#okay I may change the last one from The weather being just right

[icyg4l]

PAC: What Do You Need to Know Right Now?

Hello beautiful people. Happy Monday! Today is special because this will be my first fully intuitive PAC reading, meaning no cards just vibes lmao. This week Friday, I am having yet another Five Dollar Friday Sale so stay tuned in for that! Without further ado, please select the image that resonates with you.

Top Left-to-Bottom Right: (1-4)

Pile One: You need to learn how to surrender to the Divine. I heard “the choice is yours”. Whatever major decision you’ve been contemplating on will ultimately be up for you to decide. You choose your own destiny but you don’t have to know all the steps/details of getting there. Have some confidence in your journey. Everything will be alright. This is for some of you, if you are a business owner or your love language is acts of service, you need to learn how to say no. Turning your services down to people who don’t deserve it is okay to do. All money isn’t good money. As you try to make a name for yourself, lean into your gut feelings. Don’t navigate through this world by being willfully naive. You know more than most. Some of you may have been encountering shady characters. I am channeling the energy of Douda from The Chi; very Devil-like, King of Cups (RX) type of energy. A lot of you have been dealing with two-faced men within the past two years but I am seeing a door shutting in someone’s face in my third eye. You are going to start walking away from people/places/things that no longer serve you. This newfound courage will result in long-term abundance and prosperity. Don’t be afraid to start over. Out with the old, in with the new, babe!

extras: jenifer lewis. “candace/candy”. florist. unable to wink. listening to whitney houston. weather forecast. “maurice/morris”. feeling underestimated. desperate housewives. fearful. cotton candy. yes indeed (2018). cold at night. arm wrestling champ. loose cannon.

Pile Two: I feel like you are going through some physical changes. You could be pregnant, soon-to-be moving, upgrading your furniture, painting your house, learning how to do makeup to be an MUA, etc. You could be doing multiple things at once right now. Your ability to shift from one gig to another is admirable. You’re very versatile. You’re an independent person but you should know that you don’t have to carry the work alone. You have people around you that are willing to help and nurture your talents and skills. The car you drive was created because of team effort. The food you eat is consumable because of a team! The books you read were not solely published because of the author, but because there was a team behind them! Nobody is truly by themselves, honey! Allow people to experience your energy. I feel like it took a long time for you to be this comfortable with yourself. But ultimately, you are human and you need people around you! You will know who your people are when you get around them.

extras: diana/deana. red flags. movie theatre. drug major. oomf. cheese lover. movement. smokey. black eyed peas. rice & peas. red nails. classic manicure. turning 30/milestone birthday.

Pile Three: I feel like you’re guarding your energy right now, Pile Three. You’ve been caved in with your lover, lol. I didn’t mean for this to turn into a love reading but heyyyy, I see you! :). Your union was not supposed to last as long as it has on the surface but it did. I am sensing that it was originally a one night stand or a summer fling. However, it was divinely orchestrated to be that way. I am seeing those Pinterest drawings of soulmates in my third eye. This person is someone you’re aligned with on a soul level; this is karmic. However, karmic ≠ codependent. Make sure that you have your own life outside of this person. This person does have all eyes on you and vice versa. I can tell that the passion is mutual. If you are planning to go on a vacation with this person soon, expect a promotion in your relationship to happen. This promotion could be an engagement/wedding, moving in together, meeting the family, etc. I see you two eating slices of fruit on the beach, feeding one another while smiling and giggling amongst each other. This is a lovely connection thus far. I also see you being spoiled with gifts of your choice. This person is a gift giver for sure, along with wanting to spend quality time with you! However, this is just the beginning. Ground yourself in the present moment. Savor and soak up every waking day with this person.

extras: montgomery, alabama. jason/justin. sam. cartier glasses. fake ID. retribution. academy. pork. glamorous. marjorie. fake gym rat. attracted to pheromones. high achiever. monie/monet. kansas.

Pile Four: This is for a few of you, but some of you could have known someone that was recently released from jail/mental health facility/nursing home. You could be their caregiver/keeper. Others of you have family members/a partner that are financially dependent on you. I know that you feel burdened by this. Both the financial burden and the mental burden can be frustrating. I do see your situation improving. Someone is lightening the load. I feel like you are going to receive extra support, specifically from another woman. She is going to offer help & it will no longer be a job carried by one person. Whoever this is, they have been in your position before so you don’t have to worry about being pitied or feeling lesser than her. Another thing is that you should definitely get started on your laundry. I feel like you are going through a bout of depression right now. Start off with the small tasks first then do the big things. You need to take your time & be patient with yourself.

extras: air jordan’s. new microwave. corn on the cob. jogging. morph. telling stories. future focused. gold rings. coffee. marlboro. notre dame. golden shepard.

[gi4hao]

a story of garden parties

neighbor!seungcheol x gn!reader

warnings: a vaguely implied mention of alcohol, lots of mentions of food, cheol taking his shirt off *bites lip*

your neighbor’s friends warned you: they’re often around. but that only means seungcheol always has room for one more person, especially if that person happens to be you.

march 24th, 11:41am

it’s the very last thing on your to-do list. something you only allowed yourself to do after cleaning your entire house and unpacking exactly thirteen full cardboard boxes: changing the nameplate on your mailbox. proudly admiring the way your family name states that this is, indeed, a house that now belongs to you, you feel a great sense of accomplishment rushing through your veins. of course you’re far from being done with moving in, but you have a feeling everything will go easy now that the hardships of paperwork are behind you.

on your right, the sound of footsteps and friendly chatters make you look away from your brand new mailbox. you count not one, not two, not even three people walking towards you, but seven. for a moment you wonder whether your neighborhood is something worthy of touristic visits… but watching these guys closely, you realize they’re all carrying food and drinks of various kinds, therefore eliminating the tourist theory.

you greet the group with a polite smile, and the seven of them utter scattered heys and hellos. only one of them actually speaks up:

“hi! are you the new tenant?”

“i am, yeah! i just moved in today. are you guys… neighbors of mine?”

they’re quick to inform you that none of them is actually living in this neighborhood, but that they’re all headed to your actual neighbor’s house, making the most of the sun to have a little get-together. a barbecue, specifically.

you’ve met your neighbor already, although only through hurried exchanges during your two visits of the place. he seemed like a nice guy, although you couldn’t quite remember right now.

“well, don’t hesitate to come and say hi! my name’s seungkwan, you might see us a lot around here if i’m being honest”, the same guy tells you, and you think they all must be pretty close to invite other people to each other’s houses.

may 20th, 1:30pm

“thanks!” you tell seungcheol as he hands you the drink you’ve been advised to try for months now, a creation straight out of joshua’s mind.

and indeed, you understand what the hype is about from the very first sip. you face translates your satisfaction, and causes seungcheol to crack you a smile.

“i needed that”, you admit, putting the glass down on the kitchen table. through the patio door, you get a perfect view of jeonghan trying his hardest to push mingyu in the pool. “thank you for inviting me by the way, it’s always nice to hang out with you guys.”

this is probably a more acceptable thing to say than the actual truth: that the main reason why you accepted the invitation was seungcheol himself.

“no worries, we like having you around”, he replies, getting started on his own drink. “is everything okay though? you seem a bit tensed.”

well, so much for trying your best not to look like you haven’t spent your entire morning having a breakdown over a multitude of sudden bad news.

you’ve gotten closer to seungcheol lately. the sunny weather brought many occasions for spontaneous conversations in your driveway, a few drinks at each other’s houses when the timing seemed right, and even a couple of parties. in other terms, you’re close enough to tell him when you’re feeling down, but maybe not close enough to always tell him why.

still, he’s always listened to you with a patient and reliable ear, making sure your interactions always felt comfortable for the both of you. but this sense of comfort is precisely the reason why neither of you seem willing to make a move.

you take another sip of your drink before answering: “i’m okay, nothing my beautiful new kitchen lights can’t fix.”

he chuckles, knowing you’re referring to the latest thing he’s done for you around your house. and his cheeks feel unusually hot. “well, feel free to ask if you ever need anything else. i don’t mind at all”, he smiles before walking around the kitchen table, motioning you to follow him outside.

your drink in hand as you step onto his wooden patio, you have to make a conscious effort to look away when he lifts his t-shirt over his head. lying on their deckchairs, minghao and jihoon are sharing knowing looks behind your back.

august 6th, 11:56pm

“am i even doing this right?” you ask, not really knowing whether you’re talking to yourself or not.

two hands come to rest on your shoulders, and you feel cheol leaving a kiss on the back of your head, making you instantly melt. “looks perfect to me”, he answers, looking at the chicken and vegetables sizzling on the grill.

you would take that as a compliment if it had come from anyone else, but since cheol has a tendency to believe that everything you do is perfection, you’re not really sure how much truth is behind those words.

so you pick up a slice of bell pepper with your fork, blow on it and turn around to feed it to him.

“perfect”, he confirms with a content smile, before leaning in to leave a kiss on your cheek.

behind him, you catch sight of seungkwan frowning in disgust: “don’t spread your cheesiness all over our food please. what if it’s contagious?”

reacting much quicker than you, cheol throws a towel that hits him right in the chest, all while simultaneously telling him to start handing around the plates.

“wow, someone doesn’t like to be called cheesy…”, you remark in an amused tone as you bring the first batch of food on the table.

“is it cheesy to say you’re the only one who’s allowed to say it?” he questions and pulls you closer for a kiss, fully knowing the answer to his own question.

sure, you guys might be a bit cheesy, but if you were to come up with an explanation, you’d say it’s just the natural release of months of pent-up affection. but everything feels so right now, and you can’t even remember the last time you felt alone, cheol’s presence and sturdiness being your safety net at every inconvenience in your life.

and as much as seungkwan and the others love to tease you for it, they’ll always cherish your fondness for each other, as long as it keeps on making their best friend the happiest man ever.

[moonlightndaydreams]

Secrets in the Mist - a Han Jisung x Mermaid fic - Chapter I

Prologue | Chapter I | Chapter II

↠↠ About: Something strange is going on in Little Pebble Bay, a little fishing village where Jisung lives. He feels he’s being watched by something in the water. Then one day his world as he knows it is turned upside down when he saves a woman from being attacked by the village’s thugs. From then on, Jisung's life is changed forever. He learns of a world of merpeople, sirens, fated mates and a secret that has been kept from him his entire life.

↠ A/n: So I am publishing this chapter sooner than expected, but just want to let you know that the chapters here on in will take a little longer. I'm posting as I write, so there may not be a regular posting schedule.

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Chapter I

Chapter summary: Jisung keeps seeing something suspicious in the water, he does something heroic.

Chapter word count: approx 3k.

CW: violence, attempted sexual assault (5 guys on 1 woman, please be mindful if this concept is triggering)

MDNI // MNDI // MDNI

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1 year later

Jisung woke up sometime after midday. He rubbed his eyes and willed himself to sit up. Tea. He needed a cup of tea. He sniffed his armpit. And a wash.

“Grr, come on Jisung. Up.” He pushed himself up out of bed and trudged to the bathroom to wash himself with a sponge and soap at the sink. It wasn’t ideal, he should really draw a bath, but he needed to get to work.

While he let the pot of peppermint tea brew, he got dressed, throwing on his loose button down, a tatty sweater, comfortable linen pants, and a beanie, and thought about the tasks ahead. 

It didn’t really require much thought as most days were the same. Pick up the barrels of rum from the dock, deliver them to the tavern, and start peeling vegetables in the tavern kitchen. Then later, wash the dishes from that night’s dinner. 

Simple. Just how Jisung preferred it.

He finished the last of his tea and headed out to his truck. Not many people in the village owned an automobile, which was basically why he got the job of transporting booze, and any other imported produce, to the tavern and little grocer shops.

When he bought it a few years ago, he knew people would stare as he drove through the town, although he’d hoped they wouldn’t. He’d rather stay invisible than have people gawk at him. He supposed he was a little odd. Most young men wanted a boat, not a truck. Christ, a boat was the last thing Jisung wanted. Why the hell would he want to deliberately choose to go out onto the sea? It was bad enough he had to walk on the pier most days.

It was only a five minute drive to the dock, as per usual the sky was cloudy and the air cold. Miserable weather, but Jisung liked it, preferring it to the searing sun.

He backed the truck up onto the widest pier, reversing carefully. The first few times he ever did this, he almost had a panic attack. What if he’d misjudge the angle and reverse right into the water? He didn’t end up reversing into the water, and now, after hundreds of times, he can practically do it with his eyes closed.

Once he deemed himself close enough to the boat behind him, he turned the motor off and jumped out. The sea air hit his face. Even though he wasn’t keen on the ocean, he enjoyed the ocean breeze.

“Channie, hey!” he called to the man unloading barrels of rum from the boat at the end of the dock.

“Jisung! How’s it going man?” Chan grinned, crinkling the skin around his eyes.

“Yeah. Same as usual.” Han replied, and started lugging the barrels onto his truck. “It’s pretty misty out there today. Sure you’ll be okay in it?” he nodded to the horizon.

“Nah, yeah. She’ll be right, mate. Been in worse weather.” Chan said nonchalantly.

Jisung shrugged, he’d take Chan’s word for it. He was thankful it wasn’t him having to navigate a boat through the fog. The longer Jisung stared off into the distance, the eerier it seemed.

Just as he was about to turn back to the task at hand he saw a flicker of green in the distance, then a splash. Not again? 

“Hey Chan, did you see that?” He pointed in the direction of the splash.

“See what, mate?” He turned to where Jisung was pointing. “Nah, I don’t see anything.” He replied and went back to what he was doing.

This was the fifth time he had seen this - what was it -  A fish? It looked too big to be a fish. He squinted his eyes to try to focus, but it had gone. He shuddered. So we have giant creatures out there now? “Creepy.” he whispered to himself.

“Okay. That’s everything. I’ll give you a hand loading.” Chan helped Jisung with the last of the barrels, and slapped him on the back. “You’re right if I head off, yeah?” 

Jisung nodded. “All good. I’ve got it. See you in a couple of days.” 

“Catchya later.” Chan waved as he started his boat up.

Jisung hummed to himself as he tied down his load to the back of his truck. His skin behind his neck prickled and he felt like he was being watched. He turned back but all he saw was Chan and his boat already disappearing into the mist. There was no one else around except for some people on the shore going about their afternoon.

“Get a grip, Ji.” he told himself, and started to hum again.

Then the color green - sparkling green - out of the corner of his eye. This time it was right beside him in the water. He bit his bottom lip. Should he look? It’s probably just a fish, albeit a big scary sized fish, or a diver? It’s just someone going for a swim. But the green? It’s never come this close to him before.

Without stopping his humming, and without turning his head, Jisung tried to just move his eyeballs to see if he could catch a glimpse. It was only for a second, but Jisung saw clear as day a green frilly tail disappear underneath the water, causing a splash so big it wet him from head to toe.

“Fuck!” Jisung choked, and hurried back into his truck, closing the door and locking it. He was absolutely drenched. “What the flying fuck was that?” He quickly turned the motor over and hastily began to drive back towards the shore, stealing a glance in his side view mirror. He swore he saw in the reflection, a woman’s head, peering out of the water, watching him as he drove away.

By the time Jisung had delivered the rum and was in the tavern kitchen peeling potatoes, he’d decided he’d been hallucinating. The five sightings of what looked like a sparkling in the distance, and next to him at the pier, all hallucinations.

He did work strange hours, and his sleep cycle was a little off. Maybe it had messed with his brain? Maybe the peppermint tea was laced with something? He nodded his head. Whatever he saw, it wasn’t real.

Then why were your clothes wet?

He groaned and slammed the peeling knife down on the bench, causing a few staff to look at him. Okay, so maybe it could have been a fish and a woman going for a swim. The two certainly couldn’t be the same thing? It couldn’t be a mermaid? They don’t exist. His Mother told him that when he was a boy.

In the end, he concluded that whatever it was or wasn’t, it was not any of his concern. It was in the water and he was on land. It wouldn’t be able to do any more than splash him.

The woman probably lives on land too, Jisung.

“Ya! Jisung! You finished with the potatoes?” The head cook, broke Jisung from his intrusively relentless thoughts.

“Yeah, Minho, almost.” He called over his shoulder, then scooped up the potatoes and tossed them in an enormous colander to wash them.

Jisung didn’t mind working in the kitchens at the tavern. Sure, he didn’t cook, only prepared vegetables and washed dishes. But it meant he didn’t have to deal with too many people. 

He got along well enough with Minho, even if he did seem rather scary at first.

Minho’s right hand man was Felix. He was a kind soul who took Jisung under his wing, and although Jisung already knew how to peel and wash vegetables, and clean up, Felix’s moral support helped him feel comfortable in the kitchen.

Then there was Changbin who worked the bar and kindly removed patrons who were causing a ruckus. He was the kind of man you wouldn’t want to cross, with big muscles and a booming voice. 

The kitchen staff could currently hear him now, trying to calm a rowdy group in the bar area. 

“Sounds like those thugs.” Felix said in a low voice. 

“I thought they were banned for life.” Growled Minho disapprovingly.

“Boys!” Changbin appeared around the kitchen door. “I need someone to take care of the bar for ten minutes.” He looked around at the kitchen staff.

“Don’t look at me, I’m cooking.” Minho said, not looking up from the frying pan. 

“Lixie?” Changbin batted his eyelids and pouted. 

“Can’t, I’ve gotta watch these mussels.” He replied apologetically.

Jisung tried to melt away into the shadows, praying he wouldn’t be called upon to help. Please don’t ask me. He thought to himself.

Changbin’s eyes landed on him. “Ji, come on. Please. I need to look out for the safety of the patrons.” He whined. “It’s really easy. You just pour whatever the customer asks for and then take their money.”

Jisung closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine.” He replied, tearing off his apron and following Changbin.

He coughed, clearing his throat as he assessed his surroundings from behind the bar, while Changbin headed over to deal with the unsavory group of men.

There weren’t any customers waiting to be served drinks, and Jisung felt immensely relieved.

“Not your usual occupation is it?” A playful voice came from the end of the bar. Jisung looked over to see one of the locals, Hongjoong, seated in a relaxed manner on the last bar stool.

“It shows, huh?” Jisung half chuckled and went over to where the man was seated.

Hongjoong was an interesting fellow. He was the most pretty and most flamboyant man Jisung had ever seen, often donning delicate eyeliner and lipstick, just like he was now, and wearing obscure clothing. He came to Little Pebble Bay some four or so years ago to live a “quiet life.” God knows why he’d choose to come here of all places. 

Jisung and Hongjoong couldn’t be any less alike. Except they did have something in common. 

Neither of them fit in. 

Hongjoong seemed much more comfortable than Jisung with the idea of being an outsider. Jisung eyed the man’s wide brimmed hat with a feather poking out, and his fur coat of who knows what animal. He stood out like a sore thumb. Jisung would rather be invisible, and move about his day inconspicuously.

There was one other thing they had in common - an aversion to the sea. Jisung wondered if he’d had a similar experience to Jisung, and that’s why he never went in the water.  

“I don’t know how Changbin does it?” Remarked Jisung as he watched the barman single handedly shove the group of men out into the street.

Hongjoong tilted his head back as he watched too. Then shook his head. “Hmm, I’ve dealt with worse.” He mused.

Dealt with worse? Jisung arched an eyebrow. “Really? Where would you have dealt with worse?” Jisung quizzed.

Hongjoong looked at Jisung calculatingly, like he was thinking through his words carefully. Then he smiled cheekily. “Oh just in my previous occupation, that's all.”

Before Jisung could ask what his previous occupation was, Hongjoong downed the last of his beverage. “Ah, I’d best be off if I’m going to open up on time tomorrow.”

Hongjoong ran the local museum and library, taking over it when its original owners retired and moved away.

Jisung was struck with an idea. If anyone would know anything about what that creature could be it was him.

“Wait! Hongjoong.” He said desperately. The man stopped and turned back to him. Jisung hesitated. “What do you know about—” he looked around the room then whispered low “mermaids?”

Jisung swore he saw a flicker of fear in the man’s eyes, but in less than an instant his features turned into his usual cocky-but-kind expression, and he chuckled. “Jisung, there has never been a mermaid in Little Pebble Bay.” And with that, he nodded and tipped his hat and exited the tavern, leaving Jisung both perplexed and a little disappointed.

Eventually, Jisung could go home. He’d finished cleaning up the dishes for the night and the kitchen was tidy.

“Jisungie, Lixie, Minnie.” Changbin called them from the bar. “Let’s have a few drinks before we lock up.”

Felix playfully blew Minho a kiss, and Minho rolled his eyes. 

“What? Is it a special occasion or something?” Minho called to Changbin as they headed out to the bar area.

Changbin gave a flirty smile. “Yes it is a special occasion.”

Everyone silently waited for him to enlighten them.

“I fought off and kicked out five thugs from the tavern. That’s five on one.” He flexed his biceps.

“Yes, you are a super strong sexy ultra man.” Felix joked. 

Changbin poured four glasses of rum as they sat at the bar. “So, what were you and Hongjoong talking about earlier?” Asked Changbin.

”Yah! I thought you were too busy kicking people out of the tavern to notice what I was doing.” Jisung replied.

”Hey, does anyone know where the guy is from?” Asked Felix in a hushed tone, even though there was no one else around to hear them.

Changbin and Jisung both shook their heads.

”I heard he used to be part of a traveling circus. A magician.” Minho chimed in.

”Really? Or are you just making shit up?” Changbin narrowed his eyes.

Minho laughed. “I don’t fucking know. But he looks like he could’ve been, don’t you think?” He smirked.

The others laughed and shook their heads.

After a few rounds of rum, with Jisung only drinking one, they finally said good night to each other and went their separate ways. He hopped in his truck and started his short trip towards home.

As he drove along the road adjacent to the shoreline, Jisung tried his hardest not to think about the creature in the water. But his mind wouldn’t leave it alone. It was hot and stuffy in the truck, and sweat started to form on his brow. He wound the window down, welcoming the cool sea air as it filled the truck. 

He looked out the window, taking in the dimly lit view of the shore. Up ahead he noticed a group of men. They were the same thugs from earlier in the tavern. A piercing scream rang out, and Jisung caught a glimpse of a woman’s head. Was she being attacked?

Jisung pulled the truck over, and like a man possessed, ran straight towards the thugs. He didn’t know what he was doing, nor did he care for his safety. Each loud, scared scream that came from the woman only made his blood boil more.

Jisung never ran towards danger, but in this moment he was laser focused on one thing. Helping the terrified woman.

As he got closer he could get a clearer view of what was happening. She was laying half in the shallow water, half on the pebbled beach. The fuckers had her wrapped in a fishing net. One was holding her head steady, a knife to her throat. Another stood, unzipping his trousers near her face. The others were poking, taunting her while they cheered on the man who was about to —

“Ya!” Jisung growled.

The men stopped, and looked over to him. Their surprised expressions quickly turned to irritation.

“What’s it to you, you little shit? Just walk away. Just walk away and pretend nothing's happening, and we’ll forget we even saw you.” Snarled the man who was about to get his cock out. He appeared to be the ringleader.

Jisung clenched his fists and launched himself at him, knocking him to the ground and falling on top of him. Another pulled Jisung off and landed a solid punch to his face. It stung, but Jisung didn’t care. One by one, he threw himself at each of them with jaw breaking punches, and hard kicks that knocked the wind out of them. 

He felt a slash to his forearm from the knife, but the pain was dulled by the adrenaline racing through his body.

He grabbed the ringleader by the collar and shook him hard. “You fucking leave her alone. Or I’ll kill you.” Jisung warned through gritted teeth. He meant it. He would kill the guy.

“Fuck, man, he’s not worth it.” One of the thugs said staggering to his feet and rubbing his jaw. 

“Yeah, let’s get the fuck out of here.” Cried the one whose nose appeared to be broken.

The ringleader spat in Jisung’s face and glared at him before tearing himself from his grip and stumbling away with the others.

Jisung wiped the spit from his face, then turned his attention to the woman. 

She had indeed been tangled in a fishing net. He looked around trying to find something to help free her, and to his relief found the knife one of the thugs must have dropped in the fight. 

He grabbed the blade and crouched down next to her. She was sobbing, head down and turned away from him.

“Shh. It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay. Let me just—“ he began cutting the net away, first freeing her arms. He started to worry she was naked because he couldn’t make out any clothing on her. Did they fucking tear her clothes off?

He pulled and tugged at the netting, freeing her bare torso.

“It’s going to be okay. Did they hurt you?” 

She didn’t answer.

She was probably in shock. 

Then, as he pulled the netting away from where her legs were, he saw that she had no legs.

Instead he saw the same shimmery green that he’d seen in the sea. 

Jisung dropped the knife and staggered backwards. His eyes wide and glued to the woman’s tail.

He managed to peel his eyes away and look up only to lock eyes with the woman. It was the same one from the pier. Only now she had a cut to her lip and a black eye.

“W-what the fuck are you!” He cried.

“I’m a - a mermaid.” She gulped and watched him tentatively.

But Jisung didn’t answer. Instead, he jumped to his feet and ran back to his truck, slamming the door shut.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He began to hyperventilate. He rocked back and forth rubbing his hands on his thighs.

“It’s a fucking mermaid!” He could hardly breathe. “But they don’t exist!” He ran a shaky hand through his hair. “Ive gotta get out of here.” He went to turn the key to the engine and paused. He sighed. “Fuck, Jisung, you can’t just leave her there. What if they come back? What if someone else finds her.”

He really didn’t want to go back. This was too much for him to handle. But he knew he had to help her.

What if she’s a siren? He shook his head. “If she were a siren, she’d have been able to deal with these assholes, right?” He mumbled to himself as he trudged back to the woman.

But all he found when he got there was the fishing net and the knife laying on the pebbled beach.

She was gone.

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tag list open

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[writings-of-a-demigod]

“Is there anything else I could do for you Mr. Fell?” you asking poking your head into his office.

He turned his head towards your voice “Oh dear did you finish already?” he asked you in his sweet voice.

“Yes, I did. I’m just getting ready to settle down to work on my essay.” You told him then headed to your favorite spot in the bookshop to relax, listening to one of his records while doing research.

“That’s alright by me. I’ll make tea for the both of us and I’ll put on some music on.” Minutes after he said that you could hear ‘Earth Angel’ by the Penguins coming from the back of the bookshop.

With today’s rainy weather, the music and the smell of tea and surrounded by books you could just die happy of how perfect this was. But that all changed when someone opened the door with so much force then closed it with force, then you heard him “ANGEL!”

You got up and when to the front of the shop so you can see this person who broke the perfect moment you were trying to live longer in. There he stood with red fiery hair, black from the top to his toe and sunglasses. He raised his eyebrow at you. “Who are you?”

“How may I help you?” you two asked at the same time.

“I asked you first.”

“I asked you second.”

Just then Aziraphale walked in with a tray “Oh you’re here. And I see you met Y/n.” he put the tray on the table and gave you the cup.

Crowley kept looking at you “Yes, we’ve met.” Then looked away.

“I still don’t know who you are?” You said raising your eyebrow at him.

“He’s being rude, isn’t he? That’s Anthony.” Aziraphale pointed at Crowley.

Crowley looked Aziraphale completely ignoring you “I need to talk to you right now.”

Aziraphale looked at him then at you he swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Do you need me to leave Mr. Fell?” you asked because you felt him being tense.

He smiled at you “No need dear we’ll talk in the backroom.”

“Are you sure?” you asked.

“Yes, now you go on and do your research. Don’t worry.” He assured you.

“Okay” before turning around you looked at Anthony “Nice to meet you mister.”

“Yeah, you too.” Then they both walked to the backroom. You had a feeling this won’t be the first or last time you see that Anthony.

*gif not mine*

[betterbemeta]

I think AI Art exploits and degrades not just artists, but every single person who looks at it in some ways because 'how we look at art' is part of art itself.

This principle is super easy to experience as an artist. All you have to do is practice and reach a plateau where things you did before seem worse to you, that felt great at the time you made them. Your ability to see art changes as you make art, and as you view art.

It's not snobby to say that there is a low average level of 'seeing' art. There's also a low average level of seeing technical design, or seeing weather patterns, or seeing copy editing mistakes and that's why we have architects and engineers, meteorologists, and professional editors. I think a lot about this bit by Scott McCloud in Understanding Comics:

Like the point here is not that 'most people are superficial', but that the surface of art is what most people are familiar with. And it is this basic familiarity that I believe AI Art exploits to fake integrity, something that even the most well-known laughably 'bad art' still technically has.

Like, laugh all you want but effort went into the surface of this art such that it appeared 'okay' to the one who made it, and to those who maybe aren't paying attention or see that its colored and shaded first, the anatomy last. It relies sort of on your familiarity with 'what art looks like' to accept it, but not completely. Someone did work to try and earn your acceptance even if, uh, it's not very good in some ways.

But AI Art relies fully on how unfamiliar you are with art. Let's call this principle 'glamour'.

At first 'the glamour' is unconvincing: this is during the AI's training. But the first 'pass' is the threshold where information builds up about how to reproduce a minimally acceptable image. This is where the glamour is set: the minimum accuracy to convince a human being to fill in its gaps. To basically capture their imagination. From there, front-end use of the machine learning model is released for general users, and it is those users who then select out of many outputs which glamour fools them most. As the other half of this system, the hidden decision-maker, humans are also 'learning' familiarity with the glamour: comparing it to not just our surface knowledge but to itself. We have left reality.

A good example of this can be seen in AI-generated pictures of fiber crafts. It's possible that traditional or digital artist might not be perfect with their drawing or perspective or coloring etc. or may stylistically push the boundaries of perspective or form on purpose. But for a knit, crocheted, or sewn piece a final product often can't exist without its craft having physical integrity:

Aside from the issues that are obvious (fake tilt shift photography with no consistent field of blur, a spaghetti yarn ball, unknown stitch on the vest, no comprehensible seam between the arm and the body, etc.) here are some things that stick out to me to knowing even a little about knitting,

The fake stockinette on the helmet is confused about whether it is completed horizontally or vertically: vertical on the headband (many hats terminate this way, so there are plenty of images to sample) but indecisive when it has to become a round hat shape.

The number of rows on the arms is inconsistent, decreasing strangely where a k2tog would never be.

There is no consistent way the hands make sense, if they are 'mittens' or if the stockinette ridges become 'fingers'.

We can't see how the bottom of the foot was finished: the left foot either began or was decreased to meet at a central point but it doesn't match the right foot and it's not clear how either foot keeps it shape.

Beyond the plagiarism of the images that went into generating AI outputs, your diminishing time to learn about/be exposed to 'things' (beyond just 'art,' anything that isn't essential to your survival) will become increasingly exploited in the future. If left unchecked, images like these will represent not only novelties or etsy scams but a large amount of people's exposure to 'things' in general. Which then leads to something like AI inbreeding (AI generating based on AI), except like... with you.

When people are more familiar with a glamour than 'the real thing', even superficially.

Exploitation of this type isn't even a new thing. It's just that AI can speed it up or extend it to new spheres. Anyone can see a physical table and think 'this table is crap' if it's poor quality because of how much we use tables and our knowledge of what tables are and should do. But I think the blog McMansion Hell actually illustrates a real, practical situation where the familiarity level with a craft (architecture) is low and standards lower to meet it. These hulks were certainly built to invoke 'glamour', but when closely inspected, they have the design equivalent of 12 fingers or bra straps bleeding into someone's skin.

Another easy example might be the excessive 'glamour' that surrounds selling cars in the USA. Very few people will buy enough cars to become more than superficially familiar with them and the amount of people who are car-related professionals is negligible next to the number of people who require a car.

Both cars and houses are expensive purchases that are made relatively infrequently, which is why their brokers and dealers can bet against a customer's average level of knowledge. But soon, many more things may become like buying houses or cars: obscured by glamour.

AI Art relies on you to be a sucker, just like how a sketchy sales rep depends on you to be a sucker. Except even worse than the sales rep, your brain is expected to not just be dumb and inexperienced, but also to get actively dumber over time from doing all the work too.

[gerec]

Gerec’s Favorite Fics - 2023

Here's a list of some of my favorite fics posted this year. A great big thanks to everyone still writing for this fandom; I know I'm very grateful to have all these amazing stories to read and to share!

Repeat Offenses by populuxe

“Prickly bits aside—hell, for the two of them, prickly bits included—it almost felt like a date. Which is stupid on multiple fronts. Grudgingly buying your ex a meal after he grudgingly bails you out of jail is obviously not a date.”

Five times Charles bailed Erik out of jail—and one time he didn’t.

melt your headaches, call it home by joshriku

Two decades later after the last time he saw Charles Xavier, Erik's children lead him right back to him.

Of course, it's never easy to look at the ex love of your life and realize you're not over them, not even in the slightest.

superposition by borninsideatornado (wip)

erik is a race car driver coming off the worst year of his life. charles xavier may be his last hope.

The Plus-One by populuxe

When Erik grudgingly agrees to play Raven's boyfriend at her terrible family's holiday party, he'd thought the biggest challenge would be staying sober enough to make it convincing. But then he meets Raven's extremely hot—and extremely infuriating—stepbrother, and everything starts to get complicated.

my heart knows your name by borninsideatornado

Once they’ve finally got him in bed, Charles works up the courage to ask if he might stay for a few days, because being rejected can’t be worse than seeing Erik in pain. But Erik only says, “I think that would be good.”

or: charles and erik have been broken up for years, occasionally falling into each other. things might change for good when erik lands himself in the ER where charles works. it’s all a bit of a hanukkah miracle.

This Terrible Desire To Be Loved by riais (jeriais)

Erik clings to his past, Charles detaches from his present. Somehow, they meet in the middle. Modern Au, no powers.

the pride and disgrace by ballantine

I am grand, said Charles. Did you know, I can make people think the sun is shining? I am giving them the most beautiful weather they have ever seen. They don't feel the wind or the rain, only the love of their companions. I am fostering the brotherhood of man, one heart at a time.

“Okay,” said Hank.

twenty four hours from tulsa by intentation

After having self-emancipated (aka run away), Erik's been holing up in a shitty motel while he figures out his next step. When Charles Xavier moves into the room just down the hall, Erik discovers his new favorite pastime: sex.

the pain will remind us of each other by borninsideatornado

It’s always felt alien, the way he feels about Erik. Too big for his body, too much to hold in his heart. But finally, finally, it makes sense.

Because at the end of the world, it’s him. It’s always going to be him. —

when logan lets charles see his future in days of future past, he talks to erik instead.

rendezvous by inthebelltower

“Tell me no,” Erik says. “Tell me to leave.”

Heartbeat by druswriting

People say that it’s a bad idea to be friends with your ex. People say that it’s an especially bad idea to be friends with your ex, if your ex is Erik Lehnsherr.

Unfortunately for him, Charles is an optimist. Unfortunately for him, Charles believes he can make friendship work with anyone. Unfortunately for him, Charles believes no one is beyond repair. Fuck, he’s such an idiot.

Well, at least the sex is good.

Dead Box by ByCandlelight

“We should keep moving,” Raven said softly, and so Erik rose to his feet. There was an ache in his knees that didn’t used to be there.

“Charles would love this planet,” he said unthinkingly, and something shuttered across her face.

Travels with Charles, in Search of America by midrashic (wip)

The world ends, but life goes on—until it doesn't.

Seventeen-year-old Erik Lehnsherr has never left the underground shelter that protects a small band of survivors from an Earth wracked with radiation as its magnetic poles reverse. When the settlement encounters a deadly threat, he embarks on a dangerous odyssey with new arrival, walking encyclopedia, and enormous pain-in-the-ass Charles Xavier in the hopes they can find what they need to save the settlement—before the coming winter or unpredictable magnetic storms bring death to not just them, but everyone they love.

Weak by Sotano (comics cherik)

For an hour he keeps himself alive without a heart, pumping his own blood with his powers. It was never going to last. Magneto dies on the Red Planet.

He's the only mutant in history Charles can't bring back.

Containment by feathershollyandgolly

Guilt swirls within as Charles watches the concrete door slide open. As he enters a hollow prison, both modest and intimidating. He is well aware that what he is about to do is a terrible thing.

Detours Along the Way by AndreaDTX (wip)

Erik Lehnsherr has been elected as the President of the United States of America, the youngest in history and the first ever known Mutant. Charles Xavier, his mate, is right by his side. But as Erik's first term begins, the couple braces themselves, knowing that getting elected is the easy part.

twice saying pardon (In Every World There Is You and Me Remix) by winter_hiems

After the events of X-3, Erik is powerless and alone. By chance, he ends up in an alternate universe – in Genosha, where mutants rule and are safe from harm. In Genosha, there is another version of himself. A version that has Charles Xavier by his side.

Another Love by Mataolma 

One bad day, a stranger arrives at Charles' house. The soldier says his name is Logan and that he was Erik's best friend when they served in the Mexican War. Logan brings bad news: Erik died in the war, and Charles must decide what to do with his life now that the man he loves is gone.

[sahisan]

damn you for your chuuya being a literal heated blanket hcs because all I can think about now is how lovely of a cuddle partner he's gonna be and just the idea of melting into that comfort every time you go to bed aghh. Of completely suffocating him as you wrap yourself flush up against his body at every opportunity you get just because you can and no, he is not getting away, sorry babe

ma'am i am not okay, thanks for this

a heated blanket/heater chuuya ceo here !! hehe we all here loooove heated-blanket-slash-walking-heater chuuya because why not make a fiery redhead a literal walking fire as a cheery on top?

about the every opportunity you get— oh i bet he's already expecting what he's gonna have to endure once you start teasing him about his warmness and cling to him every possible moment—he's absolutely fine with the latter though.

he very quickly learns you like the mix of the heat and the cuddles when you start walking into his office at home when he's still working late at night and drowning himself in some reports he has to get reviewed rather urgently and just wrap yourself over him like a literal koala (he absolutely starts calling you his little koala every chance he gets to tease you back), making yourself careful on his lap with your face buried thoroughly in the crook of his neck with your arms around it in a circle from which he has no way out—and from the entire hug as well. not that he ever wanted an out, of course. he just makes sure to move your hair out of his face to be able to read the documents clearly and promises himself—and a sleepy you in his lap—to finish quicker so that you two could continue the cuddling already in bed. and this one particular position of a koala around him gives him the best opportunity to sense when you've loosened your hold around him and all in all relaxed, signalling that you've dozed off to sleep—it's like a mental clock to him to wrap the work up and carry you to bed so you two could continue cuddling there.

it's better when it's winter. you don't need extra layers anymore when you start living with chuuya—and it's absolutely not because of his floor heating. you can just absorb his heat by literally walking beside him—it's like an aura that radiates off of him. you're there, curled into him when you two watch the tv, cuddled on the couch—you don't even need blankets anymore, because right beside you is the best heater that ever existed.

it's worse when it's summer. summer in yokohama is humid and unbelievably hot, with sweat already rolling down your face and body and infecting your lightest clothes in the view of wet patches on your back and armpits, and during that time you actually try to somehow stop the cuddling for a while, as unfortunate as it may seem, because if during that heat you were going to hug an equally hot redhead living with you, it would actually be the end; like betelgeuse exploding and going supernova.

the withholding doesn't last long though. you're back at hugging chuuya by the time the temperature is down by a few degrees—it's not an exactly sensitive change in weather, but you can bear with it as long as you have some iced water by your side.

you genuinely don't understand how chuuya doesn't sweat in all these clothes he always wears. for as long as you remember him, he's always had layers and layers of clothes—an undershirt, a shirt, a harness, a vest, a cropped jacket, a coat and gloves on top of all that. in all honesty, you do not understand the man. you're pretty sure he could be walking outside in only briefs when it's -20C° and not be bothered a single damn moment.

well, at least it's convenient, not only for him but for you too.

[ai-qa]

Fatigue - https://www.patreon.com/posts/93127707

By then I thought I'd seen it all, thought I'd done it all-- not everything this world had to offer, sure, but certainly all the world had for me. Were I to somehow transpose the same hour between two different days the only change might be the weather. You do something long enough and time melts and fades, the days on the calendar just a sort of courtesy.

Doing this, you tend not to think much about tomorrow. It may never come for you, but you could at least try to make it come for someone else. For a while I was okay with that. I thought, perhaps naively, that I was helping. You know, fighting for some greater cause. These things were here because of us, right? Then it's our responsibility to fix what we caused. That's what we're taught growing up.

But as the days turned to weeks, turned to months, turned to years, I think it wore on me. People maimed, their family killed, everyone knows of at least one person who lost something to them. Rarely were those people a direct cause, but often collateral or just simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time-- a fatal coincidence.

For most people, demand for work is a good thing. But for me?

Were we even making a difference?

I still tried to put on a smile, to help those around me. Deep down I hoped that my contributions really did mean something and that their tomorrows might be just a little bit better. I tried to feed that last remaining spark as the days passed, that little bit keeping me going. From holding the door open for another to reaching someone before one of those things caught up with them, I took what I could get. After all, not every job had the worst possible outcome.

I'd see children outside playing, ignorant of what may come, and find myself envying them. While they lived in the moment, I braced for their futures. In a way, I guess I felt fortunate being alone, having seen what so many have gone through. Should something happen to me, it would stop there.

Right?

---

Please support my work, I'm practically begging at this point. None of my non-commission work is possible otherwise and I've been struggling just to make up for losses. If you'd like to support monthly you'll get very early access to full-size images, WIPs, and even some alternate versions.

patreon.com/ratte / ko-fi.com/ratte

[pandor-uhhh]

Grieving Apologies 2

Tsu'tey x avatar reader

Warnings: illness (nothing serious), crying, reference to death, Neytiri gets mad at Tsu’tey, mentions of blood and near death, use of “y/n”, this kinda long I may have gotten carried away

Description: A visit to Ronal reveals you have the option to leave your mate. But late night memories make it hard for you to choose.

REVISIONS IN PROGRESS!!!:

This series is currently being rewritten to improve its quality and overall plot, please keep that in mind as you read.

Notes: I was not expecting the first part to do so well, thank you so much you guys. I might make this a small series, if so the name might change for each new part. Also, I had someone ask me to tag them in this, so if you want to be added to a tag list just ask or comment it. There will be a new section in my rules for that.

Part 1 | part 2 (you're here) | Part 3 | Part 4

It had been three days since the incident with Tsu’tey, since your public breakdown. You were humiliated after returning back with Tsu’tey, making a bee line for your marui. 

Most of the people who had been witness to it either didn’t say anything or they asked if you were okay. You appreciated the concern, but also just wanted people to forget.

You and Tsu’tey hadn’t talked either, at least not a real conversation. The closest thing you had was when he told you to get on his ikran so you could head back to the village, aside from that you had not said a word to each other. 

Neytiri had caught wind of what had happened, and when you returned she was by your side. You felt like shit, making the whole village bare witness to your issues with your mate, being checked up on by a woman who just lost her son when she should be the one being check up on, and then there was-

“Drink” Neytiri handed you a cup of tea meant to soothe your cough. The morning you and Tsu’tey returned you began feeling under the weather, you had assumed it was just still your mind but then you started coughing.

Neytiri told you everyday to go see Ronal so she could help you, you would always just roll over in bed saying you would the next day.

You finished your tea, but your coughing remained. Neytiri put a hand to your forehead, but felt no abnormal warmth.

“Neytiri, you should go back to your Jake and the kids-” “-don’t” Neytiri cut you off, she almost looked offended. “You are just as much family as they are” she stated, you sighed.

“I don’t think I will be for much-” you were cut off again, this time by the heavy footsteps of Tsu’tey. You looked away from him, your outburst had affected him too, some of the villagers had gone up to him asking what happened, you felt like shit because of it.

Neither of you even look at eachother, Neytiri got up and smacked him on the shoulder, he turned his head calmly to her. 

“Your mate is sick, they need you here! Where have you been?!” She asked the last part through gritted teeth

“Hunting” was all he said before turning to the side of the room his stuff was on, “hunting?” Neytiri questioned, as if she was hearing him wrong. “Your mate is sick, and you are out hunting?!” She was pissed “have you no shame?!”.

Tsu’tey stopped what he was doing after that, he opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but closed it and walked right back out of the marui. 

“You are acting like a child!” Neytiri yelled, she looked at you and pulled you up to your feet. You looked at her, confused “where are we going?” You questioned as she pulled you along.

Neytiri didn’t answer you, and soon you were standing outside the marui Ronal makes medicine in. “No, ‘Tiri, I’m fine-” before you could finished your sentence you were shoved inside.

Ronal looked up, and motioned you to come in. Neytiri was not far behind, you greeted Ronal with a small nod. “Come, sit” was all she said before taking things off shelves, you did as she said. “Neytiri says you are ill” it was more of a statement than a question, “it’s only a cough” you tried to deflect. You could’ve swore you heard the equivalent of a scoff from her, you decided it might be better to just be quiet and let her treat you.

Rushed footsteps could be heard, the source of them being Tsireya who had just run around the corner. She was panting, and looked like she had been in the water recently as her hair was wet, “you’re late” Ronal seethed. Tsireya’s ears went back, “sorry, mother, I lost track of time”

Ronal handed her daughter a strip of cloth “tie up their hair” she said motioning to you, you would’ve protested but that hadn’t ended well last time. Tsireya kneeled behind you and pulled your hair back, Ronal kneeled beside you and started putting some sort of petroleum-jelly-like substance on your chest. Ronal also handed you a small jar “put this on at night and the cough should be gone in three days” she also lit something that looked like incense. Ronal made me stay while she prayed to Eywa for a fast recovery, after that you sat in silence.

“It’s not uncommon for people to feel ill when they feel disconnected from their mates” Tsireya whispered to you, “quite Tsiereya!” Ronal scolded the young girl. “No!” you yelled, to Ronal, part of you was shocked you had the gull to yell at Ronal “I want to hear what she has to say” you added. Tsireya looked to her mother for approval, Ronal sighed but nodded.

Tsireya got up and kneeled in front of you “it is not uncommon for people to say that their mates… change, over time” the girl explained, your brows knitted together. “Change?” You question, “did you not say yourself that your mate's attitude has changed towards you?” she added. You sighed “you heard me?” “Tonowari did” Ronal spoke up, putting things back in their place on the shelf.

Ronal turned to you “he talked to us about it, because those wanting to leave their mates are often worried they cannot, not without dishonoring Eywa” she looked at you with what could only be described as pity “but, you can” Tsireya put a hand to your shoulder “it is more complicated if you have children, but since you have none-” “-enough from you gir!” Ronal snapped “leave!” Tsireya got up to leave. 

“She’s right” both Ronal and her daughter looked at you as you spoke, you looked up at them, eyes full of tears. “Maybe it is best, maybe…” You turn to Neytiri, hoping she would tell you that you and Tsu’tey still had a chance, but she looked at you and nodded. You sighed “...maybe it’s too late for us to try again” you put your head in your hand and cried, Tsireya hugged.

���I’m sorry” she cried “I’m so sorry” Ronal put a hand on her daughters shoulder and gently guided her out, and covered the entrance with the cloth above it. She turned back to you, kneeling in front of you she put a hand to your shoulder. “Take your time, and come see me with Tsu’tey when you’re ready”, Neytiri helped you up and out the door.

The walk home was silent, she guided you to your bed. Making sure you had the gel on your chest still, then she left, you laid there unable to sleep despite the fact it was dark. You cried and closed your eyes, desperate for a reason to stay with the man you had loved since you had come to pandora.

*and past memories came flooding back to you*

After the war you remember running through the hordes of injured na'vi, desperately looking for one in particular. You had tears in your eyes, turning some Na’vi over and finding them dead. You dropped to your knees letting go of your bow “Tsu’tey!” You called out, desperately wanting to hear his voice. You heard a yell, and ran over to that source of the sound. Finding your love with bullet holes littering his body and blood all around him, “no!” You screamed, you pressed the communicator on your neck “Jake, ‘Tiri, someone please help!” You cried. 

“(Y/n), what’s wrong?” Jake had thought you were gone after seeing your ikran go down, you cried “it’s Tsu’tey, he needs help!” You screamed. Jake immediately got on his ikran with Neytiri “we’re on our way, just hold on!”, you nodded and gently placed Tsu’tey’s head in your lap. You pressed on the bullet wounds, trying to stop the bleeding. He coughed up some blood and tried to reach up to you, you took his hand in yours. “Hold on, tiyawn, Jake and ‘Tiri are on their way” you let go of his hand to brush some hair out of his face. 

He began closing his eyes and you shook your head “no, no, no, stay with me!” you sobbed, shaking him lightly. You heard Jake and Neytiri land behind you, you had started doing compressions on his chest.

"please, please don’t take him from me!” You cried, Neytiri pulled you off him so Jake could carry him to his ikran. You sobbed loudly as Neytiri cried with you “please Great Mother, don’t take him, I’ll do anything!” Jake threw you over his shoulder and put you on the Ikran, Neytiri held onto Tsu’tey as you flew back to camp.

Neytiri ran to her mother carrying Tsu’tey “please help him!” She begged, they carried him to the tent. You cried, you had seen so many enter that same tent but few left still living, despite Mo'at's best ability. Jake hugged you, apologizing feeling this was all his fault.

Neytiri came out motioning you to come inside, you ran in and saw Tsu’tey coughing up more blood. Most of his chest was covered with blood, it looked like he had already died and come back as a vengeful corpse. Neytiri grabbed your hand and put them on his chest while she and her mother ran trying to collect what they needed to save this life.

Tsu’tey brought his hand up to hold yours again, trying to say your name. You shook your head “don’t talk, you don’t need to talk” you held his hand tight “fight, ‘Tey, fight for me” you brought his hand up to kiss his knuckles. Mo’at began rubbing a salve on his wounds, and you pulled away so Neytiri could wrap them. Tsu’tey chanted your name out “I’m here, baby, I’m right here” Mo’at began praying over him. Neytiri pulled you back over to Tsu'tey when she was done.

He grabbed onto your wrists acting as if he let you go again you would vanish. You looked in this eyes, which didn’t leave yours. Mo’at finished her prayer, “we have done all we can” she stated “it lies in Eywa’s hands”

Neytiri and Mo’at left to give you space, you rested your head on his chest. Half your face had some of his blood on it, but you didn’t care. All that mattered to you was hearing his heartbeat. The thumping of his heart was a relief every time you heard it, more beautiful than any song or poem. You fell asleep like that, never wanting to leave his side again

*you reopen your eyes*

And saw the man you begged Eywa to save standing with his back turned, tending to the fire. There was some kind of meat cooking above it, and he took some. When you noticed him begin to turn and closed your eyes again, there was a brief silence. Then you heard him sigh, you felt him kiss your shoulder, then rest his forehead on yours. 

You wanted to open your eyes and return his affection, but the moment the thought entered your head he pulled away. After a moment he shook you and your eyes snapped open, he said nothing to you, but there was food. 

By the time you sat up he was gone.

Taglist: @arschbohrer

Thank you for reading ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ

[oldiesstationlover11607]

🎶And I say hello🎶

Hello! Tis I! 💛. Your favorite anon. Oddly enough, right before I was going to send in this request, you posted about missing me. First of all, that made my night (like, honestly, I was having a bad night and it made me smile so big). Second of all, your most recent Blurryface fic was amazing (you’re making me into a Blurryface Tyler fan slowly but surely). Also, and I know you have absolutely no reason to care, but I’m going to the Clancy tour this week! I may drown you in your related requests…just a heads up.

Anyways, my request. I am currently in a master’s program (forensic psychology master’s students for the win!) and so I was wondering if you could possibly write a one shot where Josh tries to help the reader study for a test (doesn’t have to be forensic psychology related. Could be any class. Though I’d like it to be a college class), but ends up being more so a distraction/hinderance than a help.

As always, you can change this request up and bit if you like or you don’t have to do it. It’s up to you! Like I said, I’m but a humble freeloader and you are the artist. 😊

Study - Josh Dun x reader

Relationship: Josh Dun × Reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1632

A/N: Rahh I love this idea! I’ve been looking forward to going to college and am in study mode so it’s perfect! When you submitted the request I was having a bad day too so I'm glad we're able to cheer each other up :) Forensic psychology sounds cool, I have a friend who is interested in doing it but I have no idea what it’s about other than crime and psychology. I'm wanting to do a major in cinematic arts (basically film school) but I'm not sure what I want my minor to be. I'm interested in so much it's hard to choose but I'm looking at music production, classics, or journalism. Because I've been working on my media studies project at school I though I'd make the subject she's studying for related to that (I hope that's okay). ALSO I’m so excited that your Clancy Tour show is this week!! That’s so exciting 😁 I have to wait till November, my show is the first international show and I’m low key scared that they’re going to change the setlist. I’m bringing my non clique friend to the show and if they decide to add or take away songs from the setlist she’s going to think I’m having a mental breakdown (which I 100% will be lol. In a good way). Anyways, sorry for the long intro/rant thing, I don't have many friends at my school and I needed to rant 😭

The last place I expected to be with Josh was my college library, considering the fact that he didn’t go to college and never planned to. In fact, I was pretty sure the last time Josh had stepped foot in a library was all the way back in high school. I’d only found out a couple months after we’d started dating that we had gone to the same school. He had graduated two years before me so we didn’t know each other but as fate would show, we met at Guitar Centre after I’d decided to teach myself drums. Turns out teaching yourself drums is hard and you do in fact probably need a teacher, and that teacher will probably end up being that cute boy that sold you your first pair of sticks. Normally, Josh and I would hang out at home or with our friends but this week I was in full study mode with finals coming up. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to meet me later?” I asked, finding an empty table to sit down at. I placed my bag on the chair next to me while Josh sat down on the opposite side. He was wearing a black hoodie that he’d bought at the mall the other day and a beanie, perfect for the autumnal weather outside. It had been raining a lot recently, the light pitter patter of rain becoming a common occurrence as we fell asleep each night. 

“I’m sure,” he laughed, folding himself over the table and resting his head on his arms. 

“Okay,” I shrugged, pulling out my computer and opening it to my work. I had a couple pages of notes to read, and a practice essay to write. Yay. College. Josh pulled out his phone and started scrolling through social media, the speakers of his phone playing music–loud enough to hear but quiet enough to not bother anyone other than me. With each scroll of his finger the audio changed, progressively capturing my attention and pulling me away from my own screen. Josh clearly noticed I was getting distracted because he put his phone away and pointed to the blank notebook page in front of me. 

“What are you supposed to be learning about anyways?” he asked, tilting his head slightly and peering over my computer screen. I tilted it back so he could get a better look, the display showing two pages from my textbook for media studies. 

“Well, I’m reading this textbook section about the media and how people have different lenses that they view things. It’s kind of interesting,” I explained. Josh smiled, resting his head on his chin and listening attentively. “It’s like how you’ll view a musician character differently to how someone who doesn’t make music would.” Josh nodded as if he knew what I was talking about–he did in fact have no idea. 

“Let me help you, I’m sure it’s not that hard,” he suggested. He got up and moved around to the chair next to me, grabbing my bag and placing it on the ground so he could sit down. While I knew full well that Josh wasn’t going to be any help but I wanted nothing more than to spend time with him–he was always busy with band practice or work, making me cherish every moment we had together. He pulled my computer closer to him, reading the textbook page and taking notes with my pen. As he wrote each word on the page I could feel my body tingle with excited nerves. Josh had always been able to do that to me. If he was close, I had to fight off the butterflies to the point where I would lose focus on what I was supposed to be doing–which was exactly what was happening right now. “You get that?” 

“Huh?” I looked up at him as he let out a soft chuckle. 

“Do you understand the concept? The uh, natural bias of viewers impacts how they see the characters in movies, books, and tv,” he repeated. I listened, taking notes and bullet-pointing what he was saying. He sounded almost like he was in the class himself, which was surprising considering Josh was the least academic person I knew. 

“Mhm, yeah,” I nodded. As the lunch period ended more and more students piled into the library, filling up the tables and making the room louder. 

“It’s getting kinda hot in here,” Josh said, pulling off his hoodie to reveal one of his band’s merch shirts and his perfectly toned arms. Twenty one pilots was starting to get more and more popular with their latest music being played on college and city radio, meaning the likelihood of him being recognised was rising every day. Josh was looking around the room as more people poured in but I couldn’t look away from him. My boyfriend was hot and I couldn’t deny it–I was practically drooling and couldn’t wait for that night, when we’d be able to snuggle up in bed together. 

“What?” he questioned, snapping me out of my daydream. I could feel my face heat up slightly. 

“You’re distracting,” I smirked, causing him to laugh. 

“How am I distracting? I’m literally just sitting here,” he pointed out. I tapped my pen against his shoulder. A large smile crept onto his face along with a flush of warmth. 

“You like?” he teased, causing me to roll my eyes. 

“Yes. A lot,” I joked back. I leaned my chin against my hand and smiled widely at him. “Stop staring,” he laughed. I couldn't help it. What I really needed to be doing was studying but Josh was the most distracting boy on the planet and if we kept going the way we were, I wasn’t going to get any work done. 

“I was supposed to be studying,” I chuckled, rolling my eyes. He knew how important my finals were for my grade and he knew how much work I’d put into my courses, but somehow he couldn’t hold back his cheeky self, even when it mattered. 

“Okay, okay.” He held up his hands in mock surrender, trying to appear apologetic. He leaned back in his chair and looked at me with a sly smile. I got back to my work, taking notes and trying to figure out what I was going to write my essay on. Once again, Josh pulled out his phone, this time texting Tyler about their next gig. As he typed, he occasionally glanced at me. Without warning, he suddenly reached out and tickled my side, trying to get a reaction out of me. I laughed loudly and covered my mouth, trying to muffle the noise. 

“Josh! Stop it!” I took a deep breath between laughs. Suddenly, a group of girls approached our table, their eyes wide with excitement as they clearly recognized Josh. One of them spoke up, a blonde woman wearing a white crop top and a bright pink skirt–clearly a sorority girl, my mortal enemies. 

“Excuse me, you're Josh Dun from Twenty One Pilots, right?” Josh looked up from his phone, clearly taken aback by her boldness. He flashed the celebrity smile he’d been working on in the mirror lately and nodded. I rolled my eyes, trying to hold my focus. Josh shot me a quick smirk when he saw my reaction, clearly amused by the situation. He then turned his attention back to the girls who were bombarding him with questions. I could tell they were starstruck, which was weird considering that it was just Josh. The Josh I’d met at Guitar Centre, drum teacher Josh, wearing a blonde wig and making stupid skits Josh–my boyfriend Josh. A short brunette clutched her phone tightly, moving in closer to him. 

“Oh my god, can I please get a picture with you?” she asked, her voice quivering with excitement. I moved closer to my computer, trying to regain my focus despite there clearly being no hope. Josh chuckled lightly at the girl's request and looked over at me, noticing how irritated I was. He could tell I was trying to focus on studying for my finals and the sudden intrusion by the girls was clearly not helping. As always, he tried to be polite. 

“Sure, but can we make it quick? My girlfriend really needs to focus on her studies,” he responded, emphasizing the word ‘focus’ when he looked at me. I couldn’t hide the smile on my face. The girls nodded and Josh took a couple of photos, moving into different poses so each girl could get enough photos on each of their phones. I wondered if this was going to become more common with time, whether Josh will get recognised more often. According to Jenna, Tyler was getting it a lot but she’d found a way to cope with the fuss. She was always better than me at the celebrity girlfriend thing. 

“Thank you so much!” the blonde flashed an award-winning smile at Josh.

“Good luck on your finals,” the brunette waved goodbye. I was surprised they cared enough to even address me. 

“Thanks,” I smiled. The girls walked away whispering to each other about the interaction, clearly excited. “They were nice,” I said, turning to Josh. 

“Most people who recognise us are. The people who like our music are different, they care. But… you need to get back to studying. It’s already 5,” he responded. I looked at the clock on my computer and sure enough it was 5pm, we’d been sitting there for an hour getting incredibly distracted with each and every interaction with each other. 

“Remind me to never allow you to ‘help’ me study ever again,” I chuckled, getting back to my work. 

Josh pressed his lips to my temple and ruffled my hair.

“Noted.”

//

REQUESTS ARE OPEN HUMANS! I've gotten a lot more followers recently so feel free to request anything! Can't wait to see what ideas you guys have!

[fantasticcolorcloudflap]

I find a way to fit your name in every sentence that i speak

It's 5am and idk what happened i just strated writting. Reddie is CONSUMING me rn. So yeah. Might (probably) do a part two because they are consuming me (did i mention that already?): Anyways, enjoy!

Word count: 1031

I hate Richie fucking Tozier. I hate how stupidly unfunny he is. I hate the way those moronic glasses look on his face. I hate his atrocious singing and the way he slicks his hair back with an extraordinary amount of hair gel when he's trying to look smart for something (he looks like my 50 year old unmarried uncle). I hate the fact that he's fucking taller than me - okay, I'm not that tall, everyone else is easily higher than me, but we've always been the same fucking height. Until last summer, when he grew a few inches just to spite me. Now he towers over me with that stupid grin of his. I hate how awkwardly long he is, all sharp angles and overly large bones. I hate how he calls me Eds, I hate his nonstop jokes about banging my mother, I hate how he pinches my cheek and calls me cute, cute, cute.

Okay, I may not hate that, but still.

He really knows how to get under my goddamn skin.

I know I'm not being fair. Richie has always been like that, stupidly annoying Richie. Nothing has changed in the way he teases me and gets me worked up. I'm the one who has changed. I used to be indifferent to his sexual comments and obscene jokes. I would tell him to fuck off and smack him hard on his arm. But something has changed. I don't know what, but every time he says he's dying to blow me it sends a jolt through my body. Every time he calls me Eds and wraps a too-long arm around my shoulders, my stomach does a fucking somersault. It makes me want to puke. Being around Richie for too long makes me dizzy and overwhelmed. it's too much. And most of the time I just want him to get the fuck away from me. So I tell him. And he just blatantly ignores me.

This isn't really new. The warm fuzzy feeling around Richie has always been there for as long as I can remember. So even though Richie was as insufferable as he usually is, I always liked being around him. Sometimes he makes me laugh so hard it brings tears to my eyes. And he just sits there looking so proud of himself, almost glowing with happiness. And then I laugh a little more than I need to, just to see him glow like that for a couple more seconds.

Anyway. It's always been there. But I've always managed to ignore it. I had a vague idea of what it might mean, but I really wasn't that keen on figuring it out, so I just didn't think about it. But this year it has become impossible to ignore. Like a trumpet blaring in my ears.

“Ah, Eddie Spaghetti, I've been looking all over for you” Richie drops down in the soft grass next to me and offers me a cheeky grin.

There it is. That damn trumpet blaring right into my brain.

“Call me Eddie Spaghetti one more time and I swear to God I'll end you,” I say with a huff of annoyance.

“Hmm, I'd like to see you try.”

I'm spared from answering when the rest of the losers' club finds us sitting on the yellowing patch of grass Derry High School has to offer.

“I was t-thinking of g-g-going to the quarry this afternoon,” Bill said slumping down next to Richie, followed by Bev and the others. “Take advantage of the w-warm weather, it won't lllast long.

Everyone agreed. Today was the first day of school and I'm sure no one has any homework to do (I certainly don't), so we agreed to meet there at five o'clock.

Great. Now I just have to convince my mom.

We grab the bikes and say goodbye. I'm sliding my leg over the bike seat when I hear Richie call my name.

“Wait, Eds!”

“What do you want?”

“I'm coming with you. No one's waiting for me at home, so I've got plenty of time to spare.”

Great. Just fucking great.

It is actually great. Call me a masochist, if you will, but as much as I wish Richie would just stay away from me (maybe that would make me able to sort through these confusing and horrifying feelings) I love having him around, listening to his endless chatter and his horrible jokes. I love the fluttering feeling in my stomach and the way I feel giddy and giggly next to him.

But I also hate it. Because what the fuck.

So that's that.

“So,” Richie says as we pedal down the road that leads to my house, “I was thinking about just the two of us staying in this weekend or something. It's been a while since we've hung out, like, just us two.”

Uhhhhhh yeah. That was completely on purpose - who knows what my brain might do under the prospect of being alone with Richie?

But I guess I can't shut him out forever. I just have to sort through these (new?) strongly uncomfortable feelings and get on with my life. Wich includes weekly get-togethers with Richie to read comics and play video games.

I shrug nonchalantly. “Yeah, whatever. But we're hanging in my house. I don't even want to imagine the germs that live in your room. It's disgusting."

“Well, obviously at your house,” he replied. “How else am I going to fuck your mother while you sleep?”

“Oh my fucking God, will you stop talking about my mother?”

“My dearest Eds, you know she is the love of my life and the subject of all my sexual fantasies, how could I ever stop talking about her?”

I groan as I reach the door and get off the bike. “Fuck you,” I say grabbing the keys we keep under the potted plant on the porch. Richie smiles.

"Aw, you don't mean that Eds. You love me really." And with that, he takes off, yelling a "see you later Spaguetti!" as he rushed up the street we had just came from.

I do love him, really.

Well fuck.

Im in love with Richie Tozier.

[qqueenofhades]

How does one not feel hopeless during these times? I just turned 24, and news came out today that we're going to permanently fuck the climate in the early 2030s if nothing changes. And by the previous track record, nothing meaningful will change fast enough. I'm not ready to die and I don't want to think I'm part of humanity's last generation, but it's getting increasingly hard to think otherwise...

Welp. Okay. Here's a bit of food for thought.

First: I get it. I absolutely get it. I see those articles with headlines like "Why Civilization Will Collapse by 2040!!!!" and it's like, well, what am I even doing here? What is the point of my life and is it going to end in some Mad Max-style apocalypse? Why the fuck do the people who have the power to make major changes and/or stop their destruction of the planet just not care??? Why do they think there's another backup Earth out there??? THERE IS NOT!!! WE ONLY HAVE ONE PRECIOUS BEAUTIFUL PLANET AND YOU ARE RUINING IT MORE IN A HUNDRED YEARS THAN PEOPLE HAVE DONE IN ALL OF HISTORY!!! MOTHERFUCKERS!!! MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!

[Stand by for incoherent rage.]

After the rage phase often comes the despair and the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness, which can be paralyzing and feel like there's nothing to be done. Which isn't true, but boy, it's hard not to feel like that. If you want to feel like you're doing something personally, there are ways to change your daily habits and to volunteer with earth groups and take part in protests or whatever. Maybe it won't solve everything everywhere all at once (ba-dump-tssh), but the core theme of that movie is learning to live anyway when things feel rotten and hopeless and like there's no more chance for a future and that you yourself aren't important. So there's that.

This isn't willful delusion or Pollyannaism. Things are bad and need to be addressed urgently, and while there isn't as much progress as anyone would like, it is still happening. And -- I want to emphasize this -- a lot of climate change activism, rightly or wrongly, relies on scaring YOU personally enough to feel that unless you do A,B,C,D etc right now, the world will end within 10 years. Fear is often a good motivator especially when people don't seem to be taking it seriously, but while climate scientists are issuing serious warnings about the changes we need to make, they often and repeatedly emphasize that it is NOT hopeless, and saying/acting like it is already inevitable and irreversible only benefits the people who stand to gain the most from the current status quo (i.e. billionaires and corporations and big polluters). There are things that can be done right now and progress that is already being made, so don't let that get lost. We used to hear a lot about the ozone layer -- now we don't. Why? Because we fixed that motherfucker! It's possible and it can be done.

Next: climate change is extremely unlikely to cause the widespread end of humanity, at least in my, your, or anyone currently alive right now's lifetime. Yes, extreme weather events will get more widespread and severe; yes, biodiversity is at risk in an unprecedented way, and there are plenty of reasons to wonder what the future global climate will look like and who it will affect the most. But we've already been living with the effects of climate change for decades, and we're still here. We are still building futures and living lives and all the rest of it, and while there are always things to worry about, it's not the case that this needs to be framed as an instant, imminent, apocalyptic, and unavoidable thing. The people who do put it that way are generally not the scientists actually working on the problem, and have a lot invested in scaring you and making you feel helpless to change anything, not just environmental and climate policies. Which isn't the case, so yes. Chin up, my dear. It may not always be okay, but it's still going to BE okay. If you know what I mean.

[colemorrison]

Here I wrote you a lil something

He knows you've been struggling. He hates knowing that you're suffering and that there's not much he can do for you. He can't fight the demons in your head for you. So instead he tries to give you support. He may not be a doctor or a field medic... But he's still your dad.

He can still get the kettle going, root around in the cupboards of the safe house until he finds one last package of the cocoa you liked as a kid. He can still go and get you out of bed. Even if picking you up takes a bit more out of his super soldier body than it did a decade ago.

Jack lays you down on the couch before going to get your drink. He listens to your confused complaining as he goes to mix together your hot chocolate.

"You've been laying in your bed for days kiddo, humour me and lay there for a few minutes? Change of scenery can do wonders sometimes."

He can't help but crack a smile as you fight back with how the few feet from the cot to the couch can't make that much of a difference. Yet you still stay put. You still trust him enough for that and it warms his heart.  As he walks back around the couch he tugs the throw blanket down on top of your legs and puts your mug down on the side table. He tugs down the zipper of his jacket and pulls it off.

"Sit up for me, just for a minute?"

He waits as you change your position and he places his signature coat around your shoulders, fussing with it for a moment before he plops down on the seat next to you. He goes to tease and ask if you're too old to cuddle with your old man but the way you quickly cosy up into his side steals the question and humour out of his sails. His arm falls around you and he squeezes you tight. He reaches to the side table and passes you the mug.

"Your old favourite.... Thought you could use the comfort."

He leans his head against yours. Frowning as he feels his visor clink against you. He sighs and reaches up to take the damn thing off. Pain in the ass to do with one hand... But he doesn't want to let you go. Not now. Not ever if he's being honest. The agony of what happened to Overwatch would pale in comparison to even the thought of losing his son.

"Cole... I... I'm not mad at you for feeling like this. It's not good... But you're allowed to feel like this. No one is mad at you. Worried? More than you could ever know. But, try not to feel guilty for that. Guilt is hard to avoid, I know. And sometimes you feel guilty for feeling bad when you feel like you don't have the right to feel stressed... But there's not a universal minimum amount of struggling you need to reach to be allowed to feel bad. You're stressed. Point blank. You don't gotta justify that to anyone. I know you probably don't want to hear the ramblings of your old man. But I need you to know that I care. Ya-zz cares. A lot of people care about you. They're willing to weather the storm with you and want to see you smile again. Even if it takes a while.” He pulls you in tighter against himself. Tucking his chin over the top of your head.

“Don’t forget that you’re cared for, okay?”

IM ACTUALLY SOBBING

HELLO??

THANK YOU SO MUCH I NEEDED THIS SO BAD

SO SO BAD

THANK YOI THANK YOU

[wrongcaitlyn]

need more apollo and darren lore to see if i can relate them to back to december

you can ONE HUNDRED PERCENT relate them to back to december if you just ignore the tiny detail of them not breaking up in december (but like, who cares because it’s the VIBE that matters and in this case the vibe is definitely accurate)

i will definitely be adding more apollo and darren lore…let’s just say… archery world championships happening soon…. olympics in one year…. kayla’s an icon mastermind…..

but! some little notes in specific relation to back to december

i know you may think this is apollos pov, but after looking over the lyrics again to refresh my memory… it’s from darren’s perspective. 100%

I'm so glad you made time to see me / How's life? Tell me, how's your family? / I haven't seen them in a while

apollos family!! not referring to his dad. duh. but darren’s prob just talking abt like the 1-2 times he met will and austin as babies, he hasn’t seen them since so “a while”…. sure darren, that might be a bit of an understatement

You've been good, busier than ever / We small talk, work and the weather / Your guard is up and I know why

small talk is SO real with them. they’re so awkward esp rn. they don’t know how to talk to each other. apollo says “nice weather we’re having” completely unironically and darren responds “oh yeah it’s nice”

cue silence for like 2 minutes until apollo asks how his coaching is going and more and more stilted conversation

AND!!! they’re both busier than ever!! apollo returning to being employed (kinda? i mean, he has a job so) and darren with olympics being next year

Because the last time you saw me / Is still burned in the back of your mind / You gave me roses and I left them there to die

i don’t wanna spoil exactly how they broke up… bc me and wronghuntress had like an hour long convo abt pollen lore a few weeks back and. guys. when i tell you i am SO fucking excited to write it‼️‼️

HOWEVER. this line. is very. very. very. fitting. from darren’s pov that’s all i’m saying hereeee

bc ik in one of the other chapters i said that apollos like “i ruined his life” and he DID but also like. it’s messy. it’s so very messy.

So this is me swallowin' my pride / Standin' in front of you sayin' I'm sorry for that night / And I go back to December all the time

not technically in front of him but!! the phone call!! abt kayla!! him swallowing up his pride, and there wasn’t necessarily an apology for the… things that happened, but it’s a step forward

It turns out freedom ain't nothin' but missin' you / Wishin' I'd realized what I had when you were mine / I'd go back to December, turn around and make it alright / I go back to December all the time

change it to march and make darren a singer instead of an archer and this would be one of his songs😭😭

These days, I haven't been sleepin' / Stayin' up playin' back myself leavin' / When your birthday passed and I didn't call / Then I think about summer, all the beautiful times / I watched you laughin' from the passenger's side / And realized I loved you in the fall

god… this timeline is actually SO real. if anyone’s making a pollen playlist out there (i should probably do that when i have timeHDKDJD) THIS SONG‼️‼️‼️

anyway ofc apollo is associated with summer in darren’s brain… and also apollo def thinks of summer too when thinking of darren :)

and oh yeah, ofc apollo’s in the passenger seat. bro probably grew up with drivers and doesn’t have his license.. rip sun chariot!!! (he gets his license eventually, ofc, but only bc it’s to drive will to school)

I miss your tan skin, your sweet smile / So good to me, so right

But if we loved again, I swear I'd love you right

i mean, do these even need to be explained? well darren, i can assure you that you WILL love again. it’s what we all need

okay so. i can’t really. explain the rest of this stuff. but here are the lyrics that stand out to me SOOO much because of how they broke up. that is all i can say for now!!

And then the cold came, the dark days / When fear crept into my mind / You gave me all your love and all I gave you was goodbye

And how you held me in your arms that September night / The first time you ever saw me cry

thank you so much for the ask!! it’s been a while since some pollen content but i swear it’s coming soon :))

[penny-weiss]

RWBY Parallels V5, V8, and V9

Ruby’s hand-to-hand combat.

V5E3: Ozpin, “Getting you four in fighting shape… (points to Ruby) You can only fight so long as you have Crescent Rose, but you’re still lacking in hand-to-hand combat.”

V8E14: Ruby loses Crescent Rose. While she had some coaching from Ozpin in volume 5 and tries to engage in hand-to-hand combat against Neo in volume 8, it’s clear she heavily relied upon her weapon. I expect in volume 9, we will start to see her branch out of her comfort zone to other styles of combat. I hope Yang is going to coach her a bit more in the art of hand-to-hand.

Ruby is purity.

V5E5: Blake, “Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, ‘They are the personification of this word’? …I remember getting to know Ruby and thinking, ‘This girl is the embodiment of purity.’ After a while, I saw Weiss was defiance. And Yang was strength.”

V9: The quote from season 5 about Ruby being purity reminded me of the poem Child of the pure unclouded brow from Alice in Wonderland that speaks of losing one’s sunny face and silver laughter. Ruby's purity and silver eyes may be why she is tied to the weather in this version of Wonderland. The last stanza of the poem especially stood out to me. 

And though the shadow of a sigh May tremble through the story, For ‘happy summer days’ gone by, And vanish’d summer glory – It shall not touch with breath of bale The pleasance of our fairy-tale.

How do you handle all of this?

V5E5: 

Oscar to Ruby, “How do you handle all of this? …How can you be so confident? People have tried to kill you. The world’s about to go to war all over again. How are you okay with any of this?”

Ruby to Oscar, “When Beacon fell, I lost two of my friends: Penny Pollendina and Pyrrha Nickos. I didn’t know them for very long but that doesn’t change the fact they were two of the most kind-hearted people I’d ever met. But that didn’t save them. Pyrrha thought if there was even the smallest chance of helping someone that it was a chance worth taking, and because of that, she died fighting a battle she knew she couldn’t win. And Penny was killed just to make a statement… I am scared but not just for me. What happened at Beacon shows Salem doesn’t care if you’re standing against her or not. She’ll kill anybody, and that scares me most of all. Pyrrha, Penny, I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t hurt, that I didn’t think about them every day since I lost them, that I didn’t wish I had spent more time with them. If it had been me instead, I know they would have kept fighting too, no matter how dangerous it was. So that’s what I choose to do: to keep moving forward."

V8E14: Penny is still fighting even after Ruby and Blake fell. 

V9 Intro: While Ruby could still keep a positive outlook in Volume 5 after the initial loss of Penny, I can't imagine Ruby keeping the same outlook in Volume 9 after round 2 of losing Penny.

Think back to Beacon

V5E7: Ren, “That desire to go back and tell yourself not to be so stupid. That just proves you’re not the person you used to be. You’re smarter or kinder or stronger, and you’re not done growing yet.”

V9 Trailer: “What are you going to be?”

In Alice in Wonderland, Alice says, "Mabel, I’ll stay down here! It’ll be no use they're putting their heads down and saying ‘Come up again, dear!’ I shall only look up and say ‘Who am I then? Tell me that first, and then, if I like being that person, I’ll come up: if not, I’ll stay down here till I’m somebody else’—but, oh dear!” cried Alice, with a sudden burst of tears, “I do wish they would put their heads down! I am so very tired of being all alone here!”

I think Ruby's younger self speaking to her older self is meant to mirror the conversations Alice has about who she is and who she will become.

If Ruby sticks around…

V5E7: Yang, “If Ruby sticks around, then I will too. If there’s one thing I know about her, it’s that she somehow always knows the right thing to do.”

V9 Trailer: Unknown voice (though it sounded similar to Salem to me), “You never were the hero... You seem to be carrying a rather large burden with you. What if you could leave Ruby Rose behind, shed like an old coat? What might happen if you don’t?"

Will the team have to face this question? What growth will Ruby have to go through to keep fighting and to continue being a leader?

I'm still rewatching the other seasons, but I found some of these moments interesting to compare, and I am excited to see Ruby's growth especially!

[dolamrothianlady]

The Arrangement (part five)

--- Leonard McCoy x Reader 575 words ---

It's a beautiful stormy night -perfect snuggle weather. Only catch is you're home alone. But…you don't have to be, right?

---

Perfect Snuggle Weather

It was cold and rainy, and the distant thunder was steadily getting closer. It was perfect snuggle weather. The only problem was that this was one of your off nights with Leonard. While the two of you didn’t have your plans set in concrete or anything, you had stuck to every second night for quite a few months now, and it figures that the one night the weather was perfect for bed sharing you were alone.

But, really, did you absolutely have to be? You could call him. You could see him within the hour, and then you could be cosy and warm in bed, having the greatest sleep of your life. You went back and forth with yourself for a few minutes before moseying on over to the phone. If he wanted to - great! If not, no biggie, there was always tomorrow. And hey maybe the storm would stick around for a bit?

He answered almost immediately.

“Hey honey, enjoying the storm?”

“Oh definitely! We haven’t had one like this in a while so I’m savouring it.”

“You’re burning a heap of candles, aren’t you?”

“How could you possibly know that?”

“I know you, that’s how. I’d bet money on there not being a single light on in your house right now.”

“You’d win that bet. It just looks nicer!”

“No argument there. What’s up?”

“Well...I know we just saw each other last night but did you wanna do an extra night? It’s okay if you can’t, really, I just thought with the storm and all it would be nice.”

“I was just thinking that myself. Great minds, hey?”

He couldn’t see you, so you didn’t feel too embarrassed about your ridiculous smile. “I can head over after I change if that’s alright?”

“No no, you stay there, I’ll come to you.”

---

He was at your door only ten minutes later, breathless and wet from the brief sprint from his door. You had a towel ready and he quickly dried himself off before greeting you.

“It’s a good thing I keep an extra set of pajamas here; I may actually need them after that shower.” He took a moment to brush the towel over you after realising he wasn’t quite dry when he’d hugged you, and you smiled up at him.

“We’re getting good at this.”

His answering smile was lovely, and you pressed your face into the towel for a moment to discreetly take a breath. Maybe this wasn’t as good an idea as you’d thought. He looked good wet.

"You really do have a lot of candles going," he said, and you lifted your face from the towel to watch as he began to wander around your lounge room.

"I like burning things."

"We should bring some of these upstairs."

"Oh I already have heaps up there. We can just blow these out then go up and light them."

“You go on up then and I’ll get these,” he said, waving you on. “Be right behind you.”

“Gonna check my locks too, aren’t ya?”

"Are you really surprised by that?" 

"I guess I'd be more surprised if you didn't."

You snagged the drink you made for him on the way and made quick work of getting the candles in your room lit. You spared only a moment thinking that this was incredibly romantic before giving yourself a firm talking to. Absolutely not. People hang out in candlelight all the time, right? 

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part six>>