#incredibly specific scent memories also

[eternalstateofoctober]

i love you laundry detergent i love you fabric softener

[berriweb]

╰┈➤ ❝ wrong place, wrong time ❞

: ̗̀➛ ft. miles morales x reader

: ̗̀➛ warnings. brief description of reader’s injuries

: ̗̀➛ part two / part four

: ̗̀➛ a/n. y’all are way more into this than i expected LMAOAOAO and I totally didn’t pick tostones bc that’s what i was eating while i wrote this (im lying) also here’s a daily reminder that I don’t proof read bc im lazy

Blood. Cologne, air freshener, and the familiar scene of a laundry detergent you could never guess from a specific brand you never remember.

As your brain filled with thoughts and you became more aware of your surroundings, you took note of the first smells you picked up as you awakened. Unlike what was expected, you weren’t lying on another cold, hard and rough surface. You were in a bed, a comfy one at that, sinking into the mattress and covered with a blanket so soft you were tempted to act like you hadn’t regained consciousness and fall right back asleep in it’s warmth, snuggling further into the sheets and willing yourself to forget you ever woke up. But you knew better.

Memories of what had recently occurred flashed through your head without warning and you lost all desire to go back to sleep. Maybe you were right, maybe it was just an incredibly outrageous nightmare?

You shot up without thinking and your head almost immediately missed the comfort of the pillow, pain shooting through your temple so sudden that for a moment you feared you’d pass out again. Gritting your teeth, your hands hurriedly reached to rub your forehead in an attempt to dull the headache brought upon you while ignoring the aching in your side. Once it was tolerable again, you opened your eyes and almost felt a sense of relief wash over you.

You were in Miles’ bed, hence the familiar scent you’d initially smelled. His bed was made, surprising considering how messy he normally was. It was a struggle to ever find your way out of his messy sheets, a neat bed was unlike him.

…a neat bed was unlike him. This isn’t Miles’ room.

The art on the walls was unfamiliar, the posters were in different places and some of the clothes scattered around were different colors than you remembered. Not only that, there weren’t any of the pictures you two had taken together pinned to the walls like before. In it’s place were print outs of news articles and pictures of you that you’d never seen before. You’d never posed like that, you’d never been to that restaurant, you’d never worn those clothes.

That wasn’t you and this wasn’t Miles’ room, but if it wasn’t his then who was that sitting in the corner?

You eyed the desk and the dark figure sitting hunched over in the chair beside it, seemingly asleep by the way his head rested on his crossed arms and his back seconds at a time with every inhale. Carefully, both for the sake of being sneaky and not hurting yourself, you removed the blanket and pushed yourself out of bed, being careful as you stood and took another quick look around the room. You made your way to the door, being used to knowing which spots to avoid in order to keep quick, but the loud creaking sound of wood when you stepped on a certain spot of the floor made you freeze.

You looked back, and thankfully the figure went back to sleep after a moment stirring, but you found yourself still stuck in place when you took a closer look at the person.

It was Miles, or at least looked exactly like your boyfriend. From his nose to his jaw and the arch in his eyebrows, the boy was practically identical in every way, but you knew it couldn’t have been him, he wasn’t yours. You guessed that he must’ve been tired, there were eye bags big enough to carry groceries even with his eyes closed, and contrary to how peaceful you always admired Miles’ appearance when he slept, this one had his brows furrowed and a slight frown on his face. Not to mention the obvious inconsistent hairstyle, though you’d be lying if you said you didn’t like the look of the braids on him. Maybe if you ever got back home you’d ask him to try it out.

Home.

You left the room without a second thought, the bathroom thankfully still being where you remembered. Rushing in without a second though, you pushed the door behind you and your hand searched for the light, flipping the switch and slowly turning on the faucet to splash water on your face in a weak attempt to gain some awareness. When you looked up into the mirror you could better understand the constant headaches. Two layers of bandages were wrapped around your head with a small hint of red being seen underneath. You’d likely hit your head when you first hit the ground and hadn’t noticed.

Lifting your shirt up, there were matching bandages wrapped around most of your abdomen, understandable considering the trouble it’d given you earlier. It was more bearable, but you’d probably be uncomfortable for a long while.

You missed Miles.

You hated to admit it, you really did, especially knowing how you left things off the last time you saw him, but you really did. He wasn’t always the best problem solver, but he was damn good at taking your mind off things and you’d always appreciated him for it. You missed his nerdy speeches about comic stories he read, you missed his corny jokes and his goofy expressions, you even missed the hour long rants he’d go on, rambling to you about how much he needed to go to his dream college and study what he loved, and how of course you’d be there with him.

You let your mind wander as your fingers absentmindedly ran over fabric of the bandages, only for your hand to fall still as your train of thought came to a sudden halt. What was it Miles said he always wanted to study?

If there was a visual description of your thought process you were sure you would’ve seen the gears turned and the wires connecting in your head to light the bulb you were ashamed to admit had been unlit for an embarrassingly long time.

“I’m in another dimension!” You declared, admittedly louder than you’d planned for, the nasty ache in your head returning to cause you more distress. Your hands held your head until the throbbing eased up and you could lift your head with more relief. That would certainly make all of the inconsistencies explainable in your mind, as well as the portal. It wasn’t answering all of your questions, but you’d take what you could get for now. Was this really possible? If so, how did you end up here?

“Are the bandages too tight?”

Saying you jumped out of your skin would be an understatement. Your heart skipped a beat as you turned around, bringing a hand up to rest on your chest above where your heart rate spiked, back flush against the counter. Your gaze met a familiar pair of gorgeously brown eyes, the same tired ones you noticed earlier, and your assumption seemed to be right. It didn’t seem that late into the night from the window you’d passed when leaving the room, late afternoon at best, making you wonder what could’ve left him looking so exhausted. The differences were more noticeable with him awake, he didn’t carry the same energetic stance your boyfriend always seemed to have when he was around you. His posture was stiff, even with him leaning lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed and an unreadable expression. He wasn’t exactly a mess, in fact he seemed far more put together than yours based off of his energy alone, but something was missing.

“Did I scare you?” What do you think? “Sorry, you left the door open so I kinda thought…sorry.”

Another difference. Miles had an accent you almost immediately caught onto. It took you slightly by surprise, but you would’ve been lying if you said you didn’t like it.

You let yourself relax as your heart returned to a normal pace, but kept your distance out of nothing but caution. “I- no, it’s fine, I should’ve closed the door. And they aren’t too tight.”

The room fell into an awkward silence and you found yourself shifting from foot to foot, unsure of what to say. It was a bit hard to not be uncomfortable when Miles’ eyes were practically staring holes into you. It wasn’t exactly in a creepy way, more or less as if he were studying you and your every movement, waiting for you to say or do something wrong, like he knew you didn’t belong here. How were you supposed to react? Casually tell him you were from another universe and expect him not to think you were crazy?

“…are you hungry?” Miles broke the silence with a question so casual it made you rethink whether or not the tension had just been there. He pushed himself off of the doorframe and turned around, gesturing for you to follow him without giving you a chance to answer your question. You weren’t going to fight it, considering your stomach was actually begging you for something to eat, so you obliged and followed him.

It was almost as if there were an unspoken rule forbidding you from speaking or asking questions, something in your gut just told you to play along and ask questions later. He pulled up a chair for you at the table and you quietly thanked him for it as he returned from the kitchen with two plates and a comment about how his mom had leftover tostones. “I remember they used to be your favorites.”

Well that sentence wasn’t very assuring. Especially with the narrowed look he gave you when you sheepishly agreed.

The silence that you fell into gave you a moment to yet again try to process everything going on, but on top of wrapping the idea of suddenly ending up in a completely universe (which was only the case if your theory was true, and you had no way of finding out whether or not that was true), you couldn’t bring yourself to not focus on how unsettling the way he acted was.

You could compare the feeling to spending weeks learning a school subject only for the test to cover absolutely nothing that you learned. Being able to read Miles was like second nature to you know, you two went hand in hand. Years of experience practically made you a connoisseur at knowing how your boyfriend was feeling or what he was thinking without you having to say it, and vice versa, but this wasn’t the same. It was as if someone had taken your Miles and replaced his mannerisms with a complete strangers, it might as well have been a cardboard cut out.

He kept his eyes trained on you the entire time without so much as a word, the same uneasiness in his gaze that made you lose most of your appetite and leave you nibbling at your food. You wanted to believe he was content, but his face was twisted in a way that made you think he had something against you. You couldn’t help but still admire his features, it was still your boyfriends face after all, but this wasn’t your boyfriend. The lack of conversation was agonizing but you couldn’t figure out how to start a conversation while in the house of a stranger you’d never met. You blamed him for making the aura so strained.

Clearing your throat, a stupid attempt to get his attention considering it never left, you guilty pushed away the rest of your mostly full plate to signal that you were finished and trying to break the silence, but he beat you to it. “…so-”

“Why are you acting like this?”

You weren’t certain that it was intentional, the malice in his tone, but the manner in which he hissed out his words was enough to momentarily shut you up, leaving you sitting there with a stunned expression to counter the frustration he’d let show itself on his face.

“Acting like…what?”

Suddenly your previous thoughts were proven wrong. This Miles may not have had the same actions you knew as well as with yours, but you’d be a fool not to see the irritation—and that was an understatement—on his face. His jaw was clenched, the hands that’d previously been picking away at cracks in the table now hidden under the table, but you were willing to bet that they were balled up into fists. Without warning you’d been put under a beaming spotlight and unexpectedly became the victim of his interrogation, feeling somewhat guilty for something you weren’t even sure you did towards a person you did not know.

“Are you for real?” Part of you wanted to talk back with the same condescending tone, arguing that he had some nerve getting on your case when you had no part in whatever beef or grudge he held against what you assumed to be your counterpart. “You disappear for over a year, no notice or anything!” The context made you want to believe he was angry at you, but the strain in his voice told you otherwise. Had you hurt him?

“I thought you were dead!” His brows knitted together tight enough to highlight the vein in his forehead, teeth clenched together with such tense posture as he half pushed himself out of his seat to lean forward on the table that you wondered whether or not he was giving himself a headache from the stress. “Do you know how long I searched for you? And then you had the fucking nerve to show up at my house like nothing in your state? What’s your deal?”

It was like you were a child getting scolded for coming home last curfew, but listening to him go on and on with zero context to the situation was irking you. You could at least try to make sense of it, and snapping back might not have been the best way to go about it, as tempting as it was.

“I don’t know.”

He paused, and for a split second you couldn’t tell if he was going to curse you out for playing dumb or keep ranting about your supposed insensitivity, but after a moment of silence he let himself fall back into his seat, hands retreating to his sides as his face fell, thankfully into a more neutral expression. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

“What, you need me to spell it out for you in another language? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you hissed, admittedly more harsh than you’d intended. Miles didn’t seem offended by it, in fact the revelation seemed to do the opposite as you could’ve sworn a defeated look crossed his face. The knot in your stomach was unnerving, you weren’t used to seeing him like this. Whether it was your Miles or not, it was off putting. “You…don’t remember?”

You shook your head yes, which seemed to be the answer he wasn’t hoping for. Miles clicked his tongue and pressed his lips together, and his slumped shoulders were more than enough of an indicator that whatever he was going on about was more serious than you expected.

“You still came back, you knew where to find me, didn’t you? Uncle Aaron told me so himself, he knew you were following him. What do you remember?”

There was disappointment in his tone, and suddenly regardless of your own situation, you felt pity for him. The looming reminder that this wasn’t your boyfriend kept you from wanting to express that pity as you normally would’ve, but even then you couldn’t help but feel bad for doing so. You had no clue what his situation or intentions was, but his story clearly had it’s fair share of negatives and even if you wanted to believe you didn’t really know him, he was starting to remind you of your boyfriend. You were feeling more guilty for unconsciously convince yourself that he wasn’t Miles than anything else, who were you to decide that?

Now it felt like you were stuck between a rock and a hard place. No matter how guilty you felt, you had no idea about what he was going on about. Would going along with it make you a bad person? Should you just admit you weren’t even who he thought you were and pray he doesn’t immediately turn hostile? Who’s to say that’s how he’d even react? You weren’t heartless, just up and leaving felt criminal. No matter the previous harshness, he clearly still had some level of empathy if he was willing to take you home and care for your wounds, not to mention feeding you too.

“I remember you.”

Maybe playing along for a while wouldn’t hurt, at least to figure out what was going on. Can’t hurt to mention the basics. “And…I remember your friends! And your Uncle, obviously.” You glanced around the room for a moment, taking note of a lot of the family pictures on the walls with Miles and his mother. “And your mom, I love her, she’s- was, always so nice to me, her food is to die for. And your dad-”

“My dad is dead.”

The attempt you made to ease the tension and slightly lighten the mode was abruptly cut short with that sentence. You temporarily lost your voice and your chest tightened, eyes going wide. Miles’ eyes bored into your own, voice heavy as he dropped the fact with an unreadable expression, as if he’d done so to see if he could catch you off guard with that fact, and it worked. “I…” Saying that would explain a lot seemed like an insult in and of itself, yet it’s what came to mind, surprising at it was. You didn’t think the differences in this world could be so major, but you clearly didn’t know to what extent another universe could go to. “I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t remember that either, did you?” Miles chuckled dryly, but you didn’t see any humor in what he said. He took your silence as an answer and you took note of his now avoidance in meeting your eyes, instead turning away to look at one of the hung photos on the way.

“What about that day? Do you remember that the last time I saw you was the day he died?”

His voice was low and monotoned, and you hated how you couldn’t tell what he was thinking. You could guess, you could assume how he felt and try to predict what he’d say next, but there was no way of knowing for sure. The unpredictability of his actions was maddening. As you watched him you couldn’t help but constantly compare.

A scowl doesn’t look good on him. Smiles always suited him better. You hated to be the reason he wasn’t showing it off.

“Do you remember that you were the reason he died?”

You hated it more than you thought.

╰┈➤ ❝ tag-list ❞

— @brokeb1mbo, @ravieaesthetic , @sp1derm4nluver, @isa-444, @wassuppartypeople, @namtaeh, @whoisgami, @ponyboys-sunsets, @go-to-sleep-salem, @hana-1235, @j-natsuka, @lavzxx, @itzmeme, @iimng, @nycweb-slinger, @empress-pug-pug, @planetliaa, @mividaasi, @dolliied, @ukranianacearo, @solecitoszn, @izukusnovia, @abbyrxx12-blog, @conventionally-unconventional, @mileslovelygf, @ditto737, @iinlovewithfictionalppl, @superiorbyfar, @bingewatcheraf, @the-smut-plug, @whotfismirah, @gyuville, @blackspideysstuff, @1uv4jiya

[artisticxlly]

Arankita headcanons that came to mind as I crave fluff

They love old (mostly romance) movies, and it's one of the things that gets Kita teary-eyed a lot

They also listen to vintage jazz (Michael Bublé, Frank Sinatra, that kinda thing)

Neither of them are huge on pda! They're much more affectionate when in the comfort of their own home (there are rare cases where they do pda, one of which is when Kita gets drunk)

They're really REALLY good dancers. It's a really fun party trick they can do because it's a guaranteed shock to everyone who hasn't seen them dance before. Their strength is West Coast Swing, I'd say? Though I think they would try to learn some ballroom dances as well

Kita has an amazing memory. He remembers even random trivia for a long time. Aran has given up on trying to beat him at crosswords. He's better with numbers (f.e. Sudoku)

Because Kita is very polite, the elderly ladies from his community/neighbourhood gossip and chat with him over tea. He gushes to them how handsome his husband/boyfriend is sometimes when they ask how his love life is as a man his age

Aran usually prefers coffee, and Kita prefers tea. Aran does drink tea with Kita if they eat breakfast together because tea sounds much more appealing on a slow morning with his partner than coffee.

They take in a stray cat, and Kita is one of those people who doesn't really care much for it at first, but then he grows really attached. Aran grew up with a dog as a pet, so he obviously loves having a companion again.

Even though they're not super outspoken about how much they love each other, they're DEVOTED to one another, trust me

They have self-care days! Just,, long baths and massaging each other when their muscles are sore, Kita also likes shaving Aran's beard for him

Putting more emphasis on the massaging thing, this happens more frequently for sure, both of them have professions that can put a strain on their bodies. Winding down in the evening often includes wrist of shoulder massages

Really specific again, but I feel like they'd both smell really good. They have a great sense of combining perfumes and frequently share the products they use because their go-to scents harmonise really well

I think they'd hold hands when things get spicy. idk

Kita beats Aran in pure arm strength (Aran finds this incredibly attractive)

Aran is more visibly muscular than Kita is (I think he'd have a sleeper build?) but both have a tummy due to just eating well and enjoying food :)

Kita doesn't tan, but he gets freckles scattered over his arms and back in the summer. Aran likes tracing and kissing them

They like baking together during fall and winter and frequently try out new cookie flavours. They make a lot and gift them to their neighbours, too.

Anyway again feel free to yell at me about them, they're so,,, such a healthy couple in my mind

[outofangband]

Awhile ago, @mozart-the-meerkitten sent an ask about how Angband effects the senses of its prisoners. So this is so late and I’m so sorry. I have a couple of relevant posts, namely this one where I talked about time and routine in Angband. I also made a post awhile back about how Maedhros’s senses are affected! A lot of this will apply more generally! I’m thinking of reposting this and adding sections for other survivors.

Content warnings: structural/coercive control, mentions of solitary confinement and sensory deprivation

Angband world building and aftermath of Captivity Masterlist

Angband is not an environment fit for long term habitation by elves or by humans. Indeed, most humans in the fortress die within weeks to months. The orcs and other mortal residents are forced to adapt in brutal ways to survive and the consequences upon their physical, mental and emotional health are extreme.

Angband is structured to be oppressive and disorienting to the prisoners and this effects all aspects of sensory processing. I talked about this mostly on my time and routine post but the control of structure and information is one of the most important aspects of how prisoners are maintained.

Sensory information is often intentionally limited of a variety of reasons; the environments of cells and to the areas where thralls are forced to work are often kept as monotonous as possible. What scraps of clothing prisoners are allowed are often muted, by design and by usage, singing, poetry and speech between prisoners are forbidden, and the air is heavy with suffocating scents of ash, rot and the deep earth. I didn't want to get into food too much because I've made so many posts specifically about that but this is another important aspect of communal and cultural life that is heavily and violently controlled. I think a lot about the most literal manifestation of this, how Gwindor emerges with the color seemingly drained out of him.

Many lose their ability to take pleasure in the variety of sensory experiences that make up meals, or play, or art.

Some prisoners go years without hearing another's voice.

Sensory experiences unique to elves are also affected. Elves navigate and orient in certain unique ways, using the earth, trees, and even rocks to orient themselves. (I’m basing this in part of Legolas’s words about the elves of Hollin where he appears to draw sense memories from flora and stones)

When elves are kept away from the natural world, in monotonous environments, without access to plant life or even a variety of geological information, some can enter a sort of stupor. Even in Angband which of course does contain rocks and life in the form of fungi, algae and even some plants, Cyanobacteria and certain creatures, much of the mines and dungeons are deliberately kept barren, lifeless and separated enough from the caverns and tunnels. What information they receive is rarely comforting.

After the monotony of Angband, the normal sights, sounds, smells, tastes and other sensations of the outside world can be extraordinarily intense.

In the aftermath, some prisoners experience extreme awareness of sensory information as a form of hyper vigilance. Of course acute perception is typical for elves but for some prisoners, reactions and emotions to sense perception are incredibly heightened or they become unusually overwhelmed. Life is a barrage of unbearably bright lights, whispers heightened to a painful degree, the slightest smells unbearable, and different senses intermixing to create

Others experience a sort of numbing, have difficulty distinguishing or processing sensory information, or become highly dissociated.

Sensory deprivation is frequently used as a punishment, often alongside solitary confinement. On many of the lower levels of cells where prisoners are held for this purpose, the only light comess from the torches carried by the guards who passed infrequently. The din of the fortress, a cacophony of countless anvils, of the shifting of stone, of growls and screaming and snatches of song, was dulled here. It was not uncommon for long stretches to go by without any sound at all.

Other note: as always when I make Angband posts, I think additionally about Aerin and other characters in oppressive environments outside of Angband. Especially for this I have so many things on Aerin and the senses which I’ve explored in several posts and want to write more about especially if there’s interest. Even without the claustrophobic, geographically isolated nature of Angband, the effects of complex trauma on sensory experiences are really interesting. Anyways just wanted to say this because I love her :)

[omega-puppy]

I have been teetering on the edge of making this post, until a post by @pin3-vin3 (go check them out!!) made me sigh and realise I had to sit down and do this.

I’m putting a nsft warning on this, because I can’t really comment in depth about it omegaverse without at least touching on the sexual aspects. So buckle up.

Alphas

Alphas have higher social status and prestige compared to the other two secondary sexes. Similar to men within the patriarchy, alphas have an easier time getting a job, making liveable wages, and generally have much more respect within medical, law and social service systems. (For example a doctor is more likely to actually listen to and accept what an alpha is saying as a symptom or sickness rather than an omega, more on that later).

Alphas however, have a caveat to this respect. They are respected even more, when part of a pack. (More on packs later). Alphas are respected more when part of a pack because they are then seen as more dependable and successful than an alpha without a pack. An alpha with just one partner is respected more than an alpha without as well. Alpha on alpha relationships are hit and miss, some elitist alphas may see this as settling, others may see it as a strong representation of an alphas ability to accept and care for people they love.

Which brings me to my next point. Alphas and emotion. While alphas are seen as strong and protective, there is nothing inherently wrong within society with an alpha setting that aside to be what someone needs. If they need a strong and aggressive protector, an alpha will be that. An alpha might be firm with their partner, similar to a parent trying to get kids to eat vegetables, but again, that’s based on what the situation requires. If their partner responds better to gentle nurturing, alphas gain a lot of respect and reverence from adapting to that.

Scent wise, I really hate this idea that alpha scents can’t be flowery and sweet. Scents as a whole can range and are similar to a cutie mark or something, they represent the person as a whole, what they’re good at, the things they like, the scent might represent a memory or key ideal. (I.e. smelling like gunpowder and mist might be linked to watching fireworks as a kid). That being said, these scents are accompanied by undertones that alter the general vibe around them, hence the requirement for alphas to have a sense of emotional control.

An aggressive or pissed off alpha, will emit spicy or heated undertones to their scent. An alpha that’s sad will have slightly muggy undertones. An alpha trying to calm their partner may emit soothing scents like chamomile undertones. This is from alphas evolving to serve an omega as a grounding technique, but it extends to alpha on alpha too. (More on why betas are unaffected later.)

Alphas can be affected by omegas scents. A distressed omega lets out the most foul and potent odour known to man. It’s a natural deterrent. Similarly an omega in heat releases a very specific scent that attracts alphas, but not how you’d think. It makes alphas weak in the knees and all they want to do is help. This means, if an omega is aggressively against being knotted for a heat, the Alpha can’t encroach on that unless it’s incredibly necessary (like if the omega is going to die, omegas safety is paramount, similar to like, medically necessary procedures).

Scent glands are located on both sides of the neck, the wrists and the inner thighs. When scenting items, the weakest spot is the wrists, it’s generally just for a temporary mark that lasts about a week or so. The neck lasts much longer and is much stronger, it also has a more affectionate meaning, to mark something with the glands on the neck. The inner thigh is the most intimate, and gifting an item that is marked by the inner thigh is like sending a nude. It’s a very private and intimate scent that you only really see on extremely personal items like particularly important pushes or treasures.

Alphas can growl and have a command tone. This is a tone that alphas can use to convey commands that must be followed. It’s taboo and in the eyes of the court, overly aggressive (not illegal to do, but is similar to a high stakes threat) outside of bond-marked couples (more later). This command tone rings in the back of an omegas mind until it is actioned, it becomes like their own impulsive thought, and it grows stronger the longer it’s resisted. This is most often used within mate-bonded couples to get omegas to eat during their heat (which is often forgotten). But as mentioned before, can be misused and in the eyes of the law, is not illegal, but is not aligned with social morality.

Marks! An alpha can bite down on the neck gland of an omega to attempt a mark. However, this mark is only temporary, and becomes permanent when an omega does it back to the alpha. Only then can the omega actually be able to have that alpha’s pups, and that alpha alone. Marks are shared between pack mates, so yes multiple marks can be made but they myst be entirely mutual. That is, is alpha A and omega B are marked to one another, and they want to introduce Alpha C into their pack, Alpha C must mark and be marked by alpha A and omega B.

Marks that are mutual are permanent and are referred to as Bond Marks. Bond marks create a permanent bond between alphas and omegas that can only be broken on agreement of both parties, and cannot be overwritten. These bonds work at an emotional level. If a bonded marked omega gets upset, the alpha will feel a portion of that sadness. This can also translate medically and is a common part of the diagnostic process when treating bonded pairs.

Alphas have knots, when they get into a rut, knotting is at the forefront of their mind and it becomes something they are going to need. Blood pressure rises, pupils dilate and heart rate speeds up. It’s an adrenaline storm essentially, and it can lead to medical complications if not placated by knotting.

Betas

Unfortunately, in my headcannon, betas are very similar to normal humans. They can reproduce with alphas or omegas as well as each other, they don’t carry scents nor are they affected by them (they can still smell scents, they just don’t really react to them)

However, it’s incredibly common for a pack to consist of an Alpha and Omega pair with a beta third partner. These betas will wear a mark which will need to be renewed. (Because they don’t have scent glands the mark doesn’t take the same way it does for an alpha or omega). These marks are usually symbolic rather than a deep rooted bond as it is with Alphas and Omegas marking each other or others within their secondary sex.

Betas often help alphas and omegas get things done during heats and ruts. Because they’re not affected by the heavy scent of heat and rut, they can still function and get things done around the house. However, say an alpha and omega are having their rut/heat, and the alpha for whatever reason, has to leave for a time. The beta can take over for a time, comforting or using a toy or themselves (depending on the situation) to help the omega feel like they’re being rutted. (However betas don’t have the capacity to knot. So they cannot provide that sensation to an omega)

Betas are incredibly talented at being able to support their partners, and with such a large majority of the population being betas, it’s very easy to find materials and resources that help betas work out how to best support their partners or friends that need help.

Omegas

Omegas are incredibly similar to alphas in many ways, but are different in many too.

Omegas have the lowest amount of social prestige, however notably, they are not treated as *lesser*. Omegas are not considered weak or inferior. They are considered to be better suited to different roles. For example. An omega might go for a job in construction, but be perceived to be better at making coffee. This is not something that is laughed off and is a comment that’s thrown in an omegas face to put them down. It would be more of a gentle suggestion that they should take it easy and not push themselves too much.

Single omegas (un-bonded, un-packed, un-mated) are at higher risk within society, because as is the way of society, there are many who see them as easy or weak targets. So it’s not unlikely that omegas will live within apartment blocks full of omegas or even a few alpha neighbours so their scent is lingering on them when they’re out and about.

Emotionally, omegas are definitely more in touch with their emotions (note: not emotional!!! But in touch, meaning they have a greater understanding of what they feel and when). This can be misconstrued to be that they are more emotional or sensitive but that’s not necessarily true.

Omegas build nests within their homes. This isn’t always a bed, but it can be. It can be on the floor on a futon, or on a couch, sometimes even just in the corner of a room. There are slick-resistant mats you can get for the bottom of the nest, otherwise the nests are mostly constructed with blankets, soft toys, items that are sentimental and important. Omegas nests are sacred spaces, often where an omega retreats during heat. Alphas are expected to present themselves, hands behind their back, chin in the air exposing their neck glands, and receive permission before entering a nest. Not doing so can cause extreme distress for the omega, and can even cause a drop (more later).

Scent wise, of course omegas can smell hardy, Smokey, like a tree. Similar to alphas omegas also emit undertones to their scent that correspond to emotional states. Omegas in high distress emit scents that are repulsive, omegas in heat emit scents that are more attractive. Omegas can emit calming scents that help relax alphas. (This is mostly just the flip side of what alphas can do to omegas which I already went though above.

Omegas do have a need to be marked. When in heat they may beg and plead for a mark. And they may have to fight the instinct to mark an alpha back during these times. In legal cases, the responsibility lies on the Alpha, as they are viewed to be more in control during heats or ruts.

Scent glands are located on both sides of the neck, the wrists and the inner thighs. When scenting items, the weakest spot is the wrists, it’s generally just for a temporary mark that lasts about a week or so. The neck lasts much longer and is much stronger, it also has a more affectionate meaning, to mark something with the glands on the neck. The inner thigh is the most intimate, and gifting an item that is marked by the inner thigh is like sending a nude. It’s a very private and intimate scent that you only really see on extremely personal items like particularly important pushes or treasures.

Omegas can purr which calms alphas around them similar to a calming scent. Omegas can also trill, but this is an act that is similar to chastising a child. It’s an easy way of saying stop, or be punished. Alphas do get a twinge to the back of their neck after hearing this sound, like being scruffed.

When an omega senses a rut, one of two things is the most common response. They either go into a pseudo heat, which is similar to their regular heat but instead of lasting a few days, it lasts maybe one day at most, more commonly it lasts about 3 or so hours. The other option is they are like the same sides of a magnet to the rutting alpha, just something in them makes them unable to get too close, and the alpha will usually pick up on a scent of rejection. In some cases neither of these things happen. It’s not considered abnormal or anything to worry about, it’s just rare.

Omegas in heat produce slick, helps alphas out. The slick is produced by a pair of glands in the upper area of the inside canal. Prolonged or overexposure to suppressant medication can cause complications where these glands get blocked or clotted, and it can cause intense pain and discomfort, as well as mental health problems like nest rejection and anxiety.

omegas have muscles that are designed to be pressed against, like pressure points, that can only be pressed on by knots. They line the walls just inside the opening, and require to all be pressed with enough consistent pressure, at the same time. There are aids that help achieve this to relieve the stress for omegas without an alpha or who do not want an alpha.

If on suppressant medication in a way that is not medically appropriate, if encroached on by an alpha without permission, if their nest is invaded, if their mark is damaged and in rare cases, if rejected by an alpha they particularly like, an omega can enter a drop. This can present as fever, hysteria, anxiety, panic attacks, depression and even psychosis. It takes an alpha or a group of well loved and well trusted friends, providing long term (a week at minimum) support to bring an omega out of this, through calming scents, gentle comfort and allowing rest (bringing food, cleaning the house, letting the omega stay in their nest).

Look there’s probably plenty of shit I haven’t said, I’ve been spending all day typing this out. This is just my personal idea of how this works, and like all individual ideas, it’ll probably shift and change over time. But there you go. That’s my thoughts on it, I’m gonna crawl into my nest now.

[dmitriene]

— brighter than the sun pt. 2

ᴀᴜ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: Leon Kennedy, a former USSTRATCOM agent who is now on vacation and found his home as a gardener in a country village, and whom you will meet due to a completely random coincidence in an attempt to escape from the bustle of the city. ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ: re4! leon x fem! reader ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴀɢꜱ: fluff, comfort, nsfw, smut, kissing, unprotected p in v, oral recieving, marking. ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ: heyy! this is the second and the last part of my first series fanfiction, i hope that i made a good second part and that you enjoy this work! (also, big thank's and kisses to the specific people that support me no matter what 💌) please enjoy your reading) 🤍 (18+ warning)

prev ch.

 ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌᠌ ᠌ «i smile in the face of failure / i smile in the face of fear»

 ᠌ ᠌ ᠌᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ ᠌ «cause i got a secret window / and i'm gonna take you there»

The days in the village passed like a dream, each one tinged with shades of calmness and deep connection, your rest turned into a tapestry of shared laughter, leisurely walks outside the village and intimate conversations by the pond, with each such moment your connection with Leon deepened, and the basis of your connections were strengthened.

After that tender kiss by the pond, there seemed to be a slight subtle shift, for all subsequent moments you spent together were marked by furtive glances, long touches and a palpable sense of shared affection, in his presence there was a comfort, a warmth that wrapped you in his arms.

Your conversations flowed effortlessly, a seamless mix of light hearted jokes and the occasional even meaningful discussion.

Leon's gestures spoke volumes, he could surprise you with freshly picked flowers, the colors and scents of which reflected the depth of his feelings for you, he combed a strand of hair behind your ear with tenderness that made your heart flutter every time, and he could extend a comforting hand when you are less expect all this, his touch will always assure you that you are not alone.

You and Leon spent your days endlessly exploring every corner of the small village, picnicking by the village pond and sharing quiet moments in the garden, the unexpectedly recreated union between you was a source of solace and each exchange of glances seemed to carry a whole world of untold emotions and thoughts about what happened between you.

But gradually the days turned into weeks, and your heart struggled with the upcoming departure back to the city, the thought of leaving the village and Leon along with it touched to the core.

One of the warm red stained evenings, while you were sitting on a swing on the porch, endlessly looking at the evening sky, longing squeezed your heart and your grandmother could not help but notice it, sitting not far from you.

— «I see the sparkle in your eyes, dear» she spoke in a gentle voice, making you pay attention to her before she continued

— «You've found something special here»

You nodded, heart clenched with gratitude for the precious moments and new acquaintances you shared here — «I'll remember those memories forever, Grandma»

She laughed softly, pulling you incredibly gently towards her, leaving a comforting kiss on the top of your head before her eyes drifted to Leon, who was fiddling with a colorful rose bush nearby.

— «And it looks like you found a kindred spirit here»

A soft blush instantly warmed your cheeks, followed by a shy smile and a soft laugh through your lips before you answered — «Yes, grandma, he was an unexpected and wonderful part of my stay here»

She instantly smiled, her hand reached out to your cheek in silent comfort as your eyes glistened following the wet veil before your eyes, when suddenly she muttered a comforting — «Sometimes the most precious moments are the ones we least expect, honey»

(...)

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon in a glow of pink and gold you sat on a wooden swing set on your grandmother's cottage porch, Leon's warm presence and his soothing touch on your fingers in an intertwined manner.

— «You seem to be thinking about something» his voice is a gentle murmur, provoking you to furrow your brows uncomfortably at the realization that you've sunk into your thoughts too much and you sighed, your gaze still fixed on the stars.

— «You are right.. it's just that this place has brought me so much peace and happiness, i don't want it to end, Leon..»

Leon turned to you, his eyes not only deep and piercing with their own brilliance deep inside, but now they were filled with understanding in return, and the breath finally took a hit as you silently listened to his words.

— «I feel the same way..you.. you've brought so much into my life»

His confession sent a warm shiver through your chest, wrapping your ribcage in a shroud of a little guilt and pain as you turned to meet his gaze, the tenderness in his eyes reflecting the feelings rooted in your own heart.

— «I don't want to say goodbye..» you confessed a little louder than a whisper, your voice trembled imperceptibly.

Leon's feather touch found your head, pulling you in and leaving a soft kiss on the top of your head, his touch gentle and soothing — «Then let's make the most of the remaining time»

(...)

You and him spent many of the following days creating a montage of memories in your minds, going out to dinner together in charming cafes, walking through the countryside full of laughter and stealing glances spoke volumes, the village seemed to shimmer with newfound magic, every corner of it promised another charming moment.

The next evening, as the sun began to set and bathe the village in a warm golden glow, you heard an invitation that filled your heart with a mixture of excitement and anticipation.

— «I thought we could have a romantic dinner?»

Leon offered with a playful smile on his lips, though the nervous lump in his throat and the soft blush on his cheeks that indicated his embarrassment

— «As a way to make those last moments even more special, if you want to?»

You blinked sharply, the idea was like a dream, and you instantly nodded happily, making him smile awkwardly.

Together you cooked a delicious dinner, a fusion of flavors, lit candles cast warm light on the porch table, and the air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers and a soft symphony of crickets.

As soon as you and Leon sat down to dinner, the atmosphere was filled with intimacy and charm, the conversation flowed effortlessly, shimmering with general laughter and furtive glances, it was a night that seemed to be frozen in time, wrapping you in the warmth of the moment.

As the meal drew to a close and dessert was served, the air seemed to fill with unspoken tension, Leon's fingers touched yours, his touch sent shivers through your veins, and as soon as your eyes met his, your heart raced to the flutter of your eyelashes.

— «I don't want it to end» he confessed in a low and sincere voice, making you press your lips into a thin line of pure white

— «Me too..» you confessed too, your words are a pure echo of his feelings.

In the evening silence, under the cover of the stars watching you, Leon leaned over and his lips captured yours in a sweet and tender kiss, the kiss spoke of all the unspoken words, of all the feelings that blossomed between you during your stay here, and when your lips parted, you were enveloped in a sense of satisfaction, a feeling that screamed that this moment should be cherished.

The kiss was followed by a contented silence, the world seemingly disappearing as you huddled together, while the night in the background was a symphony of crickets and the soft rustling of leaves, the backdrop to the intimacy shared between you.

(...)

But, like all great trips, your vacation eventually came to an end, the reality of returning to the city loomed, and the prospect of parting touched your heartstrings as you stood in the light sunlight on the threshold of your grandmother's cottage, preparing to say goodbye to the countryside.

You stood in front of your grandmother, longing clutching your heart and ribs, she silently saw behind your growing connection with Leon, her eyes shone with a knowing brilliance.

Leon's presence was a comforting anchor, his hand finding yours as you both watched the sun rise, the moment was bittersweet, the calm of the village set against the uncertainty of the city to return to.

— «I want to stay so much..» you spoke softly, slightly dry because of the lump in your throat.

— «I know..» he muttered with regret in his voice before continuing

— «But i hope you know that no matter where you are, there will always be a place for you»

Tears welled up in your eyes and you leaned into his arms, finding sweet comfort in them, the connection established between you was undeniable and the prospect of leaving was heartbreaking.

As if sensing your thoughts, your grandmother joined you both, her presence soothing as she stared between you, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

— «Love finds us even in the most unexpected places» she spoke softly

— «Cherish what you've found»

The words hung in the air, another confirmation of the feelings that blossomed in this place, and with a heavy heart you say goodbye to your grandmother, promising to return.

The journey back to the city was bittersweet, the memories of the countryside and the warmth of Leon's presence stayed with you, but as you returned to the rhythm of city life, a sense of hope remained, the promise of a future in which there was the possibility of reunion.

(...)

And so, when the weeks turned into months, you and Leon communicated through letters and phone calls, the chaos of the city seemed less frightening when you knew that you had a connection that went beyond it, your conversations were always filled with laughter and dreams.

In quiet moments when the chaos of the city threatened to overwhelm you, you closed your eyes, remembering the tranquility of the village and its flowering gardens, or reread the letters and remembered the warm touch of Leon, memories that will forever remain in your heart, bringing strength and comfort.

(...)

In one of the days that you could afford to dedicate to yourself, completely imbued with the atmosphere of relaxation and self care, while the aroma of fresh flowers hovered around the apartment, your thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, and as soon as you pulled the door handle uncertainly, feeling like you were not in your body, you found Leon in front of you with a bouquet of wild flowers in his hand and a smile brighter than any jewels and which could melt your heart.

— «I couldn't stay away any longer» he said with a smirk, his eyes sparkling with the promise of what would happen next, as soon as he crossed the threshold.

Tears welled up in your eyes as soon as you pulled him in a strong hug, the feel of his arms around you was the comfort you needed so much, and the bouquet after his suitcase was long forgotten behind, the petals scattered on the floor in a light path, and his outerwear hastily forgotten in the farthest corner of the bright apartment.

(...)

Your spine curves in a trembling arc following an equally trembling moan, Leon's movements are deliberate and purposeful enough, positioning himself between your legs, his piercing gaze fixated on your wet and shiny pussy as his slightly rough hands gently part your thighs, exposing your most intimate places for his impatient eyes.

— «I didn't know you missed me so much~» his voice is almost a slight purr that makes you sigh sharply.

He leans in, his hot breath touching your sensitive skin, his tongue warm and skillful, slowly and painfully running down the folds of your pussy, savoring the taste and aroma of your arousal, Leon starts with gentle and teasing licks, and then gradually increases the pressure and intensity.

His tongue explores every inch of your pussy, moving and circling around your swollen clit, sending waves of pleasure through your body as he alternates between long, sensual strokes and quick, precise flicks, each movement designed to make you moan and gasp, wanting more.

As he continues his service, Leon's hands find their way to your thighs, holding you firmly in place, he enjoys the opportunity to please you, his tongue goes deeper, probing the depths of your wetness as he revels in your taste and feel, his artful tongue draws you closer to the edge.

His focus is unwavering as he literally devours you with his mouth, his lips and tongue working in perfect harmony to bring you to the brink of ecstasy, he skillfully regulates his movements, tuning in to your body's reaction as he seeks to bring you to a stunning orgasm.

— «S' t-too much, Leon!» you moan loud enough, your hips thrust up.

His eyes twinkle with a mixture of satisfaction and hunger as he hears your words, Leon intensifies his efforts, his tongue sinking deeper into your wetness, his lips closing around your clit, gently sucking and flicking it, he feels the tension build up inside you the way your body trembles with anticipation under his arms.

With every swipe and twist of his tongue he brings you closer to the edge, he knows you are on the verge of release and revels in his ability to bring you to orgasm, his grip on your thighs tightens, holding you in place as he continues his relentless attack on your feelings.

And then it finally happens, a wave of pleasure crashes over you, engulfing your entire being as he continues his service, rolling you through the waves of your orgasm, prolonging your pleasure and your slight whining until it becomes almost unbearable.

As you descend from the climax, Leon slowly removes his tongue, his lips are glossy with your arousal, he looks at you with a gleam and almost hearts in his eyes, his own desire is noticeable just as bright, so you are not afraid to mutter

— «I want to feel you, Leon..»

He could see the determination in your eyes, and he couldn't help but feel a strong wave of desire, Leon wanted nothing more than to fulfill your request and give you the pleasure you so badly wanted, freeing yourself from the extra layers of clothing.

He kissed you softly, his lips lingering on yours before descending to the soft skin of your neck, leaving a trail of gentle kisses and nibbles on your skin, his hands caressing your body, exploring every curve and hollow, his touch was both gentle and slightly possessive, he positioned himself between your legs, his eyes meeting yours as he entered you slowly, giving you time to get used to his size.

He moved slowly at first, enjoying the feeling of being inside you, wanting to make sure you felt every sensation, as he felt you relax and your moans of pleasure filled the room, he began to pick up the pace, thrusting into you with increasing intensity, his hands clenched tight the skin of your thighs, directing your movements in accordance with his rhythm.

— «L-Leon, mngh!»

With each push he tried to hit all the right points, trying to bring you to the peak of pleasure, while your bodies moved together he whispered words of encouragement and tenderness, his voice was filled with desire and adoration

— «T-That's it, you're so good, h-honey»

As your shared pleasure intensified he felt himself reaching a climax, but restrained himself, wanting to focus on your pleasure first, and finally when he felt your body tense up and heard your moans grow louder, he realized that you're close, sending you over the edge with a final deep thrust, making your body tremble with ecstasy.

— «H-Huh, f-fuck.. s' too good, Leon»

He continued to move inside you, riding your orgasm before finding his own release, his body shuddering with pleasure, filling you with hot ropes of cum.

After that, he pulled you close, gently brushing the hair from your face before kissing your forehead, he softly whispered sweet words of love and comfort, assuring you that you are safe and loved in his arms, he is here for you once and for all.

— «I'm glad i decided to find you» he whispered softly, caressing your ear with his warm breath before kissing your forehead gently

— «I'm glad to have you here, Leon» you whispered back, looking at him from under your fan of eyelashes before pressing your face against his chest

And so, in the heart of a city that once seemed overwhelming, you found a love that was both your refuge and journey, a meeting that would bloom further and take root deep in this place, like flowers in a garden.

© dmitriene - my masterlist

please, don't copy my works as your own, and if you want to post them somewhere else - contact me.

reblogs, likes and comments are very much appreciated, thank you for reading! ♡

[cleolinda]

Sugar, sugar (Pink Sugar, 2004)

(Pink Sugar Amazon store)

Have you ever taken the lid off a sugar bowl and really stuck your nose in there and given it a good huff? There's a texture to the scent that reminds me a little of sand; I couldn't quite explain it in terms of amber, and I still can't here, but I swear to you, it's an ambient dryness that smells distinctly different from the liquid sucrose of a green hunk of sugar cane. And this is different from powdered sugar (even holding a powdered donut to my nose, I don't smell much), which is different from brown sugar (a touch of molasses that actually smells sticky), which is different from marshmallow (fluffy, slightly vanilla), and incredibly different from caramel (cooked sugar, rich, almost buttery) or praline (nutty, possibly creamy) or cotton candy (vanilla + strawberry/raspberry). What I like about a good sugar perfume is the nuance of the type of sugar, the character that is something beyond the literal sweet—and this is itself entirely different from the floral nuances of a honey perfume, which I also love.

Ideally, you'd apply a sugar perfume with a light hand, so that the nuances will blend with the scent of your skin and become A Secret Third Thing. If you're traipsing around smelling like a candy shop, you—well, I won't say you're doing it wrong, but that's not what I'm advocating for here.

Let's rewind a moment to that sugar cane I mentioned. Demeter Fragrance's single note Sugar Cane was the first scent of theirs that I tried, partly because I wanted to know what the hell they'd done to win two FiFi Awards with it. Demeter prides itself as a company on their Proustian sensory experiences (which is why they have scents like Crayon, Dirt, Paperback, and, uh, Fuzzy Balls), but they could not have known that Sugar Cane would take me back specifically to preschool. I have an incredibly vague memory of standing on a (dirt? paved?) road among the other kids on a field trip to a farmer's market, holding a four-inch chunk of freshly-cut sugar cane. I have no idea how we ended up there or if the preschool even got our parents' permission (it was 1983, a lawless time), but I do remember gnawing on this green hunk of cane, and my mom remembers me bringing it home. (She did not seem the least bit bothered that I'd been off who knows where chewing on produce, because it was 1983.) Everything is vague but for the olfactory memory: Demeter's Sugar Cane really, truly has that fresh-cut, not "vegetal" or even "green," exactly, but that ineffable sense of a juicy plant that is not yet dried and crumbled and cubed. It's lovely, and I wore it off and on for years.

Another favorite sugar perfume of mine is Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Sugar Skull ("A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits"), a seasonal offering. As time has gone on, my 2004 bottle has taken on a richer brown-sugar tone, but it actually started out with that whiff of dry sugar bowl. I'm not sure what the fruits are supposed to be, but I might guess plum and strawberry, like the sugar-dusted strawberry candies I used to get in my childhood Christmas stocking. Which means that I might guess something like Furaneol is involved: "Intense caramel and fruity note, reminiscent of cotton candy. Indispensable ingredient for strawberry, pineapple and exotic fruity accords. Often used to bring a jam effect. Naturally found in coffee, malt, grape, guava, pineapple, raspberry, strawberry." I tried Sugar Skull on the other day for this post, and while the fruit accord comes out more distinctly now, the perfume itself is still fairly subtle, a restrained golden sweetness that hangs back rather than yell at top volume.

No, top volume would be Pink Sugar.

In my experience, ethyl maltol (the caramel/praline note you may remember from last week's Mugler Angel) might be strong when it's fresh, but it's Godzilla when it's aged. My bottle of Pink Sugar (maybe 2007?) has also turned from clear to brown, which might be the vanillin. I would be willing to bet there's a strong dollop of furaneol in this thing as well, and the musk isn't helping; all together, I remember being like, "Let's give it a lil spray, see if it's still good," and having to evacuate the room. The powdery candy musk cloud, my GOD. So for this post, I went and ordered a fresh decant (for the princely sum of $0.99 USD), so I could at least see what Pink Sugar's ideal state is, and also I could control it with a tiny wand cap.

A couple of swipes, and this, this is why I liked Pink Sugar back in my twenties. I'll say up front that, these days, the Italian company Aquolina doesn't seem to have much of an internet presence anymore, except for a pinksugar.it site that mostly exists to redirect you to the Pink Sugar Amazon store (and a US Instagram that redirects to Macy's). So I had to dig a little to get the creator(s)' name and the full list of notes: raspberry, orange, fig leaf, bergamot, cotton candy, licorice, red berries, strawberry, lily of the valley, caramel, vanilla, musk, tonka bean, sandalwood.

Secondly, I'll quote two other reviews from people with sharper noses than I have:

Bois de Jasmin:

On a technical level, Pink Sugar is a clever thing, and I find it impressive how its creator, Pierre Nuyens, chose to offset the dessert extravaganza with plenty of sharp citrus, tart berries and crunchy anise seeds. The drydown of musk and sandalwood is like a sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar on warm brioche. Its softness offers a respite after the burnt caramel overload. It’s a long lasting, tenacious fragrance and a little goes a long way.

[I'll note here that I have seen Pink Sugar credited to either Pierre Nuyens or Shyamala Maisondieu of Givaudan, and I don't know what's with the discrepancy. Are we possibly talking about old and new formulations?]

Now Smell This:

Pink Sugar opens on an extraordinarily sweet blend of fruit and caramelized sugar. There is a hint of citrus, but the red berries dominate the first 15 minutes or so. If you love the smell of strawberry candy, the top notes may well be your idea of heaven; I'm afraid it is not mine. [...] There is lots of vanilla sugar, a teensy little whiff of licorice, and a pale, woody-musky base with a hint of powder. It is, as advertised, very reminiscent of cotton candy.

That mention of "offsetting the dessert extravaganza" is similar to the logic that Olivier Cresp and Yves de Chirin used with Angel: it was so unexpected in 1992 to build a fragrance around ethyl maltol that they balanced it with a tornado of patchouli so intense that I can't smell a single other damn thing in it, other than some fruit in the first ten minutes. But by the time Pink Sugar came along in 2004, truly, nobody gave a shit. Trying to balance candy with more candy is, if we are honest, just the slightest gesture towards optimizing your Eau de Toothache (I say this lovingly). There's a reason that Angel is considered a Hall of Famer and Pink Sugar is something people generally scoff at.

So I open my new sample, and I brace myself. The current decant opens with, yes, a pretty strong citrus to immediately counterbalance the sugar. And yet, while I said that Dior's new Joy has a "vanilla lemonade" feel, that's not the kind of sugar + lemon we have going on here. There are several things going on, including some kind of musk, but mostly, my nose can't distinguish what they are; "it's very well-blended" is what you say when you can't figure that out. I'll also say that I couldn't perceive strawberry, or even strawberry candy (no matter how much I love it), in all this; what I get is Cotton Candy™. I remember how surprised I was to find out that the traditional flavor of American cotton candy is just vanilla, often with some strawberry if it's pink, and definitely with raspberry if it's blue. Cotton candy is just A Thing Unto Itself to me (ask me how shocked I was to find out that yellow cake mix is just vanilla. Mm, tastes like yellow), and that's mostly what I smell in Pink Sugar. A specific whiff of caramel emerged about two hours in, but that was the best my nose could do.

Four hours in, as I sat drafting this post with Pink Sugar on the back of my hand, the citrus notes had evaporated, and I was getting just that cotton candy—but dry and fluffy, on a floating bed of musk, not a sticky, just-melted-in-your-mouth, washed-by-a-confused-raccoon note. So the first hour is when Pink Sugar is most interesting to me. And I'm gonna tell you—I can't distinguish fig leaf or lily of the valley or even sandalwood in this thing, but I get something in that first hour that I haven't seen anyone else mention: something shadowy.

There's something sultry about Pink Sugar early on to me, and that may be the combination of licorice and musk, going by the notes listed. (You'd think I could pick out licorice after two posts about it, but not specifically in Pink Sugar, no.) You're at the cotton candy stand, sure, but there are dark clouds gathering overhead. For some reason, Johnny Jewel's "Windswept" popped into my head—something noirishly forlorn. The fairground is closing at the end of summer, the boardwalks are empty; up in the late afternoon sky, something watchful and gray is rolling in.

And this stage does pass. But that first hour, that's the interesting stage, the part where I get why "counterbalancing the toothache" is such an important consideration. I also have Demeter Fragrance's Cotton Candy single note (does what it says on the tin), and sometimes a simple sugar is what you want. But if someone could actually cook up Film Noir Cotton Candy Stand, combining two things you would pretty much never think to put together, you would have a story on your hands. Pink Sugar has that for about an hour—except for the fact that I think I must be hallucinating it, because I've never seen a review where anyone ever accused Pink Sugar of having one iota of depth to it, much less darkness.

That's the thing about fragrance: it's so wholly dependent on what your own nose can pick up and how it interacts with your own chemistry, as opposed to anyone else's. I could hold out my hand thirty minutes in and say "SMELL IT. SMELL THE FILM NOIR," as you do, and it might be that no one else would smell anything "sultry" or "gray" or "forlorn" in Pink Sugar at all. You ever have that Super Deep Thought that maybe nobody sees color the same way, and maybe what's orange to you is blue to someone else? With fragrance, that might be a little bit true.

The other thing I've realized is that most people smell a perfume on you after you've been wearing it a while—people at work or a party or wherever you actually left the house to go, they'd mostly smell the base notes and maybe a few mid notes of your fragrance by the time you got there. (Unless you're reapplying it frequently. I... do not advocate for that.) Everything I find interesting about Pink Sugar would have faded by the time anyone smelled it on me, leaving just a vague aura of musky sweet. I'd actually love to smell a fragrance made of all the notes that aren't cotton candy: Pink Sugar Without Sugar.

I'll end by pointing out that I started with a nostalgic story about preschool and sugar—and a different fragrance. Most people reviewing Pink Sugar mention nostalgia as part of its appeal, but it doesn't evoke memory for me at all, and I think that's because the musk is so strongly present for me all the way through. I will argue, though, that the Secret Third Thing it comes up with is more sophisticated than people give it credit for.

Perfume discussion masterpost

[bonefall]

Hello! Firstly, this is an incredible project you’ve got here and I’m very impressed by the amount of work put into this. I’ve always been frustrated warriors isn’t as good as it could be so it’s cool to see someone doing such a cool project.

Secondly, I remember reading that at least one cat was rewritten to be deaf, but I can’t remember who that was. Also, what do you think life is like for a deaf cat in the clans? They’d have more difficultly than a normal deaf cat since the clan cats use verbal language. Some books mention tail signals meaning specific things, so do you think the cats have a nonverbal system of communicating?

Deafness is THE hardest sensory disability for a Clan cat to have. Moreso than blindness, moreso than a lack of scent. The Clans are heavily inaccessible to people who are deaf, unfortunately, but the fact there's now 5 cats in recent memory with total deafness is causing active change.

The biggest problem is the fact that a deaf cat has a hard time understanding how loud they are. Hunting is a lot harder when you both can't hear prey scuffling around AND can't tell when your actions are making a lot of noise to scare your quarry off. In Clanmew, the sounds animals make are so important that they're even named after them; "European Jay" is Arkr, "Toad" is Amam, "Frog" is Roeg.

This comes easier when a cat isn't born deaf, but cats like Snowkit and Whitewing need a lot more training than an abled warrior.

The other problem is a lack of accessibility. Clanmew is heavily verbal with tone indicated by body language, Whitewing can tell you're being sarcastic but not WHAT you're being sarcastic about unless she's lipreading. Hearing loud commands over the heat of battle is also an issue, you can't obey a "RETREAT" order if you don't notice your clanmates are fleeing as well, even with an appropriate tail signal.

When you mention the tail signals-- that's from Battles of the Clans, and they're limited to combat commands. I also created a glyph system for the cats to write with as well which covers more non-battle concepts.

Snowkit in particular LOVED glyphs. Brackenfur (his nephew) was bonding with him over it, expanding it out. If Snowkit hadn't died, he would have forged a ton of new signs, especially related to constellations which he was very fond of.

I'm approaching deafness accommodations as something the Clans are actively working on, unlike a lot of other rewrites which have a sign language pre-prepared! Especially in the modern age when warfare has become more organized, giving the cats more time to work on new things.

The cats who are deaf in my rewrite so far are;

Featherkit (not super important but this is Dappletail's child and Graystripe's sister. She died of plague and Feathertail is named after her.)

Snowkit (sadly his death is narratively important, but has an expanded personality and he dies shoving Tawnykit out of the way of the hawk. It isn't related to his deafness.)

Whitewing (Feels pressured to 'live the life Snowkit couldn't,' which is damaging. Serious and pious.)

Dovewing (Loses her hearing along with her powers, frustrated by her lack of autonomy which eventually causes her to leave ThunderClan. "I don't WANT to practice glyphs right now leave me alone stop making yourselves feel better by trying to 'fix' me")

Fallowfern (In-canon she only loses her hearing in old age, but I want to make her hearing loss an earlier onset.)

[lolashifts]

DAY 14 OF SHIFTMAS 2024 ❆ ⋆⁺₊❅

⌗ 𝟏𝟒. cookie cutters ; what are some smells that remind you of your dr? why?

something i always script in every dr is the scent i’ll smell on my first arrival, so i naturally associate a scent with a specific reality. for example:

one direction — watermelon ; because of all the funny moments and memories full of joy touring with the boys brings me.

my hero academia — vanilla ; a softer, sweeter scent that kinda reminds me of how things are at the very beginning of the story, which is exactly where i am shifting to. life is still pretty peaceful, school has yet to begin, no league of villains in sight and the only worry i have is to learn as much as i can on how to be a good hero !!

fame — chocolate and coconut ; if you didn’t know, i LOVE coconut, and it so happens to not only go very well with chocolate but to also have a strong, recognisable scent, and the idea of it being the first thing i’ll smell when i wake up up there makes me incredibly happy and motivated honestly (a great way to start your day right, don’t you think?)

teen fame — chocolate and lemon ; i don’t really know how to explain it but it just fits.

golden trio era — wood ; maybe a bit strange, but the scent and noise of a good fireplace give me a sense of comfort and the feeling of being home, especially in relation to hogwarts.

waiting room — strawberries ; like a a breath of fresh air !!

+ another one i have already associated is the smell of salt and ocean breeze with percy jackson bc you know .. it’s literally about the son of the sea god ... so yeah 🤞🏻

[shybasementkid]

i have a very vivid memory of a YouTube video, i think (dont take my word for it, trusting my memory is like trusting the twist villain on a rewatch) it was made in 2017. it was about rainbow dash and sonic the hedgehog meeting. they also had beef over who was the fastest. maybe some other sth or mlp characters met, im not so sure (again, shitty memory), but i specifically remember those to meeting in a glass house or a mall. i legit NEED to see this incredibly niche video again, but i haven't heard an utter of said video in my life. it also might've been a series of videos. whoever finds this video/es will be rewarded..... checks pockets..... three dollars, seven scents, and a half eaten twix.

[dykexenomorph]

screw it! HYPER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR MINA! ANSWER AS YOU SEE FIT\WHICHEVER ONES YOU WANT!

•Favorite flower?

•Favorite scent?

•Ideal sleeping place, and with how many blankets?

•Any little superstitions she has, and why if so?

•Who does she side with over the artifact fight, if they were physically fighting?

•Who does she still talk to post-game, and how often?

1- tbh i dont think she really has a favorite? pre-worm mina doesn't really have the time to think about smaller things like that and post-worm mina is too busy trying not to slaughter everyone to give attention to much else. i think once she gets ahold of her urges (and after she gets rid of them) she becomes fond of night orchids (because she associates them w shadowheart). she also like glowcap mushrooms (im AWARE they're not flowers, but its close enough)

2- corny answer BUT bc she associates it w karlach's engine (and karlach herself) she enjoys the smell of the hells + machinery in general. shes also fond of vanilla and likes sitting near jaheira's tent when they camp together to smell whatever incense she's burning.

3- mina does her best NOT to sleep actually, what with the whole murdering ppl in her sleep thing. when she does fall asleep its usually on accident and almost always near karlach (the amount of times someone has caught her sleeping on karlachs shoulder while karlach tries her hardest not to move is ridiculous). once she gets the whole sleep-murder thing worked out she prefers to sleep on hard surfaces w no blankets (karlach is enough of a space heater i think)

4- when the artifact fight happens mina is still super disoriented and frustrated w her lack of memories (she's like. the DEFINITION of fake it till you make it in terms of trying to be a good leader for the little pack of strays shes gathered together), and I think she's still incredibly unsure of both shart AND lae'zel's intentions as a whole (not to mention her confusion regarding the artifact itself). things don't dissolve into a physical fight, but she does side with shadowheart just because she's traveled w her longer and has built up more of a relationship w her.

5- mina makes it a point to keep in touch with jaheira, despite jaheira not being known for her amazing communication skills. it becomes a sort of a game for the two where jaheira will do her best to go mia only to recieve a letter from mina not even a day later being like "OLD WOMAN YOU SUCK AT HIDING. DO BETTER. also i hope you're doing okay. BUT ALSO MAKE SURE YOU SEND YOUR CHILDREN A LETTER AFTER ANSWERING MINE". aside from jaheira, she also frequently checks in on shadowheart and makes sure shes doin okay in her little cottage. her and karlach meet up with her every other weekend to catch up and make dinner together. once lae'zel stops being bound to her comet duties she also joins them, shadowheart's cottage kind of becomes an essential meet-up spot for their little group. the others even make their own appearances from time to time (shadowheart has caught astarion and jaheira not-so-subtly trying to steal some of her wine on more than one occasion).

[foxlin-fantasia]

💫　14 associations : Hanaka Houjou

tagged by @archaiclumina & @reconditerune !! ty!

--

🌸　animal: red squirrels. ( i genuinely couldn’t think of anything & asked my gf. it’s canon now ig /shrug ) for a ff based creature, she’d be a red chocobo or a tabby coeurl kit. 

🌸　color: pink! coral & rose pink are p distinct on her, but i also think pearlescent white, warm-toned colors, + gold accents are also fitting.

🌸　song: fellow feeling by porter robinson ( most things made by porter are a vibe tbh but THIS song?? oof from the lyrics alone; almost like i could hear the words being said as her own. the sound itself is v modern, but the initial calm that turns into chaos all contrasts so well against with what is being said in the song & kind of silhouettes what i imagine it must feel like for Hanaka to use her Echo / aetheric abilities?? it’s intense, maybe a bit scary to witness. she is incredibly strong when her power is wielded deftly, but it’s a painful process. also her h/c’d english VA* *subject to change is doing the speaking in the song! it’s all v good!! )

🌸　number: 2. She likes multiples of two. She usually prefers to go second in most things in her life, letting someone else take the lead so she can learn from their example. She is the kind to observe first, then act; always preferring a one-two step kind of plan.

🌸　day or night: she is the early morning, specifically the hours of 3~5 AM, when the world sleeps & the stars shine brightest. She is like dawn break over the horizon, shooing the stars to their beds with her sun-like smile. She is the comfort of knowing you’ve survived another night, the bleary sky a meld of purples & pinks into new day blues or early morning golds, dotted with flickering stars who will soon rest behind the fluffy clouds. Hanaka loves the night skies, but she herself is very much the dawn.

🌸　plant: victoria rose forget-me-nots; felt like a fitting plant, as a lot of her WoL narrative deals with remembering / seeing / sharing memories with others. pink flowers for bonus points!

🌸　smell: initially, she smells like the plum & cherry blossoms she likes to use as her daily accessories. Her true scent is of Othardian poppies, Doman black tea, ginger root, natural musk, & a touch of something sweet akin to a marshmallow. ( it’s my headcanon that Hanaka just… always smells good lol because of her ability to sprout flowers from her body to heal herself & she is also just very well-groomed when able! )

🌸　gemstone: angel aura quartz, pearl, or argyle ( pink ) diamond!

🌸　season: late winter to early spring, right after the deep winter frost thaws; still cold outside but the snow is melting, maybe an occasional snow flurry. The plum trees have blossomed & warmer seasons are on their way; bird calls return to the mornings again, signaling the end of hibernation. The crisp air smells of rebirth & sweetness.

🌸　place: Yanxia. She was born in a small farming village beyond the Glittering Basin, now lost to war & time.

🌸　food: hanami dango ( her favorite dango flavor is azim strawberry! )

🌸　eorzean deity: i associate her with Azeyma ( mostly due to aesthetics ), though her patron is Althyk! Althyk makes more sense for her narratively imo.

🌸　eorzean element(s): earth, the element of substance & endurance. Her abilities draw from this element the most!

🌸　drink: maehwa-cha ( plum blossom tea )

--

i tag: @uldahstreetrat , @crowdsourcedloner , @cindernet-explorer, @petitfarron , @gatheredfates , @evuniel & whomever else is wanting to! ( also no obligation to those tagged do this either ofc )

[anemonecoronaria]

the tags on your post about the levant actually have me crying and missing home, so i hope you don't mind me gushing about syria in your inbox for a bit 😭❤ i've only ever been in syria in the levant, and i was only there from birth until i was 11 when the war started and my family left.

my memories are very foggy, but i remember damascus most of all (i've also been to hama a lot and tartus once). damascus is where i was born and god, it's so beautiful in a way i can't describe. i'm definitely biased haha, but it's just so charming. it feels both big and endless as well as cozy and intimate. also, because it's such a mountainous region and my neighborhood was like waaay up a mountain, there are parts of the city that are so vertical and you just keep going up, up, up. maybe it's because i was a kid, but everything felt so grandiose and magical.

i have a lot of memories of souq al-hamidiyah. it was so busy like 100% of the time, and it was always exciting and so cool. my uncle used to sell street food there, and every time we went, we would go to his cart and he'd give us chocolate for free.

there were also just so many incredible historic sites all over, especially in the old city, and i remember that as a kid i never understood their significance but i could just feel this sense of how grand and important they were and i felt excited just to pass by them in the car.

also, one silly little detail: all of my memories of damascus smell like jasmine. i know it's probably my memories mixing together because it was so long ago haha, but it is true that a lot of people grow jasmine flowers including ALL my extended family so i think that scent is just one that i associate so strongly with home. it's forever my favorite flower and my favorite smell in the world <3

i could go on and on lol, but i just wanted to get it out of my system 😂 i love my home so so SO much and i literally always want to share that love with everyone who will listen, and you said you've never been to syria so i had to share. my entire view of it is very much through the lens of a happy child's memories, and i get really sad when i think that i've never gotten the chance to grow up in my own country. i have the exact same dream as you to explore every inch of the levant, and i hope we can both live that dream <3

FEEL FREE PLEASE. You made me cry with your descriptions of Damascus, you made me feel like these memories were my very own in a way.

I understand your pain so much, even though I currently live in the levant, Jordan to be specific, I still feel like something is amiss you know? I feel like like I empathise and relate to the plight of Syrians the most out of everybody, and I hope one day we will be able to roam free in our Sham, drink tea in the alleys of Jerusalem, play chess in the streets of Damascus, walk along the beaches of Beirut, and just…soak it all in.

Haha, somehow I feel like I knew Damascus would be like this mainly because my neighbourhood in Amman is juuuuuust as high and mountainous and I feel going to the dokaneh is a workout in and of itself. Something about Damascus feeling ‘big and endless but also cozy and intimate’ rings so true, but I feel the opposite about Palestine. The west bank is actually claustrophobically small and its alleys tiny and narrow and shabby…but I feel like I know these sharp turns and they hug me in a way, like I’ll just melt into them. You feel the narrowness but also how high the walls are, with the sky like a skylight above you and its glass will shatter and the sky itself will fall on you and cut you up but it feels GOOD because it’s mine. Like I hear gunshots from my window everyday from one am to the fajr athan and I somehow feel most at ease sleeping there in that rickety bed listening to those gunshots, I feel so protected in Palestine it’s unexplainable, like the land hugs you and loves you back despite everything. It’s mainly that if I die now I’d have died in Palestine <3

If it’s any comfort to you, Amman’s streets smell like jasmine at every corner. You’ll pass next to a house and they’ll have the most fragrant jasmine scent wafting into the street. Our house in Palestine still has jasmines covering an entire wall, so I’m sure Damascus is blooming just as much with its jasmines and roses. I really want to hear the toll if the church bells and the athan from the mosques at the same time, I feel like it’d be enchanting.

I promise you we’ll be able to go back home and hear the birdsong at dawn, sweat while walking the streets in the summer, smell the jasmines, peel oranges in the winter, frolic on the beach, dip our feet into rivers, attend the olive harvest, drink sahlab on the sidewalk. Maybe you’ll open a shop like your uncle did and give your own nieces and nephews free chocolate…

I feel your pain and longing, I feel it so much and I wish I could hug you. If you want to say anything else to let it out of your system PLEASE feel free to, I feel like we don’t talk about this longing enough.

[papiliotao]

just kazuha and you taking a walk along the lines of sea and sand around sunset as the skies starts to bleed with pink and gold, with the silence, a pair of crabs scuttling past you startles you. as you miss a step, your hand stretches out to kazuha’s sleeve and drag him into the shallow shore. congrats, the two of you are now soaking wet.

everything clings to him like a lifeline - fringes of his hair, his clothing to his skin, your hand still on his sleeve, catching wrinkles. there’s nothing less than surprise and soft amusement in those irises of his as he takes you in, a huff of laughter all he can muster for the moment as you follow, the sound that was first drowned out by the waves now overwhelming it in feeling.

just imagining the feeling of being relaxed and walking along the beach hand-in-hand with kazuha is making me ajfoidsjfaifj (rei.exe has stopped responding). the scent of the sea and also a light zephyr blowing by certainly seems peaceful!! and as you mentioned, the sun painting a vivid display of colours across the sky <3 bUT ALSO THE SERENE NATURE OF THE SITUATION IS BALANCED OUT BY THE PLAYFULNESS OF ACCIDENTALLY TRIPPING INTO THE WATER WITH KAZU!

you're so right though. kazuha would be the type of guy to laugh it off, but also, he'd also ask you if you're okay first!! (caring bfs >>>>>>>) then he'd allow himself to softly chuckle (a sound more beautiful than waves lapping on the shore fr!!). i can also see him helping you up and ajfasdfj this man is just so sweet help me i can't do this anymore omg

teehee and if you get pouty because you accidentally embarrassed yourself, he'll kiss you to make you feel better <3 he'd assure you that he didn't mind getting wet, and he'd tell you that he's just glad you're alright!! then you'd continue on your walk, making your way down the shoreline until night falls and you settle down somewhere in order to admire the stars and chat.

i. love. him.

i'm dying. YUI YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!!! also, would you believe me if i told you that i thought of an idea similar to this yesterday!!?!?!

okay, it's kind of freaky how you sent this scenario specifically because hehe now it's time to get into a very specific story from a few years ago!! a few years back, my family decided to go on vacation for a couple of days, and we went to a (somewhat) nearby city with a beach. we had some fun during the day, and it was nice and all, but the real highlight of the trip was when we went on a walk at sunset (and we stayed out until night). it was so relaxing, and the scenery was incredible!! all the lights created a nice ambience, and something about the sound of waves at night hits different <3 i also preferred the temperature at night + the calm breezes ahfsf anyway, while i was there, i just had a random thought: if i ever start dating someone, i'd like to bring them here someday.

i just can't get over the fact that you sent this today because i recalled this memory literally the day before (and i was planning to write something based on it too lmao)

[blubushie]

Jesse and Mundy questions! Part 1 because I'm on my phone and can only keep so many questions copied at once

What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?

Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?

What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child?

How easy is it for your character to laugh?

What triggers nostalgia for them? Do they enjoy that feeling?

It's mainly smell for both of them. For Jesse, it's the smell of vanilla. Her family was always poor and so was Edith's, but Cindy and Edith would sometimes combine their own money together to get ingredients and Edith would come over to Cindy's place to bake with her. Cakes were most common, and nothing was better to Jesse than coming home from a rough day at school to the smell of vanilla in the flat because her mum baked something. Jesse loves the smell of vanilla and it only brings good memories.

For Mundy, it's the smell of cinnamon. Much like Jesse, his mum would bake too. Her go-to was a plum pie (I will release the recipe later in the fic when shit get's really fun, so look out for that! Expect the chapter number to probably be somewhere in the late 40s to early 50s.) Anyway, her secret trick was sprinkling cinnamon over the plums before covering them with the top layer of dough. The entire house would fill with the smell of cinnamon while the pie baked, and Mrs Mundy would often smell like it herself (and it was very obvious when Mickey would hug her). The smell of cinnamon is incredibly nostalgic to Mundy and it doesn't help that it's one of Jesse's favourite smells, so she uses cinnamon-scented shampoo. If she falls asleep with him he just buries his face in her hair and breathes in the smell of it. For Mundy, it's something very bittersweet. It reminds him of his mum and home in a good way, but the knowledge that he'll never smell it on his mum again breaks his heart.

As an additional one, Mundy adores the smell of golden wattle. There's nothing bittersweet about this. It just reminds him of home in a purely good way. Not only is it the national flower of Australia, but it's also native to his hometown of Tilpa, so he'd smell the blooms often (and it's a very fragrant smell. Used in perfumes across the world because of how good it is).

For bittersweet on Jesse's behalf, it's the smell of Lucky Strike cigarettes. Though she doesn't remember the smell or what the box looked like, it's the cigarettes her brother Mikey used to smoke. For her it's one of those things you don't recognise until you encounter it again and the memory immediately takes you back. She can't tell you what brand Mikey smoked, or what the box looked like, or how the cigarettes smelt, but if she smelt them now it'd be an immediate resurge of memory (and probably a surge of tears to follow).

What lie do they tell the most? Does it haunt them?

"I'll be safe, Mum/Ma." That's the most common one. Neither of them necessarily feel bad for it since they don't want their parents to worry. There's a specific lie (by omission) that Mundy continues what features heavily later in the story, but I can't tell you because that'd be spoilers! (There's also a somewhat-minor lie Jesse has been telling people and herself for years, and it's hinted at in the upcoming chapter, but the full scope of it isn't revealed until later in the story. Props if you can figure it out!)

Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?

Both of them don't pay too much mind to the law. Mundy follows a mantra of respect and courtesy--he obeys road laws, he's polite and tries to avoid trouble as much as he can for a mercenary. Jesse is more of the "no-harm-no-foul" type and will disobey laws that she thinks are stupid (no public swearing, for example).

Jesse is less worried about law and more worried about sin as an Irish Catholic. She'll use God's name in vain but you'll never hear her utter a "Jesus" or "Jesus Christ" in vain. She immediately lost interest in Jeremy when he started dating Pauling. She's never stolen (not just because it's a sin, but also because she grew up poor and she knows how important what little possessions she had were to her). Jesse's also never done a contract killing. All of the people she's killed as a merc have been the result of self-defence of herself or others (or so she says). There were also matches, but those guys didn't stay dead so they don't count, right? Right?

Overall, flexible for both of them.

What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child?

Mundy was told to get down from high places. He was always climbing things as a kid--trees, buildings, people (as a toddler he was notorious for climbing up his parents' legs to make them pick him up). He has a love of heights and that continues even now with his propensity to hide in his sniper nests (and he still climbs trees).

For Jesse, it was being told to stop moving. This was very prevalent in school. She'd drum her fingers or bounce her knee. She was never disruptive to anyone but herself, but it did make schoolwork and focusing a pain in the arse for her.

How easy is it for them to laugh?

For Mundy, a little difficult. The most you'll usually get out of him is a twitch of the corner of his mouth, or maybe a chuckle if it's particularly funny. That said he has a roaring laugh when you actually get him going. He gets tears in his eyes. It's as though months of repressed laughter comes out if you make a really good crack and then he just can't stop. Has a harsh smoker's laugh and wheezes. It's great.

For Jesse, it's incredibly easy. She chuckles to herself a lot, laughs at her own jokes, giggles at funny Australian slang Mundy says, and if he says any joke (the more deadpan the better) she'll start laughing her arse off. It's very easy to get Jesse to laugh and sometimes she laughs so hard she snorts which is a guarantee to get Mundy to start laughing too. Works every time.

[cripple-woe]

🦉Positivity owl reporting for duty! This was sent by a friend who wants you to smile as much as your posts make them smile. Please list five things that make you unique, four things you are super passionate about and why, OR three of your favorite memories. Feel free to send the owl to those who you feel deserve to smile🦉

why do the people who follow me send such adorable anons i am going to explode for the thought exercise, I'll mention some of my favourite memories! 1. When I was little, I was rather hyperlexic for my age, a contrast to myself now, who barely speaks unless with a specific group of people, has special educational needs, etc (This is for a variety of reasons including but not limited to a lot of trauma and autistic regression). I was learning my words and sentences at an accelerated rate, and my dad worked away a lot, so he didn't often know what words I'd learned that week. So one day we were in the car and he said "Look, Basil, a Moo-cow!" and I replied, "Yes, daddy, that's a cow." Later, at the train station to watch some steam trains, he said, "Look, Basil, a choo-choo!" And I, entirely unimpressed with his 'babying' (despite being a baby) and autistically flat-effect, responded with an even-tone, "Yes daddy, a train." 2. When I was 11, I got access to a computer for the first time, unrestricted! Of course this led to me seeing horrible things, but it also led to me growing up watching sailor moon. Back then, I still identified as female, and I was (still am) incredibly sensitive. I remember being absolutely enraptured by the fact that Usagi was a huge crybaby and cried pretty much every episode and was still a successful hero anyways. To this day, I love her so much, I'm so glad I found that show at the age I needed it. It's also helped me keep "in touch" with my own feminine side despite identifying and socially transitioning to male. I am not ashamed to love frills and bows and fashion and other "girly things", I am not ashamed to love baking and sewing and other "feminine trades", I am not ashamed to love my hair and take great care of it, I am not ashamed to wear feminine scents or express myself in a feminine manner, even if it leads to more frequent misgendering. So... Yeah, my early sailor moon memories mean a lot to me. 3. Countless family memories. I love my family so much, though they are flawed, we all are. Many people who know me have heard about their bad moments, the "man up" while I was having a severe asthma attack and got hospitalised is famous in my friend group, but truly, for the most part, they are the best parents I could have asked for, so heres some of my favourite FAMILY memories: - Going on a park picnic as a reward for a good dentist visit and eating jam sandwiches with my mum, and showing off my 'my little pony' dentist sticker to EVERYONE. - Visiting the english childrens theme park 'Sundown Adventureland' with my family as a tiny kid, back when I had blonde ringlets. its some of my first ever memories, and I look back on it mighty fondly. - My families countless trips to the seaside, even when it was cold as hell, because its britain and it's not a holiday if you and your entire family freeze your tits off to touch some sand. Playing with my cousins, making sandpit traps under our parents sunbathing towels so when they sat on it their asses fell into the ground. Making fake mermaid tails for the grown middle aged men who just wanted to drink a damn cola and lay in the sun. etc. I loved beach days. - My cousins loving to scare the everloving shit out of me. It caused me some genuine anxiety issues and mental blocks that I'm still not able to entirely unlearn, but over the years I've come to see their actions more fondly and laugh at the memories. Yes, they scared me a lot, jumpscaring me, but they never meant to hurt me. And some of the pranks WERE funny. I was very close to my cousins, not so much now, unfortunately. - Family trips! We weren't the type of family who went abroad every year, and when we did go a few times it felt so special. Sitting in the window seat, the hot sun of corfu, the historical sites, standing on a volcano, riding a camel?! It was amazing, and my parents worked so fucking hard to afford shit like that for me to have as a childhood memory. I love my family.