#it's still a work of art that clearly had a lot of time and energy put into it

[dokidokitsuna]

Been watching a playthrough of the recently-released Princess Peach: Showtime! It's very cute and fun; I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how it ended up being structured. ^^

The other day I heard that some people were mocking the game, calling it too easy and silly and childish, and most notably, comparing it to the Kirby series. Well, as a Kirby fan, I take that as a compliment! :D The similarities ARE noticeable, and if HAL were to try making a Kirby game that leaned into PPS's particular strengths-- theatrics, characterization, episodic storytelling, and a heavy emphasis on REALLY COOL VISUALS-- I would be overjoyed. ^^

Since Kirb is kind of a simple character with a limited (and already well-established) range of expression, I doubt they'd try it with him, but I think any one of the franchise's fan-favorite side characters would fit right into the formula. MK, DDD, Magolor, even Bandana Dee could work. I'd really love to see them in a game like that...now I have something else to wish for and dream about, I guess~

[gothamundernightlight]

Random Shit the Waynes Do on Social Media

Dick:

- The white whale of D1 and Olympic gymnastics athletes; always stitches their stunts and challenges, executing them perfectly, but no one knows who he is or who trained him

- Shares pictures of random children, and the whole internet becomes a detective trying to figure out if Bruce Wayne adopted another kid or if his gymnastics students won another trophy

- Photo montages of Haley being the cutest, which slowly transitions into Haley in whatever cute hat the internet can send to Dick’s PO Box

- Random video of him skydiving while giving tips on what to do if your chute doesn’t deploy. He never deploys his chute doing the video and no one can tell if it’s a bit or not.

Jason:

- AI Voiceover text posts providing surprisingly insightful analysis into classic literature

- A full six part rant on the Broadway adaptation of “The Great Gatsy”

- Random selfies complete with wildly made up backstories of any and every new injury he has

- Prank war on Damian specifically (this was intended for Talia but his finger slipped and now the whole internet loves it)

Tim:

- Randomly goes live to do study/work/research with me sessions complete with an actually decent Lofi soundtrack that no one can find (He totally mixes it himself but won’t admit it)

- Did ONE social media vlog for WE’s marketing division and it went so viral he gets forced to do more. The dead eyed stare he gives the camera with every stupid dance the intern teaches him makes the video top-tier

- Cute couples videos with Bernard

- Skateboard tricks (and fails)

- Screenshots of text conversations between him and his siblings discussing the most random shit??

Cass:

- Dance routines/pre-show/GRWM videos

- Shakily filmed videos of her kicking Dick’s ass and everyone just calls her a baddie in the comments. She doesn’t know what that means but she appreciates the love.

- Her and Steph’s late night food runs with the two of them just belting out to a song in a dark parking lot

Steph:

- Posts riddles and puzzles and how to solve them. She’s really good at it. Riddler hates her.

- Apartment tour of all the purple shit she owns. She’ll never admit that the room she’s showing off is her Wayne Manor bedroom, so everyone believes she just has a moderately sized loft apartment somewhere and she just never shows the kitchenette

- Her and Cass’s late night food runs with the two of them just belting out to a song in a dark parking lot

- POV shots of her going up to the boys asking them random questions. Dick matches her energy. Jason tells her to fuck off. Tim is barely conscious. Damian always has an overly rational answer to take the fun out of it. Duke just stares blankly at her (he always comes back later with a proper answer now that he’s had time to think about it). Bruce just stares blankly at her

Damian:

- Art reveals that never get many views but he’s still proud of nonetheless. Dick always comments on them to hype him up

- Accidentally recreates a popular vine that went viral and it’s just him insulting fellow GA kids under his breath but one of them says hi to him and he’s instantly polite back. His most popular video

- The multi-part experiment of him trying to Pavlov Tim, and when it actually works, Tim just chases Damian around the manor. The video cuts to black frames after Tim takes a flying launch at him

- All the pet videos. There are so many. People try to cancel him for exploiting them, but Damian clearly demonstrates that he would never force his animals to participate for views and how they will just leave if they don’t want to do something. Batcow is in the background just two-stepping unprompted

Duke:

- Every morning without fail, he posts a daily sunrise pic of Gotham, with a positive affirmation caption. One day he’s sick and he wakes up to a thousand messages of people panicking because their favorite poster has disappeared. He never misses a sunrise again

- Passionate rants about local government. Will not shut up about it. He might be an anarchist, but he’s forever remain optimistic that one day the systems that define society will one day actually work for all people. Bruce has every single one saved so he can implement Duke’s ideas into reality

- Boxing videos of him training with Luke. It’s never meant to be a thirst trap…but sometimes it is

- Dumb selfies. Duke unironically loves taking them, no matter what face he pulls, what filter he uses, not even caring where he is. This gets him in trouble the one time he posts one of him leaning off the edge of a high rise roof

Babs:

- Constant lectures on cybersecurity and internet safety. She teaches this at the library as a volunteer but feels she can reach a lot of people by building a platform

- Computer build stuff. Brands reach out to her for her reviews and she thoroughly discusses each product in length

- Rarely posts about her disability, but absolutely tears people to shreds when they make ableist comments about her. The only time she brings it up first is when City Hall takes over a month to fix their elevator and she calls them out on it

Harper:

- Electronics repairs. She constantly takes things apart to teach people how to fix it, and this can range from toys to cars. On more than one occasion , her video has been interrupted by someone who planned to be using the vehicle she’s just taken apart

- 2 AM hair dye/maintenance sessions. She constantly gets comments from men being like “Therapy works too, y’know” or “No, you’re so beautiful? Why would you do that to yourself.” She responds to the comments with a video of a gun pointed at the camera with the sole caption being “Fuck Off.”

- Gym videos. She and Dick work out together and he’s the ultimate hype man

- Outfit montages of her getting ready for a random gala and she’s always pulling off the most masc-looking suits that look gorgeous on her

Helena:

- Target practice. She does all kinds of trick shots and crazy crossbow stunts in a wide variety of outfits. Her most popular video is of her in a corset and platform heels.

- Her and Steph bonding over all things purple

- Outfit of the Day posts. The girl has expensive tastes and she absolutely shows it off.

Bruce:

- Occasionally does promo stuff for WE (because Tim refuses to do all of it, and their social media intern won’t back down)

- Shares absolutely wild stories from his college years that somehow always get proven to be true even when the whole comments section is just like “this seems false???”

- Kid tour. He saw one mom do it and felt sad bc he’s never get the kids to agree, but somehow they all did (Alfred bribed them.)

- Shares everything from each one of the charities he’s involved with. Has reposted every single one of their posts on his own personal channel. It raises them hundreds of followers each time.

- One of the kids posted a video montage of Bruce being Brucie and it’s so utterly humiliating? But he won’t delete it because all of the comments say he’s their favorite billionaire and that’s more than his own kids will say.

- Random Pride Month post. Every year it catches people by surprise and every gossip magazine always wonders if Bruce is coming out. He’s just being an ally (and potentially is in denial).

Alfred:

- Prefers not to use social media, but one of the boys filmed him doing random things to teach the internet how to do things properly, like making the bed, doing laundry, etc. Is the internet’s favorite grandpa.

[sanguinesmi1e]

A Round Door Like a Porthole, Lazarus Green Pt. 1 Pt. 2 (you're here) Pt. 3 Pt. 4

Art of LBM

Danny was still lying under the Specter Speeder, mind reeling as the words “they opened this portal with a child sacrifice, and bound his death and all the lost life potential to their bloody machine to create a perpetual gateway to the Infinite Realms” ran in a loop through his head. Could that really be true? Is his death attached to the portal, forever lodged in the doorway, preventing it from closing?

The guy clearly knew what he was talking about. The bit about why his ghost friends and frenemies caused so much chaos as they unleashed their obsessions on Amity Park made so much sense. It would certainly explain a lot of his interactions with ghosts after he died. 

 Danny silently cursed himself for not destroying everything in the lab before they got here. He and Jazz hadn't worried about the portal schematics, because they honestly didn't have any way to open a portal, only cycle energy in a recursive loop that shouldn’t have done anything. No one, not he and Jazz, not their parents, not Tucker or Technus, had been able to figure out why it had worked when Danny was inside. But if the machine was able to sustain a portal that was already opened. . . He wondered idly if he could light a fire that looked accidental and would both destroy the lab and leave the two men enough time to escape. It’d probably be too risky. And who knew what destroying the portal would do to him. Fully kill him? Destroy him completely and shatter his core? It might be worth it to prevent anyone from gaining this knowledge. 

No wonder Lex Luthor was interested in this business. A child was murdered in this basement, and for all Tim knew, the child’s soul could still be trapped here fueling a Lazarus Pit that connected the world of the living to the afterlife. What Luthor could do with an interdimensional portal or even a single sample of Lazarus water. . . Tim shuddered to think.

On the one hand, he was grateful that Wayne Enterprises secured the business before Luthor had the chance. On the other hand, he felt rather ill to think his family had directly enriched mad scientists who performed child sacrifices. At least he had full faith that between him and Oracle, they’d hunt the Fentons down and make sure justice was served.

“What is to be done for the child?” Tim asked Constantine. “Is his soul tied to that machine?”

“I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure it’s just his death.” 

“You’re gonna have to explain the difference to me, ‘cause I’m not sure I see the distinction.” Tim said wryly. 

“I guess. . . Hm. You could think of it as the moment of transition drawn out endlessly like a plucked string whose note never stops vibrating. Like life is the anchor point of one end of the string, and the afterlife is at the other end, and the child’s death is the note created when his soul crosses from one side to the other. The soul is the bow causing reverberations, but the reverberations are the actual death itself. The effect of the soul’s passage. And in this case, the portal is amplifying the death so it doesn’t end like a normal death ‘note’ would.” Constantine leaned in to examine some of the runes that were part of the array. “Not a perfect metaphor, obviously, since you bow perpendicular rather than parallel to the string, and death and souls are nothing like music, but you get the idea, right?”

Tim was still caught on John Constantine saying the words “death note” together unironically in a sentence. He was going to have to share that with Steph later. Maybe with the whole family group chat, even. “Yeah, the metaphor makes sense, as much as any of this occult stuff does to me.”

“Whatever. As for whether there’s anything we can do for the child, I think we’ll have to try and summon him if we can.” The Brit started pulling items out of his trenchcoat’s inner pockets. “We need to ask what the spirit wants done, before we go messing with things we don’t understand.”

“Alright, need anything from me?”

“Yeah, move this stuff out of the way so I can draw a circle.” Constantine directed Tim to shove aside a few stacks of boxes, something called a Fenton Ghost Weasel, and together they shifted a coffin-shaped iron maiden that for some reason was labeled Fenton Stockades. Then he set to work chalking a circle and runes on the ground.

Finally he sat back and dusted chalk off his hands. “That should do it.”

“Will this be bright too?” Tim asked warily.

“Eh, might be? Shouldn’t be too bad.”

Tim grabbed an auto-darkening welding helmet with a green “Fenton” sticker on it off the workbench and slipped it on.

“Alright, here goes.” Constantine began the summoning ritual.

While Danny debated arson, the other two had finished clearing a space and chalked some kind of circle onto the floor. He tuned back into the conversation when he heard the trenchcoat guy begin a traditional incantation for a summoning. Were they trying to summon him? Danny really hoped it wouldn’t work. 

When people tried to summon the Ghost King he could almost always ignore the pull. This pull, however, was very strong and immediate. It seemed proximity made a difference, or this guy was just better at summonings than the average cultist. Before Danny could accept the inevitable, he was pulled bodily — literally! — out from under the vehicle and across the floor, still flat on his back on the Fenton Under Car Creeper, with the Specter Speeder’s ecto-engine hugged tightly to his chest. The wheels of the Fenton Creeper (not to be mistaken with the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick) sped him straight to the summoning circle. Still very much in human form. 

This was his first real look at the guy called Constantine, and he couldn’t help a horrified yelp. “Eugh!! What the fuck is wrong with you, dude!?!!” 

His lapse in attention made him lose the battle with the summoning spell, and it gripped him, pulling him through the convolutions of the spellwork even though he was already lying half across the circle, and forcing him to change into Phantom in the process. It was such a disgusting sensation, like he was one of those squishy water filled tube snake toys that look like a fleshlight, and someone squeezed really hard and abruptly so he turned inside out and went flying to go splat against a wall (or in this case, against the ground inside the circle of chalk). He tried and failed not to retch.

The younger man in the crisp suit whom he’d already identified as Mr. CEO-Timothy-Drake-Wayne looked at him in startled bafflement, while the older blond, still smoking his cigarette, (gross, and was that thing never ending?) was probably looking at him. Maybe. It was really difficult to tell, because he was a frankly vile sight. Danny winced and swallowed down nausea. “What have you done to your soul?”

“I — what?”

“Trypophobia central, man! Ugh that’s gotta be the grossest thing I’ve ever seen. Can’t you cover it up?”

“Who are you?” Timothy Drake-Wayne interjected.

“I’m the dead guy? You literally just summoned me.”

“Constantine said you were a child”

“I mean, I was?” Danny looked down at his obviously twenty-something year-old self and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s been a while since I was fourteen though. These things happen.”

“Not typically, no. The dead tend to be pretty unaging.” Constantine said. 

“Dude I’m not having a conversation with you while your soul looks like Escher’s swiss cheese nightmare. Anyways, some of us do. Heck, I know a guy who constantly shifts from infant to old man and every stage in between. It’s pretty distracting when you’re trying to get him to let you fix the timeline again.” Danny continued to look anywhere but at the blond man. “But if it’s so important to you, I can —” He got an abstracted look, and slowly de-aged himself until the two men stood over a fourteen year old boy with snow white hair and glowing green eyes.

“That does not help. No.” The guy whose soul looked somewhat like a bleeding tooth fungus said. He turned away and started doing something magical. Danny hoped it would mask his soul in some way, but so far all it did was make Danny feel like he needed to pop his ears.

He also felt particularly uncharitable, so he didn’t revert to his natural age, and instead tried to see how young and cute he could make himself appear.

“So are you just haunting this basement? Seems hazardous, given the former proprietors.” Timothy tried to redirect the conversation. He didn’t seem nearly as distressed to see the ghost of a child, but his eyes darted surreptitiously to the Lichtenberg figure Danny used to always hide under gloves.

“Nah, haven’t been back here in years. I mostly live in my Infinite Realms haunt these days.”

“You . . . live? Is that just a figure of speech?”

“It’s rude to ask about a ghost’s nonliving status, you know. Highly taboo to ask how a ghost died or poke into the circumstances of our deaths without permission.” Danny admonished. Making himself younger than fourteen took more effort than he expected.

“Alright, I’m sorry,” Timothy raised his hands placatingly to the boy who now looked younger than Damian. “What brings you back to Amity Park?”

“Uh, you summoned me? Are we still not clear on that?”

Tim looked pointedly at the Fenton Creeper and the engine Danny still held. He’d shrunk down to the size of a four year old, and the engine really should be crushing him given it was bigger than his torso now. He quickly set it aside, and turned his biggest puppy dog eyes on Tim.

“You were in here already, and you looked pretty alive for a moment there.”

“I can look lots of ways!” Danny focused really hard on looking as cute, small, and nonthreatening as possible. He thought it was working when all of a sudden there was a pop! and he was smaller than he’d ever managed before. 

Timothy Drake-Wayne looked like a giant. The other guy, who had thankfully managed to put away his soul somehow, wore scuffed oxfords bigger than Danny. Hell, he could probably fit his entire self into one of Constantine’s shoes if that wasn’t a bizarre thing to do, and they weren’t already full of stinky feet. Holy shit what happened to him!?

Tim blinked down at the cat? Snake? Ghost. . . thing at his feet. What the fuck. A moment ago he was talking to an adult man whom he’s pretty sure was dead and he’s very sure was trolling them. Now his interlocutor had turned into an adorable creature with soft white paws, a long twisting tail, big pointed ears that swiveled like a cats, and a humanoid face that should’ve been creepy but was actually eliciting cute-aggression in him. Tim blinked again. The little baby ghost creature blinked enormous green eyes back at him. Then it yawned, revealing three rows of needle sharp teeth that looked like a cross between what you’d find in the mouth of a shark and a cat. Yikes.

“Does that mean the interview is over?” Tim asked him.

The creature just blinked up at him again, then zeroed in on his shoelaces, pupils expanding until only a narrow band of green ringed them.

Yup. The interview was over. Those paws hid some wicked claws which could apparently slice through leather with ease. Oh, Tim really hoped ghost scratch fever wasn’t a thing. At least the ghost looked sufficiently contrite after he yelped, and it waited while he removed a shoelace to sacrifice as a toy.

If Damian ever met him, there would be a new member of the family. Maybe he should name the creature preemptively so they didn’t have a cat-snake named Bat-Ghost in Wayne manor. 

“Do you have a name, little baby cat-snake ghost? Little baby ghost man?” He cooed as the miniature monster dashed back and forth, intent on shredding his shoelace.

The ghost paused long enough to chirp, “Li’l baby man!” before launching himself at the string. Even shocked, Tim’s reflexes had him whisking the toy out of the way, and the ghost went careening under a cabinet.

He wedged himself in the gap, landing face first in a dust bunny, and quickly wriggled backwards with an indignant squall. His wordless protestations cut off as he fell into a violent sneezing fit that thankfully dislodged him from beneath the cabinet.

Tim suppressed his laugh, and asked, “Little Baby Man? Is that what you want to be called?”

The ghost pawed most of the dust away from his nose, but spider webs covered his face and a big dust bunny perched atop his head like a fascinator with a cobweb lace veil. He looked Tim right in the eyes and nodded, dislodging the dust in his hair and setting off more sneezes.

“Li’l Baby Man” he confirmed. He placed a paw on Tim’s shoe and chirped, “Tim!” Then he pointed his tail at Constantine and said, “Gross!” with narrowed eyes.

[capquinn]

Does Quinn do elf on a shelf with Bug and Cub?

girl, you can bet on dad!quinn taking his role as elf on the shelf co-coordinator with the utmost seriousness. like, truly — he’ll be treating this like it’s a full-time job with a performance review at the end lmao

“Okay,” he mutters, crouching on the floor and studying the tiny elf with an intensity that could rival his game tape analysis. “What if we set up a zip line? Between the bookshelf and the tree? They’d think that’s cool, right?”

You try to stifle your laugh, leaning against the counter, arms crossed. “A zip line? You realise you’re talking about a kid who lost her mind last year when the elf just sat in a bowl of marshmallows?”

“Exactly,” he says, looking up at you with that boyish grin that still makes your stomach flip, even after all these years. “We’ve gotta step it up this year. Bug’s smart. She’s going to start asking questions if we don’t bring our A-game. Plus, it’s Cub’s first Christmas. He deserves something special.”

“Oh, our A-game?” you tease, quirking an eyebrow. “This feels a lot like your game plan. I’m just here to make sure you don't go completely overboard.”

Quinn scoffs, picking up the elf and turning it in his hands like it’s a puzzle he’s trying to solve. “Overboard? I’m not the one who suggested having him write notes in icing last year.”

“Okay, first of all,” you point a finger at him, “that was adorable. Second of all, it was your idea to have him spill the sprinkles everywhere.”

“True,” he concedes, but the glimmer in his eye says he isn’t done brainstorming.

By the time you both finish setting up for the night, the elf is precariously perched on a zip line Quinn had insisted was the perfect length — stretching from the bookshelf, past the twinkling Christmas tree, and down to the TV cabinet. The elf itself? Nestled in a repurposed Easter basket at the end of the line, surrounded by a chaotic tumble of candy canes as if they'd crash-landed in spectacular fashion.

“This is good,” Quinn says, stepping back and crossing his arms as he admires the handiwork. “It’s believable.”

You snort. “Believable? It’s an elf on a zip line, Quinn.”

But even you have to admit, it's fantastic. The candy canes, the tiny basket, the zip line stretching across the room — it's chaotic and whimsical and perfect. Bug is surely going to lose her mind, and Cub — well, he might not fully understand what’s happening, but you just know he’s going to be wrapped up in his sister’s energy, his tiny hands clapping and his little laugh bubbling up as he mirrors her excitement — and honestly, you can't wait to see their little faces.

And so the next morning arrives, and Bug’s shriek of delight breaks the stillness, and she’s off like a shot, her little feet pounding against the floor as she charges into the living room.

“He’s flying!” she exclaims, her voice an awed whisper by the time she reaches the elf. Her hands hover over her mouth as she stares at the zip line, her excitement bubbling over into giggles.

Cub trails behind her, still mastering the art of crawling, his chubby hands slapping against the floor with determination. He babbles loudly, clearly swept up in Bug’s enthusiasm even though he doesn’t quite understand what’s happening. When he finally reaches the Easter basket at the end of the zip line, his tiny fingers curl around a stray candy cane with the single-minded focus only a baby can muster.

“No, Cubby!” Bug gasps, darting forward and shielding the basket like her life depends on it. “You can’t touch him! He’s doing his elf job!”

Quinn appears just in time, crouching down to scoop Cub into his arms before he has a chance to undo all his handiwork.

“Whoa, buddy,” he says with a soft laugh, lifting Cub high into the air and eliciting a delighted squeal. “The elf’s got important work to do. No sabotage today.”

Bug tugs on Quinn’s sweatpants, her expression solemn, her wide eyes darting between him and the elf.

“Daddy, did he really fly here? Like… magic?”

Quinn lowers himself to her level, balancing Cub on his hip as the baby grabs at his hoodie string. “Absolutely,” he says, his tone serious, though the twinkle in his eye betrays him. “Do you think I could’ve set up something this cool? That’s all elf magic.”

Bug’s mouth drops open, her hands clasping dramatically in front of her chest as she whispers, “he's the best.” Her awe is palpable, her gaze glued to the tiny elf perched on the string.

Cub, meanwhile, has no patience for elves. His hands pat Quinn’s chest insistently, demanding attention with a flurry of babbles. Quinn leans his forehead gently against Cub’s, his voice soft as he whispers, “don’t worry, Cub. You’ll figure it out next year.”

You lean against the doorframe, watching the scene unfold with a fond smile tugging at your lips. Bug turns to you, bouncing slightly on her toes.

“Mommy! Do you see? He’s so cool!”

“I see him, Bug,” you say, stepping closer to circle an an arm around Quinn’s waist, leaning into him. “Looks like the elf pulled out all the stops last night.”

Quinn tilts his head, brushing it lightly against yours. “Told you the zip line was genius,” he murmurs, his voice low and smug, though the warmth in his gaze softens the teasing. He nudges you lightly with his hip, the playful gesture drawing a quiet laugh from you.

Bug grabs his free hand, her eyes alight with anticipation. “Daddy, do you think he’ll do something even cooler tomorrow?”

Quinn glances at you, sharing a small smile like it’s your own little secret, before turning back to Bug.

“Oh, I’m sure he will,” he says, his tone full of playful assurance, giving your hip another gentle nudge as if to say, we’ve got this.

[angiethewitch]

things I did thinking I was being spiritual but it was actually a severe psychotic episode

to preface i am a pagan but let's be honest here this was straight up a mental health crisis

okay let's go

convinced myself there was a very angry poltergeist in my loft after I found out there was an old bed frame up there and it needed my help to move on but instead I threw salt up there and refused to let anyone walk underneath the loft opening

decided I had mastered the art of astral projection and I was travelling to astral planes and I could fly around the world while I was actually just lying there vividly hallucinating

straight up told people that my spiritual guides were gonna kill them like how did I expect them to do anything but laugh in my face

blood magic. like really dangerous stuff. thought I could bring my dead mother back to life by exchanging my life force for her own. hello?

vividly hallucinated my dead mother talking to me and fully believed she was a trapped spirit but nobody else could hear her and it was up to me to save her. all through her funeral she talked to me, she spoke to me for months. took me nearly a year to start dealing with her death and actually begin the grieving process

decided my husband was cursed and made him stand in the kitchen while I walked in a circle around him boiling herbs. poor bloke has dealt with so much

became convinced if I could just cast the right glamour spell at the right time I could breathe underwater and tested this out in the ocean like a very normal and sane individual

thought the wind was actually terrible forces speaking to me and delivering messages just for me so I became terrified of wind because I would have to sit outside and decipher the words that were clearly just for me

sewed a load of crystals onto a t shirt to protect myself from bad energies and called myself "the high priestess" and got very upset when people couldn't understand my power

understood that my cat was not actually a cat and was in fact the spirit of a 2500 year old druid priest sent to guide me in the form of a cat. Still called him Jinx though

started a journal where I detailed all the signs that the end of the world was coming

Read online that the colour red means angry so I desperately avoided the colour red because that meant the world was angry with me

tried to summon satan to terrorise my neighbour who was mean to me and fully believed it would work

decided I was immortal and imbued with the powers of ancient gods which led to some very risky and dangerous situations which I will obviously not detail here

there are many more examples but these are the most ridiculous ones

if you followed me for the witchcraft posts, im sorry. ive had to take a step back from it all for the sake of my own mental wellbeing. spirituality is a huge trigger for me. I tried practicing in moderation, I tried practicing just a little, but it is too much now. I had to unfollow a lot of witchcraft blogs because 1) they all seemed to collectively devolve into conspiracy theories and 2) i had to remove myself from the online witchcraft space. if you were wondering why I don't post about witchcraft anymore, this is why. I barely practice anymore, and when I do, I keep it private so im not encouraged by online validation.

please practice safely. always consider the mundane explanations first.

[austinsastrology8991]

JUPITER and where do you the MOST but its never EnuF > Jupiter ASpects < and the Taste of ABUNDANCE that Blinds everyone in awe

Jupiter aspecting Sun - Bombastic ass people, they are the epitome of doing the most. Always thriving, always smiling, always giving and receiving, they just love themselves so much and they want to share this sense of joy that they have found and give it to anyone who had the pleasure of meeting them

Jupiter aspecting Moon - They are so emotional but so tender. everyone wants to hug them and get a hug from them. supreme motherly energy and everyone feels if they spill their feelings to them they will really listen, they'll probably start crying from the joy of you sharing their feelings to them Jupiter aspecting Mercury - too smart for their own good or anyone elses. Its hard to really tell what they mean because they have a hard time telling you everything going on in their head, so they practice the art of simplyifying whilst in their heads they are thinking of the most complex rubix cube with triangles, and their simultaneously talking to you. just go do brain surgery already (on yourself) Jupiter aspecting Venus - Luck is always on their side, they just attract abundance, and its hard for them to admit they are so lucky because to them this is just a everyday occurence. but when you talk to them, you cant even be mad at their stupid luck because they clearly are very beautiful people inside and out, but still everyone stays mad cause they way too lucky it ain't even fair Jupiter aspecting Mars - Drive is so strong they drove off the cliff and didn't take their foot off the pedal. But seriously they never quit; they love the thrill of pursuit, and the desire to win is so strong they feel nothing can stop them, even when something does stop them (and its gonna have to be a lot) they'll just use this time to recover then go go go again. Jupiter aspecting Saturn - the self control and self mastery is so admirable they never run out of applause for their hard work. which only inspires them to work harder, and its not for you, its because they get off on the feeling of completion, so when they can complete something to satisfaction, they are better than good. Self mastery is their bitch Jupiter aspecting Uranus - Crazy motherfuckers who do something no one ever done before, but everyone cant get enough. Truly fearless in going after their desires no matter how twisted or frownd upon they may be, they gonna do it because thats what makes them feel special. And it truly is special when they show off what ever the hell it is they got going on Jupiter aspecting Neptune - Angels on earth who are protected by their stupid amount of empathy. They have so much empathy and imagination at their disposal they can forgive anyone, and they are always stressing about doing the right thing. They are not easily persuaded to do the wrong thing, they've seen how destructive it has made everyone else and they strive to set an example, and this gives them an abundance of protection from negative forces. too creative too Jupiter aspecing Pluto - the darkest dungeon is where they learn to crawl and thrive. they have discovered secrets from the dark and it wasnt easy, but now they know how to use it to their advantage. Anything but naive, these natives are so deep and mesmerizing everyone cant believe what they went through and who they became. oh and they get stuck in your head like a parasite

[whosaidsealscantfly]

My two cents on the whole situation

I think a lot of people in the Welcome Home fandom are misunderstanding the bigger picture here. It's resulting in a lot of people expressing disappointment and pointing fingers at people who aren't even the problem, and while the intentions mean well, it's causing the toxic environment Clown doesn't want.

In his post, which has now been privated, he talks about how overwhelming everything is. He even directly states that it's not just about boundaries, and while he has trouble putting it into words (and I will not put words in his mouth in the process either), Clown indicates that the sudden spotlight and attention is overwhelming him. And that's completely understandable - he's just one guy! Plus, he's been making stuff for Welcome Home for years, so it only makes sense to fluster over the sudden rush of attention in only a week. A week!!!

The reasons why boundaries come into play with all of this isn't just because his THREE rules were violated by garbage people. It's the fact that he had no time to establish boundaries beforehand, and it's stressful to suddenly have to think of EVERY facet of fandom culture and establish the dos and don'ts. But as Clown said, what's happened has happened, and all we can do is move on. Which leads me to my next point:

Clown explicitly said to not reprimand people on his behalf. He doesn't want the fandom to waste time and energy on people who have already crossed the line. What has happened, has happened. With that said, it's important to educate and point out when someone has crossed a boundary, but you shouldn't go through so much effort and anger over someone who clearly doesn't give a shit.

I've seen a lot of people who are making posts with a lot of "shame on you!"s and "You are all trash." I've also seen comments on harmless fanfics or art saying things like "You're the reason this fandom sucks." What awful things to say!

This fandom is probably one of the best fandoms I've been a part of. Why? Because a large majority, and I mean a LARGE majority, are respectful of Clown and want to do right by him. I've never seen a community band together so quickly to change their ways, apologize, spread the word, and evaluate the decisions they've made: not just in this fandom, but every fandom they've ever been a part of. That's HUGE. I've been on the internet for a very long time, and I don't think I've ever seen anything like that.

Yes, there are BAD eggs in this fandom, but there always is. What's important is that I haven't been seeing those bad eggs. Like, at all. I haven't seen a single explicit NSFW post, and I haven't seen a single piece of mass-produced merch. I've only heard about them through word-of-mouth, but I've never actually seen anything with my own eyes. Not that I doubt anyone, but I'm saying this to illustrate just how little bad eggs there are in the community. And this is a HUGE community.

In fact, I think we're so good, that we're starting to punish ourselves for making fandom content, and that is also awful. I want to reiterate what Clown's three major rules are:

Refrain from publicly posting NSFW content or content that wouldn't be safe for children to see/read.

Do not mass produce merch. Commissions and personal projects are fine, but they cannot be mass produced to be sold.

Do not impersonate and claim his art as yours. Give credit!! Don't trick people, and don't profit off of someone else's work!

And that's it! I've seen a lot of people taking down their fanfictions and art and AUs just because they're worried about Clown. That's super sweet and it warms my heart to hear that the community is so considerate, but remember, the three rules above are the only don'ts. Lots of people are scared of continuing to overwhelm him, and they're also scared that he might stop the project all together.

I assure you, he's not. Firstly, his fan works guideline is still pinned on his Tumblr blog!! If he wasn't sure of fanworks all together, he would have simply privated the post and write a new one with new rules. The rules have not changed. He loves to see fan interpretations, your AUs, your OCs, and your art! This is all explicitly stated! You can read it here incase you forgot -> https://www.tumblr.com/partycoffin/712519493403934720/apologies-if-this-has-already-been-asked-but-how?source=share

Secondly, he actually posted an update on his ko-fi that indicates that he's doing much better and that he's "elbow deep" into working on Welcome Home! I'm a member that gets to see all of his posts on ko-fi, and while I'm not going to show you the whole post (obviously), I will quote an important part you guys should see: "You have all been so delightful to me (Setbacks happen with an abrupt shift in attention, I realize, so roll I will with this newfound experience!) and I was like 'Oh, let's post a tasty preview!'"

Clown acknowledges all of the goodwill and kindness the community has shown. He even states that he's learned from the experience and he's working hard on Welcome Home to see it through!

This was a very long two cents, so I'll end it here.

tl;dr, You guys are being too harsh on each other/yourselves, and that's the last thing Clown wants. He's doing better, Welcome Home is still being worked on, and you shouldn't have to shame yourself or others for posting perfectly kosher fandom content. There's only three major rules, three, so you shouldn't have to feel bad about what makes you happy.

[whoredmode]

maybe a bit early, but i’ve seen others already do one, and i did one last year so i figured i should keep up the tradition. another year of saints row art!

last year i also wrote a bit of a retrospective bc a lot had happened that year w saints row, but this year was quieter for obvious reasons. i suppose this year i find myself wanting to reflect more on the friends i’ve made and gotten closer to bc of this series, as well as just reflecting on my work in general.

for starters, i don’t think i’d still be doing this if it weren’t for meeting and becoming friends w so many amazing ppl. other artists, writers, diehard fans who very clearly also have a passion for this series and whose love for it is infectious. there’s really no greater feeling than discussing OCs or other characters or story beats and concepts w someone who matches your energy. someone who cares as much as you do. and i’m so thankful for all the amazing and talented and kind people i’ve met through this series.

but if you’ll allow me, i wanna take a minute to just let myself reflect on my own work. this year was truly the year of buckling down and working on my canon, and when i look back on everything i’ve accomplished this year, i feel a lil amazed?? worldbuilding and concept art/design is nothing new to me, but it’s been so long since i’ve sunk my teeth into something as big as this project. it’s been a dream, but i won’t lie and say there’s not been occasional moments of having an existential crisis bc what do you mean i’ve spent all this time working on this? but i think that just comes w the deal. and i’m glad even for those moments (and the many more to come i’m sure) bc inevitably it will pass and i’ll be reinvigorated w new passion to continue working.

i don’t know what 2025 will bring, but i have several ideas of where i wanna go w this work next, and i hope you’ll still come along for the ride. i never expected things to go this direction and to get this type of reception. from the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything! you all mean the world to me!

⚜️⚜️⚜️

[theeternalwombtarot]

September for divine feminine and divine masculine:

Divine feminine: the month of September for divine feminine will be about assessing her burdens and responsibilities and the things that she carries with her within her spirit and the art of transmuting one’s energy. Divine feminine there’s a huge cycle of purging you’re sitting in at this moment, you may be incognito, sitting in the energy of Virgo which I would associate with calculated moves and behavior and the act of almost being in hermit mode. You may be sitting waiting for the moment to return to society or almost come through some sort of spiritual and metaphorical womb in a way. I see rebirth for you during the month of September. Someone is in the chrysalis stage. The curtains are drawn but the stage lights are on I feel anxiety or anticipation here. This month there’s focus on traumas you carry with you, the inner child, the assessing of your personal behaviors and responses to things and situations in your life, how much you do for others vs how much you do for yourself and what it truly means to be embody the energy of self love and pouring into oneself here this season. The winter and fall months are significant for you. I smell metal like coin.

Heavy focus on your career this month, your goals and manifestations that will reside in and come into fruition within the physical realm. The ending of last month had a lot to do with balancing out your internal feminine and masculine. You’re about to get ready to eat this month divine feminine. Mind your manifestations make it easy on the universe by putting action behind your words. Virgo energy has been hitting me real hard today and this week. My rising is in Virgo so everything Virgo related is feeling resonate with me as well. You might have had a big melt down recently divine feminine. Something really dear to you could’ve fell away from you or came to an abrupt ending. You may have hit a wall and burst wide open. This was on purpose. Spirit will use the your weaknesses against you not out of evil but to make you move in the direction you must go. Your success is not optional. It’s all for you. Someone feels Godly. Things aren’t working lately or your shit isn’t working. Embrace things breaking or not going the way they used to. The path in which you walked to get to this point has crumbled behind you. The door is closed. Step into yourself. I know you smell your power. Someone’s period is coming soon, or you’ve just started your period. It’s in the process of regulating itself after a long time gone irregular.

Divine masculine: September for you divine masculine is going to be about you coming into alignment with what it is that you want and what it is that you desire. Things aren’t going your way or you’re having a hard time pressing things into the shape you want them to be or the shape you think you want things to be. Ask yourself if the life you’re living and the reality you’re sitting in is the one you wanted, is the one you would choose if you had a choice. You always have a choice but for some reason you don’t seem to think so. Ask yourself if you want that ten of cups or not and then when you have your answer ask yourself what you’re going to do next. Starting really early this September you’re going to be taught the meaning of surrendering and allowing things to be the way they are and letting go. You’ve not quite figured out what it means to trust fully in the divine and trust what’s meant for you just yet. Your issues come from you trying to pull and push things into going the way you want them to go but you cannot push and pull what’s not meant for you and until you be still and surrender you’ll have to keep learning that lesson the hard way. This September you’ll see things differently and clearly. A new time is on the horizon. You’re headed for an awakening or a moment of clarity. There are things you’ve heard over and over again, things you’ve experienced repeatedly, etc that you missed the point of and the lesson in the many times before hand but not this time. A catalyst is right beneath your feet, you just don’t feel it yet. You’ll learn your lesson about putting your energy into all the wrong places, and what it means to grow and rise in the name of your highest path of alignment this September. I just heard “can you hear me now?”

Someone has been trying to tell you right for a long time, a divine feminine or spirit or whatever or whomever but you had your fingers in your ears unbeknownst to you. This season you’ll know better. This season you’ll have all your senses turned on. This season you’ll get what you want because you went about it the right way. Be honest with yourself. Believe in yourself. Allow yourself the luxury of your own support. Some of you have been sitting in some wounded masculine energy for a long time. It’s starting to no longer suit you. You are not a little boy. Act right.

[japanesedoramaandanimelover91]

Kazunari Ninomiya, who won an award in the Arts and Culture category, made his debut as a member of the popular idol group Arashi and appeared in many popular films and TV series. Even after going independent from the agency he belonged to for many years, he remained active as an actor, entertaining many fans with his "YouTube" videos and writing. We asked Ninomiya-san, who is at the forefront of the Japanese entertainment world, about what he values in his creative endeavours and his future aspirations.

-I often watch the "YouTube" channel that Ninomiya-san created with Yuichi Nakamaru, Ryosuke Yamada and Fuma Kikuchi. This "Yonino Channel" has gained the highest popularity in the entertainment world, and the other day, "All Night Nippon Premium" was also broadcast, where the members act as hosts. Ninomiya-san's passion for entertaining his fans is clearly felt these days.

Ninomiya-Thank you very much. On "YouTube" i want to be able to show you what i really like and how i like it, in its purest form.’

-So Ninomiya-san shows the part where he's genuinely having fun.

Nino-If we don't do that, i don't think the audience will be able to fully enjoy it. The staff suggests different projects, and after we're in full agreement with them, we do what we like. We may cancel projects that look too much like television or seem forced. In this case, i think fans will enjoy it more if we just talk. -Is it because Ninomiya-san built his career that he was able to do this? Or is it because "YouTube" is a place with a lot of freedom? Has the environment changed significantly since you became independent from the agency?

Nino-The environment can be a big factor…. But my mindset hasn't changed much. The desire to share the fun with my fans has always been a prerequisite for any job. We have worked hard to make "Arashi" concerts a time and space that people can still enjoy, whether they are close to the stage or far from it, or even if the blind or hearing impaired come. That's what we did it for. to have fun in the first place. It's ingrained in us. But "YouTube" is a step down from that, and in a good way it's a little bit easier to get into, so maybe that's why people are so favourable to it.

-Watching "YouTube" and entertainment shows on TV, I realised that Ninomiya-san has very good small talk skills. The conversation is very natural and interesting. I think you're very adept at choosing your words, whether it's on "X" (formerly Twitter) or in an essay for a series of magazines.

Nino-is this true? If so, i think my life has been shaped by encountering more words than the average person in film and TV scripts. After receiving the script, when i'm forgiven, i feel like i change the line text as i see fit so that the words can come out and i haven't given it too much thought.’ -This Suits Of The Year was chosen under the theme of "Stimulating the Five Senses," and we chose people who excelled in their fields. Ninomiya-san, you've helped many people in many different fields, including acting, but is there anything you keep in mind while doing your expressive activities or anything you're doing to improve your skills as an artiste?

Nino-Hmm, that's a tough one. If i had to pick one thing, it would be games, even when I'm busy (laughs).

-You like games, don't you? Do you feel rested?

Nino-Instead of trying to change my mood, i want to keep my energy up by playing games. The more i have to work, the more i end up playing "Puzzle and Dragons". I get a lot more ideas that way. It's a strange story, but i have to create a situation where i don't have enough time. In the past, i was always short of time, doing doramas, appearing on entertainment shows, and then going on tour. I really don't mind that kind of busyness. I actually prefer this high rotation speed, so i try to maintain a high rotation speed during games and i feel like I'm already mentally prepared.

-Wouldn't it be a good idea to rest here?

Nino-No. Maybe i'm the kind of person who doesn't need a long rest.

--I feel like the game makes me immerse myself in the world.

Nino-This is a bit contradictory, but the more you immerse yourself in the world of the game, the more you don't have to think about anything. For example, even when I have to memorise lines for a TV drama, i still play games, i can concentrate on a lot of things.

--This feeling is a bit interesting. It would be the best environment for me.

Nino-Right. When words come into your head when you're not thinking about them, it's hard to get rid of them. If you're in a hurry and you're thinking, ‘i have to remember, i have to remember,’ they won't come in at all. Even during meetings, i write them down on the board. Sometimes i come up with better ideas while playing than when i face them face to face. Sometimes i get scolded and ask, "Are you really listening to me?" But that's never a problem for me. Now that i've started working in the entertainment industry myself, i often catch myself thinking, "Wow, this is how things work." For example, when it comes to working in film, so far someone has had to do all the work for me. All i had to do was memorise the script. When i think of the people who have done all this for me, i am truly grateful. I want to work feeling that gratitude. It's good to try new things, but i also want to acknowledge again what i've done, is very important to me right now, and that in itself is a challenge. For example, if i were to start making music again, where would i release my album and how would I do it alone, i think that would be a huge challenge.

-What do you see for the future of "offices"?

Nino-If the company wants to keep going the way it is, i want to attract all kinds of people. I started this company for myself, but i want to help people who share the same thoughts as i do and feel stuck in some way. There is someone, i would be happy to take them on and work with them, whether i can help them or not. I hope some kind of chemical reaction happens between us.

Ninomiya-san has worn a variety of suits due to his job, but he has surprisingly few suits and isn't particularly picky about them. However, it seems like it took him a long time to choose the fabric for this suit from Paul Stewart.

Nino-I wanted to use a fabric that could be worn in a variety of situations and that would fit well on the body. This suit was recommended to me in the shop and I liked it because when I saw it, it had a soft texture. I tried it on and it was just as comfortable as I expected. I think suits are worn when you want to look fresh, but the feel of this fabric allows you to relax and act casual, I felt that way.

The colour pattern with light grey base and wide stripes is also new to him.

Nino-Was a type of fabric with a narrower pitch of stripes, but I thought this one gave a softer impression. The tailoring is very lightweight and I think it will make people I meet feel more relaxed, as I heard from the stylist. I said earlier that this suit looks good with knitwear, but I'd like to try wearing it a bit more fun.

Paul Stewart in a tailored suit.

A bespoke tailored suit based on the Baker model, which is a relatively new model amongst the brand. The very soft-textured flannel fabric is made by the prestigious Italian company Vitale Barberis Canonico. It has a light grey base with a touch of green and slightly wide stripes. The trousers have a neatly tapered silhouette. A single fit is included to create a moderate amount of space around the waist. Combined with the laid-back vibe of the lightweight, shoulderless jacket, it feels like a go-to suit for going out to work.

Kazunari Ninomiya was born in 1983, in Tokyo. He is a member of the male idol group ‘Arashi’ and is active in various fields including acting, voice actor, TV host and blogger. He made his Hollywood debut in the 2006 film "Letters from Iwojima". He won the 39th "Japan Academy Award for Best Actor" for the 2015 film Kurashiba and His Mother and the sixty-fifth "Blue Ribbon Award" for "Best Actor" for "From Camp with Love", released in 2022. Declared independence in October 2023 and established the Office ni no.

Interviewer: Kazuka Matsumoto, Editor-in-Chief of NIKKEI Magazine, Composition: Iwao Yoshida, Photo: Yoshiaki Tsutsui.

[lovecanbesostrange]

Please know that since yesterday I am mentally trapped in these two panels. There is actually a lot I will miss Krakoa for, but I also felt a bit of resentment throughout the era and this family is a big reason why. NOW that we are in the last stretch of burning it all down and the new X-launch is in reach, we'll get this wedding special. And we finally have all four together in a panel. NOW?! I bought X-Men Unlimited #4 in either fall of '94 or spring '95, solely because of the cover. 30 years of waiting. Let me live in this moment for a bit.

Look at what they are doing with the art! Oh sure, Mystique and Nightcrawler are the blue ones. Pair up Destiny and Rogue next to that to make them look similar enough as well. Only for my brain to scream "but the personalities are the other way around!!!!!!!!". Irene and Kurt work on faith and believe in possibilities and reaching out to be better. Raven and Anna Marie typing this out makes me feel weird are the ones who will kill a bitch and say they will darken their soul so others don't have to. Plus there is the element that they both have lived more than one life and their sense of self is distorted .

They've come a long way, okay?!

Yes this is exactly what it looks like. For plot reasons Nightcrawler was too weak to teleport and dangling off a cliff next to Mystique. And of course Rogue could only save one and before she made a decision Mystique said "I make this for you" and let go. I still like to believe she flipped them the bird when she fell. Because she is Mystique. "HaHa! Take this, you think I'm the worst mother ever, but you will have to live with a moment of nobility from me!" (Also Destiny knew this would come, and she fucking knows there is something good inside of Mystique. It just comes out... different. And needs very specific circumstances.)

Apart from X-Men Evolution (and the X-Men Forever alternate history comic with its very special vibes), we have never gotten any bigger acknowledgement of this family. And Irene has been cut out. Either conveniently on account of being dead, or because she's an old lady and clearly just a gal pal, ahem. (It's also very funny to me to go back to their first appearances, where the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants has the biggest Three Stooges energy ever. I needed Mystique, Destiny, Rogue, Pyro, Blob and Avalanche to have a drinking contest on Krakoa. That is what Krakoa was supposed to be about!! You needed to give us 200% domestic nonsense, fun and games. So it would hurt everybody when it was inevitably taken away. EVERYBODY needed to find happiness in that place in unconventional ways.)

Sadly not my original thought (I don't have those), but recently I read some comment where somebody said that with Irene being his bio-mother, Kurt should have inherited a type of precog-sense, a sorta spidey-sense for teleportation. A natural ability that he won't teleport into an obstacle. And I would be so on board with that. (Also funny, because Ms Marvel had that type of sense and I could pull up panels where Nightcrawler tried to trigger that in Rogue.) Would it be weird to add that now? Sure. But also super cute and helpful.

My deepest gratitude goes out to the fanartists who have doodled and sketched and painted cute family moments for them out of time. Now canon can catch up. Imagine their dinner conversations. N: "Logan is my best friend." M: "Oh, that reminds me there is this blue furball running around with his and my powers. I don't even remember if we ever had sex or not, we're so close in age and have these memory gaps." N: "Mutter, nein!" D: "You should ask him out, you two would make a cute couple. Trust me." R: "You're setting up Nightcrawler with Wolverine and keep giving me grief over Gambit?" M: "He speaks too much French! Wolverine might be Canadian, but at least he's not a Franco-Canadian!" N: "So I couldn't date Northstar?"

Do not get me wrong though. Mystique and Destiny are horrible people and they will stab others in the back. They have worked for the government, they have plotted assassinations of government people. They have fought alongside and against the X-Men. I don't want them tamed or be reasonable. I want their mess. I want them as anti-villains. Because they don't do heinous things for nothing. They like to create less horrible murder events than what could be... some writers just liked to go overboard with the scheming and forgot the sympathic undertones, which I want to cling to. And we deserved a time of peace on Krakoa. Truly imagine a Mystique who was happy on Krakoa. And the absolut batshit villainous energy when it's burned down against her will... now THAT would have been something. Instead of baking resentment into the foundation.

[soracities]

Your account is absolutely wonderful.. I am assuming that it takes a lot of time and dedication to absorb so much art... I find myself drifting away, always exhausted from my job... So I guess my question is what do you do for work and how do you stay inspired?

most of my time is spent child-minding and while that has left me with very little time to read and watch the things i want--and can be quite exhausting in and of itself--i think there is a little trade-off in that children keep you attentive to the world around you in a way you would not otherwise be, if only because you have to be that attentive to answer all their countless questions. so in a sense there is some inspiration i glean from that.

otherwise, i think this blog sometimes does give off the impression that i'm more well-read than i actually am; in reality, i dance on the surface of a lot of artworks but am passionate about maybe a tiny handful of works, and maybe, like, two painters. i have a "to watch" list that far exceeds my lifespan given that i actually watch, maybe, 3 movies a year. i have finished one (short) book since 2023 started and it took me six months to read that. the books that i've managed to read over the years, i've read chiefly in bursts and almost always in time periods where i was lucky enough in that i didn't have much to occupy me; even then, i'm aware i didn't read as much as i could have done with the time i had, but i'm also the kind of person who cannot devour book after book endlessly, either--i have a very clear saturation point, after which i need to do something different.

i think this blog, more than anything else, is a kind of repository of all the little fragments of thoughts or books or the world that interest and catch me and that i want to keep, but what i actually spend time with and dive into makes up an absolutely miniscule fraction of that. there have been long months (and years) where i did not have it in me to maintain any kind of sustained attention to reading or poetry, but i think the ability to do so is a huge, often unacknowledged, priviliege that requires not just time and economic security, but also mental clarity. i'm saying this to stress that what you feel, especially with whatever demands your job makes on you, is entirely normal and not anything to be ashamed of: the toll bills take, that laundry takes, that cooking and cleaning and countless other errands take are not to be underestimated when you go into them already sapped of most of your reserves in the first place.

it's something i've felt quite often (and still do); carving out the time to read as much or as often as i would like to does require dedication which i do not always have the energy for. but i think for me, to answer your question regarding inspiration, especially during the times when i'm not reading anything, inspiration is in paying as much attention as i can to the world around me, no matter how tiny the details are. there's a quote by william stafford where he talks about the ability to have "one vivid morning" and then "chain myself to it for fifty years". i don't have any set "philosophy" on life, but that is one thing i have always lived by: i still remember a single razor of light i saw on the railway tracks one morning a year ago which caught me by surprise, or the time on the bus when the setting sun filled the top deck and i knew then by the colour of it that summer was coming, or when i got up close to a patch of damp moss to see all its tiny little hairs more clearly, or one afternoon five years or so ago when i bought some loose pears from a corner shop and they were the sweetest, most-melt-in-the-mouth-juiciest pears i'd ever had....i can obsess over the light through a window over and over and over again no matter how often i see it. my mother put some lilies in a vase in the living room a few weeks ago and the entire time i was enraptured with how the scent hit me everytime i'd come into that room. even after more than a week they still enraptured me; each time was like i discovered them all over again and that brightened my mood so immeasurably.

for me inspiration is chiefly about recognizing the things that bring me joy and then holding them as closely as i can. there's a game i've started playing if i'm on a long bus trip where i take the number of a random bus stop i pass and if it's lower than 2020 i google what events happened in that year and pick the one that interests me most: if i'm going to be on my phone anyway, i will be on it in a way that aligns with what i already enjoy (FACTS!) and won't drain me (social media). when i don't have the energy to finish or even pick up a book, i'm subscribed to sites like Aeon, Ordinary Plots, Diaries of Note, or grieftolight on instagram (shoutout to forever beloved @firstfullmoon doing the lord's work with that account, truly), or podcasts i like, which allow me to read or experience little bits and pieces here and there without the pressure or anxiety-inducing commitment. if there is a poem i love i try to spend as much time with it as i can, which often just takes the form of me writing it down (by hand, usually-- that part is important) into a ledger of poems i keep which i can return to whenever i want, underlining my favourite parts or just rereading what spoke to me (i also love going to exhibits or museums (which, luckily, are mostly free where i live) or taking note of all the random bits of street art i see)

a year or so ago i also started, and this has changed my life, to copy down some of my favourite quotes i've reblogged onto little cue cards and stick them on the wall by my bed. some are poems, some are bits of novels or scraps of philosophy, some are motivational tidbits, but all of them are things i want to be reminded of. it helps me remember the lines i most want to keep and also grounds me in an odd way, but more than that, it just makes me happy. if i'm doom-scrolling, or having a rough evening, i can turn to that wall and read the things that mean most to me.

i don't know if any of this helps, and i'm conscious of not putting these out there as a cure-all because i'm very aware of how quickly, and how easily, this society and its set-up can drain you. i am, though, a staunch proponent of approaching art (any kind) and your engagement with it from a place and a pace that is true to you, before anything else, and that includes taking into account your own circumstances and what would bring you the most enjoyment within the means you have available to you: sometimes that's a 20 minute radio interview about blackholes, sometimes it's counting how many birds you pass as you walk through the park, sometimes it's 150 page novella it takes you half a year to finish. whatever it may look like, center your own pleasure first. i hope this can give you something, anon ♡

[five-oh-thirst]

Springtime Woes

Pairing: Ordo/Maze

Summary: It's mating season, and Ordo is struggling with his body's instinctual needs while Maze is trying to keep his patience in check.

Tags & Warnings: 18+, NSFW, omegaverse, established relationship, mates, mating cycles/heat, alpha!maze, omega!ordo, smut, riding, knotting, rough kissing, bickering/arguing, referenced breeding, referenced m!preg, domestic, light angst, fluff, humor

Word Count: 4.7k

Notes: Happy birthday, @mamuzzy!!! 🥳 I really hope you like what I made 💙 I got permission from ithilia to use this art piece as the header because it kind of matched a scene 🫶🏻 My inspiration for the fic came from a highly unusual source, an episode of Bonanza (an American Western TV show from the 60s). Specifically, the first three minutes of this episode 😂 I'm gonna say loosely inspired, lol.

Prompt Day 6 - AU @ordomaze2024

Read on AO3

Music Vibe:

Maze cracked his stiff neck with a loud pop as he walked towards the beeping caf maker, his eyes barely open as his body moved on auto-pilot. He slept poorly last night thanks to his beloved mate, Ordo. He kept tossing and turning throughout the night and landed several too-well-placed kicks to be considered accidental into Maze's side. It wasn't like it never happened–Ordo was rough with everything, including sleep–but this was too much.

Maze opened the cabinet above the counter and pulled out his favorite mug. It wasn't that pretty, but it was a gift from Ordo, and the words 'GAR's Best Alpha Null' were written in black ink across the white surface. He had to admit it was funny, but Maze thought it would've been smarter to just put 'GAR's Best Captain', so it made sense for both of them to use, but arguing that point wasn't worth it. Arguing any point with Ordo wasn't worth it.

He grabbed the handle of the glass carafe and yawned as he poured its freshly percolated contents into his mug, accidentally overflowing while his eyes were closed. The hot caf spilled over the edge, down the side of the mug, and dripped onto the floor next to his bare feet. He cursed under his breath and placed the mug down on the counter. If this indicated how the rest of his day would go, it would be a bothersome day.

With his right hand, he pulled the towel hanging from the oven handle off and dropped it onto the spilled caf, then used his foot to mop it up because it was too early to exert that much energy before he drank his first mug of caf. Once it was cleaned, he grabbed the mug off the counter, careful not to spill it again, and lowered his lips to suck some off the top so he could walk with it. It was still hot, and he grimaced as it burnt his tongue, but it tasted good.

After a few careful steps, he sat down at the kitchen table and set the mug on the drink coaster Ordo also gave him. This one read 'shabuir' and was clearly in Ordo's handwriting. He then put his glasses on and picked up his data-pad to read the news. The spring solstice had just arrived a few rotations ago, and the news was chock full of headlines like, 'Mating Season Must-Haves', 'How to Boost Your Chances at a Full Litter', and 'Tips and Tricks for First-Timers'.

Maze scoffed and rolled his eyes. He wished one of those stupid articles written by a teenager could help him, but unfortunately, Alpha and Null clones didn't come with basic instruction manuals and all the normal things that normal mates did never worked for them. It wasn't their first mating season, far from it, but the last one was completely miserable for both of them and he hoped this one would be slightly better. A lot of that depended on Ordo.

Speaking of Ordo, the fact that he was still in the bedroom sleeping, and the sun was already shining through the bay window, wasn't a good sign. Morning caf was one of their only civil times together, and if he slept in any later, he'd also miss their mid-morning sparring session. Neither was willing to get soft in front of the other and brawling on a mat to start the day was the best way to prove it. It also was a good way to release pent-up frustration.

The shower afterward always felt good, too. If he won, he could enjoy some hot and steamy shower sex without an argument, but if Ordo won, he usually showered alone. Which wasn't the worst thing he could get for losing. It's not that Ordo didn't like sex, he just didn't like sex with Maze, which also made zero sense. Others, even brothers, found their arrangement odd, but that was their relationship and Maze wouldn't have it any other way.

A loud thud came from the bedroom, and within seconds a sweet and tantalizing aroma wafted past Maze's nose. He scrunched his face and forcefully blew air out of his nostrils to clear the scent before it made its way to his brain. It was pretty powerful, even from a distance, and Maze lifted the mug to his lips to try and mask it. It worked until the hot liquid steamed up his glasses and he couldn't see the news article he was reading.

Several more loud thud came from the bedroom and Maze sighed. Placing his mug down, he got up to see if Ordo was okay. Maker only knew what he was doing in there. As Maze approached the bedroom, the scent drifting out of the open doorway was so strong he choked on it. Maze clamped his fingers around his nose and then flicked the light switch on with the other to shed some light on the situation.

The sight that greeted him made his eyes widen and his jaw drop. Their bedroom looked like it had been hit by a thermal detonator, or two. All the furniture had been moved out of place, but none of it was rearranged, just crooked and unorganized. The bed sheets were falling off the bed, the curtains were halfway off the windows, and their clothing was scattered across the floor. It was as if Ordo attempted to make a nest, but gave up halfway through. 

And then there was Ordo, half-undressed and sprawled out on his back on the bed, like a starfish, with his head hanging over the far edge. His bare chest glistened with sweat and his shorts were visibly damp. He looked completely disheveled and very uncomfortable.

"Null," Maze said, his voice nasally from holding his nose shut.

"Alpha," Ordo answered, not bothering to pick his head up.

"Can you close your legs?" Maze asked. "Your Eau de Omega is leaking out."

Ordo swiped his hand down his sweaty stomach but left his legs where they were. "No. It's too hot."

Maze tilted his head out of the room and looked at the thermostat on the wall. It was set to a nominal temperature and was comfortable to him, but he wouldn't say it was hot. It took a second to click, but when the realization hit him that what he thought was going to happen, was now happening, he leaned against the door frame and sighed. "Of course you're hot. You're going into heat."

Ordo groaned loudly. "Over my dead body."

Maze gave up on keeping Ordo's 'please-mate-with-me' scent away and relinquished his grip on his nose. He took a deep inhale and allowed the strong odor to fill his lungs until his extremities tingled with anticipation. His body shuddered, but he kept his mind in check. It was inevitable at this point and there was no use in trying to ignore it, but his main focus now was getting them both through this mating cycle alive, and with Ordo, that wasn't easy.

He sat down on the edge of the bed next to one of Ordo's outstretched legs and ran his hand down the dampened hair and skin. "You know you can't fight it."

Ordo bent the leg and kicked Maze in the side. "I'm a Null," he said. "I can fight anything."

"Did you forget about last cycle?" Maze asked as he rubbed his side, annoyance already simmering under the surface. He needed to be more careful about touching him.

Ordo was quiet before he responded. "That doesn't count."

Maze smiled knowingly. "And the one before that?"

Ordo sat up, leaving an obvious damp splotch on the bed sheet beneath where he was lying. "This is karking stupid!" he shouted, clearly trying to change the subject from Maze being right and him being wrong. "I wasn't made for this." He scooted forward and leaned his forehead against Maze's back, a deceptively sweet gesture, and panted into his shirt as the heat from his body radiated off of him like the sun.

"Technically, you were," Maze said, noting that it probably still wasn't safe to touch Ordo even though he was touching him. "All the Nulls are omegas."

"And I hate it!" Ordo yelled. He gripped Maze's shirt, clutching the fabric with tight fists. "It's degrading. I'm a cold-blooded killer, not someone's cock-drunk knot-loving baby-making bitch. I'm not gonna push out any stupid babies or push around some karking stroller."

"Do you remember what Kal told you about omegas? Maze asked, trying to redirect his emotions.

Ordo rolled his eyes and groaned into Maze's shoulder blade, biting the shirt there for emphasis.

Maze chuckled. "C'mon, tell me."

"That omegas are highly valued members of Mandalorian society because children and family and blah, blah, blah," Ordo mumbled.

"And you don't think you're a valued member of Mandalorian society?" Maze asked, turning his head slightly to try and get a look at Ordo's face.

"I'm a verd," Ordo argued. "It's different."

Maze snorted. "If you said that to a group of Mandalorian omega warriors, they'd beat your ass into the ground like a tent stake."

Ordo whined and rubbed his sweaty cheek on the piece of shirt he had bitten. "I already know I'm a terrible omega. No need to rub it in…"

Maze sighed and let himself fall backward onto the bed. He landed with a soft plop and laced his fingers together under his head as he stared up at the ceiling fan while his legs dangled over the edge. Ordo was a tough case to crack, and they went around in this same circle every mating season. It was exhausting to constantly reassure Ordo's status as an omega, but it's what he signed up for, and he wasn't about to be called a quitter now.

Ninety-nine percent of modern society was made up of female-oriented omegas, but for some stupid reason, no one fully understood, the Kaminoans decided the first clones would be genetically altered to be male-oriented omegas. Their flawed logic was that they could curb Prime's alpha aggression by splicing his alpha DNA with omega DNA, which statistically would make them more submissive and docile, but it backfired, and the Nulls suffered for it.

Maze turned his head to the side and stretched out his right hand to brush it along Ordo's spine. "Null," he said. Ordo didn't turn around. "Ordo, look at me."

Ordo twisted his torso around to face him and Maze's eyes softened at what he saw. Sweat poured off Ordo's face like raindrops on a window pane, his hair soaked from root to tip, and it looked like he was hiding a painful ache somewhere deep within his body. It wasn't Ordo's fault that he was made like this–an abomination of nature in more ways than one–and it was heartbreaking for Maze to watch his alpha and omega sides war with each other.

"You're not a terrible omega," Maze said. "You're just… a little messed up, like me."

Ordo huffed, but there was a hint of fondness in his eyes. "I'm more messed up."

"And more beautiful," Maze added with a grin. His eyes lowered to the dimples peeking out above Ordo's shorts and he couldn't help but let his mind run a little wild with all the things he wanted to do to him. His alpha instincts were kicking in and kicking in hard.

Ordo looked shocked and whipped his head back around. For a split second Maze thought he messed up, but was pleasantly surprised when Ordo stood up, took his shorts off, tossed them somewhere onto the floor, and then turned around to face him. Maze was dumbstruck at the sight. Ordo's entire body glistened with a sheen of sweat, and his upright position caused slick to ooze out of him. He was the most gorgeous omega he'd ever seen.

"Stop staring," Ordo said, casting his gaze to the side. "It's embarrassing."

Maze propped himself up on his elbows to get a better look, eyes glued to the trails of slick now running wild down Ordo's thighs, then looked up at his face. "Do you want me to take my glasses off?" His voice was hoarse and he took a second to clear it. "You know I'm blind as a bat without them."

Ordo put his hands on his hips and shifted his weight to one leg. "Just shut up and take your stupid cock out before I change my mind."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Maze said with a small laugh. He lifted his hips and slipped his sweatpants off, revealing his large cock that was already hardening with excitement. He wrapped his left hand around the shaft and lazily stroked himself until it was standing firm. "How do you want to do this?"

"Scoot back," Ordo said, gesturing the order with a nod of his head. "I wanna be on top."

Maze did as he was told, moving back up the bed until his full body was splayed out. He didn't have an issue with Ordo taking control; it only meant he'd have to throw his alpha instincts into the backseat. Which wasn't the most difficult thing to do, but it was annoying. He wanted to pounce on Ordo like a regular alpha and omega pair would do, but he couldn't. Mating season was hard enough on normal mated pairs, but this was as good as it was going to get for them.

However, even though Maze followed the instructions perfectly, Ordo still looked hesitant standing in front of him. "Can't you just take it off and let me do it myself?" Ordo asked.

Maze laughed. "If I could, I would." It all sounded like a silly joke, but Maze knew well enough that there was a touch of sincerity in that request, and he took it seriously. "We don't have to do this, you know. They make alpha-sized dildos for–"

"No!" Ordo interrupted. He took a deep breath. "I just–" he shook his head. "I want to be a good omega–I do–but every time I try, I– I mess it up. My brain, my body, my heart, my instincts, and my training can't seem to agree on anything and it jumbles it all up into a big mess in my head."

"Which one is speaking to you the loudest?" Maze asked.

"My body," Ordo said without much thought. "Stars, I need a knot so badly, it kriffin' hurts. I feel so… empty." He visibly bristled and Maze could tell Ordo was uncomfortable admitting that much information.

"Then put the other voices in a box and take them back out later when your body is satisfied," Maze said. "Focus only on your needs at this moment. Close your eyes. Regulate your breathing. Empty your mind of everything other than what you need right now."

Ordo didn't hesitate. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

Maze could only imagine what was running through Ordo's head at that moment if anything at all. Nulls were good at separating themselves into neat little compartments to make war easier, but in this type of situation, Ordo needed a little more patience and a little more guidance to get him to a point where he could do it. On a mission? It was completely automatic. But in a domestic relationship? It was like herding tookas.

Ordo opened his eyes after a minute and Maze could tell he had succeeded in the exercise because his pupils were blown wide and slick poured out of him, plopping wetly onto the hardwood floor beneath. Maze was a bit surprised by the major shift and wondered just how much Ordo was holding back and how painful it must've been to do so. But even if Ordo was on board now, it didn't give Maze free rein to do as he pleased.

"What do you want?" Maze asked, his voice low and gentle.

"I want your knot," Ordo said. "Right now."

"Take it," Maze said, releasing his hand from the thick shaft and leaning back. "It's all yours." He knew Ordo still wanted to be in charge, even after he shoved that part of his personality aside for the time being, and he wasn't about to betray his trust by taking it back, even if his alpha instincts screamed at him to slam Ordo's face into the floor and mount him.

Ordo wasted no time and climbed on top of Maze, straddling his thick, muscular thighs, but he leaned forward past the swollen cock between them and smashed his lips against Maze's in a brutal kiss. It took Maze a second to process what was happening, but once he did, his cock twitched with excitement beneath Ordo's stomach and he wrapped his hands around Ordo's thighs, squeezing them until he bruised the skin beneath his fingertips.

Ordo bit Maze's bottom lip in retaliation, drawing blood and smearing it with his lips as he continued to kiss Maze like he owned him. But, before Maze could react to the pain, Ordo broke the kiss and licked the blood that pooled on his lips, effectively swallowing any noise Maze wanted to make in the process. Then he stopped, panting heavily, and Maze could see he was still struggling internally. His eyes were back to pinpoints, and he looked conflicted.

Maze lifted his head and nuzzled Ordo's neck with his swollen, bleeding lips, skating them over the faded mating mark he made the cycle before. He'd need to refresh that at some point, but not now. Following Ordo's jawline, he strung together a set of kisses to his earlobe and nibbled on it gently. "Don't forget what you need," he whispered. "You can murder me afterward."

Ordo growled and sat up. Maker, it was a glorious sight to see Ordo sitting on top of him, sweat running down his sculpted chest in narrow rivulets, slightly curving around his raised pecks, and then collecting at his navel where it mixed with the precum that leaked from his stiff and neglected cock. It was a shame that Ordo didn't understand how beautiful he was as an omega, but no matter how hard Maze tried, it never sunk in.

Another deep growl rumbled out of Ordo's chest and he ground his hips down, letting his first moan of pleasure fall from his lips. Now he was stalling and Maze was getting impatient. Maze grabbed his cock and squeezed it with exaggerated movements, trying to get Ordo to focus his attention on what he really needed. If Ordo didn't take his knot, then this whole thing was a waste of time and they both would be worse off than when they started.

"C'mon, Ordo," Maze goaded as he continued to stroke himself seductively. "Don't tell me you're afraid of it. Big, bad Null afraid of an Alpha's cock."

"I'm not afraid of anything," Ordo sneered, still grinding his hips in a rhythmic motion against Maze's thighs.

"Then kriffin' sit on it already!" Maze yelled, finally allowing himself to verbalize his frustration. "I don't have all day." He didn't enjoy being rough with Ordo when he was in this kind of vulnerable state, but it was either that or lay there and get blue balls while he waited for him to make up his mind.

Ordo stopped moving and twisted his face into a snarl. "Don't yell at me!"

Maze snarled back. "I wouldn't have to yell at you if you would just stop being a pussy and sit on it!"

"Fine!" Ordo shouted. He lifted his hips and lined up his opening to Maze's cock, then slammed himself down. The movement was so precise and quick that it made an audible smacking sound and the rapidly displaced slick made an obscene squelch.

Maze felt the wind get knocked out of his lungs when Ordo's full weight smashed down onto his cock, squishing his already full balls painfully between his legs. He had to consciously tell himself not to vomit from the pain, because if he did, Ordo would probably let him drown in it and suffocate to death. It was a big maybe, but it wasn't a maybe that Maze wanted to play around with while Ordo had him pinned.

"There," Ordo said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Happy now? I'm sitting on it."

Maze's response came out as a strained wheeze. "You did that on purpose."

"I did what you told me to do," Ordo said with a mocking tone. "Not my fault if your instructions were unclear, Captain."

Maze thumped the back of his head against the mattress and groaned. He didn't understand it. He'd never understand it. Every mating cycle turned into the same thing; a fight. Outside of the mating season, they could have mostly normal, ordinary, everyday sex like everyone else in the galaxy, but something about mating season always got Ordo's panties in a bunch and it turned out like this. And now, his patience for their game was almost gone.

Maze picked his head up after a minute. "Can you at least move a little bit?"

Ordo shrugged. "You didn't ask me to move."

"Maker, you have a smart mouth," Maze said, narrowing his eyes. His annoyance meter was narrowly away from its breaking point. "Maybe I should stick my knot in your mouth instead. At least you'd shut up for a while."

Ordo clenched his jaw and leaned over Maze's chest, giving his cock a little taste of the friction it desired, and brought his eyes only millimeters away from Maze's. "I will slit your throat in your sleep."

Maze knew it wasn't an empty threat, none of Ordo's threats were fully empty, but he smiled and took the opportunity to capture Ordo's lips with his. He thought Ordo would fight him, but he didn't, so he slid his tongue across the crease of his lips, tasting his blood from earlier, and Ordo surprisingly opened his mouth to let him in. Seizing the best opportunity he had, he went to work exploring Ordo's mouth with his tongue.

However, it was also a sneaky little trick and he slowly smoothed his hands down Ordo's back and sides until they settled on his hips. As he deepened the kiss, he gently pushed and pulled Ordo's hips back and forth, guiding him into a steady rhythm to give them both the friction they so desperately needed. Eventually, Ordo began moving his hips on his own and releasing short, puffy moans that Maze enjoyed.

"That's it," Maze praised into Ordo's neck. He thrust his hips up experimentally and Ordo moaned louder. "That's a good boy."

"Don't–ah–call me that," Ordo said, but his words had no bite, not while he was pleasuring himself on Maze's cock. "I'm not–ah–your good–ah–boy. Ah!"

Ordo sat up, hands braced on Maze's stomach, and rocked his hips faster and harder, now meeting Maze's thrusts in earnest. His pupils overtook his irises once again and his mouth fell open to release heady moans of pleasure. It was music to Maze's ears, seeing Ordo return to being his horny omega; so desperate and needy for his cock. Now all he had to do was stare up at his beautiful mate and focus on finishing strong.

It wouldn't take long with the way Ordo squeezed his cock. Normally, during mating season it would feel cavernous, like it could never fully be filled, but not this time. This time it was tighter, and every time Ordo slid himself up and back down, the drag on the head of his cock made him see stars. He didn't need to reach the end of it, he didn't need to hit a goal post, he just needed the drag against Ordo's ribbed walls. It felt incredible like it always did.

"I'm gonna come," Maze said, his voice breathy. He could feel his balls tightening and his knot began to inflate, catching on Ordo's opening. His brain was turning to mush, but he still needed to hold out for a little bit longer to make sure Ordo didn't try to rip his knot out after it inflated. "Do you want it? You gotta tell me you want it."

"Maker, yes!" Ordo moaned, seating himself on the bulbous base after the last downward stroke. He wiggled his hips and nestled down to let it fully inflate inside him. "Please. I need your knot."

That was all Maze needed to hear before he allowed himself to pursue the building tension in his lower abdomen. He was so close, but he needed just a little more to push him over the edge. He focused on Ordo's delicious moans, then it suddenly snapped like a taut wire and Maze came with a convulsing cry. The feeling of hot cum gushing out and filling Ordo was overwhelming, and as his knot inflated, binding them together, they both experienced pure bliss.

Maze's mind flooded with instinctual thoughts of how many babies he was making, what Ordo would look like pregnant, and how they'd raise their ik'aad together, but those thoughts were gone as quickly as they came. It's not what Ordo wanted, at least not right now, and if he drilled deep enough into his own psyche, he probably didn't want it either, but it was nice to fantasize about it. It was part of his alpha nature, and so he let himself feel it in the moment.

Ordo collapsed on top of Maze's chest, panting heavily into his neck. Maze nuzzled Ordo's flushed cheek with his own and licked a bead of salty sweat that ran down his nose. Maze could already tell that Ordo's bodily needs were being met and the pain that he felt earlier was being replaced by euphoria. It was also in these small moments that Ordo fully surrendered to the omega part of his personality and let Maze pamper him for a bit, but not long.

"You did good," Maze praised. He wrapped his arms around Ordo's back and massaged his hands up and down the length of his spine, feeling the once-heated skin finally cooling down. He would probably start shivering soon, so Maze briefly removed one of his hands from Ordo to grab the blanket that was half falling off the bed and tossed it on top of him.

Ordo nuzzled in further and groaned, saying something too muffled and incoherent to understand.

Maze nudged Ordo's face out of his neck so he could hear him. "Can you repeat that?"

"Don't tell them," Ordo whispered, his face was still flushed, but it wasn't from the heat. "Please don't tell them I begged for it."

Maze smiled and planted a few strategic butterfly kisses where he could reach. "I won't. That stays between us and only us. No one needs to know what we do behind closed doors."

"And don't ever leave me," Ordo added quickly, gripping Maze's shirt possessively. "I know I'm not easy to deal with, but I can't imagine going through this without you."

"You're a pain in my shebs," Maze said with a light chuckle. It was rare to have Ordo get sappy on him, and as much as he liked it, he knew it was fleeting, and they'd be back to bickering as soon as his knot deflated. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Ordo shifted on top of Maze to get more comfortable, but he pulled at the knot in the process and they both moaned at the feeling. "I hate spring," he mumbled.

"Me too," Maze said. He didn't hate it as much as Ordo did, because, in reality, he did have the nice end of the deal, at least in his opinion, but it was still annoying to go through all the motions and emotions so many times. Unfortunately for them, spring had only just begun and there would be plenty more arguments, fights, and aggressive mating sessions before summer rolled around and they could get back to their normal life. "Same time tomorrow?"

Ordo nestled against Maze's chest and closed his eyes to rest. "Only if we have to."

[midnightsun-if]

okay so like let's just say that MC is a great fucking artist and they have an entire sketchbook full of drawings they have done of the ROs. How would they react to finding the sketchbook and its contents?

It’d entirely depend on how far you are within the relationship in general. I’m going to do this in the earlier stages because I find it funnier (hope that’s okay).

Koda: Would be touched that someone paid enough attention to him to be able to draw him in such detail. He’d probably smile shyly at you and timidly ask: “Can I keep one of these?” He’d hold up on of his favorites with a brightening expression. Koda would want you to see how much he loves the drawings, and that he thinks you’re extremely talented.

Scarlett: What the absolute fuck? Would probably be the first thing that would cross her mind. Sharp green eyes leveling you with a stare that’d make any sane person want to leave as quickly as they could. She wouldn’t be amused at all, and would tell you as such, but she wouldn’t destroy any of the pictures— despite feeling the urge to do so— as you obviously put a lot of time/energy into them, but she would demand that you never draw her again. Not without her knowledge anyway.

Cyrus/Cyra: They’d be completely confused. Why are you drawing them? Is that really what they look like from that angle? What would make you decide that they’d be a perfect subject for your art? Just a lot of questions would float through their mind, probably making them even more flustered. They’d probably just drop the sketchbook and quickly leave the room— not wanting to stay because they know that they’d ask you the questions if they did. And they definitely don’t want to know some of answers to them.

Quinn: They’d tilt their head, an almost amused look on their face. It’s not necessarily something they’d do, but whatever floats your boat. They’d give you back the sketchbook (if you’re in the same room as them) or they’d make it clear that they had seen it, but wasn’t mad at the subject matter within the pages. They’d just go back to their business and not think much of it (although they would probably start giving you random art nicknames).

Caden: They’d be completely shocked. From working for your family for the last few years they’re aware that you’re a great artist, but they never imagined that you would want to draw them. After a moment of looking at the sketchbook, they’d instantly feel guilty for perusing something that’s clearly supposed to be private (something they obviously weren’t supposed to see). For the next few days, Caden wouldn’t be able to look you in the eye, but you’d get a nice case of drawing pencils out of the blue.

Sloane: “What is this?” Completely tense. You’d be able to bounce a rock off their shoulders due to the rigidity. They don’t like the thought that you’ve been around them enough to remember what they look like and, even worse in their mind, that they’ve let their guard down enough for you to observe them with such focus and they didn’t even notice. They’d be tempted to throw the sketchbook in the hearth, but they’d refrain, at the very last moment, from doing so. Just expect them to be extra sulky around the dorm for the near future.

Blake: Is completely aware of it and eggs you on. Will definitely pose sometimes in case you either wanted to draw them or wanted to recall a moment whenever you did decide to open your sketchbook. They’d be completely flattered that they’re the subject of your art, and would definitely boast that you make their already gorgeous face even more so within your work.

Reginald/Regina: Wouldn’t know what to say. Though they’d probably blurt out something like: “You’re not paying this much attention to me to eat me later, right?” The moment the words would leave their mouth they’d facepalm and apologize, but their confusion would still remain. They’d be touched, in a way, that you thought they were interesting enough to draw, and do it more than once at that, but they’d definitely latch onto the fact that you’re an artist at they’d definitely ask you to draw something for them (like their D&D character or something).

[cardcaptorr]

What has your journey of self-love and growth taught you about yourself?

if you're trying really hard to love yourself, you already do. i think ive always had some self-love because i always tried so hard to love and understand myself.

i think it also made me realize how shallow i am when it comes to my own appearance, i definitely grew out of that a bit the past few years but even more so this last year. i love myself for so many reasons and none of them have to do with what i look like.

ive grown so much this past year, my 4 year relationship breakup was the best thing that ever happened to me tbh- it made me see myself and my life so clearly. i realized how unhealthy it was to revolve my life around a romantic relationship and neglect everything else. im still not sure why i fall into that pattern every time i get into a romantic relationship, but my current relationship isn't like that at all, and it is the best relationship ive ever been in. it gives me space to focus on myself and focus on things that matter to me and actually improve and work on myself. i genuinely care a lot about self improvement now, i care about achieving goals i set for myself, and i care about being healthier and happier ☺️ im also trying to be a better friend, a better daughter, a better sister, and a better girlfriend also.

i think ive also pushed myself out of my comfort zone so much this past year, something ive never done before, but something thats obviously very necessary for personal growth. i used to think i could never be an artist, but im actually pushing myself to achieve that dream (i used to be like um thats such a wild dream actually that i should just not even try at all lol 😀) and ive sold so many paintings and prints of my original art this year!! and participated in a makers fair that turned out to be very successful and such an amazing experience 🥹✨ putting myself out there was so hard, and putting all the effort in making it happen was hard, it took so much time and energy and creative thinking, and i realized quickly that i would have never put all that effort in it if i was still in my last relationship. so yeah, thats been pretty cool. I think I earned the title of artist now lol. 😎

thank you for asking such a profound question haha I appreciate it!! 🥰

[robo-milky]

[MORE INFO]

Nicknames:

Brittle Star (Floyd) | Monsieur Fontaine (Rook) | Mr. Leikata/Leikata-sensei (Idia) | Lei (Neige)

Bio:

Leikata is an expressive boy who’s always honest to himself. Whenever he feels happy, sad, or angry, his body’s natural reaction is to tear up. As a result, his peers mistook him for an irrational crybaby. Contrary to this, Leikata is someone who can speak clearly and calmly in tears. Additionally, he’s gained a reputation for being a “pretty cryer”. This does not make Leikata ashamed, he instead embraces it as a natural side of him. Leikata believes it’s best to let loose and go with the flow, than bottling everything up. Moreover, Leikata’s heart bleeds as much as he cries. Leikata is not just sensitive to his feelings, but others’ as well. If he feels like he did something wrong, he will gladly admit and bring attention to it, even if the other party can’t care less. This is also the reason Leikata can’t lie, the guilt would have eaten him alive.

Core values -> Honesty + Peace

Background:

Leikata’s father is a renowned artist in Twisted Wonderland, known for his craftsmanship of using purely paper to make masterpieces. As a result, Leikata followed his father’s footsteps and became somewhat of an apprentice, working under him for exhibitions and galleries. At the age of 12, Leikata discovered his own UM, “Paper Plans”, and started to surpass his father when it came to crafts, via magic. Out of respect for his father’s value of traditional crafts, Leikata branched off to do his own shows and viewings, by joining the scenes of paper theatres and stop-motion. His personal works are niche among the art community, but he’s been getting more attention through collaborations with others.

Notable Thoughts: Leikata’s

“Silver’s the best! He is my first friend in Night Raven College. …Why? Because he was the only student who wasn’t intimidating.”

“Kalim is a surprisingly good person to vent to, if you ever need it. He always knew how to pick me right up, and sometimes he’d even cry with me.”

“Vil is truly the fairest of them all! Well… maybe not when he’s chewing me out for flunking potionology, haha…”

“When Rook is not keeping an eye on Epel, it becomes my job to keep an eye on him. I’ve tried so hard to teach him how to differentiate between the dessert spoons, but he still doesn’t get it…”

“Lilia’s wears a sun-blocking visor when he has P.E.; I wonder if I should get that too.”

Notable Thoughts: Others’

“I thought I had offended Master Leikata when I talked to him the other day, but apparently his eyes are sensitive to sunlight. That makes me wonder how much of his tears are real…” - Cloche

“Leikata brings such life and energy to the Board Game Club, even going so far as to make customized game pieces for us, and animating them in front of our eyes. He’s so creative, turning chips into something so avant-garde. …Surely, they must be worth quite a lot under his name.” - Azul

“I don’t get why Vil wants me to be like Leikata so bad… All that pansy does is cry.” - Epel

“I can’t believe Azul invited Mr. Leikata— THE Leikata who was part of the stop motion for one of the biggest current blockbuster anime OPs of all time, to the BG club—! What was he thinking?!” - Idia

“I wonder how Lei how is doing, after he animated the credits of my last film. I was hoping we could catch up some time, after he moved.” - Neige

Extras/Trivia:

- Light magic user

- Leikata’s hair used to be long and symmetrical, until Rook burned it part of it by accident during a science lab.

- Leikata’s favourite food, stargazy pie, is banned from the Pomefiore dining hall for life.

- Pomefiore is generally very protective and coddling of Leikata. Not necessarily because they’re scared of him getting hurt, but because of the potential danger that is his UM.

- One of Leikata’s past times in Pomefiore is doing puppet shows in the lounge. Students of other dorms drop by sometimes to watch.

- Leikata’s anime/manga/gaming collabs are essentially the TWST equivalent of JJBA x Gucci/Louvre

Full Sprite: