#since they didn't have horse breeds as we know them at the time

[eachuisge-cc]

Hey, just wanted to let you know how absolutely pleased I am that there's another person with many Big Feelings (tm) about horses in skyrim. I completely yeeted my save game to get these gorgeous horsies. I am so excited for the light horse addon. I do have a suggestion, since you also mentioned making Cicero's cart horse unique. Unless he sold his horse for a fluffier one in Dawnstar, since he brought the night mother in from Cyrodiil it is possible his horse, if he indeed kept the same horse, would be a more Imperial type. That could be a neat way to make his horse unique! Although I totally get it if it's too much work for a horse we only see in passing.

aah thank you! very glad you're enjoying the mod.

I'm still debating what to do with Cicero's horse, my instinct is to keep it as a Skyrim horse for now because it would look a little odd to have a single barb-type horse pulling a wagon that size by itself, and I can believe that he might have changed horses/wagons between Cyrodiil and Whiterun, that would be a long way for a single horse to pull. I'll have to figure out the carriage horse situation if/when BS Cyrodiil comes out and at that point I'll replace Cicero's horse with whatever I end up with for that (I'm having a hell of a time finding info on work horses in Imperial Rome, everybody focuses on the war horses and the chariot horses which is all well and good until you need to know about the horses with less exciting jobs).

It seems like maybe they didn't have much in the way of draft horses (some pages on the Ardennes claim its history "dates back to ancient Rome" but don't elaborate in any way and it probably wasn't the contemporary version of the breed) but I'll have to do more research.

[mypoisonedvine]

Tommy’s teenage love, whom he got separated from when he went to france.. Sad, bitter and heartbreaking end for them.

But now years later he sees her again, and the tension is 👀👀

I know this doesn't have to be dark but of course I made it a little dark 🤣 tommy just can't take no for an answer...

warnings: DUBCON DARK SMUT 18+ ONLY!, yandere, infidelity/cucking, breeding

It wasn't until he tried to kiss you, and you backed away, that he really got angry. Up until that point, it seemed like he'd thought the life you'd made for yourself while he was gone was just a minor inconvenience at most-- but your resistance irritated him. You didn't remember being so nervous around him when he was upset.

"Why won't you kiss me?" he asked softly, and you weren't even sure how to answer that question... wasn't it obvious?

"Thomas," you mumbled, "it was nice to catch up, but..."

He tightened his fists as you trailed off, making you feel oddly trapped while standing in your own kitchen. "I kept my promise," he told you firmly. "I never loved anyone else."

"You can't be angry with me," you scoffed. "Tommy, we were children! We didn't understand what any of it really meant--"

"You didn't really love me?" he assumed sharply.

"O-of course I did," you sighed, "Tommy, of course. I loved you so much. But I grew up."

Your fingers absent-mindedly twisted your wedding ring around your finger, guilt stirring in your chest. If you were honest with yourself, you knew you never moved on from Tommy completely-- no one ever forgets their first love. But you'd managed to put it all in the back of your mind, telling yourself that was all over... until you saw him again. Your heart could've stopped, seeing him at your door; it was like seeing him for the first time all over again, even though you could see how unkind the years had been to him.

But you had to shove all those feelings down now, and think of your husband. "You should go," you whispered, "before he gets back."

"I grew up too," he sneered, taking a step closer that made your heart race for multiple, conflicting reasons. "You have no idea the man I am now. People do what I say or they suffer consequences."

You swallowed thickly, horrified to see the darkness in his eyes-- something totally unlike the gentle, passionate young man you'd known all those years ago.

"If I want something, I take it," he continued. "Doesn't matter if it's a horse, or a gun, or another man's wife."

"Tommy," you whimpered, "my husband will be home soon... you need to leave before he comes back."

He stepped closer again, grabbing you and holding you tightly against him when you tried to step away. "Good," he decided flatly. "He can see what a little whore you are when a real man takes you."

He shoved you down onto the table harshly, ignoring your whine of pain as he pushed the bowls and plates out of the way, most of them falling off and shattering; none of that bothered him, he was too busy roughly pulling up your skirts, unfastening his trousers, holding you down. "T-Tommy, please," you choked.

"I know," he sighed, "I know, you need me so badly. How long has it been since anyone properly made love to you, darling? He could never take care of you like I do."

Sliding his fat head through your folds, you choked on a little sob.

"You still get so wet for me," he grinned happily, "still dripping, just like I remember."

Truth be told, your body still responded to him... that couldn't be denied now. You had a natural urge to give in and let him take you, let him bring you the pleasure you hadn't known since he left; but your logic and your dignity kept up the fight, though it was pretty useless against Tommy's strength-- with only one hand, he held you down while he guided his cock to your entrance.

He sighed a heavy, dark sigh of relief as he sheathed himself inside you, relaxing all over like a burden had been lifted off of him. "Oh, love," he purred, rubbing your back soothingly to try to help you stop shaking. "Oh, I'd nearly forgotten... nearly lost the memory entirely of how warm you are inside..."

You, meanwhile, were whimpering and willing your legs not to shake-- you couldn't let him see how much you loved the feeling, how you'd longed to take him inside you again, or he'd never leave you alone.

"My beautiful," he panted, "my darling..."

Setting a rough and desperate pace, his hands grabbed greedily at your body, forcing you to bite down harder on your lip to keep from moaning.

"You wouldn't believe how I missed this," he breathed. "Thought of you every day in France-- only way I survived, thinking of you... said you'd wait for me, love..."

You tried to hold back your tears, all of this bringing back emotions you thought you'd buried forever-- I would've waited for you forever, Tommy, you wanted to say, I wish I had, but I was scared that I'd never see you again.

You didn't say it, though, because you wouldn't be able to keep yourself together. You were struggling enough now, impossibly conflicted by what he was doing to you. For years you'd imagined seeing him again, but it never went quite like this in your head.

"T-Tommy," you managed choke out, and he cooed your name back at you sweetly.

"I know," he offered again, "it's really me, love-- we're really together again. I won't let you go this time."

You hadn't been lying about your husband coming home soon-- maybe Tommy thought you were, as an excuse to make him leave, but you weren't. You sobbed in shame and fear as he unlocked the door and walked in, finding you two in the kitchen with the most (understandably) bewildered look on his face.

Tommy didn't even stop.

"Wha-- Christ?! Who the fuck are you?!" your husband spat out, stammering over himself.

"I'm Tommy fuckin' Shelby," Tommy growled.

"O-oh," your husband choked, stepping back shakily towards the door. You hid your face, unable to look at him, so you only knew he left when you heard the door shut a minute later. Tommy purred and leaned down to rest his head on your back, between your shoulder blades.

"Don't think he's gonna give us any more trouble," Tommy chuckled darkly. "Fuck, love, I'm so close already-- never knew how to control myself with you..."

The way he breathed against your skin-- that hadn't changed at all. You hadn't even realized you remembered it until you heard it, and it was like you were that girl again, the girl he loved so long ago-- but you weren't anymore, or at least, that's what you had thought.

"Almost ready to fill you up nice and deep, hm?"

"Tommy," you choked, tensing up under him, and he groaned happily.

"Can't wait for our little family, darling," he cooed, "all the babies we're gonna have-- like we talked about back then, remember?"

His thrusts came faster and harder, shaking the whole table under you, and you kept hiding your face so you could try to deny your pleasure. Maybe you could hide it from yourself, but it was useless trying to hide it from him.

"I know how badly you need it," he groaned, "how long you've wanted this-- I'm yours, love, all yours again. You'll never have to be away from me again."

You knew what that really meant was that you'd never get a chance to be away from him again. It scared you just as much as it comforted you.

He came deep inside you with a long, low moan-- and for a long time, he just stayed within you, catching his breath. He only pulled out so he could lift you up a bit, turning you to face him, and finally getting you to kiss him this time. You struggled to focus on kissing him back when you could feel his come running down your thighs.

"You were always mine," he informed you with a gentle whisper against your lips. "Doesn't matter whose ring is on your finger. You'll always be mine."

[shadyshaylee114]

FULL STORY WILL POST IN PARTS TOMORROW

Thank you @specsthesecond for letting me use your plot idea!

🐊 Crocodile hybrid Sherrif who becomes quite fond of the new outlaw in his town. Every time you outsmart him and get away it just makes his dick harder and his heart beat faster. When he finally catches you, after one hell of a chase, he doesn't drag you to the jailhouse but instead to his home. He's rambling on about how someone so cunning and resourceful would be the perfect mate and how he'll breed you full of his eggs to prove it to you.

Sheriff crocodile x outlaw reader (mild violence) (brief mention of loss) (eggs)

You pulled your hair underneath your black hat looking at the rail cart across from you. In and out. Well that was the plan aslong as the sheriff didn't show up. You had moved into town a couple months ago starting with petty theft to test the waters. Taking a pocket watch here, a womens pendant there. Snatching coin pouches with ease. You had noticed the sheriff of course taking note of all law enforcement in any town you went into. You had dealt with hybrids they where still people just normally faster and with heavy animal features. A crocodile was new to you though. Sheriff Dryeden was a sight. For being what you assumed a cold blooded reptile.

He stood at 12"6' his tail dragged behind him as he walked at 1.8 meters long.  He's a greenish-drab color with black stripes and spots on his body and tail. His underbelly was a almost white color from what you could tell from under his uniform. You found him incredibly attractive with his stupid shiny sheriff badge on his chest, his stupid sheriff hat, and his stupid yellow eyes that almost pierced your soul with ever glance.

The first time he noticed you was when you had stolen a bottle of liquor from the saloon owner. He had been meeting up with the mayor and didn't hesitate to take off after you. Luckily you where incredibly smart and fast on your feet  managing to escape him, you went down an alley way and onto the back of your horse. Dryeden was in shock he'd been a fighter since he was a boy no one had escaped him. As he watched you flee on the back of your horse he felt his heart race for the first time in along time.

He continued trying to catch you. Yet you where always one step ahead managing to avoid getting caught by him. The time you robbed the bank he nearly caught you in the vault but you slid into the crowd unnoticed. When you robbed the mayor's home and escaped on the back of a farmers cart hiding amongst his vegetables.

The more dryeden chased you the more he felt the desire to keep you for himself grow.

  Unfourtantly for you that damn crocodile was fast and smart he was always making it harder for you to get away. It started to seem like he knew what you wanted before you even did. If this town didn't have money, You would have already left town to avoid capture.

But you weren't one to let opportunities slip from your fingers , and that freshly mined gold was calling your name. The last job always being the biggest for you. It should be simple you didn't need the whole cart just a couple nuggets. Using the cover of the night you quietly slid up to the rail cart smiling brightly at the gold. Grabbing a couple nuggets sliding them into your bag you noticed the night had gone quiet.

"Why howdy Sheriff Dryeden." You said smiling turning to face the hybrid.

"I'm not letting you get away this time." He growled his eyes glowing under the lights from the mine shaft.

"What a hoot sheriff we both know you aren't going to catch me. I'm to clever for you." You purred placing your palms flat on the rail cart. As Dryden went to step foward you hoped over the rail cart taking off into the mine shaft.

Dryden pushed the rail cart over with a loud crash taking off after you with a roar. You could hear the pounding of his feet behind you. You cursed feeling the rush of air as his claws barely missed your arm. Taking a sharp turn you nearly avoided running into a empty cart.

Sliding quickly you stumbled as your feet struggled to catch traction. You panicked he was catching up fast. Finally pulling yourself together you barely managed to avoid getting slammed into by the sheriff. As he slammed into the wall the sound from the force rattled the walls. If you didn't get out he might make the mine collapse on you both.

He roared as you picked up speed. You had to find away back to the entrance it was the only way out you knew. Running as fast as you could you noticed that you where coming up on one of the stabilizer beams. You could tell that the sheriff was right behind you.

Quickly as you started to pass the pole you threw your hand out using your speed and momentum to turn you around putting you back in the direction you had come from. The sheriff snarled as he slid on the lose dirt trying to stop himself. He used his tail to try and stabilzize himself during the fall. As his chest sid onto the dirt he reached out with his hand wrapping it tight around your ankle. Yanking you down with him.

Letting out a startled cry that was cut short as your chest slammed into the ground. You kicked your leg back aiming for his face. He quickly caught your leg moving his face aside. Dryden could feel himself pressing against his cloaca what a sight you where! He finally had his claws on you after so many chases. He could hear his heart beating the fastest it every has.

Your ankles where in either hand spread out before him as you struggled to escape his grasp. His eyes focused in on your ass watching it move as you tried to pull your legs free clawing at the dirt in a desperate attempt to break free. He moved himself into a kneeling postion flipping you onto your back. He couldn't help but chuckle at the glare on your face.

"You're under arrest. I've caught you little outlaw so it's best you stop struggling. I'd hate to have to hurt your pretty face." He stated moving one clawed hand to grab your wrist placing the shackles from his belt securely onto you. He slid back down rubbing his snout against your cunt moaning softly at your scent. You glared at his actions pulling on your leg trying to get it free once more.

He pulled you over his shoulder as he stood to his feet. You winced in pain as some of his scutes dug into your stomach.

"Come on sheriff just let me go and I'll leave your town." You pleaded knowing the towns people would have you hanged for your crimes. But the sheriff ignored your pleas exiting the mine.

"I'm not taking you to the jailhouse." He stated you blinked confused.

"Where are you taking me then?" Was he just going to kill you himself. Crocodile hybrid didn't eat humans right?

"To my home. Where I'm going to make you my mate." Dryden was blunt not even trying to hide his intentions.

"What? Why me? I'm an outlaw and your the law!" You cried out. Dryden had noticed that you hadn't said anything about being against him being your mate. Making his crocidle face break into a wide smile.

"Your cunning and resourceful you will be the perfect mate and I'm going breed you full of my eggs to prove it to you." He almost dropped you as the scent of your arousal filled his scense of smell at his words. "See my little outlaw your already readying yourself to take my eggs."

"No way your crazy!" You shouted trying to deny that the thoughts of being breed by the crocodile hybrid hadn't already been flooding your mind since the first day he'd chased you out of the saloon. He continued to ignore your cries and struggles as he made his way to his home. After a decent walk you had finally arrived. Dryden entered his home taking you straight to the nest.

You bounced as he dropped you finally allowing you to see something other then his back. You took in the room it was bright shades of green giving a swampy look.

"You miss home often sheriff."  You said softly. Dragging your hand along the nest he'd dropped you on. The nest was incredibly soft. It was mound-like made from vegetation's mostly tall grasses.

"Yes very often but the nest was made for you." You looked at him with a glare at his statement.

"I'm not gonna keep telling you sheriff you're crazy if you think I'm staying here." He titled his head at you giving you that wide crocodile grin.

"Please little outlaw try to run again I do love chasing you." You scowled at him, he was diffently getting on your nerves.

  "So what are you going to do to me?" You asked your curiosity getting the best of you.

"I'm going to make you my mate. Watch you carry my eggs and keep you full of them so you can never leave myside. You're so wise and capable you're exactly who I've been looking for." He stated with a shrug slipping out of his shirt.

He turned his back as he undid his belt going to slip out of his jeans. You looked at the room entrance and didn't hesitate jumping out of the nest. Dryden groaned in delight he'd been hoping you'd be foolish enough to give him another chase before he breed you. After all once you carried his eggs he couldn't allow you to run.

Quickly turning around he took off after you, chuckling when he noticed you going away from the exit. He smiled deciding he wanted to see how strong of a swimmer you where. He appeared in front of you making you slip and curse. You turned around seeing a door you flung it open and as you stepped inside you fell into what appeared to be a small pond.

"Your nesting room is new. This is my pond though. I miss the water most." He said standing in the doorway watching you calmly.

"I built it myself." He added clearly proud of the pond. If it wasn't for the fact you had just fallen in, you'd notice how beautiful it was.

You were swimming with ease. You learned how to swim in a creek bed when you where 6. Your life had always been hard so alittle water couldn't stop you.

"Well thank you for the fast introduction." You snapped sarcastically. He laughed his reptile eyes almost seeming to have more of a purple color.

"I wanted to see if you could swim. The last thing I'd want is for our offsprings to drown you." He was still giving you that wide smile. You found yourself smiling as well.

"Well you succeeded. I can swim but we won't be having offsprings. The towns people will kill me for my crimes." You where cornered and need to convince Dryeden to let you leave.

"We don't have to worry about that I made it very clear to the mayor that once we are mated you will return everything you took. I also already paid for the  liquor you stole." As he spoke he slid into the water. "It's to dangerous for me to take you in the water so let's go back to your nest and dry off." He was slowly swimming towards you. You knew very well how fast he was on land in this pond. His pond you didn't stand a chance.

But still you'd be dammed if you just gave in to him. You were patiently waiting for Dryeden to swim closer to you. Just as he reached out to pull you into his chest. You divided underneath him making a break for the doorway.

Dryeden groaned feeling his cock pushing on his cloaca begging to be released to breed his mate. Taking off after you he quickly caught up wrapping his arms around your small frame. He easily carried you out of the water pressed tightly to his chest.

"My sweet mate no more chasing." He growled. You currently where clinging to him as he walked.

"I'm not returning my stuff!" You shouted starting to struggle again. He snarled at your words bringing his hand down rough on your ass. You squeaked at the sudden strike going rigid. "Did you just spank me?" You hissed out.

"I did my little outlaw and I plan on making your cute ass red until you agree to return the items you took." He slid into your nesting room and set you down on your feet keeping one clawed hand tight on your arm. "I'm going to let go don't run I'm done chasing you I will take you wherever I catch you next. So if you don't want you clothes ripped to shreds remove them now." You glared at his words and began to undress not wanting to ruin your clothes for when you try to run again.

He gave that crocidle smile that you where starting to fall in love with noticing that the purple in his eyes showed everytime he smiled at you.

"You are absolutely a site to behold my darling Lantana." He moaned out taking in the site of your naked body. He stepped foward dragging his hands along your soft flesh. He groaned as he closed his hand around one of your breast. Using his clawed fingers to roll and pinch at your nipples loving the site of them hardening thanks to him. He drew back his hand landing another solid hit to your ass. This one made you yelp jumping alittle closer him.

He used the opportunity to pull you against his chest. Your hardened nipples rubbing against his scales. You let out a soft moan at the feeling. He slid down to a almost bowing postion resting the underside of his head on the top of yours.

"I'll take care of you. We could protect the town together. You'll never want or need anything again. I'll keep you safe, full, and loved. Please my Lantana say yes. Say you chose me to." He begged running his hand thru your hair and down your back. Applying just enough pressure to have you trembling but not enough to do any harm by his claws.

  Gentle you placed your arms around his side placing a soft kiss to his scaled chest.

"Yes Dryeden I want to be your mate." You whispered against him as you trailed kisses along anywhere you could reach.

"You speak the truth little outlaw?" He whinned his grip tightening.

"You'll return everything you took?" He asked hesitating.

"I speak the truth Dryeden. I'll return everything I took. I like the thought of staying with you no more running and hiding." You where afraid. You'd been an outlaw since a child but the thought of living in comfort and stability with Dryeden made your heart race.

"Ah my sweet Lantana!" He cries in delight. Pulling back he looked down at you. At the soft look on his face you placed a soft kiss on his nose. He whinned in need. Lefting you up with ease he placed you on the nest hovering above you.

  You smiled brightly at him and it was as though his world had caved in. You were his everything. His heart, his soul if you had refused to give up being an outlaw he'd have joined you and you didn't even know it.

"Well Sherrif are you going to mate me or just stare at me." You teased. This time when you looked into his eyes it was a mix between purple and red. As you went to ask him he opened his mouth just enough to stick his tongue down your throat. You whinned as he kissed you deep. The feeling of his tongue in your mouth making you wet. He pulled back a almost soft frown on his face.

"We will have to practice kissing my mate I feel as though I'm just fucking your pretty throat with my tongue." He said a hint of annoyance in his voice as he stared down at your lips. You burst into laughter you'd had never felt such joy before.

"We will have plenty of time to practice everything." You whispered kissing along the scales on his neck. He shuddered at the feeling of you playing with one if the scutes that trailed down his spine.

He pulled back dragging his clawed hands along your body as he reached your stomach you flinched. One of his claws had nicked your stomach. He froze licking the blood off your stomach.

"I'll file my nails down more later for now this will have to do." He said, biting off the nails of his index finger and middle finger. Gently dragging one of his fingers along your clit. You moaned at the feeling. Trailing off into a whine as the finger slid into your eager opening. "I have to stretch you for my cock or you'll never take all of me." He growled adding in the second finger sliding his thumb onto your clit. You moaned at the feeling of his scaled fingers stretching you.

"Oh little outlaw your such a site your pretty pussy clenching around my fingers. Shes soaking me wanting to be stuffed full with my cock." You cried out at his words your back arching as he pushed his fingers in deeper. It felt like he was searching for something within your needy cunt.

Your eyes rolled back and let out a silent sound as he pushed onto your g-spot. He growled in delight focusing on that spot while rubbing his thumb in circles on your clit. He continued to fuck you with his fingers. Rotating between pressing against your g-spot and scissoring you as wide open as he could.

"Your getting close my Lantana I can feel how tight you are getting  around my fingers. Cum for me my precious flower." With a cry you came undone on his fingers back arching as he worked you through your orgasam.

"Dreyden please I need you." You whinned reaching out to your mate. Pouting as Dreyden shook his head at you.

"You have to cum atleast two more times to make sure you dont get hurt taking my cock and eggs." He huffed sliding down to place himself between your legs. You looked at him taking in the look on his face. He was enchanting. The look of pure desire written on his face. He gave you that crocodile smile. Opening his mouth and snapping his teeth at the fingers you'd allowed to pet his nose.

"If your going to make me cum again what are you doing all the way down there?" You asked teasing. Dreyden chuckled at your words. He lowered himself more making sure his hands where tight on your waist. You watched as he opened his mouth wide clamping his teeth against your stomach. The feeling of his breath against your cunt made you whimper. Dreyden dragged his tongue along your ass slowly pushing his tongue inside of your clenching cunt.  He whimpered at the taste of your juices.

Your eyes rolled back as you let out a whine. His tongue was as large as a cock and stretching you wide. You looked back down at him your fingers digging into the nest. Dreyden took in every sound, move, and look that you made. His teeth clamped tight enough to draw blood as he slowly moved his tongue inside of you.

He stroked the inside of your cunt with his thick tongue. You trembled as he started to get more aggressive. Increasing the pace of his tongue as he began to feast.

You tasted better then anything he'd ever tasted he'd decided he could live between your legs if you'd let him. Living only off of the taste of you. 

You couldn't take your eyes off of Dreyden. He was lazily moving his tongue inside of your core. Feasting upon you as though you where the last fruit standing in this awful desert.

You gently places your hand on the tip of his nose moaning softly. You pathetically tried to role your hips to receive more friction, but couldn't move an inch between Dreyden's jaw holding you in place and his hands gripping your thighs.

Dreyden groaned deciding to take mercy upon both of you. He snarled using his strength to fuck your body onto his tongue. He knew he should make you come one more time after this but he couldn't take it anymore he needed to be inside of you.

He listened to your sweet sounds as you came on his tongue flooding his senses with the taste and the scent of your release. You felt tears falling down your face Dreyden had already made you cum twice and you knew he intended to do it again.

"Please Dreyden I want you to breed me now." You sniffled hoping to convince your new mate to have pity on your overstimulated mind.

"Aww my poor Lantana. As you wish I'll fill you up with my eggs now." He smirked down at you moving himself back to give you a view of his cloaca. You licked your lips following him into a sitting postion. As you gently trailed the outer lips of his cloaca, Dreyden growled his pupils dilating like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.

"My Lantana lay your hand out flat for me." He moaned. You were quick to do as he asked.

Eyes widening as his huge cock slid past the barrier of his cloaca landing right into your open palm. You took in the site of his cock nothing like a humans. He had to be atleast 15in if not more. His cock was covered in small ridges that almost reminded you of his scutes. And the tip was more open clearly to allow his eggs out.

"So male hybrids can produce eggs and sperm?" You asked curious as you continued to explore his cock with your hands.

"Really little one? You wish to ask questions now?" He asked. Closing his jaw tight with a sharp inhale as swirled your finger around the opening.

"Yes. I want to know." You stated. Dreyden noticed your guard was climbing up as you continued to look at his cock.

"We will take it slow My Lantana. There is no need for you to be afraid." He snarled grabbing your hand.

"Please Dreyden just tell me really quick. I'm a human we aren't normally suppose to carry eggs." You whinned looking him in the eyes his eyes. He sighed.

"If it will bring you comfort I'll explain it. Yes the males of my kind carry both eggs and sperm. The eggs begin to form when we find someone who we select as a perfect mate. My sperm will help adjust your body to aid you in carrying our eggs." He huffed out his half hearted explanation. Once you were carrying his eggs he'd teach you everything you could possibly wish to know.

Dreyden pushed you back down using his strength to flip you onto your stomach. He cupped his hand around your belly partially to keep you stable but mostly because he wanted to feel you swelling with his eggs.

You whinned as Dreydens cock dragged along your folds seeking out the entrance to your wipping cunt. He pulled back taking his cock into his free hand he slowly slid the tip into you.

He growled as he took his time slowly pushing inch by inch into your clenching cunt. As he hit half way in, he dropped himself down using one hand to keep his weight off you. All while incasing your body with his own. Keeping his other hand cupped tight against your stomach his claws digging in just enough to bring you a light pain amongst all the pleasure.

"Your so tight around me my Lantana. I can feel ever ripple of your sweet little pussy as she begs for me to stuff her full." He moaned out pushing himself in deeper. You where a whimpering mess beneath him letting out moans everytime he pushed himself in more. As he found that he couldn't go any deeper he let out a annoyed rumble.

Pulling himself out he flipped you onto your back smiling at the site of you. Your hair was a mess and your pupils had expanded. Soft sounds left your lips as you reached out to him.

"Bite into my scales." He ordered. He dragged the side of his mouth along your head. Letting some of his canines scratch along the top of your ear. You moaned biting down lightly onto his chest. "Oh sweet heart your going to bite harder then that."

He pushed the tip of his cock in. You let out a cry biting down onto hard onto his chest. He thrusted all the way into your cunt. You could truly feel him now he was pressed right into your cervix the ridges on his cock gently rubbing against your g spot. Dreyden started with slow shallow thurst allowing you to stretch around him. Your fingers dug into his back while your teeth tried to pierce his scales.

You felt tears falling down your face in full force as Dreyden began to move faster. His rough pace rubbing your chest along his own. He pounded into your poor cunt finally pulling back to hear your sweet cries.

"Your crying my Lovely Mate. Yet I won't stop. The site of your pretty little pussy clenching around my cock is all I'll ever think about again." He snarled watching the way your stomach bulged with every thrust.

"Your so good taking my cock so well. I can't wait for you to cum all over my cock and swallow my eggs into your womb." He growled dragging your leg up against his side pushing himself in deeper. You let out only what could be described as a high pitch whine. As you began to coat his cock with your cum. Dreyden let out a growl.

"That's it. My Lantana your cumming so hard for me." He moaned continuing with his brutal pace.

"Dreyden! Please I need just a second." You sobbed trying to wiggle away from him. You where to sensitive and Dreyden wasn't letting up.

"It's to much for you is it? My poor girl, I won't be stopping tell your womb is heavy with my eggs." He growled pulling you up to push deeper and rub your clit against the softer scales on his abdomen.

"Ah I could keep you cumming on my cock." He moaned rocking his hips slowly giving you a moment to catch your breath. You let out soft moans as he slowly rocked his hips keeping his eyes on you.

"That's it beautiful relax on my cock I can't have you so upset and tense when I fill you up." He cooed at you wiping the tears from your cheeks with his large hand. You nuzzled his palm sniffling from the tears you had shed. Dreyden let a couple minutes pass tell the ripples of your climax dulled down to soft clenches. Softly biting your lip you looked at your mate.

"Oo..okay.. Dreyden. . I think I'm ready. I want your eggs." You whimpered out nibbling on your lip. He nodded starting back up with some soft shallow thrust. Building up into a rougher pace.

He began to brutally pound against your cervix listening only to your sweet cries as his eggs began to push against his cloaca. It was time for him to fill you up.

He pulled back almost slipping out ,before thrusting back down roughly. This allowed the head of his cock to slip into your cervix giving his eggs access to your womb.

You tensed up almost trying to pull away as unfamiliar pressure began at the entrance of your cunt. You closed your eyes grinding your teeth. You felt the first egg work it's way up to your cervix before it pushed it's way inside settling against the wall of your womb. You moaned softly trembling trying to pull away as the next egg began to make it's way.

"Don't fight it Lantana, you doing such a good job for me. Already holding one of our eggs you can take the rest." He whispered trying his best to keep you at easy. He reached down using one clawed thumb to play with your clit as the second egg entered your womb. You moaned once again feeling tears fall down your face.

How could something feel so incredible yet uncomfortable at the same time. Dreyden rocked his hips watching your tight cunt swallow his eggs as they pushed there way inside. He swallowed,  your belly was beginning to swell as the third egg had made its way inside.

"Dreyden... how many eggs are there?" You whimpered eyes sliding closed as the eggs continued to make there way inside.

"My eggs have been forming since we meet at the saloon my little outlaw. I'm guessing atleast six." He grunted out thrusting a little deeper to adjust the eggs already resting inside of you. You whinned out at his actions cracking your eyes open enough to glare at him.

"We are only at three right now My Lantana. You can only take one egg at a time." You looked at him feeling a little annoyed at his words.

"All I can feel is you and the eggs." You whimpered rocking your own hips. Feeling the fourth and fifth egg push there way in.

He groaned the sixth was the biggest he could fell his own cloaca struggling with the size.

"My little Lantana this last egg is big. You have to stay calm. Once its inside ill make you cum again. " He whispered nuzzling against your chest. At the pressure forming inside your cunt you knew his words to be true. The other eggs had been uncomfortable but this egg was thick spreading you open even wider on Dreydens cock.

"Dreyden. I can't." You sobbed out trying to wiggle away from him and the egg.

"You have to be a good girl and take it." He snarled grabbing your hips and thrusting himself foward. You whinned shaking your head as the pressure intensified.

You wanted to do nothing more then to make Dreyden proud of you for being able to carry all his eggs. Plus the thought of one of your eggs not making it because of you broke your heart. So half heartdly you rolled your hips back taking the egg and Dreydens cock deeper.

"There we go. Look at that so spread open for me so willing to push yourself to take all my eggs." He cooed spreading your lips open to get a better view of his cock being swallowed up by your cunt. As the final egg pushed into your womb you let out a broken sob sinking your teeth into your own hand. Dreyden reached out wipping away at your tears.

"Shhh, your okay it's all the way in now sweet." He cooed licking at your knuckles.  As you settled your head onto his chest breathing slowing he chuckled.

"We aren't done yet My Lantana your gonna cum one more time so I can fertilize our eggs." He purred rocking his hips.

He settled into a steady pace allowing you to rest your head on his shoulder. Slowly thrusting into you. You where already worn out and he wanted to let you rest. Appling more pressure to your clit and giving a couple more thrust he smiled as you came.

He growled as he pulled back to take in the site of his beautiful mate. Your stomach bloated with his eggs your face covered in tears. Dreyden came at the site coating your womb and his eggs with seed. He moaned giving shallow thurst to keep the cum pushed into your cunt.

Dreyden finally pulled out after a couple minutes. Slowly watching as thick glops of his cum slid out of your cunt. He slowly pushed the cum back  feeling inside your cunt to make sure the eggs where being held safely.

"You did such a good job!My beautiful Lantana all six of our eggs are safely in your womb." He said rubbing his face against your swollen belly. You slowly touched your own stomach feeling the eggs.

"Six babies?" You whispered in awe.

"Yes six! Ill keep you full of my cum for the next 90 days then we will lay the eggs so they can hatch on there own." He stated his eyes shinning with excitment. He had found his perfect mate. You would now be his forever nothing would take you from him.

[insipid-drivel]

Warhorses: Which horses are actually good candidates, anyway?

This post is in honor of @warrioreowynofrohan, who asked the question in the comments under my guide, "Horses: Since There Seems To Be A Knowledge Gap". Their question, "Given what you said about too much weight breaking a horse’s spine, how did that work with knights in plate armour?" is one I'm going to try to answer here, since the answer can be very nuanced depending on where and when you're talking about.

Also, while I was a stable hand for years as well as a rider, I never had the opportunity to directly learn more ancient styles of tacking, horse training, and combat, so I don't have any direct experience to draw from with regard to horses used for military purposes. I'm still gonna do my best here with what I know, and research what I don't.

As I've covered in the past, large horses (draft horses) make less-than-ideal warhorses, and so do carriage horses like the elegant and dramatic Friesians.

Let's begin by addressing this from the perspective of creative writing. For you writers and content creators out there, an essential part to the continuity of any historically-themed work you do involving horses will be depicting breeds of horses that didn't exist before a certain time in history. I'm going to approach this question from the stance of, "Medieval-type era warhorses". Horses were used in warfare as late was World War II, but actual horses you ride into battle with knights and archers and bannermen? We actually have to drop the subject of specific modern breeds altogether aside from using them for comparisons.

When discussing warhorses, various cultures have approached them differently. Some cultures will value a specific type of horse above all others, such as the Mongolian Steppe Horse or the American Mustang. Other cultures, which may be from biomes and territories where multiple types of horses are needed for different forms of warfare and tactics, value whichever horses can get their jobs done without their riders getting killed.

Carrying vs. Pulling:

Horses have been used in warfare since as far back as 4000 BC, but their first applications were more as chariot horses. Humans have been riding and working with horses since before we even had stirrups to more easily ride them with! As archaeologists and anthropologists make more discoveries, the more we learn that we humans have been working closely with horses since before we had specialized tools to ride them with. The very first warhorses pulled chariots or carts, which is much easier for a horse's anatomy to handle compared to carrying a heavy weight like an armored rider on their backs, which puts stress directly on their spines where they have very little supporting muscle for supporting a lot of heavy downward weight.

Warhorse Size Categories:

Really, any breed of horse can apply to a niche in warfare if it's needed enough. Even very small, delicate horses have had their place in the history of human combat! Before I continue, it's important to know that there's a unique unit of measuring a horse's height. Rather than measuring a horse's height in centimeters or inches, they're measured in units called "hands". A single "hand" = ~4 inches/10.16cm, and a horse's height is measured based upon the distance between the bottom of their hoof to the tallest part of their shoulders, just at the base of the back of their necks. We don't actually include neck length/head height in a horse's measurements with traditional measuring.

Another rule of thumb: The average horse cannot safely carry anything heavier than about 30% of their total body weight. This is a serious factor to take into mind when deciding on a type of or breed of horse for a mounted warrior of any kind: You need to factor in the OC's starting body weight, and then add on the weight of armor, weapons, and any armor the horse itself may wear along with the weight of its tack.

Light-Weight Horses:

A few examples of lightweight horse breeds whose ancestors have historically been used in combat are Arabians, Barber Horses, and the magnificent Akhal-Teke. Lightweight and delicately-boned horses like those are best applied for military maneuvers that require precision, speed, and endurance, and the rider themselves should specialize in some form of combat or reconnaissance that doesn't require them to wear heavy metal or laminated armors. Archers are good candidates for riding smaller horses, or lightly-armored swordsmen like an Ottoman Janissary.

Central-Asian and North African horses also benefit from having a higher tolerance for hot climates. They can absolutely suffer from heatstroke and cardiac arrest from being forced to run and work in extreme temperatures and should always be provided with the same protective measures in a heatwave as any other horse, but they have a little bit of an edge over horses descended from freezing and temperate climates.

Medium-Weight Horses:

Medium-weight horses started showing up in the archaeological record around about the Iron Age, where chariot warfare was becoming an increasingly utilized form of mobile combat, and people needed bigger, stronger horses capable of pulling heavier loads - such as a chariot with two passengers rather than just one. As cultures began to develop heavier-duty armors made of metals and laminated materials, it also became important to breed horses that were tall and stocky (muscular and with relatively short spines compared to their height), and therefore more capable of carrying riders in increasingly heavy armor. Medium-weight horses were also essential at the dawn of the gunpowder age when the cannon came into use in siege warfare for pulling the heavy, iron cannons into position.

Medium-weight horses are really where we see the beginnings of knights and other warrior classes on horseback come into the forefront of warfare. When you have a horse that's big and strong enough to carry heavier armor and heavier weapons along with a rider wielding them, you have a much deadlier force at your disposal. Strikes from a sword or spear from the back of a galloping horse basically results in a sword capable of cutting through enemy soldiers like a hot knife through butter.

Important Note: Traditionally, cavalrymen wield blunt swords when attacking from a charging horse's back. When a horse is charging at full speed, the sharpness of a blade becomes less important than the blade's ability to stay in one piece when it impacts hard armor and bone. A blunted edge basically turns a cavalryman's sword into a thin club that's better at holding up against smashing through multiple layers of armor and bone compared to a thinner, more delicate sharpened edge that can shatter from a high-speed impact.

Heavy-Weight Horses:

The direct ancestors of modern draft horses, such as the Shire Horse, only began to appear around about the beginning of the European Medieval Era, and were far and away not even close to the enormous sizes of the draft horses we have today. Any horse counts as a "Heavy-weight" classed horse if its weight exceeds 1500lbs/680kgs.

Heavy-weight horses were really more bred for pulling enormous weights rather than carrying knights. While yeah, there is some evidence that suggests that heavy-weight horses were used by heavily-armored knights, historians argue a lot about whether it was a rule or an exception (such as with Henry VIII, who continued to ride well after he had begun to weigh more than 350lbs/158kgs, and even went to war in France in his final years on horseback). Generally speaking, medium-weight horses tend to be the right balance of agile and strong for carrying someone that's going to actively be fighting. Heavy-weight horses were bred to be a lot more tolerant to the chaos and frightening stimulation of the sounds of battle, but medium-weighted horses generally tended to be more suited to moving efficiently through dense packs of soldiers and weaving around other horses.

Ponies:

While actually being the smallest class of warhorse, ponies were essential when it came to carrying cargo and working as pack-horses. In certain forms of terrain, such as mountains, large horses pulling big carts full of supplies or soldiers could often be extremely impractical. In situations where an army needed to move on foot and form a narrow line in order to travel, ponies were able to traverse much narrower and rougher terrain while carrying smaller loads to their destination, when heavier horses would struggle more under their own weight and dexterity.

Europe-Specific Terminologies:

If you're a writer reading this and writing a piece set in the European Medieval age, there are specific terms used for the different classes I listed of warhorses above that I'm gonna list:

Destriers: The Destrier was a universal term for the iconic knight-carrying, jousting horse. They were also sometimes referred to as "Great Horses" due to their reputations in combat settings. Destriers could have just about any appearance, but were rarely taller than 15.2 hands, or 62inches/157cm. They were capable of carrying heavily-armored knights (although knights in full plate mail rarely rode into battle and stayed on the horse the entire time - they tended to specialize at grouping up and killing a lot of footsoldiers swarming them at once and preventing breaks in defenses from being overwhelmed by an oncoming army; in the case of Edward the Black Prince, we have substantial evidence in the form of his surviving brigandine that a mounted soldier or knight was more likely to wear chainmail and brigandine with a tabard on their body with their arms, feet, and heads the most heavily armored in plate when they intended to fight on horseback, making them a little lighter and more maneuverable, but I may be waaay off base there because I'm thinking of more of Italian soldiers who used full plate and how they applied it in battle more than any other example) and wearing armor themselves.

Interestingly, the sex of a destrier was often chosen strategically. Stallions (horses that haven't been neutered) are more aggressive, and could both act as combatants on their own if their knight was dismounted or killed, but could give away an army's location if they were attempting to move stealthily. Stallions whinny and shriek a lot when they're horny or arguing with each other, which is most of the time.

Mares were often chosen by Muslim armies for being much less vocal, and therefore much more capable of stealth. Geldings (neutered males) were the preferred mounts of the Teutonic Knights, a Catholic military group, since they couldn't be stolen and used to breed more horses for the enemy army.

Coursers:

Coursers were the most common Medieval European warhorse. It's important to remember that in Medieval Europe, most armies were almost entirely comprised of common men - serfs subject to the will of their landlords, not far removed from slaves in many ways - who couldn't afford the highly-prized and expensive Destriers. Coursers were usually a bit lighter than Destriers, but were still strong enough to carry someone wearing armor. Coursers were also a little more utilitarian, because they were also sometimes used in hunting as well as warfare, so they had a valuable use outside of warfare that the owner could benefit from.

Rouncey:

A rouncey was an all-purpose horse that could be used for leisure and travel-riding as well as be trained for war. They were a lot more likely to be found on the farm of a serf or independent farmer of some kind, as they could fill a lot of different roles depending on what they were needed for. Their sizes weren't really important as much as their ability to get the job done.

It's also critical to remember that, when talking about warhorses, we're usually talking about eras long past. In general, thanks to resource availability and incredible advances in medicine, modern humans are significantly taller, and therefore heavier, than people from the European Medieval era and prior. While fatness was valued in many cultures for its suggestion of wealth, most working-class and serf-class people worked intensely physically-demanding daily lives just to maintain their own homes. They were a few inches shorter on average than we are today, had greater fluctuations in body fat distribution depending on how harsh or bountiful the harvest season had been and the season in which a war was taking place (the average person's weight would swing by 30lbs or more on average every year prior to the industrial era), and cavalry were usually chosen based upon skill in the saddle as well as physical size when considering the application of medium or heavy armor being placed on the horse's back and body.

[grison-in-space]

man I've been listening to Guards! Guards! again, right. I was going to do Feet of Clay again but I wanted so badly to spend some time with Lady Sybil in her element, so I detoured over to the beginning. (Incidentally, Making-Money!Vetinari up against Guards!-Guards!Vetinari is one hell of a contrast. One gets the sincere impression that older Vetinari would wipe the floor with his younger self if they ever met, and then be painfully embarrassed afterward; and yet you can see the potential among the arrogance. I wrote this bit before I wrote a longer piece about that exchange, but I'll get round to linking it in here in a moment.)

But I wanted to discuss Sybil.

The first thing you have to understand about Sybil is that she is an archetype of a certain kind of autistic person, usually a woman (or a queer man). You find them in every kind of domestic animal fancy, although Sybil is of the class and rank that generally focuses on relatively large, expensive, and impractical animals; the dragon fancy is mostly based on the dog fancy, with strong influence from horse fancies and sometimes cat or falconry fancies. It is not a coincidence that Sybil is unmarried and that most of her time is spent with other women, often middle class or upper class women, who share her all consuming interest in dragons; this has been a really common social circle for autistics, especially autistic women with independent money, into a given animal fancy since the cultural concept of animal fancies existed.

The second thing you have to understand about Sybil is that she is not at all a conventionally attractive woman. Here are the things we learn about her as Vimes does, in order: she has inherited wealth and status that she does not particularly care about; she is large--taller than Vimes himself, or at least tall enough to loom over him--and "booms" confidently and incomprehensibly at him; and even after she takes off the heavy protective armor useful for conducting a dragon mating, she's tall and fat and (implied to be) heavily muscled under the fat. Her figure is compared to the Venus of Willendork, or perhaps an operatic Valkyrie, and she wears wigs because she is generally fairly bald, or at least singed. She's loud by nature. She wanders around with a dragon on her shoulder creating awful smells and occasionally dribbling.

God, I love her. Speaking as another erstwhile animal fancy autistic, she's really living the dream there. And this little Watch man shows up in her life, totally fails to understand what she's asking for when she tries to conscript him into the easy job for the breeding she's trying to facilitate, and then sits and asks her a bunch of pointed questions about her beloved dragons. He's weird in his own way and a little drunk, and he really is unfortunate enough not to have any dragons experience at all, but he sits down and he asks her questions and he listens to everything she can infodump at her with, as far as I can tell, rapt fascination.

This is not an experience Sybil Ramkin has frequently had. He doesn't try to escape or change the subject or draw her back to the pieces he cares about even a little bit. He's clearly dazed and confused and probably, knowing Vimes, a little bit drunk, but he's not even visibly discomfited enough to shove poor old Dewdrop Maybelline Talonthrust the First out of his lap. Sybil clearly knows that most people don't appreciate being drooled acid on, and tells Vimes repeatedly that he can shove the old man off, but he makes no effort to do so at any point. Given that dragons are described as having a quite pervasive smell, and given all the other details of their biology, I can't even begin to imagine how awful the old dragon must smell... and Vimes just sort of rolls with it.

(It's a pity Pterry didn't understand show names at all, of course; the ones we get should tell us something about the relationships among dragons and kennels, and the prefixes should be repeated, and whatever Sybil's own kennel name is should be present in many of the dragons she mentions. Probably it's either Talonthrust or Moonmist, but either way Goodboy Bindle Featherstone of Quirm is named entirely wrong. He's clearly of her own breeding, so he should have a kennel prefix or suffix that aligns with hers, not a name that has nothing in common with her other dragons and implies that his dam was bred by the duchess of Quirm rather than by Sybil herself.)

He listens and he listens and he asks questions and he goes down to the kennels to look at her pride and joy and listen to her explaining what makes each of them so nice. And then he brings her an incredibly exciting present. And he expresses interest in the sweet little whittle she's been trying to work out what to do with, who is totally not a breeding specimen but is too weird even for the sort of people who adopt dragons from the Sunshine Sanctuary. He doesn't even try to leave until the big dragon overhead causes a big stir, and then when she has him taken to her house to recover, she finds him reading her book about diseases of the dragons with every evidence of fascination.

Small wonder she takes notice of him, really.

[aicosu]

Guys, I hate to do this.

Any of you who know me in any circle know that I'm a very professional, very private lady who hates any sort of disc horse breeds that might give me a headache. But this one is important, and my goal here is the integrity and reputation of artists.

For my credentials: I have been a part of five zines in the past. Two I moderated, and one I ran, created, laid out, printed, and shipped in its entirety.

So anyway:

HELLCHEER ZINE BULLSHIT

I joined Hellcheer and the Kindred Freaks Zine very late. Well, after sign ups, check-ins, etc. I saw it was happening in april-ish and shot a DM to the twitter to join. I did both a full art page and a cosplay page.

At the time, the server was quiet but kind. We got updates on the number of orders and books being made.

@Lawless is the runner of the Zine. They created and organized it. They are in charge of the main emails, the selling website, the orders, the shipping, and the funds. (To be clear, this level of sole responsibility is not ABNORMAL in a zine. And is not always an issue.)

@Valerie is the 'social media' mod. They are in charge of managing announcements and answering questions on Twitter and Tumblr. Please keep in mind: No one wants anything but a fast and easy recovery for both Lawless and their mother. Medical emergencies, heck—LIFE happens. It's always okay to put a hiatus on anything, even product with money, in order to take care of yourself and family. Every single contributor only wants them to be clear in what they need and how we can help.

So lets break down what's happening.

Back in May, Lawless went radio silent on the status of books and merch coming in. Another contributor and I, @Toguchin, start dming Lawless to make sure everything is on track. They come back after a week and apologize for being MIA, explaining that their mom got sick. We thank them for all their hard work and wish them and their mom well.

On July 15th, after contributors and customers inquire on delays to meeting the announced shipping deadline, Lawless makes a twitter post saying shipping has started and contributor copies will be happening. They proceeded to go MIA from the server discord and have been since.

The following week, contributors and customers discover that shipping HAS NOT started. Labels have been created and printed, but nothing appears to be in transit at all.

Toguchin and I started getting reached out to by customers worrying their packages are lost. We report this to the zine server to NO RESPONSE. Except @Ashlee, the discord mod who also has heard nothing.

July 20th to 22nd with customers complaining and theorizing a scam in mind; Toguchin and I propose that PDFs be given out to assure and apologize for delays.

We as a server discover a few things: 1. We cannot access the list of buyers at all in order to email apology zines because Lawless did not share the account information with anyone. 2. We cannot access the main email for the same reason. 3. Valerie, the social media mod, deleted discord and distanced themselves from the Hellcheer fandom and has not been checking the Twitter or tumblr, or discord notifications since May.

Ashlee and Ichikun contact Valerie to sign on.

I made a new email and said fuck it, we need to do something to assuage fears, let them send receipts to honor their zines. Valerie didn't know what to post or say or how to answer everyone, so I gave them a copy paste.

Still no words from Lawless but hoping for the best knowing the have a medical emergency, Ashlee and I begin answering the new email for PDFs, but cant help people change addresses or give them any update!!!

Throughout the weeks mods and contributors ping Lawless constantly asking if they need any help! Any help at all, answering emails, changing order addresses, heck a few of us ask if we can pick up the books and packages and ship stuff for them so they can hands off the project and take care of their mom. No response.

We send message after message saying if Lawless can share picture proof, that would be great cause scam theories and chargebacks are starting. BUT ALSO, we let Lawless know we and customers will ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND delays if they just communicate it. That if they post in server and on Twitter that shipping needs to wait a month or two, no one will mind. No responses.

July 31, Lawless makes a Twitter update with comments disabled that they are shipping ALL packages that monday with a picture of packages. They also call Valerie privately and tell the issue that USPS refuses to pick up shipments from Lawless has, and they can't leave their mothers side from the post office. They also claim they can only deliver ten packages at a time at the post when they go. *USPS has no such rules. Me and other mutuals who run shops have never had such a problem.

A week later, we realize that customers and our packages are still not in transit. Labels printed only. Most of us assume all packages are just label printed and sitting at Lawless' house.

We beg for updates from Valerie or Lawless. Valerie doubles down on Lawless old reasonings and also officially goes MIA until present day.

Throughout August, USA packages get delivered. A few more updates are made straight to Twitter and Tumblr with comments off. Radio silence in server.

As packages arrive, we all become aware from people's posts and pictures that random Stranger Things Art Stickers are included. No credit to any artist is given? No contributor is responsible for this art. These are suspected to be BOUGHT from Amazon. STOLEN arts amazon sellers resell in packs. NO contributor is okay with this!!! Valerie responds with no response at all.

As of now:

No response to missing digital copies. Ashlee and I cannot give out any without receipts because we have no access to buyers list. Nor can we answer missing packages inquiries cause we have no info. International packages unaccounted for. SCRUNCHIES FREE OR OTHERWISE UNACCOUNTED FOR. Zero word on contributor copies. Zero word on donation status. Zero word on generated profit or book and shipping cost. No way to verify funds at all. No word from Lawless to contributors since July 15. From Valerie since the 31st.

Some notes:

Turning off twitter comments was NEVER what any one of us wanted. A ZINE LAYOUT was never shared. So until people had them in hand or in PDF none of us realized that the credits DO NOT POINT TO ANY SOCIAL MEDIA. All of our usernames are handle-less? This was extremely disappointing. This one matters to me: Our FanEdit artist was not aware their work was not getting a full page. Again no pre-layout was shared. So their work is tiny and in the margins of the front and back. That's not okay. All of us wanted to help in any way we could. NONE of us doubt Lawless intentions or emergencies. But lying, misleading, non-communicating and turning off comments are all things we did not consent to. All of us only wanted a cordial, honest response. None of us actually cared about delays as much as we did communications. There has been many noticeable times Lawless has been online, posting privately or otherwise, even active on Discord and has not reached out.

Why make a post:

Customers should know contributors fought for them. That we did everything we could and our reputation as artists in the fandom shouldn't be tarnished cause two creators decided to disappear. Contributors should get their copies. Many of us BOUGHT bundles. I've been in five zines and every single one gave out free contributor copies WITH merch!!

I'm also attaching all server screenshots for integrity. I'm in half a mind to release the zine PDF publicly, for free, for everyone at this point. I personally think it's only fair since many are still missing just that. But I do not want to insult anyone who paid for just the PDF regardless of the potential contribution to charity. But it's really up to customers, not me.

[the-biggest-simp-in-the-land]

hi new one's! You open for request am I right? If you don't mind I want some Obey me smut for brothers if can't all of them just Lucifer and Satan :>

how will they react when their beloved MC is angry at them for some reason and refuses to have sex for a whole month ( wow cruel) when the MC is not angry anymore and the brothers become Brutal during their Bed activity -////- specific kink ? I'm ok with Breeding and Spanking

I hope this isn't too much to ask, Feel free to ignore if it makes you uncomfortable :> sorry for my horny feeling

Sorry for the  delay.

Please don't feel ashamed for doing such a beautiful request and ooh God this is gonna be a long ride, I think, a fun one, I hope.

You didn't specify the gender so I'm going with an non-binary approach.

Minors GET OUT

Please warn me if you see anything that triggers you.

Lucifer 

He forgot about your monthly dinner date, cause he was extremely stressed about shit his brothers had done throughout the day and he had a big and extraordinarily boring meeting with diavolo, that he also forgot to mention to you. And honestly, you would forgive him if it wasn't the third month without those dinner dates.

He would try to talk to you, try to reason, even ask for forgiveness, something extraordinarily rare because of his pride, look how much despair you create, just because you are denying him, but when the month is over, ooooooh you better run.

I think it would go like this:

The desperation of getting out of this overwhelming pleasure, as you try to wiggle as little as possible, because the ropes would dig even more into your skin. Tied up on Lucifer's ceiling, for who knows how long, with a bullet vibrator in you, he left the room right after he was done tying you up, and giving you a good old spanking, It felt like you were there for days. Then finally the door opens again, maybe he will forgive you, maybe he will use you to make up for the lost time, it doesn't matter, the only thing that matters now is that he is here.

And boy oh boy, he is gonna make you pay, consensualy of course, you revoked his funny business privileges, he is gonna revoke your walking privileges for at least a week.

Mammon

He gambled a present you gave him in horse racing. When you found out he almost lost it, for the second time, oh well Mammon, say bye bye to mc, you not only don't slam his slammer, but you also don't talk to him, and when he noticed he started to annoy the fuck out of you.

How this goes down depends on you, if you talk to him again,  before the month is over, he will annoy you less, still learn his lesson and be a little happier and will go easier on you, but if not… Skedaddle skadoodle your legs are a now noodle.

I believe that Mammon, when domming, is a soft dom, but that doesn't mean that he can't be a little rough sometimes.

"Come on, pretty thing, can't you deal with what you've done?" He looks at you while you suck on his pretty cock, as he gives a light smack on your ass. "There we go love such a good human, the best living being in the three realms." He says as he makes you go deeper.

Levi

He got a little jealous when one of the brothers was out with you doing things, let's say idiotic things, especially since you were out with mammon, probably helping him out of a pyramid scheme.

It doesn't really matter, Levi is lonely, and got so fucking jealous, he almost broke his favorite ultra rare Ruri-chan action figure. After the fit he had inside his room, he went after you and mammon,

Annoy the fuck out of you 2.0

"You're such a little brat, trying to tease this whole month, ignoring me, and in the end YOU end up crying hard and I didn't even started… that's adorable." He coos in a condescending voice.

He would whine, a lot, like really, he will go OUTSIDE just to annoy the fuck out of you and try to convince you. Yes he does relieves himself by masturbating, cause if he didn't you would be trying to kill him.

(I belive it is one of the times where admiral Leviathan comes out)

Satan

I think he would actually be really comprehensive and calm about the whole thing, he understands he fucked up, he may be the avatar of wrath and because of that he would be the best with his feelings and the others… BUT you should have been warned what would happen after the conflict had been solved. After you calm down and his privileges are back, you won't walk soon darling. He will go all out, and I mean it.

"Come on kitty, it's been a month, now it's time for us to catch up for the lost time."

You were in his favorite lingerie, a black lacy one with an opening right in the ass for easy access, a set that he chose during the month you decided to deny him, a really pretty tail plug, that matches perfectly your hair color, along with the cat ears and the adorable little collar in your favorite color. At that moment you knew it was gonna be a long night.

Asmo

Basically he would pass through the 5 stages of grief.

Now you wanna know how did he fuck up?

It was late at night and he went in too your room and you made go out, it would be fine if it wasn't for being the day before an important thing you had (think about, idk, a test?), you told him you could go tomorrow, but he told you it was something he could not delay, it was a sale on his favorite beauty products… yeah.

During the month he will try to make you give in to him, let him pleasure you and him at the same time, he will also tease the fuck out of you and try to invade your room to relive some of this pent up energy, but thanks to Lucifer's magic, he can't.

After the month is over be prepared to be edged,fucked dumb and over stimulated, it will take a while for him to get all this frustration out, you make a note to try this again cause even so the month was hard for both of you the wait was worth it, he learned his lesson and you enjoyed yourself way too much.

Beel

Tbh I don't se him fucking up something really big, unless it involves food… like he ate a present that you made for someone else. I think the conflict happened when you made some angel cakes for Luke, cause you both were exchanging typical foods from the sender's realm. You left the kitchen with your almost ready sweets, but it was missing a small detail, the edible sparkly blue confetti, you left it in your room and went to get it, but you forgot one small detail, you left the angel cakes unguarded, with just a small note for luke. Beel saw them and ate them all, forgetting about what you told him and ignoring the letter that had Luke written in capital letters.

Understandable have a good day.

That was him before he had met you, he would be fine, but after the first time you had done the deed, what was small had grown into a monster.

So you can expect some over stimulation, lots of oral and even some breeding (if he is feeling like it)

Belphie

You were horny, he denied you, you denied him for a month, well that's not the complete story, even though there is some, consensual, sonophilia here and there and shit, almost everyday either of you wakes up and have some sex. Well one day he decided to deny you, just for fun, and tease you all day long, talking dirty with his sleepy voice in the middle of the class. When you arrived at home he just eddge you and did not let you come once, all the while he gave you that lazy smirk.

Well that's when you decided to tease him for way longer and you managed to keep that up for a month, he didn't seemed bothered by it, until he just burst into your room pinning you to the bed. 

"You actually think you can go around like that, teasing me for this long and nothing would happen to you?" He growls at you.

If you want more or an actual fic,please tell me <3

[johaerys-writes]

I got u fam. Achilles was known to ransom captives rather than kill. Why? If he went to troy for glory, then why was he not out there killing left and right? Do you think that deep down it was against his nature and he was just “stalling”? What exactly was his plan to achieve glory? TSoA in a way implies Achilles did a lot of “stalling” to have more time with Patroclus, but I want to hear your take on the Iliad.

Hello, thank you for this ask! You raise a few different questions so let me answer them one by one.

Why does Achilles ransom captives rather than kill? What was his plan to achieve glory? In Book 1, Achilles explains exactly why he went to Troy, and his attitude towards the Trojans in general. This is what he says to Agamemnon at the agora:

For it was not on account of Trojans warriors I came to wage battle here, since to me they are blameless— never yet have they driven off my cattle, or my horses, nor ever in Phthia, where the rich earth breeds warriors, have they destroyed my harvest, since there is much between us, both shadowy mountains and clashing sea. But we followed you, O great shameless one, for your pleasure, to win recompense for Menelaos and for you, dog-face, from the Trojans; none of this do you pause to consider or care for.

Achilles doesn't have anything personal against the Trojans. He didn't come to Troy for the singular purpose of slaughtering them and their families, nor does he seem to revel in that violence, even though he also says that of all the Achaeans he is the one that conducts 'the greater part of furious war', as the strongest among them. He takes pride in his skill but he isn't bloodthirsty. He came to Troy as much for honour (i.e. winning recompense for the Atreides and restoring Hellas' honour as a whole, which is how the war was framed), as for glory. Therefore, helping Agamemnon win his war and bringing Helen back to Menelaus would have been Achilles' 'plan to achieve glory' if you want to call it that. I know that the take of Achilles being obsessed with his own glory and doing everything in his power to make sure he gets as much of it as he can is quite popular, but I believe that his reasons for fighting in the war are much more multi-faceted than that. And it's also something that he very eloquently explains throughout the Iliad as well.

Later on, in Book 21, when Lykaon (one of Priam's sons who had been sold by Achilles to slavery and managed to find his way back home) implores Achilles to spare him once more, Achilles tells him that he used to spare the Trojans because it is what his heart chose once, but that is no more. And then he kills him—which comes to show us that brutally slaughtering the Trojans he encounters isn't like him at all, and it is not what others expect of him.

As to whether it is in his nature or not, I really can't say. I do think that, as I said earlier, Achilles as a character isn't bloodthirsty or violent for the sake of being violent, he does not kill needlessly even when he does have that choice—we only see him slaughtering like that after Patroclus' death, which is essentially the breakdown of his character. But I believe it also has to do with his upbringing: in a previous ask I mentioned that Euripides in his Iphigenia at Aulis has Agamemnon explain to Menelaus (and the audience) that Chiron raised Achilles to be honourable and to stay away from wickedness. Achilles himself says that Chiron taught him to keep a single heart (i.e. to be steadfast and keep true to his words and actions), to be respectful of the gods and those he chooses to follow (the Atreides in this case) and do honour to them with his spear, unless they lead him or the people astray. That doesn't sound like someone who kills people left and right, nor like someone obsessed with glory no matter what is required to achieve it. And this is a portrayal that is encountered in other works of antiquity as well. Which tells me that this is the way Achilles was intended to be perceived: stubborn and hotheaded, but at the same time honourable, law abiding and very rigid in his moral code leader and warrior.

2. Was Achilles stalling? That is a question that does not really have a straightforward answer imo. Miller chooses to have Achilles stall so he can have more time with Patroclus, but the truth is that in the Iliad we have no evidence of that. Even the extent to which Achilles knew of the prophecy isn't conclusive: in Book 1, he already knows that he will never be leaving Troy and that he'll die there, but it is only in Book 18 that Thetis mentions that Achilles' death will come soon after Hector's. It is not clear in that exchange, at least to me, whether Achilles hears of it for the first time or if he has known it all along. So we can't really know whether he was delaying his own death, nor if he did it for the sake of Patroclus. I believe that anything we say on this topic is pure speculation.

As to why the war took as long as it did: there is no straightforward answer to this either. Perhaps the armies were evenly matched for the most part. Perhaps Troy's walls were just that strong. Perhaps it is the result of bad leadership: as it is hinted a few times in the Iliad, Achilles would get into arguments with Agamemnon and other leaders, presumably because he disagreed with their ways of doings things, which could mean that Agamemnon was just, well, an incompetent leader whose decisions caused the war to go on longer and longer. Perhaps it is a combination of all of the above. For all we know, Achilles, as the extremely straightforward and honourable person he is, wanted to do his best to make sure the Atreides win their war so they can all go back home—and he has already planned and prepared for his death in that case, as he tells Patroclus before he leaves to fight Hector that he expects him to come back safe from the fighting and take his son to Phthia to meet his grandfather and his clansmen after Achilles is gone.

That doesn't sound like someone who fears or stalls his death, but as someone who has prepared for it even if it saddens him. Besides, Achilles' greatest descriptor, 'swift-footed', does not imply a person who would be stalling when it comes to anything, rather a person that sees what he has to do and simply does it; although whether he was ever entirely sold on Agamemnon's and Menelaus' war is also debatable, if you ask me.

I hope I answered your questions!

[oonajaeadira]

The Gordy Report

Gordy's been with us a little over a week now and he's really made himself at home (he's at the office with me today and sleeping on my feet).

I had to register for his pet license and was going through his medical file this week. Y'all. I did not like what I found there. Before I delve in, here's the pet tax:

A very good boy.

First of all, the rescue association I got him from messed up some info that had to be resent. They also told us he was 5 and he's actually about to turn 7 (this is not a problem, we love middle-aged and old dogs in this house, but still, misinformation). But the thing I'm the most frustrated with is the fact that he's had some trauma, and while I know some of it, there were some pretty big gaping holes in the information I was given when we took him in.

I won't go too far into it, but his OG owners gave him up to his foster because they were having a baby and couldn't deal with his high-strung nature. Then he was adopted by his former owners. (That's right, we're his 3rd household, 5th if you count both the times he went to a foster.)

What I read in his medical file was a tragedy. His formers had him for less than a year. They dropped his trainer (which he really needed) and took him running 5+ miles a day (which he loved), but also they let him roam off leash on a relative's farm that had animals. Gordy's a herding breed. Without proper training, that is a Bad Idea.

Within a month, he was in the hospital for a foot injury most likely acquired at the farm, that had him limping--a cut on his foot--and then vomiting--most likely infected from animal dung or some other farm junk. (How did he get the cut? They said they didn't know. Which means they either weren't watching him or they DID know and didn't want to say because they should have known better.)

Another month went by and he needed stitches on the cut because the formers didn't take the doctor's advice and went running with him every day, so it tore. Another month went by and they weren't paying enough attention and he chewed those stitches. They took him in for new stitches and something happened at the vet that traumatized him so much they had to sedate him. Upon coming out of sedation, he bit his former on the nose! (Hello, some common sense advice: Don't put your face an animal's face if they're disoriented and in pain!) After that, they took him to the groomer and neglected to tell the groomer about his injury and it got re-opened there. Gordy was too scared and riled to go to the vet so he had to have video vet appointments and the formers were told how to handle it.

Which, of course, involves instructions. Not their strong point apparently.

At this point in, we are 4 months of this dog dealing with a wound on his foot. And then they again don't listen to the doctor and take him out to the farm where he runs off leash and chases a running horse and bites it and then almost bites an 8-year old child. At 5 months, his paw is 90% healed. FIVE MONTHS. FOR WHAT WAS JUST A SIMPLE CUT THAT BECAME A LACERATION.

They then complained that he seemed high-strung and a little snippy with them and got the vet to put him on prozac....before taking him back to the foster a few months later.

Okay. This was all very distressing to read. And I'm angry that the agency didn't detail it. But I'm even angrier at the formers for taking care of him so badly. (There were other things in those records that I could see they weren't keeping up with either.) I mean, I would be cranky too if I spent 5 months with an open wound.

But. His foster is a dog trainer and I can see between looking at the vet reports and the dog that is currently sweetly sleeping at my feet that she has done wonders with him. She actually texts me from time to time to see how he is and gives me good advice to keep his training solid. And I listen, because I can tell she worked hard on him and doesn't want that to go to waste. And since training works to give dogs structure and help them feel secure, I don't want it to lapse either.

He's such a good boy, y'all, and so deserving of love. I'm still in the moony phase where I feel so lucky to have him every time I wake up and see him waiting for me or watch him twitching in his comfy sleep in the sunshine. I'm working on letting go of my anger towards his formers and just letting his past be his past. He's so happy here. And that's all I want for him.

[otp-shipping-industry]

I know we all know joke about Sauron having spent time designing Galadriel's outfit for the mindscape/proposal scene. We know

And just to confirm that Sauron definitely has Thoughts about aesthetics and style, here's a quote from Two Towers where Éomer complains about Sauron's orcs stealing specific horses when the Rohirrim didn't agree to sell them to Sauron.

‘Then you do not pay tribute to Sauron?’ said Gimli. ‘We do not and we never have,’ said Éomer with a flash of his eyes; ‘though it comes to my ears that that lie has been told. Some years ago the Lord of the Black Land wished to purchase horses of us at great price, but we refused him, for he puts beasts to evil use. Then he sent plundering Orcs, and they carry off what they can, choosing always the black horses: few of these are now left. - Two Towers, Chapter 2: The Riders of Rohan.

So looks like our Dork Lord is pretty committed to his style choices. No wonder he had created Galadriel's outfit to fit the proposal scene! Personally, I'm pretty sure he had designed a whole wardrobe for his queen-to-be. Jewelry of course included. A throne too, right next to his.

But going back to the horses.

Of course our Dork Lord would decide that since he turned 100% evil again, he can only use black horses. No, other horse coat colors don't fit his Evil Aesthetics though he didn't mind them when he was trying to be good and make Galadriel like him. So when he's back to his dastardly evil ways? Only the most evil look is good enough. Only black horses are Sauron approved.

It's just that other horses just don't have the right appearance, they don't look sinister enough for the darkest of dark lords in the history of Arda. Everything needs to look the part in case Galadriel is watching and feeling guilty about rejecting him and making him Bad again.

I'm also pretty sure he distributed a pamphlet like this to his orcs so they knew what horses he wanted them to steal and which ones he didn't. Or did he have a discussion with them, instructing them to only steal the black ones? Something along these lines:

Sauron: OK, we need more horses and since we couldn't buy them, go steal them. Random orc: My lord? Sauron: Specific horses, mind you! Don't steal just any random horses you see. Random orc: Uhhh, my lord..? Sauron: The black ones. I want black horses. Don't bother bringing me grey or brown ones. And definitely not the white ones! Bad memories. And that stupid wizard who Galadriel likes rides one too! Random orc 2: Don't ask. The last one who asked why the coat colors matter got fed to Shelob while the Dark Lord muttered something about aesthetics and no one understanding his vision. Random orc: Right. No questions, just black horses. Got it. Random orc: We'll get right to it m'lord. We'll bring you the blackest horses you've ever seen! No problem at all. They really don't pay us enough for this..

Though I gotta wonder why Rohan simply didn't stop breeding black horses. Imagine if they only had white or grey horses, bet Sauron wouldn't have stolen any of them. Wouldn't really fit his Dark Lord image now would they?

[romana-after-dark]

Ghost of You: Chapter 3

Ellie Miller & Joel Miller

ft. Tommy Miller, Lorenzo and Zach Aleverano

Summary: 16 years after her mom and dad's death, Ellie is finding her place in Jackson, being raised by her Uncle Tommy with the help of her uncle's Lorenzo and Zach. She loves them, but can't help but feel stifled. Soon, she finds out her suspicions were true, and her uncles have been lying to her. Will Ellie learn the truth? Can she trust anyone in this situation?

Takes place after The Wrong Way, but if you havn't read that series (too dark for you, too long, etc) you can read this. Since it's through Ellie's perspective, you can discover the truth alongside her.

DARK FIC! This is a dark!Joel, with canon typical violence and extra on the Joel. Anything discussed or shown in TWW is liable to be discussed here. There will be violence, but no shown sexual violence. Although this Joel is very dark, he is NOT DARK TO ELLIE. None of the things that happened to Ellie's mom are applicable to Ellie, but will be discussed.

Content warnings for entire series, not chapter by chapter unless more is added.

Talk/mentions/discussions of post rape, molestation, torture, violence, branding, forced breeding, major age gap (early 20's to later 40's), death. Child endangerment, major character death, murder, homophobic remarks, minor hate crime, manipulation, identity crisis.

This is longer than I meant it to be (4.5k words), but I needed these three scenes in there and I didn't want to rush. It's hard balancing showing you Ellie's relations with all 3 uncles AND Joel developed and change and shift.

Extra warning for homophobia, and Joel being Joel.

Also some lines/back and forth are directly from the game. I've been watching scenes a lot on youtube to really get the Jackson vibes. Remember, this isn't exactly Ellie we know. She's lead a different life than show/game Ellie, and she's16 so between ages of the games. I did my best to keep Ellie Ellie, but also how might Ellie be different growing up more sheltered.

******************

“So I was thinking, if you think you can get away from Tommy for a few hour, I could meet up with my horse this time, bring you to where I live, if you’d like?”

Joel and Ellie were fishing in their usual spot, a secluded area that Ellie was pretty sure no one was going to outside of patrols; and this was her section.

“Really?” She looked up at Joel from where they both sat, his kind eyes looking down at her, awaiting an answer.

“If you aren’t ready, of course, we don’t gotta. I know it’s kinda a big step but-”

“I’d love to! If I’m gonna take over, I better start learning the land outside of Jackson, huh?”

He smiled at her fondly. “Yeah, it’ll be like bring your daughter to work day.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind, pre-outbreak joke. You can meet some of the guys if you want. If not I’ll tell ‘em to clear out while we’re there.”

Ellie’s eyes lit up. “Really?! Wicked!” 

“Careful.” He chuckled. “You’re starting to sound like you’re uncle Lorenzo.”

Two months ago, that would’ve been a compliment.

It took a few weeks to plan, but Ellie managed to trade some thing Joel brought her to Jesse in order for him to take her farming shift for the day. Jesse’s parents didn’t care where he was. After Ellie accidently cut Tommy’s hand, Maria thought it was only fair Ellie pick up the slack for what Tommy was unable to do. Well, unable wasn’t the right word. He had, in fact, tried to go to work as usual but got sent some when his dried wound broke open and bleed all over him. The news, of course, got to Maria who came to see him and found out the extent of the injury. Tommy refused to let Maria make Ellie do his work, not wanting her up on roofs or around heavy machinery, so Lorenzo swapped in for Tommy and Ellie was in charge of Lorenzo’s work for a few weeks while Tommy’s hand healed. He still helped as much as he could, but was frequently sent home with Maria telling him the point of a commun was everyone pitched in to help each other. Ellie found she liked the work, and even after Tommy got permission to work again she began doing agriculture in addition to patrol. It was summer, and she figured she needed to start doing more for the community. If she was going to take over for Joel, the more skills she had the better. She planned on earning her role, not just inheriting it.

Ellie stood at the porch, nervous. Not of Joel, no. She trusted him. Not nervous of the men inside, no. Joel wouldn’t let them do anything to her. No, this is the house. The house. The one she was conceived in, the one Joel took her mom to when he rescued her from Ellie’s grandpa, the one Joel and Uncle Tommy lived in for years before her mom, the one where her mom met Uncle Tommy and Uncle Lorenzo… This is the house she was born in, the house her mom died in. Joel had told her he and the men were gone when it happened, when the infected came. Tommy had found them, Tommy having come to the house for a reason he wouldn’t tell Joel… but he was the one that found the two of them before Joel came home and saw what happened.

“Do you wanna see her first?”

Behind the house is where her mom was buried.

“Please?”

Ellie stared at the grave, a headstone that read her first and middle name followed by Miller. Wife, mother, friend. ‘For they say you are taking the sunshine’ was inscribed on it, song lyrics Ellie knew right away. In the front, near patches of grass and a well worn area for sitting, there were flowers at varying stages of decomposition at the base… Joel brought them a lot, it seems. “Red River Valley” Ellie muttered about the lyrics, choking back tears. She will not cry, she told herself. “That’s uncle Zach’s favorite.”

Joel nodded in understanding. “Your moms too. Learned it on guitar just for her.”

Walking in the house, her chest felt tight, feeling like she may have another panic moment like she did when she first met Joel… all eyes were on her as she walked in, Joel telling them to ‘show some goddamn respect’ to shut them up. Walking in the dining room, however… her worry dissipated. Joel had set up a meal for her. “Figured you’d be hungry. I’m not the best cook, but…”

Thing was, it was good, vegetables and all. Joel even muttered manners after she ripped a large belch at the table. Afterwards, Joel asked if she wanted to see the room. Ellie knew which one.

It was strange, seeing the room she was born in, the room her mom died in. The window had been boarded up, a shitty mattress on the floor, a piano to the right and a few boxes of random things here and there.

“This is where your mom lived when she first came to live with us, before we were married. These are her things. You can look if you want.”

And look she did. Ellie flipped through the items, taking them out and holding them, smelling the clothes, boxes of pretty dresses, a few baby items that they had gotten preparing for her birth, a well-worn deck of cards… With Joel’s permission to explore and a heartsick eye watching her, she touched the things her mom touched, slowly getting a sense of who she was, dust-collected memories strewn about the room as Ellie took in everything she could: comic books that read Star Wars on the cover, a book called Jurassic Park, eventually landing on the piano.

She stood up from the floor of memories she never got to have, approaching the small piano with care and wonder. Zach taught her to appreciate instruments; they were rare, Lorenzo working extra hard and drawing in all his connections to bring Uncle Zach the one he had.

Tentatively, Ellie plucked out a few cords, drawing Joel over to where she stood.

“You play, Ellie June?”

Ellie nodded. “A little. Zach taught me some. I’m not good, but… I know Red River Valley.”

A soft smile spread across his sad face. “I’d love to hear you play, baby girl”

“I’m not singing. Fuck that shit.” She was quick to warn, making Joel chuckle and assure her he could handle that part.

With hesitant hands, she began playing the cords, and to her delight, Joel leaned over the piano as he began singing. He stared at her, intense and seemingly lost in thought. Ellie pulled her eyes away from his to concentrate on the keys. She couldn’t play when he looked at her with such pain…

“From this valley they say you are going…”

When concluded, the tears that glistened in Joel’s eyes were evident; a sharp agony pierced his so deep Ellie wondered how he made it through all these years without them. 

“I loved her” His voice croaked.

“I know”

“No, I just…” Joel closed his eyes and shook his head. “I know you know.” When he looked at her again, she was greeted with a soft smile, the kind of smile that warmed her front he sadness that ached for her mom, for him… “I love you both, Ellie June. Very much. Death don’t stop me from loving her.”

Ellie nodded, but was uncomfortable with emotions like that, so she abruptly changed the subject, looking over the box of clothes. “She had a lot of dresses.”

There was that smile again, that fond, wistful smile. “Yeah, it was impractical, really, but she looked so pretty… I brought her back everything I could find, she could usually sew them up to fit.”

She couldn’t remember the last time she wore a dress; Uncle Tommy stopped putting her in them when he realized how much Ellie did not like wearing them, never pressed the issue. Now she was regretting not having anything, just a tad.

“There’s a town dance coming up… I don’t even got a sundress or nothing.”

Joel immediately jumped at the opportunity, striding over to the closet and flipping past them. “You can look through these! They might not be your style, their awfully girlie-” he quickly turned around. “Not that you’re not girlie!”

“I’m not.” She chuckled, and Joel chuckled back. “But won’t uncle Tommy recognize them?”

“Most of them are from after Tommy left- here, what about this one, it’s simple.”

Joel pulled out a dress that would rest right at Ellie’s knees, a collarbone neckline and ¾ sleeves. Simple, not showy.

“It’s really fucking purple” She said, hesitant.

His smile faltered a bit, the excitement in his voice fleeting out as he went to hang it back up. “You’re right, you’re right, maybe there’s something black in here? Or, depending how far away it is I can see what I can get my hands on for you?”

Ellie realized he was trying to connect, trying to make an effort, trying to do dad things with Ellie the way he never could before. She jumped up, quickly grabbing the dress. “It’ll be fun!” She assured. “I don’t really wear dresses anyway, so I’ll be trying all kinds of new stuff.”

Joel’s face lit up with so much bright excitement, she thought he looked 10 years younger. “You tryna impress someone, Ellie June?”

Heat crept up her neck and onto her face. She was, kinda. Dina had made a comment a few weeks ago how pretty another girl, Jess, looked in a dress and Ellie thought about it non-stop for a week. It wasn’t that she was trying to impress Dina, no! That would be silly! But… did she want Dina to think she was pretty too? She wasn’t sure. She had only just learned the truth of her existence. One identity crisis at a time.

Instead of telling her she can’t have a boyfriend, hounding her on who, giving her a talk, Joel simply smiles. “Good. Love is a beautiful thing.” He wanders over to the boxes of items. “You like to read?”

She nodded. “Yeah, when something catches my interest.”

Sifting through the books, Joel found what he was looking for. The book was hefty, nearly the size of a brick, the cover reading ‘Jurassic Park’. He tossed it to her. “Thought you might like this one. Lots of action. The leading lady is named Ellie, I think that’s where your mom got your name.”

Ellie looked at the book. She imagined her mom reading it, flipping through the pages while pregnant with her, as Joel worked long hours to protect his community and have everything Ellie and her mom needed… “What if Uncle Tommy see’s it?”

The bright look on Joel’s face darkened just a bit. “You’re awfully worried about him. He good to you? He take care of you?” 

“I mean… yeah.” Although her and Tommy weren’t on speaking terms, she would never say he didn’t take care of her. Hell, every single day there was a plate or a bowl for dinner made up for her in the fridge with a note saying to eat her vegetables. That was all the communication she had other than Ellie shouting the newest lie of where she’d be.

“He don’t hurt you, does he?” Joel’s voice was calm and steady, but there was a deadliness behind it.

Ellie burst out laughing at that, cackling for a while before she looked up at Joel’s confused face. “Sorry” She said through laughs. “I know you’re trying to be protective but-” A few more laughs. “Tommy’s never so much as frowned at me. He couldn't hurt me if he tried.” 

“You have no idea what Tommy is capable of.” The warning in his tone was clear. ‘You don’t want to know the things he’s done’ but Ellie just laughed at Joel’s serious act.

“No, no I know,” She giggled. “I’m well aware. He was a raider, and Tommy’s told me he wasn't proud of himself before he came to Jackson” Slowly, Ellie’s laughs settled, but her smile reminded as Jel watched her intently. “But Tommy would never hurt me.” Thinking back on the last 16 years, the years she remembered anyway, thinking about Tommy… the gentle father who showered her in nothing but kindness, understanding, care… Maybe she had judged him too harshly…

Joel’s body language changed, he loosened up again. “Few weeks before I kicked Tommy out, I found bruises on your mom.” He began walking around the room, pacing, avoiding Ellie’s eyes again. 

“...What?” The life was sucked out of the room.

“She had some excuse or another, I questioned her if it was Lorenzo, Jack, any of the men… I didn’t even asking if it was Tommy. Never thought he could either.” Joel continued talking as Ellie listened intently, mouth slightly open agap. “When he left, she finally told me. Broke down sob’n about it, broke my damn heart, seeing her like that. Told me Tommy had come onto her.”

Ellie stood in shock at the revelation. All this time, Tommy spoke about her mom with such wonder, such reverence, tere had been times she wondered if he had feelings for her… but Renzo and Zach spoke similarly. She was an innocent, good person who died a tragic death, it was no wonder they held her in high esteem… but love? Or is it lust… What exactly was it he had done?

“Did he… did he tried to…” She couldn’t get the words out. She couldn’t fathom Tommy raping someone… but she was beginning to wonder if the Tommy she knew wasn’t really Tommy at all.

“No” Joel assured before clarifying. “Not that… but… he wanted her to choose him over me.” A slight blush, a shuffle of feet, the smallest sad smile… “This was early on, we were still figure’n things out, you know? I think she might’ve had a crush on him. I wouldn’t blame her if she did. I was gone long hours, leaving her alone with Tommy to protect her, it’s only natural. But she wouldn’t leave me. She said he took her arm, tried to pull her, get her to run away together ‘n shit. She wouldn’t go. She was loyal like that…” There it was again, that wash of sadness, that unbearable pain that Ellie had no idea how he stomached. “He gripped her hard enough she bruised for days…” When his eyes met hers again, there was a flash of anger, something she had yet to see from him. “I’m not say’n he’d hurt you either, I’m just say’n if he does, or he scares you, or you just want to leave for any reason… you have a home here. I’ll take care of you, Ellie June.”

Ellie’s eyes watered, but more importantly, she was focused on her stomach not spilling over in disgust. This was the nail in the coffin. Not only was her entire life a lie, but the man she had loved most in this world was no longer a safe person, no longer a good person, no longer her dad.

The dance was a week later, Ellie stepping out of her room in a dress to see Tommy turn around, mouth agape at the sight of his niece in a dress for the first time in… what? A decade? But Ellie ignored him.

“You look nice” Tommy tried to tell her as she stormed through the hall in the purple dress (a light jean jacket on to offset the purple) “Be safe. I’ll be there in a bit if you want to-” but she was gone before he could finish. Ellie and Tommy always danced together, starting with little Ellie in his arms, then standing on his feet, then slowly learning moves as Tommy swung her around. A year back, Ellie asked why he always danced with her, why he taught her all these fancy moves, and he said it was so Ellie wasn't impressed by “some no good Johnny sidestepping to a slow song. If he loves you, he'll learn how to do the pretzel.”

Ellie had no intention of dancing with Tommy tonight. He joined the town hall as promised a little bit after her carrying the moonshine he was famous for. He used to allow her and Dina some sips here and there if they swore to be responsible… but Ellie was not going to ask. Maybe she could get Jesse to get a cup for them, Tommy wouldn’t know how old Jesse was, right? Ellie couldn’t stand looking at Tommy any more… Over the last week, she had mauled over what Joel had revealed: Tommy taking her, Tommy, Zach and Lorenzo lying, Tommy hurting her mom, trying to take her away from Joel… she was disgusted. The man she knew didn’t exist.

The offer to move in with Joel was on the table, and Ellie was considering it… Only thing is, even if she was furious at Tommy, she was still going to miss her other uncles and her aunts. Jackson was all she knew. Of course, she’d need to move in with Joel eventually if she was going to take over, and sooner is better than later, but besides the obvious of leaving her hometown, there was a huge, glaring reason why Ellie was hesitant to leave, and she was dancing in Ellie’s arms right now.

Dina.

Ellie spoke softly to her friend as they slowly danced… it was that basic side to side that Tommy warned her about, but Dina wasn’t a man. Dina was Dina, just a friend… “Every guy in this room is staring at you right now.”

“Maybe they're staring at you.”

She nodded, but didn’t believe her. Ellie never thought of herself as much to look at. It wasn’t that she was self deprecating, to her, it was just a fact.  But That’s okay, she didn’t need to be pretty… well, except to Dina. “They're not.”

“Maybe they're jealous of you.”

“I'm... just a girl. Not a threat.”

“Oh Ellie... I think they should be terrified of you.”

To Ellie’s surprise, Dina went in for a kiss… and to Ellie’s bigger surprise, she reciprocated it. It felt good, so, so good to finally let out that tension, that desire for her friend she’s had for so long… until she felt a strong grip on her shoulder, and she let go of Dina.

“Hey, this is a family event.”

Turning to see Seth, Ellie wanted to back away, to apoligize and leave it alone… but if she was going to lead a group of raiders in protecting a community, she needed to be strong, to be brave, she needed to be the kind of woman Joel thought she was. Although only 5’1, Ellie stood up as tall as she could get and faced off with the old man in front of her. “We weren’t doing anything, Seth.”

Seth glared down at her. “Yeah, you were. We don’t need another goddamn dyke in this town.”

Before Ellie could respond, Seth was ripped off of her, Ellie wobbling forwards as Seth’s grip on her shoulder was yanked away.

“Get your goddamn hands off my daughter!” Tommy shouts, shoving him back and away from Ellie. Zach jumps in, something about ‘Did you fucking hurt her?’ and predictably, Lorenzo isn’t far. Seth has some choice words to say to Renzo and Zach and Ellie knows a few of them are slurs, but in the chaos of the four men and the shock entering her system, she can’t make out much. Maria appears, telling Tommy to settle it, and Tommy calls her uncles away, telling Seth that if he finds him near his ‘child’ ever again, he’s a dead a man, earning a glare from Maria as she ushered Seth away.

Tommy turned to her, attempting to put his hands on her face but Ellie stumbled back in fear. She didn’t trust Tommy anymore.

“Fuck off!” She shouted at the man who had only ever been loving to her, watching his heart shatter in his dark eyes. Lorenzo and Zach’s voices are heard interchangeably trying to calm her down, but Ellie had tunned them out.

“Ellie, I’m sorry” Tommy began. “He had no right-”

“And you do?” She shouted back.

“Elles, what-”

“YOUR LYING TO ME!” It was all but a scream now, echoing off the walls of the dance hall that had now silenced at the scene unfolding before them. “You’re all fucking lying to me!” She referenced her married uncles watching them. “Fuck you!” Running away from them, running past Dina, Ellie took off into Jackson as Lorenzo’s voice called for her, his footsteps keeping after hers for a short while before he stopped. Uncle Renzo had been shot in his torso before she was born, and the old wound showed up in his limited ability to do cardio.

By the time Ellie had made it home, both hers and her uncles houses looked like the had gone to step. Ellie almost made it up the stairs to the porch when she heard Zach’s voice over from his. “Is that what you’ve been hiding?”

Ellie wiped her head around to see him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Zach didn’t move to get up, simple sat in his chair, watching her. He didn’t look made, worried, sad… he just looked like Zach.

“Dina. You guys seeing each other?”

A blush crept up Ellie’s face. “I- I don’t- that was nothing we just-”

“30 years ago, Ren and I wouldn’t have been able to get married, you know that?”

Ellie nodded. She did know that before, men weren’t allowed to marry men, and women weren’t allowed to marry women. 

Zach continued, soft and calm as he always was. “You have a blessing here. I ain’t saying you need to fall in love and marry her, but… she treat you right?”

The teared welled up again. Yes, yes Dina absolutely did. “Y-yeah.”

He nodded again. “That’s all I need to know about that, Ellie Bellie. I need you to understand something. What we are- or rather, what me, Ren, June and Maura are… you don’t need to label anything right now. What we are, for thousands of years was something that meant we could be legally killed for and was something people continued to beat and kill us for up until the outbreak. It was only a few years before when a boy in this very state was killed for being gay; just a teenager, about your age. Hell, it happens still, I know, but I think there are so much bigger issues at hand, most people just… begrudgingly accept it. Some people, like Seth, say a few things but he wouldn’t beat you, wouldn’t torture you, wouldn’t see the things I’ve seen…” Zach closed his eyes and shook his head before opening them. He didn’t say a thing about the tears that had finally fallen from Ellie’s face. “I ain’t tryna scare ya, or guilt trip ya. I’m just saying… it’s a beautiful thing to be living somewhere that we don’t gotta hide anymore. And if you are gay, I just… I need you to know, you don’t have to be afraid or ashamed. I love you, very much, so do Lorenzo, June and Maura. And even though you aren’t talking, Tommy would die for your right to love who you love.”

Ellie couldn’t talk. She could betray how much she had been crying in the light of the moon, how much Zach’s words had touched her, how much she was scared of her future. But Zach knew.

He nodded one final time. “Slam the door when you get in so Tommy knows you’re safe.”

It wasn’t long after the dance that things escalated for Ellie. Joel had been walking with her, showing her the rounds as he usually did when he asked if she’d like to take things a step further, if she wanted to see what he really did, the hard parts.

Of course she did. “What do you mean?”

Joel nudged her off their regular path that Ellie was getting to know, and explained. “Got a man, justice that needs to be served. You okay with seeing that?”

Ellie didn’t need to know what kind of justice it was. She trusted Joel, and if he thought the man needed to die, then he needed to die. Soon, she was standing in front of a man with a black bad over his head who was tied up to a tree. By the sounds of his muffled whimpers and cried, he must have been gagged by something. He was afraid, desperately trying to get out of the ties that bound him to the rough trunk that left bleeding scratches on his arms and hands.

Suddenly face to face with the concept, Ellie’s resolve wavered around her. “Joel, I don’t know…” The man paused for a second, listening to her it seemed.

Joel turned to her, his face open but firm. “This is part of the job. You can’t just have others doing the dirty work, we gotta be able to do as we tell others, Ellie June.” When Jole emphasized her name, the man began screaming in hysterics, writhing and thrashing against the tree which only served to disturb Ellie more.

The leaves and sticks beneath her crackled and she shifted her weight to the other foot. “I dunno… do I have to watch?”

His face was grave and serious. “Ellie June, if you don’t think you can do this, you can tell me now. You’ll always be my daughter and I’ll love you and take care of you. You don’t have to take over-”

“No!” Ellie jumped in, trying to ignore the frantic pleas from the man in front of her. “Just… he deserves it, right?”

“Absolutely. I don’t hurt people who don’t deserve it.” Joel talked over the wailing that was growing increasingly hard to ignore. “We don’t tolerate rapists here.”

Ellie gave her consent, and Joel, inturn, gave her earplugs. “Don’t wanna end up deaf like your old man.”

Stepping up to the man, Joel placed the gun up to his bag-covered forehead and fired. To Ellie’s shame, she mostly felt relief that the man stopped screaming, even though it was because the life left his body, head hanging down low as his body slumped forward. Shock was probably the best way to describe her feelings, she was unable to process witnessing her first death… but he deserved it, right? This was good. The man was a rapist. Rapists deserve death, and Joel didn’t tolerate rapists in his communities. This was a good thing. This was a good thing. Joel was a good guy. Joel protected women. Tommy had hurt her mom. Joel protected her mom. This was a good thing. 

“What are you doing?” Ellie asked, shaking like a leaf- when did she start shaking? Was she scared? There was no reason to be scared, not of Joel. This was a good thing.

Joel was bent over the man, lifting up his sleeve and doing something Ellie couldn’t see.

“Always take credit for what you do, Ellie June. Never hide in the shadows.”

This was a good thing.

*****************

Ellie's name comes from Jurassic Park bc i fucking said so. I love Jurassic Park, so sue me.

Anway! Lots happening here

Fun fact I was already planning on having Tommy defend Ellie against someone being homophobic and I'm talking to Maura about it, and she, who loves the games and played the second one, goes "you'll never beleive this" turns out theres a scene in the game XD so hey!

All the stuff in little ones rooms made me emo esp the playing cards ;-;

and the irony of Joel saying he doesnt tollerate rapists SIDE EYE

@maura-honey @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @the-fox-den @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @koshkaj-blog @primosworld @miraclesabound @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin

[scienceoftheidiot]

Hi there! I know you have a collection of skulls and bones, i'd like to ask what is your favorite piece (and why)?

Aaah ahaha well I don't have one favourite but I can share a few. First I need to say I just counted how many skulls I had and

I counted 58 right now and that's forgetting there is one macerating since uuuhhhh last year that I should probably go bac to

Also since I guess not all of my followers knew about this other obsession of mine, I do not hunt, and all my skulls have been either found, purchased on yard sale, given out of school/museum/university collections, or indeed given by hunters but the animals were hunted legally and eaten for their meat.

Also I'm a biologist so handling dead animals and chemicals is basically something I'm trained for. I'm not telling you not to do it at home, but teach yourself safety and beware. I've been patronised enough by people who didn't know I handled FAR MORE DANGEROUS stuff at work than fucking acetone daily when I started doing this and it made me so angry guys I'm not going to do that to you. Just know chemical burns are no fun, especially if it happens in your lungs (didn't happen to me because safety)

This disclaimer done here is the pieces I like the most in my collection, and the reason why :

First roe I found, somewhere in Alpes-Maritimes. I was living there for my PhD at the time. Like most of the skulls I have found, it was when I tagged along while my husband fishing. Somewhere in 2015 I think ? My collection was already started but I had yet to find a buck.

First cat! Same, my husband found it in the river and I was nearby. Same as the roe, it was all clean already. I love cat skulls. You get to see how big their eyes are. This one has spent a lot of time in the river, has no teeth, and I never could get the patina off, but I think I love it because of it too.

My poor husband doesn't really sit well with the idea of picking up dead stuff but he's always been very supportive, and this is a skull he bought for me, as a tongue in cheek joke. We had almost a row because he told me there were raccoons where he lived, and I didn't believe him, because we're in France, and those are North American animals. We have a habit of taking the car at night to go and look for wild animals (fun thing is that it's a childhood thing for both of us) and one night... You got it, I saw a fucking raccoon happily shuffling on the side of the road. Mindblown. Got this skull next Christmas lol. Since then I've learnt there are raccoon everywhere.

I'm just proud of this one (beech marten) because it's the first I cleaned through by myself. A friend gave me a dead beech marten. Fur and all. And now I find this skull is perfectly clean, sometimes cleaner than some that were professionally cleaned. So.

Dream skull ! A young male horse, and considering where it comes from I might even be able to tell the breed (Camargue). One of my biggest, and I just love horse skulls. I own 3 😅 it's the only male.

Last but not least ! I think I told you about this one. Not a skull per se, but eh. It's a mouse that has been found in one of the beehives I worked with during my thesis. Mice creep into beehives during winter because it's warm and full of food, but bees usually kill them. Then they cover them with propolis, that is an antibacterial and antifungal agent, basically mummifying the mouse. It's not fully mummified here, but I didn't do anything to clean it. It smells like propolis and beeswax, even. It's a little sad but also I'm glad the beekeeper who knew about my hobby just saved it for me.

Here you go!! Sorry for the amount of personal information lol. Thank you for asking 🥰

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Why are birds considered dogs?

Because birds are dogs, duh. I'm not joking. It really is a common misconception that there are two different types of dog: the ones with four legs and fur (called "canines"), and the others with wings and feathers ("avians"). In reality all dogs have either type of appendage at some point in their lives — most young puppies have no feathering but they will grow it later as part of puberty. Similarly, many adult canine animals spend time living among the avian population when younger or during certain times of year. For example, many owners keep parakeets for companionship purposes; these might be used to bring babysitters into one's home if you aren't able to find an actual human sitter! (Weirdly enough, this is actually more popular than people think.)

In fact, most of our more familiar domesticated breeds were derived from wild canids which had contact with humans over long periods of time — after a while the ancestral relationship becomes difficult to discern because any physical trait could have been selected by both. This means it's hard to know where exactly your neighbor's goldfish-toothed dog came from, let alone whether he was originally yellow or chocolate brown.

However, we do have more reliable information on other animals such as turkeys and horses, whose ancestors didn't live around us until recently. Both were developed through selective breeding based on specific traits like aggressiveness and stamina, so even though they don't look much like wolves anymore they still share important genetic similarities. Aside from hair coloration, bird species resemble each other less closely than horse or cow varieties despite being closely related. The reason for this difference isn't known yet, but it probably has something to do with how relatively recently humans began selecting them. One possible scenario involves food scarcity in certain parts of Europe leading to farmers having to feed livestock whatever edible plant matter they found nearby rather than just keeping the plants themselves growing. There wasn't time for domesticated versions of many plants to evolve, since rapid diversification would have meant losing valuable nutrients before anyone got a chance to notice what made the best pig fodder, etc., while cultivating crops allowed for greater control over the diet. Therefore birds emerged as useful scavengers who could eat anything without needing training. They also turned out to make good guard animals — even predators like hawks and falcons will display territorial behavior towards potential competitors — although owls seem to take offense at this. Overall, the two groups interbred quite frequently, so birds are mostly descended from domesticated canines and vice versa. If you looked carefully you'd see evidence for both everywhere, like the feathery stumps of wolf tails mixed in with the tufts of fluff left behind by pet parrots. Or maybe you wouldn't…

So I guess why birds are called dogs depends entirely on whom you ask. Most people have never heard the theory described above, so they generally believe that dogs are those things that have four limbs and fur. Since birds have only three limbs and feathers instead of fur, the misnomer persists unchallenged. Meanwhile scientist types prefer the term "bird" because that includes everything, including non-domesticated populations, whereas "dog" implies artificial selection. To them it's a question of precision vs. clarity. Personally, I call my chicken "my little boy," so perhaps I am biased toward accuracy over practicality here. My answer may not satisfy you, but it should tell you why the confusion exists and give you lots to think about.

[helsex-moved]

hey there! I know you've only talked about it twice but i'd love to hear about your exhels western au!/nf

HI. HELLO

Okay it's been sooo long since I talked about this to anyone let me remember

If this sounds incoherent that's because I've only talked with one person about it at length, months and months ago

Where we start Ex is on the run from England for treason (what they did is unimportant, just a coup) and runs to the very edge of civilization, the heart of America. But in getting there they used all their money and has to turn to stealing, they get pretty good at it to, becoming a bit infamous.

Meanwhile Hels is deputy in a small town with Wels who is sheriff and he's so tired of it. It's boring, a stifling job under a brother he's always been seen as second best to.

So maybe when Ex comes to town and Hels happens to catch them he lets them go, maybe several times, because at least this is something new - someone new. And so maybe they fall in love and maybe they meet in the dead of night, until Wels catches them and throws Ex in jail. This is the deciding moment Hels has been waiting for, so he breaks them out and agrees to run away with them and join in on their life of crime

But there's an issue

The scar on Ex's face, under their mask. A Cheshire grin that never healed quite right the cruel reminder of why Ex will never be accepted by most people ever again.

Infection sets in quick, they didn't make it far before Ex's injury had gotten bad. Really bad. With them at deaths door and no other options Hels swallowed his pride and fear and took them back to his town.

He begged Wels not to throw them in jail or turn in Ex, to harbor them just long enough for Ex to heal and live. Wels almost didn't want to, the reward money for turning in Ex dead or alive would be enough to fix up this little town and give it new life.

But looking at his little brother on the verge of tears over this criminal, this stranger, he realized he just couldn't do it. Even though Hels had betrayed him and run away.

He called for their doctor and kept their existence in his house secret for the weeks it took Ex to heal. When he woke up one morning and they were both gone he knew chances were he'd never see either again, but he still felt like he'd made the right choice.

From there I have less of a coherent plot and more general stuff, they do have two horses a Clydesdale and an unknown breed (I know what you're thinking but there is a story reason behind the horse types), and on their journey to who knows where they slowly decide they'd like to stop being on the run and settle down for once.

Then it turns into mostly domestic fluff about them and their ranch/animals. They'd also run into other hermits too though I won't name names until I have things more thought out.

[kookiecrush]

https://x.com/taeinfinitelove/status/1705592361735147924?s=20

Why are some of these people on twitter so damn dramatic 🙄. It is a screenshot from the end of the mv. It looks a little vague. Maybe they didn't make a connection immediately. They are crying and feeling offended because two people couldn't recognise the mv.

Also, why do these solos hate army so much? Do they not realise that almost all of the og army are ot7. They've been with BTS since the beginning. Yes some of them are biased but why hate the entire fandom? Solos didn't make BTS. Solos are def breaking the fandom though.

It's so damn dramatic and delusional on twitter rn that I had to log out for my sanity.

Some tkkrs are also embarassing the rest of is real hard, matching flanells, and what not. Not long before we get our own 13 😑

I'm so sorry I'm only replying to this now! I somehow managed to overlook it because I had a bunch of other asks straight after yours.

People really are so dramatic on there sometimes. They act like it's a battlefield, and they're at war with each other. You would think defending their fave online is their full-time job the way they go on, and honestly, some of them need to get off their high horse. It's sad to see what a lot of the fandom has become today with people more concerned about fighting each other and finding faults with every little thing. Solo era really exposed the cracks, and unfortunately, they just seem to be getting bigger. Tw has just become a breeding ground of toxicity, negativity, and hate, with everyone constantly at each others throats. It's exhausting.

I don't know why solos hate army so much, but to be fair, a lot of army also hate solos back. A lot of them think their fave is being sabotaged and treated unfairly compared to the rest of the members, so maybe they think ot7's aren't doing enough to support their fave, idk. But I'm sure there's plenty of solos out there who just focus on supporting their fave and don't bash the other members but unfortunately they're drowned out by the akgaes who always seem to be the loudest.

As for the taekookers, like I said recently, some definitely have a tendency to overdo it in my eyes 🤷‍♀️

And all of this is exactly why I try to stay off tw as much as possible 😂

[smol-feralgremlin]

Writer Education tag.

tagged by @sylhorn

• Rules: Writers often have to research some pretty out-there stuff for our wips. What are some weird, unusual, or oddly specific things you’ve had to learn about or look into?

I went on a wikipedia wander about paper because I didn't want just paper as we know it to be what was used by the sea elves Cartography Guild. This was spawned by looking up what vellum was. Thanks WoT for that.

Which is how I learned that there is paper made from banana peels as well as the tree bark. Actually please look at the wikipedia page for paper. Theres so many different kinds its great. It's what gave me the motivational boost I needed to think up an entire saltwater reed that when processed makes a paper that holds inks well and doesn't allow the ink to bleed, which the Cartographers Guild favours for the maps they make. These map are prized for the fact they last a long time, and for the level of detail that is put into them. The battlehorses that Aldon is obsessed with breeds and raises has ties in what I found on wikipedia about the destriers of the Middle Ages. Which brought me to Friesian horses and Percherons. A cross between those is what I've based the battlehorses that Aldon works to improve on with. Seeing Percherons irl has not changed my mind about the size I made the battlehorses. Big horses my beloved.

It was a one off bit about how the screens in the Blackheart family home are painted with flowers and how Petrel was the one who did it that led me to actually looking into it. It's now something she's done since she was a child and she's known for it. It's meditative for her. It's hard to try and think of a lot of the other specfic things I've looked into but off the top of my head: Nail Polish Incense Beeswax specifically when it comes to candles Oil Lamps Emirs and Sultans Tooth Sharpening Nettle fibre processing Aaaaand my brain went blank because now I've forgotten what I looked up for writing and what I've looked up for other reasons. I look up a lot of things honestly on wikipedia as a base before I start going into deeper research. It's mostly to make sure I have basics down and I don't want to smack my head on my desk later. Tagging: @andromedaexists @crypticcodexcreations @dogmomwrites @wildjuniperjones