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junowritings · 3 months

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Been going through a bit of a bad batch kick and got inspired by a prompt so I wanted to try my hand at writing a lil something!

Huge thanks to @itscanonfellas for helping me with this and putting up with my rambling!

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A Reprieve

Tech X Reader

Warnings: None, just pure fluff really

Prompt: 1. Firefly outside on a dark night.

prompt list x

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With the Empire a constant threat breathing down your neck, respite was a luxury rarely afforded and often downright ignored for the sake of survival. It was to be expected, you knew what you had signed up for traveling with your wayward band of misfit clones - but with each day of endless running and hiding, it was becoming harder to remember times that you weren’t bunged up in the Marauder for a mission or being chased down on a supposedly ‘safe’ planet.

Whether it was your own wishes spoken into existence, or something out there in the universe had taken mercy, your break finally came in the form of blaster fire.

You were never good with technology, but judging by Echo’s grumbling as he assessed the damage on the monitor, it wasn’t very good, whatever had been hit. Something about being a pain in the shebs to fix, but manageable. You didn’t speak much Mando’an but you felt you could connect the dots on that one.

The ship would have made the journey back to Ord Mantell just fine if a little slower than wanted, but with the job done and no one particularly eager to return to Cid’s parlor, there was no rush to get back planetside just yet.

Instead Hunter had relented, landing the Marauder for a quick pit stop, settling onto the first small planet that was far enough away not to draw unwanted attention.

This temporary stop is probably the most peace you’ve had in months. Dense treelines stretch out as far as you can see on all sides, rich with flora of all kinds that Hunter double checks are safe before he lets anyone even get a foot off the craft.

There are small bodies of water dotted across the grassy terrain and you can’t take a few steps without stepping in one on your path through the grass. They go no deeper than knee-length, a fact quickly discovered when Wrecker had jumped straight into the nearest one - expecting a puddle only to sink straight down to his boots, water flooding through the crevices much to his annoyance.

You and Omega had laughed at his plight, until he’d rounded on you both and you’d scattered, avoiding your own watery fate from the hands of your bomb expert. Once the initial scan of the immediate vicinity flagged no dangers – and the three of you had made a fine show of kicking up water, Hunter had allowed you to take off to - for the lack of a more professional word, play.

It’s nice to see Omega get to be a child, the moments are few and far between and the girl is so clever, it’s hard to remember she’s only been around for 13 cycles.

You allow yourself this moment, splashing around and soaking your fellow teammates whilst the ship is getting fixed. Hunter watches from the sidelines - supervising to make sure they don’t get too out of hand.

At least until Omega catches Hunter in the watery crossfire that was originally meant for you. You both freeze. Wrecker bellows with laughter somewhere behind you all. Hunter slowly turns to face Omega, hair dripping into his face, covering his tattoos so he looks positively menacing.

Omega takes off running first with a cackle, already anticipating when Hunter follows in hot pursuit. It’s an unfair fight, Hunter’s legs are longer and the man’s got unnatural speed, but Omega’s crafty and uses the terrain to her advantage.

Of course, just as you start to cheer Omega on, she trips head first into the puddle at her feet, disappearing in a spray of water. Hunter trudges his way through the marsh and pulls her out by the collar, much like a bedraggled Lothcat.

That signals the end of the battle for the new planet; Hunter tucks Omega under one arm and takes her back to the safety of the Marauder.

From inside the vessel, there are very loud complaints that water should be kept outside of the ship and that included Omega in her current state. This of course is ignored.

“Well, party’s over.” Wrecker wades his way back to dry land, beckoning you to follow which you do - at a much slower pace.

You’re both sopping wet when you reach the grassy bank and you decide you’re not going to risk Echo’s or Tech’s wrath on this one, leave that for Omega and Wrecker. “I’ll just be a few, if you need me you know where to find me.”

Wrecker shrugs, like he doesn’t understand the want to be outside alone, but allows you this piece of solitude “Don’t forget, this ain’t over, next planet we’re on it’s victor against victor.”

Technically, there had been no victor - Maker you weren’t even aware it was a fight for the title, or what this title was. Still, you’ll allow Wrecker to have this. You shoo Wrecker away with a grin. He jabs his two fingers at his eyes and then towards you, which you mimic before he disappears inside the ship.

“Wrecker, for the last time you are not a mop, wring yourself out before you step foot on this ship.”

Even from outside the ship you can hear the impending scolding and you snicker as your own shoes squelch with each step.

The last slivers of sun are gone by the time you flop onto the bank, squeezing out what water you can from your hair and clothes, before splaying out onto the grass.

A chill settles in now that you’re not stomping through puddles, but the cool breeze is welcome after your tussle on the marshy battlefield and you stretch out, breathing deep. The air smells of wet soil and fresh grass and you give yourself a moment to just enjoy something that isn’t stale air and smoke.

Almost on instinct, your eyes flutter closed, basking in the feeling while you have it. Your senses are nowhere near as refined as Hunter’s - which, considering how loud things can get on the Marauder, the poor man must suffer terribly - but like this you catch the little things. The wind simpers, making a low howling sound as it blows softly through the breaks in the treeline, masked only by the dull hum of the ship.

If you strain your ears you can make out the commotion inside - can hear Wrecker arguing that his armor’s still good to wear even though it had been dripping buckets earlier. You catch Omega grumbling something about drying her hair herself and grin, knowing that the kid’s not going to escape Hunter’s grip till she’s not a walking water balloon skulking around the Marauder.

The bickering is playful, void of any of the stress that’s been bubbling among the crew for too long. The batch had needed this excursion even if at first it had been an inconvenience - things were content, relaxed for the first time in a long while.

All too soon, however, this tranquility would be over. No doubt it won’t be long before you get the call to head back and the illusion of peace will shatter. You frown. It’s a sobering thought, an unpleasant reminder of the routine the whole team will fall back into once you leave this planet behind. You want it to last longer - to forget about anything that exists past this planet's atmosphere, so the galaxy doesn’t feel like it’s crumbling apart for once and it’s not your job to try to patch up the cracks. If for just a few more hours.

With a sigh, you run a hand through your hair – damp but thankfully not soaked. With any luck you’ll be able to sneak onboard without catching as much flack as Omega and Wrecker did-

“Have you been banished from the ship for any particular reason?”

If anyone asks, no, you don’t almost jump out of your skin at the sudden noise, and you definitely don’t narrowly avoid slipping down the bank as you dig your heels in and scramble to look up. You have to crane your neck back to see his face, but your blood pressure is still cussing out Tech for the scare the moment you recognize the clone standing behind you.

“Me? Banished? Never.” You mock gasp taking the shock in stride as you clutch your chest - partly for dramatics but also to check that your heart’s still beating. Somehow that doesn’t seem to convince him - not that you have the best track record anyway - so you shrug.

“Thought I’d dry off before getting onboard. Wouldn’t wanna add to the indoor pool Omega and Wrecker have got going on in there.”

Tech looks positively miserable at the reminder of the mess, sighing. “Well the sentiment is appreciated. At least one of you has the sense not to risk waterlogging the ship.”

You go to argue that he’s exaggerating - it wasn’t like they’d been that badly drenched. Until you remember Omega was more water than girl by the time Hunter had carried her back into the ship, and Wrecker wasn’t any better with half the marsh stuffed in his gear. Point taken.

You half expect Tech to herd you back onto the ship. If he’s out here, then that means the Marauder’s patched up and ready to go - Tech’s never one to leave a job half finished. But he doesn’t. Instead he pads over to the space beside you, making sure it’s dry before taking a seat on the bank, unclipping his datapad from his belt and bringing it to his face.

Blinking you roll over to get a better look at him, watching Tech tap away at the screen with no urgency. The wind picks up, ruffling his hair and cutting through the silence that stretches for a moment. When had his hair gotten so long? It had been short and slicked back when you had met so many moons ago, now it curled just past the ear - still kept meticulously out of his face. You supposed there weren’t many options out in deep space, you couldn’t imagine being caught by the Empire with half a head done.

And you weren’t about to trust Wrecker and his clippers either.

The silence is almost comfortable, settling between you until Tech speaks again, not sparing a glance from the machine.

“I suppose statistically there are worse planets to land on.” He muses, almost to himself. You were sure he was until he gave a sideways glance in your direction “Though we won’t be interrupting its tranquility for long, we will be space worthy within the hour.”

“Ah. Done already?” Propping your cheek in your hand, you tilt your head trying to catch a glimpse of his screen - with no luck. You’ve always wondered what he types away on that thing. Maybe it’s his diary.

The image of a teenage Tech writing all his secrets in a data pad, hiding away what he had done that day or who had gained his highest admiration, makes you smile, and you hide it in the palm of your hand.

“They were simply routine repairs” Tech reassures “The blaster fire compromised a few controls. Nothing I could not fix, naturally.” from anyone else that would be bragging, but knowing Tech it’s as easy for him as he makes it sound, probably could have done it in his sleep if he was so inclined. Not that he does, mind you.

A pause, then he glances up from his data pad finally in your direction. “You sound disappointed?” there’s a questioning to his tone, like he’s unsure why exactly you would be disheartened having to leave this little haven.

“Well I don’t think any of us wanna be stranded, Tech.” Absently you run your hand through the grass, tugging a few blades between your fingers. Maker, how long had it been since you’d gotten to touch real grass? “Just a shame is all. I was getting used to it.”

“It?”

“Yknow, this” You gesture around. “The peace and quiet-”

As if on cue, a crash rattles the Marauder, Wrecker’s cackle echoing from inside; making you startle and Tech sigh like he was expecting it. After a moment it settles, the rocking slowing and you turn back to Tech.

“Okay maybe not quiet - you know what I mean.”

Tech gives a hum of acknowledgment. “I understand. Between missions from Cid and maintaining a low profile, there’s been little else. Rest has been difficult.”

For him more so than most, you want to add. You can’t remember a time since joining the crew that Tech’s had more than a Powernap. You’ve found him curled up in the pilot’s seat a few times, or face down on his datapad for a couple clicks when things quiet down. But anything longer than that? Maker, you can't tell if that’s just a Tech thing or if the rest of the batch have the same struggle.

You wouldn’t blame them, not after everything they’ve been through.

“Though the amount of water brought back aboard is less than ideal, this brief excursion has been…” Tech trails off, like he’s trying to find the right word. “It’s…nice.” He decides and you chuckle.

“Eloquently put from a man of many words.”

You catch him rolling his eyes behind his goggles, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips, but he doesn’t comment further on the sarcastic comment.

Conversation lulls so your attention wanders elsewhere. The water around you has settled without several pairs of boots stomping through it. You can see why Wrecker thought they were just puddles - the only indication otherwise is the reeds that sprout up around the marshy underbrush, standing tall and almost glowing against the deep blue reflection of the-

Wait.

There’s a blue light beginning to glow between the reeds, which is new. You change directions; lying flat on your belly so you can peer over the edge into one of the little pools, trying to make out what the source of the light is and where it’s coming from. Tech begins leaning closer as if to pull you back from the edge.

“I wouldn’t advise-“ Tech goes to warn you but you beat him to it with an excited gasp.

“Fireflies!”

“What?”

Sure enough the source of the light is indeed fireflies, or at least, something that resembles them. There’s dozens of them; they weave in and out of the reeds, appearing from small pockets around the pools and slowly rising up into the darkened sky, generating a hazy blue bioluminescent light.

You lean back at the revelation, pushing yourself a safe distance from the waters edge as they begin to emerge and fan out across the terrain, their numbers increasing with every second. What had once been a sea of browns and greens, is now an artwork of azure blue.

There have been many wonders that you have come across exploring the galaxy, only multiplied further by the arrival of the batch. And yet sights like these never get old - little pockets of something far removed from the chaos of the universe just waiting to be discovered.

In another life you could stay here, longer than an hour, longer than a day, if only for the promise of such a sight waiting outside of the ship every night. But with that a distant wish you settle for just now, entranced by the vibrant hues that makes the whole place glow like it’s alive.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen something pretty that hasn’t immediately tried to kill us.” Your sigh is wistful as you pull your legs up to your chest, chin resting on your knees as your eyes trace patterns of the lightshow generated by the myriad of luminescent insects.

“I agree. Though what you have found ‘pretty’ in the past has been notably questionable.”

You clutch your non-existent pearls at the jab, mouth aghast.“Really? Name one time I’ve been questionable!”

“I distinctly remember you calling a rancor ‘adorable”. The quotation marks Tech makes with his free hand earn him a glowering look as you jab an accusatory finger at him.

“Muchi was adorable!”

“Was that decided before or after almost being trampled in her rampage?”

…Fair point. That point of course is promptly ignored as the sky is suddenly far more fascinating than deigning him with a retort that just proves him right again.

With night rolling in, many of the fireflies have wandered from the marshes, meandering overhead and dotting about the skyline above you. They blend into the sky, merging alongside the myriad of stars until you can hardly differentiate the two in a canvas of breathtakingly dark hues. It’s a humbling kind of beauty, and you take your time idling the moments away admiring the sapphire speckles of light buzzing through the air for a while, mesmerized by the simple wonder before you turn to see if Tech’s watching too.

Only to stifle a chuckle.

A firefly has perched itself on the rim of Tech’s goggles, a tiny little thing that casts a soft blue glow over the yellow tint of his lenses. He hasn’t noticed, face still half buried in the datapad in his hands, laser focused on whatever he’s working on.

As much as you’d love to see how long it takes to notice his new companion, as the seconds tick by the urge to point it out is too great and a minute later you cave.

“Tech.” He hums in acknowledgment but doesn’t look up. It’s only by the third call that Tech finally deems it necessary to tear his gaze away from the device, and there's no hiding the little grin on your face when he tilts his head to face you.

“I think you’ve got something there.” you tap a finger beside your temple just above your right eye, mirroring where his goggles rest on his face.

Of course he connects the dots quickly, and on instinct Tech brings a hand up to adjust his goggles. You half expect the firefly to take off the second he does so, and though its wings flutter briskly to keep itself balanced it doesn’t budge. In fact the little bug uses the gesture as a bridge to climb across the frame and onto his glove, pattering delicately down the fabric before coming to settle on one of his knuckles, where it stops with a deciding flutter.

Whether emboldened by their fellow firefly or drawn in by its light reflecting off of Tech’s glove, it doesn’t take long for a few other fireflies to break from the formation above your heads and move to join the insect.

Before you know it, several of the little things have come to rest on the back of his hand, essentially using the clone’s hand as a landing pad. For what it’s worth Tech doesn’t even flinch at the development, even though the glow is now bright enough that he looks blue right up to his wrist.

If Tech wanted to, he could easily ward them off with a shake of his hand. Surprisingly, he doesn’t. Instead he places his datapad onto his lap, maneuvering his hand to better view these miniscule guests who have made his hand their temporary perch.

Fearless little things; they hardly move an inch as he does so. This time your laugh at his plight doesn’t go unnoticed and Tech gives you a side glance at the soft sound, wordlessly questioning what you find so amusing with an arched brow.

“They must like you.” You tease, grin a little squished with how your cheek presses against your knee when you tilt your head.

“Unlikely.” Tech is quick to dissuade you of the notion, no doubt pulling on the well of knowledge knocking around in his brain as he continues.

“It is merely a lack of socialization.” He explains, twisting his hand to allow you a closer look. “This planet would rarely see interference from outside influences, and natural predators are limited in such a way that they lack the reservations for caution. Simply put, they have no reason to fear us.”

You nod sagely, like you understood more than the last third of what he’d just said. You’re more focused on admiring the fireflies now that they’re a little closer. Though there’s some distance between the two of you, you can make out that the light the fireflies admit isn’t one stagnant color. No, they instead seem to cycle through several shades of blue - from azures to royal tints that remind you all too fondly of the tumultuous hues of deep oceans.

When you look up to point it out you’re surprised to find Tech's attention is solely on you. Warm brown eyes regard you intently through tinted lenses, and you instinctively give yourself a once over to check that you don’t have any bioluminescent plus-ones of your own. Upon finding none you’re puzzled and begin to ask what’s wrong; only to pause when he nods as though resolving an internal matter in his head.

“Very well - come closer.”

“What?” Brows furrowing your expression scrunches up in confusion. What is he-?

He doesn’t explain, instead shifting positions so that his whole body is facing you. “It will only take a moment. Just raise your hand - like so.”

Curiosity wins out and you do as he asks, scooting closer and holding out your hand with the palm facing upwards as Tech demonstrates. Your legs knock against the knee pads of his armor and you have to readjust yourself a few times to get comfortable, but eventually you get settled so you’re sitting face to face.

Satisfied with your cooperation Tech’s free hand moves to catch your wrist. It’s a small gesture, but your whole arm prickles like a shot’s gone through your system as you freeze. His touch is gentler than you’d anticipated but the weathered material of his gloves takes some getting used to as he steadies your hand, the warmth a stark contrast to the cool night air.

“Do I need to ask what you’re doing?”

“You can, though it is far easier to show you if you are patient. Now try not to move.”

Easier said than done when he’s holding your wrist like that, and even more so as he brings both hands to cover yours. Your gaze snaps up to Tech’s face, attempting to gauge what’s going through that brain of his. His expression is frustratingly neutral so you have nothing to clue you in on his train of thought. You’re about to bite the bullet and just ask when-

“There we go.”

“Huh?” blinking, you glance down at your connected hands and finally realize what he’d been doing.

The fireflies have taken advantage of the new connection and transferred from Tech’s hand to your own. They tickle as they pad across the bare skin of your palm, leaving it tingling in the wake of their tiny legs as they fan out along your palm. A faint prickle settles all the way up to your fingertips as they potter about, reminding you vaguely of static - you have to wonder if that’s got anything to do with the electrifying colors that they display.

You giggle, wiggling your fingers slowly and their wings flutter at the motion, that fascinating light flaring up brighter and bathing your fingers bright blue. No doubt your face paints a similar picture of the vibrant hue as you lean in to get a closer look, eyes alight in the dance of the emanating glow with a reverent awe.

“I believe they must like you too.” You catch the amused lilt in Tech’s voice as he speaks, breaking you from your reverie and echoing your own words back to you. You snort at the irony.

“Hey, that’s my line-“ you prepare yourself for another teasing jab, grinning despite yourself when you glance up and-

Oh. Oh. He’s a lot closer than before.

Tech’s hunched forward, assuming the usual posture when studying something of interest - definitely not good for his back, but that complaint has fallen on deaf ears for a few months at least. Now though he’s close enough that your faces are only a couple inches apart, and while Tech is focused on your hands you can’t tear your eyes away from him.

The soft blue glow of your surroundings highlights the sharper edges of Tech’s features, azure running along his cheeks and glinting off of his goggles turning them a deeper hue than the usual yellow. Beautiful, is the first word that comes to mind, eyes running along the curve of his jaw as he speaks.

“While it does not happen often, I must concede that you were right in your assessment.” There’s a hint of praise in his words, and that really doesn’t help your brain from overthinking this gesture.

It takes a second to remember how to breathe - since when has breathing suddenly become a conscious effort? Your inhale is sharp as you will your pulse to stop pounding in your ears - with no luck.

“Uh, Tech?”

“The bioluminescence they generate is both aesthetically pleasing and practical-”

“Tech you’re a bit-”

“-That is to say, yes, they are rather pretty.”

“Tech-”

“Yes?”

You startle at how fast his eyes are back on you, that intent gaze from before settled on you with enough intensity that you feel as though you’re under a damn spotlight. The hand cupping your wrist still holds you with a gentle firmness, and you’re pretty sure that your heart shoots straight up into your throat when you feel Tech brush his thumb along the radial pulse.

What were you even going to ask? Were you going to warn him of the close proximity? If you were you’ve no doubt that Tech would be quick to rectify the issue - but was it really an issue? Somehow the thought alone of him moving an inch away is a disheartening prospect.

You force the lump in your throat down, swallowing hard as your lips part with half formed thoughts before you think twice. “I…Tech, do you think-”

“HEY!”

A calmer person wouldn’t have jumped at the sudden interruption, would have heard the call coming from a mile away. You aren’t that lucky - you shoot up so fast that your head bumps against Tech’s with an audible click. The reaction is immediate, both you and Tech groan in pain; shooting away from each other to avoid any other potential collisions and the fireflies instantly scatter to the wind.

Fucking ouch.

You clutch at your head, the point of impact throbbing beneath your touch. That’s going to leave a mark for sure.

Your attention snaps over to the ship to locate the owner of the voice and cause for your newfound injury, just in time to catch Omega as she pokes her head around the hatch from inside the Marauder. Her hair’s curled thanks to the earlier dunk, messy blonde strands framing her face and slightly frizzed no doubt thanks to Hunter’s attempt to dry her off. The man probably scrubbed every last drop off of her poor kid.

“We’re ready to go!” She waves you over excitedly.

Just as quickly as she appears the young girl vanishes back within the ship’s interior, leaving you staring at the empty space she had just inhabited.

Just like her brothers - causes chaos and leaves just as quickly.

You look back over to Tech who is also clutching his own head; you’d gotten the worst of it, but the bump had clearly caused Tech some discomfort as well. He rubs the spot with a pout, wincing under the touch.

The situation is so silly, like something out of a holofilm and, despite the pain, you can’t help but smile a little. Still you at least have half the mind to make sure your skull hasn’t done any lasting harm to Tech. Once you’re sure there’s no more surprise interruptions imminent you shift to check in on Tech, bringing a hand to cup the side of his face angling his head to survey the damage.

“You okay? Didn’t cause too much damage did I?” His skin is a little rosy from the knock but thankfully there’s no imminent bruising - you don’t think anyone would be particularly happy with you if you’d injured the beloved brains of the group, Tech especially.

Tech waves off your concern with ease, though doesn’t pull away as you tilt his head this way and that. “I am fine, though the impact - while accidental - was less than desirable.”

An understandable sentiment, and an obvious one that makes you chuckle. “Well you can thank your sister for that one.” Saying this you give Tech’s cheek a pat, adding, “Or stay out of headbutting range next time.”

Tech huffs a little at the sarcasm but returns your smile with one of his own. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

“I’m sure you will. Now come on before they decide to fly off without us.”

While you clamber back to your feet on the bank Tech is in no such rush, taking the time to retrieve his datapad before rising to his feet. You move to head back towards the Marauder, taking a few steps before realizing that you’re making the trip alone. Looking back you see Tech staring out over the glowing landscape for a final time, quickly typing something into the datapad now safely back in his hands.

Tech mutters something as he does so but you don’t catch what. A click later he’s seemingly satisfied with the result and clips the datapad back to its rightful place on his belt, catching up and coming into step beside you in a few brisk strides.

The idea of a peaceful walk back to the ship all but goes out of the window the second another shudder rocks the spacecraft, and Tech’s sigh is one of knowing resignation as his pace picks up. Making a beeline to the hatch you can practically see the gears in his head turning, already forming what you’re sure is a warning on why giving the ship more damage than what it landed with isn’t a good idea.

Shaking your head you follow behind, a smile still tugging at your lips as you prepare yourself for what you’ll find the moment you step onto the Marauder. No doubt a new brand of chaos - but you don’t think you’d have it any other way.

#tbb #the bad batch #the bad batch x reader #tbb x reader #tbb tech #tbb tech x reader #tech x reader #the bad batch tech x reader #the bad batch tech #star wars tbb #star wars #star wars x reader #juno writings #this is pure fluff bc i wanted them all to be happy for a bit lmao #gonna try and write one for each of the batch and go from there!

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tastesoftamriel · 10 months

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I have woken up sick in bed for the third day running and missing some childhood foods I grew up with in Southeast Asia. So of course the first thing my brain spits out at me are the Tamrielic origins of es puter (es poot-er, lit. "turned ice"), a traditional Indonesian ice cream. It looks like this!

Es puter is traditionally made by pouring sweetened or flavoured coconut milk into a metal or plastic vessel, which is submerged in ice and rotated periodically until an ice-cream texture is achieved. Some popular es puter flavours include sweet corn, ube, chocolate, and coconut.

While es puter is totally fine to eat on its own (it is served in little scoops at roadside vendors and you can buy them in tubs at the supermarket now), the true experience is when you turn it into a heaped sundae!

Es puter can be served with any number of toppings. Popular additions include small cubes of white bread (somewhat akin to bite-sized bread pudding), sweet corn, jelly, azuki beans, cendol, avocado, or sago pearls. It's often drizzled with a good amount of chocolate syrup to finish.

I'd like to call es puter an Argonian treat, made predominantly in more urban areas around and within Black Marsh like Lilmoth and Stormhold, due to the availability of alchemical ingredients to preserve the ice (like frost salts and saltpeter). That isn't to say that rural Argonians aren't fans of es puter, but ice mages can be a rarity out in the swamps, making this dessert a treat for travellers in bigger towns and settlements.

Other popular Argonian es puter flavours in Black Marsh include scuttlebloom nectar, banana, papaya, and seaweed. Top your scoops with some fresh tropical fruit, candied mealworm, and a dash of scuttlebloom nectar, and you have a cold treat of legendary proportions!

#Headcanon #Food #Es puter #Ice cream #the elder scrolls #tes #food #cooking #Argonian #indonesia #indonesian

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isshua · 2 years

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Breaking the Wall (Find Comfort in Those Who Might Hear You)

Sagau Xiao x Reader

I haven’t been feeling great lately, so I decided to write this little story to cheer myself up. I had this idea about what might happen if Teyvat’s environment were to reflect your emotions whenever you logged on, and by extension whatever character you are currently playing as. I also wanted to write my own play on a character “breaking the fourth wall” in order to communicate with their player. This story follows the more classic sagau trope of how the characters are semi-aware of the fact that they’re living in a videogame but view it as a sort of boundary between their world and ours.

Xiao is a huge comfort character to me and I mostly wrote this for myself as a way to cheer myself up. I thought it came out okay though, so I decided to share it here. Hope you guys enjoy! :)

To break the Wall meant instant termination.

Teyvat made this clear. It would not allow its people to make contact with the divine world. Forging a connection that extended beyond the mechanics of life was simply not meant to be. The Vessels could communicate with the Creator within the bounds of Teyvat’s laws; that was what being a Vessel was all about in the first place. For non-Vessels, then such hopes for communication with the God Above All Gods was impossible. That was how Teyvat was designed. That was how things were meant to be.

Xiao, typically, did not mind following the rules. After all, he was an immortal being with thousands of years of experience in his belt. He knew attempting to break the Wall would result in his death. Long ago, before he had been chosen to be one of the Creator’s envoys, he hadn’t even cared about the Wall. Why would he want to break it? Meddling in such matters was not of his concern. His duty was to protect Liyue, nothing more.

But then he got to know you. And his feelings for you only grew. When you chose to, you guided him through his daily tasks with kind words and praising whispers. When your golden light possessed him, his karmic debt would dissipate and he would feel a thousand years younger than he really was. You took him to places he never dreamed of seeing: the peaks of Dragonspine, the streets of Inazuma City, the dunes of the Sumeru desert. With you, there was a sense of adventure. With you, there was excitement. With you, he felt whole.

You did not speak often, not that he was bothered by it. He was an introverted soul, one who appreciated the silence between the two of you whenever you would travel together. Occasionally you would comment on the environment or the enemy he was fighting. Sometimes you grew frustrated after completing domains-not with him, he understood, but rather with the horribly mediocre artifacts the two of you would receive. He liked it when you laughed. The noise was so clear and invigorating, he found himself hoping to hear it every time you appeared. He liked when you would softly hum some unknown tune from the faraway land you inhabited. He loved it when you acknowledged him, how he was a stronger and better version of himself only because of your dedication to him despite knowing the many sins he has committed. If you could have known the impact you had on him, you might find it amusing to see how easy it had been to steal the aloof Yaksha’s heart.

There were so many things about you that he loved. But there was one single thing he hated.

He hated it when you cried.

The day began as a typical one. You had not possessed him for the entire week, not that this was something to be worried by. You typically did disappear due to some strange thing called ‘college,’ but you always came back. Xiao largely spent his day patrolling Dihua Marsh, slaying monsters, and saving the occasional mortal from dying at the hands of hilichurl tribes. He did not interact with anyone beyond stiff acknowledgment; the only person he did talk to on a regular basis was the Traveler, and the last he heard of them, they were somewhere in Sumeru, ever exploring, always curious.

Your presence was not anticipated, but it was welcomed. When your golden light descended upon him during late afternoon and he felt your presence tugging at his mind, he felt contentedly unsurprised. Your voice echoed his name: “Xiao. Let me in.”

He did not resist and allowed your influence to settle within his body. “You called?” he murmured, halfheartedly hoping for a reply. You never did answer him whenever he greeted you, but that was due to the Wall. Conversations were strictly one-way.

He waited for you to take control. Whether it meant being teleported somewhere or just taking off into Dihua Marsh, he knew the two of you would be off eventually. He waited. And waited. A minute went by. He did not move.

“Your Grace?” he called out, puzzled. He could feel you, he knew you were there. So why weren’t you interacting? Surely you didn’t appear just to stare at him, right? What is going on?

Something wet fell onto his hand.

He looked up at the sky and immediately noticed the ugly gray clouds gathering overhead. A filter of mundane color cast out the light of the sun. Droplets of rain started pattering down onto his face, his hair, and his clothes, leaving him drenched. But he did not stop staring. Because within his head, he could hear soft sobbing.

The Creator was weeping. And so Teyvat weeped along with them.

The first thing he felt was anger. Who hurt you? he wanted to ask. Who would dare make you cry? But as he listened to your cries and watched the rain come down, he realized that anger would do nothing to help. He could not solve your problems. After all, he was in Teyvat, and you were somewhere else entirely. His second reaction was to comfort you, but he could think of nothing to say. The issue of you two being separated was still in effect. The Wall would not allow him to offer you any consoling words. He had no choice but to let you suffer alone.

But by the Archons, you were making his heart ache. Xiao was one to usually think that tears were for the weak, but he could not make himself see you in a pathetic light. Would it not be pitiful of him to deem his Creator as a lamentable coward? He didn’t even know why you were crying. You could be in danger!

That’s when he decided. I have to make contact with them.

It was a nearly impossible feat. But he knew he could do it.

Break the Wall. Establish communication.

He had never heard of anyone doing it before. Not even Rex Lapis, the strongest god he knew, dared mess with such an unpredictable, mysterious force of power. The Wall was not hard to find, but it took willpower to face it. Xiao didn’t know if he would perish the moment he did, or if it would take time for him to dissolve away. There were too many possibilities of failure. He could think of no way this sudden plan of his would lead to success.

But your crying was like a million arrows piercing into his heart, and the pain of his karmic debt was rising as he continued to soak in your negative emotions. He was hurting right along with you-but if he could only talk to you, things could be made right.

Xiao held out his hand, and his jade spear materialized. He braced himself and raised the polearm high into the air. Focusing on the ground beneath him, he concentrated and felt his surroundings. The energy of Teyvat came to him quickly, most likely due to being exposed to your power for so long…and then he pinpointed it. The moment of weakness. He brought his spear down with every bit of strength he had and tore into the fabric of reality. A gaping hole of darkness ripped right under his feet. He did not scream when he fell in, nor did he grunt in pain when he slammed into a glass-like surface after his short freefall. Everything was dark, except for the millions of green bolts of electricity racing all around him at the speed of light. Your golden glow encompassed him and fended off the overwhelming power this Abyss-like area radiated.

He looked at his hands. His weapon was nowhere to be seen, and the tips of his fingers were…glitching. In fact, his entire body seemed to be crackling-falling apart and knitting itself back together with technic shrieks. It was a sure sign that he was in a place not meant for him. He had done it; he had broken through the Wall. Now he was beyond it, but where, he did not know. Surely this can’t be the Creator’s domain, he thought. This place was far too dark, and there was no hint of your aura anywhere except for within him. But it had to be the realm in which he would form a connection with you.

He could still hear your crying, but now, it was less ‘in his head’ and much more clear. Xiao walked forward, his footsteps echoing against the glass floor. “Your Grace!” he called. “Can you hear me? It’s me, Adeptus Xiao!”

No answer. He was utterly alone in this place…but the sound of your crying was getting undeniably louder. Xiao pinpointed on the direction in which it was coming from and took off. With each step he took, the glow of your light grew brighter. He took that as a sign of goodwill.

And then, he saw you. You were sitting at a strange looking desk with your head buried in your arms. Xiao slowed to a walk and crept tentatively up to you. He had never seen your physical form before, and only had a minor grasp of your appearance from the various statues of you scattered across Liyue and the abstract depictions of your form in history books. To be honest, he had been expecting you to be a bit more…god-like. The person in front of him did not look like an all-powerful deity. They were ordinarily mortal, and possessed no external qualities that differentiated them from the average human being.

But then you lifted your head to scrub your tears away, and his breath was lost within his chest. Within your eyes he could see countless stars, and flecks of gold were scattered through your hair. All around you, there was an explosion of light, and Xiao was exposed to the warming feeling of your aura at an even greater intensity than usual. This was you. You might have looked human, but you were undeniably, most definitely his god.

“Your Grace,” he uttered, kneeling at your side. “It’s alright, I’m here now. I heard your cries. You called out my name. Please, let me speak to you.”

You didn’t respond. The connection still wasn’t there. Xiao tried again. “Your Grace, can you hear me?”

You let your head flop back into your arms and continued to sob. Xiao leaned back on the balls of his feet and couldn’t help but growl in frustration. That damned Wall was still keeping you and him apart! What more did he have to do in order to simply talk to you?

His eyes flitted to the strange device set up on your desk. It had the appearance of a box, but at its front there was a screen, and on it was displayed a shrunken image of Dihua Marsh. This must be a divine mechanism. It’s a way for you to forge contact with Teyvat. What…what would happen if he touched it? Would that finally allow him to communicate with you? He had his doubts, but it was worth a shot.

Without hesitation, he pressed his palm over the screen. There was a jolt of energy that started at his fingertips, then rocketed through his entire body. He shuddered at the electrocuting sensation and refused to allow himself to flinch away, even when every instinct in his body was telling him to do so. The Wall was trying to repel him; like hell he was going to allow it to do that.

With his other hand, he reached out to you. At first, he was nervous to touch you, for why should a creature tainted by karmic debt and innocent blood be allowed to embrace the God Above All Gods? He shakily slipped his hand over your cheek and raised your head. Your cries stuttered, and your eyes widened open in confusion. You were not looking at him, but rather at your divine mechanism’s screen.

“Don’t cry,” Xiao whispered. He swiped your tears away with his thumb. “There is no need to cry. I’m here. I’m with you.”

He desperately hoped you could hear him. He hoped even more that you would reply.

You had no idea what the hell was going on.

Today was a horrible day. A day filled with anxiety and embarrassment and ruined expectations that things might go right, only for them to go wrong. When you returned to your room and let yourself collapse into your desk chair, you thought playing your favorite game might cheer you up. After all, losing yourself in a fantasy world was practically the best way to forget what the real world was like.

You logged into Genshin Impact and found yourself where you left off last time you played: in Dihua Marsh. Your current character was Xiao, and he stared blankly out at you while you waited for the game to catch up with your internet and for everything to load in. But you did not feel any happier. In fact, you felt worse. The events of the day were just too much to simply forget, and pretty soon, your hand slipped off of your mouse as you slumped forward onto your desk and started to cry. It did not feel good to let your emotions out. The sobs shaking your body were ugly, and the tears staining your cheeks made you feel gross. But you couldn’t stop, and frankly, you didn’t expect to for quite some time. These were tears you had been holding in all week; it was only a matter of time before the dam broke and the water came rushing out.

You did not expect to feel a sudden intuition to lift your head. You did not expect for your body to automatically follow that intuition, either. It was like someone was lifting it for you, and when your blurry eyes raised to focus on your computer’s screen, you were shocked to see that the in-game chat box had a message in it. It didn’t make any sense. You weren’t in a co-op world, and you were pretty sure you were far too preoccupied with crying your eyes out to accept someone’s co-op request. Could it be a glitch? Far too curious for your own good, you clicked on the chat box and opened it.

Two words had been sent to you by an unknown entity with no icon. “Don’t cry.”

“What…?” you mumbled.

More messages appeared. “There is no need to cry.”

“I’m here.”

“I’m with you.”

This had to be some sort of joke. Someone hacked your account. This had to be a real person.

It was then that you noticed Xiao was gone.

“I know what it feels like to break. I understand what you are feeling.”

“Just know that I am here for you. I will always be here for you. All you have to do is call out my name.”

“Xiao?” you breathed.

You felt the phantom sensation of someone wiping your tears. The scent of Qingxin flowers wafted fainty around you.

“Yes,” the chat-box answered. “I am here.”

#genshin impact sagau #genshin sagau #sagau #self aware genshin #sagau x reader #xiao x reader #adeptus xiao #genshin impact fanfiction #xiao fanfic #I love xiao #he's so babygirl

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redgoldsparks · 8 months

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January 2024 reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

Electric Bones volume 1 by Hazel and Bell

Lucian is the son of a minor nobleman and the CEO of the galaxy's biggest AI company, but he's not so rich that he can't get in trouble. After being fired as a programmer from Echo Station he joined a startup with a couple friends and is now fishing for funding at an elite tech expo on board an expensive and exclusive space vessel. There he sees someone he thinks he recognizes- Ezra, a grey robot, an fully sentient AI who worked on Echo Station as a researcher and partially cost Lucian his job. So why is Ezra now working on the space vessel as an escort? Unless it's not Ezra, but just a look-alike robot model? These questions drag Lucian into the beginnings of tangled web of intrigue which include kidnapping, AI-hacking, and murder. I've been reading this story online as a webcomic for years; you can still read all of volume one here: https://electricbonescomic.com/index.... But last year I also backed the kickstarter, and just sat down to re-read the whole story in print form, including a sexy little bonus comic. I love these characters, I love the rich colors, the lovely sense of flow and design of the pages. I can't wait for volume two!

The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha

Action packed and exciting, this family drama is full of unexpected twists and turns. I loved the focus on female characters: passionate Kai, whose love of martial arts and sense of justice cannot be contained by the normal rules of Joseon society; her mother, Meorhu, a fragile woman with a surprising past; Sura, a thief turned mercenary; and the Gumiho herself, the deadly but alluring fox spirit who impacts the lives of all the others with her magic and charisma. The art is rich with historical details, beautiful nature scenes, and fast paced fight scenes. Lovers of ghost stories, kdramas, and queer re-tellings of fairy tales will find much to enjoy here. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of this book! Pre-order it now, or look for it in bookstores in mid-February 2024.

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles read by Martyn Swain

What a delightful return to Romney marsh! This book picks up 13 years after the dramatic conclusion of the previous installment. Luke Doomsday is now a secretary, looking for a new position in a large house were he can keep books and solve his master's problems. Rufus, the recently minted Earl of Oxney, formerly a major in the army and son of a draper, has problems. For one, he never expected to inherit and his uncle is doing everything he can to prove Rufus illegitimate in court. For another, the previous Earl of Oxney was a selfish old bastard who let the estates fall into terrible disrepair, while Rufus' timid cousin kept poor account of the estate's money in a chicken scratch handwriting. Rufus struggles to read at the best of times, and he can barely make sense of his newly inherited account books. When Luke shows up on his door, it feels like a godsend. The men are immediately attracted to each other, though both have reason to be wary. And Luke, in seems, may have come to Stone Manor looking for more than a job. This series is such a fun mix of spicy romance, action, mystery, and danger. I'm really enjoying the setting and time period, which is just after the end of the Napoleonic wars. I really hope there will be more books to come!

Translation State by Ann Leckie

No one is doing it like Ann Leckie! This sci-fi novel uses six different pronoun sets (actually kind of seven, except one is the same set just used culturally very differently by different groups of people). It’s fantastic. We’ve got they/them, e/em/eir, sie/hir, it/its, he/him, she/her, and she/her again except used as a universal pronoun regardless of gender (which works great inside the Radch Empire and badly outside of it). I'm on the fence about whether this book can be read as a stand alone, or if it would only really make sense after having read at the Imperial Radch trilogy and Providence. I suppose it depends on what level of baffling alien customs and politics you are willing to tolerate. This book opens with Enae attending hir grandmaman's funeral, only to learn that the seemingly wealthy old woman had sold her entire estate to a stranger before her death. For the first time in her life, Enae leaves home with a Foreign Affairs job: to see out a fugitive who left Presger space some 200 years prior. Enae isn't expecting to succeed, but sie gives it hir best shot- and in doing so completely upends the lives of a widening circle of bystanders including Reet, a man of unknown parentage, and Qven, a juvenile Presger. This book finally begins to explain this inhuman and terrifying species, and the reason why the Presger-Radachii Treaty defines the rules of so much of this universe. I deeply enjoyed this installment; it makes me want to go back and re-read the original trilogy.

Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo Duvall

Set in an alternate 1930s, Mississippi, this story follows a group of friends and found family who have to hide their magic from the restrictive and racist government. They survive at the margins, but they don't let the fear of prosecution stop them from doing what they love: racing together as a team. Deep in the woods seers and witches host carnival like events where racers on brooms compete for prize money and glory. Each of them has reasons why they need to win; lives and futures depend on it. This book is deeply queer with a diverse and magical cast. If you're looking for historical fiction where the trans and lesbian brown witches win, this one's for you.

Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky

Sammie is a recently out nonbinary transfemm but their college friend group has not picked up on that fact yet. When Sammie is invited to be the "best man" at their friend Adam's wedding and attend a bachelor weekend at a high-tech, no-laws resort built on top of the Pacific Garbage Patch they decide to go in stealth mode. The resort is a pyramid scheme mutated with a strip club, business conference, all you can drink brunch bar, pro-gamer, most-dangerous-game corporate nightmare. Also, the waters around it are infested with terrifying flesh-eating monsters and someone is trying to raise an eldritch god. It takes every bit of queer resistance Sammie possesses to survive this bleak, hilarious, and surprisingly moving tale. In both their fiction and nonfiction comics, Lubchansky continues to hold up the black mirror to our own dystopian times.

Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa

A very queer high school rom-com comic with a satisfying message about growing into yourself and seeing others truly for who they are. It opens with a love triangle, but subverts that form into a more complicated shape by the end of the tale. Strong character designs and very effective limited color palette.

The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill

In a desert village, a group of folks choose to live a nocturnal life to keep the moon company, and to care for a small group of magical moths, the only creatures who can pollinate a magical tree which helps sustain the whole ecosystem. One youngster, Anya, volunteers for the important but lonely job of Moth Keeper. She yearns to be of service to others, and feels she must earn her place in the village. In reality, help and friendship are only an ask away, and in this space everyone is cared for. This is a very beautifully illustrated and brief tale of responsibility, community, and resilience.

Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls

What an accomplishment! I savored every page of Feeding Ghosts, absolutely floored by the labor and courage that went into the writing of this book. The inking is gorgeous, the history is clear, digestible, and devastating. This book threads the line between honesty and compassion in a way that I appreciate so much in any memoir, but especially one dealing with family. Hulls lays out the story of three generations of women starting with her grandmother, Sun Yi, a Shanghai journalist who faced intense persecution during the rise of Communism in China, who penned a popular and scandalous memoir and then suffered a mental breakdown. This left her only daughter, Rose, a student at an elite boarding school with no parental figures and no other family to lean on. Eventually Rose earned a scholarship to an American university and in the end moved her mother into her California home. Sun Yi haunted that home during the author's own childhood. The unexamined trauma and codependency of Sun Yi and Rose drove the author to the extreme edges of the Earth, seeking freedom from their ghosts. But in the end, she stopped running from her family history and turned, instead, to face it. Shelve this book with Maus, Fun Home, Persepolis and The Best We Could Do.

I Keep My Exoskeletons To Myself by Marisa Crane read by Bailey Carr

I really struggled with this book. I almost DNFed at 25%. Ultimately, I did finish it, and I am glad I did because I think the final act was my favorite part of the story. However, I think the title and cover set me up with expectations of what this book would be which were very different than what the book actually delivered. This is not science fiction- despite the fact it was nominated in the science fiction category in the Goodreads Choice Awards. It is only barely speculative. This is a book about grief, depression, and parenting a baby and then a young child as a single mom struggling with loss and borderline alcoholism. There were passages of the book which struck hard, individual observations and lines which rang like bells. There is also nearly no plot and I was frustrated by the lack of world building. I wanted to know more about the laws governing extra shadows- were Shadesters allowed to vote, hold passports, travel across state lines? Had anyone experimented with the removal of Shadows? When and how did cameras get installed in apparently every home in American, and how did the government hire and pay for a workforce of seemingly 1:1 surveillance agents to citizens? Also, how on earth did Kris manage to pay for a whole apartment on a single salary working a call center job, especially when as a Shadester she had to pay extra taxes? I understand that this is literary fiction, and these questions are obviously not the ones the book was interested in answering. But it felt strange to me that a book so focused on parenting would not include a single passage about struggling to pay for or arrange childcare. The "pop quizzes" that break up the text did not work well in audio, and did not add anything to my experience of this book. Ultimately, I would only recommend this novel to a vary narrow audience of readers who enjoy lit fic, and are willing to spend a lot of time in the POV of a character teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown through much of the story.

Atana and The Firebird by Vivian Zhou

Atana is a mermaid, but she was banished from her home to live alone on island for a reason she doesn't understand. One night a curious young firebird leaves her flock in space to come down and visit Earth, and she convinces Atana to go an adventure. They are soon pursed by magic hunters, but they also make friends, and end up as invited guests in the Witch Queen's palace. She makes them welcome in her massive library and gardens, but she also has ulterior motives. This is a fast paced story of magic, friendship, and young people slowly learning about the forces larger than themselves that shape their world and their lives. I really enjoyed the art, it has a very active, energetic line which serves the action scenes particularly well. I can tell the author came from an animation background! I am glad that the ending set up potential future installments in this world.

Portrait of a Body by Julie Delporte

I really loved the colored pencil illustrations of this book, especially the botanical drawings, and the kind of abstract relation of the text and images. I thought the drawings paired extremely well with the hand lettering even if at times I struggled with some of the cursive capitals. This is a candid memoir of recovering from sexual assault and a dysfunctional relationship to ones body and sexuality, of stepping into queerness and self-acceptance. I couldn't really relate to the author's journey, but I appreciated the honestly and thoughtfulness with which the more challenging themes were handled.

Fool’s Fate by Robin Hobb read by Nick Taylor

This book, and this series, has earned Robin Hobb a permanent place in my list of favorite authors. This story goes so hard, weaving together threads that are 9 volumes and 30 plus years of in-story history in the making. The final confrontations, reunions, and farewells at the end of this story were hard earned and so well written. This very much felt like it could have been a final volume of the Realm of Elderlings series, but I know that there are 7 more books to come and I can't wait to see what else this series has in store for me!

System Collapse by Martha Wells read by Kevin R Free

This book picks up right after the end of the previous volume and I had, unfortunately, completely forgotten most of the previous plot. Once I got myself oriented I still had a great time with it. Wow, I just love watching Murderbot learn and grow and solve problems in unique and interesting ways! I kind of want to go back and re-listen to the whole series.

The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A.

This comic blew me away. One of the most beautiful, strange, artistically ambitious and deeply trans books I've read in a while. Aesthetically, its as rich as a stained glass window or illuminated manuscript. Its narrative is psychedelic but emotionally it rings so tender and true. The story opens with Jules, a transman trapped in a nunnery who accepts a deal with a devil who promises to help him live as a man. Possessed and impervious to physical harm, Jules turns to a life of debauchery and crime. Then he meets another trans criminal, the poetic thief and thespian Casper, and they begin to fall for each other. They see each other as no one else ever has, they validate and treasure one another, but Jules' devil is a jealous master. The devil would rather see Jules burn than thrive. This is one of those books that made me want to draw, made me want to write, made me want to be bolder, weirder, freer, wilder in my story telling. An instant favorite, I expect I'll return to this over and over.

Mall Goth by Kate Leth

Liv's parents are on the verge of divorce; they've just moved to a new town and Liv will be starting at a new high school. At her last school, Liv was bullied for being openly queer and an unapologetic mall goth, and she is understandably hesitant to accept friendship overtures at the new school. However, a supportive male English teacher and a fellow goth gamer boy start to make Liv feel welcome. The goth introduces her to an MMORPG and the English teacher praises her essays and gives her Lolita. Both of them start regularly DMing Liv late into the night, more than is appropriate for the relationships they have. This book is in large part about a teen navigating confusing advances and how and when to disclose things that make her uncomfortable but feel hard to speak about or define. I thought that aspect of the story was handled very well. Some of the pacing in the friendship plot lines surrounding it felt a bit rushed, a few sections underdeveloped, but ultimately I think this book tackled an important issue not often seen in YA comics. It is also steeped in early 2000s Hot Topic/emo music/pop culture references- if you were there, you'll know.

What’s Wrong? Personal Histories of Chronic Pain and Bad Medicine by Erin Williams

Williams illuminates, through memoir, interviews, and mixed media illustrations the extreme failures of the US healthcare system to address chronic pain. These failures are especially common for patients of color, patients who struggle with addictions, patients who are queer or survivors of assault and trauma. If you had any illusions that the systems of medical care are working in this country, shed them now. This book is half cathartic, half infuriating to read. I really appreciated the honesty and vulnerability of the interviewees and the trans and nonbinary inclusiveness of the language surrounding pain tied to the reproductive system.

#maia kobabe #reading #books #book reviews #comic book reviews

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marvelousmagicalaura · 5 months

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One of the things that bothered me about The Hero of Ages was Elend’s duralumin-atium burst. It’s iconic but it always annoyed me why Elend could do what Ruin couldn’t - foresee Preservation’s plan and Ruin’s death. However, now that Secret History has given insight into precognition I finally understand Elend’s sacrifice.

Elend never knew for certain if his sacrifice would be guaranteed to drive Vin to murder-suicide Ruin. But he aimed to protect the world and trusted Vin, so he sacrificed himself to help her. This is something Ruin - an unaware Vessel filled with the contextless embodiment of decay - was unwilling to do.

Before heading west to the Ire’s fortress, Preservation showed Kelsier a future vision that starts from him heading west. The future vision held Connections between Kelsier and his soul to Preservation, Kelsier to everything and everyone on Scadrial, Preservation to the ground and air and metals. And in the vision, it held a path of future possibilities - many, thousands upon thousands, infinite, tangled with each other. Kelsier could only glean vague, general impressions because his mind isn’t expanded to sort through or understand the sensation, the information, or the individual possibilities.

Elend saw into the future the same way Kelsier did - through glimpsing Connections. But he could understand all the possibilities because Atium expands the mind. When burning duralumin+atium, Elend became temporarily Connected to Kelsier, Vin, Ruin’s essence, the future, the past, everything and everyone in the battlefield. Those Connections are the blue lines pointing from his chest in the Physical Realm and the white lines in the Cognitive Realm.

Seeing the future possibilities within those Connections, but understanding them all because of Atium’s mind expansion. Judging from regular Atium and Kelsier’s vision, he probably saw the ”thousands upon thousands” of possibilities that could result from his current action - the fight against Marsh.

“I see now” is when Elend liked the general implication of the future vision - that he could drive Vin to sacrifice her life if it meant defeating Ruin. So he let Marsh kill him and hoped it would come true. But even the Shards of Adonalsium - those who foresee infinite possibilities and infinite actions - can be wrong about the possibilities they see as unlikely, likely, or thread towards.

All he could do was trust Vin and hope for the best outcome.

But where does this fit into the futures seen by the Shards surrounding these events - Ruin and Preservation? Ruin, the essence which fuels Elend’s future vision and the God whom foresaw what Elend saw. Preservation, the God Sanderson implies incorporated Elend’s death into his plan.

I believe for Ruin, his inability to acknowledge Elend’s future vision was not a matter of seeing the possibilities. But rather, it was a matter of seeing them as likely possibilities. Ati the Vessel basically didn’t exist anymore. Ati didn't even remember what planet he was working on, virtually a shell filled with Ruin's Investiture. Ruin the God foresaw the possibilities within Elend's future vision, but either saw them as unlikely or dismissed them entirely. You could even say he was a god that no longer understood or acknowledged the loving sacrifice that existed within his foreseen future possibilities.

Ruin the God didn’t embrace life or acknowledge that life needs to persist. Ruin didn’t sacrifice. He said he was life, and yet Leras/Fuzz comforted life when Ruin did not. And for this, he dismissed Elend’s futures and paid the price.

Preservation protects. Preservation listens to the hearts of men, for it hears all thoughts of all Scadrians. Leras understands sacrifice, for the divinity sacrificed his mind and equal pedestal to Ruin. This was for the sake of protecting in the long run. This is why he wanted Elend to have the lerasium bead. Leras chose a successor who could live a life highly Connected to Preservation’s attributes, and might sacrifice her life for the greater good. He foresaw someone might use one lerasium bead for the pieces of the plan to fall together. And when the time came, He saw Vin’s lover as someone who might sacrifice his life for the greater good. Someone who could use the bead. Leras bet those possibilities would come into play at the last moment, did whatever he could to thread towards them, and hoped it paid off.

#mistborn #cosmere #brandon sanderson #the hero of ages #mistborn secret history #ruin #preservation

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artifacts-archive · 6 months

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Bowl with Fish and Lotuses

Egyptian, ca. 1550-1400 BCE (New Kingdom, early 18th dynasty)

These vessels (sometimes described as "marsh bowls") are typically embellished with aquatic imagery with allusions to fertility, such as tilapia fish, lotuses, papyrus umbels, buds on stems, and pools of water. The bright blue of faience, as well as the aquatic motifs adorning these bowls is associated with the life-giving qualities of cool, fresh water. The blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea), and the tilapia fish (Tilapia nilotica) are emblematic of such imagery. Here, two fish carry lotus stems with buds and opened blossoms in their mouths. The ornamentation relates to the powerful themes of rebirth and regeneration.

#artifact #Egypt #new kingdom #bowl #ceramic

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meteorstricken · 10 months

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Up to 3x playthroughs, I'd written this off as just a well-placed dig. Ultima has a thing for those. It's part of their manipulative schtick...

I'm not saying it isn't still a dig in part, but upon starting my 4th playthrough, while wandering through the Stillwind Marsh, I noticed that as Clive follows the path, there are two glowing blue butterflies that appear and fade out as he finds his way through the area, seeming to act as a guide.

There are plenty of blue butterflies in Rosaria later on, but none that glow and disappear as you approach them. They behave like normal butterflies.

And then...upon defeating the Morbol, it turns out to be the first battle that produces the "Pathos begets Mythos" victory fanfare. Every other battle in this game that produces that fanfare is meant to indicate Ultima's influence, steering Clive along the path towards becoming the perfect 'vessel'...

Sooo... Exactly how long has Ultima been creeping around Clive? Because in the above context, it looks like they may actually be sincere.

#Ultima #ffxvi ultima #clive rosfield #ffxvi #ff16

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marshiemonarch · 3 months

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ARTIST. GIVE US MORE BABY VESSEL, AND I OWE YOU MY LIFE!!!!

The beloved baby them!! (feat. a friend :3)

#i will not elaborate on the mask #marshie arts #deltarune #deltarune vessel #deltarune mike #image friend #ask the marsh #angels game au #vessel collection

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heartthrobin · 2 years

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olive green dreams

jj. maybank x curvy!reader

wc: 2.8k

warnings: minor allusions to smut, swearing, disgusting amounts of fluff

an: i just know that JJ is a huge sl-t for a thick gal and there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise

summary: between you, the marsh and that god-blessed green bikini: JJ can’t think straight enough to put even one foot in front of the other.

the afternoon was cool and the water gurgled happily beneath the HMS Pogue.

the vessel swayed over the murky depths of the marsh where the anchor had been dropped south of where they'd launched it still when the sun was lingering behind JJ's head.

it was now ahead of him, loitering at the edge of the waterline in the distance - another thirty minutes and it would be gone, he knew it.

well, he would know, had he been watching the sun set at all.

your laugh bounced off the deck, rippled over the water and flowed like music into JJ's ears.

Pope was leaning over the edge of the boat with a child's fishing net, stabbing it enthusiastically into the water.

you'd just told him that he deserved a spot on next week's episode of Deadliest Catch and hadn't stopped cackling to yourself in the five minutes since. the nearly empty flask in your hand probably had something to do with it.

this was JJ's favourite type of afternoon. out on the water, enough drinks to quench a small village and the brush of the warm sun over his naked arms.

sure, this exact moment could be made better - maybe if John B would turn down the volume on his make-out session with Sarah in the helm or if Kiara passed back the blunt he'd handed her over five minutes ago - but honestly, JJ couldn't imagine a better way to spend his time than staring at you over the length of the deck.

it converts what's left of his brainwaves to static white noise and he can't think a whole sentence straight when you sigh like that, resting your head over your left shoulder to watch a log float by.

and today you'd made it worse. so much worse.

someone had gone and convinced you into buying the prettiest olive green bikini and it was the best and worst thing you'd ever done.

his frames rested comfortably against his face and he hoped they were enough to convince everyone else on the boat that he was watching the sunset that drifted unimportantly behind your frame in the distance.

Pope called something to you: hey come check this out, i read about these in a marine biology textbook the other day—

you shifted to join him, leaning over the edge to gaze into the water and - oh my god - your bikini bottoms rode up the soft flesh of your ass, exposing where the sun had been depraved from touching.

your thighs were so wide and so plush, they pressed up against the floor of the dinghy. you gasped quietly at something Pope pointed out and JJ's shorts felt suddenly tighter than when he'd pulled them on that morning.

"you're literally pathetic, you know that right?"

the sound of Kie's voice made him jump. she fell down into the open space beside him, motioning for him to take the almost smoked down blunt from between her fingers.

he took it.

but it wasn't a question. his cheeks reddened embarrassingly, he knew he'd been caught.

"you've been staring at her like a fucking lost puppy the whole afternoon." Kie took a swig from a can of beer she pulled out from seemingly nowhere, "since we first met her actually. it's painful to watch."

the sunglasses clearly hadn't been living up to the potential JJ had hoped for them.

"shut up, no i'm not." he sucked on the end of the blunt. "no pogue-on-pogue macking, remember?"

Kie scoffed. "like that's stopped any of us before."

like a moth to light, his eyes could find nowhere to rest but back on you. he was surprised to find your gaze on him, flickering quickly between himself and Kiara.

"J, Kie!" you were rising off the floor of the boat, brushing some dust from the deck off your stomach. JJ's breath caught in his throat at the sight. "come join us, we're jumping in!"

your stomach was thick and full and your hips spilled over the sides of the bikini bottoms where you'd tied little bows. god, if only he could get his hands on you. he'd press you against his front, dig his fingertips into your hips until they bruise and suck you bottom lip between his—

"yeah yeah, we're coming. give us a sec." Kie waves up at you.

you nodded, meeting JJ's eye and offering him a wink that warmed the space behind his belly button before turning to dive after Pope into the murky green water.

Kie took a long last sip from the can, pushing off the deck to stand. she turned to JJ, leaning against her knees to meet his eye-level:

"you know Brett? works down at The Wreck with my parents?"

JJ knew the guy. he lumbered around the restaurant like a bull, hung a little too close around you. it didn't help that you giggled at his conversation when he brought you cola tonics.

"yeah. why?"

"he asked me yesterday whether you-know-who—" she motioned to where your head was bobbing out of the reeds, "—was single. said he wanted to ask her out."

JJ's fists curled at his side. "and what did you say?"

"i said she's single. what, should i have lied?" Kie turned from him, skipping towards the end of the boat now. "so better make hay while the sun is still shining, JJ, or someone else will."

it was followed by a loud plop as she dove into the water.

the Chateaux was good for a crash, always infinitely better than his dad’s place, but sometimes JJ wondered how he or anyone got any sleep in the place.

the bugs whirred loudly beyond the wall and the birds had been arguing for at least the last hour.

from the window he could see the sky turning a nearly indistinguishable shade of dark violet. morning creeped over the Outer Banks.

sleep continued to elude JJ, and after the last couple hours staring up at the ceiling: he was prompted to stand from where he’d crashed against the couch.

he crept around the house, Kie and Pope were in the spare bedroom while John B and Sarah shared his room. JJ peeked quietly into each, scanning for sign of life.

his brow tightened, he swore he’d seen you disappear into the spare room with Kie and Pope. but the space between them was empty, aside from the little area occupied by their interwoven hands.

the front door squeaked as JJ pulled it open. he looked out over the yard, his suspicions confirmed as he made out the shape of a dark mass against the purple sky lying still in the hammock.

soft crunching echoed with each step he took towards you, leaves and twigs and creatures crushing between his toes.

you were curled up into yourself, arms wrapped over your sides and your knees up against your chest.

JJ was surprised to find the violet skies reflected back up at him from the whites of your eyes. you were awake.

“J?”

your soft voice was like a gentle brush against his cheek and it lured him closer.

“yeah, it’s me.”

he climbed with his knees to the middle of the hammock where it sunk with your weight.

“why you up this early?” you whispered.

he shrugged, been up thinking about you.

“birds kept me up.”

you nodded. the crisp breeze of the morning whipped at your exposed legs, you twitched.

“cold?”

your eyes never left where they hovered over the edge of the water in the distance, where the sun would soon emerge from.

“kinda.”

JJ shifted so he lay with his arm pressed up against yours, then dared to stir a little more until his arm draped behind your shoulders.

his heart crept up into his throat when your head came to rest on the space over his collarbone.

a few moments passed like this and after a while JJ thought you might have passed out.

“saw you staring at me on the Pogue today.”

his heart slipped from his throat and sunk to the bottom of his stomach like an anchor.

“i— when? why would i be staring at you?”

that came out wrong, definitely wrong.

but you didn’t seem disturbed, letting off a soft chuckle into the morning air.

“thought it might have something to do with the new bikini i bought, thought you might like it.”

your hand came up over JJ’s naked torso, to rest carefully over the warm skin there. he hoped you didn’t notice how it made him shiver.

“but i think i’ll just take it back.”

“no!” his voice had ejected from him like a loose cannon.

this time, you looked up at him - an amused smile curling at the edges of your lips.

god, looking at him like that up through your eyelashes could make him your bitch, a prisoner to your heart. it already had.

“i mean …” he said more softly, carding his fingers through his hair: “i mean no, it’s a nice costume. good. uh, pretty.”

you laughed softly, nuzzling your head closer against his chest. “go to sleep, JJ.”

he took a deep breath before shutting his eyes, this time sleep came to him before he had chance to reach for it.

“hey, who’s running to fetch the pizza?”

the lounge in the Chateux had been converted to a movie cinema.

Pope set up the projector to screen against the back wall, pillows and blankets were strewn across the floor.

Kie announced earlier that afternoon that she’d managed find a watchable copy of some or other horror movie she didn’t shut up about on one of her illegal websites. the occasion called for a family movie night.

JJ grabbed the keys off the counter. “i’ll drive.”

he was halfway to the door when John B called after him. “hey! you can’t go alone.”

Sarah grinned from beside him and JJ could already tell what this was.

“yeah,” she pestered, “y/n, why don’t you go with him.”

you’d been shaking spice into the popcorn bowl. you set it down, looking up at him.

naivety shon in your eyes.

“sure.”

Casa Italiano was the last good pizza place in The Cut. before the hurricane they used to deliver, these days they’re collection only.

Pope had already called a half hour before you and JJ had left, “they should be done by the time you get there.”

Twinkie rumbled beneath JJ, the wheel shivered against his hands.

afternoon sun gleamed in through the window, against your hair and over your arms. the radio mumbled quietly. the wind whipped at his face and teased at the neckline of your shirt.

JJ practically spoke the whole ride over. he raved on about how he bet that they didn’t potholes even half the size of The Cut’s over in Figure Eight, also about how irritating Kie and Pope have been lately - their almost, kind of, ‘should they, could they’ thing - but mostly about how badly he wanted to get his hands on a Centurion Ri237 if they ever fell back into that gold.

“i’ll get you one for your birthday, pretty boy.”

pretty boy.

he guffawed and you laughed. he adjusted his hat and tried not to think about how all he actually wanted for his birthday was to rip you out of that green bikini and drag his tongue up your neck before taking you out to dinner or the movies or wherever you wanted to go just as long as you giggled like how you were doing right then—

Twinkie rumbled to a stop. you jumped out before he’d even reached for the handbrake.

he twisted the keys from the ignition and jumped out after you.

the door jingled as he followed you in and the smell of freshly baked pizza was enough to get JJ’s eyes rolling to the back of his head.

there were a couple people occupying seats across the cramped shop. the chatter was loud, but it died to a hum when your hand brushed against his - trying to catch his attention.

“come on.”

the wait in the line was short and quickly JJ was faced with the twinkle-eyed girl at the counter. she had blue dyed hair and two eyebrow rings - admittedly she was pretty.

and it seemed Fiona, as the name-tag suggested, thought the same of him.

“hey,” you spoke beside him, voice alight in friendliness, “we‘re here to collect order 513?”

but her eyes never left the perimeter of JJ’s face.

they only briefly glanced down at the computer screen against the table. “yeah, yeah. it’s ready … let me grab it.”

she batted her eyelashes at him before turning to grab the boxes from the kitchen window.

JJ was a good looking boy. he knew the feeling, knew well enough that it’s kinder to just pretend he doesn’t notice their little-too-long looks over his blonde hair and broad shoulders.

it seemed you didn’t read that same memo, though, because your finger came to dig into his left side.

you were grinning, your eyebrows dancing as you motioned back to her.

“she’s pretty!” you whispered.

he shrugged. not as pretty as you.

the boxes were dropped against the counter and slid carefully over.

JJ handed her a twenty, her fingers brushed against his palm. she handed him his change, her fingers brushed against his palm.

“right,” JJ motioned towards the pizzas, grabbing them hastily, “thanks.”

“bye now.” Fiona wiggled her fingers at him.

“thanks!” you called over your shoulder, but she wasn’t concerned.

the door jingled again behind JJ as it swung to a close.

it had barely shut before you were laughing loudly, “oh she had the hots for you, dude.”

“what can i say, everyone does.”

you punched his arm and he pretended to wince. “ow—!”

“wait a minute …”

he followed your eyes, they had latched into the bundle of serviettes attached to the top of the box.

you made a fast grab for the one on the top, blue ink leaking through the paper.

holding it up to the light, you read loudly: “hey cutie, this is my number - give me a call sometime.”

JJ had the nerve to blush.

“that’s so sweet.” you mumbled to yourself.

the car had come quickly into reach, a fact that JJ was grateful for. he grabbed at the passenger door, holding it open for you.

“enough with the cupid shit, get in the car.”

but you had stopped, arms crossed petulantly with something between a smirk and a grimace painted across your delicate features.

“you gonna call her?”

JJ set the pizza on the dashboard.

“i don’t know. maybe?”

“gonna ask her on a date?”

your expression had sunk.

JJ’s head cocked to the side, he watched you carefully. a grin began to pull at his mouth.

“why are you so interested? jealous?”

the glare of the sun bounced off of the pavement and flickered at him from the black of your eyes.

“psh.” you rolled them at him. “in your dreams.”

you were lying. you did that thing with your pinky, you’d rub it against your thumb when you lied.

but he didn’t mention it.

“let’s go, pizza’s getting cold.”

he grabbed for the door handle again, jiggling the door: tempting you into climbing in.

“fine.”

you closed the gap, passing under his chin and a millisecond from climbing up into the passenger seat of Twinkie when Kie’s voice rung in JJ’s head: better make hay while the sun is still shining, JJ.

like grabbing a live wire with wet hands, he spoke.

“hey,”

you looked up.

he took your chin in his fist, steering you with his thumb until his lips collapsed onto yours.

the gasp you let off was enough to melt JJ against the pavement and he’d lost all control of his bodily functions. autopilot snuck his arm along your waist and pulled you flush against him, kissing you until he’d forgotten how to breath.

it was his turn to gasp when your tongue crossed the space between the lips connected to his.

JJ moaned quietly.

“you make such pretty noises, J.” it was muffled by his own mouth but he could hear it kilometers away.

he laughed against you. “cheeky.”

“if you don’t like it, there’s always Fiona waiting inside.”

JJ’s fingertips curled into your sides. “stop being a smart-ass.”

he pulled back slightly, just enough so that he could still feel your hot breath on his lips.

“let me take you out?” he whispered.

your eyebrow firmed, smirk dripping in mischievousness.

“depends. where you gonna take me, lover boy?”

JJ could sink into the look you were giving him just then.

“wherever you wanna go … as long as you’re wearing that fucking olive green bikini.”

#jj maybank x reader #jj maybank #outer banks #jj maybank imagine #jj maybank one shot #jj maybank one shots #jj maybank fic rec #jj maybank fic recs

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hellscythearts · 1 year

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100 Character MASS ATTACK for Artfight! (all @s and the bg without all the characters under the cut)

Family Vacation 2023 <3

Atlas and Limber for @logicalbreak

Fragile and Distant Vessel for @jendra82

Peakwing for @HyphaeShade

Kyno for @nico.d.pie

Noli for @polaris-s-creation-void

Rue for @uvpartybomb-stuff

Spiller for @busybuns

Jynx for @flame-shadow

Ipsy for @floppa-whoppa

Timbre and Tick for @muggywort

Jezo and Syna for @deservedlyfluffy

Unati for @hyperfluffed

Nen for @eregore_

Hare for @wandering-the-worlds

Unnamed for @livingmeme

Echo for @trisquiggles

Scint for @scripscrim

Spark for @chrometheraptor

Wiollé for @angelsofu

Aries for @ember_surge

Lost for @kilawolfsblut

The Forgotten for @King_Crow

Tbn and Moth for @lunarkana

Morpho for @snickerdoodlesss

Hum for @brimal-baspid

Maple for @girlkisserr

Akirna for @luluthefox-plays

Elwood for @stardewboba

Clover for @mmelody87

Quartz for @nautical-nova

Panrha for @jolteon

Hollow for @asterrioxs

AZ and Acordis for @wrenchdogs

Tinket for @CrispCheri

Mere for @shark-bytee

Reese for @artxeevee

Lichen for @quiet_skye

Blanket for @pastelcrocodile

Little Fly for @retrocatalyst

Tiny/Inoi for @plyushh

Aether for @sharkrotator

Nymph for @astralabraxas

Valis for @FilletOFish

Hurl for @ingridskogstad

Talos for @tyginartist

Nis for @faceless-dreamer

Calyx for @aur0rakat

Adonis for @inertblue

Wicott for @cerealfluffy

Blue Vessel Kune for @theoddhawk1

Scraps for @evielutionevie

Laurel for @sappedart

Ree for @themgaypigeons

Kai for @devilcatdarling

Lavea for @LisyLupikus

Crotchet for @frogynn

Spider for @ten-times-ten

Marsh for @blu-orb

Wilmore for @zahanh

Violet for @invadermak2016

Bell for @corgiestnerd

Shard for @finalarchivist

Mite for @InvaderBarwib

Ruhi for @artofahma

Predicament for @carrioncomfort

Aila for @jenny626

Quilt for @flightdrawswhatever

Lunge for @tin-pin-artist

Aithenymm for @hoozl

Spring and Fall for @mrsquidgereen

Echo for @cherrppi

Spect for @slimestyx

Doleira for @loud-whistling-yes

Lamp for @

#hollow knight oc #hollow knight #mass attack #hollow knight vessel #vessel oc #so many vessels!#I genuinely had so much fun doing all the interactions like! the little vignettes of vessels interacting with each other are everything!!!#also separate version with the bg only cause this BG is sooo pretty and I'm super proud of making it

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melodiousmonsters · 1 year

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Finally these things are done, pushed them off for a while and regretted it, but they're done now and I practically have the whole month ahead of me to work on this month's stuff. Anyway grumpyres. Again because I remembered to put them here stuff in italics and parentheses are author's notes and not an in universe statement.

"Ferrara hemecome average around 4ft/1.2m in average diameter with a 14ft/4.2m wingspan with the largest pair of wings. Their eye color is always blood red as there’s no pigment in them, their pupils vary from round to slit. They have microscopic scales on their wings that come off when flapped that cause a black sooty dust to surround them as they fly.

Grumpyre get most of their energy from blood, with some of their nutrients coming from small critters as a small yet important part of their diets. To feed and hunt they smell the air for the sent of living things (it’s CO2, but the monsters don’t know what chemicals are because they haven’t invented a way to detect them yet) with both their (non-existent) noses and scent receptors on the back half of their tongues, often making a weird face while doing so, well, they make weird faces all the time actually. When they lock onto a scent they follow it and determine what to do next depending on what they find. If it’s a small critter they either eat it or ignore it. If it’s a large critter like the marsh elk of the shadow lands they will follow it to its resting spot and wait for it to fall asleep. Once it sleeps they sneak up to the critter and tear a large gash into it with their snaggled teeth and lap up the blood. The wound is most often not dangerous to the critters they feed from and they can usually go about their day after the grumpyre feed. Sometimes it may get infected but that’s not the grumpyre’s fault, making them the most ethical carnivores of the monsters.

Grumpyre sleep in crevices to protect themselves from predation. To navigate tight areas where they can’t fly their sharp talons are used to clamber around caves, hollow logs, etc. They will then crawl up to the highest most out of reach area to sleep as some of their predators are quite tall and may be able to pluck them off the wall if they sleep too low. They wrap themselves up with their wings for warmth as they tend to run at a very low body temperature but prefer to be warmer to sleep.

The holes in their wings that are commonly seen are a result of parasitism. There’s a species of moths that eat holes in grumpyre’s wings called shade-cave moths as they are after the elasticin fibers that allow for their wings to stretch in flight. It has been theorized grumpyre sleep with their wings wrapped around them to minimize the amount of areas the moths can get to.

Something they are falsely known for is having reversed emotions. Instead of having that they have unique expressions that don’t really look like any known emotion. Each grumpyre has a different set of emotions unique to it. But sometimes a parent and a child grumpyre may have the same face for the same feeling."

Varients

(F. hemecome rectadens) Jyacob’s grumpyre(Named after the Jacob's sheep)"Jyacob was just one of my friends from back in the day, they were a Flum Ox, I miss them. One of the downsides to being suspended in time is that you outlast everyone else you know. Anyways, it had some impressive horns like these grumpyre, so I decided to name them after it (I asked some of the grumpyres, they were fine with me memorializing my friend with their sub-species' common name). Their eyes are always slit and they have green to blue irises that take up the entirety of their visible eye. They also have six wings which makes them more agile fliers, necessary to keep their horns from bumping into things.

A less noticeable but important trait to them is that they have straight teeth, unlike the janky ones the commons have. This makes them a little bit worse at tearing open as many blood vessels as possible so they rely much more on small prey than blood from larger critters."

(F. hemecome alabaster) Albino grumpyre: These grumpyre are what happens when albinism affects a grumpyre, the rest of the unique traits seem to be attached to whatever causes albinism in monsters (Guess what, this guy is so wrong. Albino grumpyre aren’t albino as they have pigmented eyes. Monsters don’t know that genes do anything or even exist so they have no idea what they are talking about). Instead of relying on scent to get fed they use their massive ears to hear for breathing, they are hypersensitive to the sound of breathing and can detect it from a mile away. They also don’t have those janky teeth but instead they have hollow front teeth they sink into a blood vessel and then just drink up the blood through them like a really weird straw.

They also don’t have enough fur to protect them from the sun, causing them to constantly have to regenerate damaged skin causing weird growths. Eventually even the growths fall off leaving dents, but they do have an increased ability to repair their skin so the dents only last a few days."

"Grumpyre live in mostly dark and wet places, so the shadow lands of the pocket dimension. Their cryptic spotting and dark colors allow for perfect camouflage in the dim dark woods. They are middle-of-the-food-chain carnivores similar to cats, which also call the shadow lands home; it seems the marshes breed those types of beasts.

Grumpyre may live in social groups or alone, a group of grumpyre is called a colony or a flock. These inconsistent social preferences are simply because of the way shadow monsters are, they are very unique compared to other monsters and even to each other in some cases. Some love being around others and some can’t stand it. The ones that aren’t opposed to living in a group will often sleep in large groups with some clusters of grumpyre that find comfort in physical contact while some will be on their own."

(A quick drawing of a grumpyre chick I did because I want to ease into drawing baby monsters for these)"Grumpyre eggs will hatch pretty much anywhere, very hardy. Grumpyre chicks are as unique as the adults can turn out. Some may start doing things very early, some will seem to be on developmental track and then regress, some will take longer. They start out with one pair of wings then grow the rest over the course of their development. Older grumpyre tend to get shaggier fur on the bottom half of their bodies."

A fun note I didn't know where to include is that grumpyre can't taste sugar, some animals in real life can't taste it like cats, and grumpyre are based on them so they can't taste sugar.

#my singing monsters #art #beezleart #melodious monster chronicles #grumpyre

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