#instead of doing this pick and choose thing that i do

[revelboo]

May I introduce to you, the Constructicons unofficial sea-faring mascot! They - the Constructicons - keep arguing over his name, so they decided it's your pick! :D

That’s so cute!

But please don’t trust me to name things. Have you seen what I name Pokemon? There’s a reason none of Everything is Alright reader’s kids are named 🤣 my dog’s named Jabberwocky for goodness sake. 🔞 mass displaced mechs 🌶️

Drive Pt 12

Contructicons x Reader

• There’s a thought that maybe you probably can’t handle all six of them. That you’re probably making a big mistake. But as Mixmaster’s mouth moves hungrily against you, you’re not about to ask him to stop. Head back against Bonecrusher as your breath hitches, you’re so close you’re trembling. There are other hands sliding against you. Other mouths. Your mechs crowding you, touching whatever skin they can reach. It should be overwhelming, but you just feel safe as you come apart in Bonecrusher’s arms with a whimper. You’ve seen what they’ll do to protect you. Seen the little things they do for you not because you asked them to, but because they wanted to. Because those things might make you happy.

• Aware of Mixmaster growling a protest as he swings you up into his arms and carries you to your oversized, soft berth they’d fashioned for you, Bonecrusher lays you down with your legs dangling over the edge. Sliding a hand up your soft side, he leans over you, venting to pull your scent into himself. Before freeing his spike and holding still as you run soft fingers down his chassis. Touching his spike as his brothers impatiently watch. But he’s not going to be rushed and he’s not rushing you. If you need to explore him to be comfortable, then he’s yours to touch.

• Hears your breath hitch as you touch Bonecrusher and all Hook can think of is how soft your hands are. Imagining you touching him instead as Bonecrusher braces himself over you, letting you familiarize yourself with him. And he hopes you’re not having second thoughts now as Bonecrusher shifts, his mouth claiming yours. Like his brother had the same thought. Can’t look away as Bonecrusher moves over you, sliding the length of his spike against you, slicking himself with you. Before slowly finding and stretching you, his spike disappearing inside you as one of your feet slides on the bedding with a little whimper that makes Bonecrusher wait, his head lowering to yours. Whispering to each other before Bonecrusher brushes his cheek against yours and slowly begins moving, hips rocking lazily against you.

• Growling as Bonecrusher takes his fragging time with you, Long Haul grits his denta. Because those sounds you’re making? His spike is so hard he hurts to be inside you and he’s half worried he’s going to overload before he even gets to have a turn with you. Something Mixmaster seems to also be worried about, because he’s got his spike out, fisting himself in rough jerks as he watches you writhe under Bonecrusher.

• Venting as Mixmaster and Long Haul both start working their spikes to those sounds you’re making, Scrapper tries to not give in to the same impulse. To not lose control when he can scent your need, can hear the wet sound of you taking Bonecrusher’s spike as his brother finally begins really thrusting. And you arch under him, moving to meet the hard drives of Bonecrusher’s hips as you cling to him. You saw them at their worst, saw them fight and argue, and you still chose them. Still can’t believe that, but it means everything. Because this isn’t something he’d ever expected. When they’d been altered into a combiner, he’d realized the odds of them ever finding a mate became nonexistent. Because of the nature of their gestalt, they’d share and he’d doubted anyone would willingly choose all of them. Those fears and doubts had spilled from him into the others, hurting them with that hard reality he’d rather have spared them. But then they’d found you and he’d allowed himself to hope when Bonecrusher’s need became his own.

Previous

[journeythroughtherain]

You know, combining everything we know about Tommy from the show, he ends up coming across as a person who will almost always choose the path of least resistance, preferring whatever option requires less effort.

Like going along with Gerrard's bigotry instead of standing up for himself or his colleagues – until enough of the rest of the group was aligned against Gerrard, then he too jumped on that.

Staying with Abby for convenience's sake (handy beard) knowing he'd never be able to fully commit (and apparently never really respecting her either), but the moment she really needed him to step up and support her, he left (and how convenient an excuse her mother was, so he didn't have to actually explain, he could just leave).

Pursuing Eddie (who he thought was at least a little gay), a guy he has so much in common with hobby wise that hanging out with him is just doing things he likes anyway.

Forgoing his efforts to win Eddie over the moment Buck shows himself open to a relationship – why spend effort wooing Eddie when there's a guy right here who seems already down?

Then the moment Buck presents a minor road block in that he is not immediately out to his friend(s), Tommy ditches him instead of giving him a chance. But when Buck comes back, newly out to his bff, then he's willing to give it a shot again.

He stays with Buck for six months, barely putting effort to learn anything about his boyfriend at all (anniversary gift being basketball tickets, which was either a test, an oversight, or just Tommy getting something he wasted to do anyway)(giving him painkillers Buck is allergic to)(turning serious emotional talks on Buck's part into sex jokes) other than learning how close he is with his bff.

Still staying though – presumably because it's better than being alone, and Buck gives him a convenient shortcut into the 118 family, which he has admitted is something he craves – until Buck wants to make it more serious, which means Tommy will have to invest in the relationship properly, and actually try to make an effort to win this one-sided competition he's made it out to be between himself and Eddie for Buck's attention(/affection?). And he nopes right out.

And finally when Eddie – the competition – is gone he figures Buck is right there for the picking, no effort required but one fancy-ish breakfast.

(Don't really know if I'm going anywhere with this other than getting the thoughts out of my head and onto paper the screen, I guess.)

[jelloapocalypse]

Hey Jello, a few nights ago I actually ran the Cinnamon Josh one-shot for my friends and had a great time. I really enjoyed the flexibility and imagination that the mini-game system encourages for character creation. Had an absolute ball during the design process with most of my players-had some truly knockout gimmicks arise from it. Unfortunately for one of my players they had a hard time clicking with the openness of the system and kept trying to push power first without a hint of flavor, got any advice for working with a “power-gamer” in a system where the design space is so improv based and cooperative while not throwing balance out the window?

Hey, sorry for the super long wait.

I actually forwarded this question to @eternal-savvy-blog because she has a lot more experience playing AC-based tabletop systems than I do. Here's her answer:

There's a couple of different approaches to this kind of a problem! I've had plenty of times that I have run games for "power gamers" and it kind of depends on the person as to what the best solution is

Don't

The easiest, but also harshest, being "This game isn't for power gamers". With any TTRPG there is a measure of tailoring the choice of players to who you think fits. This works both ways! There are games that reward power gaming and trying to do too much flavour gets in the way. And for AC, to a large extent, if you aren't down with flavour-first combat, it's not easy. I generally only reserve this option for if you've already tried everything, or the person in question is stubborn/not receptive and you know it!

2. Specific Questions/Prompts

If you reckon they just need some guidance, try altering how you talk/ask questions while running AC. Instead of "It's your turn, what do you do?" which will prompt them to lean on their instincts of "pick thing on sheet" or "what's the best damage", try making your questions have more context and specifics.

"Cinnamon Josh caught the cactus and is on his way out! how do you wanna fuck with him to stop this? He's running past the sandtraps."

Something like that is subtle but COULD be enough to stop someone from going "big number" and instead go "Maybe I can trip him into the sand?" This approach is not always gonna work. A lot of the time Power-Gamers are not open to thinking that way and are pretty dead-set on doing "the optimal thing". But for that same reason, if you suggest certain actions to be "optimal" it can nudge some people into the right mindset 3. Tailor the Character

Sometimes it's a matter of making their character in such a way that it feels more familiar and easy to run for that player in particular. But then injecting stuff into the kit that encourages some creativity. A LOT of people will get intimidated and paralyzed by an ability that says "make an item". Giving specific limitations can help most people get MORE creative like "make an item that is related to cats" Suddenly they'll be throwing explanations at you for why something "is TOTALLY a cat item"

Power-gamers are a little different. Instead, give an itemized list of options WITH EFFECTS and make ONE of the options WAY more open ended. That way they'll always be able to just pick something but over time they'll see that "hmm…. yaknow i can usually just think of something better using the last option" Something like: "Magic cat bell. Summon a magic collar that gives you a cat-like ability! (Claws for +2 damage, perfect balance, Enhanced scent, etc.)"

Notice it still has options to choose, but leaves it open to what "cat-like" means. It gives attractive "numbers" options, but is clearly showing it can be ANYTHING they can think of! 4. JUST TALK TO EM!

This one is pretty spicy! Just talk to them plainly!

Don't accuse them of being a power gamer or whatever. The idea isn't to say "you're playing wrong", just "Hey I noticed there was a mismatch!". Just establish that you noticed they play different and may be used to more number heavy games. Then just clearly explain "Hey, Anime Campaign is an open and flavour-first system. it's less about the numbers and what's 'Best' and more about being silly on purpose! Try taking a different approach next time we play!" Most people just don't realize that different TTRPG's operate differently and just need it CLEARLY said to them how the game expects people to play

If they're receptive, they'll try it out! Maybe they'll come around! But they may also try it and go "ehh, not really for me!" and that's fine too! Either way it's a win.

And if they aren't receptive. Welp. Option 1 is there for a reason!

[iknownur48]

How to connect with yourself?? (PAC)**

Disclaimer

It is a general reading so take whats resonate and leave what doesn't

My readings is not a substitute for any professional, medical or financial advice

Tarot readings are just a tool for guiding us whaat energies are available, it's upon us to follow them or not:))

How to pick a card??

Just take a deep breath, close your eyes, and ask your spirit guides to connect you with the pile where your messages are, and pick with whom you feel most attracted to:)

Let's get into it!!

Pile 1🫶🏻

Okay, so as per for my pile 1's I feel that you maybe are a very giving soul, it's like your love language is giving gifts, maybe as a child you gift your mom your drawings or greeting cards by making them yourself?? And it was your abundance! Your creativity is your abundance, and in order to connect with yourself, you have to tap into this creative side of yours, and this nature of gift giving, like again start giving some of your drawings or poetries to people close to you?? Yes I'm serious. It will help you to connect with yourself more, bcz that's your heart space:) I feel you're carrying people's unnecessary burden, for me 5 of wands card tells me "unnecessary drama" which just fills space without getting any use except telling us that this is all fake, I hope you get my point. And exactly you're carrying that yourself, you might be right, but sometimes just being still and calm tells it all. You doesn't have to prove it to them, and I wrote to yourself? Maybe you're carrying so much high expectations for yours?? And maybe for others as well?? These are the problem makers in the path of you connecting with your soul. Also, here's this thing of trying to finding answers of those questions, which just don't make sense. For eg. There's this question my mom used to ask me (just for fun to confuse me) that do chicken came first or the egg, I'm damn sure you'll heard about it as well, and it's just idk, I must look at my life first, and after then if I get time I'll try to look for that, but why I have to look for that? Like seriously?? 😂😂 That's just don't make sense, so the advice here is that, don't put your mind onto unnecessary question marks, it was just an example.. instead try to detangle your life first. And that's where you'll gonna come to yourself again. I'm hearing a song, I'll put it right there, maybe it's significant:))

Pile 2!!🫶🏻

Okay, my pile no 2's. I'm hearing, master something. Just focus on one thing at a time in order to connect with yourself, multitasking not gonna work. You've to either choose wands or cups? There's no other thing? Like you can maybe master cups, after mastering wands, or maybe master cups first then will master cups, but the thing is to slow down. Everythings gonna be fine and alright? Okay pile no.2? You don't need to hurry to everything, you'll gonna become the emperor/empress. And they both are the mix of all the suits you find in a tarot deck, and it's great that you want to expand that much, but one step at a time. Also, I'm hearing to either learn a manifestation trick, or manifest whatever you've right now in your mind. (Ofc it should be a good wish, under Jupiter's influence) But there are high chances you can, just was a random message ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Choose empowerment over struggle, choose simplicity over options, and choose passion to master to something. You've to start from somewhere. You can't be king or queen just right away, you will gonna start as page and there you'll gonna have your journey right? I'm continuously getting in my head, jack of all trades, master of none. You have to put your mind onto something either stable or just in one thing for a long time:))

Pile 3!!🫶🏻

Hello my pile no 3's! As per how to connect with yourself, idk here's this energy of "forgetting" I'm sensing this energy as more if like as you forgot your own magic? The magic which resides inside you? You forgot it pile no.3? Why? Idk if you ever experienced your magic in this life if you did, I feel you're so much focused in the 3D aspect of your reality that you're not giving enough time to either yourself or to your 5D self. It feels as if your 5D self is hungry.. like we need daily meal for our body, our 5D self needs meditation and hermit, or magician energy to feel fulfilled, it is it's need? And you're not fulfilling that. You're not balancing your practicality and sprituality, even tho, I don't have that deck, but I can sense that card, which says, "balance practicality and sprituality and it's either full moon in Pisces or new moon in Pisces" idk? If you're manifesting something, and you're doubting upon that manifestation if it's coming or not, it's a big sign to balance your sprituality. Not to be too in your head, it's the advice for you. I guess you guys overthink a lot, and it's very airy energy here, and you just have to do one thing. Just one thing my dear pile no. 3's to just balance yourself out, and you'll connect with yourself naturally:))

I'm not getting any song for this pile:))

Pile 4!!🫶🏻

So my pile no. 4! Welcome to your reading!!🫶🏻💟 Idk when I was shuffling your cards, I immediately got the feeling that you need healing, you seriously need some type of healing, whether physical, mental emotional and for some I even heard spritual and sexual. I heard that you should just go watch a Disney movie. Yes fr.. like one day, I was seeing sophia the first, and I understand it's a kid show, but still it has so much deep things in it, I cried. (Pls keep aside that I'm an INFP) But I can understand and it heals your inner child, you inner wounds, so why not?? Just be yourself?😂 (Idk why I'm saying like this), I'm also feeling that you should take a look at your maybe childhood diaries? Toys? Photos? Whatever it is, it's gonna help you so much, you need that nostalgic energy ig, Idk I'm just feeling for you that you need so much healing. Just take care of yourself, try to read or learn something, which will help you to come out of your shell, you can also try like water technique, where you make moon water, or just say good words to your water before drinking it, and stuff like that. And a huge thing, I forgot to tell you, you have to move on. Idk just move ahead now, it's your time!! Whatever toxicity, past cycles, it's ended and now it's your time to move on from them. I'm just feeling so nostalgic in your pile ? Idk🥺🫶🏻 god bless you my pile 4! I'll make my next Reading for how can you heal yourself!🫶🏻 And I'll also pray for you, that you'll find some healing information for yourself as well, and pls try to find it too:))

Thank you so much for being here!! I'm so grateful to have you all!!🫶🏻🫶🏻

[luneartt]

— Catching fire script.

“"Well, it served them right.. It's their job to pay attention to you. And just because you come from District Twelve is no excuse to ignore you." Then her eyes dart around as if she's said something totally outrageous. "I'm sorry, but that's what I think," she says to no one in particular." — The Hunger Games book.

"Effie is kind of always the candy in the room. But Effie's own struggle, because inherently she knows what she's doing, is horrible—she's picking kids to go and murder each other and kill each other and die. So with her, it was always having her kind of teetering on shoes that really weren't balanced, or having her waist always pinched in a little too tight. It's almost like her own penance to herself, that she can't quite ever settle into her own life because she always has to be Effie Trinket. And so that's a reminder to her that she can never really be relaxed because no one is safe." — Trish Summerville, Catching Fire's costume designer.

"Unlike Drusilla, she [Effie] believes all the participants have a noble role to play. That begins to thin over the years . Every Games it becomes harder to justify the atrocity. You can see her clinging to good manners for reassurance of humanity's decency. But in terms of the Hunger Games, Effie being assigned as their escort was a lucky break for District 12. She might be ridiculous, but she's not malicious." — Suzanne Collins.

Effie has always been a morally gray character, and yet she has always been beloved by the fandom. This is the first time in over a decade that I've seen a specific group of people so determined to ignore the entire point of the character and the work out of personal pettiness and not only that, but going after and persecuting people who debate the character, accusing them of defending terrible things.

Effie is a very interesting contrast to Plutarch. While he was openly involved in the rebellion, he didn't have much humanity. Effie isn't involved in the rebellion, but she does have a lot of humanity. The difference? She doesn't have nearly as much power as Plutarch or, obviously, Snow. She didn't even have a say in the biggest impact of her comfortable life, which was becoming an escort. You can acknowledge those things and still acknowledge that she lived a life of privilege and comfort enough to be selfish and choose to protect herself from punishment - things that people in the district never could. That's what the author herself always did.

But what's been happening lately, with some people treating her as if she were Snow himself, as if she were the one moving the pieces instead of being one of the manipulated pieces in a regime that also captured and tortured her simply for treating people from the districts as human, is of immense political, social and emotional ignorance and pure misogyny. And wanting to undermine these debates is a gigantic disrespect to the books themselves.

[luminesick]

The Batkids love making lists and schedules and then completely disregarding it

Okay so I think the batkids are divided between the list ones and the schedule ones, but regardless, no one actually follows anything. And I don't mean misson plans, I mean they make daily guides (either for a sense of normalcy or to be in control) but just never follow them. Either because of their own choices or life just gets in the way. And sometimes on the days they really do try, if something goes to shit they want to throw out the schedule because whats the point if it's not followed to a T.

Anyway!! There are two types: the list person and the schedule person. Perfectionists are usually schedulers (tim, babs, dick, dami) and the less-but-still-totally-a-perfectionist-bc-this-is-the-batfam people are the listers (duke, steph, cass, jason)

This is what the average schedule looks like:

Tim:

6:30 wake up

6:35 change

6:40 cofee

6:50 leave for cafe

7:00 breakfast w/ bern ❤️

8:00 work

4:00 pick up damian

4:15 workout at batcave

5:00 go home

5:20 work on cases

7:20 dinner

8:00 patrol

12:00 shower

12:30 sleep

(what actually happens is he doomscrolls, is late to breakfeast, leaves work early, gets jason to pick up dami, goes to the tower for some reason??, works on cases for 4 hours, impromptu beats up criminal so he counts that as a workout, gets home at 2:00, doesnt even shower (digusting) before getting into bed)

And this is the average list:

Steph:

- Call Mom

- Visit Babs

- Annoy Tim or Cass, choose one

- Ask Alfie for help w/ MCATS

- Pester Bruce abt costume upgrade

- Study

- Play guitar (i hc she plays)

- Patrol

- Go to alley w/ Duke and Jason

- Club (w/ college friends)

- Movie w/ Cass

(What actually happens is that she didn't want to do medicine today, she played like three chords before getting frustrated, Tim and Cass were busy, Babs was doing BoP things, and patrol was shit so everything afterwards was thrown out the window)

Instead of making plans for the day to day they should make plans to get therapy...

Or maybe be less specific and try to be realistic given their day to day life but you didn't hear that from me!

[apple-yan]

Price Tag

Archie Vargas (Male Yandere) x G/N Reader

Sequel to : Wrong Place, Wrong Time

TW : Cursing, smoking, Violence, alcohol, threats, guns

Apple's Note : I had fun writing more for this guy. I will be posting a new yandere soon though!

It had been a few months since you had met Archie, and it was stressful. You constantly had your guard up, convinced that something would go wrong.

Surely, you hadn't gotten off this easy when involved with one of the most well-known members of The Vargas Family. You didn't know much about gangs (instead choosing to mind your own business) but even you, living under a rock, knew who he was and that it was smart to avoid him.

But it was too late for avoidance now, too late to turn around and look the other way. While you hadn't looked for trouble, it had looked for you.

You frown, fiddling with the edge of the light jacket you have on while you wait out front of your apartment building. It was nice, too nice. He had bought it for you the moment it reached below 60, saying something about how the desert was deceptively cold at night, and how it would only get colder as the autumn continues.

You glance up as a sleek black sedan pulls in front of him. Clean and expensive like everything else he owns. You never truly got used to this, to having him pick you up and take you out for nice dinners. To him insisting on spoiling you as you squirm uncomfortably, wary of every price tag he flippantly dismissed.

Every single item he gave you had a price, regardless if there was money involved. You were smart enough to know that much, at least.

You glance at him as you put on your seat belt, shifting around nervously. Despite the comfortable leather seats, you just couldn't manage to be comfortable beside a man who had threatened you with death just a short bit ago.

"You wore it," He points out, grinning at you. And if the circumstances were different, his smile might be charming. As things are now though, it made your stomach sink a bit and your words freeze in your mouth. You nod, glancing out the window as he pulls off, "It looks nice, I'm glad I got it. I knew that color would look good on you. Goes with your pretty little eyes."

You had stopped asking about where you were going after the third date, realizing he would always just shrug off the question, so you just watched out the window as Archie rambled.

"You know, it's a bit concerning that you're still so scared of me, Sweetheart. Loosen up a bit."

You can't stop the scoff that leaves your mouth, insulted by the idea that being afraid of a man who brought a handgun to each of your "dates." You frown, "Sorry. I'm just not much of a people person."

"Bullshit! You're a manager at a bar, Sweetheart. If you make any kind of money you're definitely a people person," He laughs at your silly excuse, shaking his head, unfazed by the slip up, "I don't bite, you know?"

"But you shoot."

"Not cute little things like you, I don't."

You fidget with the seat belt. It feels wrong, somehow. That you're here, right now, And the man you saw him kill is somewhere in the Las Vegas dump, rotting while his family search for him. It feels wrong that you've accepted gifts from a killer, that you're pampered and looked after and that your brains aren't adding to a new layer of paint on the back wall of the bar.

It feels wrong that someone so cruel is the nicest person you've spoken to in years.

"How much do I already owe you..?"

He pauses, confused, "what are you talking about?"

"All the money you've spent on me. How much has it been? I have to start paying you back-"

He puts his hand up, stopping you in your tracks. He clicks his tongue as if you were a tantrumming child as he chuckles, "Angel, you don't owe me shit except your silence. You didn't even owe me a second date."

You frown, glaring at the floor of the car, "you say that, but what happens the second you get bored? What did you do to anyone who came before me?"

His smirk drops, and he sighs, pulling over. He parks the car on the shoulder as you panic, afraid that you had finally gone and slipped up, finally made him rethink his choice to spare you.

He holds your chin softly, making you look him in the eyes, a certain emptiness being all you can read in them. His fake smile and humor are completely absent, leaving behind everything you feared about this man.

"I don't get bored, Sweetheart. I'm a loyal man. Now, I've had partners in the past, even fiancé's, don't get me wrong. But you wanna know where they are know?"

You couldn't find the words in you to reply, so he took your silence as a sign to continue, leaning in as his warm breath brushes your cheeks, "the same fucking place I found em. I don't hurt things I like for no good reason, Sweetheart. I don't spoil random pretty things without intending to keep them with me," his grip on you tightens, holding your face just a breath from his, lips almost touching, "and I sure as fuck don't get bored."

There's a heartbeat or two after he says that, as you stare into his green eyes, before he backs away. You finally take a breath, not having realized you were holding one, "i- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply-"

"Sweetheart, I understand. We didn't exactly have a fairytale introduction," his smirk is back, and he's pulling back into traffic.

You take a deep breath, looking back out the window, "Still, I didn't mean to be rude.."

"Well in that case darling, I'm so, so angry!" He teases, "really, maybe I out to leave you in a ditch..."

He watches your shoulders tense from the corner of his eye and chuckles, reaching one hand out to pat your head, "You could make it up to me with another date, though, Sweetness."

You knew it already. Whether he says it or not, every second he let's you live and every penny he spends on you have a price tag.

[solacescastleglow]

Things I've Been Loving Recently (in no particular order)

writing (& worldbuilding for) fanfiction

the moon <3

omelettes with cheese

dinosaur time (eating spinach by the handful)

buying secondhand books

oil pulling

my shul/local chabad's dinners

looking at pictures of evgeny shwartz as felix yusupov on pinterest

chatting with new people

penguin little black classics in my pockets when i go out

how much it's been raining recently

record shopping with my sibling

pho from the vietnamese restaurant next to the secondhand bookshop

left right goodnight! by bears in trees

pickled onions

the australian voting system (preferential voting my beloved)

wearing pyjama pants under my regular pants

reading ancient classics

my employment consultant (thank u razan!!)

getting on jobseeker pension

my mama (happy mother's day!)

the ____ with mama memes

going on walks with my dad/sibling

one direction (i should have kissed you is a banger don't @ me)

vegetarian chili mac and cheese

the (still working) 1970s gas heater my dad found

living in the area i live in, i'm literally so lucky

my kitty cat, sweet little baby boy

the fact that my dad said my face is getting more square on t

the weather getting colder

studying ancient greek

the two triplets who volunteer at the shul (platonically)

organising our home library

listening to reddit stories while i do other things

papenathy (they live in my head rent free)

water

how cool the people in my area dress

being gendered masculinely by strangers

little bit of bottom growth who said that?

my visual timer

chamomile tea, all time favourite drink ilysm

post blocker on xkit

arm day for strength training

randomly telling myself 'drop and give me 10 bicycles'

the hunger games (original trilogy)

how much better i'm getting at communicating, especially via email

being able to choose between my cane, one crutch, two crutches, or nothing and not suffering severe consequences

bringing my cuddling pillow and blanket downstairs to sit on the sofa

daydreaming that i'm a professor giving a lecture while i write my assignments

my professor who lets us make up a creative project instead of essays

sebastian castellio/hating on jean calvin

fragrantica

hearing the kid next door practicing piano

seeing weird shaped dogs in the park

classical records

showers

the harmonising in shabbat services

the fact that i go to a barber now (the haircut itself, however...)

coles' bakery section

mother's day lunch at a random middle eastern restaurant in a suburb of the town my grandparents live in (literally so good)

sitting on the front steps while dad gardens

smoked paprika

exploring the local high street

friendly retail workers (g-d's strongest soldiers i swear)

the local architecture style

when things i bought years ago suddenly become useful again

my dressing gown

self love (cough cough) (thank you t for giving me my libido back)

the $300 1920s version of mrs beeton's household management i finally saved up enough to buy

financial responsibility

ritalin + lorazepam

my 'going out station' (place i put my keys etc)

having enough in my emergency fund that i don't need to save anymore unless i want to

my notion set up

my allergies randomly going away

therapy

the mottled sunlight in the back garden

growing the fuck up

that time i managed to pick around mushrooms in a dish without crying

my 2015 laptop that still works fine

my motorola phone (it has a headphone jack!!!)

donna tartt lore

making super niche memes

wilfred owen poems

when my dad and i trade our poetry

dusting powder

dry brushing

afternoon tea with my family

scented candles

cooking

chicken salt on hot chips

my great grandpa's harris tweed jacket that fits me perfectly

mint slice biscuits (now that i can have mint)

getting to use my winter wardrobe

how bad the liberals (our conservative party) lost the election

pope memes

the fact i'm graduating this year!!!

scent layering

wholegrain sourdough bread

the fact that i have so many good things in my life <333

[jerzwriter]

It's a day late, but that's OK! After having a really nice Mother's Day myself, I really wanted to write a little something for my favorite MCs. I posted Bunches of Love yesterday in my Tobias x Casey world; today, it's Ethan x Kaycee's turn! Just some syrupy feels. 😊

Book: Open Heart (Post Series) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Kaycee (F!MC) Rating: General Words: ~1,030 Summary: Ethan helps little Emma create the perfect Mother's Day for Kaycee.

A/N: I really don't have any - lol - just a fluff alert.

The day had been filled with the type of domestic tranquility that Ethan Ramsey had never imagined could be part of his life, but now, it was impossible to imagine it any other way. It started with making heart-shaped pancakes with Emma, to be served on a tray next to a vase filled with paper flowers and Kaycee’s favorite tea. Mother’s Day breakfast had to be served in bed. Little Emma insisted upon it.

After breakfast, the family enjoyed a stroll through the park, then homemade lasagna for dinner, only this time, Kaycee didn’t have to lift a finger. Then there were the gifts, of course. Emma selected a big stuffed teddy bear holding a pink heart, and Ethan bought a beautiful gold pendant with all of their birthstones intertwined in the design. The day had been perfect, but there was still one more surprise in store.

Once Ethan tucked Emma in and Kaycee’s bubble bath ended, she eagerly hopped into bed and stretched out with a yawn. That’s when her hand brushed against something under the pillow.

A small envelope with her name written in block letters and a flurry of little stickers – some pink, some purple, all loaded with glitter. Emma didn’t know how to write yet, but those stickers may as well have been a signature.

Kaycee opened the envelope and pulled out a single folded sheet of Ethan’s expensive stationery. It only took a few lines to take her breath away.

Kaycee, Emma wanted to write you a letter to tell you what she thinks about you, but she had a problem...  she’s only three and doesn’t know how to write yet. Of course, I volunteered to help her. So, here’s one last Mother’s Day gift, sweetheart. I hope you’ll treasure it always. What Emma Says About Her Mommy “Mommy always knows when I’m sad, even if I try to hide it.” “She lets me pick the songs in the car and sings them, even if she doesn’t know the words.” “Mommy always smells pretty and gives the best snuggles.” “She does doctor things and makes magic to help people.” “She kisses my boo-boos and kisses my teddy bears, too.” “She makes me feel strong even if I’m scared.” “Mommy always makes me and Daddy smile.” “She is a superhero.” “Mommy makes everyone feel loved.”

Kaycee swallowed and blinked away the tears. She was almost successful, but then she realized there was another note:

Things Emma’s Daddy Doesn’t Say Often Enough Kaycee, I should start by saying I second everything Emma said, especially when she declared you a superhero. You simply have to be. How else could you make everything look effortless, even when I know nothing is further from the truth? I know you try not to show it, but I see all the times you’re exhausted, but you push through for her sake – and mine. I know there are many days when you probably just want to stay in bed and get some sleep, maybe even have a good cry, but instead, you paste on a smile and carry on. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to be composed, collected, and unflinching. But loving you has taught me that real strength isn’t found in hiding. It’s about showing up every day in big ways and small. It’s about being soft – feeling - choosing to be present, even when it’s not easy to do. That’s strength. Emma will never fully grasp everything you carry—but I do. I see it, and I am in awe of you. You are the kind of mother who changes the shape of a life and makes her child feel at home whenever she is around. You’re the kind of woman who makes the world a better place just by being in it, and you have made me a better man just by being at my side. Thank you for giving our daughter the mother I never had and for giving me the kind of love I never believed I deserved. I hope you never forget just how much you mean to me. Happy Mother’s Day, my love. Ethan

She didn’t hear Ethan return to their room until she felt the warmth of his hand touching her knee.

“I wasn’t sure if I should write something, too,” he said softly. “It was Emma’s idea, after all, but I couldn’t resist. You deserve to know how much you’re loved – especially today.”

Kaycee turned to him, eyes glistening. “I’m so glad you did,” she whispered. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“I know that you’re smiling, and that’s all I need.” He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Emma’s so lucky to have you - but she’s not the only one – I’m so lucky, too.”

Kaycee smiled, and she silently climbed into his lap where Ethan held her close, and the rest of the world melted away.

“Do you know how much I love you?” She murmured.

“I do,” he nodded. “The important question is, do you know how much I love you?”

“Always,” she grinned, lifting the letter to her chest. “I’m going to keep this forever.”

“Good,” he said. “Maybe we can start a tradition. Emma and I can add to it each year, because I know we’ll always find new reasons to love you.”

“I’d like that,” Kaycee chuckled. “Especially when she’s a teenager and the best she can come up with is ‘Mom’s kind of OK.’” Ethan let out a laugh. “I guarantee you... She’ll come up with more than that. And if she doesn’t, I’ll remind her that her college fund could easily be converted into a dream vacation account for the two of us.”  

As their laughter faded, Kaycee nestled deeper into Ethan’s embrace, the letter still clutched in her hand. In that quiet moment, she knew she had everything she’d ever hoped for. It wasn’t just the perfect Mother’s Day, but the promise that came with it - that even in their chaotic lives, she was seen, cherished, and deeply loved. And they all knew – even little Emma, who was now fast asleep – that they had created a life where love would always take them home.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

[starsfic]

First Sibling Down, Three to Go

Summary:

In order to get his Lamb back, Narinder must release his siblings.

Notes: A request by @mukankei08, using their OCs! Now part of the Kashe series.

-_-

“There’s something wrong with Darkwood.”

“Darkwood’s been acting really weird!”

“I think Darkwood’s cursed.”

Similar complaints had been popping up from missionaries and foragers about Darkwood lately. Normally, Narinder would brush these complaints off, chalking them up to Leshy or the last remains of Leshy’s power or his followers. However, as he stood on the portal and stared, he realized he maybe should have been considering these stories when he was choosing which path to take.

Darkwood was definitely overgrown. However, that wasn’t the concerning thing. What was concerning was the leaks of something dark, more skeletons, and an overwhelming, sickly sweet smell.

It smelled like something was rotting.

He was tempted to rethink this. However, Leshy was the one to cause him the least problems. Narinder and Heket had been butting heads since she was old enough to talk, and Kallamar was terrified of him.

And Shamura…

Shamura was like picking at bandages where you knew there was an infected wound. You needed to take the bandage off, deal with the infection, but Narinder preferred to remain picking at it for now.

“Let’s do this,” he said with a huff, hopping off the platform. The crown responded to his motion, shaping itself into his scythe.

The first stretch was surprisingly easy, despite the dawn mist that curled over the ground. No heretics jumped out at him, and camellias still grew, unbothered by the strange changes. When Narinder plucked some, he found himself pausing.

“Is that…?” They were. Dandelions, peonies, and witch hazel, all flowers Narinder hadn’t seen since Leshy took his crown, blooming bright and strong in Darkwood next to Leshy’s favorite flower. He wasted no time in grabbing a bunch, setting them in his pocket. He would have to train the healers and cooks how to use them, but it was worth it.

That brightened up his spirits, even when he came to the next clearing and found himself face to face with a shrine.

A stone statue of Leshy sat in the center of a pentagram, covered in moss and other greenery. What made Narinder pause was the blackness leaking from the triangle on the bandages, where Leshy’s main eyes used to be. “What is that?” he whispered, stepping closer.

He just planned to reach up and grab a sample.

Instead, the clearing grew dark, and more inky darkness seeped out from the stone. And then, as though he was speaking from a deep cave, there was a “...brother…?”

“Yes,” Narinder said, straightening up. “It’s me.” There was no use denying it.

Leshy laughed with a horrible, wet sound. “Brother, I feel you there…Darkwood has not forgotten me yet…” A sensation drifted over his foot. “I can…”

Something wrapped tightly around his ankle.

“...still…find you…in my woods!”

Narinder screeched as he was yanked off his feet.

The act revealed a vine had wrapped itself around his ankle, sharp thorns digging into his skin. The world rushed past in greens and browns as the vine thrashed him around. When it briefly paused, it was only to reveal giant flowers, blossoming in many colors. As he watched, horribly fascinated, the center split open, revealing giant teeth.

When a flower lunged for him, Narinder forced himself to get over his shock. The crown formed into his scythe in time to split the flower in two. With that room, he aimed for the vine. It wasn’t until the greenery snapped that he realized that he may have made a mistake.

“SH-”

The world was once again flashing by in greens and browns. Narinder angled his body to take the fall on his shoulder, sliding into a tumble. The impact sent pain through his shoulder, but he ignored it, jumping to his feet in time for another flower to lunge at him.

The next few minutes passed in a blur of dodging, striking, clawing, and hissing. More and more flowers and vines littered the grass around him, either cut by his scythe or burnt by his curse. It was nothing like spilling the blood of his sibling’s soldiers, but it was still enough for Narinder to feel a grin forming.

So what if his siblings had to come back? So what if his Lamb was unavailable to him?

If he kept this up, he would get his lamb back and would be able to give them the heads of all whom he killed in his pursuit of them. It would be a grand gesture, mirroring their bloodstained grin as they presented his siblings’ hearts to him-

He slashed a green flower. He noted, mid-swing, that the petals looked thicker, more like slabs of flesh, and that the stem was much larger.

That was before the bright red pollen splattered on him.

Narinder gagged in disgust. Some of it got in his mouth! It felt thick, even with the soft appearance it had, and smelled… weird. He took a step forward and nearly toppled over. His body suddenly felt like he was weighed down by bricks, each swipe and hiss coming weaker and weaker.

His scythe slipped from his fingers. The crown reformed and hovered around him, looking concerned. Narinder tried to say something, but his legs collapsed under him.

Before darkness approached him, he thought he saw a shadow, approaching…

-_-

The world blinked by in flashes.

The faint sensation of being dragged. The soft touch of rain. The familiar texture of wool curls brushed against his hand, and he flexed it, trying to follow it.

“...Lamb…?”

“You know, I’ve been mistaken for many things.” There was a chuckle. “Never a lamb, though.”

Narinder opened his eyes. Instead of the sky, he saw the thatched roof of a small hut. A small fire burned on the other side of the hut. A cloaked figure sat next to it, grinding something with a mortar and pestle. Based on the smell, it was sage.

“Who are you?” he asked, straightening up. Before he could panic about his crown, it popped into view, the red eye staring into him. Narinder stretched out his hand. With a soft pop of magic, the crown turned into a snake, wrapping cool coils around his hand.

“Sclebathe,” the figure said, lowering his hood.

Narinder let out a hiss. “God of medicine.” Shamura had spoken about him. “Kashe’s fourth child.”

“Oh, did Shamura talk about me? That’s good to know,” The name was spat out like it was rotten meat. “But, no matter. How are you feeling?”

“Like I need to have a word with my brother.” Narinder got to his feet, thankfully no longer staggering. “Thank you for your assistance, cousin, but I’ll be leaving.” Coyote’s warning rang through his head, and this more than proved him correct.

He needed to get his siblings.

“Oh, good! My brother, Abahn, has been battling him for most of the afternoon. Last I heard, my brother was beginning to wear down.”

When Narinder had entered Darkwood, it had been early morning. He squinted up at the sky. The sun was high, and the mist was gone. And, off in the distance, there was a roar.

He took off towards it.

Footsteps followed him. He sped up, but all too quickly, Sclebathe was next to him, easily keeping pace. “May I ask a question?”

“No.”

“Why are you helping them? Your siblings, I mean.”

“I know what you mean.”

“I know what they did to you. Sealing you away for the crime of curiosity feels too cruel.”

“I don’t care. Why are you following me?”

“You and my brother need my medicine. It helps with the effects of the plants.”

As if he had summoned them, plants burst out of the ground. This time, heretics swarmed out of the underbrush, lunging at Narinder and his follower with cries of “For the god of chaos!” “The Lord Leshy!” and similar cries. In the distance, closer, he could hear the roars louder.

Narinder did not even bother summoning a weapon. From a young age, Shamura had insisted that their siblings learn gymnastics and martial arts, skills that spiders were suited for with their silk. Turns out cats were good at it as well. Plus, he was impatient.

He dodged and ducked as he pushed forward, grabbing heretics and pushing them back, either pushing them into the path of the flowers or making them trip and fall into each other. Soon enough, he was clear.

As well as his pursuer. “Interesting that you didn’t kill them,” Sclebathe mused. “I thought you were Death itself.”

“And I thought you wanted to get to your brother-”

He entered what looked to be the remains of Leshy’s main temple. There looked to have been a ritual circle on the floor, with several bodies decorating the floor, clenching blood-stained daggers.

However, his attention was caught by the two figures battling.

One had the curved horns of bovidae, his chest bare to reveal fur or wool that resembled a wolf’s pelt, his cow tail stiff. The other was huge, his eldritch form much bigger than Narinder had seen it before. However, his stomach twisted in horror when he realized that half of Leshy’s head was raw meat, as though he had been flayed. Chunks of body were missing here and there, with other flayed spots, with the greenery withered, but that didn’t seem to be stopping Leshy.

They walked in time to see the goat raise a hand with a battle cry. Vines whooshed out in time to grab Leshy, yanking tight and digging deep into those bare spots. Several snapped off as Leshy wriggled, but more and more came, replacing the snapped spots.

Finally, it was done.

“Abahn!” Sclebathe called, pushing past Narinder to run up to his sibling.

“Narinder!” Leshy roared, his voice cracking. “I can fucking smell you-”

The goat raised a hand. Pinkish-white flowers blossomed to life around Leshy’s head. Leshy roared and thrashed, but the action only sent pollen into the air. He breathed in and, slowly, his thrashing lessened. Finally, his head hit the stone floor.

Narinder took a step despite himself.

“I wouldn’t!” Abahn called. “I just grew a whole bunch of valerian. It’ll knock you out.”

“I know what valerian does.” He could smell something else, though. Narinder turned to the former god of wilderness. “What else did you give him?”

“I’ve been trying to get him to just stay asleep so the pain would bother him less, including mushroom painkillers.”

“That’s one way to kill the pain,” Sclebathe muttered as he walked past, pulling out the mortar and pestle. He pulled out a small black vial and poured it in. “This mixture, mixed with your blood, should cure the suffering of the purge.” Before Narinder could ask how he got his blood, the wolf poured the mixture into a bottle and shook it.

He then threw it on Leshy’s face. Narinder half-expected his brother to wake from the liquid, but Leshy only groaned softly before his form, seemed to shiver. Then it seemed to collapse on itself, bones and muscles creaking and snapping, before it suddenly stopped.

And, with a poof, his brother had shrunken.

It…had been a while since Narinder had seen Leshy in a mortal-

“Anyway,” Abahne said, crossing his arms with a proud little smile. “Before he wakes up, I’m gonna take him off your hands, if you don’t mind-” Narinder summoned his scythe before he could think twice.

“No.”

Abahne blinked, eyes going wide as he raised his hands. “What do you mean, no?! We’re offering to take him off your hands! He helped seal you away!”

He had a point. Still, Narinder trusted his siblings more than these two. “No. Now, if you’ll excuse me-”

“I think he’s waking up!” Sclebathe called, breaking the staredown.

Narinder whirled around and rushed up. The valerian had somehow died in the past few minutes, meaning his full focus was on the slowly moving body of his brother. He reached out, despite himself.

“Leshy? Are you alive?”

“He should be,” Abahe called, but he ignored him. His brother knew his own body.

There was a soft motion from the still body. Narinder leaned closer. Was that… breathing?

Yes, that was. It was a soft up and down of his chest.

“Little brother,” Narinder said, reaching down despite his better senses. “Wake up. You’re alright. You-”

There was another breath.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-!”

Narinder would refuse to admit that he nearly jumped a foot in the air as Leshy started screaming. His panic nearly overtook him. “Why is he-?” He listened for a few seconds and felt his ears flatten. Goddamit, he should have started with Shamura. Shamura wouldn’t have done this with him.

“Why is he screaming?!” Sclebahe yelled, covering his ears. Abahe looked ready to curl into a ball. “He should be fine!”

“He is,” Narinder yelled over his younger brother’s screaming. Leshy had a certain tone between his screams of pain and when he was screaming to be annoying, a thing he suspected happened between all younger siblings. It made him wonder about the two siblings with him, however. “He’s just being annoying.” Well, that answered the question of whether or not Leshy would come willingly, and the answer was no. Narinder summoned tendrils of magic and wrapped them around his youngest sibling, squeezing hard enough that Leshy shut his mouth. “I’ll be taking him back-”

“NEVER!” Leshy yelled, cutting him off, his legs pumping as if he was ready to take off the moment Narinder released him. “NEVVVVERRRR!”

“LESHY, FOR STARS SAKE, I AM NOT GOING TO HURT YOU!”

“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!”

“LESHY-!”

“NEVVVVVVERRRRRRR-” The word descended back into wordless screaming. Narinder sighed and decided to just let it happen. Hopefully, by the time they got back to the cult, he would have lost his voice.

“I’ll come visit,” Abahe said, scratching at his ears. “I just need to clean up Darkwood.”

Hopefully, he meant to clean up as in fix the purgatory leaks. Narinder did not want to deal with Leshy throwing a fit if he did something more. “I didn’t ask,” he sighed, turning to the other one. “What about you?”

“I still need to monitor your brother’s condition,” Sclebahe said, his ears perking up when Leshy paused screaming to take a breath. They flopped down when he continued to scream. “So, I’ll suppose I’ll stay within the cult grounds.” Great. Fantastic. When he resurrected his lamb, they would have to be grateful because all of this was dancing on his last nerve.

“They won’t harm Leshy,” Abahe said, as if he needed reassurance that nobody was going to strangle the bagworm. “They’re just after Shamura.”

“Great. I didn’t ask.”

Scritches. He was going to demand so many scritches.

[iinterstellars]

" ─── facade? how do you know that's not just my personality, hm? " she plays along. facing him fully makes her feel bashful, for some reason; for a few seconds she can't look him directly in the eyes and instead stalls by taking another sip of her drink. it serves well enough to give her some COURAGE, and allows her time to... admire his physique, if you will. then she's looking up at him, playful and teasing. " hmm... i think i'll gatekeep it a little longer. and i'll show it to you personally next time we go out for drinks, sound good? " that is to say she would like there to be a next time. having friends, real friends, in this industry is difficult and, well, so far he's proving to be good. wishful thinking or overconfidence? she's not quite sure, but his enthusiasm is contagious; so she plays along this time too and raises her glass. " well then, cheers to that... let's hope you have good foresight. " she smiles and then clinks her glass against his carefully. it feels conspiratorial, intimate in a way she can't quite pinpoint. savannah has never really been the type of actress that HOPES for a film to become the new ' it ' thing, she's more someone that picks and chooses based on HER OWN interest on a role, but maybe he's right. it is a very good film after all. " well... " she places a hand under her chin, mimicking the way one would try to analyze a painting for its meaning. " ...you look like you're a huge extrovert, so... you probably love being surrounded by people. maybe big parties? basically the complete opposite of me. " maybe she's overstepping and judging a book by its cover but, she feels like she's right and he asked her so maybe it's not so bad. " i don't know it just feels right to me... like, not having to put up a front, you know? "

" do i get to know what the place is , or are you gonna keep up the cool , nonchalant , mysterious facade all night ? " bas teases , then pauses , hoping he hasn't offended her . bas has a track record of getting overly comfortable too quick , which is great when doing interviews , press and carpets - but not great when you're already on thin ice with your coworker . bas swivels in his small stool , facing her properly , and he tries to ignore how intimate and close they suddenly are if anyone were to look . there's hardly a drop of space between them , and bas' heart seems to accelerate at the very notion of their knees even grazing . he keeps his limbs pinned to his stool , avoiding that very idea . he smiles , instead , grateful , to bernardo who barely notices or cares and simply slinks away once more .

bas holds up his glass to hers this time , " well . we oughta cheers . " he hasn't thought far enough ahead to think of what they'll cheers about , so he swallows , scours his brain . " we're about to be the faces of an oscar -front runner . i just know it . this may be the last bit of quiet we get to ourselves for a while . " BAS CAN'T SAY THAT FOR SURE . in fact , if anything , his name attached to the movie might be what holds them back from critical acclaim . but it's a good arthouse film , and it's already getting some rumblings due to the production and savannah's name . he'd like to think this is his UNCUT GEMS , but who really knows ? bas arches an eyebrow up to her , teasing . " and what do you think is my idea of fun , savannah ? " his eyes crinkle as he smiles , takes another sip , keeps his eyes keenly on her . he doesn't even notice the vague burn of alcohol sliding into his throat , making his head warm and light . " what is it you like about home and the quiet so much ? " bas asks , curious . he can't relate to that . he always needs a tv and youtube playing , simultaneously . he's never been good at sitting still , or routine . or anything that savannah describes .

[peace-hunter]

tfone au where OP is created as the last of the primes but way after them, a sparkling born at what were thought to be the last days of the war against the quintessons, the beginning of a new generation of peace after eons of war. a child meant to be loved and raised knowing nothing of war nor sacrifice.

he's kept mostly out of the spotlight by his siblings, who don't wish to expose him to everyone's optics so young, and want to wait until the war is done and over to properly introduce him to their people.

except of course the primes are betrayed and murdered by sentinel, the war is lost and everyone who knows and cared for the truth is either banished or outright killed in order to suppress it.

and the high guard, the ones the primes trusted the most, the ones that were supposed to protect them, the ones who failed in their most important duty, have to make a choice. to take the last prime, their last hope, with them to the surface, a hostile environment where there's little to no supplies and where they'll be hunted down by both sentinel and the quintessons as the biggest threat to their regimen.

or hide him in plain sight. place him where sentinel won't think to look for him. one more sparkling among many. and hope it will be enough to keep him alive. pray to primus that he'll protect his last child long enough for them to come back for him when it's safer (even if most of them have already lost their faith on him when he allowed the rest of his children to be massacred like that)

they almost lose their resolve when they realize they will have to take the little one's cog away in order to make him blend in with the rest of the newborns (and oh do they burn with murderous intent when they see what sentinel has done to their people but it's not the time yet-) but in the end they decide an impaired little prime is better than a dead one.

and so in the chaos of thirteen dead primes and a sudden energon crisis, a little sparkling who very few mechs really knew about and even fewer had seen completely vanishes. and in the depths of iacon a mech in charge of a new batch of newborns scratches their helm in confusion as they realize they must have miscounted the first time.

optimus prime is quietly erased from any official records by sentinel, written off as dead when they find a sparkling's frame mangled beyond recognition after an attack on the base of those rebels that insist on being a thorn on his side. killing the sparkling hadn't been precisely in his plans, he probably could've found some use for it after all, but he's not particularly upset about it either.

and orion pax grows up with an ache on his spark that tells him he's missing something far more important than a t-cog and dreams of gentle and loving hands, cradling him against the frames of mechs he cannot recall the faces of.

[icewindandboringhorror]

What would you choose? :0c

(note: original image is from HERE (link) - but I edited it to add a wider variety of options.. also added $3 extra to the total, even though I know that makes it more uneven lol, I thought if you're adding 10 whole extra items, the money to spend should at least be increased slightly, if that makes sense..)

[sayakxmi]

Saiouma Puella Magi AU, but Kokichi takes Madoka's role and Shuichi takes Homura's.

For one, Kokichi's too naturally distrustful to just hear "I can grant you any wish :)" and not think ok where's the hook. So he just does what no one ever has & essentially interrogates Kyubey, so he knows it all even before he gets to make a contract. So, some of his classmstes are MGs & he won't become one himself BUT he still ends up tagging along to just protect them in his Kokichi ways. (Though I'm entertaining Kokichi lying about being a magical girl, because, well, it's Kokichi).

(I also got a small idea of Gonta being a magical girls and Kokichi originally tagging along him into labyrinths, Gonta also makes him a magic gun from the toy one he had, and at some point witches out & Kokichi manages to kill him with that gun. So he always has that spare Grief Seed on himself, bc it's still his best friend & he can't handle the idea of just giving it away or using it himself (he does anyway in the end).)

Shuichi prolly ends up being a new kid & it isn't like MadoHomu, the ppl who reach him first are Kaede & Kaito, classic. Kokichi's there, too, but he's his usual sus self. He's actually discouraging ppl from making a contract when they find out magic and miracles are real, which absolutely includes Shuichi. He's very vocal abt it, but he won't explain stutf, bc 1) he's a liar, so who'd believe him? and 2) he doesn't want them to witch out upon finding out the truth or, idk, murder everybody Mami-style.

Anyway, fast forward, bad things happen bingo & by the end of the run most charas are dead, there's Walpurgis nachting, and he makes his wish to bring back the ppl who died notably not as magical girls. Contract signed, he fights & fails, rip. I also thought it was similar to how he thought he could end the killing game by himself - he though he could finish Walpurgisnacht by himself, too. And he failed in both times. Whatevs.

Shuichi doesn't actually make his time travel wish for Ouma specifically, he wants to save all his friends. Timelines are messy esp at first bc he either tells then or it backfires or just makes himself look very sus bc he's trying not to tell them. He also realizes why Kokichi hadn't told anybody aby witches at some point, bc, yeah, it messes them a lot, assuming they believe it.

Still, Kokichi ends up one of the few people who are nearly always giving him a chance, not necessarily out of belief, but out of pragmatism - bro can stop time & knows the truth, that's just too useful. So they often work together & Shuichi grows closer to him but still we ain't there yet. But the thing is, Shuichi's time travel still makes Kokichi more & more powerful with each timeline, bc Shuichi usually goes back after Kokichi dies, so the universe figured out this guy's life's important. Anyway, another notable thing is the iconic Homura kills Madoka scene, but it's Saiouma with guest stars of Kaito & Maki. It's Walpy, it's not defeated yet, but the training trio are spent & just kinda accept their fate of turning into witches together. And then, boom, Kokichi appears & steals their Soul Gems for a sec & he's like did u know you can cleanse your Soul Gem with a darkened one? But it's a lie & he quickly tells them so, he just had a spare Grief Seed after cleansing his Soul Gem & he needs them to do some stuff. Shuichi can travel back in time & fix things, and Maki & Kaito are needed to fight Walpy here. He actually questions what happens to the timelines Shuichi leaves behin, and ofc he doesn't know. There's a chance they remain, so Kokichi needs Maki & Kaito to fight Walpy here.

Kaimaki leave, and Shuichi finally looks at Kokichi & realizes sth is Wrong. Kokichi struggles to hide how he's trembling & grimacing, and it's Kokichi, so obviously it must be extremely bad. Shuichi dreadfully realizes something worse, and he weakly asks Kokichi why aren't his wounds healing. And Kokichi just falls, laughing weakly, and Shuichi catches him & searches for his Soul Gem and, God, he knew it. It's nearly completely black. Kokichi laughs & admits he lied abt having two Grief Seeds, he only had one he never wanted to use. But they'll have the second one soon, so no need to worry. He asks Shuichi to maybe destroy his witch form as it's hatching, so he'll have the Grief Seed without any fighting… and he admits that he hates fighting, he hates this magical world and all its violence. He says that Kaito was right in calling him a coward, even here he just can't handle the idea of fighting any longer, he's so sorry. And Shuichi tells him he ISN'T a coward. He was scared, but he always followed everybody, trying to help, and when push came to shove he would always make a contract for the benefit of others rather than himself. He's a lot of things, but a coward isn't one. Kokichi actually tears up hearing that, and Shuichi promises he won't let him fight ever again, and especially he won't let him turn into a witch and hurt anybody, because he knows it's the last thing he's ever wanted. Even now he only accepts turning into a witch to help them fight to keep others safe. So Shuichi won't let him. Kokichi probably apologizes and thanks him and then he dies.

Keeping Kokichi from fighting starts off as a side quest that gains importance with time, bc it's something Shuichi won't compromise on (ah, trauma), which leads him to occassionally neglect others a bit, which makes them more likely to get hurt & ironically Kokichi more likely to make a contract, especially since he gets more powerful & Kyubey is more interested in him with each timeline. And that also makes him witch out super quick. Shuichi's paying more attention to him & over time grows resentful of others for how they're treating him. To Shuichi it's no question that Kokichi cares & is just doing his best to help, but nobody realizes that.

But the biggest obstacle in keeping Kokichi from fighting is actually Kokichi himself, bc he's too smart and nosy, lmao. Even if he knows nothing, he will find out quickly. Doesn't help that Kyubey wants him to make a contract.

Also, obviously Kaito is Sayaka-coded and Maki could be Kyouko-coded, so that's a thing, BUT it's usually Maki that witches out. Kaito is usually pretty close, but Kokichi intervenes & he survives, but Maki later cracks on her own (and since in the new timeline Kokichi isn't there, Kaito's the one to die, so he's still the secretary). So it's Kaito who gets the dramatic sacrifice. I imagine he genuinely hoped you could bring somebody back if you tried Very Hard & Kokichi called him a moron bc obviously it's not possible. If it was there'd be far less witches that there are. But it's Kaito, he doesn't listen to reason. So, Kokichi follows him to the labyrinth. At first Kaito's mad cuz what if Kokichi being there ruins the plan? Maki hates his guts! But eventually he gets hit pretty hard, and Kokichi is near immediately by his side, trying to help him get up, which kinda makes Kaito short circuit a little bc wait Kokichi's trying to help? But witch!Maki attacks them & Kokichi pushes Kaito away & gets caught himself (and choked until unconsciousness, naturally). Anyway, Kaito gets him away, Shuichi catches Kokichi & Kaito makes up his mind about going down with Maki & asks Shuichi to tell Kokichi that he's sorry. He doesn't get him, but he got hurt trying to protect him, so he'll believe in that if nothing else. F.

As for The WishTM, in the last timeline Shuichi lashes out at Kokichi for his willingness to just become part of the system. In no timeline has his wish actually helped, it did NOTHINHG, which OUCH but it also makes Kokichi think out of the box more & he becomes the Law of Cycles. And Shuichi realizes what is happening & freaks out bc Kokichi's doing it bc of what he told him & like Homura they end up having a momentTM in space & Shuichi remembers. He feels a lot of guilt even tho he also questions whether anything was real, but if it was, he pushed somebody he far too realized he loved into erasing himself from existence.

[what-even-is-sleep]

thinking about Bodkin again bc I mean,,, ALL THE SYMBOLISM OHHHHHGH. i NEED some tumblr film analysis hobbyists to watch this show and tell me all the themes n such

[whentherewerebicycles]

this might be nuts but I think my sister & I might try to do a trip abroad with the baby next fall