#it's been a while since I've posted anything

[quantomeno]

I've been following this matter for a while now (a quick search of newspaper articles showed it's been floated since mid last year, and I remember having to use my passport to verify my age on my gmail (it's not the account I use for tumblr, the account has my name in the address, so it's already pretty clearly me, so I was begrudgingly okay with it but am still annoyed my other account now can't watch age restricted youtube videos unless I tie it to my identity)). It's a vexed issue.

The first thing I'd like to point out is that the person quoted in the above post ("I am 100 percent etc") is Keith Pitt, a member of the Nationals who was resources and water minister under Morrison. I feel this is important because while he'd definitely be someone who'd vote in support of the measure, he's not a member of the party in power, let alone a Cabinet minister. His opinion is not necessarily that of the Prime Minister ― Anthony Albanese ― and it makes it seem like what he's talking about is what the government is planning to do.

What is the PM actually saying they'll do?

To be honest, I don't think the government knows yet. From what I can gather, there has been no suggestion by the PM that they would force people's accounts to have their real names. The Age a few days ago reported this:

"Australia’s eSafety commissioner has instead recommended a “double-blind tokenised approach”, whereby information would be provided to a verifying third party that would certify the user’s age to social media platforms without revealing details about the child. The details of the plan are being worked through by a trial of age-verification technologies."

(the "instead" is in reference to the current practice of social media platforms asking people if they over 13, which I'm sure most people realise would stop pretty much no child)

In that same article though they also said "the government has not unveiled key details, including the technology that would be used to keep children out". So I think there is quite a bit of time before anything is going to be written into law.

While I don't think your name will be "slapped onto your tumblr account" (if that does end up being what they do I would actually delete my tumblr, I really do not want that), there is still the question of privacy being invaded in that the government would (I think? I'm not a tech expert in the slightest) be able to connect you to your account.

Keep in mind that we are close to an election (there's been whispers it could be May next year), and this is an issue that (as the Keith Pitt quote shows) both of the major parties seem to mostly agree on. A cynical view is that the PM is talking tough to neutralise the issue so it can't be attacked by the opposition for not protecting children. The fact that both are talking about it does however suggest it will eventually come to pass (unlike other complicated legislation that was touted as 'essential' but then got shelved after being too hard to get through (naming no names i.e. Scomo's religious discrimination bill).

The other point to discuss is that while I really do enjoy people not knowing who I am on tumblr (and people in my life not being able to know I'm on tumblr), I also don't really think kids should be on social media (or at least not in the way they currently are). I avoided social media (I only had a facebook account I barely touched) until I was an adult (and even then I waited a while) and I'm quite glad, mostly because I think I'm a lot more mature. On the other hand, while I didn't interact with people, I grew up in a time when you could browse most platforms without an account, so it's not like I wasn't exposed to things on the internet. And then there's a bit of a moral panic about the internet, which can be a bit overblown at times. But then I'll hear a 14 year old I know mentioning stuff that makes me think he's kind of obsessed with growing muscles and I wonder if he's seeing these sorts of things online. I mean, there's a lot of garbage on the internet. But there's a lot of really useful things too... it's complicated and I'm not settled on an opinion yet.

Kids really do need to learn better internet practices and behaviours, but there are also kids in primary school with social media accounts. I mean, what does a 12 year old do in their life that they need the world to see? (don't answer that it's rhetorical, I'm sure there are plenty of 12 year olds doing interesting things worth showing off, but I mean, beyond messaging friends, 12 year olds don't really need to be communicating with strangers on the internet). Note too it's specifically social media (the definition is given by OP but it's anything where the main purpose is share content or talk to a wide audience of people. Things like games with chat stuff are also being looked into.

I'm also a bit of a luddite and think kids should read more. I'm not actually trying to convince people the ban is good, I'm just thinking aloud here. The whole thing feels rather heavy-handed, brute-force, and there's every chance kids will still find ways around it. I don't think this is the ideal solution, but I do feel there is a problem to be addressed.

But yeah, do tell your local member that you are concerned and want to make sure your privacy is kept safe. Just be aware of who your member is and their/their party's stance (all Labor MPs vote with the party, Liberals and Nationals can vote against their own party, so they may not all be in agreement). The Greens are opposed to it. I am not sure what the teal independents think of it.

You may also want to contact some senators from your state, not just your MP.

As for the contents of the letter, maybe something like:

Dear Mr/Ms/Dr (whatever title they use) surname MP,

I am a resident of your electorate (electorate name). (Maybe say a little bit about yourself, just what you think is relevant to the letter or your arguments).

I am writing to you to discuss the proposed social media ban for children. I am concerned (explain what/why you are concerned).

(Try to keep it brief, but also try to be personal)

State what you want your MP to do. Ask them to reply to your letter.

Sincerely,

your name.

You may want to mail the letter rather than just emailing. This page from Oxfam I just looked up five minutes ago has some nice tips.

Hey Aussies, do you want your real name and ID slapped on your tumblr account? If the answer is fuck no, our gov’s got a upcoming legislation for banning 16 year olds and under from social media even WITH parental consent. And by “Social Media”…

The code defines social media as electronic services that meet the following conditions:

The sole or primary purpose of the service is to enable online social interaction between two or more end users

The service allows end users to link to, or interact with, some or all other end users

The service allows end users to post material on the service

Such other conditions (if any) as are set out in the legislative rules.

So. You know. Just the entire fucking internet. They even named youtube as banned, god forbid kids out in the bush get access to LGBTQ+ communities online when they could be watching adds for sportsbet.

I am 100 per cent supportive of eliminating bullying and fake information from online platforms. The easiest way to do that is to be able to utilise existing laws, and the easiest way to do that is to ensure there are no fake accounts. Your digital, online life is your real life. If you want to make comments, that's fine, but it should be as you, as a verified account. This means everyone knows who it is that makes those comments, that you can be found and prosecuted under existing laws, just as you would if you express those opinions in a newspaper, for example, or you went on to a television station and said something similar.

Contact an Aussie senator about this shit. They’re trying to slide it under all the USpol news.

[nedconte]

dundy + onion headlines

[really-fanny-longbottom]

okay sooooo

i had this little thought right

okay so maybe like reader has been a part of the inner circle for a looooong time like since the batboys were kids and they've all been friends forever, naturaly azriel has been in love with her since then, and a few years ago he realised they were mates (she doesn't know)

this one time she walks into the townhouse in just a bra and trousers, casually just walking in drinking coffee while the rhys and cass are just flabbergasted (cass being cass is eyeing the goods real hard because shes always been hot and he knows it) rhys is smirking and all (hes no less honestly)

then az walks in and hes just like what the fuck, she tries to explain smth happened to her shirt on the way and hes just grumbling and takes off his own shirt and is like put this own (cass is naturally making comments that make az's blood boil)

then you can choose where that goes from there

lmfaoooo im so sorry i couldn't get this idea out of my head

its okayyyy if you can't write it!!!

hi! sorry it took me so long to post but i've been really busy with university and only now have i had some free time.

anyway, here it is! thank you so much for this request, i loved writing it!

i hope you like it! 🫶🏻

my hero

summary: a small but very happy incident.

warnings: none

pairings: azriel x reader

words: 2.2k

tick 

tack

tick 

tack 

"ugh," a heavy groan escaped your lips at the sound of the clock. you seated slightly, your head pounding without mercy. 

as you looked at the window, your eyes fought against the early sunlight, before adjusting and finally allowing you to fully open them.

it took you a few seconds to remember your surroundings, and to be honest, to remember anything. 

the confusion didn't last long when all the memories from last night hit you all at once. 

you had gone out for the night with morrigan. you went to rita's for a girls night.

a night with a lot of drinking and dancing and singing and drinking again — mysterious headache solved.

you looked down on you, seeing the shiny short black dress you had chosen for last night specifically. 

you passed your hands through your messy hair and took a glance at your bedroom, absorbing the chaos that a very drunk you had caused.

how could just a person cause such a mess?

tick 

tack

tick

tack

"ugh!" a loud annoyed groan left your lips again

at the sound of the clock that kept attacking your brain. 

before you could think twice, you turned and reached out to punch the clock, causing it to fall to the ground.

you lowered yourself on the bed sheets with an arm over your head.

this was going to be a very long day.

and that's when it you.

your eyes and two seconds later, your legs were fighting against the bed sheets. 

after losing that battle, you ended up falling to the ground with a loud noise. 

a small 'huff' came out of your mouth before getting up and running to the clock as quickly as possible to check the time. 

10:07 am

"oh, shit."

you were late for your internship at the clinic.

"oh, shit."

you quickly begin to look for clean clothes at the same time you try to get rid of your dress. 

you manage to find something that looked relatively clean and put it on, your heart racing as you tried to get your hair to not look like a complete mess.

when you finished putting your hair in a more presentable state, you hurried to put on your shoes, but when you noticed the time again, you only managed to put on a sock before grabbing the first pair of shoes in sight and running out of your room. 

as you run for the stairs, you didn't have time to react before a body collided with yours and spilled coffee all over your t-shirt.

the hot contents against your skin forced you to let out a small scream and dropped the shoes to the floor as you struggled to pull the fabric of your t-shirt away from your body. 

"shit, shit, shit!" you cursed at the same time you blew on your t-shirt.

great, as if your day wasn't already going badly. 

"sorry," a small voice said.

you met your attacker's gaze as you looked up to see a beautiful female with green eyes and brown hair — morrigan's friend. 

right, you had forgotten that she had come home with the two of you — with mor. 

the female looked mortified as you stared at her annoyed. when you saw her opening her mouth to say something, you quickly stopped her.

"don't," you raised your hand at her, you didn't have time for this, "just. . .just go."

you pointed at morrigan's bedroom, whose door was slightly open. the female followed your direction, shrinking a little as she passed through you.

"idiot!" you cursed quietly. 

you looked at your bedroom and considered your options: the chances that you may find a new clean t-shirt in the middle of that mess, were very low and you were already late.

so you gave up and made your way down the stairs, starting to unbutton your shirt before completely taking it off, leaving you in your black lacy bra, and entering the kitchen.

rhysand and cassian who had been enjoying a late breakfast found themselves speechless upon your entrance. 

their gazes followed you as you moved to the sink and started working on removing the stain.

the males shared a gaze between them, identical smirks forming on both of their faces.

"good morning, y/n." rhysand greeted you as he took a sip of his tea cup.

you jumped startled, your eyes found theirs immediately, "gods, i didn't see you there."

rhysand's smirk grew wider. "oh, we know."

"did you get mugged?" cassian asked as he took in your figure.

you were barefoot with only one sock and shirtless.

"what?" you asked confused. 

cassian's eyes roam over your body.

"oh, no, morrigan's friend though it was a good idea to spill her coffee over me. freaking idiot," you murmured the last part, still focused on the task in hand.

cassian let out a snort "well, i'll make sure to thank her personally for this amazing view."

you rolled your eyes at his comment "oh, shut up, cassian. we grew up together, we've all seen each other naked at one point."

rhys smirked and grew before adding "sure, but we were either kids or teenagers at those times." 

cassian glanced at his brother, amusement all over his features "maybe we should go back to those times."

with another roll of your eyes, you tried to suppress a smile at your friend's comment while trying to get rid of the stain.

as on cue, the shadowsinger entered the kitchen to join his brothers for breakfast.

instead, he was surprised with a view of you shirtless — his shirtless mate.

the very reason, rhys and cassian had begun to tease you in the first place. 

what made this whole situation much funnier — the fact that you weren't aware of this detail. 

and things had just become a lot more interesting now with azriel in the room. 

his eyes widened at the sight of you but when he turned to find his brothers, his eyes darkened and a low growl was released.

"nice of you to join us, brother," cassian said casually as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

he can practically feel the heat coming off of azriel, like smoke coming out of his ears.

"what's wrong, az?" rhys asked him, knowing exactly what was going on but seeing azriel riled up was too funny to miss it.

at the sound of their voices, you looked up and your eyes found a pair of hazel ones.

"oh, hi, azriel." you greeted him with your sweet smile — the one he liked so much.

the shadowsinger found himself melting at your words, at the way you said his name. 

his eyes instantly softed, a small blush coming to his cheeks and a goofy smile on his lips, "h-hi, y/n." 

you gave him a warm smile before going back to your task.

azriel regained his composure at the sound of his brothers' muffled laughter. 

he sighed and rolled his eyes at their behavior, he hadn't catched a break from them since he revealed the mating bond on one drunken night.

cassian elbowed rhys gently in the ribs to get his attention, when his eyes found his, the general gestured with his head to the shadowsinger. 

"hey, az" cassian tried to contain his urge to laugh, he knew what was about to happen. 

"what?" azriel managed to say, his eyes still on your figure.

"we were just talking. . ." cassian started, his voice teasing "about going back to those times when we were teenagers." 

azriel face scrunched in confusion, he shot his brother a look. 

"you know," cassian continued, his peripheral vision caught rhys trying to control himself  "those times where we didn't care about being naked in front of each other." 

both rhys and cassian snorted at the sight of azriel's face turning red.

"what?!" the male let out a little too loud then he had intended.

rhys proceeded, "yeah, you know. when we didn't care so much about formalities. don't you agree, y/n?" 

you rolled your eyes again at rhys comment, "i think you two have too much free time" you chuckled, "cauldron has mercy on the poor females that will ended up as your mates."

"hey!" both cassian and rhys protested.

azriel smiled at your comment, but it fell when he observed both of his brothers eyes roaming over your body, grins splattered on their features.

azriel moved to the edge of the table, placing his hands on the surface of it before giving them a glare and clenching his jaw.

"stop looking at her like that before i break your faces" he threatened through gritted teeth. 

cassian and rhys were quick to lift their arms in surrender, both muttering a small "yes, sir." 

azriel rolled his eyes in annoyance. his attention was caught when he heard you cursed quietly. 

he sent one last warning look to the two males before moving to stand behind you.

he was so close, that all it took was another step of his for your back to be pressed against his chest.

azriel would love to know the feeling of that sensation, but he remained where he was.

he peeked through your shoulder and saw that you couldn't get rid of the annoying coffee stain. 

"gods, madja is going to kill me for being late." 

without a second thought, azriel took a step back.

"here," he told you.

you turned to find him taking off his own shirt.

your eyes roamed his body — his sun-kissed skin, his muscles, his illyrian tattoos. 

you loved those tattoos. 

"put it on," he extended his hand to you, holding out his shirt.

"oh, that's not necessary, az. i-"

"it's okay, y/n. i- i want you too. by the way, why don't you go get your shoes and i'll take you to the clinic? it's quicker that way and you don't have to walk." 

your face softened, "really? you would do that?" 

the corner of his lips lifted for a small smile, only you to make him feel this way.

"of course." 

you grabbed his shirt, "ugh, thank you, az."

you put it on and azriel tried to not let the sight of your small feature into his too big of a shirt to affect him, but he failed when his heart skipped a beat.

you moved forward and grabbed his cheeks, kissing him on the left one.

caught off guard, azriel tried to hide the fact that his skin had heated up under your touch. 

a new blush came to decorate his cheeks. 

"hm. . .i-" the male couldn't find his words with the sound of his heart roaming in his ears. 

"you're my hero, az" you gave a big smile before making your way to the stairs to collect your shoes. 

azriel stood there in the middle of the kitchen with a hand making it's way to his face to touch the place you kissed him.

cassian and rhys burst out laughing, not being able to remain composed of their brother in love. 

cassian got up from his seat and walked towards his brother, clasping a hand on his back.

"behold of the big bad scary shadow-," cassian leaned over in laughter, "shadowsinger" he managed to complete. 

rhys appeared on his other side, "oh, brother. only if your enemies could see you now, they would think how big of a fool they are."  

azriel clenched his jaw again, and when he turned to answer them, he was stopped by a honey-sweet voice.

"i'm ready," you told him from the entrance.

once again, the shadowsinger was left completely disarmed.

a goofy smile reappeared on his face. 

he didn't even spare a glance at his brothers before making his way to you, "let's go then."

cassian and rhys were left in the kitchen laughing to themselves.

•••

the trip to the clinic was quick.

azriel landed softly on the ground, keeping a hand on your waist and another on your back to make sure you were stable.

you took a step forward before turning to him.

"thank you again, az. you literally just saved my morning." 

and there it was that goofy smile again.

"oh, it's nothing really. my pleasure." 

you let out a small giggle. you reached forward, surrounding his neck with one of your arms and gave him a kiss on the cheek again.

azriel's heart raced and his voice caught in his throat. 

you took a step back "you're my hero, azriel. what would i do without you?" 

you caressed his cheek with the back of your hand before giving him one last smile and moving towards the clinic.

"hm, i-" was all the male managed to say while watching you entering the clinic with his shirt.

he watched as you grabbed the door, and turned to him to wave goodbye. 

azriel returned the gesture. it was at that moment that he realized how much power you had over him.

he didn't push away that feeling, in fact he embraced it.

it was about time to let the walls he had built so long ago disappear. 

and you were the right person for that.

azriel made a decision at that moment.

at the end of the day, he would come pick you up and ask you out on a date.

he would buy you flowers, tell you how he felt and take you to dinner.

he just hoped you felt the same way.

and that you said yes.

general taglist: @emryb @fantasyandshit @azrielover @shadowsingercassia @littlelou22 @brieflyclassymortal @lilah-asteria @meul-a @lure-of-writing @pruvii @olive-main @mybestfriendmademe @anuttellaa @mrsjna @lively-potter @avajustreads @talesofadragon @circe143 @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @dark-chaos-314 @tequilya @scoliobean @saltedcoffeescotch @charlotteintumbleland @agirlwithwifiandalaptop @987coley

*if you asked to be tagged and you weren't, it's because I couldn't find your blog.

the beautiful dividers belong to @cafekitsune

[janus-cadet]

Hey!! It's been quite a while since I posted anything, here. To be honest, work is very time-consuming. But! Here I am, with a tarot card- last one being Maestro's, that I've done at least three months ago!

This time, place for some Timerogue, as the Six of Cups.

Explanation, as always, under the cut!

The Six of Cups -Upright- is a card encouraging you to think about the past, especially thee good memories. Think about the fun, the happiness, instead of the sorrow and the grief; it will allow you to nurture the relationship you still have in your life, or push you to create new ones, on new level of harmony. Connect with your inner child, and experience the fun that come with it: you need to allow yourself to be playful, spontaneous nd creative. You see and handsome stranger at a Bridgerton party? Perfect! Go talk, go flirt, get briefly abducted, have fun! You are now more open, more willing to give the other the benefice of the doubt (Bounty Hunter, yes, but he's hot, so... and yes, alien shapeshifter, but also hot, so...). It's time for you to turn over a page, and start afresh from a more positive place. (Get therapied, 14th!).

Upright, it's a card for healing, a card looking forward with joy: fitting for 15th's promise and attitude.

Reversed, hovewer, could apply to both of them- including the Doctor, who's not as alright as he would like to let us believe. When the Reversed Six of Cups appears in a reading, you might be clinging to the past and losing touch with the present. Leaving on an empty ship meant for two, for more, even, all by yourself; keeping all the memories of what used to be, and closing yourself up around it. It's alright to indulge in a little reminiscing about the past, as long as you understand that it's over. You need to make peace with the past, so you can focus on the now: stop brooding all by yourself, and try to connect with this very charming stranger, maybe. Allow yourself to enjoy life again, to have fun, to breath. It's okay. They would not hate you, for it.

You may also have lost touch with your inner child, closed yourself up to anything and everyone, because you're taking too much of a responsability, or leaving with an heaviness you do not share. You want to keep your emotions quiet, shielded away from others, in fear of their judgement. You don't need to: your friends are here for you.

If you have some.

Sorry, Rogue.

And that's it for today! I'm starting to have a lot of Doctor Who related card, uh- definitely more to come.

I hope you enjoyed it, and see you next time, hopefully! Here are some of the other cards I did- minus the three Masters, because of the post picture-limit.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hello respected sex witch! Hope you're doing well. Got a question for you.

Relevant information: I have a vagina 👍

I have been on testosterone for over a year now (yay gender), and since I started, when my partner and I have vaginal sex, it's become increasingly painful for me (not yay). My doctor prescribed estrogen cream, which seems to be helping, but I was wondering if there was anything else known to help with vaginal penetration here?

I've done a bit of research, but much of what I've read was very specific to people post-menopause, so I'm not sure what's applicable.

(Oh, and we do use lube. Lots of it.)

Thank you :)

hi anon,

100% super common after starting T, I'm afraid. what you gain in gender you're unfortunately likely to lose in vaginal atrophy that can make sex much less comfortable, although the estrogen cream and lube will help tremendously.

while it may feel uncomfortable reading advice that's aimed at aging cis women, there may actually be some pretty good nuggets of advice for you in there - a lot of what people experience when taking testosterone is, essentially, early onset menopause, and I've known several middle aged ladies who bonded with their 20-something tboy coworkers over their shared experiences having hot flashes. if you find any advice for menopause that sounds like it might be helpful for you, give it a whirl!

[cj-the-random-artist]

I implied a while ago that I was gonna add some lore to this post at some point and its been a bit and I have time to add some QPR Narilamb au lore now so have some scribbles that I've been thinking about:

-Lambert's given name is Jaya (or Jay for those who want to shorten it), they have no real problem with being called their given name but they also don't really hand it out without being asked?? None of their cultists know it, but Narinder does, and so do the Goat and Ratau (and maybe Forneus too, cuz I think they're buddies)

-Lambert is. Terribly anxious. And horrified of the idea that they could ever be anything less than perfect all the time so they have a horrible time with boundaries and are also a major people-pleaser. This is something that they eventually like. Work through and they do eventually get better about all that stuff but it is a struggle for a while. They're also not terribly approachable...

-Lambert's also a complete insomniac who cannot fall asleep without an ungodly amount of like. Herbal tea. But the herbal tea that works best is a blend that they are also very allergic to (thanks to their godhood and stuff they don't experience any major allergic reactions but they get itchy enough to just. Give up on sleep forever)

-Narinder gets lots of wrist and back pain and all that stuff. I think at one point he had incredibly steady hands and overtime they've become less so, but never shaky.

-Narinder also gets to be transmasc because I love transmasc Narinder headcanons so very much

-Narinder also has horrible nightmares and also he occasionally gets night terrors. After the night terrors stopped the nightmares did not, in fact, stop, so he is also terrible about sleeping

-Almost the entire cult is. Legitimately terrified of Narinder for no reason. Save for like the other Bishops and a handful of Lambert's closest disciples

-Narinder is still closest to Shamura out of all of his siblings, they like to sit together and do activities simultaneously in the same room. He also spends time with his other siblings, and they tend to do family dinners about once a week. Only one of them has ended in a fistfight, and that was the first one.

I do have other like... lore ideas for this QPR Narilamb AU, but for now here's some random stuff I've been rolling around in my brain since I do believe I promised some lore with these sketches a while ago. Have a good one y'all

Have an array of mediocre pen sketches from the past several weeks, including some queerplatonic narilamb AU characterization thoughts for Lambert Narinder and the Goat, and a doodle of Narinder having a self care day inspired by the healing prompt from stychu’s amazing prompt list (that I would’ve done were it not for the fact that I’m awful at prompt list challenges)

I have more thoughts about these but I also have an Outside Activity to do very imminently so. Later

Enjoy these shenanigans and have a good one (and apologies for my awful handwriting lol)

[canonicallyobserving911]

Buddie: I'm excited to see what's next for Buck, Eddie and Chris

Going forward, unless it's for reference purposes, I will NO LONGER post anything about BT 2.0.

Before I explain why I won't be posting anything about BT 2.0, I'll begin with a brief summary. In 2021, I watched "The Shooting" live (related post linked here) and it was one of the best scenes in television I'd ever seen. Since then, I've probably watched it more than a hundred times and during the hiatus between seasons 4 and 5, I purchased every episode of 9-1-1's previous seasons and I spent the entire summer watching seasons 2 - 4 because I wanted to know more about Buck and Eddie's relationship. I noticed the emotional and casual intimacy they shared and when I compared it to the relationships they had with love interests, it was easy to see there was a huge and noticeable difference.

My excitement for the show dramatically increased before season 5 began in September 2021 and later that year, I found the Buddie fandom here on Tumblr and I was even more excited because I didn't know fandoms for TV shows even existed. By the time April 2022 rolled around, I finally decided to rejoin Tumblr (after being off it for a while) because I wanted to communicate with people who liked Buddie and the Buckley-Diaz family.

I started out by doing small posts regarding the things I noticed but a whole knew world was opened to me after I started reading METAs fanfics and theories along with viewing GIF sets and fanart. It didn't take me long to start posting my own METAs and speculations and I when I wanted to add GIFs to my posts, I taught myself how to make them on my iPad. In January 2023, I started posting some of the fanfics I wrote during season 5 and my fandom experience was further enhanced. It was an exciting time and I loved every minute of it.

Even though Season 5 was exhausting as hell because of BT 1.0, I still enjoyed it because of Eddie's PTSD arc and the Buckley-Diaz family scenes that were included. Eddie's my favorite character and I was happy to see him moving forward with his therapy and his life in general. BT 1.0 was dragged out for the entire season but season 6 looked promising... at least it did until it ended. I spent more than three months writing "Constructive Criticism" posts about all the things I didn't like and I was on the fence about whether I was even going to watch season 7. But after the str*kes ended and the promos for the new season began airing on a new network looked promising, I was excited again especially since the original showrunner (TM) had returned from LS and I couldn't wait to see where he would take Buck's and Eddie's storylines.

Similar to the title of episode 2x17, I should have been careful about what I wished for because even though it started out strong, after the opening disaster, it turned into a complete and utter dumpster fire and my experience in this fandom not only became exhausting; it was horrifically horrible because of a kiss between Buck and a PLOT DEVICE. Almost immediately, Buddie shippers started being harassed and were sent asks from blank blogs (they weren't anonymous for me because I don't accept those) telling shippers to stop posting about Buddie because they were never going to be better than BT and that we should just accept BT because they were CANON 🙄.

Anyway, needless to say, the last 7 months have been pure hell because of toxic BT Stans who have no boundaries, morals or fandom etiquette. Therefore, since I can't control anyone but myself, this morning, I made a decision that going forward, I'm turning the page on the BT 2.0 relationship because it's over and I'm tired of talking about it. I don't give a rat's ass about why TM chose to do what he did and why they didn't let Buck learn anything from it especially since this wouldn't have happened if whatever they were doing had ended in 7x5 but I digress.

Be clear, this is not a vague post at anyone in particular. I'm simply stating that I will no longer participate in fandom discourse about that relationship because I'm sick of it and I'm f~cking glad it's finally done. For me, it's taken a backseat just like EddieShannon, EddieMarisol, EddieAna, BuckAbby, BuckTaylor, BuckAli and BuckNaTalia because they're over and the characters are barely being mentioned in CANON, if at all. I'm done posting about these 'sunk ships' and the only time I'll include them in a blog post is when I have to reference them. Otherwise, I've moved on and I will not add anti BT or anti TK tags to my posts unless it's for blacklisting and filtering purposes because I don't give a flying f~ck about T.K. 2.0 anymore.

Now that it's over, I'm excited about writing Buddie METAs, speculations and theories again. Prior to season 8, I stopped writing them because I didn't want to and I didn't have the energy or the desire to do it due to all the toxicity. Since I was tired of being jump scared, I stopped watching live after 7x6 aired and even though I did watch 7x10, I wished I hadn't because it was a big nothing burger.

I'm excited because I don't have to worry about seeing Buck with that one-dimensional love interest who couldn't act his way out of a paper bag.

This Thursday, for the first time in months, I'll be watching live again and I might live blog the episode. I miss doing that and I can't wait to see what's going to happen with the call on the "Hotshots" set that has a fake firefighter hanging from the aerial and I wonder if Eddie will have flashbacks about the night him and Buck got struck by the same bolt of lightning.

The purpose of this long post is to say, I've moved on and I will no longer dedicate any of my blog space, writings or anything else to that relationship because the character doesn't deserve my attention. It's even more exhausting than BT 1.0 and they were in a relationship for the entirety of season 5.

Since I love Eddie, I'm ready to focus my METAs and speculation on what's next for him. I was planning to do a long post on 8x6 but I won't since I've already done two long posts about BT 2.0's breakup. So now my attention will be focused solely on Eddie until I finish the posts I want to do regarding his scenes. I loved the fact that he got the majority of the screen time at the end of 8x6 and when Buck showed up, that made it even better.

I ONLY SHIP BUDDIE! I ALWAYS HAVE AND I ALWAYS WILL.

I've turned the page and I'm excited to see where Buddie is going next. I'm ready for them to enjoy spending time together again without Temu third wheeling and infringing on their relationship. I'm ready for their son to come home so the Buckley-Diazes can spend time together again too. I don't know when Chris will return but I don't think it was a coincidence that there was a picture of him on the sofa table that's next to the door underneath a picture of Texas especially since it was in the middle of Eddie and Buck.

So, here's to me being excited for Buddie and ignoring anything BT 2.0 related 🥳🍾🥂🎆.

I'm ready to enjoy my Buddie fandom experience again by creating METAs, theories, speculation, GIF sets and continuing to write fanfics and I can't wait!

[junktastic]

Hi everynyan,

Some of you will remember that I was taking names/addresses to send out free stickers in September. I am almost done sending them out now, so here's a quick update on that.

The Good!

I like this a lot! It's fun to do. For reference, I'm printing, laminating, and cutting these myself at home, so I'm learning a lot about my machine. I like being in charge of the quality control, I like doing the logistic work. Idk. It's fulfilling to me.

It's also really delightful to see names on the list who I've known of for a long time. Old and new faces, people all over the world, I love seeing people adopt a catgirl. :3 And for free! I'm by no means making a lot, but being able to provide something fun and physical to the people who enjoy my art for free is just! Wow!

The Bad!

Everything that could have gone wrong during this process did, which is why they're going out so late. The at-home manufacturing process was relatively simple but the materials kept being funky, or I'd do something wrong, so I'd have to toss something that I'd completely fucked up, OR I'd just miscount how much stuff material I had left. It's been a pain in the butt, so I'm glad it's done and that I've learned so much from it. I ALMOST FORGOT, I DESTROYED ONE CUTTING MAT MAKING THAT ROGER STANDEE FOR MY WEDDING LOL SO I HAD TO SPEND TIME CONDITIONING THE NEW CUTTING MAT! UGH!

There's also: the money. I know it's gauche to talk about it, but doing this was pretty expensive. I live in Canada now, and most of the letters were going out of Canada, so that postage added up. Materials cost, time, it's a pretty good chunk of change, but I didn't go broke so I want to do it again.

The Other?

I definitely want (and plan) to do this again very soon. I'm talking within this month. I'm making Christmas cards! I've already set money aside for this so it's all good, and it involves less at-home manufacturing since I can just reach out to a local print shop.

I know some people were wary of the google form, but I can't really find a better alternative at this time. MailChimp has had at least one major information leak in 2024 alone, so I am not sure where else to turn for collecting addresses at this time. I had a few people who did not give me towns/zip codes, and the street address would have three or four towns in that state alone with that address. Since I didn't collect e-mail addresses, I didn't have any way to reach out to entrants about this. If you don't see your sticker in the next few weeks, this might be why! I also plan on adding a checkbox just to confirm that the person requesting the sticker is over 18, NOT because I plan on sending anything saucy, but I know what it's like to be a teen with parents who open you mail, an I don't want to cause problems for anyone because Mom and Dad think fairies are satanic or something.

Most people I've talked to about all of this have really emphasized that I need to reopen my Patreon. I'm not saying anybody is wrong on this, but it just makes me feel so uncomfortable. I think anyone who's followed me for a while has seen me try and fail to do art full time or, hell, even have a schedule for something, and I've failed every time. I'm so scared of failing people again. How can I ensure that I'm producing things on time, to a standard I am happy with, that anyone willing to support me (in this economy?) would also be happy with? It will probably happen, but I'm just so... Plus, with all honesty, I have a commission backlog that I need to finish first! I'm bad at the business part of this whole thing, I think. I'm a blue-collar labourer in my heart.

That's my update! I wish you all well, please stay safe and take care of yourself and those around you. I'll post again when I'm collecting addresses for the Christmas cards.

[tizeline]

Was scrolling through your blog cuz it's been awhile since I checked up on tumblr, and then I found this:

And this:

And this is absolutely hilarious to me because wdym you've done years of art school and still can't explain how you draw things???? XD

wheeze

Honestly same, though. No art school for me but I've been drawing for two decades and I can't explain how I do it either. And yet I would also start infodumping about my process if given even half an opening haha

ig it's just an artist thing lol

NOT THE CALLOUT-! 😭😭😭😭

LMAOOO okay but lemme clarify, from my point of view there are at least two different ways of explaining my art process. There's the tutorial, where you explain the technique and instruct others on how to replicate that, you teach others how to draw, and that is what I'm bad at. The thing is I never had to teach others how to draw in artschool cuz ya know... that's the teacher's job, not mine!

The other way of explaining my art process is explaining specifically my thought process when creating the art, justifying what desicions I made and such. That was something I did all the time in art school so that the teachers would understand my art better, which is why that is what I actually know how to do.

So yeah, that first screenshot if from a post where someone asked for art tips which I am alas very bad at providing unless I'm helping a complete amatuer XD And the second screenshot is from a post where I was explaining my thought process while drawing one of my comics, it wasn't intended to be a tutorial (though if people learned anything from it then that's always a fun bonus)

I hope that clarifies it! ^^

[firefly-factory]

Astorvember Day 11: ASTROMANCY

This fits the theme in the loosest sense but y'all I'm so excited to get to include some Bargainer headcanons. In a world defined by the constant battle between "Good" and "Evil" the idea of a neutral deity is so intriguing to me.

A while ago I saw a joke post about how everyone should thank Astor for trying to keep the timeline from splitting again and - while it was 100% a joke post, I've been thinking about it ever since. Because what if that was his main stakes in the conflict? What if he wasn't siding with Ganon because he agrees with him, but because that's what is meant to be?

The Bargainer has a lot of potential in this context as an entity who is similarly uninvested in who wins, and would prefer to focus on ushering lost souls from one world to the next. It was a small leap (in my mind) to connect the Bargainer with Fate itself (and therefore, with Astor). I also liked the idea of the Bargainer being able to hijack a Goddess statue (like it does at the Temple of Time) and feel like it was probably able to do so because of Astor's alienation from Hylia.

At this point in his life, Astor has cut ties with most of the major powers that had directed him thus far. He's distrusting of authority, uneasy of anyone - or anything - that speaks in absolutes. The only thing he knows is that something - what he calls Fate - is dragging him towards a destiny he still can't make sense of.

Though he is terrified by the Bargainer, it also speaks in a language he can understand. It acknowledges his fears and assuages them. It assures him that there will be answers without chastising him for questioning.

[zombeebunnie]

Trembling Essence:💙Cabin development progress💙

Helloo guys and welcome new followers it's been a long while, now that spooky month is over here's how the game is coming along!

A very big thank you to the recent influx of interest around 2 weeks or so ago, I wasn't expecting much since I was busy/drawing for Noahween. :,,]

**I'm going to still be busy but in good news not as much as before. Game development posts might be every 1-2 weeks now depending on how things go! :,]

After I posted the previous game development I wasn't able to work on the game until recently and I wanted to give myself another week to re-adjust before saying anything.

Now that I'm getting settled in here's what I've been doing to the game:

Dialog adjustments:

I've been going through and gradually adjusting certain scenarios. I want to keep the foreboding flow with hints of comfort in between so I'm still adding a little more depth on how the player(Y/N) feels/reacts from being back in the cabin again and Noah's attempt at hospitality during this segment. I also cut down the dialog again by combining smaller sentences into one text box unless the situation calls for it to be separated. :]

More CG work in progress:

One quality of life change I really wanted to do back then was add a few CG's of Noah when you're back in the cabin again. Originally there was going to be one or two in the [Extended Demo] but they were scrapped because my art skills weren't where they are now and I still need to practice perspective, etc but enjoy these really really rough sketches, the second one is old but I'm trying to figure out how I want it to look and how I want the pose to be. :,,]

Choices that effects Noah's closeness with the player(Y/N):

Some of Noah's reactions to the player(Y/N)'s decisions give a neutral response versus a negative one that effects closeness are still being worked on. I'm going through everything but the process will need a lot of careful planning. Just have to make sure all the variables line up. :]

If you like what I create, please consider supporting what I do on kofi! All donations and tips help tremendously while I continue to work on the game. Thank you to those that optionally bought the [Extended Demo] and the March 2023 demo on itch.io. :,]

Q&A / Ask box is open:

To know and understand Noah through Asks and random posts about lore, they'll be under #Get to know: Noah ! :]

**Some asks won't be answered if it contains spoilers but I do appreciate what I receive. :,,]

If you have any questions about Trembling Essence/Noah feel free to ask here or on itch.io please. This makes it easier for me to see and answer accordingly! I enjoy hearing from you guys!

Thank you to everyone for the continued support during this long game development absence! >:]

[patolemus]

Wip Monday

Tagged by @gege-wondering-around @dontcallpanic and probably @novasillies at some point (yes I know I'm the literal worst please forgive me). Because I can never do anything like I'm supposed to, I'm not posting on Wednesday. This is a little thing I've been toying with per @superfluffycam-blog's request, nothing concrete yet but the idea is slowly coming together. With my track record, I'll either write the whole thing in one sitting sometime soon or it'll take ages (speaking of ages the Time Travel fic Is Coming I fucking promise!! It's been a very busy month but I'm done with my classes in like two weeks and then I just have to get through finals. I'll be back to post deranged shit about sterek after that)

The house is quiet. It’s always quiet these days, his dad away at the station for what feels like one long infinite shift, and Stiles running around town with a bunch of supernaturally inclined creatures at odd hours. On the nights he’s not running from certain death, Stiles keeps to his bedroom, headphones on and blaring music loud enough his eardrums hurt because at least that way he can pretend that’s the reason he doesn’t hear any noise around the house.

It wasn’t always like this. Stiles remembers a time when the house was full of noise, all the time. The low tunes playing on the radio in the kitchen, the occasional clang of pans against wooden spoons, the buzz of the television broadcasting the latest baseball game. Small giggles and loud shrieks of laughter, soft humming in the living room as his parents slow danced in the evening.

No one hums or slow dances anymore.

Stiles’ footsteps sound way too loud in the otherwise silent house. He drops his backpack by the stairs to pick up on his way to his room later, and beelines for the kitchen. There is a lone plate sitting on the drying rack, the only sign that his dad has come home sometime during the day while he was away at school. Stiles is not naive enough to believe that to be a coincidence. He and his dad haven’t crossed paths since… ah, Stiles doesn’t even know anymore. Between the werewolves and the hunters and the kanimas and the fucking crazy that has become his life, the days seem to be going by way too fast to keep count of them. These days, Stiles only has space in his head for the dates of the full moons.

He gets started on dinner before working on his homework. Stiles makes food for two, even though he knows his dad probably won’t come home to eat it in favor of getting something from the diner—a salad, most likely, because he has all of his dad’s usual haunts bribed and monitored, as well as all of his deputies, to make sure they don’t sell his dad anything that might make his health go sideways. Stiles knows most of them merely indulge him because of their own affection towards him, but Stiles isn’t above using that to make his dad stays as healthy as possible.

On the off chance the Sheriff does come home tonight, though—a slim, slim chance, Stiles wants there to be food for him to eat. He doesn't want to give his dad another reason to be disappointed, another reason to be mistrustful. Stiles still feels cold all over when he remembers the resignation on his dad's eyes, how he'd said he didn't know who Stiles was anymore.

It’s... it's been a tough year.

And I'm afraid that's all I've got for you. I've always loved the stories that explore Stiles and the Sheriff's complex relationship, how Claudia's death altered their dynamic to the point where it was hard to figure out who was the parent and who was the child, how Stiles became this autonomous, independent character we see in canon at the age of 10 years old. This is, in theory, meant to be a character study centered on that topic. Will I succeed? Who knows!! Not me. Gently tagging @dontcallpanic @salty-fryingpan @endwersed @novasillies @hedwig221b and @gege-wondering-around

[mooonjin]

Likes and Dislikes

Notes: OKAY SOO i know its been a hot minute since i posted SORRRYYYY ive been soso busy with work but now i present to you... WRECKER FIC >:)

Pairing: Wrecker x gn!reader

Summary: Your alone time with Wrecker doesn't go as you expected.

Warnings/Tags: mentions of explosives, minor kissing, fluff, like really small angst??, slight yelling — tell me if I've missed anything!

Aboard the ship, the atmosphere had settled into a rare calm, the steady hum of the engines a background comfort as the squad drifted into their own routines. Wrecker was tinkering with a piece of armor and muttering about his latest encounter with some unfortunate droids. You’d been watching him for a while. In a rare moment of impulse, you broke the silence between you.

"What do you like?" you asked, surprising both him and yourself with the question.

He perked up, pausing his work to flash you a broad grin. "What do I like? There's a lot! Blowin' up stuff, battling clankers, sleeping, food... oh, especially those Mantell Mixes on Ord Mantell." His eyes twinkled with the enthusiasm that he seemed to carry with him no matter where they were or what they faced.

You raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued by his affection for a food snack that seemed to be more than just a treat. "Mantell Mix?" you asked.

"Yeah! They're like little crunchy things y'eat!" he said, as if this were some life-altering discovery.

You couldn’t help but chuckle, mirroring his smile. "I figured," you replied, before glancing away. You weren’t quite sure what made you ask, but something about his open nature encouraged honesty. "What about what you dislike?"

For once, he seemed stumped, his brow furrowing. He scratched his head thoughtfully before answering, "Hmm... that's a hard question. I don't know what I dislike. Maybe people tryin' to hurt Omega or my brothers." His tone softened at the mention of his squadmates, his loyalty showing through.

"That's sweet of you," you said with a small smile. The truth was, you admired how he protected those close to him. There was something unspoken in the way he looked out for them.

"Anything to keep 'em safe!" he said with conviction. "What about you? Do you have anything ya don't like?"

The question caught you off guard. You hesitated, glancing away before muttering, "War, inflation, you, smelly places, broken speeders, and Lotho Minor."

The silence that followed was broken by his startled laugh. "Wa— Wait... did you say 'you' as in me?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah."

He looked hurt for a second, then almost amused. "Why don't y'like me?" he pressed, clearly curious, shuffling towards you.

Feeling defensive, you shot back, "No comment."

But he was persistent, a trait you both admired and found mildly annoying. "Hey, c'mon, you gotta comment! I wanna know why, cus' you're still talking to me." His grin widened, but there was a hint of genuine confusion in his eyes.

You looked away, a bit embarrassed. "You don’t need to know."

He crossed his arms, leaning closer. "Well, 'm gonna keep annoying ya if I don't get an answer," he declared, refusing to back down.

"Oh please, no," you groaned, rolling your eyes.

"Gotta tell me then!" he challenged.

You huffed, finally relenting. "I don’t dislike you."

"But you just said ya did! So do you like me or not?"

"Does it matter?" you asked, hoping to dodge further interrogation.

"Yes!" he answered firmly, leaving you with little choice.

You took a deep breath, feeling your patience slipping. "You’re so loud and always feel the need to inter—"

"Hey, well that's who I am!" he cut in without missing a beat, looking unapologetic.

"—rupt," you finished, giving him a sharp look. "This is why. You can never keep to yourself, and... you're so astute. You interact with people much easier than I can and always make good friends with people you don’t even know! You’re playful, and it makes it hard to watch when you’re trying to be all... lovey-dovey."

Wrecker blinked at that, momentarily silenced, a rare occurrence. His usual grin was replaced by something softer as you continued, words spilling out that you hadn’t realized you were holding back. "You’re so good with weapons and explosives and give great interest in stuff you’ve never seen before. You always complain when there’s no rations or when we encounter insects on missions! I hate how you laugh anyway when someone tells a bad joke."

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but you weren’t done yet, and your frustration finally found its voice. "I share my food with you, and you take it, but you never spare a second glance! I can never get myself to be versed in the world of explosives, so when we go dumpster diving, I can never have a conversation with you. I comment on how you look in your different sets of armor, but you never respond." You shrugged, attempting nonchalance. "So, you don’t like me."

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then he reached over, tilting your chin up, his gaze holding yours with an intensity you hadn’t expected. "There’s a reason why 'm holdin' your chin like this, y’know."

The moment hung between you, thick with words left unsaid and the quiet hum of the ship’s engine. Wrecker’s gaze softened, his hand still resting gently against your chin as he leaned a bit closer, eyes flickering between yours. You hadn’t expected him to be so tender yet so surprisingly hesitant.

He closed the gap slowly, his lips brushing yours in a kiss that was surprisingly gentle for someone so strong. It was warm and unexpectedly sweet, his hand moving to cradle the back of your head as if he was afraid you’d disappear if he didn’t hold on. The world around you fell away, and for that moment, there was only the warmth of his touch and the softness of his kiss.

Your heart skipped, the tenderness in his touch taking you by surprise. "W—What was that kiss for?" you stammered when he leaned in for a brief, unexpected kiss, his laughter rumbling low in his chest.

When he pulled back, his grin was even wider, a light flush colouring his cheeks. "To prove you wrong, haha! Guess ya didn’t dislike that too much, huh?"

He grinned, his eyes sparkling. "Okay, okay, y'dislike me—I know now! But we gotta continue with the rest. How about what ya like?"

He looked so serious, so hopeful, that you couldn’t help but soften. After a moment of silence, your answer slipped out quietly.

"...You."

-

Post-Notes: oops how was it? i kkinda thought it was cute this was mainly just dialogue practice since i cantr seem to read my own dialogue without cringing LOL

~ ~ ~

@elsastoes @nekotaetae @jiabeewrites @lokigirlszendaya @imalovernotahater @backyard-bear @namesmox @littlecrowtime @urfriendlyneighbornightfury @thebomb-diggity @Gt13tbbart @therealnekomari @dangraccoon @darkangel4121 @dalu-grantkylo @lucifidious @cw80831 @padawancat97

my taglist form!

[aurorialwolf]

WOOOO AN EXCUSE TO BLABBER ABOUT AN OC!!! ALSO I LIKE TOTALLY DIDNT SEE THE BIT ABOUT NON-REDACTED TIL I WAS DONE SO LIKE. ILL REBLOG THIS AGAIN WITH A NON-REDACTED OC I PROMISE LMFAO SORRY

I guesss I'll pick Aria bc she's my most detailed one so far and her story is set in the current timeline (her pronouns are they/she/he btw, I just use she in this so it isn't confusing to read ig??)

David: He thinks she's kind of shifty. Doesn't trust her that much, some kind of vibe she gives off idk

Huxley: She would attempt to help him dig a hole in the school grounds. He'd probably give her some tips on elemental control since she's not got a lot of practice in that field.

Vega: Ooh. Okay, so previous Vega, when he was much more sadistic, he would have totally picked her as an easy target to enhance vengeful feelings in. She's easily got roots for that for sure. Current Vega, not much would happen but he'd catch on to the vengeful feelings she already has, just wouldn't do anything with them.

Porter: OH okay so in the fan audios I've been making she actually has met him. She was trespassing in Wonderworld while he was on watch, and she'd put some of the vamps in the park to sleep, so he followed her to see if he needed to do something about her. She sent Dreamer (her listener) ahead to leave the park while she talked to Porter. He kind of implied a threat and told her to get out, which she did post-haste.

Geordi: Welllllll idk. She's dabbled a littleee bit in telepathy for her Labyrinth studies, so maybe she'd be able to tell something's up with him but otherwise they wouldn't have anything to talk about, but if he was with Cutie she'd pick up on some of the vibes of their relationship maybe?? Since he's informed maybe he could run into her via some of the dream design projects that utilize real ppl and occasionally unempowereds (that's smth I've just made up for my story, not canon afaik)

Blake: Oh shittttt dude yeah okay so. She would totally hate his guts, but at certain points in her storyline, depending on how he acted they might actually hit it off (this will make more sense after this next fan audio of mine releases). She believes in the autonomy of the dreamer when it comes to dreamscapes, and he doesn't seem to, so if they actually got to talk, she might pick a fight with him or smth.. definitely would be a bad time.

Hush: If Hush's anomaly-type stuff wasn't immediately obvious and was hidden, she'd probably be able to pick up on the fact that something's off. Not sure how he would act since Hush has only met like 5(?) people, 3 of which he killed so like. Idk maybe if she noticed and freaked out he'd assume she's a threat and kill her?? She's not got a lot going for her unless she's in a dream so like. Yeah. She's autistic though so maybe they could hit it off if given the chance.

@nevaroonie not sure if this is super interesting ?? but figured you might like to see it either way

ok cmere listen

take an oc you have from literally any universe that you have (other than redacted)

tell me what’s happening if they were to run into

- david

- huxley

- vega

- porter

- geordi

- blake

- hush

you can doooo as many of them as you want to

(this is just an excuse to hear about peoples OCs btw)

[aceghosts]

Worriedly inspecting your temperature after noticing your lack of mood and giving you a chaste kiss on the forehead. For Riley and Ingo

Thank you for this one, Biggie! It is a lot of fun to write these two!

[Prompt List]

Summary: When Riley gets sick in the Coronet Highlands, Ingo appears at the right time to help.

Words: 1,351 words.

Content Warnings: I don't think there are any content warnings that need to come with this, but let me know if I need to tag for anything.

Author's Note: Okay, I hope this makes sense as it takes place in Legends Arceus, and before these two are in a relationship. If anything sounds awkward or unclear, just let me know.

AO3

Riley finally needed to admit it: they were sick. Guess running around in the Coronet Highlands during a rainstorm yesterday was a really dumb idea. Wasn’t the first time they made a stupid decision. And it definitely wouldn’t be the last time. They cough, their Garchomp, Chompers, eying them warily. “Oh please, like you’ll catch this.” Riley winces, their already sore throat hurting from speaking.

Chompers snorts, shuffling away from them with a wary look in her eyes. Riley rolls their eyes. “Come on. We’ll head back to the Mountain Camp; we’re not far.” Getting up from the tree they were sitting under, Riley lets out a low groan of protest, their muscles sore and achy. Stepping forward, Riley stumbles, nearly crashing to the ground. Oh no, not good. Out of the corner of their eye, Riley catches Chompers, shaking her head at her human’s stubborn foolishness. They could call one Wyrdeer for a ride, but it would take Wyrdeer a while to arrive, and Riley just wanted to get back to camp to sleep. Biting back a sarcastic remark, Riley starts their slow journey back to camp, one shaky footstep at a time. The wind blows, a shiver running over them.

“RILEY!” Of all the people in this Arceus-forsaken land, it had to be him. It had to be Ingo. Riley nearly wanted to laugh in frustration. It’s not that Riley didn’t want to be around Ingo; They always wanted to be around him. Becoming friends with Ingo and Emmet had been one of the few good decisions in Riley’s life. But it was difficult when he couldn’t remember Riley the way they remember him. It hurt in the worst way possible, something Riley didn’t think could happen. They just wanted their best friend back; They just wanted the man they lov-. No, those thoughts wouldn’t help. Riley would find Arceus and make things right or die trying. They owed Ingo that much.

“Warden Ingo,” Riley turns slowly, trying to not look like they were two seconds from collapsing on the ground, “uh, how are you?”

Ingo’s smile falters, the familiar frown on his face returning. His chrome silver eyes roam over them, taking in their pathetic appearance. “You are unwell,” He notes, his frown deepening, “You should return and rest; safety should be a top priority for all of us. What station do you plan to return to?”

“I’m fine,” Riley snaps, Ingo’s eyes widening. He looks a little hurt, and guilt crashes over Riley. No! They hadn’t meant to make him feel bad; they know he is just trying to help them. “Sorry, just tired, but I’m fine.”

He shakes his head. “You are not as you suggest, fine.” Ingo moves closer to them, invading Riley’s space. Most people would have gotten a sarcastic comment from Riley, but they never minded when Ingo was in their personal space. He presses the back of his hand against their head, a soft gasp escaping from him. “You are burning up! You need to return to the nearest station, immediately.”

“I think I’ll be okay-.”

“Stop,” Ingo cuts them off in the middle of their sentence, “Please do not lie to me, especially when it concerns important matters such as your health.” Riley wants to laugh a little. Back in Unova, it was normally Riley dragging Ingo and Emmet away from their jobs to take a break. And now Ingo was trying to get them to rest. As they search his kind eyes, all Riley finds is concern and something else they can’t quite name. It’s not fair that he looks at them that way, not fair at all. All Ingo had to do was give them those eyes, and Riley could be a complete and utter push-over.

Stepping back as they try to put distance between themself and Ingo, Riley coughs into their elbow, this cough sounding worse than the last. A new wave of anxiety flickers over Ingo’s face, and Riley tries to comfort him. “Don’t worry about it,” They attempt to give him a reassuring thumbs up, “We’re heading back to camp. Chompers is keeping an eye on me.”

“Chomp?” Chompers questions, as if this is news to her.

“It would be irresponsible of me not to conduct your journey safely back to camp. Onward, we go!” Some things never change. Even if he didn’t remember who he was, Ingo was still the same, especially with his one-track mind.

Too tired to continue arguing with him, Riley, Ingo, and Chompers start their journey back to camp. Riley shivers, struggling to keep up with the slow pace set by Ingo and Chompers. They yawn, already wishing they were back in camp, asleep in their bed roll. As they walk, Riley catches Ingo, watching them closely, practically hovering over them. Every time they even stumble slightly, they see Ingo move, ready to catch them if they should fall. “Something on your mind?” Riley asks.

Ingo is silent for a second, clearly trying to choose his words carefully. “Do you feel capable of walking?”

Riley raises an eyebrow. “I thought that’s what I was doing.” Poorly, but they were upright, at least. Gotta look on the bright side.

“You seem to be struggling. Please allow me to assist you; I do not want to watch you hurt yourself.” Riley stops, Ingo stopping beside them. “Please.” He adds softly, giving Riley those eyes again.

Arceus, be damned. “How do you want to help? It might be a little hard for me to lean on you, since-.” Riley motions between the two, Ingo being significantly taller than them. It sucked being short sometimes.

Tipping the brim of his tattered cap down, Riley notices the faint blush on his cheeks that he is trying to hide. “I could carry you back.”

Riley’s cheeks heat up. “I wouldn’t want-.”

“You would not be,” He blurts out loudly, Riley slightly wincing, “In fact, I insist! We could call Sneasler if you would prefer, but our journey would proceed much quicker if you allowed me to carry you.”

Ingo is right. Even though she comes as fast as she can, it does take Sneasler some time to get to Riley. “Okay, you can carry me.”

Clearing his throat awkwardly, the red on Ingo’s cheeks grows a little brighter. “I am going to pick you up now. Please be careful,” He warns them as if Riley might startle. They simply nod, allowing Ingo to pick them up in his arms. Riley wraps their arms around his neck, a sense of security washing over them. For the first time, Riley felt safe in Hisui, here in Ingo’s arms. Leaning their head against his chest, Riley lets out a soft, content sigh. “Are you comfortable?”

“Yeah,” They yawn, “I am.”

“Excellent! Onward, we go!” Ingo starts walking, Chompers still beside the pair. As Ingo walks, Riley feels their eyelids growing heavy. Between their closeness to Ingo and the rhythm of his walking, Riley succumbs to sleep, finally feeling safe to do so.

--

Ingo glances down, unsurprised to find Riley asleep in his arms. Their body is warm against his, leaving Ingo with an almost familiar feeling of happiness. He does worry that they seem so reckless with their health. A tight flare of panic rises in his chest at the thought of losing them. Even before Riley explained that they knew each other in his previous life, Ingo found himself drawn to the other stranger who fell from the sky. Something about Riley immediately felt familiar, as if Ingo had known them his whole life. Yet, he has no memories of them, something which bothers him deeply. Perhaps, Ingo could ask them a few questions when they felt better.

“Please take care of yourself. No one, especially I, would like to see harm come to you.” Ingo presses a soft kiss against their forehead, unable to help himself. Riley snuggles closer to him, a soft satisfied sigh leaving them. Ingo is unable to help himself, the smile breaking out on his face. Now, to return safely to their destination.            

[willowlight-shadows]