#i'll proofread in the morning

[i-eat-deodorant]

okay serious question this time, elaborate on your creative process bc boy you are very big big big inspiration mhmmhm additionally, give brief summary of your current WIPs pwetty pwease

for writing, i'm a bit of a snippet hoarder. the way a crow loves shinies, i love little phrases and snippets that hit just right. i screenshot them and scrapbook them and remember the exact locations (url, chapter title, page number) where i read them. then when i'm low on motivation, i go back to some and dissect what i love about them and that the writers do to make it click. if the writing's good then i'll never get tired of rereading the same thing, because every time i go back there's another angle to look at and a new interpretation to consider.

for art, it's pretty much the same thing. studies help. real life studies, master studies, warm-up sketches where you scribble something a couple of times before starting the real deal. i really need to practice what i preach more, but the few times i did anatomical/light studies really improved my skills a lot. studies stuck ass to draw because i'd rather be doodling a million other things than "the basics", but they help.

and i think the other thing that's starting to become important to me is immediacy. if i have a cool thought, i write it down. if i have an image in my head, i drop everything to doodle it. i think this is more a personal issue concerning my abysmal attention span than anything else, so ymmv but i find that if i don't get something out right now i won't get it out at all.

[artemisravencourtney]

Alternate title:

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Teen Titans - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Garfield Logan/Raven Characters: Garfield Logan, Raven (Teen Titans), Victor Stone, Dick Grayson, Koriand'r (DCU) Additional Tags: Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Humor, Teen Titans as Family, Aged-Up Character(s), Drinking, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Cunnilingus, garfield logan is named after a pussy, you are what you eat, The Author Regrets Nothing, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, I’m Going to Hell, Everyone is at least tipsy, Smut, Shameless Smut, Halloween Smut, BBRae Week 2024, Listen Halloween is for finding out about kinks you didn’t know you had, idk what kink this is btw, If someone knows lmk I’ll tag it, ‘wanting to mess up someone who looks perfect’ kink, Making Out, Established Relationship, Chaotic Dick Grayson, chaotic everyone tbh, they’re in their twenties and drunk asf, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Garfield Logan is down astronomical for Raven, Minor Dick Grayson/Koriand'r Series: Part 4 of BBRae Week 2024 Summary:

Raven had always looked elegant, with her impassive features and long, billowing cloak, but this woman in front of him was clearly a divine being. It reminded him of the feeling he got when they first met, that she was this impassive, untouchable, mysterious creature – a statue craved from the finest marble, never reacting, never slipping, never breaking in composure. Calm, collected, poised, and perfect. Never mind the reference to Swan Lake, *this* was the Raven –every feather pulled into place, every movement calculated.

Gar very much wanted to ruffle those feathers.

Written for BBRae Week - Halloween

[14dayswithyou]

For the characters that don’t have siblings, do they wish they did?

Violet comes from a very big and close-knit Filipino family, so she was always surrounded by her cousins, mother, and other relatives growing up. I don't think she'd necessarily want siblings, though she wouldn't complain if she suddenly got one (or a few).

Teo is obsessed with having everyone's eyes and attention — including his parents — on himself, so having a sibling would only get in the way of that. He doesn't want to fight someone for the spotlight, and I don't think he'd be able to tolerate having someone related to him hogging all of his parent's attention. He's fine with having close friends, but draws the line at seeing someone as his "sibling" — blood related or not.

Leon had Angel by his side for a small portion of his life — and while he doesn't see them as his sibling per-se — he did share a strong bond with them. He also surrounds himself with his close group of friends, so there's never really been a point in his life where he ever felt lonely. It'd be nice if he had a sibling, but he'd worry that it'd be more stressful for his Mother to take care of (or vice versa, considering she's in the hospital and Leon is the one taking care of things).

Jae would definitely love having siblings! Part of the reason why he adopted Maple was because he always felt lonely when he was by himself and didn't really have anyone who would go along with his antics unconditionally.

[incoherentsobbing]

A. Thing. 🧍🏾

CW: Unhealthy relationship dynamics, implied drugging (a potion of some sorts), light mentions of death, Yan! reader x (character of your choice), l'm pretty sure I had someone in mind when I first wrote this, but it's been months and I have No Clue, lowkey disturbing. reader is manipulating mansplaining manwhoring this

Tell me if I miss anything :P

Heavy breathing.

The deafening sound of skin brushing against skin.

The shrill laughter coming from them made butterflies flare up in such a beautiful way in you.

"Haha! (redacted)!" They'd gleefully chuckle as you'd both roll around in the pillow fort you made together, tears forming in the corner of their eyes.

And you'd laugh right back, engulfing them in a loving hug they'd surely return.

They just loved you so, so much.

And you loved them too.

Enough to put them under a spell.

Enough to make sure all they thought about was you, you, you.

Because they loved you so much.

And you loved them too.

They'd cry and cry, but how could they be sad? When all they could feel was the tight pull on their heart when they saw you? When they heard your voice? When they tried to resist the spell you put them under?

Those were just tears of joy. What more could they be?

Their dead eyes meant nothing, so long as they gazed at you, and you alone.

They didn't mind when the people they were once close to vanished. One after the other

How could they?

They were too preoccupied with wedding plans to even think about their companions dropping like flies around them.

You'd speak, and they'd listen. Obey. Without question.

All because they loved you

And you loved them too.

[glouris]

About some characters’ possible incarnations in previous samsaras

So Teyvat is trapped in a cycle, is constantly going through samsaras, and reincarnation really is all but confirmed now apparently. 

A lot of people jumped to point at Childe and Parsifal, then speculate which other historical figures could also be his previous incarnations.

Childe's case is really, really interesting, but I wanted to bring up another character that also seems to be pulled into this samsara vortex somehow - Itto. 

(This is gonna be long and have A LOT of reaches and speculations.)

Let’s look at Akuou (Touzannou) from Watatsumi Island. We don't have confirmation on which species he actually belonged to, but from what information we have on him, he would most likely be either a vishap hybrid, or an oni. He was described as “the wicked fangs and claws of the Great Serpent, the savage, demonic invader of Yashiori Island”. “‘Fangs and claws of the Serpent” makes it sound like he was a vishap, but I think him being called “demonic” is a more important characterisation here. The name ‘Akuou’ also may be a reference to the legends of Akuro'ou - “an ancient demonic warrior in the Japanese folklore who fought against the imperial court”, so again, demonic, an oni. And, well, oni also have claws and fangs, but I did have to mention that this guy could be a lizard person instead. 

If we assume that Touzannou was an oni, we can start to notice a lot of coincidences pile up. First, Touzannou’s personality seems to resemble Itto’s - he was reckless, boastful, presumptuous, but very kind. Not the brightest mind, as it’s said that “his strength was his only strength". He came up with his own fighting styles that are still passed down on Watatsumi. Itto’s fighting style is his own as well: 

(I love Itto so much man.)

Touzannou fought the Tengu Sasayuri and was called Akuou  - “Wicked King”; Kokomi’s Everlasting Moonglows story mentions it like that: 

Itto’s Redhorn tells a story about an “Otogi King”, who was boisterous and boastful too. And that’s where it gets weird, please walk with me. One of Itto’s passive talents is getting more wood, and if we look at how the trees are distributed on the map, the VAST majority of the Otogi trees are found on Yashiori Island.

As already mentioned, Yashiori was invaded by Orobashi and his people 2000 years ago, and ultimately became the resting place for Akuou (Touzannou) and shrine maiden Mouun, a very important figure I’ll talk about later. 99% of Itto’s story quest also happens to take place on Yashiori.

A cornplate detail, but Itto was also at Nazuchi Beach (Yashiori Island sub-area) in his dedicated album posted on genshin’s youtube channel. The ost playing on Nazuchi Beach is called Stranded Wish, which is quite an interesting name choice for a place that suffered so much tragedy and war. 

(This is also actually a Watatsumi ship, as mentioned by an npc we can talk to there)

Speaking of Watatsumi, Itto’s most obvious connection to it is through Gorou, as he is his dedicated support. The less obvious connection is his similarities with Akuou, and some things involving Kokomi. Sure, his quest is only accessible after you complete Kokomi’s, and their signature artifacts in the same domain, but her involvement seems to run a bit deeper than that. 

You see, the whole thing that started it all is Akuou being mentioned in Kokomi’s donut. At first I thought it’s actually the same guy from the Redhorn, because their description was so similar, basically just ‘evil king that fights a tengu’. But it was exactly this description that made me notice some interesting pattern of interconnected characters.

2000 years ago: Akuou the Evil King, Mouun the shrine maiden and Tengu Sasayuri. 

500 year ago: Tengu Reizenbou, Asase Hibiki and Ako Domeki.

Present day: Arataki Itto, Kokomi, and Kujou Sara. 

Take a look at depictions of Asase Hibiki (left) and Mouun (right) from the TCG cards:

Their haircuts seem to be identical, with the hair color being the only difference. Better yet, it's also similar to Kokomi's haircut. 

The oni from their respective time periods (or samsaras) are named Akuou, Ako and Arataki. Inconsequential, but interesting. 

Let’s take a look at Ako Domeki, and speculate a little (or a lot). Both Akuou and Itto had conflicts with a tengu, but Ako seemingly didn’t. But, since he’s 500 years back on the timeline, it puts him on the same time period as Tengu Reizenbou and the ‘otogi king’ from Itto’s redhorn. There is a slight chance that this ‘otogi king’ was actually Ako Domeki post Serai and Golden Apple, but there’s nothing really to prove or disprove this, apart from the fact that they both have similarities with Akuou and Itto.

Another thing that could possibly have something to do with Ako Domeki are those weird oni symbols scattered around Watatsumi. These symbols are connected to Rinzou's Treasure world quest - you look for pirate treasure, and find Rinzou’s letter where he talks about his life.

This “outlander king” inspired Rinzou to leave Watatsumi when he grew up. And, it’s interesting that he chose an oni mask as his insignia when he left Watatsumi. If this old man was the reason for him to go into the world to seek adventure at sea and become a pirate, it would make sense for his insignia to be inspired by this old man. Which would make him an oni. 

Could this be Ako Domeki, an oni pirate, that inspired another person to become a pirate? It’s far-fetched, but again, as we don’t have any confirmation for the end of Ako Domeki story, it could have really been him. 

Getting back to Akuou and Mouun. Mouun’s name has a very interesting possible origin: 

Kokomi’s ‘slumbering dragon’ constellation comes to mind here. 

Mouun was friends with a great 900 year old whale called Daikengyou.

They both were slain during the Yashiori Island invasion. But, the fact that this whale managed to live for so long almost definitely means that it was no ordinary whale - perhaps it was the same creature as the All Devouring Narwhal. 

Meanwhile Kokomi had a whale in her demo, which should definetly raise some red flags.

Akuou was taught different rituals by Mouun and her sister Ayame, including an art of whalesong. Interestingly enough, Itto is a very good singer apparently:  

So, in light of recent developments with whales in the main story, I don’t really think that this art of ‘whalesong’ was something connected to ordinary marine life, it’s too specific now. Given that Orobashi was actively opposing Heavenly Principles, I won’t put it past him and his followers to be involved with the likes of Surtalogi that keeps celestial whales as pets. 

Last thing, the books about Akuou and Mouun, as well as about other Watatsumi dealings (Debates on the "Viceroy of the East", A Preliminary Study of Sangonomiya Folk Belief, The Life of Mouun the Shrine Maiden, and more) are not in the book archive, but in the quest items. Must be important. 

So, let’s round things up. Akuou, Ako Domeki, Arataki Itto, all with similar sounding names, are boisterous, kind oni, that all have mentions of being called ‘kings’ (Itto’s ult is called ‘raging oni king state’), all have some ties to Yashiori Island (Ako Domeki is mentioned on a note on Nazuchi Beach, and if the Otogi King and him really were the same person, there’s Yashiori having the most otogi trees in Inazuma), all being exceptional fighters, all having ties to a notable tengu and a shrine maiden, that also have connections to characters taking on the same role from a different time periods. 

Ako Domeki is up in the air, but Akuou and Itto really do seem to be connected somehow.

[theusernameiwantisntavailable]

Persona 5/ Persona 5 royal spoilers ahead!

Okay so I did this WIP a while back that I discontinued but I'm still going insane about the meaning of it and also the symbolism of masks in this game and also akeshu parrallels so I need to Yap abt them

Yap session under the cut!

The symbolism of masks in this game drives my so batshit insane actually. Like. So often we see in media that people are finally free when they take their mask off (both metaphorically and literally) but in this game we see people's true forms when they put one ON.

Like the palaces are where we see people's true faces and desires. It's the place where no one can hide who they are. And yet it's one one place where you wear a physical mask and disguise and have to conceal who you are.

I could (and will at some point) write an entire essay about that but rn it's akeshu hours

Because Joker is arguably the best example of that, he becomes alive in the palaces, where his face his hidden. It's his freedom

Versus Akechi

The first time we see Akechi show his true form to Joker (and the player) is in what is percieved at the time as the real world. The entire time we work together in the palace, the place that shows who you are despite the mask you wear he hides who he is. It's only in the gritty real world that he reveals himself.

Joker in the real world is perceived (at least by people outside of his circle) as closed off and someone to be cautious around, he has a criminal record so he could be dangerous. The exact opposite of how he is in palaces, the centre of the team and a flame people are drawn towards

VERSUS AKECHI

In the real world he is a celebrity, he is loved, people are drawn to him. But in palaces he's cold and heartless, his words are cutting and he cares for no one, not hesitating to kill to achieve his goal

Opposites in every sense

THE ABSOLUTE PARALLELS IT DRIVES ME INSANEASHBANANSJAKSS

They were both ruined by the same man. They both ended up in their current predicament because of said man. They both had the potential to weild multiple personas. They both have the capability to lead. They are the exact same and yet the exact opposite

They don't need to lie awake at night and wonder what would they be like if their life had turned out slightly differently. They don't need to because they have each other. EVERYTIME THEY GO INTO A PALACE THEY SEE WHO THEY COULD'VE BEEN, THEY FIGHT WITH THAT PERSON SIDE BY SIDE EVERY NIGHT I'M GOING MAD

[yvesdot]

nobody:

yves. on the NaNoWriMo forums thread about vampires vs werewolves at 1:42 AM:

[macabremoons]

i'm at a weird point with my writing. technically, i haven't been writing that long. It's been like 6 years. 3 of those being my current era of writing. That being said-- I wouldn't classify myself as a beginner. Usually I'm quite proud of my prose, but lately I've found it all so... lacking which is stupid because almost everything I've written is a first draft and I know my writing gets better with a second draft but blehhh blehhhhhhhhh. I wouldn't necessarily call myself an intermediate because I feel like such labels are just a way to deny yourself greatness. Part of me feels like I am a great writer with prose worth thinking about... but another part of me feels like I'm a beginner hack. And I can't tell which part is me being emotional.

I guess... my prose is nice, but novel writing is something I'm not an expert at. I just figured out that while I am great at character, I do often not have plots! God I have to re outline Forevemore--it literally isn't about anything. So now knowing this I'm just sitting here going "was my confidence a hoax?" which is stupid!! having a flaw is natural and human and I'm just discovering my process. ugh!!! it doesn't help my current novel has no outline and i have done zero brainstorming for it. by that i mean i've only made picrews of one character and i have no outline or brainstorm documents. it is a literal warm up that sprialled out of control and it shows

writing is work folks

[moonfurthetemmie]

ahem

i had a sudden burst of Idea and did. this.

some inspiration is taken from a friend who wrote a terrifying little bit about two particularly powerful spirits fusing. i don't know if i'm allowed to disclose which ones, because i don't think the one's creator has said anything about him outside of The Discord Server(TM), but. yes

(i'm mostly kidding about the 'idk if i can tell you who it was' bit; it is admittedly an excuse to not brain more words because i am Tired and spat this out in a couple of hours so i've used up my alloted braincell time for toight)

this is...one of many possible ways that one of my new fucked up little shits could've happened

Sophism

There was quite the crowd in the town square. Enough that they hardly needed anything more than hoods to cover their heads. Hushed murmuring and gasps of horror told them that, whatever was going on, it wasn’t good.

Nightmare could sense someone ahead of the crowd. Or…many someones? There was so much positivity and negativity that he couldn’t tell, no matter how hard he tried to focus on them.

They could hear yelling ahead. Angry yelling, for sure, though one was far more emotional than the other. The voices were familiar, but they couldn’t place them. They’d come here to have some fun, but it seemed that everyone in town was here. It would be hard to grab anyone without someone noticing. Even if that hadn’t been the case, the three were far too curious about what everyone was watching, now.

As they pushed through the crowd, the feeling that something was terribly wrong grew and grew.

Cross could swear she knew the least angry-sounding voice. Even as she racked her brain to figure out where she knew it from, the mere sound of it made her blood boil. It was getting clearer as they reached the front, though.

Error had noticed several odd noises that they couldn’t hear from the back of the crowd. As they got closer, she only became more confused. One sounded like woosh-ing sound effects put on sword swings in a video game. Another, much less frequent, was the sound of wood cracking; occasionally accompanied by a dull thunk.

The closer he got, the more obvious it was to Nightmare that there were two people in front of the crowd. Both furious, one far more hateful than the other. The hateful one had so many negative emotions, it was almost impossible to tell what any of the others were. But the other, aside from their fury, seemed perfectly content with…whatever was happening.

A few rows behind the front of the crowd, the two’s emotions suddenly become much, much stronger. Almost suffocating.

He realized who it was, as his very soul started to burn from how close he was.

Cross and Error, upon coming within range of the auras, realized what was happening only a split second after him. Against their better judgment, they continued pushing forward; almost shoving people out of the way now. 

They made it to the front just in time to watch a man with black hair use thick, slimy black tentacles slam his opponent, a man with orange-gold wings, into a tree. The force made the trunk crack and splinter, and yet the winged man stood. The black tendrils, made of pure negative magic, burned, dried out, and crumbled from touching such a concentrated source of positivity. But the winged man’s skin had begun to melt on contact. 

“...Oh, god.” Nightmare breathed. “It’s them.”

“You just don’t know when to give up, do you?” Obsidian snarled. He pulled his tentacles back, but clearly had no intentions of retreating. His shirt had been torn open, somehow. Or perhaps he just never bothered to button it in the first place.

“Neither do you, it would seem.” It had been a very, very long time since Nightmare had seen Dream angry. He suspected Obsidian’s aura of negativity had a part to play in that. He seemed to have lost his jacket somewhere, and had rolled up the sleeves of his nice dress shirt.

Obsidian’s hands crackled with electricity. “I’ve never been beaten in a fight, and I’m sure as hell not going to let the first time be to an overgrown chicken with a god complex!” 

Dream fluffed up his wings and readied his sword. Christ, when was the last time Nightmare had seen that thing in use? 

“Why do his arms look like that?” Cross whispered hoarsely. “And his wings! Holy shit, did Obsidian do that?”

Nightmare and Error had thought that it was sweat dripping from Dream’s arms. To their horror, they realized that it was his own skin. His wings, which were always shedding to begin with, was now dropping feathers in globs.

“Obsidian’s covered in burns, too,” Error pointed out. That, at least, the trio had noticed. Awful patches of sizzling skin, anywhere Dream had hit or touched him. There were several hand prints, some clearer than others, on Obsidian’s arms and chest. “I guess corruption can fuck with radiance just as much as radiance can fuck it up.”

“You’re welcome to try,” Dream hissed, which made the trio–and the rest of the crowd–step back. “I will not let you terrorize my multiverse as you do yours.”

“Bold words coming from a bastard who can’t even be bothered to do his own dirty work,” Obsidian sneered. “When was the last time you even used that thing?”

Dream’s eyes tightened. As he launched himself into the air, and the effects of his aura weakened with the distance, Nightmare wondered how much pain Dream was in. How long had this fight been going? And how long could Dream keep it up? 

Like a hawk after a hare, Dream dove for Obsidian, aiming right for his head.

At the same time, Obsidian sent a bolt of indigo lightning powerful enough to cause thunder at Dream.

There was a wet shink! sound that the three friends were very familiar with as Obsidian yelled in pain.

He had tried to wait until the last second to dodge, but Dream had still skewered him through the stomach. Dream’s entire body seemed to be melting, now; the lightning clearly hadn’t missed its mark, either.

Obsidian’s eyes burned with a fury stronger than any single person should’ve been capable of. Before Dream could react, Obsidian grabbed Dream’s arm and wrapped his tentacles around the radiant’s neck. 

“You think you’re so clever?” Obsidian snarled. Steam rose from his hand and tendrils. “I’m dragging you down to hell with me, you son of a bitch!”

Dream, gasping for air, let go of his sword and tried to ascend, to pull himself out of Obsidian’s grasp, but Obsidian yanked on his arm and he fell to his knees. The crowd started to panic. Yells of alarm and calls to get help, but most of them seemed as frozen as the Meme Squad was.

Nightmare couldn’t believe what he was seeing. How could Dream have let this arrogant bastard kill him? Was this a nightmare? Was this how they were going to die?

For a split second, Dream caught Nightmare’s gaze. His eyes widened. Nightmare sensed surprise and a twinge of guilt before Obsidian grabbed Dream’s shoulder and pushed him to the ground.

Horrible burns were spreading all across Obsidian’s body. Dream was melting faster than ice cream in a microwave. 

Am I going to melt, too? Or am I just going to drop dead? Christ, I hope I just drop dead. Nightmare’s heart pounded in his chest. He felt sick. Was it starting? Was he dying? Or was it just fear?

As Dream and Obsidian’s bodies stilled, Cross and Error enveloped Nightmare in a hug. 

They didn’t say anything; they didn’t know what they would say. But they didn’t need to say anything. Nightmare gripped their arms, and the three of them closed their eyes.

…But nothing happened, except for the crowd’s murmuring going silent.

Nightmare realized that the crowd’s silence wasn’t from grief. And, at the same time, that Dream and Obsidian’s auras hadn’t faded.

In fact, they almost seemed to be…

Nightmare’s eyes snapped open.

The steam that had come from the contact of two so violently opposing magics, rather than dissipating, had coalesced into a cloud of fog around the bodies. It became thicker, and thicker, and Nightmare could see both of them start to change.

Obsidian’s skin flaked off like ash, but rather than sinew and muscle there was only a black, iridescent sludge. Dream’s skin melted off entirely, revealing a ball of orange-yellow light.

“Guys.”

Error and Cross hardly heard Nightmare’s horrified whisper, but they looked up in time to see the pure radiance and corruption begin to move before the fog completely obscured them.

“Wh…What the hell was that?” Someone in the crowd said, their voice shaking. 

“Maybe…maybe that’s just what happens when spirits like them die?” Someone else said, though they didn’t sound very sure.

“No.” Nightmare’s voice was hoarse. He didn’t even notice the crowd’s terror at his presence; his eyes were fixed on the cloud before them, and the auras within. “They’re…They’re not dead. I don’t know what the fuck is happening, but they’re not dead.”

“What do you mean they’re not dead?” Someone demanded. “You saw that too, didn’t you? They don’t even have bodies anymore!”

Nightmare grip on his friends’ arms tightened. “No. If me or Dream dies, the other one dies, too. But I’m still here. And their auras haven’t faded. It…It almost feels like they’re-”

A strangled gasp came from the fog. Everyone jumped back, except for Nightmare, who’s horror and terror had frozen him in place.

“...Fusing.”

The fog quickly faded. Standing where Dream and Obsidian’s bodies had been was an odd man with brown hair, and wings of orange light with indigo feathers. His eyes were mostly white, but those in the front of the crowd could see the hints of orange in one, and indigo in another.

The man looked like he’d just woken up from a nightmare. His hands shook. His eyes were wide with fear and confusion. He slowly looked down at his own hands.

“Oh, god.” Nightmare’s voice was weak. “They did.”

“That- that can happen?!” Cross whispered, loudly. 

“Fucking apparently!”

“I think this is our cue to leave,” Error said. Despite the casual tone she used, her hands trembled as she made a portal. 

Without a moment’s hesitation, Cross and Nightmare followed her through it. 

Before it closed behind them, they heard a familiar-yet-not voice; confused and scared.

“Why…?”

[legolasghosty]

“Do you want a hug?", “Come on. Let’s go home.”, and “I feel like I can breathe better with you around.” for juke 💕

Julie let her foot rest on the damper pedal of the grand piano as Luke held out his last note. It sounded good.

When he stopped, she applauded. "Nice one, grab some water," she said, shooting him a smile.

"Thanks Boss," he responded, grabbing for his green plastic water bottle.

Julie shifted her music sheets around while he drank. She'd originally been wary when Ms. Harrison had asked her to give Luke voice lessons as a way to make up some of the credit she'd lost earlier in the year, but it was going better than she'd expected. Luke was stubborn and wouldn't work on anything he didn't see the value in, but he had a lot of passion and clearly wanted to improve. He was so full of life and energy, and at least 99% of it was all focused on music.

"That felt great," Luke exclaimed, capping his water bottle and giving Julie a wide grin. "Much better than in class earlier. You're amazing, Julie."

Julie felt her cheeks warming and ducked her head before Luke could notice. Okay, so maybe she wasn't totally immune to his smile and his arms and how, when they were alone for his lessons, all of his passion for music seemed focused solely on her.

"Or maybe you just don't pay attention during warmups in class," she teased, giving him a smirk before refocusing on her list of exercises to take him through. Better to keep her crush to herself. Dating was way too complicated, and Luke probably didn't like her anyways.

"Nah, it's definitely you," Luke retorted, moving over to lean on the piano. "I feel like I can breathe better with you around."

Julie looked up, expecting to find him giving her that lighthearted, teasing look that he did when he intentionally messed up the names of famous composers just to mess with her. But when their eyes met, she found nothing but sincerity in his gaze. Like he actually meant what he said.

It was disorienting. But... not bad?

Julie quickly stood, breaking eye contact. "You had a bit of a break on the bridge, do you want to work through that?" she asked, nodding to his music stand.

Luke nodded slowly, seeming almost disappointed, and returned to his papers. "Yeah, definitely. I think it was the register shift, I got caught halfway between my chest and head voice."

"Wow, look at you and your technical lingo," Julie commented, smiling as she looked down at the sheet music to check the notes. "Yeah, that's what I heard as well. Let's do some glides through that part of your range to get comfortable with the shift before we add the actual notes and stuff."

Luke dipped his head in agreement and they got back to work.

Ten minutes later, the alarm on Julie's phone that signaled the end of their time went off just as Luke finished running through the bridge. They both jumped at the drum intro of an old Petal Pushers song.

Julie quickly turned it off and stood with a smile. "Guess that's time," she said.

"What was that song?" Luke asked, gathering his music. "That's not your normal alarm. It's good."

Julie bit her lip, considering brushing it off. But it was Luke. He lived and breathed music. He'd understand how music could hurt as well as heal.

"It's called Love Wild, it's one of my mom's songs," she told him. "It was my alarm for ages, but I... I just started listening to it again."

"Oh," Luke said.

Julie didn't dare look up. She'd developed a serious distaste for the pitying expression that always appeared on people's faces when her mom came up. She'd rather not be annoyed at Luke over it.

"It's a good song, it's about loving the people you love and showing it regardless of what other people think," she added softly. She wasn't sure why she was still talking. She didn't usually talk about this stuff. But Luke didn't interrupt. "And the bassline is awesome," she continued, "and the harmonies on the bridge are magic, I swear, and the last couple of lines..."

She trailed off, feeling her throat start to tighten.

"That's awesome," Luke murmured after a minute.

Julie dared to look up at him. He seemed unsure of himself, which wasn't a common look for him, but his smile still seemed genuine.

"Um, do you want a hug?" Luke asked awkwardly.

Julie chuckled. "I'm okay," she assured him, sliding her folder into her backpack.

Luke frowned. "But do you want a hug?" he asked again.

Julie thought about it for a second. She always wanted a hug from her mom these days, but that wasn't possible. Did she want a hug from Luke instead?

"Yeah, that'd be nice," she said slowly.

Luke smiled and stepped forward to wrap his arms around her shoulders. She let herself relax into his embrace. He was warm, his frame a bit shorter than her dad's. It was nice.

"Hey Julie?" Luke asked softly.

"Yeah?" she responded, sliding her own arms around his waist.

"You wanna come to band practice this weekend? Help me not shred my voice again?"

Julie considered for a second. She hadn't done that before. It felt like a new step in their friendship, to take it outside of the school building and into Luke's friend circle. Was she ready for that?

"Sure, send me the info," she agreed.

"Sweet, this is gonna be rad," Luke cheered, letting her go and pulling out his phone.

Julie laughed. "Come on, let's get home before the janitors kick us out," she chuckled, swinging her backpack onto her shoulder.

"Right behind you, Boss," Luke called.

[hertwood]

Writing Wednesday Week 3:

WIP: lesbian!gax

Starting word count: 1142

Current word count: 1238

[queenlucythevaliant]

Hi! If you don't mind my asking, you support theistic evolution correct? Do you believe in a historical or metaphorical Adam and Eve? I know that theistic evolutionist Joshua Swamidass has a book called The Genealogical Adam and Eve where he distinguishes common genetic ancestors from common genealogical ancestors. I don't know if that's your sort of thing or if you agree, but I figured I'd ask you your opinion on the subject. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, though!

This is absolutely my sort of thing, though I haven't read the particular book you referenced. Thank you for giving me another opportunity to talk about origins! I was really excited when I saw this in my inbox! That said, buckle your seatbelt because this will get long lol

Quick little caveat: I don't have any formal education in anthropology and only have a little bit in human evolution. My academic focus is on microbial evolution. That said, I've certainly spent time considering questions of the historical Adam and Eve, so I'd like to think I can opine on the subject usefully :)

To no one's surprise, let me start off with a Lewis quote. This is from The Problem of Pain chapter 5:

For long centuries God perfected the animal form which was to become the vehicle of humanity and the image of Himself. He gave it hands whose thumb could be applied to each of the fingers, and jaws and teeth and throat capable of articulation, and a brain sufficiently complex to execute all the material motions whereby rational thought is incarnated. The creature may have existed for ages in this state before it became man: it may even have been clever enough to make things which a modern archaeologist would accept as proof of its humanity. But it was only an animal because all its physical and psychical processes were directed to purely material and natural ends. Then, in the fullness of time, God caused to descend upon this organism, both on its psychology and physiology, a new kind of consciousness which could say “I” and “me”, which could look upon itself as an object, which knew God, which could make judgements of truth, beauty, and goodness, and which was so far above time that it could perceive time flowing past. [...] We do not know how many of these creatures God made, nor how long they continued in the Paradisal state. But sooner or later they fell.

(I've used ellipses to condense a bit since the full passage is rather long. I think I've maintained the integrity of what Jack was saying, but please do go read the whole thing.)

I absolutely hold that an historical Adam and Eve existed. A metaphorical approach implies either (a) that man's sin nature is the result of something "timeless and eternal" in the human heart, as Karl Barth argues (sorry Kaylie-but at least I'm disagreeing with him here!), or else (b) that God created a world in which sin was already inherent in creation. Furthermore, Paul and other NT writers treat Adam and Jesus as equally real and historical; thus, I believe that I am obligated to do the same.

That said, I'm with Lewis (and many others) in the belief that humans are indeed part of God's unified creation through evolution; overwhelming scientific evidence, both genetic and paleontological, indicates that humans share a recent common ancestor with apes and, more broadly, a universal common ancestor with all other living creatures. Likewise, population genetics indicates that it would have been near impossible for a viable population of Homo sapiens to arise from a group of fewer than a thousand individuals. We actually see evidence that other humans existed contemporaneously with Adam and Eve in the Cain and Abel account - Cain has a wife, and after he kills Abel he fears that other people will kill him. (Note: If you or anyone else would like a more in depth discussion of the data in genetics, population genetics, common ancestors, etc., just shoot me an ask; I try to streamline these discussions so I don't necessarily go into the scientific minutia, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to if there's interest.)

Thus, I don't believe that Adam was the first modern hominid and, for reasons that I'll get into a minute, I'm likewise not convinced that he was necessarily the first Homo sapiens or even humanity's MRCA. I do believe that he was the first Homo divinus - the first individual to be endowed with the unique image of God and with a human soul. I see this in the Scriptural text when God breathes life into Adam's nostrils (Genesis 2:7), a much more intimate act then the rest of the descriptions we get in the creation account. Whether in Africa or in Mesopotamia, I think God endowed Adam and subsequently Eve with His likeness and made them representatives for all humanity - much like Christ is our representative. Denis Alexander (British biologist/theologian) calls Adam "the federal head of all humanity alive at the time," and I quite like that description.

As I've indicated, I don't believe that Adam and Eve were necessarily the common ancestors of all humanity, either genetically or genealogically; for one thing, humanity has different matrilineal and patrilineal MRCAs and they likely didn't live at even remotely the same time. As to when Adam and Eve did live, I'm honestly of two minds on the issue. For simplicity's sake, I will number the possibilities that I consider feasible (1) and (2):

(1) The simplest answer is that Adam and Eve lived in Mesopotamia sometime during the Neolithic Era. This aligns with the descriptions we get of Eden's geography and leaves us with a lot less time to account for between Adam and Abraham.

However, this view does leave us with the issue of the many, many Homo sapiens preceding Adam and Eve who presumable lived and died without souls, despite the evidence that they behaved in very human ways (made art and musical instruments, cared for the sick, were curious and inventive, etc.) This isn't impossible to square with what I laid out above - like I said, I consider it the simplest explanation for when and where Adam and Eve lived - but it doesn't sit 100% easily with me.

(2) The other possibility is that Adam and Eve were among the first Homo sapiens and that they lived in Africa between 300 and 150 kya. Old Testament scholar C. John Collins out of Covenant Theological Seminary (Reformed and generally theologically conservative) makes the case that Moses wrote Genesis 1-11 using a kind of "anachronism." It's very likely that Moses had access to pre-existing sources while writing the Pentateuch, and he may have "'reconstructed' the past, working backwards from ordinary human experience to what must have caused it, giving us a tale that provided contrast to the other stories [Mesopotamian and Egyptian creation myths]." Of this "anachronism," Collins says, "a text may well have described aspects of the older times in terms of what the writer and his audience are familiar with. This does not necessarily detract from the historicity of the text, since the text still refers to actual events."

The issue with this view is that it obviously places us in much murkier territory than option one in terms of how we view the infallibility of Scripture. I believe that we're to take the Biblical histories seriously as fact, but not literalistically (would love to do another discussion explaining in more depth what I mean by this if there's interest; again, shoot me an ask). I do believe that all Scripture is infallible. Thus, this explanation also doesn't sit easily with me, but I do lend it credence because I trust Dr. Collins's theology and exegesis in other areas.

Ultimately, I'm going to bring the issue back to the C.S. Lewis excerpt that I started on; for now, I am content to say "We do not know how many of these creatures God made, nor how long they continued in the Paradisal state. But sooner or later they fell." I do fully intend to continue exploring the issue with an inquisitive mind and a humble heart, hoping that as I grow into greater theological and scientific knowledge I might come to an understanding of the Fall that does sit well with all that I know to be true. I'm still young :)

Please do always feel free to drop by my inbox with follow-ups/any other science/faith questions. I love these issues so much that I've chosen to study them academically; it is a joy to discuss them with you!

[14dayswithyou]

Oh hang on. Krow to Redacted.

‘ thank you for caring like nobody else ever has. ’

Soft spot prompts | No longer accepting !!

"...'Could say the same about you."

Black nails trace over the inked skin of Krow's back as a soft expression pulls at his pierced features. He's thankful that they can't see his face right now, though [REDACTED] couldn't help but want to see their own expression as well. So instead, he lets his fingers ghost along the fallen feathers near their side; down, down, down until he reaches the lone egg.

His lip tightens at that.

Unwanted memories start to resurface, and the sudden urge to crack an ill-timed joke — perhaps something about nuggets? — becomes apparent. Anything to change the mood and draw less attention to the uneasy feeling that was ebbing and flowing from inside him.

And so, he thinks about Krow instead. About how he's always been there for the dark-haired hacker — and for being the only one to help dissuade [REDACTED] from committing to his made-up persona, and to convince him to go back to his real, true self instead.

The true side of him that hasn't been seen since they were both children on a playground... And the true side of him that his own parents tried to hide away.

[REDACTED]'s fingers unconsciously chart a path towards Krow's hand this time, intent on searching for the gold band he gave him when they were younger and much more innocent. And when he finds it, he pulls the artist's hands towards his mouth to press a soft, chaste kiss against his knuckles.

"You'll always mean something t'me." A kiss against his shoulder blade this time, "Always gonna be with you."

And finally, a kiss on the lips to seal his promise.

[cryptidcalling]

Just a lil post about how Vesper's actually got a pretty sweet heart (he's got two hearts in fact) for the right people and things.

Vesper is incredibly loyal to the people he loves. Panza of course, and his Lieutenants too, but it's more than them. He's loyal to the empire not just because Panza runs it. He's loyal to the entire idea of it. He sees it as something that nurtures and shelters its people despite being a dangerous military power to the outside, and he loves those people dearly. Each and every citizen of the empire is his responsibility. Perhaps not on an individual level, he knows he can't prevent every tragedy or make everyone happy, hell he doesn't even need them to like him, he knows that most of them are terrified of him. But on a grand scale, their safety and happiness is his job to ensure. He truly believes that hunting and killing criminals is the best way he (as an individual and a General) can do that. He's got a soft spot for abandoned, damaged things. It's kinda how he sees himself in a way. Yes, he chose to escape from the scientists himself, but the emotional neglect that came with them deciding he was a failed experiment was an abandonment in its own way. He takes pity on broken little machines, especially little robots. It's not uncommon for him to find broken robots or machines at scrap yards, trading stalls, pawn shops, or antique stores and fix them up in the rare amounts of free time he has. Most of the time he'll give them away to people or departments in the Citadel who will use them more. Non-robotic tech he'll sometimes keep for himself, like old stereos and communication devices. Asteria, Vesper's Void Hound, is kind of one of his projects. When he came across her during a mission in his commander years the gem that forms her physical body had been shattered. He collected all of the pieces he could and was absolutely determined to fix her, even when everyone around him said it was entirely impossible. Of course, he did manage to fix her. Not perfectly, she's still got some damage, but she's strong and brave and so so loyal. One final short thing; Vesper rarely intends to hurt people's feelings. He doesn't feel too bad about it if he does, because he thinks it's not his fault that they read further into him being straightforward, but he doesn't try to. And sometimes if he realizes he went to far or he made someone he cares about upset he'll try and make it up to them. Usually not with words, but by doing them favors or complimenting them on something to try and balance it out.

[arcxnumvitae]

“I refuse to sit here and listen to this!” Iomhar’s voice rang out throughout the office, causing the king’s sharp glare to shoot towards him.

“Unless you would like all of Seelie to be privy to our conversation I would suggest you lower your volume.”

“Who would not be unable to hold their reaction based off of what they were hearing?” Hands planted on the king’s desk and Iomhar’s brows furrowed. “You would believe Sivel capable of doing something like that? Based only off of a rumor?”

“I do not know what Vasyri’s king is capable of,” in contrast to Iomhar’s fiery temperament, the king’s voice coolly slid in, “and that is precisely the problem. He is an enigma with a long past who is now intricately intertwined with our land, and its people.” The meaning in his words were clearly not long on Iomhar, who let out an aggravated huff. “Besides, I am not saying conclusively that he is or is not a danger, but I would prefer not to be surprised if he is.”

Suddenly, Iomhar began to pace the length of the room, a bundle of agitation that needed to have some sort of outlet. “So what have you called me here for? To warn me? My oath is still in place, had I learned of anything, I would have come to share it with you.”

“How much do you know about Sivel?”

Iomhar suddenly stopped in place. “Excuse me?”

“How much do you know about your lover?” The king repeated from his place at his desk, the stare of his two-toned eyes unnerving. 

“Sivel has always been straightforward and honest with me with whatever I have asked him.”

“But has he offered anything to you? How much of his past do you truly know?”

Drawing himself up with a huff, an indignant glare shone in his eyes. “Are you trying to get me to doubt Sivel--?”

“Do you know of Sivel’s reputation among the nations that have dealt with him? Since this rumor had been brought to my attention, I have been gathering what I could in order to learn more about him. Many consider him ruthless and cold-blooded, willing to do whatever it takes to crush his enemies underfoot.” 

His arms crossed before his chest and Iomhar scoffed. “More rumors. Being a ruler does not make one easily favored, something that I believed you would be well familiar with.”

“Possibly, yes, but this reputation spans several lands, all pointing back to some previous conflict. One where, apparently, King Sivel stopped at no lengths to crush those who fought against him, even if it meant involving innocents or family members. And now he crops up in Seelie, a gentry falling on his order?”

There was...so much to take in. Stunned, and yet still he stubbornly replied. “You already know what happened to that lord. Sivel wished for him to leave him alone, I handled it of my own volition.” Camhlaidh’s gaze was long and it was clear that the knowledge he had just shared was still racing its way through the gentry’s head. 

“I do not wish for Sivel to be the monster everything that I have heard of him now paints him to be. In fact, I would like to get to the truth of the matter so that I can put this all behind us.” 

Reaching to the side, the king’s fingers wrapped around a small empty glass bottle, stoppered with a cork, and brought it to him. Iomhar had noticed it upon first entering the room, and had wondered about its purpose. A small pop accompanied the removal of the cork. As he brought the bottle closer, a small, yellow flower sprouted from the wood of the king’s desk and Iomhar’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the familiar slender petals. He knew that flower...wait...

With an twist of his fingers, the king plucked the flower with his other hand and brought the bloom of the flower closer to the bottle. A few taps against the stamen and the flower’s delicate pollen, white like snow, fell into the bottle. 

Iomhar’s mouth was agape. “You jest, surely? There is no way that I will drug my lover!”

“A dramatic way to phrase it.” Now divested of its pollen, the flower wilted away in his fingers and Camhlaidh gently placed it down on his desk to reseal the bottle. A small layer of pollen shifted along the bottom of it, and he placed it back down on the desk. “It will merely lower his inhibitions and make him more susceptible to sharing. You already know that the effects are temporary and will not harm him.”

“You--!”

“Lord Mèinnearach.” The king’s voice cut through. “You know what my duty to my land and the safety of my people, of you, is. I must take every available precaution, and if said precaution involves this, then I must do it. You say that he has nothing to hide and is wholly innocent?” He slid the bottle across the desk in a scrape of wood against glass. “Then there is nothing to fear. Prove it once and for  all so we can all put this nonsense behind us and move on to more important things.”

Iomhar’s glower was irate, but soon his large hand closed over the glass with a clink from his stone fingers. He turned to leave, yet after having taken only a few steps away the king’s voice stopped him once more.

“I ask that you not share the details of this conversation with anyone, nor divulge the source of the pollen.”

A request, not an oath. Iomhar scoffed and let the heavy wooden door to the office swing shut behind him with a resounding thud.

[schalotte]

i think it's so funny when i post something about going outside or having a regular girl moment and it gets like quadruple the likes that my regularly scheduled whining does. thank u guys for keeping it real with me. be the change you want to see