will be some clear trends in the general age range for the three big ships for two reasons:

one, these ships each became A Thing at very different times. for people that got into jasico after HoH came out, solangelo wasn't even a thought yet. for percico fans that got into it way back with the original books, jason didn't even exist as a character yet.

and two, i've noticed a big difference in how much older vs. younger people in fandom value canonicity. those of us who are older grew up in an era where queer romance was generally subtextual at best and we're used to shrugging at canon and doing whatever we want. favorite ships came from one's preferred dynamics, not what was necessarily most likely to happen. but younger fans seem to care much more about how canon a ship is. my best guess is that it comes of canon gay content being way more acceptable these days so canon representation is the priority, thus more of a focus on what's definitively canon and a much stronger desire to see favorite ships get canonized.

hey pjo fandom, i wanna do an experiment. in the notes, tell me what your favorite nico ship is and how old you are (general ranges are fine if you don't wanna give specifics!)

[vivitalks]

don't get me wrong if there are no figayda defenders then i am dead but equally important to me is the fact that adaine was the one who reached out to ayda in the first place. from the very first moment, while the other bad kids were either unsure if ayda was even a person or if she was a bird or something else altogether, while they were making jokes, adaine was the one emphasizing ayda's personhood and acknowledging her as an individual deserving of respect. minute one, adaine has clocked ayda's deal and is completely on the level with her.

like, just to break down their interactions solely from the episode where they meet (2x07):

Adaine: Oh yes, I have a piece of paper.

Ayda: Why, are you bragging? I have many slips of paper.

Adaine: It's a specific piece of paper with a letter from Garthy on it.

> speaks too vaguely, sees that ayda did not understand her meaning, and immediately clarifies with specific language, without being glib or making a joke out of ayda's response

Ayda: Do you give this as a gift or as a message?

Adaine: I give it as a message. I would never give you a gift, you've made it clear that you do not want one.

> heard ayda's clearly expressed opinion on gifts and took her at face value, once again without any hint of mockery

Ayda: I wish for no gifts.

Adaine: But if you would like to buy this message off of me, you're more than welcome to.

> reframes the offering of the message as a transaction to eliminate any concern ayda may have about putting herself in debt, something she'd just expressly communicated she did not desire to do

jump to:

Adaine: I can teach you a spell if you teach me a spell. Then the transaction is clear.

> says in no uncertain terms what the transaction is. she is communicating on ayda's terms.

jump to:

Adaine: We can hang out if you like.

Ayda: What?

Adaine: I don't have any wizard friends.

Ayda: Why? [...] Are you hard to be around?

Adaine: No, I, no? Are you hard to be around?

Ayda: Yes.

> you just know ayda is repeating back words she has been told.

Adaine: Oh, do you want a friend?

Ayda: (pauses, intense stare) Desperately.

> this entire exchange is spoken in clear words and without subtext. adaine says what she wants and why she wants it. she is not put off by ayda. she doesn't find ayda hard to be around, but she also doesn't say anything to give ayda something to argue against. on the heels of ayda saying she's hard to be around, adaine asks anyway, "do you want a friend?" which communicates (1) the answer to whether or not you're hard to be around does not in any way modify my desire to be your friend, but also (2) i don't want to force friendship on you so i will ask you a clearer question: do you want a friend?

Adaine: I'll be your friend. Would you like to hold my frog? It's not a gift.

> "i'll be your friend" = adaine clarifying the result of the preceding line of questioning. "do you want a friend" could be taken by ayda to mean that adaine will present her with some third party friend, and adaine puts that to rest: she will be the friend. also doesn't assume ayda will remember adaine's earlier words or generalize her earlier sentiment of never offering ayda an unwanted gift; this is a new situation and conversation so adaine simply repeats her promise

Ayda: What level spell is this?

Adaine: Oh, it's just Find Familiar, it's—

Ayda: How?

Adaine: I can teach you it. It'll cost you 50 gold per level.

Ayda: (laughs screechingly) Very good.

> friendship notwithstanding, adaine does not assume that the transaction of spells for money is negated, but suggests it in such a way that ayda laughs, potentially sensing that adaine has created an inside joke for them, and potentially not being on the inside of too many of those.

all of this is FIRST MEETING. and the difference between how the other bad kids interact with ayda vs how adaine interacts with her in this episode is so stark. when adaine learns that they're both divination wizards, she is genuinely delighted. she thinks ayda is cool from basically their first interaction. adaine doesn't have any wizard friends!! and she's respectful towards ayda and meets her where she's at without any hesitation or difficulty. day one ride or die.

brennan likes to say that fig was the one who brought ayda out of side quest territory and into the main story, but it was adaine who extended the offer/request for friendship, it was adaine who reached out when she needed help at the row & the ruction, and it was adaine whom ayda immediately dropped everything to go and rescue the moment she knew adaine was in trouble. fig was an incredible friend and eventual partner for ayda, but adaine was ayda's first friend, the hand that reached out and grasped ayda to bring her into the bad kids fold in the first place, and nobody better forget it.

[nonranghaes]

it's while you're putting away groceries that you notice a small box of cookies that you hadn't put on the list. you'd meant to, but your memory isn't the best, so by the time minho was making a trip to the grocery store alone, you had already resigned yourself to getting them next time you were there.

"honey?" you hold the box up as minho looks up from where he's sitting in front of the open fridge, putting away the cold stuff. "what's this?"

he blinks at you, brows rising just a little. "you wanted those?" he turns back to the fridge, carefully moving a carton of eggs so he can slide in a tub of yogurt so it sits with the other near-empty container. "did i get the wrong kind? i thought those were the right ones--"

"they are." you shift your weight uncomfortably. "i just... i didn't put them on the list."

"so?" minho doesn't look up again, carefully putting away strawberries. "you said you wanted them. i just assumed you forgot."

when you don't respond, minho slowly looks up, watching the quiet way your shoulders are shaking now. oh. oh. he's already rising to his feet, rushing over to you, asking if he did something wrong. you always feel silly when such obvious kindness gets met with you getting overwhelmed, but minho knows enough about the way you grew up. he wraps his arms around you, pulling you in. this is far from the first time that this has happened since the two of you started living together, but it still hits hard every time something like this happens.

"stop that," he says with this playful lilt to his voice, the way he always sounds when he's trying to cheer you up in moments like these. "if you're crying, then i'm a bad boyfriend."

but you just wrap your arms around him, shutting your eyes. he listened. he remembered what you said. "it's dumb--"

"it's not dumb." he rubs circles into your back. "you'll get used to it. i promise."

you think you wouldn't mind that. "minho?" you mumble as you turn your face, just so that he can hear you clearer. "thank you for listening."

and he chuckles, curling around you once more. there's things to be done, but he'll always savor holding you like this when he can. "that's what i'm here for."