#its not that hard once you get it but explaining it is...lengthy

[mischiefmaker615]

Please Please Please

Inspiration: Please Please Please by Sabrina Carpenter

Summary: You break the news to the team that you're dating a certain.. god of mischief..

Rating: PG 14

Requested By: @Hav3nLauf3ys0n (wattpad)

“Absolutely not!’’

‘’I don’t remember asking for your blessing.’’ You quip dryly as you and Steve cross your arms simultaneously.

‘’you know what he’s done-‘’ he starts, having leaned himself now on the kitchen counter as if preparing for a long lecture on why but you waved a hand at him.

‘’and he’s gotten better, you cant tell me you haven’t noticed the improvement upon staying here at the tower- be glad they’re just harmless pranks and not plots to try to-‘’

‘’why do you want to date Reindeer Games anyway?” Tony asked, coming into the room with his usual ‘never empty’ glass of booze in his hand. ‘’despite the whole killing and taking over the planet thing, what would necessarily be listed on his Tinder profile?”

“Tinder?” Steve raised a brow and Tony backtracks with a shake of his head.

‘’an app where you could find your local singles- actually that might be a great place for y-‘’

‘’guys! We’re getting off track here’’ you chime in, a hand at your temple as the boys looked over with silence for once. With a heavy sigh, you look at them with as much confidence as you could muster, regardless of the shakiness in your voice as Steve’s expression softened.

‘’he and I have already started dating.. kinda.. but I wanna try to make this work, he wants to see how it goes.. there’s something there and we’re happy when we’re together.. regardless of his first impression here, forgiveness and second chances should be in the picture until said other wise.’’

‘’kind of hard to give a second chance to literally the god of backstabbing.’’ Tony muttered while you shot him a look.

‘’he’s been here for almost a year now since New York, he’s helped us in the field when we’ve brought him along and has been a huge help. He would have compromised the missions somehow if he were still in his old ways but you have to admit, some of those assignments wouldn’t have gotten done without his abilities..’’ you note, your eyes moving to Steve who now stared at the ground in thought while he listened. Their silence was enough to have you keep going as you took another breath.

‘’this is happening, and I know to be careful.. he’s different, and he cares for me.. i figured I’d just make my rounds to let everyone know-‘’

‘’is it basically a heads up that we’ll be seeing a lot of touchy- feely stuff??” Tony gawked quickly and you shook your head with reddened cheeks.

‘’like you don’t do that stuff around here Stark.’’ Steve rolled his eyes, reminding him of how many girls come and go when no one’s watching.

‘’n-no- I just- I’m tired of all your attempts to set me up at your parties, I’m done with the dating game.. Loki and I just have something here that I’ve never felt with anyone else..’’ you explained and heard a sigh from Rogers who didn’t exactly look like he approved but he knew you were going to be stubborn on this so he raised his hands in a surrender position.

‘’just be careful.. that’s all we ask.. Nat and Clint have been assigned today but I think Thors still around somewhere- do not hesitate if he even tries to-‘’

‘’ill be fine Steve, thank you..’’ you say gently, giving a small smile before you exit the kitchen in search of Thor.

Not your best speech, it honestly felt like you were talking to your parents who didn’t approve.. but you were an adult, you’ve dated before and knew all the red flags you needed to dodge. Sure the whole ‘taking over the planet’ was a bit of a red flag.. a big one.. but as he’s stayed here fulfilling his ‘community service’, the two of you have had quite the opportunity to bond over that time.

Its been almost a year and the two of you seem to have had a connection where you craved the attention of the other when you were separated. You both would gossip, flirt and have lengthy talks about your interests and differences. Coming from completely different realms gave you both much to talk about and you even got to teach him a bit of basic things on how to adapt to the tower. The television was your favorite to teach because you stopped him faster at trying to throw it than your laptop. Apparently, many ‘magical moving pictures’ presented the illusion of possession to Loki. Thor wasn’t that much different when he was adapting too.

~

‘’what ails you Y/N?” Thor asked, having ran into you in the halls not long after you went in search of him.

you almost choked on your heart for a moment when you noticed his wet hair and towel in hand first, feeling stupid the next second after when he was indeed dressed and that your mind had thought otherwise for a moment. He’s hot- but he wasn’t for you.

Where the hell was coffee when you needed it..

‘’nothing in particular, just-‘’ you didn’t exactly know how to word it to him compared to literally anyone else. ‘I’m dating your brother’ sounded a little more awkward than telling anyone else that wasn’t family related- and this time you did mentally choke when you realized you had thought out loud.

‘’oh Lady Y/N that is wonderful!! I am so happy for you both! I’ve truly noticed how much happier my brother has been since earning your affections!” Thor beamed as he wrapped you in almost a bone breaking hug, squeezing all the stress out of you as you relaxed and wiped the previous embarrassment from your face when he set you down.

‘’t-thank you.. I just figured I was going to let everyone know by making my rounds-‘’

‘’is it because we will be seeing particular affections around here-‘’

‘’what?? No! why does everyone keep thinking that..’’ you blush and hide your face in your hands as he laughs. Its not that you both weren’t doing anything.. but you weren’t going to make it a goal to exactly show anyone your personal business-

‘’my brother can be very.. sexual hungry, as Stark seems to say.’’ Thor explains casually and you hold back from scrunching your nose as you look up at him. ‘’he always has and I’m sure when you both begin to get even closer, we might see you a bit less and less’’ he hints and your cheeks redden again.

Was he referring that you both would practically never leave the bedroom?- why was he so causal talking about this.. wanting to quickly change the subject from your sexual future and to your more concerning thought, you shifted in place as you looked up at him with hesitation.

‘’.. the team seems to disapprove..’’

Thor nodded, his features sympathetic as he sighs. ‘’I understand their reasonings Y/N,’’

‘’but he’s gotten better-‘’ you add quickly before you mouth goes off. ‘’sure he throws some pranks here any there- changing all the water to vodka, cutting holes in Steve’s costumes- dropping the temperature in the middle of the night- but I swear there’s no world domination in sight anymore. We’ve bonded a lot during this time since he’s been here, he gets me and I get him and I think we have something greater than friendship where he even through around the word courting- whatever that means but I think I love-‘’

Your rambling got cut off as Thor places his hands upon your shoulders, shutting you up as he gives you a gentle smile. ‘’my brother is a much better man because of you and I know you both will be happy Y/N. if there is any need for concern, we are here but I have no worries for you two. You have my blessing.’’ He beams and your body relaxs, giving him the same smile as you begin to turn.

‘’thank you Thor,.. I think i know just who to find next’’ you smile and give a gentle wave as your mind tells you Loki’s probably in his room.

‘’all the best wishes Lady Y/N’’ Thor chuckles and heads off just as you do and enter the elevator.

As soon as you press the button for the room floors and the door begin to slide closed, a hand shoots out and grips one of them with barely an inch of them closing. With barley any effort, the hand pulls the doors apart and there stands the god himself you were trying to find.

Loki.

‘’hello darling, I do believe we have a bit to discuss.’’ He says casual, not so much asking as he smirks yet his eyes drink you in seriously as he takes a step in, making you step back before the doors close behind him.

Although he’s been here quite some time, he always appeared in his armor and leather when he needed to speak about something serious. Granted, although he tried using it as an intimidation prop, you always seemed to get distracted as your eyes began to wonder.

‘’darling-‘’

‘’sir?” you said quickly with a start, holding back a small laugh as you wondering out of all the terms you had on file in your head, you had called him that one. Loki didn’t seem to mind as he raised a brow slightly and took a step closer, a hand gently taking hold of your jaw as he tilted it up and kept you looking at him.

His leaned down ever so slightly, his nose ghosting against yours as your fingers fidgeted nervously now while he spoke. ‘’please tell me as to why I have spotted you with every breathing male under this roof except me? Specifically, the one that’s hard to over look is my idiotic brother who then proceeds to have you in his arms.’’

His voice was dangerous, careful but yet not angry that you could tell because you knew he was waiting for you to give a perfectly good explanation. Shifting in place, you softened your features and let your excitement show with a smile while your hand came up to rest on his wrist.

‘’I was merely telling everyone the news that we were officially together and that-‘’

‘’is it a fair warning on what they might witness us doing?’’

‘’Jesus- even- whatever, anyway what I mean is, it’s a fair heads up that Tony can stop with his shipping whenever he throws a party, Steve can stop worrying about you being around because with us being together, if I trust you, he trusts me and thus, trusts you won’t do anything. Also so that Nat can stop her insistent teasing and innuendos-‘’

Loki cut you off as he presses his lips against yours, firmly and with love at the enjoyment to see how giddy you can get. The hand at your jaw lightens tremendously and moved to run his fingers into your hair at the side of your head, making you tilt your face to the side before he deepens the kiss. His other arm snakes around your waist, pulling you closer against his body before he nips at your bottom lip before pulling away.

He chuckles at your small pout at him stopping, his thumb stroking your cheek as his body relaxes from his unnecessary tension he came in with. ‘’I am pleased that you wish to ease everyone into our relationship, but they’ll see me how they wish, regardless if I am with you or not. Frankly I couldn’t care less, because my only focus is with you. I will treat you nothing less than of a goddess because I know that despite my introduction to this realm, I do not have an ounce in my body or the capability of bringing harm upon you.’’

Your hands grip his shoulders, eyes full of admiration towards the man god before you as your heart flutters in your chest. He shared your smile as you pull him down and press your lips to his again, running a hand through his hair as well that makes him practically growl against your lips, turning his head more into your massaging fingers before you feel him back you up.

Feeling the wall of the elevator against your back now, Loki presses his body against your front while his hands run up and down your sides before a hand joins your side to grip the hand bar, trapping you in the corner. His other hand snakes behind you to grip your ass, the mere feeling of it enough to have his lips press harder onto yours while you hold him close by the straps against his front.

*ding*

By the feeling of the elevator stopping, he slowly pulls away with the dangerous yet familiar mischievous glint in his eyes while he presses his forehead against yours. ‘’..are you in the mood for some mischief darling?’’ he purrs.

Part of you wasn’t sure if it was a sexual innuendo or he wanted you to join in of his little pranks he tried to keep up daily around here. Yet seeing the excitement on his features made you down for either one.. one more so than the other as you laughed and gave a nod.

“I beg you, don’t embarrass me. I already went around trying to hype you up that you’ve changed with your whole mischief thing’’ you lightly tease as he takes hold of your hand while the elevator doors open.

‘’oh darling, I was referring to the other kinds of mischief..’’ he smirks and your eyes suddenly notice his erection.

Please.. please.. please.. 

DM/Comment a song for your own Musical Mischief One Shot :D 

Note: Fan fiction makes Elevator rides longer than they really are LOL

Tag List: @foxherder  @asgards-princess-of-mischief @fire-in-her-veinz

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

DC

midnight sun by merils

Who would win: four men with guns who just happened to get Red Robin to walk into a trap, or one royally-pissed Kryptonian juggernaut?

Yeah, it's not even a contest.

reasons are better than rules by destiny919

"No one will actually explain Father's rules to me," Damian blurts out. "They tell me we don't kill, and killing is wrong, and Father would never do it, but no one ever actually says why! As if repeating the rule is the same as explaining it! As if I am supposed to just know, when I do not!"

Drake is quiet, eyes on something in the distance that Damian cannot see. "Damian, may I tell you a secret?"

Marvel

Thirty Hours by polaroid15

The sun sets. Peter breaks three toes and hits his head hard against concrete. There’s a steadily bleeding wound in his side that he’s staunched with his webbing and tries not to acknowledge it when it burns. He can still walk in a straight line, which is good. He’s starving and tired and cold. It’s been fifteen hours.

Or, Peter doesn't take any breaks during a lengthy fight with the Avengers. The mind-melting fever that follows really should have been expected.

Clone Wars

An Hourglass In Hand by ecarian

“I thought daemons didn’t eat,” Rex noted once, during a celebration feast, as he and Cody watched Boga devour her meal with some fascination. Varactyl she may be, but she was a tiny one. There wasn't much interior space for the truly momentous amount of meat she was ripping into.

Boga daintily rubbed her beak against a folded serviette that looked kind of like a bird, and said, prim, “I can do anything a human can do.”

“Oh?” Obi-Wan said mildly, from where he’d been tapping at a datapad. “Shall I save you a portion of these reports then?”

Set My Mind at Ease by Eightbitpale

Marshal Commander Cody - clone commanding officer of the 7th Sky Corps, second in command of the 212th attack battalion and, currently, the proud caretaker of one still-warm lightsaber - was having a very long day.

Actually, fuck that. It had been more than a long day. Long days were Cody’s bread and butter, practically his comfort zone. Marshall Commander Cody ate stim shots for breakfast and every shiny this side of Coruscant knew it. Long days were his bitch.

No, this had been more than a long day. Today had been a bad day.

———

The one where Cody and his general try their best to tell each other that they care. At least they’re trying.

Your Smile In Stone by ecarian

Wooley: can we arrest people for yelling this early?

There were two figures standing at the foot of General Kenobi's statue with their backs to Wooley, an adult with a hood, and a child with light hair. The child was pointing at a puddle of Temple tookas who were curled up in General Kenobi’s lap, lounging in the stone folds of his robes, the bend of his knee.

Wooley: belay that. Child nuisance.

The Goblin Emperor

Sweet Hope by baladric

Maia Drazhar arranges a festival, meets his gay aunt, falls in love with his secretary, and misses his mom through it all.

"In the way of true stories, there was no discernible beginning. Perhaps it had begun that first day, in the shabby receiving room at Edonomee; in the cockpit of the Radiance of Cairado; at the mooring mast of the Untheileneise Court, with that first smile.

The pith of the matter was that Maia Drazhar was wildly, tremulously in love, and love had made fools of much wiser men than he."

In All Its Forms by Anonymous

Before his father ruined everything, Nurevis Chavar only thought to introduce the new emperor to all the most beautiful things life could offer.

When he found himself free from relegation again after his father's death, would the emperor whose friendship he had sought so long ago wish his presence at court? And, if he could return to court, would his emperor wish his friendship again?

[alexandraisyes]

I really want to thank you.

I've learned a lot about psychology and mental health from your blog. And it's helped me change how I talk about disorders a lot (not calling people and characters sociopaths/psychopaths/narcassists when they're a bad person, not making jokes about schizophrenia, stopping saying "im delusional", etc.) And honestly its not even that hard to do once I understand the why of it. Why should I call villains sociopaths automatically? Because obviously that villainizes Aspd. And then it just- clicks in my brain and yeah, for some things (especially the delusional one because I hear people say it all the time) I have to remind myself and correct myself, but just changing my way of thinking helps what I say

It also isn't even kind of an inconvenience?? Like sure, for soem things I have to figure out what to say instead, but tbh that just makes me think deeper on what actually is going on. Not demonizing disorders actually is helping my own mental health, its nice

Plus, you've actually helped me discover my love for psychology. Learning how the brain works is really interesting! And I want to help people. Plus I'm learning in a way that doesn't cause my anxiety. I have issues with seeing things that I relate to and automatically worrying that I have that disorder or whatever, and it's defiently getting better, but also the way you explain things doesn't trigger that warning alarm in my brain. It's straight forward, and often you're talking about things I don't even kind of relate too, which both helps me learn about how other people's brains work and let's me learn without worrying about myself

anyway- uhh TLDR that was just a lengthy way to say that your explanations and things have educated me and I really enjoy reading them (sometimes I physically can't bring myself to because they're long, but most of the time I can!!!)

Thank youuu. You've helped me learn more about others and myself <3

I have been marinating this in my mind for the past day, trying to figure out how to express how lovely of a feeling this brings me. I'm not exactly the emotional sort, so the immediate shock and then elation has long since passed, but the contentedness remains.

I cannot properly express the gratitude I feel, towards you and the universe, from this message. This is the kind of impact I've wanted to have on the world since I was very young. I would sit in my room as a little girl and daydream that I would write a novel or sing a song that was so expressive about pain and clarity and yes, psychology, although I didn't know the word for it, that it would shift people's mentalities, and make them understand why compassion is important. And reach the people who needed to hear it, and help them deal with their own hurt, and their own trauma, and let my words be a sort of healing factor in people's lives.

Never once did I ever think I'd achieve that through a tumblr blog.

And I have such a small amount of reach, such a small amount of influence in the grand scheme of things, but pebbles can cause landsides.

It's such a profound feeling to know that you have accomplished what you set out to do in even just a handful of people. That you have made a real difference to the net positive, like you've always wanted to. Everyone wants to leave a lasting legacy, an impression on people, that's just human nature, and some people will reach and reach and reach for that legacy and never be satisfied.

And I'm about to start getting really philosophical, so I'll cut it off here with a thank you. Thank you for telling me this. Thank you for letting me know that I have made a difference. I don't exactly have a sense of self for this knowledge to fall back on (a rather unfortunate consequence of my disorder), but I will cherish it regardless. Despite the fact that I have always wanted to make a difference, it never crossed my mind that I may actually reach that goal one day.

I'm glad my writings have helped you.

[icycoldninja]

Can I request headcanons for con noncon with Nero and V? If either of them would be okay with it, I mean. (I feel like they could be, if you explain to them that its more about you trusting them so much and them getting you out of your own head. But that's just my opinion.)

I won't get into what I feel about them since it's already written in the headcannons. Here you go, hope you enjoy. 💜

Nero and V x Fem!Reader con non-con headcannons

□ Nero □

-Was against it at first because he didn't want to risk hurting you or damaging your relationship, but after you explained it's because you trust him that you want to do this, he agreed.

-Of course, you guys didn't jump right into it because Nero wanted to surprise you.

-He waited for you to be relaxing in your room, then pounced on you and began tearing your clothes off.

-You struggled against him, but only succeeded in riling him up further. Once he'd gotten your panties off, he started fingering your pussy with his specially outfitted proesthetic arm. When you tried to resist, he only shoved his fingers in deeper and turned on the vibrator function, forcing you down.

-You fought back and managed to get up, but his robotic fingers were still vibrating away inside you, preventing you from doing much, other than sinking to your knees.

-Nero took advantage of your situation and continued stretching you open with his fingers, feeling around your insides till he found your G-spot.

-He directed all his force to that one area, making you cum in an instant. Your orgasm claimed you, distracting you long enough for Nero to free his cock and stuff it into you.

-Though you may continue to struggle, Nero is a lot bigger and a lot stronger than you; he will pin you to the ground and mercilessly fuck you, until your eyes are rolled back and your brain is a pile of mush.

-You might try to escape from under him, but he keeps holding you down and slamming his cock into your pussy as hard as he possibly can.

-He is ruthless in his thrusts; the quarter-demon inside him finally coming out and baring its fangs. He will take you at least 5 more times after this--maybe even more.

● V ●

-V did not have a talk with you prior to performing the act; he happened to stumble upon you in a particularly vulnerable position and couldn't help himself.

-He saw you bending over, your bottom half naked, captured a glimpse of that lovely pussy of yours, and decided he had to taste it, now.

-He dropped to his knees and gripped your legs, keeping you from walking away. You were understandably very surprised, and tried to get him to stop, but he kept licking at your clit in a way that drove you crazy, rendering you unable to do anything except stand there with legs spread, moaning.

-V eats you out expertly, sucking on your clit while rubbing it with his tonge. The combined sensations bringing you to your peak almost instantly.

-V doesn't stop; he continues devouring your pussy like a ravenous wolf. The overstimulation overwhelms you and you try to break free, but V is stronger than he looks; his grip only tightens further.

-You scream and squirm, begging for him to stop, but he doesn't. He keeps going, and you keep cumming.

-Eventually your legs give out and you drop to your knees, now straddling V's chest. He holds you still by fingering your sopping wet pussy with one hand while the other undoes his belt.

-His cock finally freed, V lines up your entrance with the head of his cock, and forces you down on him. Your screams were delicious.

-Within minutes, V's lengthy cock had reduced you to a drooling, whimpering, mind-broken mess who could do naught but cling onto your lover and beg him to continue.

-V found the whole ordeal quite exhilarating, and though he doesn't know what the act is called, he is looking forward to committing it again.

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

The Guardian, Chapter 4

In which we finally get a look inside Mildrithe’s head and what she’s thinking/feeling about her new elf friend. As a reminder, Haldir and Mildrithe have just arrived at the closest warden post, where he intends to deliver her to the capable hands of someone else who can get her the rest of the way to Caras Galadhon for help while he goes back to his post to resume his duties. Except he’s not feeling great about that plan anymore. Parts one, two and three are available if you want to catch up. And, because I will use it until the end of time, here is the beloved official artwork of this story, courtesy of the many talents of @brigwife

*****

Mildrithe followed Haldir up a thin rope ladder and into yet another tree. Before the last few days, she would have found this odd, but he seemed to consider trees a perfectly natural place to spend time. And she didn’t mind. Nothing had ever hurt her while in a tree, and she couldn’t say the same for being on the ground.

Like the tall beech where the two of them had spent the previous night, this tree also had a shelter built into its boughs, but the two structures couldn’t have been more different. While last night’s dwelling place was a stark, bare platform, this one had multiple levels spaced throughout the branches, and each contained stores of food and weapons, bedrolls, blankets, water cisterns and other accessories of daily living. And most significantly, this platform had other people on it–people who looked much like Haldir, tall and strong with golden or white-blonde hair and pointed ears. Ellath, he had called them.

Her arrival on the platform drew a lot of interest, and she shrank a little from all the eyes suddenly on her. Haldir spoke rapidly to these ellath, and she guessed from the sound of her own name that he was explaining to them who she was and how she came to be there, though there was much that he still didn’t know, that she kept locked away in the back corners of her own mind. But his words took the attention off of her, and she used the moment to surreptitiously observe his companions.

Rúmil she had met, and he seemed to be closest to Haldir both in appearance and in manner, but there were six others who crowded around as he spoke. She had the distinct sense that Haldir was in charge–the others showed clear deference to him–and she wondered for a moment if he was the king of his people. But, then, he didn’t act like any king she had heard of, not when he spent his time wandering alone in a forest, climbing in and out of trees and eating only whatever small scraps of food he carried on him.

Her eyes swept back over the new faces. She found them all fascinating to look at, both so similar to the men she knew and yet also undefinably different, and she was staring intently when the words of her mother suddenly rang in her ears. “No one likes to be gawked at, Mildrithe.” The memory of that admonishment sent both a hot blush to her cheeks and a wrenching pain to her chest. She worked so hard not to have those memories, but still they came, unbidden, to remind her of her old life. She sniffled a little in an attempt to keep control of herself, and though he didn’t look down or break from the conversation he was having, Haldir heard the sniffle and his hand found hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

After a lengthy discussion, the group dispersed, each member going on to some specific task. Rúmil brought her water and food–fresh fruit, honeycomb and nuts–which she accepted eagerly, having gone days with no food at all and then being confined only to what Haldir had available in his small pack. She dug in with enthusiasm, making a bit of a mess with the sticky honey, and for a time she thought of nothing but sating her own hunger. Halfway through her rations, however, the words of her mother once again sprang unexpectedly to her mind –“what’s ours is ours to share”—and the sting of remembrance did not stop her from turning obediently to look for Haldir, to ensure he had food of his own. He sat alone a short distance away, looking sorrowfully at a small white flower that he turned between his fingers. She recognized it right away as the niphredil flower she had given him the day before, and the unhappiness of his expression sent a warning chill through her. Something was wrong, but she had no idea what it could be.

As she picked at the remains of her food and tried not to brood on the meaning behind his sadness, the other wardens around him were busy stocking several packs in preparation for some kind of departure. Eventually a pack was handed to her, and she looked inside to find her own water canteen, some wrapped food, and a blanket. Any notion that they were going to stay here at this strange little tree camp faded quickly from her mind, and she was not surprised when Haldir and Rúmil gestured for her to follow them back to the ground just a few minutes later.

Rúmil and two others hoisted packs to their shoulders, and Haldir helped to secure hers to her back with several straps. She accepted the help but watched with rising concern as he made no move to lift his own pack or join the little group of travelers. The food she had just eaten suddenly felt like lead in her stomach, and she stared into the deep blue of his eyes, trying to force some kind of sign or acknowledgment that would quiet her fears and assure her that she was drawing the wrong conclusions from the activity around her. Instead, he looked away, and her concern edged toward panic.

When the others seemed ready to leave at last, a few final words were exchanged between Haldir and Rúmil, and then Haldir knelt down in front of her. He opened his mouth as though to speak but thought better of it and took her hand instead, holding it between both of his. When he released his grip, the niphredil blossom sat in her palm. He turned away quickly, rubbing a hand roughly across his chin, and went to stand by the ladder, looking down at the ground as Rúmil lightly gripped her elbow and tugged her into motion.

She staggered forward in unthinking compliance, but each time a foot struck the ground a voice in her head screamed at her to stop. Not to move even a single step further away from the one person she trusted. Tears welled up in her eyes and started to slide down her cheeks, and by the tenth step the voice in her head was so loud that she clutched at her own ears. It made no sense, even in her own mind, to be so attached to him already, but the feeling was undeniably there. He had shown her true kindness, the first person in her life for many months who didn’t want to scare her or hurt her or use her. He was awkward, but he was gentle. Her heart told her that he was safe. That he was good. And she absolutely didn’t want to be parted from him now in order to go on with total strangers.

She looked back over her shoulder in desperation, and when her eyes met Haldir's, a sob ripped through her. Her view of him blurred through her tears and she whimpered his name, but always she felt Rúmil’s hand on her arm, pulling her onward.

“Daro!”

The word exploded from Haldir’s lips and echoed in the trees. Rúmil dropped her elbow and came to a halt, and she used the freed arm to wipe a sleeve across her eyes. With some tears cleared away, she could see Haldir rushing forward, his pack in his hand. He spoke urgently to Rúmil, pointing both back in the direction they had come and forward in the direction they were headed. Rúmil interjected a few times, but before long he raised his hands in a gesture of concession and turned to head back to the tree camp. The other two wardens in the traveling group, Esgalorn and Mirdanion, exchanged looks with one another, brows raised. But neither said anything, and Haldir ignored them. He used the corner of his cloak to wipe the remaining tears from her face, took her hand, and started walking.

The immensity of her relief brought a whole new energy to her spirit. She felt that she could have easily sprinted the entire distance to wherever they were going, though, in fact, she had no idea where that was or how long it would take. But she hustled along at his side anyway, and whenever he glanced down at her, she beamed at him, eager to show just how glad she was to be with him. He always smiled back, but once his eyes were looking forward again the smile would fade. Something still seemed to weigh on his mind, and she reasoned that he was probably worrying about what would happen next, once they arrived wherever they were headed. She had been that way once, too—thinking about the future, making plans, trying to anticipate later problems or griefs—but not anymore. If the last year had taught her anything, it was that the future couldn’t be counted on. All she had was the present and how she felt in the here and now. And right now, at his side, was good. She wished she could tell him that.

The four of them traveled on for the rest of the day, Haldir and Mildrithe together in front and Mirdanion and Esgalorn following behind, keeping up a steady patter of conversation between them. The sound of their words faded into background noise to Mildrithe, and she focused only on what was immediately in front of her. She hopped in and out of the dappled shadows cast on the ground by the swaying, leafy branches above and tracked the sun as it worked its way across the sky. Eventually twilight settled on the forest, the first bright stars appearing in the purplish-blue overhead, and Mildrithe had just begun to wonder whether they were going to spend the night at another makeshift camp when Haldir pointed to faint, twinkling lights on the horizon. Some large city or settlement lay ahead, just across a narrow moat and behind a large, circular wall of green earth. They soon picked up a path that skirted along the wall and at last reached a set of great silver gates. Inside was a city unlike anything Mildrithe had ever imagined.

Caras Galadhon was filled with immense golden-leaved trees, each with a silvery smooth trunk, and the entire city was built into their canopy. White ladders led into many of the trees while others had wooden staircases that wound around the trunks and up into the highest boughs. Lanterns bobbed in the branches, throwing out little golden halos of light, and in this glow could be seen people moving to and fro—tall, graceful people, more of the ellath that Mildrithe was now growing used to seeing. But even as elves were becoming a normal presence in her life, their city took her breath away, and she stopped in her tracks to gape about her. Her mind rushed to catalog beautiful details, to automatically store them away so that she could later describe even a fraction of the magic of this place to her unbelieving family back home, and only the painfully sharp self-correction that she would never have that chance was enough to break the spell of her awe and amazement. She dug her fingernails into her palm, pushing until the stinging in her hand drew her mind away from the feelings and memories that had begun to seep back into her thoughts, and then she hurried after Haldir toward a hill where the largest tree she had ever seen sat like a crown atop the slope.

Someone dressed all in white came down a set of stairs from the tree, moving so smoothly and calmly he almost appeared to float. Esgalorn and Mirdanion bowed, and she noted that even Haldir gave this new figure deep respect. He was clearly someone of importance in the city, perhaps their leader, and so when Haldir gestured for her to come forward, she also bowed. This seemed to amuse the leader, and she hoped that was a good sign, an indication that she would be viewed with favor. He bent down and took a long, slow look at her, and though the scrutiny made her uncomfortable, she didn’t feel that his eyes had any hostility in them. He seemed rather to be gathering information, able to discern far more about her from just his penetrating gaze than she could ever determine from merely looking back at him. She shifted nervously on her feet until he stood at last and turned back to Haldir. A short, low conversation between them followed, and when some point of agreement seemed to be reached, he nodded to Haldir and to her before reascending the stairs, gliding off out of sight.

Hadir dismissed Esgalorn and Mirdanion, who turned off in another direction, and then led Mildrithe down a series of curved paths away from the center of the city. It had by now grown dark, but the pathways and trees were well lit and Haldir seemed certain of his route. She assumed they were headed to a place where they could rest for the night, and their surroundings did get quieter and less crowded as they went. At last, he stopped at the foot of a curved staircase that led up into yet another tree dwelling. He patted a hand against his chest and pointed up the stairs, repeating the gesture several times until he seemed confident that she understood. “Mine,” was her interpretation, and as she followed him up the stairs, she felt a wave of excited curiosity at the idea of seeing his home, the private space where he would be most himself.

The sound of her little boots clomping on the stair treads reverberated in the trees, and soon a curious face appeared at a railing above, drawn by the unexpected noise. A woman peered down at them, and when she saw Haldir on the landing she gave a small gasp and began to run toward him, holding up the hem of her dress so that she could race down the stairs at maximum speed. She had the same elegant beauty and pointed ears as everyone else in the city, though her hair and eyes were both a rich dark brown, and her face was lit up by a wide, brilliant smile. Haldir dropped his pack in just enough time to catch her as she threw herself into his arms, and he spun her around, laughing and smiling with a joyful ease that Mildrithe had never seen from him. She watched their affectionate reunion with unabashed fascination, and her questions about who this woman could be were soon answered when they shared a deep, loving kiss. An inadvertent giggle popped out of Mildrithe’s mouth at the sight of that kiss, and the couple quickly separated, blushing but still smiling at one another.

Haldir rushed through a bunch of words, gesturing repeatedly at Mildrithe, who stood up extra straight and smoothed a hand quickly over her hair and down the front of her dress. If this woman was important to Haldir, then she was important to Mildrithe, and she wanted to make the best possible first impression. At last, he spoke Mildrithe’s name and then pointed to the woman. “Idhrien,” he said slowly and clearly, a hand on his wife’s arm. Mildrithe smiled at her and proudly repeated the words of greeting she had heard at the forest post. “Mae govannen, Idhrien.”

Idhrien stooped down in front of her until she was at Mildrithe’s eye level, and returned the smile. “Westu Mildrithe hal,” she said, and Mildrithe’s heart cracked open in her chest.

She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she had heard her own language, since she had even that most basic comfort of being able to understand what was being said around her and about her. Over time, her awareness of the loss had dulled, but just to hear those few short words now brought back a feeling of warmth and familiarity that she had desperately missed. She would have wept with gratitude if she wasn’t also so eager to speak and to listen now that she finally could.

“How…how do you know those words?”

“My brother was a great lover of languages,” said Idhrien, “and he spent a fair amount of time traveling in your land and learning what he could. He then taught it to me so that he would have someone to practice with when he was home in Lórien.”

“Lórien?”

“That’s where you are. Haldir found you on our borders and brought you here to our chief city. He tells me that you’ve made a very long journey and that you’ve been a very brave girl. He’s proud of you.”

Mildrithe blushed with pleasure at the compliment and looked up at him, watching attentively from his wife’s side. “I want to thank him, but I don’t know how.”

Idhrien smiled again. “Don’t worry. He already knows.”

She stood and gestured for Mildrithe to follow, and they went the rest of the way up the stairs. Once inside their home, they gave her more food and water and a comfortable place to sit with soft cushions and a warm blanket. Idhrien offered her the chance to rest or to take a bath, but there was nothing Mildrithe wanted to do more than to talk—or, more precisely, to ask questions. She had a steady stream of them, about Lórien and elves, about living in a tree, about Haldir and what a marchwarden does, and Idhrien patiently answered them all, taking time to translate for Haldir as she went.

These were all things Mildrithe wanted to know, but they were also safe questions, about other things and other people. She studiously avoided any question about what might be planned for her—where she would go, who she would be with—because she wasn’t at all sure she would like the answer. But eventually, Idhrien seemed to notice the evasion, and she gently curtailed Mildrithe’s questions with one of her own.

“Would you like to know what’s going to happen now that you’re here?”

Mildrithe hugged a pillow to her chest, torn about how to answer. She didn’t want to say yes, but neither did she think she could say no. She settled instead on a vague, non-committal hummed noise.

“Right now, you’ll stay here with us until the Lord and Lady decide what’s to be done. You have nothing to fear from them; they’re good and kind people. Haldir has told Lord Celeborn what he knows, but they will surely have more questions about where you’re from and where you belong. Can you tell us about your home? Your family?”

Mildrithe’s initial joy at being allowed to stay with Haldir and Idhrien was replaced immediately by a heavy anxiety that flooded into her chest. To even think about her home and family was to break her own cardinal rule, and to talk about them with others—to say the words out loud and thereby make those words real—was unthinkable. Her little face grew hot, and she bunched up her skirt in her fists.

“Mildrithe? Are you alright?”

Idhrien was looking at her with real concern, but that only intensified Mildrithe’s distress. The last thing she wanted to do was to disappoint or upset them, but she had never told this story to anyone else. And she was terrified to do it now.

Haldir reached across to take Mildrithe’s hand, and he spoke to her directly for several moments. When he was done, he nodded at Idhrien.

“He says that he understands that you’re afraid, but he promises to keep you safe. He was honored to have your trust when you were together in the forest, and he hopes that you will honor him again by continuing to trust him now.”

Mildrithe looked from his hand up to his steady, calm eyes. The same eyes that had found her when she was lost. Watched over her while she slept. Noticed when she was hungry or thirsty or in pain. He had protected her at every turn, and he had offered her comfort and affection when even she could recognize that it wasn’t always easy for him to show his feelings. A realization slowly dawned on her–if she couldn’t share this pain with someone like him, someone who had shown her so much care, then she might never be able to share it with anyone. And the prospect of carrying it alone, perhaps for all the days of her life, suddenly felt much more terrifying than facing it together with him now.

She stood and inched hesitantly toward him, and he understood her intention right away, lifting her up to sit on his lap. She leaned her cheek against his chest, and for a time all three of them sat in silence, with only their quiet breathing and the soft beating of Haldir’s heart in her ear. And just when he began to wonder whether she had perhaps drifted off to sleep, she opened her mouth and began her story.

*****

Notes: “Daro” means “stop”/“halt”.

Idhrien (which means “thoughtful”) started life as a reader character in my Haldir story Three Weeks on the Nimrodel. She’s the same person here, just with a name. She’s a city warden in Caras Galadhon, though she and Haldir met and fell in love when she was posted temporarily to the border and found a way past his natural reserve and introversion by respecting it and making him feel at ease as himself. Even in that story, she had a brother that traveled in Rohan and taught her Rohirric, so that worked out well here, too!

I don’t have a super clear idea of where the next chapter is going, so it may take me a while. Just FYI.

[imaginethezeldaverse]

Ohhh this has been something I've been wanting to write about for ages. Like since BotW days - but it feels far more fitting after the events of Tears of the Kingdom. Though we don't have any canonical evidence of Yunobo's parents, I'm going to assume (and honestly headcanon) that Bludo had a huge hand in raising him. Please be warned for Tears of the Kingdom spoilers below!

A week after the events of Death Mountain's clearing of whatever monstrosity lay underneath it, Goron City finally seemed to settle. YunoboCo was back on its feet, mining ore and precious stones as business intended. But there was more to it once Link and Yunobo had ascended from the depths. Wearing a golden mawashi patterned sash, adorned with a fiery red stone, was Yunobo. He'd told the people of Goron City that they were free from the havoc that those marbled rock roasts wreaked on their home, but not after apologizing for his awful behavior, citing possession from the mask that was given to him by "Princess Zelda". Bludo remembered barking at him, initially furious that Yunobo would make him worry the way he did, until the two young ones finally got him to calm down. He did save Goron City after all, even if it was a mess Yunobo was still a part of. When he and Link explained what the sash was, and that Yunobo was destined to be beyond Daruk's successor, the city was in awe. Young Champion of the Gorons, Yunobo, was now the awakened the Sage of Fire. Bludo had only heard stories of a Goron sage when he was a kid, old cobble tales, he thought. Yet the proof stood right before him. With Yunobo's fiery charge roll and the flames that blazed from each swing of the Boulder Breaker, there was no real room for doubt. ---- Yunobo stepped just outside of of Goron City, a little overhang that he'd secretly hide away on for as long as he could remember. His eyes scanned from left to right, taking in the metal framing and jagged rock that built the entirety of his home. To think only a few years ago the Goron people were in dire straits, everyone getting sick after Death Mountain had completely cooled down. The thought saddened Yunobo, fearing Bludo's plight at one point when the old man fell ill. He remembered mining twice as hard those few days, scared, but determined to find a way to bring life back into Goron City. He couldn't remember if the liquid running down his face was sweat or tears at the time. He looked straight ahead, the earthy terrain of Death Mountain staring back at him. Yunobo looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers before rolling them into complete fists. "Figures I'd find ya here," croaked an old voice. Off to wayside and slowly making his way up, the boss of the Gorons shuffled his way toward Yunobo. The younger of the two was slightly taken aback, "Boss?! How'd you know I'd be up here, goro? I never told anyone about this bridge." Bludo scoffed, stroking one of his lengthy beard tails, "Who d'ya think helped build this bridge, boy?" Yunobo scratched at the back of his head, "R-Right, sorry, sir..." he'd truthfully forgotten that Bludo helped rebuild Goron City after its last eruption, before he was born. The elder hummed noncommittally, looking out at the same view of Death Mountain as his protege, "Besides, you've been comin' here since ya were justa nugget, I've always known." Bludo's only good eye looked over Yunobo carefully. So different he was from the little scamp that often clung to him twenty years ago. Yunobo was always a timid little thing, constantly terrified of monsters and the rumbles of Death Mountain. The Goron boss couldn't remember a time where he wasn't crying as a kid over when he was. Bludo supposed that's what made him so protective of Yunobo for so long. Looking at him now: he stood tall, strong - Daruk's signature weapon, the Boulder Breaker, sitting across his back just like it was meant to. He was exactly the kind of Goron Bludo had wanted Yunobo to be all along...and yet nothing at all like he had expected. Despite all of his protection and guidance, Yunobo had forged his own path, and now he took on a destiny far greater than the old boss could have ever hoped to prepare him for. It almost made him sad to think about, the fact that Yunobo wouldn't need him anymore. Bludo cleared his throat, "So...a sage, huh?" Yunobo shook his head, his laughter being one of disbelief, "Of all the Gorons in the city, goro, Me! A SAGE!" his hands flew in front of him in incredulity, "Can ya believe it, boss?" Bludo blinked once, a flashback of this tiny Goron child crying out for him before the vision was gone by his second blink. A hearty, but wistful smile crossed the old man’s face. With a resounding clap, his hand smacked onto Yunobo’s shoulder, “I can, son.”  Yunobo turned to his mentor, swallowing back the rock that threatened to settle in his throat, “S-Sir...?”  Bludo smiled wider now, “Ya saved Goron City, Yunobo,” the Goron chief settled his eye on him, “Ya did good, boy.”  This truly choked up Yunobo, eyes glassy from the praise of the Goron he looked up to most. Trying his hardest not to cry, Yunobo quickly extended his hand out to Bludo, “I swear I’ll make you proud, boss!”  The old man looked down at Yunobo’s hand, grasping it tightly before immediately yanking him forward. Yunobo stumbled in a yelp, only to be caught by his mentor, who wrapped a strong arm around his back. It took a moment for the Goron champion to realize what was happening before his eyes truly blurred over and he returned his boss’s embrace. Bludo pat the solid rocks of Yunobo’s back, “Already am, son, already am.” 

[ninjasmart]

Hello, Ninjasmart.

Can you ask your cards why life is testing me this hard? How much longer will it take for me to solve and win this? Why can't they understand they can't steal my soul and be me?

Plus can you kindly ask your card, how long does it take for what is predicted to happen. I know it's coming and it's soon... But i feel it's not soon enough and i need that part of my life to start happening. I am more than ready for it.

I feel like a cat and its 7 lives ( in my country it's 7, not 9!😄). Super ready for my next cat-life!

Thanks for the good energy and prays.

Love and light.

I already wrote a lengthy reply but then I lost it. I'll try and write it again.

Firstly, you need to learn why you meet people who try to steal what is yours and why you will continue to meet them.

A kind person always attracts a user and a narcisist. The narcissist doesn't have empathy or kindness and they take it from others.

A kind person will continue to attract backstabbers and users until they learn to not be kind to all all the time and until they learn that kindness to yourself, love to yourself, respect to yourself, assigning worth to yourself, etc. is the first rule of order.

There are nice little spells (not for begginners) that give nightmares and constant mishaps to those who try to steal your gifts, or good things that are coming your way. There are prayers to be protected from envy and evil.

If you are even more advanced you'd welcome these types of shenanigans with a transmutations: the more they try to steal from you the more their energy will bring you success in life. And those who have truly done you wrong can be cursed, haunted, get nighmares, bodily aches,.. I can continue but I'll stop.

But this will have to all start with you and this brings me to the second point.

If you become just enough spiritually advanved you'll see that nothing happens by accident. "Feeling like good things are coming but they arw blocked" sounds a lot like a tiktok mumbo jumbo and it is not entirely correct.

See, the Divine does not delay things nor does it gift things without the receiver being ready. Just think about it - Jesus was performing miracles even when he was a young child. Why didn't he start his teaching from childhood? From birth the mission was bestowed onto him. Yet, he had to turn 30 in order to start his teaching.

What does it mean to be ready? First of all you need to conjure up the anger, the raw anger inside of you. Noone is benefiting from being lukewarm emotionally when someone tries to take from you. If you can imagine - imagine yourself as the lava from the erupted volcano in Soddom and Gommorah. The lava that cared about nothing else but her path and was going to turn into stone and ashes anyone and anything that was in her way.

Once you find that resolve, you need to understand that you will receive nothing until you deserve it. Many things can be written in the stars for you but do nothing, sit and wait and let's see if things will fall into your lap.

They wont. Same if you keep chasing the good things that you want and that you feel are coming.

What you need to ask yourself is: am I a vibrational match to that thing that I feel is coming, I want to come and I accept to come into my life.

How do you become vibrational match. I feel like I need to explain it because if you google it you may end up astray from what is conveyed here.

If you have to put a stop to the soul stealers, this is what you have to do to clear the path to what you want to come.

If you have to change something negative inside of you, then you need to address it and then what you want and the thing you want will become in alignment.

If a person in your close circle is pulling you back and you do not look for ways to expand your circle and limit the influence of the people who are not helping your highest good, then this is what you should do to get in alignment with the thing that you want.

The Universe is not bringing what you want closer and then moving it away, bringing it closer and then moving it away. The Universe doesn't work like that. And especially doesn't work with: others are the obstacle.

No, my dear. You need to do your work. What rewards you receive depends on the work that you accomplish. God will not judge you on how pios you were, how obedient, how good, how benevolent or how much you suffered with a badge of honor. God doesn't care about any of that. These are human-made fairytales.

God cares if you accomplished the things you said that you will accomplish before you were born.

Remove obstacles with vengeance, find your passion and focus exclusively on that. <- this is the summary of the answer to your many questions but I feel I needed to give you the bigger perspective so that you receive fully this message when you are ready.

Right now the human experience to fully receive this message has not happened yet. When it does - remember about this reading.

[frogenthusiastt]

HI ILY

8 for the writing prompt :)

8: Sunbathing

The early morning is still.

The dunes are faded amber in the early hour, like they haven't yet remembered how to be real. Vash has always appreciated the liminality of this time, when the first sun has just returned and most people are still asleep. Very few times has danger found him when anyone with a gun is still in bed working off their inebriation, and greed and violence has not yet taken shape on the tip of their tongues.

He watches the scenery come to life from underneath the cliff he's perched on, breathing in the air on just the right side of cool and letting the world breathe its life back into him. He feels limitless, like the borders of his body is still about as tangible as the breaking of light against the horizon.

Wolfwood has never understood his predilection towards early hours. He's always been the type of man to come alive in the evening, suddenly setting out to do tasks or getting engrossed in a book or sharing a beer or ten. Whenever Vash wants to ask him for a favor he knows to do it after 6 pm and it'll cut the otherwise lengthy process in half. For all that he loves to bitch and moan to the point Vash suspects it's just some complicated form of affection at this point, sometimes it's nice to just get straight to the point.

It's just before 5 am right now, and Vash knows Wolfwood will probably threaten to do bodily harm if he so much as breathes in his direction for the next 4 hours, but Vash is content to just sit here and breathe in time and pale light and let himself be until that time comes.

That's another thing Wolfwood has never understood about him. One of the parts he does his darnedest to hide in order to not make people uncomfortable. You know, he'd told him once, you can sit really still when you don't think anyone sees you. It's like you– I don't know, you zone out for a moment and suddenly it's like you're not really there anymore.

Vash had laughed him off, told him he shouldn't fault a man for getting stiff at his old age. He doesn't know how to explain this, that if he silences the motion of his body he can hear the rest of the world singing back to him.

Vash puts a hand on the ground and feels the red rust of desert patina in the back of his mouth. Further down, further than that it's years and years of basalt, interlaced with streaks of quartz and tourmaline and calcium tungstate sleeping in the shadowy depths of the planet. It tastes like salt licorice, coats his gums in salty film and makes him feel cool and sturdy and safe.

When he breathes in he can feel the nitrogen and oxygen molecules tumbling in their usual fervent skirmish, dancing around each other and rolling around in his lungs, in his bloodstream. Carbon dioxide comes in with its delightful sweetness, tasting of joy and life and flushing his cheeks red. Methane and ozone taste metallic, buzzing sharp-slap that remind him of his brother.

And then, joyous of all, is the sun now coming in with its loving weight, dousing his limbs and his body and his mind in warm golden love. Vash breathes in slow, breathes out even slower and lets himself indulge in this cycle his body desperately craves, more than any water or food. The sun loves him, the sun has always loved him and cared for him and nurtured him, from the moment he was born and a little before that still.

The vibrating hot fills his bloodstream in a rush and his eyelids droop closed, lets the thinnest expanses of skin drink up the electromagnetic affection from his face, his neck, his wrists, the soles of his feet. It's hard to think like this, when the sun is in him and around him and making him drowsy and giddy and excited and calm. This is probably what drugs feel like to humans, something that had confused him when he was young and had tried them for the first time. The blissed out faces of people dancing and singing and kissing had confused him, then, when all he tasted was 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine and 3,4-methylene-dioxyprovalerone and bath salts, but later it had clicked, on a morning just like this one.

Vash breathes in and it's love-love-love, pure and unfiltered, golden and sultry and dripping down his veins like honey. The sun is in him and its child watches from her skirts and his bones feel aligned for the first time in a long time, like something in him has shifted just slightly to the left and everything had been fine all along.

Time drips from an olive branch, heavy and languid. Wind jostles his hair and sends ripples against the fine hairs on his arms, wakes his nerves up with sparks, reminds him of the outside world. He opens his eyes slowly, adjusting back over the imprints of light still dancing across his sclera.

Two ladies are making their way across the main street, hair perfectly fixed and chattering amongst themselves. Escorts, probably. Vash can see no other reason why someone would look so presentable at this time of day. A couple of construction workers have gathered at the saloons, fixing themselves some coffee before their labor begins. He regards them all fondly, the well oiled machine in how they move around each other like a song and dance, the murmur of their greetings and the pat-pat-pat of their feet against the ground.

One lady makes her way from the hotel they had been staying at, russet hair bouncing as she walks with purpose and– oh that's Meryl. She's walking straight towards him, even though he doubts she can see him from here. It's always been an uncanny ability of hers, the way she can figure anyone out from the moment she meets them: what their favorite flavor of ice cream is, how they like to sleep, where they're most likely to be at just shy of 6 am in the morning. Vash works motion back into his body as she makes her way up the hill, willing the glow of his skin back into something more standard for a human man. He's not surprised when she comes up to sit next to him. Maybe that's why she understands people so well - she always makes sure to be placed at their level, always makes sure to look people in the eye.

"Morning Mr Vash," she says kindly.

"Morning," he replies.

She turns to look out the postcard view in front of them. "Oh wow, that's a mighty beautiful sight! I can see all the people of town from up here."

He smiles. He knew she'd get it. "Yeah."

They sit in amicable silence for a few minutes, basking in the sunlight, knees knocking together. She hums a tune he hasn't heart before. He listens.

After a few minutes she stretches and yawns, standing back up and patting the dust of her skirt with a firm pat pat. "Would you like to join me for breakfast? Food always tastes better with company."

He takes her outstretched hand, feels the warmth of it as he stands.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

[seiwas]

i am here to give some matcha update (￣^￣)ゞ (from the nonie who asked about matcha brands!)

i found a local matcha brand in my area; it’s ceremonial grade and it tastes good, i tried it on its own without milk and i love the earthy taste as it’s mellow and not too empowering (and bitter) to the point that it tastes too grassy lol (TヮT) tried it with honey and it tastes really nice!

i tried oat milk and YES it tastes really good with matcha! the oat-y-ness taste complements the earthy taste of the matcha, tho i don’t like the brand we have at home because it’s TOO sweet for my taste, so i’m on a hunt for another brand (eyeing this specific brand my local cafe uses in their coffee and tea!)

i also tried powdered milk once because i didn’t realize i ran out of oat milk (ಥ◡ಥ) and powdered milk is all we have at home, AND it DOESN’T taste as good as oat milk! it overpowered the mellow taste of the matcha too much!

tried matcha with full cream milk (yes, it’s a scientific experiment atp) and it’s too…dairy? LOL idk how to explain it but it tastes too much like milk??? like it’s too heavy for the mellowness of the tea (ಥ◡ಥ) much like the powdered milk, you can’t really savor the taste of the matcha (the light taste of oat milk and earthiness of matcha really is the top tier combo!)

as such, to conclude this lengthy study, the researcher… LOL sorry this turned into a whole ass essay /cries LMAO thank you for coming to my tedtalk ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻) ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ i hope you have a really good matcha day ahead! (whatever time it is currently to you hihi) <3

matcha nonie i am grinning so hard reading this rn 🥹 i find it so cute and so sweet that you've come back to give me an update on your matcha journey omg that's so precious 😭

i'm so happy you found a local matcha brand in your area!! and that you even tried it with just water omg that's so Real of you!! i love matcha that isn't too sweet, and i know people typically shy away from matcha bc of the fact that it tastes earthy—so i'm so happy!! that we are on the same boat there!!

i'm also glad you see what i mean by oat milk omg i truly believe it is a match(a) made in heaven

i've tried powdered milk too!! i think powdered milk has a really distinct flavor, and it can be a bit too sweet too 🥹 a combination i've tried that's pretty good too is: matcha + oat milk + a bit of powdered milk (maybe 2x the matcha you put then adjust accordingly) it makes the drink really creamy!!

and i completely get what you mean with full cream milk LOL i really don't like it too for that exact reason!! that all i taste is milk 😭

i loved reading your lil observations and notes for your lil experiment nonie!! i did have a great cup of matcha earlier, thank you so much 🥹 i hope you have a really great cup of matcha too, and that you find ✨ the ✨ oatmilk!!

[luucypevensie]

Tell me EVERYTHING about your HP ocs. please.

- @come-along-pond

Um… OF COURSE I WILL!! Thank you for asking!!

First and foremost, we have my girl, Cordelia Grey (fc is Naomi Scott). Cord is a Muggle whose Aunt Andrea (her father’s sister) is a witch. For the first ten years of her life, she happily lived with her parents, having no clue that everything was going to change on her eleventh birthday.

That day, she was hanging with her aunt, waiting for her parents to join them when they get the news that they were killed in a car accident. It was also around that time that McGonagall came to give Cord her letter and help Drea explain that she was a witch.

Cord fell into a depression that day and didn’t get out of it until her aunt took her to Diagon Alley and she met one Harry Potter at Ollivander’s. While waiting to get their wands, the two of them started talking and it came up about both of them losing their parents and them never learning about the Wizarding World until now.

Later on, it comes up that Drea knew James and Lily (James thought of Drea as a younger sister and was VERY protective over her), and Harry and Hagrid join the girls for dinner where Drea tells them so many stories about them. It was the first time Harry ever felt that he had a family.

Fast forward to September 11th: they arrive at Hogwarts and are being sorted into their Houses. When Cord’s name is called, she quietly walks up to the stool and sits down. Once the Sorting Hat is put on top of her head, the two of them proceed to have a lengthy conversation. Slytherin comes up when Cord asks why everyone seems to hate it so much. The Hat gave her a condensed version of its background, leading Cord to ask if The Hat thought Slytherin was bad. To make a long story short, their conversation helped Cord to cement her decision.

The Sorting Hat announced SLYTHERIN, and everyone just fell dead silent (yep, Cord decided she was going to be a Slytherin because she knew she had a lot of the qualities the House prizes, but also she decided that it would be her mission to show everyone that not all Slytherins are evil).

So, first year was a bit hard to say the least for Cord. Harry wasn’t speaking to her, and a lot of the Slytherins were being mean (not that Cord wasn’t used to it; when she was younger, she was bullied quite a bit). However, it started looking up when she befriended Tracy Davis after the Sorting, and this is also when she met her future gf, Cheyenne, a Ravenclaw. They bumped into each other when Cord got lost trying to find the Charms classroom and became friends.

Further out in the year, Daphne Greengrass joins Cord and Tracy’s duo, and the trio later on become known as the Antimony Trio.

Third year, Drea becomes the new Muggle Studies professor and everyone LOVES her (with the exception of some Slytherins). When she was at Hogwarts, Drea was a Hufflepuff. She was a couple years younger than the Marauders, but Remus started tutoring her in DADA during her first year and became like another older brother to her. So did James once he started tutoring her in Transfiguration. Sirius became interested in her later on after hearing James rave on and on about her (“Pure ray of sunshine Padfoot, must protect at all costs!), but she wasn’t interested and basically, they are a LONG ASS slowburn.

Cheyenne’s fc is Amber Midthunder, and Drea’s fc is Billie Piper.

[starscelly]

“cel, you said you referenced dee dee ramone a lot for miro in the flying stars au just so you could make a joke about miro having a dee dee king era and recording shit like mash potato time. what from dee dee actually inspired stuff with miro!” i know you are all DYING to know (nobody asked). EVERYBODY is asking me this (not one person)

i suppose i can share the knowledge of miro’s bass playing style if i must. all coming from a non bass player so. peace and love grain of salt etc

there’s a couple of reasons i chose dee dee for miro’s reference. basically i’m gonna be talking about the: casual style. speed. stamina. and also drawing lengthy comparisons between skating style and bass playing below. beware.

the biggest factor was how fucking insanely low he held his bass? like i watched a lot of videos and sought out a lot of photos and am also just an avid ramones enjoyer lol . that shit was to his Knees. and that like casualness i guess of hanging ur bass ridiculously low felt miro esque to me?

and then i watched a video or two abt it and learned that he basically fucking did that so he could play faster because all the movements would then just be in his wrists?? speediness is very miro core!!! it fits so well. he would be the fastest bass player ever while not only maintaining a casual stance, but having this style be like How he is so speedy.

this from my basic understanding is also rlly similar to how his skating style works!! i’m not an expert and people have written longer better explanations of this (this blog is rlly helpful with stuff like this. shoutout) but. some guys you watch skate and they look like they’re moving a lot and working hard and they are. getting nowhere. smthn smthn u lose speed the more u lift ur foot and push down and if u don’t have the push off speed down similar to like. what mcdavid does . it’s not gonna work for u. its all explained really well in that post and others of theirs idk. i’m not a professional

miro as a skater is particularly Phenomenal at speed when gliding along (he is good with like speed straight off the push off but a lot of my favorite shit to watch is him not lifting a foot once and maintaining insane speed) looking like he’s floating down the ice. ALL OF THIS TO SAY LMAO. him gaining/maintaining speed in long strides rather than lifting his skates a lot and almost looking like he’s running on ice feels. fundamentally. similar to dee dee hanging his bass low so he can have the repetitive fast wrist movements to maintain rather than trying to move his whole forearm at that speed.

and obviously this style of playing doesn’t just automatically make playing bass at that speed easy as hell. you need INSANE amounts of stamina even with how short ramones songs are. i know this because dee dee’s successor - cj ramone - said himself he could not do what dee dee did! even when hanging his bass the same way the stamina is insane and unique. and miro and stamina go hand in hand baby!!! not to glorify it because it’s horrific but we all know the absurd amount of minutes he’s able to play.

but yeah!!! those are the main reasons why dee dee felt like the right inspiration to choose for miro.

stream too tough to die and brain drain and pleasant dreams and all the other ramones albums and also all the imaginary flying stars albums xoxo

[indyflanery]

1, 3 and 11 :)

As usual, it got lengthy when I was given a chance to explain Indy's background. But I welcome all questions even without prompts!

Also with Indy 5 coming out, I retain my dibs on RPing this version of the Indiana Jones character, as I haven't seen anyone else write it as long as I have on this hellsite. Lol

1. What made you pick up this character?

It was a no brainer. I've been watching Indiana Jones basically since it originally released. It's my go-to comfort movie series. I watched the TV show when it aired, or at least I have vague memories of watching it! Any archaeologist who says they didn't want to be Indiana Jones when they grew up is a liar, and I stand by that.

When I first picked up RP with then-friends as it developed from a side AU that started from The Boondock Saints, the Sean Patrick Flanery character for the group that I picked had to be Young Indy. Plus, I was still in grad school for archaeology at the time. It definitely wasn't a stretch and I have not regretted writing him.

3. What’s the best thing about the show/series/books/comics/etc.?

There's too many good things about the movies/series/character. It's hard to decide. The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles really tried to go for that exciting, educational aspect for its audience, however outrageous of a time frame for all his adventures. Not to mention, Lucas developed a lot of Skywalker Sound's digital editing with this show.

I think the best thing is between the show and the supplemental novels, they tried to fill in the gaps that hadn't previously been fleshed out for Indy's life, like details on his mother, the shitty relationship with his father mentioned in Crusade, and the backstory of the search for the diamond shown at the start of Temple. Fuck, Harrison Ford was actually in an episode! Thankfully, they confirmed the show as canon in the fourth shan't be named movie (the Pancho Villa reference). Too bad they canceled it before young Indy could first meet Marion Ravenwood and Rene Belloq.

Problem being, however, is that a lot of people just getting into the Indiana Jones world don't know about the novels/TV show, so there's crazy ass postulations out there that makes me go, 'No, they answered that already!'

11. Are there some things you dislike about how the show/series/etc. portray the character you have picked up? If so, what?

Hmm...I mean the given answer is that he's a terrible archaeologist and so many people are like 'Concept: Indiana Jones but he returns things to museums!' You can't actually divorce the context of the time the movies and the TV show takes place in from the character's actions. Archaeology in the early 1900s was a horrible, unethical discipline and that's just who Indy was - at that time there was nothing wrong with his actions.

Otherwise, I think things that irked me a little were some episodes like the one that takes place during the 1916 Irish Rebellion with vague hints of depth to Indy's character that in today's world could have been explored in different ways (i.e., sexual tension with another male character because a few scenes came across as very loaded). He was also a bit overly naive and they probably could have chipped away harder at the naivety once he experienced the Somme.

Also, just the sheer amount of shit he did in his life - not just as a young adult, but also as an adult. He'd have no time to do anything else with the small gaps in between adventures.

[movemnt]

so, this is me rambling through a rundown of most of what they cut from the final version of r.esident evil r.evelations 2. This is all summary of what was gathered from the horrid mess in the data files that a friend datamined and we sorted through about a year after the game released. It's a goddamn nightmare in there.

To make a very lengthy story short, they had the full game set to go until about 2 weeks to the first episode being released, and then basically halved it after delaying it for about another week with no explanation??? Nobody knows why they decided to go this route and we probably won't ever know. they left the game data in a bit of a cobbled mess with those data files still in it (and when I say it's a mess i mean it's a M E S S. it took three weeks to get just some of the dialogue that was missing and then much more to make some semblance of sense of the whole thing and piece it all together. like why not just delete all of it???? unless it was a case of 'if i remove this tomato the entire game will cease to function so it stays in this spot outside of the stage'-) and some dialogue tags and actions have zero context to them in the game in its current state.

i'm also not putting in the dialogue tags and am instead summarizing them because this post will be 10x longer than it is.

I also want to note that as much shit as I'm about to give it I fucking adore this goddamn game, it got me through some very dark times in my life, I even have Moira as my alias for most websites- it's amazing, but the fact that they left this much is kinda bizarre and makes me wonder what could have been. also it's v weird to do this summary again. i've done it once before but some details are missing from what i had in a draft of the deleted post i wrote and the post that a friend wrote so some of this is from memory.

alas.

The first episode is basically the same in terms of story. Claire and Moira get kidnapped, they wake up and Moira is freed after Claire does the first puzzle in the cells. It's much more hyper in pace and intense then smoothed into the more liminal space horror that we get in the prison currently. It was lengthy on both sides with a bit more of a reflection on things from barry's side in reference to Moira and LOTS. OF. PUZZLES. ON CLAIRE'S SIDE. kind of a blessing i'm not going to lie. alex went fucking hard (she literally set all these traps herself with a bit of help from neil) and her dialogue tags are ruthless. the xbox 360 demo they sent to cons and press reflect this.

The second episode... jesus fucking christ my guys.

For Claire's side: So instead of the ending being based solely on the choice you make in the third episode, there were a couple of different choices you can make in the second alluding to different endings where some characters die, some don't, ALL CHARACTERS DIE, all but one live, etc (I'll explain this in the fourth episode). Basically, you can help guide Moira's conquered fear a bit more instead of making it based around this one pivotal moment. It's a nice, slow blend into the root cause of her fear. She even talks more about what happened and Claire encourages her to try to protect herself more, even knowing what happened. Moira seems a bit more sympathetic, though is still angry at Barry for being over"bear"ing (ba dum tiss). It's not a constant slew of 'I HATE BARRY'' 'DOES HE ALWAYS TELL THAT AWFUL JOKE' and teenage-ish angst, there's actually much more of a blended mix of her trying to process what's going on and what happened between her and polly years ago. ( also there's a lot of what I like to call "Burton Joke Moments" lmao )

Also. I must state that the N.eil x C.laire dialogue was not present and actually isn't present in the original script of the game still, either in the old version and in the script in the japanese version. C-usa is notorious for implying things in their translation of R.esident E.vil stories (they got some fucking fire up their ass from Capcom and the development team after this one though, it was BAD.). The basis in the japanese script is that they were coworkers, he's the boss, without him terra save might crumble, and the script went more in the route of Claire being concerned about Neil as the leader of Terra Save as a whole.

Also, CLAIRE ACTUALLY ACTS LIKE CLAIRE. While the moment of Moira and Natalia bonding over the bracelets is still present and connected with the other pieces of dialogue, in the pieces of dialogue we found she is much more presently concerned with the actual fucking child they have tagging along with them. "Natalia, are you okay?" "You can come down" "Can you jump that high?" "Do the monsters scare you?" "You've got this, we'll get you out of here, don't worry." "Wow you're strong!" "do you need to catch your breath?" etc. While some of what was found can also be implied to be towards Moira, all of it sounds much more uplifting towards the kid than what we get in the present version.

Pedro's death is marginally the same, though the dialogue is that much more heartbreaking. That man was so fucking scared and Alex taunting him seemingly pushed him even more and made him an example of what those bracelets can do. Claire is also much more reassuring to him and trying to take charge of the situation before it eventually goes to the hell it turns into.

that's what i remember of claire's side, barry's side-

It was so much more creepy because Alex actually follows and watches you throughout the chapter (tbh a bit of an inside joke between me and a friend is that Alex walked so MR. X could run). There's animations and coding that imply she was supposed to be loaded into each scene in the city. Once you load it with the monster Alex model that's covered, she is permanently Watching you it's really fucking weird and was honestly funny to watch my friend test out (after it took hours to get it to Function). This also goes along with the present implications of her watching through cameras and through the revenants. She is literally Always watching you.

Speaking of! Fun Fact that I love just bc of its creepy factor- Alex is literally watching you through the revenants, but even this mechanic seems a bit faulty, or it's faulty on purpose? They don't seem to see Natalia, but heaven forbid they touch Barry if he's hiding it's an immediate grab (npc controlled or not). Oddly enough this is kinda the same for Moira in Moira's dlc chapter. They see her but also kinda dont? i'll explore that in my own hc for her later. Makes me wonder if they have this whole system of snuffing out who's infected and who's not it's really fucking cool. Or if it's glitchy. I'm gonna go for the former option bc it's cool.

anyway- that is most of what i recall from his side of ep 2, i think there was more with the pedro fight but it was mostly repeats of his scared rant in claire's side, if i remember more i'll add on to this.

episode 3-

i dont remember much about anything before the big neil fight, so im not sure if much of it changed aside from the aforementioned script stuff with claire and neil. there was a bit more talk about barry from moira following the encounter with evgeny and it's much more defeated than the high strung nature we get from her in the first chapter. "i didnt have to be told i did something bad" or smth turned into something like "i just wished we could have talked more without being stubborn". like honestly it seems less that they always fought, but were more complacent and silently tense until one of them poked the bear. kinda like a "not causing a fight for the family" sorta deal???

the fight though- i think it would have been so much stronger with the dialogue that was taken out. like i am not saying i dont like 'WE WERE SUPPOSED TO SAVE PEOPLE IT'S IN THE GODDAMN NAME!' but, claire is really going in on what neil has been doing, she's much more reactive after she has gotten some more clarity on what neil has been doing.

there's also like this document found in the chamber where you can find the dead butler, and it talks about albert and his visits and how ppl would just look really weirdly at this dude dressed all in black leather and telling them not to mind him lmao

barry's side didn't change much. barry's discovery of evgeny and then of moira's phone hit me like a goddamn brick wall and i dont think it changed much aside from the little different bits of dialogue you can hear from moira in episode four (i'll explain this in episode 4's piece)

now. episode 4.

holy shit on a shitstick-

some of this will be a mish mash of what i remember, what is missing, what is in concept art pieces, and what we had to gather from all of the above.

Starting with Claire's episode. So, there's a massive reason why claire episode 4 is only 10 minutes long as opposed to the other chapters, in short, there was a LOT cut out of it and connected to other pieces that were cut out, etc. I'll start with smaller bits of info and go up into the rather massive thing that we could only piece together and theorize about because, quite frankly and as much as this might make no sense, what we found makes no goddamn sense unless we connect it to scene stuff.

so, little weird things first- moira was supposed to get a katana from the tower at one point. for some reason alex kept one around, highly suspected to be albert's but i don't know. there's also a silenced pistol that implies that claire was supposed to silently shoot at the glasps that are released once the tower starts to go into self destruct mode. There's supposed to be more puzzles strewn about the lab, and more sight seeing around it too. Like you were supposed to see around it a lot more and not just from the confines of a glass box.

and then you get to moira's death.

you were supposed to hear her voice recording to barry as claire is walking away. that's fucking heart wrenching. like there's a reason why she has her phone in hand but not doing anything with it- she was about to record her final words to her dad, thinking she was about to die.

Now the big thing.

When you take the camera away from the insulated box they have you in with claire and moira and go beyond alex, you can find some bits and trinkets: two hospital beds (of which you can already see) some tricell equipment and purple tubes with rocks. Close inspection shows that they look a hell of a lot like lava rocks. Now hold on you may say, would that imply alex was trying to clone a certain brother of hers- i don't believe so. However, it implies that she had his dna. It's also implied that she was testing out what she was doing with natalia to see if she could do the same with albert's dna. which. makes a lot of other things make sense. Honest to god the one thing i hate about the way they did this is all the disconnected plot lines, like the one that "you were right albert it's not enough to live i want to transcend" alludes to. Like they left that in there and just didn't bother to explain why and let you assume he just rambled on about it to her one time and he continued that ramble into 5- yeah just. ugh.

another thing to ramble about before going into the brief discussion about barry's episode 4- the ending of barry's episode 3 (among other things) is just so. so unclear without the piece that is missing from claire's episode 4. alex grabs natalia and there's a brief moment where alex shows genuine fear, that's because her experiment worked, but only half way. See, half of her escaped and transferred into natalia and now lays dormant, the other half, however, is cursed to stay into the mutated form she is in. The only problem is this half in natalia is the worst half. this is where the "true or false, you, natalia, are false, i alone am true" thing and her raging hatred for natalia comes into play. only thing is they didnt show this or explain it.

and then barry's episode 4.

so, the multi-endings bit kinda comes into play here. Right now we have only two endings, a good ending and a bad ending. However, there's parts that make it look like the ending was supposed to be split up. Barry and Moira were supposed to work together for a bit (like when they escaped the area the first boss fight with alex happened in, it just cuts to them somehow running outside even though this cave was DEEP into the ground), there's some lines for evgeny (even though he dies which is honestly really curious).

that's honestly all i can recall at the current moment and as i dive into old files i might find more. hope yall enjoyed my ramblings.

[spikeinthepunch]

Accessible Theory

neocities is running a bit slow right now, so i decided to crosspost this from my website.

Fair warning, I am not entirely sure where this blog post may go, and I am operating of of my own knowledge... which I feel is still expanding on this topic.

Recently I just caught wind of what was going on with Yesterweb (the site/community). Yesterweb is something sadgrl.online started that gave insight to the concept of the 'indie web' most people refer to and many read the manifesto located there that inspired them. I hadn't run into that site myself when I made my own, but I know it was a pretty significant drive for many to move to neocities. I mention my lack of seeing it at first because I basically did not touch the social communities at all, I wasn't on the forum or discord etc.

This blog isn't about Yesterweb- not fully, and I don't want to make it all about the shutdown because again, I wasn't there when this problem was blooming. But, it brought many thoughts to mind.

Again as I say, whatever thoughts I express here were brought to my mind because of what I read but, none of this is directed at how the mods handled this. (And i also completely undeniably understand the need to shut down such massive, hard to control social spaces simply from that perspective too).

When I heard about what was going on I went to the forum, and saw how it was read-only. I went to the last announcement thread to get some insight and its turned into me reading the incredibly lengthy 3 page thread probably with thousands and thousands of words at this point. Once I started seeing some more mod input explaining things I knew I wanted to get even more insight on the thoughts not about the shut down itself but the intention of Yesterweb itself. Because even outside of that site, I felt like there was just something... there was something being missed, some unidentified, that just wasn't being taught or spoken.

A conflicting read I couldn't grasp was this sentiment that the idea of such a movement couldn't be spoke straight forwardly in a "this is our idea and what we are doing" because people could hear the ideas expressed and misinterpret it and this makes sense. This is something I do understand- you can explain a complex idea of theory and someone could understand it some other way, and in terms of a movement that could open up to people saying "wait, i thought you meant this?" I get that as I see it play out time and time again (and I know I have fallen into issues of the same thing in other communities), but at the same time the idea of letting things sit in the air and hope the energy pushed by you for the movement....catch on somehow without it spoken? I guess? That people will come to getting the implications you have about sub cultures and counter cultures, Marxist theories, commercialism...

I sit here reading threads and discussions like this and cant help but question "where do i start?" and thats something i would want to hear in that kind of community, you know? and it was hard to see if that was ever done in that space. There is always a divide between those already intent to lead a revolution because they have the knowledge to apply to it in a useful way and those who could but just... dont have the intellectual knowledge? I think we all know those people arent stupid- i think we all know there are loads who would start to follow that idea but as a person who feels like they are in that category, I feel like I am sitting in the dark unable to partake in a movement I would gladly join, or even just feel like what I am doing, isn't what it should be.

Because I don't understand most of what is talked about there. I feel like i know what we want in that kind of movement but hell if I understand the kind of political theory those "above me" so strongly applied behind the scenes.

There is where i think of 'accessible theory' though terms used very loosely to gather my feeling. I know it sounds counter productive to bring this question to the empty crowd of a blog, "How am I supposed to find the knowledge on all these things you apply to this kind of movement?" one would want to say 'google it' but I think we all know full well the biased and sometimes useless nature of current search engines, which makes it harder to dive into the deep end. And even more so, where do I go to engage and find a community? One that... would also have levels of discussion that wouldnt alienate me.

The inability to identify the theory and the ideas is the biggest hurdle to me. If i was reading this thread and someone hadn't said "this is about sub culture versus counter culture" I wouldn't have know, and its right for them to say people wouldn't know but, what the hell are you to do other than to educate if that is whats missing? if someone hadn't said they were applying Marxist theory to the inner workings of their decisions in the movement i would have no damn clue, because I can't recognize Marxism. I can see full well how certain things came into play with a movement like the Yesterweb, and why somethings arent outright stated but where do you balance straightforward teaching and unspoken natural growth?

I know like the many others who joined that community that I would be pulled in my nostalgia and I don't think any of them were saying that alone was bad, but the idea that those who were did not know or apply the knowledge they were applying themself in order to become that 10% who understood, feels like it brushes off the potential these people would have if they were given the readable resources for these topics. There is a point I feel where that walls needs to be broken down and the unease of people interpreting your statement differently when stated bluntly at least leaves a higher amount of people having learned anything at all- that they can at least apply to a radical movement in whatever way they want that they couldn't before. Though again- I don't intend for people to read this as me pointing my finger at Yesterweb in particular- this is a sentiment I have had for a long time.

A recent post on tumblr that was fitting in time for my reads of the forum brought to mind this a bit more, just in the topic of consuming non-fiction. I think the 'lack of knowledge' on some of these political theories etc in younger people is that and many other things. For one, I also have majorly consumed fictional media above all, and most of my leaning to left ideas spawned from many things I thought about after consuming said media. This isn't bad of course- fictional media is easier to take in and the fact it feeds many's drive to change and learn is fantastic. But as that post outlines, its limiting. Fictional media is 1) made by a biased creator who also consumed these ideas and are feeding them back to you 2) the fictional media itself (even more when applied to mainstream media) is often worked into whatever framework is acceptable before being put out (cartoons often getting censored for kids, networks in general denying many aspects of an episode's script, etc). And so, the point towards non-fiction is important, and I think for a lot of those who fell in the category that was not the '10%' that the Yesterweb hoped to have were often people like that, and while I don't feel I blindly fall into that category, i know I have been there and grew there and was still left directionless in how to change this about myself.

I can, and have, picked up your expected books to read even as they often sit unread right now. I have been diving deep into all the discussions people have had across the YW forum etc consuming whatever the hell is being said and hoping this sticks in my head. I don't write this article to point my finger at Sadness or whoever else and yell "please, you need to show me what to do!"

but I sometimes feel helpless and uneducated in front of the undefined "You" that i refer to in my head. I LOVE The political direction people took from web revival even as it is not all of them. I AM driven and determined to keep this mindset no matter how little I feel I know on the deeper things I could apply. I WANT that to change and I will do my best to see it through, really. I was not involved directly in YW community and I hope this blog doesn't come off like a jab at them as I simply wanted to bounce off my internal frustrations in feel 'lesser than' when it comes to topics I feel I still am learning about. What the YW brought up for many is so incredibly important and I think we all need to remember the real intention behind "web revival" which isn't that its just nice to have a pretty website that looks like it came out of the 90s. We are doing this for more than that and we always should be.

Consider the above more an analysis on what I felt was missing. How I felt I was missing something (and maybe still feel I am). Sometimes you need to vent, right?

As always, if you want to contact me about this blog, email me! Especially if you have thoughts to reach out about starting on learning more about what I speak of here.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Mark Sumner at Daily Kos:

Donald Trump’s recent rambling about sharks vs. batteries has become such an incoherent mess that it’s hard to remember that this story, which has been a part of Trump’s rally speech for years, once had a point. The point was the batteries: Trump hates them, and he hates every form of electric vehicle that they might be placed inside. Hating on batteries is Trump’s way of signaling his allegiance to fossil fuels. Trump has repeatedly said that electric cars can only “drive for 15 minutes” before they need to be recharged. In contrast, Trump says that a diesel truck—complete with an apartment you would be “proud to live in”—can drive across the nation without refueling once.  The list of Trump’s EV lies was lengthy a year ago, but it just keeps growing. And like the shark vs. battery story, it keeps getting more bizarre. Now Trump is attacking the Pentagon for its electric tanks—a thing that absolutely, positively does not exist.

Letting Trump get away with lies is practically the favorite sport of the national media, but Trump's lies about electric vehicles are so obvious that some of them should be the subject of questions during the debate. Trump regularly claims that "all EVs are made in China." This isn't true. In fact, the number of EVs sold in the U.S. that originate in China is exactly zero. Most of the electric cars sold here are made in the U.S. This seems like something he might want to explain during his next breakfast with Elon … and it also seems like Musk should be explaining to Tesla stockholders why he favors the guy who keeps attacking the industry. Trump means to slam the brakes on EV sales at a time when Americans are buying record numbers and consumer choice of electric vehicles is rapidly expanding. That includes ending federal policies that help lower the cost of electric vehicles and develop networks for recharging, adding a 100% tariff to EVs built in Mexico where both GM and Tesla plan to assemble lower-cost vehicles.

Donald Trump’s war on electric vehicles is a signal that he is beholden to the fossil fuels lobby.

[cescalr]

small [read: lengthy] mcrp (traffic/hermits) sims update

No more new DSMP sims, but a bunch of [the same] Hermits/Traffic sims! Mostly - mostly just Joels. The way I’m doing this is making each character, and then colour palette swapping them for each life stage in each series. 

I kind of did SB out of order cause i watched LimLife first, so i knew that skin best (aside from his standard human shrek skin that i kind of mostly just want to....... ignore.... because its. it’s. it’s human shrek guys. i don’t - i can’t. I refuse.) ANYWAY yeah so we’ve got;

LimLife; green and red.

double life; green

I’m probably gonna change his hair idk. DL!Joel isn’t set in stone yet. (Once I get to life stage swapping of colours i will fucking refuse to change anything about the design because OH GOD how long that would take.....)

last life; green is currently in progress.

Taking liberties too for variety’s sake. Not that he spent long on Green or Yellow in LastLife, lol. Still. Ignore the crown is floating; the height slider mod and the hat slider mod (for adjusting the positon of hat-category CC, not always hats though) conflict with each other as they use the same slider location (neck). REALLY annoying. Used to exist a height slider that used the front foot location instead of the neck and I wish it still worked so I could have them both in game at the same time... alas. Also if you remove the hat slider the hats reset to original position, which is horrendous. If you remove the height slider this is not the case, so basically; do heights first, then hats. Learnt this the hard way. Annoying, though, because if they’re too short you can’t access the neck in order to adjust hat position........... ugh. Problem for future Cesca to deal with. I do have the hairs I’ll be using for Yellow and Red LastLife Joel already set aside, though. There’s so much shit I have to keep track of for this project lmao. Might swap the pinkish/reddish crown over to his greenlife and use the gold one for yellow because..... it’s... yellow. Obviously. Don’t know why I thought I needed to explain that one...Canonically he’s wearing the black crown during his redlife, so. You know. Can’t really mess with that one. 

3rd life; green, yellow and red. 

Yeah i went with the wolf thing as best I could for variety’s sake. Also like a kind of transformative corruption or whatever idk what the fuck i’m talking about. Loads of fanart gives him antennae (I guess as a way of interpreting the shrek ears?) so I just. Went with that. Why not. Alien man. Sure. Skin tinted green, yellow and red on each life. There are SO many swatches i have to swap around guys. so many. just so many. The reason i haven’t colour palette swapped LimLife!Yellow!Joel yet is bc. oh god the number of swatches i’m going to have to swap around.... 

Couple higher res images; 

Green!3rdLife / Mazalean King!Joel, hence the purple streaks. I use an eye shine for the Traffic versions as an extra way to distinguish between non-death game versions of the characters and their usual selves. This is also what i consider Joel’s ‘default’ hairstyle to be, I guess. For now. 

 Couldn’t really tell in the preview, but red!3rdLife Joel is. just. that’s a lot of blood. (Not his.) 

For obvious reasons, my favourite Joel to make was LimLife joel. 

OTT? Absolutely. As he should be. Ik the darker green/teal dye is a bit glitched but i just used whatever I could find that worked. Can’t be arsed to replace with a better option now I have one, which I did use for the red!life and will use for the yellow. I still think it looks pretty great so I don’t really care. These glasses took FOREVER to find btw. But they’re perfect <3 so. Worth it. I also saw people draw LimLife!Joel with some kind of goatee-esque facial hair, unlike his usual design (and the times he has a full beard, like LastLife and Empires s2), and you know. Go big or go home! Especially with a Joel design. (Or a Scar design, for that matter.) So I went with that, too. Not dyed though because. Maximalism. Also I’m pretty sure everyone’s like in their 30s and I’m not checking that assumption. Jsyk. LimLife Joel is having a midlife crisis a decade too early <3. Anyway I finally got a chance to use all my alt cc i’ve been saving up for soooooo long because it’s so fun. So that’s nice. Pathetic worst loser gang Bad Boys trio my beloveds <3. Can’t wait to make tryhard failing at punk LimLife!Jimmy. That’s gonna be so fun. 

Got a base Rendog;

Which is hermit!Ren (s9, specifically). I need to make King!Ren and then i can start going over the Traffic!Rens. He has the wrong ears really because I wanted it to be more of a dog thing than a wolf thing, and I actually think these are fox ears now I’m looking at them... Oh well. They work fine for their purpose.

We’ve got s7, s8s, and a s9 Mumbo;

s7;

s8s;

Mooner:

Pacific:

Contractually harvested a soul (grian’s);

s9;

But we’ve got no potato or pig mumbo bc of the sims 4′s limitations when it comes to non-human[oid] characters. Need to make Traffic!Mumbo. I tihink he was only in LastLife??? So if that’s the case at least there’s only one of him to be dealing with. He’s got a bunch of outfits other than these because I don’t actually get to use the more formal cc I have in my game all that often. Pacific!Mumbo has a bunch of really fun outfits too. Mumbo was one of the more funky sims to make, actually.

As for Grians we’ve only got a s9 Grain man so far; 

And yeah, the wingspan is kind of absurd. But you know. To lift a whole-ass human person, it kind of has to be!

But he does have some CuteGuy alterego outfits;

I did a whole bunch of different ones, and given the watcher!grian of it all some even have different wings. Though most of those are admitedly just a swatch swap.

Being this one.

Please ignore how bad he looks from this angle but you can also see here the reason for Grian’s-Soul-Having-Mumbo’s hairstyle.

Anyway, can’t make a Poultry Man for the same kind of reason as the lack of pig/potato mumbo; there’s just no content in game or cc i can find that would make that work. (Need a chicken mascot head, basically, but there’s nothing like that anywhere I can find.) Can’t make a watcher!Grian for the same reason - no way to get enough eyes. [i go with a more eldritch angel inspired idea for how watchers look, syk. I’ve also never read ATUS and don’t plan to; my ideas are based on a combination of a) imagination and b) EVO. Also why would watchers cover their eyes......... they. they. they’re Watchers. They need those.]

I think Gem would be one of the easier ones to make (s9 Gem). So she’ll probably be next. Cleo i need to find some medusa snake hair for and some torso damage (because of the giant missing chunk in their side) as well, so that’ll be a while off. But LimLife!Cleo is easier, so she’ll probably be the first Cleo I make. I’ve already got a bunch of 80s athletic gear. Scar.... not sure how to go abt him. Also daunting bc he plays just so much dress up so much all the time so there’s going to be So Many Of Him it’s going to take forever. Cubfan shouldn’t be too hard he’s just like some guy scientist edition and never changes his clothes (as far as I know). Much like DSMP!Sam being a creeper man i’m not really sure how to render Doc given he’s also just a creeper man (with additional cyborg goat elements). Also need a labcoat cc that works for him; open, one arm ripped off, cyborg arm on that side. Really specific shit I just don’t have available unless i make it myself, and I can’t do that. Awkward to deal with; putting off as long as possible. Though i suppose a lot of fanart DocM77 uses in his thumbnails (so, as I see it, accepted as canonical appearance fanart) is a much more humanoid green guy so... I might just go with that for ease. Have everything I need for both Hermit!S9!False & Empires!S2!False, just need to make her (and decide how similar to Lomadia I want her to look. I love making things cross over with each other so it would be really funny if they’re related. To me specifically. Interconnected MC Multiverse my beloved. Every time I see a False fanart I do a double take because my brain is like. Lomadia??? no it’s False. Chronic YogsMC brain at work right there. Also False is just so weird homicidal multiple versions of self that don’t get along she’d fit right in with the YogsMC gang <3. YogLabs experimentation on the nature of Players and Respawn my beloved.)

This is my Lomadia, ftr. If you’ve seen False fanart then you’ll get why I keep confusing the two blondes. Also this outfit is a sort of placeholder. I can’t find anything even remotely like her actual skin’s attire. And I think I’m missing something that can be used to recolour the hair ties... Anyway -

Skizz really shouldn’t be difficult esp LimLife!Red!Skizz. Though i might have to go to some awkward places to get the right cc for him. (mans is really just dressed like an office worker stripper huh.) Either way Skizz wasn’t in Double Life. I’ll have to check for the other two but I think he was there? One less series for me to make though which. Makes it much easier. I’ll be going with the angel headcanon because that gives a reason why he wasn’t in DL (Angels have no soul. Literally. It’s really funny. Soulless [compliment] alskjf;alskdf.)

Etho is literally just straight-up Kakashi Hatake from Naruto. I can probably download a sim of him. It’s highly likely one already exists. Tweak the outfits and I’ll be done. Easiest shit ever. (Like Xisuma is Just Doom Guy and Philza is Just That One Bleach Character I Keep Forgetting The Name Of.) Either that or I take as much artistic licence as physically possible because I find it really really really really really boring when they’re Just Some Pre-Existing Character Design. I hate it actually. Like a lot. Hence ignoring (... mostly) that Joel is Just Human Shrek. I’ll probably - I’ll probably do that. Canonically Etho wore a T-shirt of his own face which is fucking hilarious so i’m going to try and find some naruto merch cc. Also the one and only time I know of Etho changing his character’s skin was DL so I’ll need to do some research to check but keep that in mind even if it isn’t true. And maybe have it be canon to my AU that’s the single time this man ever changed his outfit just because i think that’s so beyond funny. One and only time. Wow. Soulmateism hit him real hard huh. [Joel loves to play dress up... one and only time Etho changed his clothes......]. (I have. Just so many thoughts about how DL soulbonds & mumbo harvesting some of Grian’s soul functioned. Maybe I’ll natter on abt that at some point.)

Mhmmmmm errrr Bdubs isn’t going to be so bad. I’ve got the cc needed right down to the missing tooth so like... it’s just a matter of actually making him. Setting aside the time yk. I actually didn’t know welsknight existed until like two weeks ago so I need to do a) checking if he’s a storyline character or just kinda on the server and if the former then b) some Skin Studying bc I am. Just so blind. And i need to stare at things for far too long in order to actually know and be able to even slightly recall what they look like. But i do have a bunch of armour cc so he wouldn’t be difficult to make. Impulse is only difficult in that his top (t-shirt?) is so specific and I’m so not good at CC creating so i’ll probably be putting him off for ages. Or at least I might make his s9 dwarf sim and then craft the standard ver’s outfits later. Idk. Tango I don’t have... everything. He won’t be very firey if I do make him now so I should probably go see if there is anything even close to fire hair out there. I’ll make usual orange/red Tango first and then the blue Tango of the Tek variety later. I got the perfect torso cc for Ties!Tango. It’s great. 

Outside of all that it’s just a matter of like... time and dedication, I guess. And I don’t have much of the former available so we’ll... this project will probably take me years if we’re being real a sec here. Sigh. 

Anyway! I think that’s everything.