#insert me crying here

[casualavocados]

"Do you think Angelica and Paola will be alright?"

HIS DARK MATERIALS 2.06 | Malice

[m1d-45]

snapshot

summary: short, soft moments with your lover, featuring tighnari and neuvillette (separately) in that order.

word count: ~1k composite

-> warnings: big mention of bugs in tighnari's ! none shown but theyre discussed, as are bug bites. none for neuvi.

-> gn reader (you/yours)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me || @chaoticfivesworld || @raaawwwr || @ryuryuryuyurboat || @undrxtxd || @rainswept || @wanderersqt || @rozz-eokkk

< masterlist >

bug bites were common among forest rangers. a special bug repellent was included in every pack, a black bottle with plain instructions. tighnari put effort into making it easy to apply and easier to understand, constantly finding new ways to promote its usage. if gone untreated, even small beestings can become serious. add onto it the fact that he was the one that inevitably had to treat them, and he had every motivation to ensure it was used. he made sure that spares were easily accessible, included demonstrations in training, and emphasized the importance of proper application before every patrol.

so why in teyvat did you keep getting bit?

every time, without fail, you returned from patrol scratching your wrist or ankle or wherever you inevitably got bit. and every time, he had to be the one to drag you to the medical hut. at least if you acknowledged the severity of the situation and brought your injuries to him on your own, that’d be understandable. he understood that the feeling of lotion wan’t bearable for everyone—he was in the process of transforming it into a mist to make it even easier—and he’d be happy to find ways to keep you inside if that was the case. there was no shortage of small chores to be done, and with collei now in full recovery, you could easily take her place.

but no. of course not. that would be too easy. his partner happened to be the most stubborn ranger on the squad, with the worst affinity for bugs he’d ever seen.

“how does this always happen to you?”

you shrug, pulling his mint plant off the shelf and beginning to tear off a few leaves. part of him is proud you at least know the proper treatment, though it’s quickly overshadowed by the angry swelling on your hand. he takes the leaves and nudges you toward the chair, searching his drawers for the rest of the poultice.

“how long ago did you get bit?”

“maybe half an hour.”

“half an-” he twisted open the tin with too much force, sighing. “and you didn’t come back immediately why?”

he can hear the smile in your voice. “it wasn’t that serious.”

“…what color was it?”

“yellow.”

“really?”

“and striped. probably a wasp.”

he didn’t know how you had the energy to be sassy, tearing the leaves into shreds and mixing it into the tin. your eyes were red with tears and you hissed when he spread the medicine over your wrist, clearly in pain. the area around your bite was hot to the touch, and he could feel his ears pull back in worry.

“why do you insist on going on patrol?” why do you insist on getting hurt?

“it’s not a big deal.” i don’t care about my pain.

“it is.” i do.

he wiped off his hands and grabbed a roll of bandages, wrapping your hand. your fingers flinched whenever he pulled it too tight. how could you insist on putting yourself at risk like this?

he taped down the end, holding your hand in his. “if it gets too itchy, come back to me, okay?” will you let me care for you?

“of course i will.” i’ll try.

he brought your hand to his, pressing a kiss to your knuckles.

maybe this time, you’d mean it.

rain was common in fontaine. gutters lined every road and fountains sprayed wherever there was enough room to put one. carved bricks channeled water out of the plazas, every inch of the city designed with rainfall in mind. steep roofs fell over wide awnings, thick greeting rugs in front of every building. when it rained, it poured, though no puddles lay in the streets. sharp lights cut through the dense fog hanging over ivory walls, lighting up the city even when the clouds blocked out the sun.

but the world did not come to a standstill merely because the weather asked it to. boots were sold covered in waterproof wax, many-layered skirts designed to flick off water in a single twirl. fashion was as beautiful as it was untouchable, the very idea of something being vulnerable to waterlog appalling and confusing. who would create such a thing? who would wear it without an umbrella? and, entirely separate from that: who would ever consider leaving the house without an umbrella?

umbrellas were as vital to fashion as they were to the ever-changing weather. they came in every color and shape, made to match every conceivable outfit one could wear. and if, by some miracle, you couldn’t find one that did, there were a plethora of boutiques offering custom embroidery. the steambird was eager to comment on the shifting designs across officials’ umbrellas, trends flowing in and out of their fashion column like the tide. everyone who worked in the court that had stepped outside on a rainy day—which was about as common as the sun rising—had their appearance meticulously documented; unless they refused being in the paper, of course, in which case other less-reputable sources picked up the story instead.

all were reported on, making the front page if not the headline. all, but one.

the iudex did not carry an umbrella. he also declined to entertain any questions as to why, merely stating that simple fact and moving on with his day. his hair clung to his face, even his suit darker with water. he walked down the less crowded roads so he wouldn’t bump into anybody, seeming entirely unbothered by the rain. sometimes he’d turn a palm toward the sky, as if checking that it was still there, and then continue on his way.

you always hated this habit of his. no matter how many times he insisted that he wouldn’t get sick, it was always worrying to open your door and find your lover soaked from head to toe. no water slips from him to your floors, not even from the soles of his boots, the click of his heels and your worried tone the only sound in the house. it was already late as it was, and there was no point to fuss about details at this hour.

“what happened?”

he shed his coat, suspended droplets hovering in the air around him. “the marechaussee phantom were called to mount automnequi; a melusine was badly injured by a rogue mek, and a fisherman had to pull her from the sea. i paid her a visit after work.”

that would explain things. he lets you wipe off his face, careful not to smudge the eyeliner that never seems to fade. already, the rain was beginning to let up, lightening from a downpour. rain in fontaine was as fickle as it was frequent…

“is she alright?”

“of course. the gardiennage provides excellent doctors.”

“then there’s no need to worry.” cupping his now-dry face in your hands, you pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “she’ll be back in her feet in no time.”

the slightest of smiles crossed his face, his hands keeping yours on him. outside, the skies were clearing, pale blue quickly streaming through the clouds.

perhaps umbrellas would fall out of fashion soon, if rains could cease before they truly had the chance to begin.

[fumifooms]

Hey…….. Hey........... This is largely just headcanons and speculation for me and my good erimela (Erique x Flamela) and kabrinmick friend because we love Rin angst and her backstory's vague but it's interesting to think about lowkey so c'mere c'mere... Since my headcanon is that Rin grew up with the canaries, it'd be interesting to make Flamela & Erique her shitty distant mother figures……. For base info on Flamela and her little trio go here. Misyl is Flamela's more prominent convict, and Erique is Flamela's second in command, an ex-convict herself. It's unsure since how long they've all been assigned to each other, but we do seem to see both Erique and Misyl in Rin's backstory comic, and of course Flamela. Erique's the cold and serious type, often on the same wavelength as Flamela but balances out her more loud and impulsive sides, meanwhile Misyl is in the shortest way I can describe it, a fangirl.

Like, my take is that since Milsiril couldn't take her in, they sorta just... Kept her around. The canaries' headquarters is basically a prison, they have plenty of room and food to give to a meager kid. Rin was in shock so she wasn't one to throw tantrums- and well, we know who she grew up to be too. Rin grew up minded like an animal, eating rations and given no time of day. I go into it all a bit more here. She was an "impounded article" and the only piece of evidence to be able to tell if her family did do ancient magic or not, but the trauma made her mute, so they kept her around as a piece of evidence at first. Kabru was used as a shorthand for therapy and Rin gradually processed things and opened up and when she could talk again, talk to adult elves a month or two down the line is when the case could finally be classified, ancient magic hadn't been involved after all. Flamela was the one in charge of her case since she lead the investigation and was the one to retrieve Rin, so I like to think she also was the one to keep tabs on Rin's progress and try to get her to talk, the one more or less in charge of saying when the impounded article served its purpose and where to store it. Once things settle down, maybe Flamela still checks on her semi regularly, until eventually she doesn't ever. And where she goes, her second in command and prisoners follow.

Idk if birthdays are celebrated within the dunmesh world at all but god imagining Rin living with the canaries and year after year never having her birthday celebrated because she truly doesn't matter in this place and the pace of it wasn't built for her. She stayed there too short a time for her presence to have mattered- both negatively in that people didn't grow to care about her, but positively too in that she was allowed to stay for a decade because that's not that long to elves and so not much of a bother- she really just didn't matter and that was that. Her presence changed nothing.

I need her as a kid to be able to cry loudly into SOMEONE'S arms I'm going to make it happen by god. Milsiril-Rin dynamic is also interesting to think about since if Rin kept in touch with Kabru she doubtlessly has had run-ins with and has opinions™️ in the woman, either way...

I can definitely see how Rin would have grown so tough with Flamela monitoring her every so often- or even just with Flamela being her first/biggest impression of elves and "how we do things here, where you'll be living until you can take care of yourself and leave". And Erique & Rin duo? Would go so so hard. Ice queen forms ice queen.

Like would you not turn out like Rin if these two were the most memorable role models you have to survive in the system you live in.

Which is fun because it seems like Flamela doesn't really remember Rin either when they meet during canon? And with how traumatized Rin was and how she neverrr ever brings up her parents Rin may actively want to forget that time of her time or repress memories too. Rin grew up so much :/ Is she supposed to remember every face of insignificant shortlived people she interacts with!!!! Weird mother figure who forgets you're not a baby anymore so she doesn't recognize you, also you kinda hate each other.

Erique and Rin probably get along better but still. Elf. Honestly seeing Erique as a role model to Rin makes so much sense to me like is that not where Rin got the ice queen stance from……. She does not like elves but she thought erique was cool and seemed untouchable… So she wanted to be like that too so she wouldn't get hurt anymore…

Bonus points if Rin notices the whole erimela mess/they have some talks about it, like Erique has to wait on Flamela while with Rin or she feels like she should teach this despondent vulnerable child to be stronger- and Erique is the one to tell Rin that loving is a pain and to never, ever expect things from others. (Erimela kabrin parallels when…) In that "vaguely and briefly ranting to a kid and framing it as imparting wisdom" way adults do. Rin is quiet and just stares all the time when they're there and she looks disheveled and feral and maybe Erique relates a lil man…… She sees the fierceness and anger in her and is like, yes good, always bite the hand of your master, don't chain yourself to your slavery as I have, be rebellious and free and always prioritize yourself. Misyl is a little Mickbelly…… Misyl being super dependent and clingy with Flamela like that's the other thing Rin grows up seeing and that Erique points to like "don't be like that". Especially since Flamela barely reciprocates the attention like at all. Growing up seeing the Misyl-Erique-Flamela triangle mess… Rin fell into the same trap in the end after all. The cycle is too real...

And she saw Erique as a role model somewhat even if she was still spiteful of her right, but in the end she moreso became Flamela- rigid and angry and militaristic in attitude and discipline, and these 2 guys are pursuing her in very different ways but she's closed herself so much she can't see that or open up her feelings to anyone anymore. She's become Flamela, the big one of her 3 role models growing up even when she tried to be Erique, she's become the most suffocating one the most unhappy miserable non convict officer the one that upholds the system. The doom and tragedy of it………..

Makes me wanna spin dramatic poetry about mothers. Kabru had a foster mother all plushes and cakes, who couldn't quite try fleeing her past as a soldier but tried, Rin had a general. Kabru had someone to dry his tears and Rin had someone tell her to suck them back in. Rin had a mother figure she never saw as such and never wanted to let her have any importance in her life, but the ghost of her still hangs in how straight she keeps her back while standing and how she frowns at everything. She's become the person she least wanted to be tied to. Neither chose their replacement mother but both have become irreparably shaped by them.

[onesnoopyaday]

snoopy blue-eyed person stare

Snoopy #87

27/12/2024

[caycanteven]

Oh dear, it's the consequences of her own actions~

[roboyomo]

don't you think that there is someone missing? someone important?

partially a reference to one of my whiteboard azranix drawings

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

discussion question: are there are folkloric or supernatural figures not included (or done poorly) in canon that you think would have made for an amazing monster of the week episode of the x files?

bonus points if it's from your culture or area of the world!❤️👻🛸

[dmc-questions-anon]

Nero and Kyrie should get a cat

[heart-0f-a-rebel16]

having a cold: bad

being on my period: worse

having really bad cramps: awful

needing to cough but coughing hurts because of the damn uterus: just call me Sisyphus at this point

[lilacerull0]

[good-to-drive]

Paul would be delighted with a clone of himself for about 5 minutes. Instead of a great musical collaboration, the Paul's would annoy themselves about who has the best ideas and tell each other what to do.

Ringo would feel more replaceable with a clone. He might just send Ringo 2 to his family while he remains in the studio.

John and his clone would just stare at each other for hours.

George and his clone would be the greatest musical collaboration ever.

Okay this is SCARY accurate

[benkeibear]

My fridge looks so terribly empty after removing the postcards and stuffing them away into a box. Sometimes life sucks and people disappoint you but the earth keeps spinning and I think that's beautiful

[therentyoupay]

50) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

ANGST.

fluff: thinking back to my answer for my headcanons re: well-established/long-term relationships, in which i said that i am not usually drawn to writing already-in-a-relationship!fics as much as i am to writing meet-cute/meet-PAIN!fics, i think the same applies here! my real life is quite fluffy. 🤣 so when i write "fluffier" bits (i.e., the highs) in my fics, they're usually balanced by the natural, realistic downs/lows of navigating relationships (whether they be nascent, developing, etc.). in other words, while i may include, appreciate, and enjoy fluffy(-ish) moments, i am personally not interested in writing or reading pure fluff. that said, i couldn't stop writing "fluffier" bits altogether, though, because i like exploring how highs and lows occur naturally in all kinds of relationships! (but if you'll make me choose, then okay, fine, "fluff" is the first thing to go. 🤣 byeeeeee~)

smut: similarly, this is about balance, for me! i have never personally written and don't really read PWP, for example; i love fics that are able to capture/explore/describe physical intimacy as a vehicle for emotional (dis)connection, personal and relationship growth (or lack thereof), and (lack of) closeness. these layers are what i try to portray and depict in my writing of more mature/intimate scenes, as well! 🙏 however, if i HAD to give up the use of more intimate scenes to showcase character and relationship development, then i would survive. 😂 showcasing this level of intimacy (or lack thereof) is not always necessary... (but... 😭)

angst: you can pry this style from my cold, dead hands. 💕💕

[octazumi]

Hey guys, me and Quartz (@quartzztwst) are searching for a sacrifice a person who will love and cherish Azul Ashengrotto (you know. Housewarden of Octavinelle. Owner of Mostro Lounge, You know the guy.)

If interested, please contact @/keiyaku-tako ^^

[unriding]

EEEEVIEEEE AM I LATE DID I MISS YOUR BIRTHDAY??? doesnt matter imma still wish u the happiest birthday u sweet, sweet, person !! i hope you had or have the best day ever and that the universe returns the kindness you give so generously (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)♡ here’s a lil gift from me and ik it’s messy af jdkjsks but i promise you it’s made with love !! happy, happy birthday evie !! ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡

HELLO RARA ??????!!! :’) not to worry — i am the one responding so late !! I AM SO SORRY, though to see this in my inbox every time i opened it was such a gift!! i cannot believe you !! /pos (o̴̶̷᷄ o̴̶̷̥᷅)

THANK YOU?! this kind message at the top … how dare you /pos !! when this is how i feel about you !! let me ramble a bit about your art and then about you if that’s alright :] no pressure to read !! but oh, i have always been so amazed by your art? i visited a museum for an early birthday celebration! and looking at all the art in there was so fascinating, but — please excuse me ajskc because instead of focusing, i was thinking “hey. rara’s art would look good right here. it fits 🫵🏼 right here.” ISNSJDJ you have such beautiful art !!! i would in fact pay for countless visits to be able to roam around the aryomengrande museum …. take pictures of your lovely art to show my family at home lol! YOU ARE TRULY SUCH AN AMAZING ARTIST ….. baji is a lucky lucky character !!!!

and you!!! you are so sweet!! all the way down to your character birthday art ( the entire cast of tokrev is so lucky, actually ) — your christmas ask GGGRRRR . THIS ASK . i love you !!! thank you for being such a warm light on here ): and for allowing us to see your art !! you are so full of kindness and so AAAAAJSNDNDKKXK I LOVE YOU SO MUCH !!!! your heart is so kind ): you are so kind !! THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY I LOVE YOU 🥺

[crwbannwen]

For the two people who care about trilingual fic, I need to talk about the hair. Because when I was translating, it was something I didn't remember doing that really surprised me.

Okay so each of the Wicker's hair is symbolic of their characters but especially Joel's character arc (which I'm working on a conclusion for because it never got that far initially)

So Joel's whole thing is he's incredibly aggressive to people outside of his family because he pretty much blames them for why Jocelyn left (and also why Jacob briefly left). He also is desperate for Jacob's approval because Jacob is his father figure. His family are his only connections and he is desperate to keep them. Now Joel is the only one who doesn't have blonde hair. It was blonde when he was younger but it got darker. So now he bleaches it to try and fit in with his family. But since he has absolutely no interest in hair and beauty it's completely fried and dead and often grown out. He's clinging to a family identity at the expense of his individual identity and when I was translating and realised I'd embedded that into what his hair looked like I deeply questioned why a brain so tried it couldn't stick to one language could write better symbolism than it does fully conscious.