#memes give us sunbeams

[piperjistic]

Im not afraid of the musical text

[piperjistic]

When I pick up misplaced lemonade and add it to my cart:

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

The Arcana Mini-HCs: Brainrot's Masterlist, Pt 2

MC wearing a onesie in public

When MC needs to stop eating sugar

M6’s slippers

When MC fumbles their words a lot

M6 building MC a gift basket

M6 getting caught making out with MC

Siren MC fails to lure the M6

MC serenading M6

M6 accidentally flustering MC

M6 finding their name in MC’s mehendi

When MC rants about their obsession

MC with seasonal allergies

M6 seeing MC sing on stage for the first time

M6 when they met MC as a child

MC referring to a fictional crush as “my partner” in front of M6

When MC’s familiar is a crab

M6 finds MC sleeping with their body pillow

MC takes M6 on a date in the magic realms

When MC crochets/knits everything

MC following a sunbeam like a cat

When M6 ask for a cheek kiss and get one on the mouth instead

When MC fidgets in front of a mirror from anxiety

MC with a dog familiar

Calling M6 by their full name

When MC stims aggressively

MC saying they’re proud of M6

M6 having curly fries

When MC has lots of freckles/moles/marks

M6 watching MC “die” in a play

M6 with a painter MC

When MC gets cuddly when they’re tired

When MC’s familiar is a hawk

M6 when MC forgets to take care of themself

M6 when MC’s familiar can talk

When MC is expressive/dramatic

When the silent treatment makes MC anxious

M6 playing the Sims

When M6’s baby laughs at something random

When MC doesn’t like to kiss on the lips

M6 whistling

MC with a HUGE familiar

MC with a surprisingly high voice

M6 when MC is scared of spiders

When MC’s familiar is a rat

M6 giving MC jewelry

MC's parents doting on M6

When MC sings out their bad feelings

When M6 try to carry MC and drop them

When MC has a cat familiar

When M6 walk in on MC's midnight feast

MC giving the M6 a flower

Doing each other's makeup

MC who praises but refuses to be praised

When MC shaves their head

When MC is Muriel's younger sibling

Carrying M6 bridal style

When MC uses flowers to insult people

M6 when MC contorts their body to stretch

When teen!MC is tall for their age

When MC is M6's long lost sibling

When MC is allergic to M6's familiar

MC and M6 take a spa day

Snowball fight!

MC stabbing corn romantically

MC meeting their long-lost sibling

When MC babies the M6's familiars

M6 when MC works while sick

When MC shreds on the guitar

With a magic-obsessed MC

M6 under a truth-telling spell

MC with crow wings

M6 doing yoga

When MC has a bunny familiar

When MC inherits Morga's familiar

M6 with MC's well-loved stuffie

When M6's kid says "I wanna marry MC when I grow up"

M6 when MC is Julian's childhood friend

M6 during the winter holidays

M6 at the gym

When MC has a kid from a previous relationship

M6 with a Gender-Fluid MC

Teen!MC gets kicked out by their parents

When Teen!MC's parents try to get them back

When MC is afraid of the dentist

M6 with a clumsy MC

M6's parents when MC is their long-lost child

MC asking M6 to crack their back with a hug

When MC says "I want a baby ... pet."

M6 with an MC who forgets to shower/change

M6 and MC getting lost without magic

M6 dropping MC during a trust fall

Taking care of drunk M6

M6 as fairy tales

M6 and MC in the Caramelldansen meme

When MC speaks in riddles

M6 when MC makes chocolate sculptures

When MC is a Centaur

M6 when MC writes songs for them

When M6's kid says "I wanna be just like you."

MC giving M6 a scrapbook of their love story

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

Wait I thought of something for the commentary meme. I want to know about the baghralina backstory for the roleswap fic! Who broke up with who, and why? Was Alina deliberately getting back at Baghra with banging Aleksander or was that just a delightful bonus? Etc

Re: this fic!

So for context this is what Alina tells Aleksander about the amplifiers and knowing Ilya. Basically, she met Baghra at the same point and just conveniently left that out I think she probably met Baghra first— who in this AU would've been around the same age, therefore young, impressionable, and lonely at that time— while Mal's still alive and they're both on the run. Alina confesses to her some of what's happened. They bond a bit, Baghra lets slip who her father is, and that he’s something of a miracle worker even for Grisha. But beyond some #vibes, that’s the end of that

Time skip, Mal dies. Alina comes back to beg Ilya Morozova for help, and is like, I’m a friend of your daughter’s. (Ilya is like. I have a daughter? she has friends?)

He is intrigued by her sob story, and more specifically her power being anomalous, and he offers to help in what ways he can. (I think it looks like their interests are aligned for a bit because his experiments, leading up to making the big three amplifiers, apparently do involve resurrection) Alina stays with them for some time. This is where there’s a burgeoning romance between her and Baghra. I think it’s a bit more intense on Baghra’s part, frankly, Alina is kind of on the rebound here

I don’t think it would have ever gotten to like admittance of feelings, but they’re probably like sneaking off into the woods to make out

Things sour when Ilya gives her an amplifier instead of actually resurrecting Mal. Alina takes it as an insult and steals his research, this pretty much results in the end of any relationship with Baghra too. And Baghra herself is ostracized even more within her own family because she introduced Alina to them, who stole all their stuff and probably like sunbeam torched their floor rushes or whatever lmao.

I think some decades later they have a chilly reunion somewhere in like Os Kervo or something after Alina’s already established herself as a saint and Baghra’s set in her transient lifestyle. That definitely results in a resentful hook up. Alina makes a cursory pillow talk effort at real reconciliation, and offers to take her back to the Little Palace. Life is so much easier there. But she probably also lets slip that crossing the Scorched Sea would be easier and Baghra is Very averse to the idea of being used by Alina again— which is 100% how she views how things went down before. So she basically just bails before morning without a word while Alina’s sleeping lol

So you could say Alina broke up with her? But Baghra refused to like mend things. They both mutually view the other as an untrustworthy cold hearted bitch.

Anyway also this bit:

Baghra is definitely projecting here. The way she makes this entirely about Alina— her ex!! When really Aleksander is mostly attracted to the concept of like stability, wealth, and plenty. He does have preconceived notions about Alina, and is more susceptible to her because Baghra offers so little in the way of like emotional support or kindness. Like there is very much a hole in his life he's quietly hoping Alina will fill, but that's a little to the left of what Baghra's saying. She's more just telling on herself here and how she was feeling about Alina when she was very, very young

Re: Aleksander, I don’t think Alina is hooking up with him particularly to spite Baghra, but she’s power tripping on it a little bit. Like it’s less about Baghra’s reaction or her ever knowing rather than the principle of the thing

She does enjoy twisting the knife though, and definitely has a cruel streak (see: how she handles Nikolai when Aleksander shows up and becomes her new favorite) so once Baghra shows up to try to warn Aleksander away, she particularly enjoys being the one to separate her from her son, and keeping him entirely under her thumb

But honestly her primary motivation is just that like… he’s clearly super into her and it’s an easy way to manipulate him. Also she’s just bored and he’s the shiny new thing

[higglety]

I just got out of the theater after seeing the new Wicked movie (no pics of the screen for proof because I'm not a HEATHEN so you'll just have to take my word for it)

Heavy spoilers below the cut!

So I'm showing my age here, but bear with me- anybody else remember when the 2009 star trek came out? The first one, where JJ Abrams was so heavy-handed with the lens flare that it literally became a fandom meme? Back in the day I was in an LJ-based RP group that used a space anomaly to bring ships from all across anywhere in star trek canon (or imagined extrapolations thereof) together so people could play any version of any character they wanted. Most of the action happened on a version of the Enterprise- either TOS or AOS (or a mirror version of either), and the way we differentiated between ships in the narrative was characters kept commenting on how SHINY the AOS ship was. I saw fanfics where the lens flares were diagetic; sometimes just poor ship design. sometimes alien creatures. it was a THING.

Anyway, Wicked made me feel like i was watching that JJ Abrams Star Trek. Everything was so so so washed out; there were lens flares everywhere. Everything looked like it was bathed in that sort of lighting where a sunbeam catches on mist or dust in the air. That would've been fine for a shot here or there, or a scene or two, but it was CONSTANT throughout the entire runtime and I COULDN'T SEE THE DAMN MOVIE!!!!

Which is a real shame, because what i COULD see was GORGEOUS! The costumes, the sets, the environmental design, it was all DTUNNING. I haven't been this enchanted by the way a film's setting LOOKS since I first saw the early Harry Potter movies, or the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It looks gorgeous and lived-in and interesting and fantastical. I eant to make all of the costumes to wear for myself, especially the ones Michelle Yeoh's character wears. When it comes out on Blu-ray, I'm going to buy it just based on the costumes alone. I hope there's special features where I can actually SEE THEM CLEARLY

The acting was weird. but in a good way- Ariana Grande is delightfully off-kilter as Galinda, Cynthia Erivo gives a more subtle performance that's quite compelling. They're both powerhouse vocalists, and although there were points I wished both of them would open their damn mouths more, when they let loose and really open up into a song they blow it away.

The pacing was kind of weird- they kept interrupting songs to have scenes in the middle of them, which imo really hurt the momentum. I feel like the overall movie is too long, and didn't really benefit much from the fluff they added to pad things out (with one EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT exception). I also felt like the songs themselves dragged on; they did some weird things with tempo and all of the performers really dragged out and elaborate some of the notes. Because it wasn't just one person doing it, I believe this to be a directory choice that just fell flat for me.

Also, as much as I love Johnathan Bailey, and as fantastic as he was at being compelling and charismatic, I really feel like he's just too old to play Fiyero in film. He would have been incredible on stage, where you have some distance between him and the audience, and they're more able to suspend disbelief about performers' ages, but in the big-screen closeups of a movie, he looks WAY too old for me to find his shallow fun-loving fool persona in the beginning charming. Especially the dynamic between him and Galinda, as Ariana more successfully appears younger than she is, and is more believable as a schoolgirl (albeit a mature one). The overall impression is of a full grown adult flirting with a kid, and it's weird. Unfortunately I think this is a problem of the medium, because as I said, I think I would have absolutely loved this exact same performance if it had been on stage instead of screen.

Also it may just be the particular production I watched, but it seems they leaned WAY more into a romantic reading of Galinda and Elphabw's relationship than in the stage show, which i loved. No wonder Ariana and Chynthia have been acting Like That in interviews- they just played romantic leads with incredible chemistry!

Overall, for me, the movie is like the show- there are parts of it that bug me, and parts of it i really love, and overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

[coralhoneyrose]

Alrighty, ask meme! I'll have 4, 7, 14, and 38, if you please!

Ahhh, thank you so much for the ask! :D

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

Not a *whole* lot, honestly! The only idea I am truly ‘nurturing’ (as in actively helping it to grow) is Half Orange. If you broaden that to also include stuff I have taken the time to make some sort of slapdash outline for, then there are four others. One I don’t think I’ve talked about on here before is a humorous, family fluff one-shot from the POV of Morgan when he is in his late teens and struggling to come to terms with how cringe and mushy and embarrassing his parents are about their love for each other once Robin returns post-sacrifice LOL

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

A memory strikes him suddenly, illuminated as if by a stray sunbeam, of huddling midst the shelves with his sisters, Emmeryn reading him and Lissa some old Ylissean fairytale while a storm pounded down overhead and lightning flashes made a glowing tapestry of the colored glass.

He doubts that they were in this particular row of books back then, but the view is the same. Today, tiny dust particles swim in the late spring sunshine, but he can still hear how the thunder made the window shiver; Emmeryn’s bell-clear voice, serene and unafraid. Sometimes he wonders if grieving a person in the same space you lived with them isn’t more of a cruelty than a comfort…but he can’t imagine choosing to give it up either.

There’s this literary technique I have noticed some of my favorite writers use on occasion where a character’s wandering / idle thoughts while looking at something in the environment wind up being a means for insight into their characterization or mental state. I think it can be tricky to execute in a way that doesn’t feel disruptive, but I was reasonably happy with my attempt here. I also think grieving is a really complicated emotion, and it’s one I struggle a lot with capturing all the facets of while writing, but this was a rare instance where I felt like the words got across the feeling I wanted them to.

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

If we are excluding the infamous old tumblr posts that convinced all of us you are never supposed to use the word ‘said’ and that you should invent as many epithets as possible to refer to characters, I would probably say “don’t use adverbs”. Obviously it’s very possible to overdo it, and I will admit my writing has a tendency towards clutter and that adverbs probably contribute. But some people really act like adverbs are the devil, and the idea that an entire part of speech has next to no place in writing is kind of absurd to me. I have also read books where clever and intentional use of adverbs was extremely effective in contributing to humor or tone setting and if those authors had followed that advice, I would have enjoyed their books a lot less.

38. Talk about a review that made your day.

Oh man, very hard to choose just one when this is true of like…virtually every review I have ever been lucky enough to receive. One specific one that comes to mind, though, was a comment on the accidental engagement fic where the commenter compared Chrom to one of those tropical birds doing a mating dance, and Robin just Not Getting It despite his best efforts. It was such a hilarious and strikingly accurate description of their dynamic in that fic and I got such a kick out of it. I subsequently mentioned the comment to Bustle, and she wound up linking this video, and for the rest of the day, I would just periodically start smiling really big or burst out laughing every time I thought about Chrom and Robin as these two birds. The narration absolutely kills me too.

[scientistservant]

Hi hi!! How about 🤝, 🐱 and💧 for Fink and Kaa?

Emoji ask meme 2

🤝: How did they meet in the first place? What was their first impression of each other?

Answered here for Kaa

As for Fink and Alice, they met after Alice stumbled across Halloween Town after wandering the Hinterlands. She had amnesia, and after meeting Jack, he took her to see Finkelstein, hoping he would be able to help. While he wasn’t able to fix her amnesia, he did give Alice her name, and even let her stay with him and help around the lab, after some convincing.

🐱: Do they have pet names for each other, if so what are they? How does their partner feel about their pet name?

Kaa calls Sundar “Sunbeam”, “Sunshine”, as well as the usual “dear”, and “love”. Sundar meanwhile, usually calls him by name, but tends to slip in a “silly snake”, now and again. She also calls him “Master” in the TaleSpin ‘verse.

A favourite nickname Fink calls Alice is “kitten”, as well as “dear/my dear”. Alice likes to call him by his title of “Doctor”, but if things are serious or extremely intimate she’ll use Finkelstein’s first name, which is William (named after his first and late voice actor, William Hickey).

💧: How well do they comfort each other when they’re upset?

Despite his mischievous villainy, Kaa is a master at comfort. His powerful hypnosis coupled with a snug bed of coils and soft voice is just the thing to calm Sundar down. He’s also a very good listener. Sometimes the hypnosis isn’t even needed, but it does help with sleep.

Sundar may be larger than your average squirrel, but she’s still small compared to Kaa. Her fur is warm, especially her large, fluffy tail, and having something to gently squeeze and rub against is a strong positive for a snake. Another positive is hearing her claim she’ll beat up anyone who crosses Kaa, even the mighty Shere Khan.

Fink is also a wonderful listener; he’ll hear Alice’s woes and won’t speak up until he knows she is done venting. Then he’ll give words of encouragement, macabre wisdom, whatever the cat-sith needs.

Fink secretly loves to be held. Be it in Alice’s arms or just a long hug. Despite —or even because of — his grumpy demeanour, the Doctor wants comfort, even if it’s simply watching him as he sleeps. Sometimes, just a hand being held is all it takes, for both of them.

[piperjistic]

I spammed this shit at my friend and he’s weeping in the corner in memes. I’ve never felt so powerful before. I’m using this forever.

He is pointing at Leo

[aloha-solar]

Chapter: 26/30 Pairings: Astarion/Gale, background relationships (Tav/Halsin, Wyll/Karlach, Shadowheart/Lae'zel) Rating: Explicit Chose not to use archive warnings Was a fill for this kink meme prompt

***

Astarion thinks he’s going to be sick.

It’s been five days since Shadowheart successfully rescued her parents, and Tav told him they needed to go for Cazador within the tenday. Astarion told her to purchase as many scrolls of Sunbeam and Daylight as she could within five days, and she obliged, returning with not just those scrolls, but stakes, silver swords and daggers, holy water…

He doesn’t ask where she got the money, mostly because seeing all of those items together made the reality sink in: they were going to kill Cazador.

And now here they are, on their way to the watchtower because there’s a servant’s entrance that’s only accessible via the connected rampart, and it’s taking all of his self-control to keep the blood from his breakfast safely in his system.

It certainly doesn’t help matters that Polliwog is extra active, as if they can sense something’s going on. Astarion can’t even place his hand on them to quiet them down; Tav was insistent that the illusion spell should be placed.

“Perhaps your siblings haven’t told Cazador about Polliwog,” she’d said as she cast the spell. “They might not have been able to process it in the moment, but once they came back home, they might’ve realized that it was in their best interest to lie about them.”

Astarion had snorted. “And we’ll hold hands with the Elder Brain and tell it to take the Crown of Karsus off very nicely,” he’d said. “No. They told him. Anything that gives them leverage. And considering that Petras and Dalyria didn’t know I was under a spell, Cazador would’ve punished them for missing something so obvious.”

Read the rest on Ao3

[lucifersresources]

fall out boy // so much (for) stardust meme

edit/alter/change pronouns etc as you see fit!  

love from the other side.

it kills me, you know.

i'm dying out here.

what would you trade the pain for?

you were the sunshine of my lifetime.

i'd never go, i just want to be invited.

don't fight it.

sending my love from the other side of the apocalypse.

i just about snapped.

don't look back.

every lover's got a little dagger in their hand.

i'm falling in and out of love.

nowhere left for us to go but heaven.

summer falling through our fingers again.

give up what you love.

give up what you love before it does you in.

heartbreak feels so good.

the future's up for grabs.

is there a word for bad miracle?

the road was endless.

could we please pretend this won't end?

it was an uphill battle.

we could cry a little, cry a lot.

don't stop dancing.

we'll cry later or cry now.

it's heartbreak.

we could dance our tears away.

heartbreak feels so good.

we said we'd never grow up.

it's open season on blue moods.

hold me like a grudge.

i know you mean well.

i love my life.

guess i'm getting older.

you put the 'fun' into dysfunction.

hold me like a grudge.

i can't keep up.

can't do it on my own.

part-time soulmate, full-time problem.

somehow, we made it back.

we made it back with a few dreams of ours still in tact.

i am a diamond on the inside, just add pressure.

i got no map to my own treasure.

guess i'm getting bolder.

i thought i knew better.

i thought it would get better.

i figured somehow by now, i would have got it together.

if you put your heart in it then we'll do more than just get by together.

i'm like a storm on the horizon.

fake out.

cut through the darkness.

remember us just like this forever.

this can't last.

do you laugh about me whenever i leave?

do i just need more therapy?

love is in the air.

buried alive inside my dreams.

i don't care.

my mood board is just pictures of you.

i'm not sad anymore.

we all started out as shiny dimes.

we all got flipped too many times.

we did it for futures that never came.

pasts that we're never gonna change.

heaven, iowa.

i've unspooled on the floor.

would you read my eulogy?

i will never ask you for anything.

dream sweet of me.

tell me when the party ends, will you still love who i am?

will you still love who i am?

scar crossed lovers, forever.

i'm checking myself out forever.

i'm saving this all for later.

here we are untouched forever.

they don't know how much they'll miss at least until you're gone.

half your life you've been hooked on death.

be careful what you bottle up.

the chemistry is a mess.

i'm still a sunbeam.

i closed my eyes inside of your darkness and found your glow.

so good right now.

i got this doom and gloom in my mind.

i feel alright.

i've got love in my heart.

feeling so good right now.

i know i've made mistakes, but at least they were mine to make.

i know i've made mistakes.

all of my wildest dreams, they just end up with you and me.

i ripped myself apart.

i'll be whatever you need me to be.

i am my own muse.

here i am, not sure you should take a chance.

i like playing dumb.

i like playing dumb, letting you figure me out.

i was faded in my own defense.

drop a bomb on all the things we dreamed about.

smash all the guitars till we see all the stars.

got to throw this year away.

they never came.

i keep my feelings so tucked away.

just another day spent hoping we don't fall apart.

let's twist the knife again.

i'm just trying to keep it together.

it gets a little harder when it never gets better.

flu game.

i'm just a face in the crowd.

please would you kill me now?

last night i dreamt i still knew you.

i carved out a place in this world for two, but it's empty without you.

i've got all this love i've got to keep to myself.

all this effort to make it look effortless.

confront all the pain.

i can't be who you need me to be.

one day no one will remember me when they look back.

the kintsugi kid (ten years)

i'm a hard pill to swallow.

i'm not your intended dose.

i spent ten years in a bit of chemical haze.

i miss the way that i felt.

i miss the way that i felt nothing.

i felt you at the beginning, but needed you at the end.

stop me if you have heard this all before.

you don't know me anymore.

what a time to be alive.

that's the way the world, it used to be.

our dreams started bursting at the seams.

we're ready to livestream the apocalypse.

i don't care if it's pretty.

the view's so pretty from the deck of a sinking ship.

everything is lit, except my serotonin.

everything is lit but my lightning bolt brain.

i just need someone to hold me.

you don't even know me.

i'm going neon in the night time.

what a time to be alive.

they say that i should try meditation but i don't want to be with my own thoughts.

i just want to be your cherry on top.

when i said 'leave me alone', this isn't quite what i meant.

i got the quarantine blues.

the vulture's getting too full to fly.

sometimes you wonder if we're ever looking back.

so much (for) stardust.

i'm in a winter mood, dreaming of spring now.

i feel like something that's been stretched out over and over again.

i'm creased and i'm about to break down the middle.

the stars are the same as ever, but i don't have the guts to keep it together.

i don't have the guts to keep it together.

the stars are the same as ever.

life is just a game.

i'm stuck in a lonely loop.

so much for stardust.

we thought we had it all.

i need the sound of crowds or i can't fall asleep at night.

i can't take my thoughts.

another year of possibilities left unwrapped.

i'm pretty positive my pain isn't cool enough.

my pain isn't cool enough.

ache it till you make it.

i think i've been going through it.

i've been going through it and i've been putting your name to it.

in another life you were the sunshine of my lifetime.

i used to be a real go-getter.

i used to think it'd all get better.

[piperjistic]

From GobalGameJam twitter

[piperjistic]

The way you draw the boys made me question alot - and then you come out with more Azure content and pull me further down the hole by the scruff of my neck.

hey man the way i like to think of it is; all furries are monsterfuckers, but not all monsterfuckers are furries

just comes down to your monster preferences

[archaictold]

PERMANENT PLOTTER.

wowie, it has been a hot minute since i've done one of these!!! seeing as i've gotten into the groove with zhilan here in isola, i think it's about time i cast my reel into the pond and start developing some long-term plots for him. i'll preface this by saying we do not need to have threaded before for you to express your interest! if you think your muse can vibe with any of these  ( or even if you have an idea i haven't covered here! ) , you're more than welcome to hop onto this plotter call. 'what does this do, exactly?' you might be asking. i'll tell you! by liking this, you can guarantee:

me hopping into your IMs to plot!

memes for meme day!

spontaneous starters! ( with your permission, of course! )

… and all things good for development! now! onto the real meat of this post!

RELATIONSHIPS. these are the bonds i want to see zhilan develop! some of these include—— FRIENDS. if you've been around zhilan for longer than 5 seconds, you've probably noticed that he is extremely friendly! zhilan has the personality of a sunbeam: it's bright, it's cheerful, it's warm and everything you would expect of a walking beacon of positivity. he's pretty talkative, even when faced with less talkative muses. he's also really trusting and believes the best in people, sometimes to his own detriment. he'd make a good friend to just about anyone, being a rather personable individual! plus, i think he ought to make some friends! the guy's kind of a hermit when it comes to his work. GEEK SQUAD. do you have a muse that's also super nerdy? you're in luck! they probably stand a chance of coming across zhilan in his natural element, that being his lab at the university or one of the libraries scattered about spirale. there is no greater joy to him than positing theories and discussing the nature of one's work. even if their fields differ, he'll want to hear all about it! ENEMIES. now, i feel like it's hard to get under zhilan's skin unless you're the absolute anarchy of humanity, BUT! i do think his optimism can rub people the wrong way, especially if they're more jaded. i'm not expressly looking for people to antagonize zhilan, but i do think it's impossible for him to get along with everyone. thus, i'm leaving this here! SPARRING PARTNERS. you wouldn't know it from zhilan's scrawny stature, but he does dabble a bit in martial arts! now that he's gotten his polearm back, he's actively looking to improve his combat skills… which are admittedly not that impressive, unless he's acting as a support. maybe your muse could act as a mentor, or even a fellow peer! THE MUSEUM. zhilan plans to take up a job position here! it's… kind of an odd choice, yes, but he doesn't exactly want to pursue an academic position at the university. so where better to put that treasure trove of knowledge to use than a museum! if you're visiting for any reason, you'll likely come across him among the gallery. just, er… not the abyssal gallery. he tends to keep out of there. YESTERYEAR. zhilan frequents this branch rather often, being to sort to gravitate to old dilapidated ruins and forgotten history. if you know a thing or two about this branch, he'll be incredibly interested to hear about it! who knows! maybe the two of you can explore it together… CASTMATES. zhilan might be a fandom oc, but i'm really keen on the idea of him developing some established bonds with his canon counterparts.  ;v;  their shared canon background already gives them a good basis for interactions, so i'd like to nurture some connections for him with his genshin fellows! aaaand that’s about it! of course this doesn’t cover everything, so if you’ve got an idea and you don’t see it here you’re free to hop on this post and shoot it my way! thanks for reading!  :^)

[brooklynislandgirl]

{you know the meme}

The ficus stares him in the face with a thousand years of dread judgment.

It knows.

“I said I wasn’t gonna,” he mutters in its general direction.

Had been a thought, but once it was assured that this was, in fact, a real plant…well, it’s just immensely thoughtless to go pissing on plants. Probably worse if they’re potted, even if he can’t say why that would be, it’s not like unpotted {is that even a term…} ones are capable of getting up and moving either. No, it’s just a bad thing all together, pissing on plants.

But it’s also a bad thing to have to explain to Beth when she gets out of the shower that the police are at the hotel because there may or may not have been an incident involving indecent exposure and-his train of thought temporarily stalls on the tracks at wondering what sort of exposure was decent. Legally. If there’s indecent, that implies there is the opposite, decent.

“Prob'ly strippers.”

He’s muttered this to the plant again, with a noncommittal shrug, as though the plant may have a better idea it can suggest. If it does, it does not share it with him. But then, he wouldn’t share it either if he knew the plant had been intending to pee on him, so it’s acceptable.

He also might be slightly more drunk than usual. Not that things like conversing with plants and wondering about decent vs indecent exposures is irregular for him. Particularly not when alone, and that he is. Save for the plant.

Technically, Beth is here too, but the suite really is rather large, and she’s in the bathroom. That makes it feel like being in a house when someone else is in another room. He’s functionally alone.

Well, no…no, there is another very active presence, and though it indeed be haunting, it isn’t that sort of Presence. It’s the immense mistake of not realizing he had to pee before Beth left, then making it worse by trying not to fixate on this mistake after she had. He is rather horrible at doing the opposite of fixating on literally anything while trying not to do exactly that, it’s a bit of a promise that he is going to fail spectacularly…and he is.

Additionally, he is intoxicated enough to officially be on Drunk Time, and Drunk Time is like no other expanse of time. It might have been five minutes or two hours or yesterday that she left. He is only certain that this span of time has included having a cigarette, contemplating the plant, contemplating hitting unfortunate human targets below the balcony, talking to the plant, and continuing to drink. Just a little bit. It was obviously necessary, to…pass the time.

It hasn’t helped to pass the time, only to make the issue more present, and with the plant giving no new ideas, there truly is only one.

So, he’s at the bathroom door, and wondering why the fuck it is that he isn’t alright with simply going on a stealth mission here. Really, it’s extremely possible, in his mind and only his mind, that he’d get away with it. And…he…just can’t. At least this sort of ridiculous behavior, and the combined honesty and respect for her that tends to drive it, means that he isn’t at all lying when he comes tentatively creeping through the steam. Eyes closed, mouth open and going.

“Sorry, Beth, swear I ain’t lookin’ an not even like, listenin’ close. Just really, serious'ly gonna die if I don’t piss ‘mediately, an not inna plant, talked to the plant, it agrees that’s not cool.”

~*~

Squeaky Clean || -

Presenting a paper to the medical community, and in particular members of the CDC, on infectious diseases suffered by indigent people especially in areas where hurricanes decimate resources, fresh water, and shelter… is a rewarding and somewhat terrifying prospect. Beth knows very well how to speak properly in social circles the likes of which she might compare to a feeding frenzy of various shark slews, and academically she has a reputation for being a thoughtful and respected voice for the less fortunate. It is one of the things she takes pride in, actually making a difference where the Admiral only pretends to. He practices a very different kind of medicine, and belongs to a world that Beth has never been comfortable in, doesn’t want to be a part of, and refuses at every opportunity. The old man would be utterly appalled that not only had she taken in a 'young wastrel’ which is the politest thing he would say about Anakin, but gave him a job, a stable roof, was determined to see him be better off than his current situation would allow. Or that she’d drag him along on this trip, booking a single suite for them both. But truth be told, there’s more to it than appearances would suggest.

She doesn’t even know if Anakin himself really understands. Beth hates flying. She had never done very well with heights, something she’d learned as a kid when she tried practising cliff-diving. The air plane ride to the mainland when she was sixteen had been a nightmare and she’d been sick the entire ten hour, non-stop flight from O'ahu to JFK airport, in New York. He tried books, he tried singing to her, he’d tried music and in flight movies, he tried medicating her with drinks. Eventually he could do nothing but hold back her hair as she continuously expelled all of her stomach contents, rubbed her back when it was nothing but dry-heaving. Eventually, she simply curled up in her seat and leaned into him, too exhausted to be okay, too terrified to sleep. He rubbed small circles against her back and promised she never had to fly again. And then he ran off to join the Air Force, and jumped out of planes for a living. That was something about her brother that Beth could never understand even if he could have explained it to her.  She had sat on the lanai, trying to decide if she was brave enough to chance the Louis Armstrong airport ~ ~ “MSY.” Anakin’s grin had sprawled slowly across his lips and his head had dipped down, though she had been certain it was to watch Bug nap in a sunbeam.

Or to take a chance on one of the family’s private planes over at Metairie~

~"Metry...on the Big Ass Lake.” She hadn’t been sure if that was Anakin’s specific drawl or if she’d simply been mispronouncing that word the entire time she’s been here {which, honestly was more likely} because it looked like Met-prairie to her.

But even on the sofa, even with him reading his book ~a dog-eared and margin-notation copy of Ovid’s Metamorphosis~ on the opposite side of it, feet buried under her leg, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to book the flight.

Instead, she’d looked over, a little green around the gills, and in a surprisingly tremulous voice, she’d asked him if he’d be okay going on a road trip with her. After all, it was only a seven to eight hour drive, including stops to stretch, use the facilities, and food. She added to that the fact that she’d feel safer driving through that bit of Mississippi and almost diagonally across Alabama just to get there, if he would be willing to escort her.

There’d been discussion about what to do with Bug, and what not to do, which largely consisted of Anakin not really wanting to leave him on his lonesome and Beth arranging for the nurses to take turns {and hazard pay} to ensure meal times were kept to their schedule, and their housekeeper to ensure companionship and play time. And of course the discussion he had with Bug which she was politely not privy too, but she would have given anything to actually have heard even snippets of conversation.

And now, a few days later, here they are.

The humidity and heat in Atlanta is very different from that of New Orleans, which in Beth’s mind is more like home, where here it’s...sticky. A thin film of sweat has been clinging to her since their arrival in the wee hours when by all rights it should have been cooler at the very least. Because of the conference, she’d had to book them a single suite and though she’d apologise profusely, she didn’t think Anakin was very heart-broken about it. The air conditioner in the room had been running and it wasn’t so bad when they’d finally set their bags down.

Beth ordered breakfast from room service, had given Anakin that look, and like the rumoured pirates in her ancestry {sea-wooves, she called them not recognising her mispronunciation} had plundered the full bar. Miniatures were things one gave away to adults come Halloween, and full-size bottles were specifically requested. So it was drinks on the balcony and pastries, fluffy omelettes, and a very sudden urge to sleep.

She’d pressed a strawberry and Merlot kiss to his forehead and had only enough grace to fall onto her side of of the king bed, clothes and all. Which didn’t really help the situation. She also didn’t know how long Anakin had stayed up and what he’d consumed during that time. The moral of the story being she needs this shower. And there’s enough trust and enough love between them that she doesn’t think twice about leaving the door slightly ajar in case he needs the facilities. And maybe she stays in a little too long, letting the near volcanic temperature of the water ease away at her muscles in a haze of tropical scented soap, shampoo, conditioner.

She didn’t know that the ficus was a traitor. Or a victim. Or that it would eventually be going home with them.

She finds herself grinning when he makes his apologies and his platitudes.  “...’S’fine, really. I trus’ you an’ besides...I promise no have any kine ya nevah seen before. Because we’re ‘way from home, an’ sleepers...all ovah da place here. Worse dan haole summers back home, worse dan deer tick. An’ maybe ya plant wiser dan all of dem put togeddah.”  She hates that she’s suddenly become an Awakened psa, a reminder that they have to be on their best behaviour and any magick has to be disguised under the auspices of coincidence.

“Still got an eternity of hot waddah if ya wanna come in an’ grab a shower f’ yaself. But I’ll knife fight ya ovah dis loofah.”

[soulfullofold]

look I know. i KNOW its not posted yet but if/when it is. Isaac's confrontation and the intermission w/ ora and dia in "meddling" for the dev commentary meme

I've been waiting for AGES to talk about this. >:)

Meddlin' (meddling) is a piece I wrote to explore the relationships between my oc Ora and @1ore's Dia, Heath, and Isaac! I think my summary in the description says it best: Try as she might to remain aloof, Miss Walker had (and has) a habit of making unfinished business her own. When something isn't sitting right with her, she won't stand for it. Pun intended.

It took me so long but it's finally done YES yes yes yes.

To start: Isaac's confrontation. Bit of context: when Ora intermittently comes to visit Dia, she takes up working as a day laborer for the local carpenter, Isaac. She has a chronic case of not struggling to relax, wanting to feel useful, wanting to give Dia some space to work...so she ends up doing odd jobs here and there, but Isaac quickly becomes one of her favorite people. They just get along so well; the dry humor, his sarcastic air, their no-nonsense-but-plenty-of-nonsense attitudes... He really reminds her of her best friend, Tex, in a lot of ways (oof. and sometimes, a little too many ways.)

I think they're also similar in that their business is THEIR business. They're kind of reluctant to air it out when it's something deeply personal. Isaac is pretty hurt in this scene because Ora's well-meaning 👀 set-up with the local pastor turned out to be very loaded. There's a whole lot of context and over a decade of avoidance there and she didn't quite know she was stumbling in on. He's lashing out not really because he's mean or angry at Ora, but annoyed all over again about the reasons WHY he and Heath can't just let it go.

I knew I wanted him to be bitter and angry, but also show that he and Ora have an understanding as people and as friends. There's a lot of intermingled softness there. Apologies that say that yes, you are mad, but no, this is not forever. Ora's not really used to that; there's several moments where she fights herself and her instinct to run, or holds herself back from her old habits.

One habit, though, dies a little harder than the rest. Normally the first advice you give to someone trying to get out of a whole is to stop digging. Try as she might, Ora's not the type of person to let things be easily...but it's a lot easier to just let sleeping dogs lie when you're roaming on the back of a horse. But the thing about being a part of a community is that she doesn't get to run anymore, for better or for worse.

Favorite lines in this section is so easy. The whole reason I even wanted to write Meddling in the first place was because of:

“You calling me complicated?” Isaac huffs, playfully indignant. “Nah,” laughs Ora. “Just complex.”

I also am a sadist apparently and love the emotional bullet of Isaac snapping:

“He just—he just! Why don’t you go ask him? Go ask the good pastor for his word. He’s such a talented orator, I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it.” “Isaac—” she says, in that patient, placating way, so similar to his stained-hickory tenor— “Ask him,” Isaac snarls. “Ask him about Verot.”

I also love the clacking. And the cabinet door fidgeting. And when the sunbeams flicker back into the workshop. :)

Dia's portion is about being Known--Ora was going to drop it, until Dia dropped food in front of her. It's part of providing for each other that you start to recognize avoidance and tackle what's bothering you together. LOL it's not that deep. Dia could just see something was UP and Ora's scale tipped to caring enough to investigate and meddle. That's the thing about her...once you're in her affection, you're in for life. She battles a difficult conversation with Heath, one of the people she least relates to and takes the longest to get along with, for the sake of trying to mend the wedge between him and Isaac.

I also wanted to explore early Dia and Heath: why the separation, why the lost time despite them growing up together... I think a lot of it comes from the people in Dia's life leaving and coming back changed. Not in a good or bad way, just living their lives differently. I also got the impression that Dia is really strong in her principles and peoples' Presences in the southwest/her home.......so when young Heath leaves (perhaps an angrier, sadder version of himself, seeking meaning and wanting to be satisfied in where he finds it) I think she's rightfully afraid of what seminary will turn him into. What, in some ways, if even for a brief moment, what it did turn him into. I just like that Dia and Heath continue to challenge each other in productive ways, even if their relationship was fraught for a short period of time.

Favorite lines are pretty easy here for me too:

Rio leafs through the tortillas like an invigorating manuscript, swiftly peeling three, no, four, onto her plate, flapping her hand to save it from the scald of steam. Warmth floods into Ora’s chest with the motion.

I'm just really obsessed with this image ok leaf me awwone

“Some messes you run from. Some you’re chased from.”

I just think it's quintessential Ora. She's normally not so Talky I promise. (unfortunately though I am talky so it bleeds in more often than I'd like.) But I think this line nails the simple-but-poignant cowboy wisdom of it all.

In a word: trouble.

A late addition, but one I love nonetheless. Ora's nickname is Trouble ;) so I was being cheeky and slid it in there.

Rio gestures silently towards the food on her plate with her chin. Go on, eat, her motion says.

IN SUMMARY: I'M SOFT.

I think that about covers it and then some. Thanks for the quaaaaastion and for being patient with me while it took me literal months to answer. <3

[blueoatmeal]

26, 19, 48 Jamack~

ask meme

19. What do they think about before falling asleep at night?

oh wow. ok. on an avg day, Jamack goes over everything that happened, at least once, and focuses on anything particularly confusing or troubling. he plans for the next day, next few days. makes absolutely certain that he’s safe and alone, and has a basic escape strategy if awoken suddenly

and then, once the mental guards start to come down, he has fleeting thoughts about impossible things: standing next to someone and knowing he can trust them 100%. chasing sunbeams along the bottom of the pond. singing, without judgement or rebuke

26. Do they have any plans for the future? Any contingency plans if things don’t work out?

He used to. Right now his plan is to get to a point where he can plausibly have plans for the future again.

He has contingency plans, but he’s been improvising a lot more lately.

48. How do they express love?

Listening. Noticing. Giving complements. Risking it all.