#i'm gonna get to them ASAP!!

[meetmeatthecoda]

Your delicious pastry reblogs got me thinking that we need a Lizzington ficlet feat. baking ASAP.

Maybe a series of ficlets, aka Lizzington baking at random points of their relationship's progression.

Red baking, Liz baking, Red getting it wrong though he's a natural, Liz getting it right though it doesn't come easy to her, Red and Agnes (and Lizzy) baking together... Just them and something light-hearted, no lies, no fears, just their banter and their love and flour on her cheeks and on his vest...

Just them, being happy together 🥹

(this is @ace-of-spaders, by the way, I’m not logged in)

OMG, hello, my friend!! 😍 Long time, no see, it's wonderful to hear from you 🥹 And omg... this ask - inspired by my silly dessert reblogs, no less - is SO SWEET... pun fully intended 🤭 While I unfortunately don't have time at the moment to write a ficlet or series of ficlets (AS MUCH AS I MIGHT LOVE TO 😭) *cough* since I'm currently hard at work - really!! - on Halcyon *cough*... this does remind me that I think I wrote one (1) baking-themed ficlet back in the day!! I believe it was part of a some kind of prompt set... Hmmm, lemme see if I can drop a link... *scurries off to AO3*... AHA!!! Here it is 😁 I know it's not much but hopefully that can do a little something to satisfy your craving for something sweet, my friend 🥰 Thank you again for dropping by, @ace-of-spaders, I hope you're doing so well, & I'm sure I'll talk to you soon, my friend!! Take care & much love, as always!! ❤️

[simandy]

TICKS ON MY VERY BEAUTIFUL FLUFFY SON.

[seventh-district]

Could've left me just the way you found me, but you came and put your wings around me. You went out of your way, to fix what you didn't break.

This song is so incredibly Sam & Darlin' coded and no one can tell me otherwise.

[lots of lyrical analysis below the cut] [there's also a short little fanfic blurb of them stargazing down there too (this post got really out of hand lmao)]

For those not fully caught up, note that the following commentary contains various spoilers for Sam and Darlin's stories.

Note: Unfortunately this song is gendered, using the word 'girl' several times. Which sucks a little bit for immersion purposes, not only for keeping Darlin' gender-neutral, but also because I see this song as a duet between them, and Darlin' obviously wouldn't be addressing Sam with the word 'girl' either. So! As with most songs on their playlist, we're just gonna mentally omit any gendered terms we come across.

Side note: Frustratingly, this is one of those songs that didn't really even need to gender the subject in the first place. No part of the story or message is lost without it. But alas, many songs are like that, and so the playlist-makers of the world shall continue to suffer. [/lh]

Anyways, preamble's over. It's lyric time now yay!

Sam's Part

I was a ten-year train wreck

Technically for Sam I suppose it was 13 years, but ten is close enough (and 'ten' admittedly flows a lot better in the rhythm of the song than 'thirteen' would.) Anyways, we're not here to split hairs, (I have to remind myself), we're just here to point out similarities.

In Sam's Dec. '22 HBW, he says "For the last 13 years or so I haven't had to care too much about how I look. Seemed a little redundant after turnin', considerin' I didn't wanna be around much'a anybody anyway."

I think he's mentioned or alluded to that roughly 13 year period of time more than once, but that's the one I remember best so it's the example I'm using. There's still about 4 Sam audios I've yet to listen to as of making this post, so if I'm missing some Key Lore I'll edit this later. But for now, I don't think Sam has given many specifics on exactly how bad things got during that time. Luckily, 'train wreck' is a pretty broad and subjective term, so it easily covers any degree to which he may have fallen apart during those years.

It also feels like a very 'him' way of quickly brushing over the details of his past/his hurt, as he seems to tend to do with Darlin', (not all the time ofc but it's still something I've noticed) putting his own hurt on the backburner to prioritize and attend to theirs. Even outside of his dynamic with them, I think as a healer, it's something he learned to do. And now he does it with everyone. Put on a brave face, compartmentalize things and unpack them later, etc. I could go on and on but there'll be time for that in other posts I'm sure. For now, lets get back to the song at hand.

With a last-call longneck

Due to personal reasons, I've yet to decide if I want to HC him as having used alcohol as a coping mechanism during that time. I don't recall him having mentioned alcohol much, if at all, (maybe one mention of whiskey that I don't have time to find right now) so I don't think it's necessarily canon that he did, but it's certainly possible. My personal preferences aside, I'll admit it makes for some good additional angst. (And- self-indulgently- it makes some other songs on my playlist for them more fitting.) So, for the sake of this song, let's imagine that he did.

I was searchin', I'd been hurt real bad

This one feels pretty self-explanatory given what Alexis did, (and, if you wanna get even angstier with it, whatever his family did earlier on in his life) so there isn't much commentary to add on my end.

I HC that in spite of 'not wanting to be around anybody', he- like Darlin- still had a tiny part of himself buried deep down that was, in a way, 'searching' for someone to find solace in. (No this isn't me projecting onto them both haha what are you talking about-)

Movin' on, gettin' sidetracked One step forward and five back

This is generally applicable enough that I don't feel the need to give too much of a specific example. Anyone who's recovered or is recovering from trauma knows this non-linear, back-and-forth struggle well already, and I'm sure he was no stranger to it.

If I were to give some examples though, I could point to Darlin's (and subsequently, Sam's) encounter with Alexis at the summit, or the shit that Quinn dredged up about Fredrick and threw at Sam in the interrogation room. Those are both more recent examples and I imagine these lines of the song to be coming from a place of him prior to meeting Darlin', but still, they're some instances where I'm sure he felt like the past was pulling him back in. I'm sure that there's been many throughout those 13 years that we were never witness to.

Not your fault, I was scared to fall

This line reminds me of their 'Cuddles and Confessions' audio. I don't think he ever explicitly said he was 'scared' per se, so afaik there's no specific line I can quote, but in that and every audio prior, he was obviously hesitant to admit, perhaps even to himself, that he was gradually falling for them. Even after the initial confession, there's certain limits of his (e.g. biting) that he carries for far longer, and some that I (and others) HC that he'll carry forever. So this line feels to me like him reassuring Darlin' that his reluctance isn't the fault of them, but his past.

Darlin's Part

You were the star in the pitch black Shine the way on the way back

We don't have any canon instances of them comparing Sam to a star, but I can see it being something they'd say (perhaps less poetically, but the sentiment would be there) one night while laying up on their roof watching the stars with him. Maybe they're dead-tired, talking nonsense with lidded eyes at the end of a long day, fighting sleep in favor of more time spent with him.

"What- what're you pointin' at Darlin'?"

Their hazy focus is trained on the brightest star visible in their line of sight, arm stretched out to the sky above them. "That really bright one, to the... to the left."

Sam does his best to follow their less-than-specific directions of 'to the left', their pointed finger doing little to help given the difference in perspective. Luckily, after all these years, he knows this stretch of night sky like the back of his hand, so it isn't hard to locate the brightest one. Ghosting his fingers up along their arm, he takes their hand in his and brings it back down to earth. "Okay, yeah, I see it now. What about it though?"

"That's you." They say, matter-of-factly.

"That's me?" He questions, humor in his tone.

"Mhm." They nod with finality, blinking slow.

Sam considers the odd statement for a moment before gently correcting them. "I'm uh, I'm pretty sure that's Sirius, actually."

They scoff. "I am being serious."

Sam stifles a laugh into their hair. "No- no I mean- like... what's another name for it... Oh! It's also called the Dog Star."

"C'mon Sam, at least call it the Wolf Star if you're trying to turn this around on me..."

He shakes his head and readies himself to explain further, but they cut him off before he can start. "But no- no, this one isn't about me. That's you."

He decides to play along, finding something endearing in their overtired nonsense. "Okay... then would'ja be so kind as to explain to this confused old man just how, or why that star is me?"

Their frown is audible in their voice as they latch onto the wrong part of his sentence. "You're not old, Sam. ...Do I need to tell Asher to kick the jokes down a notch?"

He smiles at their over-protectivity. "There'll be no need for that, now. Was just a joke, darlin', I promise."

They huff, but thankfully shift focus back to the prior topic. "It's... I dunno. It's just you, Sam. It's... bright. Light. Something warm, out there in the cold dark. Standing out amongst all the rest. Calling to me, stealing my attention. I... I didn't come out here looking for it, but there it is. ...There you were. In the dark. The only bright thing I'd seen in... fuck, in years. Years of chasing fleeting warmth, tripping over myself in the pitch black, falling into... places 'n people I shouldn't have. You were the light in that darkness. Even there, surrounded by the ghost of him. You outshone it. Your warmth didn't hurt. I didn't have to squint when I looked at you. You weren't the blinding sun. You were the brightest star I'd ever seen. You guided me back home."

In the back of their mind, they recall something they once heard, something about light, and time, and distance. Space. Something about... how you can see a star that's already burnt out, because it's light hasn't reached earth yet. The ghost of a star that's already died. Only still perceptible thanks to time, and distance.

They remember Sam's words, once whispered to them on this very roof.

"Whatever your choice is... I'm not gonna live forever. I made that decision a long time ago."

They think about dead stars.

They think about time.

"...-lin'? Darlin'?" Sam's calloused hand slides up their forearm, pulling them out of their thoughts. "There you are. Think I lost ya' for a minute there... you good?"

They look up at Sam, concern creasing his features, shadows cast across his face from the light of the dying stars above him.

They reach out, pulling him down into them. Burying their face into his collar, Sam's concern grows when he feels it saturate with tears. A human might struggle to hear their words, muffled against the thick fabric, but his hearing catches it just fine.

"Don't burn out too quick. Please. I still need you here. I don't- I don't wanna be left in the dark again. Please, please Sam. Don't leave me here. I'm not selfish enough to ask you for forever, but please. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet."

.......Whoopsies! Really, genuinely didn't mean to improv an entire scene there, good god. Also didn't mean to swerve hard into angst at the end but uh. that's what came out! so I'm rolling with it lmao. Aaanyways let's move on, it's getting late and this is a song analysis post, not a fic.

Out of nowhere, answered all my prayers

'Out of nowhere' reminds me of Sam's words from the same HBW video I referenced earlier. "You came into my life like a damn wreckin' ball. There was no preparing for that, clothing or otherwise." While those were Sam's words, not Darlin's, I still feel like they feel similarly to how suddenly Sam came into their life as well. (Not in a bad way, mind you!)

[the significance of 'answered all my prayers' edges into my own personal more headcanon-y/personal/OC-ified Darlin' territory, so we can just gloss over this one for the sake of at least attempting to keep this more universally applicable]

Picked up the towel that I threw in Took in a heart that was ruined

Again, largely self-explanatory I feel. (*proceeds to explain anyways*) I imagine that Darlin' was at the point of throwing in the towel, hellbent on a solo-mission to find Quinn regardless of the danger it posed to them. I doubt they were looking toward the future anymore, (to reference Sam,) fully willing to throw themself at their problems until they really did break.

The specific use of 'ruined' hits hard here, because after everything they went through with Quinn, and especially after he recounted it all to Sam in that interrogation room, I imagine that they really, truly did feel ruined.

Showed me the past ain't a tattoo Loved me even when you didn't have to

These lines in particular make me sick with emotion every time I hear this song, because I feel like they hit the nail on the head for how Darlin' feels.

I'll be here citing various quotes all night that I feel showcase that sentiment, but we don't have time for that! So instead I'm just pointing to the entirety of 'Quinn's Aftermath' video, and leaving you with this single quote from it.

"Everything that he said reflects nothin' on you, and everything on him."

Equally Applicable Lines

And I don't know why Why you saw something in me, baby But you saw right through All the pain, and you came and saved me Yeah, I know you didn't leave me lonely Weren't the one that put the heartbreak on me Picked up the pieces It wasn't the mess that you made Could've left me just the way you found me But you came and put your wings around me You went out of your way To fix what you didn't break

Again, I think these lines are all pretty self-explanatory, and are just as accurate coming from either one of them. To me, at least, their entire dynamic is that they saved each other, in their own ways.

(But I will admit, the final verses about 'going out of your way to fix what you didn't break' are definitely conjuring up memories of Sam in the early days, literally going out of his way to visit and heal Darlin' after their fight with the two vamps. In general, his continued/repeated healing of them after they once again hurt themselves is the very literal definition of fixing what he didn't break.

But! While we may have more blatant examples of Sam being 'the fixer' so to speak, I think he'd argue that Darlin' has done plenty fixing of their own. Physical wounds aren't the only things that need healing, after all.)

-------

[shameless self-promo of my Sam & Darlin' playlist for those few of u interested enough to make it to the very end of this wall of text. if u liked this then u might like some of the other songs on there soooo maybe go check it out and maybe perhaps give it a follow so i can get a little serotonin boost or dopamine or whatever the chemical is that's released when Number Go Up. ...okay that's it i hope u enjoyed my fixation-induced ramblings! thank u and goodnight]

[feveredreamed]

if you told me that i would get the most wholesome and healthy relationship out of a bl that was about an fwb relationship called bed friend i would never have believed you...and yet here we are 🤡

[quaranmine]

i hate being an adult i hate money i hate bills i hate healthcare and health insurance

[red-eft]

just got authorized to put a shrimp tank in the science building lab. im so excited

[keeps-ache]

wailing at the sky I'm tired ! ! ! ! ! !

[nobodybetterlookatme]

I've never heard of emts working only at events? What's that like for you if you don't mind my asking?

Yeah, there are ambulance companies that staff certain events, but there's some event specific companies out there lmao. For me specifically, it's almost entirely college events, whether it's happening on a campus or not. It's not great, usually pretty boring, but it's better than being on an ambulance or in a hospital. We do get actual emergencies sometimes, but usually it's just getting drunk people to the tent or giving out water and bandaids lmao. Again, boring as fuck, but I chose this over working on a 911 rig, so that's on me 😔 if I'm being so real tho, other than my coworkers, the best part of the job is the food lmaoooo it's so good and all the food trucks/food booths give discounts or free food to us depending on the location and event. And there's almost always a ton of downtime, so I basically just get paid to sit there and vibe for the most part

[heyitslapis]

I need to get more Normal

[silent-sentinels]

well. woke up. too worried to go back to sleep. too sleepy to do anything else. we'll be here i guess hgghf

[cliban]

Friendly reminder that if you're cruel/mean/demeaning directly to children because "you hate them" or "they're annoying" then you are not welcome on my blog. while this may not be a space intended for children, we respect them on this blog; additionally, you're allowed to not like kids/not want them in your space but if you're instantly hostile/horrible to them, I do not want you anywhere near me

[anotherdayforchaosfay]

The ADHD experience is forgetting where you set you cup down five minutes ago, but being able to pick up where you end off in a conversation you had 10 years ago. It's remembering the fine details of a book but forgetting who gave it to you, or if you bought it yourself. It's remembering a thing your best friend mentioned an interest in, but forgetting their birthday even though you've been best friends for 10+ years.

When we are bored, we become the equivalent of a husky in a cubicle. When the boredom gets bad, we break down, crying, and fall into a deep depression.

It's randomly getting the intense and overwhelming craving for a bowl of plain rice or a slice of bread with a little butter on it, and craving nothing else. Just this dose of carbs that brings absolute satisfaction.

It's fighting to convince your body to move and acquire food and water, but you remain trapped on the sofa, your brain and body will not move even though you haven't eaten or had anything to drink in 12 hours. You need to use the bathroom, your bladder is raging, and the only thing that finally gets your brain to behave is the pain.

ADHD isn't just some cute thing of being distracted with a case of the zoomies. It's a nightmare that results in losing jobs, poor eating habits, insomnia so bad you're awake for three days and fall asleep only because you're exhausted, and your home is filthy even though you desperately want to clean it up. There's nothing enjoyable about this fuckery.

[cursedfortune]

[kazeofthemagun]

One of the Witch's dresses, currently placed not on her person yet bearing the residual scent of lavender - so seamlessly interwoven with other smells of the garden, herbs and alchemy. The Hunter lifted it slowly, before bringing it up to his half-covered face.

One of the odd and yet charming aspects of the man of the dark gales - he didn't exactly skulk around. If he wanted to take a deep whiff of something pleasant, he simply did.

...She would find him with his face buried in black fabric, sniffing intently as a scenthound. Guess he did miss her after their recent period of separation.

There was absolutely no shame, nor any noticeable shift to his expression when he finally noticed her (or, at least, refocused his attention). If anything, he seemed rather self-satisfied as he extended his hand, returning the garment.

"Blood and blossoms alike suit you," purred the elder of the Unlimited. "Red and violet dance well together."

@kazeofthemagun

Where she was, no one could truly say but her. Legs curled inwardly; her hands cradled the odd crystal ball within her gentle grasp, seated neatly within her lap as she delved beyond what most knew. In her mental wanderings through old ruins and history, as she studied lost knowledge and pieced together the puzzle of unique spells that haven't been used in ages, she felt an interruption.

Curious spirits of knowledge tapped at her, curled around her conscious shape and whispered of a visitor within her domain. Politely the witch excused herself for this session and shifted away from the ruins; she channeled herself closer to home as she scryed, viewing her own clearing to see a familiar redhead crossing through.

Excitement bubbled up within as she carefully disconnected herself from the ether of all things, brought herself back into the known reality - or the one she chose to acknowledge as her own. Placing the crystal orb within her bag of holding, the witch proceeded to give a lazy stretch of her arms above her head - back arching against the gravestone she had been resting against for hours prior.

Upon her feet once more she cleaned up the space around what was meant to be her grave and padded out of the brush, returning swiftly to the cabin. Pulling open the front door she stepped in and found him there, face buried within one of her dresses. Perhaps some may be put off by such a sight but the witch understood the man before her, there was only a slight squint of amusement shown as she admired the sight. It was far more pleasant to see him in the flesh than not, after-all. She was certainly curious of his adventures away from this place they both could call home, together.

The witch ventured closer, accepting the garment upon him seemingly having his fill of it. Yet it didn't stay within her grasp, not when she could simply toss it onto the dresser nearby. It would seem her focus was only upon him, upon his return and she did not cease walking closer until they were a hair's breadth apart. Here and now black eyes took in her Hunter, assessed his condition and well-being both physically and within the energy that made up his being. Yet they did not stray far from his own gaze, far too much comfort found in the stares they exchanged.

"Oh? Thank you, lovely. I agree with you entirely." Mortem mused as she stood a little taller to wrap her arms around his neck, to draw the two of them closer until the distance was closed finally. Yet in this embrace the witch's gaze gleamed with a familiar playfulness, "That's why I love our dances so very much. Whether it's beneath the moonlight, or one with blades-- or something more carnal." Ashen lips curved into a teasing grin at the latter. "I do so hope you'll be visiting long enough to indulge me in all three... numerous times, preferably."

There was never any denying her interest in him in all ways imaginable. Red and violet mixed well when feet were sweeping across her hardwood floor or out within the grass beneath the moon - though he could be clumsy, he had come far as a dance partner. For dancing was just another form of combat and violence was a language they both knew intimately. It was why she loved to speak it with him, to tear each other down in the guise of building themselves up. Trust to restrain oneself and trust to go harder than others would existed within the same beautiful knot that kept the two of them bound. And speaking of intimacy... her cool fingertips danced along the back of his neck, desire ever evident in some capacity whenever she looked upon him. "I'll let you choose the sort of dance our reunion should consist of first~"

[thanatosaria]

yesterday i finished my endwalker extreme mount grind! 🥳

[izzy-b-hands]

Think my phone has finally kicked the bucket, so now I get to rapidly rebudget so I can get a new one ASAP

[selfless-desires]

MAN, so I finally finished the carrd that features all of my characters (click here), which are... a lot. well, I'd like to narrow down who I'm currently in the mood for, of course you are still free to send prompts for my other characters but they are the ones who I'll likely write as for now, - leon s. kennedy - leland mckinney - johnny sawyer - steve harrington - eddie munson - richard collins (oc)

if either of them pique your interest, send a prompt my way... I'd love to get this blog started & GOD, I have so many ideas already (yes, I have a TCM verse for each of these characters so go bonkers). I will likely perceive my already existing ones for Sonny... also, please specificy which muse if you DO send a prompt my way <3