#might make a book about them who knows

[melodylnoelle]

Just This Once

For @paradoxical-scribbler‘s Fictober Writing Challenge

Fandom: None Characters: OCs Madison and Aaron Challenge Day Number: 2 Prompt: “Is that supposed to be a costume?” Warnings/Notes: Mention of drinking blood, otherwise... none? I think? Summary: Two friends argue about going to the bar together for Halloween Word Count: 938 Author’s  Notes: I decided to create a set of original characters for this one because it was basically writing itself (sorry it’s not a fic, I hope that’s ok). Please enjoy :) Masterlist

           Madison was hard at work on typing the information from her chart into the computer. The system had been down for most of the day, and while she didn’t mind typing her own notes in after the fact, she really wished the other doctors had been more considerate to make their handwriting more legible.

           Fighting the urge to grab a magnifying glass, she studied Dr. Carson’s notes on his patient. She could have just had him do this himself, but he had kids to take trick-or-treating and would have felt bad holding him over. She, on the other hand, had things that she was avoiding doing, and the overtime was nice.

           The lights dimmed in her office. She hadn’t realized it had been so long since she moved. Damned motion-activated lights. She figured she would get to fixing them in a second, she just needed to finish this last line of notes before-

           “Is that supposed to be a costume?”

           The unexpected voice in the dark made her jump. She flew a hand over her heart, willing it to slow as she took a deep breath.

           Had the voice not been so familiar, her whole soul would have flown out of her chest, not just her heart.  

           “You scared the hell out of me,” she said as she turned in her chair to look at him.

           He flashed his teeth in a smile. “I can see that. Thought the lights being off would have broken you out of your trance, but I guess not.”

           She noticed then that his hand was still hovered over the light switch. He turned them back on, bringing the room back to life.

           She took another deep breath. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

           “Well what do you think I’m doing here, Mads?”

           “Hm… getting blood from the donor bin?”

           He feigned shock, putting his hand to his heart for dramatic effect. “What, me? I would never!”

           She rolled her eyes, turning her back to him and studying the patient chart again.

           “No, as usual, I am here to drag your sorry ass away from this night for our favorite time of year.”

           “Your favorite time of year,” she corrected, holding a finger up without looking at him. “This is not my favorite time of year.”

           “Oh, come on.” He strode forward and took the folder from her, holding it above her head when she tried to reach for it.

           “Aaron, please-“

           “Nuh-uh. What happened to the Mads that used to decorate her house, her yard, throw parties, dress in something better than scrubs-“

           “Still not a costume.”

           “Yea, whatever.”

           “You know what happened to the ‘Mads that used to love Halloween’?” she asked, putting air quotes up around the words. “I started seeing the dead. And the veil is thin on Halloween. So you know what that means? There are more dead to be seen on Halloween. And it stresses me out.”

           He looked less amused, lifting an eyebrow at her. “So you are choosing to spend the night in a building where people die all the time?”

           “No, I am working, and then I am going to shut myself in my room.” She took the opportunity to steal the file back and return to her work.

           “Like the dead can’t just walk into your room.”

           “Not if I light a bunch of banishing candles and line it with salt, they can’t!”

           “If you put salt everywhere, I also can’t hang out with you there, you know.”

           “Keep this up and I will be tempted to line it with garlic, too.”

           “Oh, you know that’s a myth.”

           “Silver, then.”

           “Ouch, that hurts.” He moved to sit in the chair next to hers, putting a hand on her arm. “Look. I’m just worried about you. I know that it’s stressful, but I don’t want you to spend the rest of your life locking away in your room on a bad day. Or at least not alone.” He took a deep breath. “Let me stay with you.”

           “No, that’s not fair to you. You love that… what bar that does the Halloween party?”

           “O’Conner’s.”

           “Yea, that. Either way, you love that party.”

           “But you’re my best friend, and I don’t want you to be alone.” He let her consider that a moment before continuing. “If you really don’t want to let me be alone, then come with me. Just this once. And if it goes south, we’ll leave, and then we’ll spend the rest of the Halloweens for the rest of time at your house, and I will never bother you again. Promise.” He held out his pinky finger.

           She raised an eyebrow. “Pinky promise?”

           He smiled. “It’s the oldest, most sacred promise!”

           She couldn’t help but smile back at her oldest friend. She rolled her eyes, returning the pinky promise.

           “Yay, I’m so excited.” He slapped his hands on his knees, standing. “C’mon, we gotta go get you a costume.”

           She wrinkled her nose, but took his hand and stood. “Just please don’t make it like the last one that you picked for me, okay?”

           “Oh, come on, you looked like a bad bitch.”

           “I looked like A desperate bitch, actually.”

           “Lies, lies. Though, who knows, it might catch someone’s eye. I’m sure that would distract you from the dead.”

           “Ha, ha.” She let Aaron hook his arm around hers as they walked out of the hospital’s office.

           “Speaking of, think there will be any cute guys at this bar?”

           “I’m sure we’ll find someone for you to sink your teeth into.”

           “Oh, that’s not what I wanted and you know it… Mostly.”

[passionatememes]

for the sake of the mitzvah of being whole

was inspired by a very cool project published by Svara--a book of rituals & blessings for trans lives! it's a very very cool project

series of 14 screenprints on two types of paper! details below

[bigmfrat]

Having a rough time so have some spec evo crumbs that have been sitting in the squidcord for months that I only just got around to drawing to distract myself with

Teeth fall out regularly and are quickly replaced.

Only Minor and Minor/intercaste (more on this below the line) have feeding Tentacles.

Feeding Tentacles are stiffer than your regular tenties and remain in pockets when not in use. The ends also have very small teeth for gripping, they feel like velcro.

Teeth are dull but their jaws are for crushing bone so it doesnt matter.

"Venom" (bone melting enzyme) is black, sticky, and viscous, can be spit but is always a last resort. Most bites are dry bites.

Claws come out of the tip of the finger as apposed to the top like humanoids

Like cats and dogs, Illithid have a quick, if damaged it will bleed (a lot)

Claws dull with use and must be taken care of to be sharp

Caste System

The Primordial Illithid society resembled that of an ant colony but on a smaller scale, their species naturally came in three basic castes that had their own biological functions. The modern Terrestrial illithids have retained the physical characteristics of their ancestors, though are now much smaller, and they no longer serve any function in their society.

The three base castes are:

Major

Height Range: 6'8 - 7'5

Prey species: Humans, Half Orcs, Dragonborn, High Elves, Tiefling

Physical Traits: Longer tentacles, Longer and usually pointed braincase

Birthrate: 1

Media

Height Range: 5'7 - 6'9

Prey species: Humans, Elves, Tiefling, Drow

Physical Traits: Medium tentacles, Rounded head, Most often have "beaks" - but not always, this trait is seen less with each generation.

Birthrate: 3

Minor

Hight Range: 4'5 - 5'9

Prey Species: Gnomes, Halflings, dwarves, Drow

Physical Traits: Shorter tentacles, Longer and pointed braincase.

Birthrate: 4

Minors have a few unique features and are the most faithful to their home world ancestors, the first being two long and thin feeding tentacles that remain retracted in their throats until they find prey, and two specially adapted tentacles on their forehead used as communication displays, these two traits have been entirely lost on the other two castes, Despite these 4 extra "tentacles" they are not to be mistaken for Ulitharids. Minors are also extremely rare outside of colonies despite being the most plentiful caste, this is due to their function in their original society as caretakers and homemakers, a Minor is more likely to take re-education over expulsion due to their social needs and most renegade Minors tend to be Inter-caste.

Each caste is biologically inclined to its individual food items, even with free access to enthralled meals of any race, they will usually stick to their preferred prey.

Three additional castes:

Ulitharid

Height Range: A foot above the intended caste's average height

Prey Species: Humans, Elves, Tieflings, Dragonborn, Half Orcs

Physical traits: Two additional tentacles, usually thinner but longer than the main four.

Birthrate: 0.002

Any caste can become an Ulitharid.

Inter-caste Inter-caste is the closest thing you will get to a hybrid when it comes to Illithid. Each tadpole holds the full range of natural genetic code and has the potential to become any caste, what determines the end result is the tadpole's lineage; If the parent was a Media, the child will also be a Media. In the case of Inter-caste, however, one or two traits from one of the other castes may unintentionally come through. This can result in a Major with shorter tentacles or an unusually tall Minor.

Apex (more on Apex Illithid found here) Illithid super soldiers. Built like a tank with an intelligence to match, while their psionics are rather basic, they make up for it with an insane might and an ingrained determination to get the job done. Very rare and will ALWAYS be pure Majors.

None of these castes are natural, Ulitharids and Apex specifically did not exist until Elderbrains took over the race and while inter-castes did happen on occasion, they were much rarer before the Illithids were domesticated.

Other traits unrelating to castes:

Illithid DNA is very malleable and significant changes can be made in a single generation, while Elderbrain aren't the best at gene editing some differences can clearly be seen between colonies. The most noticeable example is their foot configuration: while Illithid living in a more aquatic environment will have the standard two webbed toes tipped with a large claw, their somewhat "dryer" cousins may sport a more humanoid approach with 3-4 webbed toes in the traditional Illithid style. A mindflayer with Human hands or feet however would be seen as deformed.

[mando-abs]

Guys, I’ve read the Wild Robot

And let me tell you, if I hadn’t recently taken a Children’s Literature class in college, I would’ve said this was the best middle-grade book I’ve read since elementary/middle school. I almost read this book in one night (I was sleepy 😴) like I couldn’t put it down.

The heart behind this book is astounding and it never shies away from showing complex and difficult concepts. You will fall in love with Roz and her gosling son along with all of the other animal on the island.

If you’ve got younger ones, I highly recommend reading this to them or having a little book club moment with them. However, be prepared for whatever hard questions may come your way (i.e. circle of life and climate issues). You know your child and how much they can handle/understand. If you’re like me and much older, it’s a quick read and a great way to finish off a long day. It’s a part of a trilogy and you bet I’m patiently waiting for my hold on a copy at the library.

If the movie is anything like the book (which, given a rewatch of the trailer, it’s looking like so), we are in for a special treat.

[voluptuarian]

I love trying to do historical research, you want an answer to a simple question like "could Jews serve in the British army in the 1880s" and you get back

Jews in the American Revolution

Jews in the American Civil War

Jews in World War I

Jews who fought for Nazi Germany

Thanks, that absolutely covers the time period and country I specifically asked for, couldn't have done it without you

[uncanny-tranny]

It's actually kind of heartbreaking how many people feel their life has ended right after high school or college, and honestly, the heavy romanticization of that period of time is so overwhelmingly predominant that it can be hard to avoid. It's insidious to constantly be told that ages 10-24 are the only worthwhile parts of life, that everything after is essentially meaningless and dull.

It's hard not to look around you and think that your life still is open and full of potential when you're told over and over again that the rose-tinted childhood is the last time you were alive. It's hard to realize that your life isn't over when you walk off the stage of your graduation.

We must realize that we will always be full of potentials. Your life won't be over until you take your final breath, and then? That's simply another chapter in your story, one of many. Let yourself realize that you're alive in the here and now. There will be good and bad, but never a complete loss of potential or hope.

[grapecaseschoices]

once again, i think it is so very fucking strange to include a route/path in an INTERACTIVE book and the maximum exploration of it is '????? welp i don't know! ???' in a scooby doo voice.

there is no reason why a resistant detective not be allowed options as to WHY they're resistant to start a relationship with N or F (and I say this as a huge F-fan who agrees when the narrative is like 'why am I doing this?' yes why are you resisting the hot adorable one??). If this journey is given, then I - as the player - should be allowed to explore it as fully as the game/writer's skills allow.

And I know this isn't as far the game/writer's skills allow, because we are granted variations on how to treat a past with Bobby and a future with Douglas, we can decide on our relationship with the Captain and the Mayor - side characters to varying degrees - but we CAN'T choose why the detective might be hesitant to start something as important as a ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP with MAIN CHARACTERS???

make it make sense to me.

please. i beg.

[liquidstar]

a friend who'd wait :)

[kimabutch]

My Hot Take is that moralizing on how people choose their next book is very silly.

If you have to get mad at anyone, get mad at publishing companies that market books by emphasizing only one aspect of the books (ex. plot, atmosphere, representation, themes, tropes) and ignoring all other aspects that potential readers might enjoy.

When you get mad at people who choose books cause the plot sounds intriguing, or they want to see themselves represented in a character, or cause it has particular tropes they'd like new takes on... it makes you sound like people who say that genre fiction is inherently inferior to "real" books. You sound goofy!

[cuteniaarts]

@katkastrofa, circa 40-ish hours ago: Hey, what if our newest bunch of OCs adopted a baby from one of the other brothel girls who knew she couldn’t afford to raise one? That would make for some fun shenanigans :D

Me, with a notoriously non existent sleep schedule, instinct of self preservation or concern for my poor wrist: Alright, bet. Watch how fast I can make you fall in love with this hypothetical baby >:)

Daneli as a gentle and loving caretaker-turned-adoptive-mother is something that can be So Personal, actually, and originally I was going to leave it at this quick sketch, but then I got carried away thinking about what this child will grow up to be like raised by this little gang of misfits, so…

Here she is!! A little older and so, so beautiful, I need more of her in my life immediately, she’s way too precious

And, because I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t also add a sapphic element to this absolute cinnamon roll, a small crack ship that I’m only half serious about for when she’s a little older still:

All in all, we may be getting impossibly far from canon, but I for one already cannot get enough of sweet darling Kumisai <3

(I fully drew three pieces from scratch in 9 hours I cannot feel my brain or my hands anymore send help)

[bikananjarrus]

it's actually so important to me that avar is a little bit (or a lot) of a mess.

she had this huge responsibility as marshal of starlight placed on her shoulders, mainly bc of her actions as the "hero of hetzal," not necessarily because she wanted to be marshal. people across the galaxy know her name, see her as a hero. even the nihil talk about her as this figurehead of the jedi, the one who thwarted them over hetzal, and has been a nuisance to them since.

she (not unlike starlight) has been elevated to be this beacon for the entire galaxy.

so when it falls, so does she.

she runs, because it's easier than confronting that failure; her failure. but i think even before this, she'd gotten good at running. when she and elzar had that moment on starlight after the dedication ceremony (where he admittedly leaned in a bit too close in such a public space), she distanced herself from him then, hardly talking to him and giving him the cold shoulder when they did see each other. she pushed stellan away, was combative with him instead of seeking his support, and their last interaction was spent that way: terse and upset.

she's been running away from this weight on her shoulders, and from the people that mean the most to her long before starlight fell. so when it fell, of course it was just easier to run from that too. instead of facing this failure, instead of facing her grief.

she's reckless and she's running and she's messy and she's alone but she's still trying so hard to find that hope again. to find that belief in herself again, and to find those connections again, that she keeps shoving away. you can feel her clawing for every little bit of ground, to push back against the nihil bit by bit until she doesn't feel like such a failure anymore.

and i just appreciate that the road to recovery for her isn't clean cut. she's a mess and she's falling apart, but she keeps trying anyway. and i can't wait for her to realize that she doesn't have to walk this road alone the way she has been for so long.

[shorlinesorrows]

just got the time to start the sunshine court and I'm Vibrating out of my skin

[faaun]

oh my god ! haha . anyway a bit buzzed perhaps. anyway here's what happened on the date

[ljesaw]

it’s with depression that i fear i have to say, i think for a long time (too long really), zuko doesn’t reach out to his uncle during his retirement in ba sing se, not even for the much needed guidance he could use, because he considers it part of the exhaustive list of reparations the fire nation (and he himself) owes

[fobnsfwdoodlesbackup]

pride asks woo !!

12, 15, 25

and for 35:

how do you deal with frustrating people like homophobes and transphobes or people just being generally shitty towards the lgbtq+ community?

Answers under the cut!

12) Name some queer artists/bands or songs you like most:

Dog Park Dissidents!!!! June Henry!!! Against Me!! Fall Out Boy!!! I definitely recommend finding as much queer music as you can, it's incredibly impactful to engage with art that shares your experience.

15) How has your identity changed overtime?

Overtime the main change is just that I've gotten more comfortable gobbling up any labels I want haha. When I was a teenager I identified as Bi, and then later as Pan. I came out as trans when I was 14 and that hasn't changed, but to me it coexists with identifying as lesbian/sapphic/dyke. Oh reclaiming of dyke/faggot is also a more recent change. Relating to the point below!

25) What queer discourse frustrates you the most?

The thing is. Queer history has to be sought out, and so many young queer people (or older, sure!) don't really have context around queer community struggling together and being intertwined. Discourse that feels very on-paper to me such as transmascs and lesbians not sharing community, bi vs pan, or discourse that weaves in other kinds of oppression like cis gay men being transphobic/misogynistic/racist etc. is frustrating. Our struggles are all woven together, and so is our liberation. And so is everyones!! Seeing in fighting online about how to appeal to cishet people or who's allowed to use what terms or be in what spaces feels like we're going backwards sometimes. We have important things that can be learned from one another, we have overlapping experiences and battles, we have been called overlapping slurs, and we must help one another to get anywhere in this god damn world. Talk to queer people that are older than you, younger than you, live in different parts of the world than you. Read anything you can online or at the library about queer history. We're all in this thing together and you can disagree with someone and still be in community with them.

35) How do you deal with frustrating people like homophobes and transphobes or people just being generally shitty towards the lgbtq+ community?

If it's online block their ass. Some Marco lore is that a guy in highschool stalked me for about 7 years and posted details about me on 4chan including pictures of me and where I went to school and worked. Just because I'm trans. Block them. I do think there is some value in arguing online, to practice getting uncomfortable and to signal to others that there's someone on their side, but I wouldn't recommend it generally.

A lot of my answers here are going to intertwine, but the best thing I can recommend is a robust support system. Friends, family, coworkers, pets, therapists, etc. Having people who love you helps with emotional battles, and with physical safety.

[itsmistyeyedbi]

This might be a silly question but...do anyone of your detective's believe in fate? Why or why not? Did their view of it change after meeting Unit Bravo and experiencing the events of the twc books?