#sparkler rip

[bluecookiesabi]

I love fireworks they're so much fun and so pretty and I'm sad that I wasn't able to do that many this year

[vamprel]

HAPPY DIWALI YALL ignore how I got lazy near the end please I was speed running this during various times throughout the day 💔 and the little sparkly sticks that Mhin, Ais, Vere, and I (PLEASEdont kill me let me self insert in peace :C ) are uh, sparklers 🧍 that’s how I celebrate Diwali with my family so :]

Also Vere’s outfit isn’t clear so uh it’s a saree and YOULL NEVER RIP AWAYBMY HEADCANON FORBHIM TO ME HES TRANS AND NO SURGERY HESAASHRHDHRJRGRH im lsoingbitbguysimsotirediwantto skeep

I’ll post my other Diwali things tomorrow 😞💔💔💔💔💔

[hannie-dul-set]

HOME FOR THE BITCHLESS [1].

SYNOPSIS. wherein your friend offers a room for you to crash in while your dorm is being renovated, but fails to mention that your new housemates don’t know how to talk to women (oh, and they also have an ongoing bet about you, too).

PAIRINGS. choi soobin, choi beomgyu, lee heeseung, park jongseong, sim jaeyun, park sunghoon x female! reader. GENRE. housemates! au, rom-com, sitcom, reverse harem time baby. WARNINGS. swearing, a house fire, mentions of sex, like the chapter title says there is too much underwear in this, an awful amount of embarrassing men WORD COUNT. 2.2k.

TAGLIST. @cerealdreamwriter @tyongff-ff @dinonuguaegi

NOTE. i have nothing to say except i hope you enjoy this shitshow as much as i enjoyed writing it. please check the link in the masterlist if you're curious about the layout of the house. feedback much appreciated i love u.

MASTERLIST | NEXT >

CHAPTER 1 — this is too much underwear for a first meeting.

YOU WISH YOU CAN TAKE BACK ALL YOUR COMPLAINTS ABOUT DORM LIFE. Sure, the disgusting, communal bathrooms scrape a year off of your lifespan every time you have to take a piss, and the abhorrently thin walls make you want to rip your ears out every time your neighbors have mind blowing sex, but hey— all of that is better than not having a roof above your head. Even if that roof is two years behind maintenance. 

But it’s all too late. You should’ve appreciated having a bed to sleep in before life pried it out from you in the form of a swirling inferno.

When the semester came to a close, your dormmates thought it would be a fantastic idea to throw an end-of-year party. The problem is, that party ended up in flames. Literally. The last person you saw entering the kitchen was Choi Yeonjun until something exploded and before you know it, there’s a stampede, and you’re choking on black fumes, and there’s suddenly a lightshow happening right before your very eyes with the dorm building you’ve been living in for the past year serving as the sparkler.

Holy shit, your dorm is burning down.

It’s a good thing that the fire was stopped before it could reach your room. You don’t know what you’d do if all your notes and textbooks burnt down along with half of the building into debris. Even prior to the fire, a lot of the facilities were janky and needed to be renovated, so you had to pack your bags and find somewhere else to stay for the next two months while the place went through repairs.

“Great,” you huff, filling your two carriers with the bare minimum you have collected in your unit. “This is just fucking great.” 

However, just when you’re falling into the brink of homelessness, a friend from your book club graciously offers you a room in his house as a saving grace from your misfortune.

“It’s a small bedroom compared to the rest, but you only have to share a bathroom with one other person! There’s also a laundry room and a living area on the same floor. It’s a big place, so it doesn’t feel stuffy at all even with six, seven people.”

You have no reason to decline Jake’s offer, especially when it’ll be just a temporary arrangement anyway. “Are you sure? You said you have housemates, right? Are they fine with living with another person on such short notice?”

“Yeah, they said it’s cool,” he assures, helping you load your luggage into the taxi. “I’ve been wanting to fill up the last bedroom anyway. The house is just too big even with our current living setup. The more the merrier.”

You’ve always known that Jake Shim was fucking rich. Not because he bragged or flaunted his wealth or anything— but because he’d drop the most privileged, tone-deaf shit at the most inappropriate times and no one can get pissed because he looks oh so innocent while saying them. You had once complained about stuffing yourself with too much meat during a club dinner and that one more bite will have you nauseous. He replied with, “oh yeah, I once ate wagyu steak for a good week in Japan and I got sick of it, too!” and you physically felt your economic status erode at that very moment.

He and you will never be the same. And that fact is made suffocatingly evident right now, as the vehicle slowly pulls into a fancy neighborhood and stops right before the fence of an unreasonably gigantic yard with an unreasonably gigantic house. You do feel a little poor when he shows off the pool and the two garages, but at the same time, beggars can’t be choosers.

Also, it’s a really nice fucking house.

It’s three stories tall, with a covered deck and a substantial amount of outdoor lounging areas. Floor to ceiling windows give you a glimpse of the modern interior of the foyer and spacious living room. You’re a little afraid of getting used to such luxury that you might never want to come back to your old, dingy dorm room— but with every blessing comes a curse.

Jake did mention that you will be living with six other people including him. What he did not mention is that those ‘other people’ would all be men.

Imagine your shock when you’re greeted by a whole ass man in nothing but neon green boxers and shades the moment you slip through the sliding doors of testosterone hell.

Very. You’re very shocked. 

“Hey, man,” Jake greets the almost naked individual who is also holding a bowl of cereal in the middle of the afternoon, presumably having just walked out of the kitchen. “What’s with the glasses?” That’s not the biggest issue here. You can see the outline of his fucking penis.

“Oh,” he reacts. “It was just so bright when I got out of the room.”

Jake nods. “That makes sense.” No it does not.

“I think it just got even brighter.”

You can’t tell, but you assume he’s squinting at you underneath his shades. You believe you might also need a pair because there’s definitely a contender in being the brightest thing in the room, so you try your best to not be distracted by the neon of his undies as Jake introduces you to him. “And this is Park Jongseong— or Jay, as he prefers to be called.”

“Call me whatever you like,” Jay smiles at you and reaches out his non-cereal hand for a handshake. He seems chill enough. Maybe he’s just a very laid back person who doesn’t care about general appearances. You can work with that.

“Nice to meet you.” You shake on it. “Aren’t you cold, by the way?”

When he retrieves his hand, he combs his fingers through his hair, ruffling the strands. “My friends often say that I am pretty cool.”

“No, I mean cold,” you clarify. “That does look like a statement, but I’m worried you might get sick.”

You’re starting to get an inkling that you have misjudged Jay. It takes him a few seconds to understand what you were referring to, until a breeze passes by from the open entrance and suddenly, he looks down. “Oh,” he flatly says. “Of fuck.” And the innocent bowls cereal crashes and spills into the ground as Jay disappears into the hallway to your right.

You and Jake stare at the milk minutely seeping into the wooden floor. “I was gonna ask him to help you with your luggage but—” Where Jay disappears, a new person emerges (fully clothed this time, thankfully). “Oh! Hyung, come help.”

He has his neck turned back as he walks up to the both of you. You can hear the sound of footsteps scrambling from where the newcomer is looking at. “What happened to Jay?”

“I don’t know, but let me introduce you to our new housemate!”

“Hi there.” You give him a smile.

Jake tells you his name is Choi Beomgyu, and Choi Beomgyu doesn’t exactly look like he’s keen on accepting your handshake. Instead, all he does is stare you down with his arms crossed, eyes scaling your entire height like he’s doing a motherfucking evaluation. You’re trying your damn best to maintain a pleasant expression. You almost break when he quits his rude staring and turns over to Jake. “So, you need me to help carry her things?” The bastard isn’t even talking directly to you. Your pride can’t take this hit.

“No, it’s alright. I can take care of these myself. Thanks!” Jake flinches when you snatch your second carrier from his hands. “Third floor, right?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Got it.” 

Yes, you might have shoved past Beomgyu on purpose, but that’s not the point. You leave the two behind to take care of Jay’s fallen cereal as you struggle to lug your luggage up the staircase. You manage to bring them all the way to the second floor landing before your arms give in and you let the two cases settle on the floor with a huff. When you pause to take a breather, you catch a familiar face walking down the stairs from above. You recognize him from Jake’s instagram stories. You’re sure his name is Lee Heeseung. “Oh! Let me help!” he quickly exclaims after noticing the situation, hurrying down the steps. “You’re the new addition to our residence, right?”

“Yes, I am, and it’s totally fine! You don’t have to—”

Big mistake. You should’ve just let him help, but you’re a little prideful so you reach out for the carrier he took, and when your fingers brush against the back of his hand, the man suddenly drops the fucking case and retracts his entire arm. You stare, wide-eyed, as Heeseung stumbles back to the ground next to your carrier that happened to crack open in the fray and is now spilling out all your clothes like guts and blood. Behind Heeseung, the door creaks open. “Is everything oka— oh my god, is that a b-bra—”

Well. It is, in fact, a bra, and its color seems to match the flushed face of the poor, unsuspecting individual that just opened the door out of concern for his friend. You make eye contact with him once before he retreats into his room with a loud slam! Heeseung is still on the floor and he’s now profusely apologetic.

“Shit, I’m so sorry, this is all my fault, please let me help—” The issue dawns on him belatedly, right when it’s already too late and he has your undergarment in his hands in the midst of trying to undo his mistake. “I don’t think I should help.”

“Good call.” You kneel down, politely prying your blood red bra from Heeseung as you proceed to gather the rest of your clothes back into the carrier.

“I should cut my hands off.”

Oh no. “Hey, it was an accident. It’s fine—” When you try to reach a hand out to give him a completely innocent, completely harmless pat on the shoulder for assurance, he flinches back again. Now your arm is awkwardly hanging mid-air and you’re both looking at each other with shared looks of alarm. The exchange (or lack thereof) reminds you of a forgotten memory— a memory from your childhood. Snacktime all throughout elementary school, to be specific, when all the boys would fucking run away from you and your girl friends for having cooties.

This moment is oddly reminiscent of that and you don’t want to acknowledge it.

“What happened? I heard a crash, is everything alright?”

By the time Jake arrives, you have already managed to clear up the crime scene. With a grunt, you get back up and prepare yourself for another round of heavy lugging. “Can you tell me where my room is? I think you should stay here and make sure your friend is okay.”

“It’s...the first door through the hallway, next to Sunghoon’s. Hyung, are you good?”

You have no idea who the fuck Sunghoon is, but you nod in acknowledgement anyway. “Who’s the person living in that room?” 

“Soobin hyung,” Jake answers, helping a dazed Heeseung back to his feet. “Why?”

“You should go check on him, too.”

With that, you leave another mess in your wake as you climb up the flight of stairs to the third floor. You can’t wait to rest. You really want to lie down. But when you walk past the hallway, entering into the floor’s unreasonably cozy living area, you’re met with a fucking fork in the road.

There’s one door right across the hallway, but when you open it, it’s not a bedroom, but a laundry room. So you make a sharp right to the archway opening up to three doors on each of the walls. Jake should have been more specific with what he meant by the first door. You don’t want to take a risk and walk into something you’d fucking regret.

Fortunately, someone emerges from the door on your right and reveals what looks to be a bathroom. You assume he’s Sunghoon, and Sunghoon nearly doubles over when he turns around and meets eyes with you. His expression stiffens, and you’re both just standing there for a good moment and looking at each other without saying anything.

You press your lips into a smile. Holy shit, he’s intimidating. Why the fuck isn’t he saying anyting?

“Hi. I’m—”

“S—shit—”

Suddenly, he’s gone. He’s disappeared into the room in the center after struggling to open the door for a bit. You’re left dumbfounded, but at least now you know where your room is.

You slot the key Jake gave you and twist open the doorknob. The empty room greets you with a body slam of fatigue, and before you know it, you’re sinking face down into the bed and you have no energy left in your fingertips. Admittedly, you have questioned yourself multiple times upon first entering the house whether you made the right decision, whether it’d be better to find an apartment, or maybe you should just crash at your parent’s place for the time being.

But this bed is more comfy than any hotel suite you’ve ever been to, and your bank account isn’t suffering from an enormous dent. Six disastrous men is nothing when you’re able to call a place your home. You can already envision where you’ll be placing your new bookshelf. They’d have to pry your new house key from your cold, dead hands if they want you out of here.

HOME FOR THE BITCHLESS. © hannie-dul-set, 2023.

[emocka]

Improvised moments with genshin charcters in movies/shows

Note: fluff some violence (childe and scaramouche) ft Scaramouche childe kaeya aether xiao kazuha albedo al haitham tighnari hiezhou gorou

Aether

You were both child actors growing up. When you both turned 18 you got casted for the role of a couple in a comedy.

The improvisided moment?

You caused a literal foot chase. You went to get coffee told the director who just nodded and forgot.

When the scene came up. The cast couldn't find you. Yea your character was suppose to be out for a bit. So the crew and cast were filmed running around looking for you.

You entered the scene coffee in hand. Aether relieved ripped you a new one.

Your response?

'Coffee is my blood'

The episode was aired and you got a talking too. Aether brought your coffee since then.

Xiao

You two were playing as a couple.

Improvised moment?

You and xiao were suppose to be in a field with fire works. But with venti help you caused xiao to almost have a heart attack.

Reason?

You came out on the scene sparklers in hand running with xiao behind you trying to stop you.

Xiao the most deadpanned actor was freaking out.

Eventually he caught you but you both fell into a kiddie pool locking lips.

The scene was aired and the ship sky rocketed.

Scaramouche.

You were suppose to punch him. Not physically punch.

Too late you did it and broke his nose. The scene did get aired.

You two hated each other. Well you hated him. Yea you were little chubby and already insecure. Plus you were in the middle of some drama with fans of another actor.

Now to add being insulted by someone else you just broke.

You paid the fines and charges after the incident. You did community service as well.

Scaramouche?

He showed up at your door one day. Flowers in hand blushing with his mother behind him.

Kazuha

The director was well known for making some actors uncomfortable.

You were working with kazuha on a movie. When a certain scene came up you freaked out. You couldnt go through with it. The scene that aired was heartbreaking for the audience and kazuha.

You were crying and freaking out. A shirtless kazuha was comforting you. The director yelling at you to get on with it.

Kazuha wasnt new to this but he understood the pressure and anxiety you were having.

Eventually, the director had given up and sent everyone home for the day. The next day, a new director took over and redid everything, but they left in the improvised moment.

Kazuha showed up at your doorstep later with flowers in hand asking to talk.

Childe

You two were playing rivals to lovers. Both of you performed you own stunts.

The scene?

You two were actually fighting.

You knew at least four different fighting styles. So it came in handy. Childe knew more than you but that didnt matter.

What did matter was that you were on his back pressure pointing his neck. Didnt work so you readjusted his spine. This caused him to fall forward taking you with him.

There you lay on top of him his elbow in your stomach.

'That hurts! Get off your heavy!'

'You'll thank me later.'

Later you both were found making out. Childe had pinned you in the corner.

Gorou

You two were playing a secret couple. The scene in question

You were suppose to hug him. Not brush his tail? Wait where did the brush even come from?

Yea you were brushing his tail and burying your face in it.

You couldnt resist it and decided to go for it.

Gorou was blushing and very red.

He showed up at your trailer with a small flower and ask you on a date.

Heizhou

You were playing best friends in a comedy/ detective show.

In the scene you were suppose to hand him a candy bag. Instead you took off with it heizhou right behind you.

You were chased through out the entire episode.

You were even seen running past your other actors while they were on scene.

He eventually caught you and proceeded to flirt with you.

Tighnari

You were actually a mute actor and tighnari had to learn sign language to understand you.

There was a running gag that started when you were on set. You were playing a married couple. You were signing at him and he missed a step. This caused him to slide down the steps. You panicked and went to check on him.

This ended up a running gag as tighnari was literally in love with you. Walking while you signed hed crash in to random things.

After the stair incident he showed up at your door asking for a date.

Al hathiam

You two played as the rivals for a game.

Scene in question. Al hathiam was throwing insults at you. And they werent scripted either. Neither was the growl you gave him.

Turned out you two hated each other and it showed.

The insults and growl you guys did were so inspiring for the director that he let you guys go loose.

The second improvised moment was when he accidentally confessed on screen.

You ended up in his trailer after the scene making out with him.

Albedo

You were playing a couple in a Sci fi show. You got the spot because your masters background in science. But you asked the director to keep it a secret.

So your character was an airhead of sorts. WAS!

In a scene albedo was doing an experiment. He kept messing it up. Yes the young man who also had a masters in science was messing up an experiment. You got tired of watching him fail and stepped in.

'Move aside blondie' you grumbled. 'This is how you do it.'

You showed him how it was suppose to be done. Albedo jaw dropped at the terms you were using.

'What?' You asked.

'What college did you attend and what your current degree?'

Kaeya

You were playing a rom com couple.

The moment that was improvised by you? He was suppose to kiss you but you panicked. You had never been kissed.

Before he could connect your lips you grabbed a book and placed it in front of your face. Kaeya accidently hit the book.

You ran after that. Catching his interest.

Later he showed up asking to talk. When you confessed that it would be your first kiss he nodded. He smiled and said time will tell.

The scene aired with the audience on their seats.

He showed up on day asking for a talk

[only-lonely-star]

hiii! Could you do some sodapop headcanons?

Sodapop Curtis Headcanons!! 🥤⁠♡

Warnings - Mentions of death, some are a bit sad but these are general headcanons! These are mostly just little details, fun facts, and little scenarios I think would be accurate when diving into his character.

Author’s Note - Ask and you shall receive 🤲🏻. I have an entire list of headcanons for each character (each character means each character) that is at least a mile long in my notes app 😭. So ask away! Thank you so so much for the request, I hope you enjoy!! 😽😽

⋆˚｡ ⋆ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ ⋆ ˚｡⋆

It’s a popular headcanon that he has ADHD (which I totally agree with), and I personally think that’s exactly why he believes he’s ‘dumb’. It’s hard for him to focus due to his ADHD, and his grades were never really the best because of that. He’s a straight C student. (Me too, Soda, me too 🙁💔)

He got his Southern drawl from his dad and has the most noticeable one out of the entire Curtis family.

He gets along with literally everyone. He can make friends wherever he goes. He’s the type of person to create ‘small talk’ at the grocery stores and continue to blab for ten minutes straight.

Ponyboy is his little pride and joy. He sees the way Pony looks up to him and finds himself feeling worthwhile having an influence on someone so important to him.

Soda was one of those people who couldn’t tie his shoes up until about fourth grade.

Soda is a natural empath, but when Johnny and Dallas pass, he can’t empathize for Ponyboy like he usually does. He can’t do it solely because he couldn’t fathom losing Steve. He has no clue what losing your best friend would feel like, so he can’t necessarily help Pony except for sharing a few reassuring words that they’re okay now. Obviously he grieves over them too, but he was never as close to them the way Pony was. Especially Johnny. He just doesn’t understand the pain of losing both your parents AND your best friends so he feels horrible he can’t be much help for Pony.

He’s a very ‘go with the flow’ type of guy and doesn’t have a set plan for his life yet. 16-17 is still young to have your entire life planned out, but even then he just takes it one day at a time.

He’s so skilled when it comes to fighting, but he stays out of them unless absolutely necessary (like at a rumble) or when he’s fighting one of the members of the Curtis gang.

Kinda piggybacking off of the last one, he’s just not a very angry person. He only really gets mad when things get serious. Situations like when the socs pulled a blade on Ponyboy. Best believe he was PISSED.

Soda was such a momma’s boy ☹️

I honestly think the countless compliments he receives make him feel like his good looks could get him somewhere in life. Like Ponyboy said - he’s ‘movie star handsome’. He totally believes he could be some heartthrob.

He’s so patriotic. On the 4th of July this man will have a sparkler in hand at all times decked out in his red, white, and blue. He’ll try to fuck up some fireworks with Two-Bit and become so disappointed when the ‘big explosion’ is some rip off. (Honestly, I think all of the boys in the Curtis gang would be super festive on the 4th.)

Soda tries to hide the fact he uses chapstick religiously because he’s scared he’ll get teased. (This makes me think of how Ponyboy said in the novel that Johnny would be the only one to think of bringing soap 😭.) I just feel like Soda would assume someone like Dally or Steve would say “That’s so feminine 😒” or something similar, so he just hides it.

Soda is a blanket thief in bed. It aggravates the shit out of Ponyboy, but Soda can’t help it because he’s such a heavy sleeper and doesn’t even realize he’s hogging it.

Soda has always looked up to Darry because he’s the ‘cool older brother’. He wanted everything Darry had growing up (toys and clothing wise), and would try to be his little shadow. Darry ended up giving him a lot of his hand-me-downs and whatnot as the years went by, which Soda still owns/uses. He looks back and realizes that now and thinks “Oh that’s so cool how Ponyboy looks up to me the way I did with Darry.” SIGH 🥲

Whenever the Curtis brothers save up enough to go eat out, Soda settles for his typical chicken tenders meal. It gets on Darry’s nerves so bad because he did NOT work his ass off for Soda to order something he eats every other day. “Don’t you eat anything else? Try some pasta or something, I could easily make some damn chicken tenders at home.” *big, dramatic sigh with the death grip on the fork*.

He can tickle Ponyboy all he wants but he can’t handle being tickled back. The giggling turns to yelling within seconds as a look of discomfort takes over his entire face.

He’s so used to his own scent that he doesn’t realize he reeks of pure gasoline. People can smell him a mile away, but he’s literally immune to being able to smell it.

People liked him in high school solely because he was handsome. I just know he was such a troublemaker and couldn’t go ten minutes without trying to talk to someone near his desk. He was told he caused too many distractions and was deemed ‘annoying’ by most.

Corny ass. I know he practices his smile in the mirror before seeing Sandy.

His hands are super strong because he’s constantly handling cars and whatnot at work. They’re also never clean. He constantly has all kinds of oils or lube (for cars…) on his hands from working on them so often.

His laugh is this really cute giggle, and his cheeks turn bright red when he smiles the tiniest bit. He’s just so 🤏���

I HAVE A MILLION MORE BUT I THINK THIS IS A GOOD STOPPING POINT. THANK YOU ALL FOR READING, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED! 🤗🤗

[goodstuffhappenedtoday]

The more than 30 proud, self-described gutter-pagan, mostly queer dirtbags in their early 30s gathered ‘round Friday night bearing shots of Svedka and Roman candles and sparklers, as the glow of Camden kissed their facesfrom across the river. The thing that drew them to what’s affectionately known as Chicken Pier was about to be burned to bits.

There was just one hiccup. The giant “medical billing statement” was not responding to the long candle lighter South Philly union organizer Claire Hirschberg was aggressively taking to its bottom-left corner.

Someone sprinted for the backup lighter fluid and someone else led a “debt is hell” chant.

The jubilant crowd handed back a “let it burn” in response.

While the giant bill was fake, it represented a very real accomplishment. The group raised more than $17,000, which purchased more than $1.6 million in medical debt owed by Philadelphians, according to their nonprofit partner RIP Medical Debt.

When hospitals or physician groups have delinquent debts they have little chance of collecting on, they’ll typically go to what’s called the secondary market and sell their portfolios for pennies on the dollar. This is where collectors can come in and begin hounding patients anew. Enter RIP Medical Debt. The nonprofit helps people like Hirschberg and fellow campaign organizer Lou Garner buy portfolios with the explicit goal of forgiving outstanding balances. The relief comes with no strings attached.

With the funds Hirschberg and Garner helped raise, more than 1,700 Philadelphians are slated to receive white envelopes with letters informing them that someone has helped cut into part or all of their medical debt.

[onyxonline]

I like to think Mr. Crackler helps with the gardening, but he also is the kind of person who would just completely loose his shit while doing it over that one weed that doesn't budge, and just completely forgoes dignity to rip it out with his teeth in blind rage. (Also he sparks like a sparkler when he's mad, cuz it's funny)

GADDAMN PEEPAW GOT MOVES

[headingalaxys-spicy]

America Birthday Sex Headcannons

It’s so obvious this is a spice post if not for you scroll on by.

From dusk till dawn, surprise sex is a must. Even late through the night, there will be no rest for you in sight. His sexual hunger is high, and so is his ego. So, you have to provide whatever he wants. 

You’re going to wake up with him being rock-hard. His Florida will be prodding at your butt as his arms keep you in place. He’ll kiss the back of your neck & say 

“Isn’t there something you want to say to me, doll?” He will nuzzle his nose in your hair and inhale it’s scent in. You’ll giggle & grab him by his schlong. 

“Okay, we can start the day with a hand job.” 

As the two of you get dressed for the extravagant day the two of you will assist each other in getting dressed. Of course, you are groping each other through the whole process. 

America will suddenly rip your pants off pin you to a wall and take you right there. Alfred is going to expect that you sing him praises and the happy birthday song at least thrice. Alfred will want you to sing to him as he rails you. Even if you're gasping, in pain, or can’t really think straight. He will have an iron grip in your hair until you are singing his name just how he likes. 

“That’s it Y/N keep going.” 

He really won’t be able to keep his hands off you the entire day. Alfred’s hands will be going up your shirt when he thinks no one is looking. Let’s be real: The two of you get caught canoodling a few times on camera. Thank your lucky stars that the Secret Service and the FBI erase any less than-savory photos & videos of the two of you having intimate relations. After all, he’s one of the figureheads of the state. There can’t be things that will squash his birthday fun. 

Be prepared to give him head while he has spilt second meetings with diplomats, dignitaries, and heads of state that classified their meetings as urgent and emergencies. (Yes, I’m talking about the ones just from Britain that give him the maximum amount of stress.) Make sure you’re quiet and swallow you can’t blow his cover. 

Prepare to have Paparazzi all in your face. You’re the power couple of Washington, D.C. & all want to see what makes you live a wonderful fantasy. Alfred will hold you close & never really let you wander away through the day. The grip he has on your hand will be incredibly intense. Arthur of course, decided to give him a fucking weird gift that Alfred doesn’t like. Bear hug time. Alfred is terrified. 

Food, lots of it fresh off the BBQ, that Alfred will want to eat off your body. Yes, it will burn some, but you do it for him in the hot summer sun because it’s his birthday. (Definitely not the day to say nay.) He’s going to “accidentally” bite down on your nipples a couple of times while he pigs out on his favorite meats and sides. ;) ‘meats’ 

The two of you will have sex in random places that day: on the rooftop, in the grass, bedroom, on the table in the grand dining room, you name it you probably had sex in it. 

Alfred will have two maids tie you up in bed with red, white, and blue ribbons, with an American flag ribbon adorning the top of your head. This, however, will only be round one for the night. 

Alfred is hard as a rock for most of the day. He will have you be front and center of him as he walks around as he holds you close while his rod is prodding you forward. 

Alfred will want you to do a lap dance for him. Cue SZA “Snooze” playing & of course, you’re in an American flag bikini while you’re holding a sparkler. Impress him. It’s his day. 

He will want you to ride him like a horse while you sing him the happy birthday song and his praises. Alfred’s large hands will have a tight grip on your hips as he bucks deeper into you. 

“Firework” by Katy Perry will be playing in the background as he rails into you. There will be fireworks to cover up your loud moans and screams of pleasure while you’re doing it on the roof. You’re getting your back blown out and no one can hear you. 

[carefulfears]

https://www.tumblr.com/waiting-for-the-day/724638324438024192/taking-her-to-the-liberty-bell-after-she

well you have to talk about the way mulder loves now!! it can be very subtle but also so intense (thinking about the way he looks at scully, wants to know what she thinks, when he gives her his undivided attention...)

(x) (xx) well, yes! where scully's love is very contradictory, mulder's is contemplative, i think. he's a lot more aware than people realize. but you have to get it. like you have to get what it all means. blink and you'll miss it.

a superstars of the superbowl VHS tape, an apollo 11 keychain, creepy dolls, whatever the hell was in that christmas present. everything means something. it’s like that incrementum line:

Beside him on the couch, she rips into hers with abandon - Mulder's rare gifts are always puzzling, always a challenge, more of an experience than a thing in itself. They're extensions of him and all of his complexity, like little pieces of his soul.

everything means something, and scully loves to figure it out.

he says “i didn’t know it was your birthday, scully!” with a wrapped gift in his pocket, a sparkler and song in front of her. he says “i stole these from a guy with a broken leg down the hall, he won’t be able to catch me” about flowers we watched him come through the front doors holding, always prepared with a smile and an excuse. (they both really love to adore each other, when they can get away with it).

he notices everything. he remembers everything. he’s interested, he asks questions. have you ever been to san diego? have you ever seen the liberty bell? are you gonna see that guy again? how was the wedding? if you could take out 5 people from beyond the grave, who would they be? if you could be someone else for a day, who would you be?

he can quote her senior thesis verbatim, years after reading it. references it for decades. he always wants her input, values it. it’s that moment in ice when hodge (whose partner says she feels treated like his “assistant”) yells at scully that she’s wrong, and mulder just comes and asks what she found. when they find the parasite, the first thing he does is move away from the microscope and tell scully to look.

there’s an essay in deny all knowledge about this (what do you think? by rhonda wilcox and j.p. williams); in the x-files, love is respect, and respect is curiosity. valuing what someone has to say. to her peers and superiors, she’s “mrs. spooky.” to him, she’ll be head of the bureau someday.

(and always. he tells her not to take on his flagrant plans because he doesn’t want her to jeopardize her career, have a note in her file. he fucks off to alaska alone so that she won’t risk anything. he tells her to “go be a doctor.” seven years in, both of them teary in a motel room, he tells her that there is so much more for her in her life. “there is so much more than this.” she was never just an asset to “his” quest: she’s valuable to anything, whatever she wants, whatever she sets her mind to.)

i’ve talked about this before but i think the biggest misconception when it comes to mulder and love is that nothing comes before the crusade, but the crusade is love. it’s love for samantha, yes, but the only difference between samantha’s experience and scully’s is that scully lived. it’s for samantha. it’s for scully. it’s for everyone who came before and after them both. but by nature of having survived, having returned, having come back: there’s something hallowed and fragile about scully’s spot. he would walk away from all of the rest.

when she’s gone, he signs it all away. standing on a bridge, he would trade everything. when he holds every answer that he has ever sought, he gives it up, for no deeper reason than that scully would be able to see her sister one last time. (scully by missy’s bed, crying that her sister will never know that she’s sorry. mulder whispering “oh, she knows. she knows.” and leaning up from his spot on the floor to hold her. there is no deeper conversation than that, because what matters more than that?)

when he walks into a room that holds everything that’s ever been taken from him, everything that he’s lost, everything that he’s tried to find salvation in: he keeps walking. all that he needs is one vial marked with one name.

it’s ahab and starbuck, it’s a mad captain and a devoted follower, sure: but mostly it’s a cycle. mostly it’s a snake eating its own tail.

he can’t say “no” to her for anything. he’s world’s best baby daddy because she pouted at him (because she believes he could be). complete with presents wrapped in baby paper and going to birthing classes with her and tips he learned watching oprah. bugging her about finding out the sex 😭😭 he’s worse than her mother. (“this isn't about the x-files, scully. it is only about you.“)

she feels that she failed him for the rest of her life, he never stops meeting her with absolution. he barely speaks in ghouli except to say “you have nothing to apologize for” and hug her. the original line in the the truth script, before she says that she felt he would never forgive her, is “i’m so sorry about william. i can’t imagine what you must’ve gone through. i missed you so much.”

(she spent months afraid that he would never forgive her, that she would lose everything, and then the moment comes. and all he can do is hold her, and say “i am so sorry. you have been through so much. i have missed you so much.”)

he can “feel” her thinking. he tells her that he’ll curse god for awhile, so that she can sleep. he does not believe in god. it doesn’t matter, nothing is her burden alone. (“i might not believe in god, but i believe in you. i speak to him through you.”)

he “never saw [her] as a mother” until she spoke of herself that way. when she showed up at his door in her underwear the day they met, he wrapped her up and gave her the bed, sat on the floor. matched her vulnerability. seven years later, when she invited herself into his room, he took her shoes off and slept over the sheets.

he spends his life begging to be believed, but never at the cost of her integrity, or even her peace. when she asks what her ex’s stopped watch means, he tells her “it means whatever you want it to mean.” he tells her to believe only in what’s true, what’s true to her, even when she just wants him to be “pleased.” he tells her that he won’t hold it against her if she wants to go work with someone else (even if it’s someone who’s always degrading him).

he constantly lowers himself beneath her when it’s vulnerable. if she’s standing, he sits. if she’s sitting, he kneels. he looks up to her. (and a woman who salutes her father does not know how to look down to a man, but she has to learn).

he touches her very purposefully. it’s learned, it’s earned, it’s to communicate. a gentle hand on her shoulder to say: it’s not personal, we’re friends. a light touch to her back to say: i’m here, i’ve got you.

he says “dana” so softly and deliberately. “mulder” and “scully” are terms of endearment, it’s their secret language, it’s who she became next to him. but he says “dana” to speak to who she is beneath it all. in their annoyingly austenian email love letters, it’s “dearest dana,” but it has been “dearest dana” since the very first time.

he really really likes her. even before he trusts her, when they first met, he invites her out on his run. he doesn’t go anywhere without checking if she’d like to come too. she’s his best friend. they joke about porn and go out to eat barbecue. he gets so wide-eyed and awe-struck every time she talks about literally anything, just falls dead quiet listening to her. she’s the smartest person in the world.

but the hardest thing for mulder to learn is that it’s okay to come off the cross, that it’s okay to experience something other than punishment. so they maintain so much silence, and that snake eating its tail becomes a cycle of inadvertent denial. the best way that mulder ever loved scully is trading that impossible selflessness for movie nights and popcorn. being able to just be still, to sit with her, to be present. she used to cry every time. eventually, she’s giggling over sushi.

that quote i was on about on twitter earlier? “he had the awkward tenderness of someone who has never been loved and is forced to improvise.” (isabel allende).

that’s mulder. awkward tenderness, improvisation; something that you aren’t familiar with, but never giving up on trying.

[silverior968]

Vitakinesis: a visual guide

[Image ID: An illustrated info sheet. On the top left is a drawing of a hand with glowing purple bones, with purple light spilling from a bleeding wound. The text next to it reads "Vitakinesis manifests as glowing bones and pupils along with spilling light". At the bottom left of the page is a drawing of a young white man with long, ginger hair and freckles. He looks tired and has teal eyes, along with a bloody nose. The drawing is cut off just below the shoulder, but he's wearing a beige tunic and a white turtleneck undershirt. The text next to him reads "Vitakinetic exhaustion. A result of using too much vitakinetic energy. Manifests as sluggishness, tiredness and delirium. May result in a nosebleed. Prevents the vitakinetic from expending the energy they need to live. Usually harmless but leaves the vitakinetic vulnerable. Cuts sustained in this state will scar. This state goes away with time and rest. The center top of the sheet has a drawing of Kenspeckle Grouse, an old white man with scruffy eyebrows and moustache and slicked back hair. He has dull teal eyes and wears a white lab coat, a purple button up and a vial of seawater on his neck. He is holding the hand of someone else who has a black shirt. This drawing is also cut off below the shoulder. His bones and pupils glow green. The text next to him reads "Powers active, no visible injuries, with a patient. Using their power to heal someone else, nothing to worry about." The true center of the image has the text "Vitakinetic light varies from person to person", with a black background taht has 4 types of light drawn on it: opalescent flames, green water-like light, white sparkler-like electricity and golden light. The top right of the image has a drawing of Larrikin Fetter, a young black person with ginger and brown hair due to chimerism. They have freckles, a tooth gap, and their hair is tied in a ponytail with a yellow handkerchief. They're wearing a white medical uniform. Their bones and pupils glow opalescent, and there is a wound on their shoulder that is letting out opalescent light. They also have a bloody nose, but are smiling regardless. The text next to them reads "Powers active, alone, visibly injured. A vitakinetic self-healing an injury. They most likely have everything under control, but should seek medical attention if the state is prolonged or they run out of energy." The bottom center of the image is a drawing of Cleaver Salix, a middle-aged white person with short brown hair and green eyes, along with plague scars on their face. They are wearing a white uniform with gold details. Their bones are glowing golden. The text next to them reads "Powers active, alone, no visible injuries. Self-healing an invisible or internal ailment. Should also seek medical attention if the state drags on or if they start running out of energy." The bottom right of the sheet has a drawing of an older white man with messy, shoulder-length ginger hair with white streaks. He has several scars on his face, along with sideburns, a goatee and teal eyes with dark spots under them. He has the same uniform as Cleaver, except his is ripped with a gaping wound on the chest, showing bone. There is blood coming from his mouth and nose, and he looks resigned. The text next to him reads "Powers inactive, visibly injured. A vitakinetic who has used up all their energy. Loss of consciousness is imminent and almost any injury may prove fatal without intervention. Every vitakinetic should try their best to never experience this. / End ID]

[annie-creates]

New Year's Eve

Pairing: Andromache of Scythia x reader

Genre: fluff

Words: 800

Note: Happy (late) New Year to you too! I wanted to celebrate with something special, so I chose the character there's allarmingly too little of fics for. Hope you'll like it!

Andromache has seen many New Year’s Eves. Thousands of years worth of colorful lights and celebrations. Dozens of decades of resolutions and traditions, some of which disappeared already. The celebrations have evolved during her time on this earth exponentially. Nowadays it was a big deal. People bought bundles of fireworks, recorded commemorative videos and kissed loved ones right on the midnight.

To her it was just another commercial bullshit. A scheme designed to rip you of your money and generate profit. She couldn’t care less about sparklers, candles and cute sparkly outfits for a party. It was just another day for her, not different from the millions she already lived.

Yet lately things started taking a new turn in her life. It all started with you. A girl barely on the doorstep of adulthood whose life was taken too soon. Or so they thought. You were given another chance, a chance to take immortality and do the best you can with it. Looking for you took them months. Months of torturous dreams of a beautiful young woman dying. But they found you. In the end they always find each other, whatever it takes.

Andromache didn’t see you as anything more than a baby. A toddler compared to the length of their lives. What was over twenty years for you they could pass in a blink of an eye. That’s what happens when you live for hundreds of years. Your youth and naivety annoyed her. Your bright sight of the future and hopeful dreams angered the old Scythian. She couldn’t wait for the reality of the world to crash your hopes and dreams. For you to realize it was actually a helpless cruel place. One you could describe as hell even.

She hated the way you made everyone happier. As if you brought in the breath of fresh air, the youthful life they all forgot how to live. It showed her there are things she can’t provide for her team. She kept everyone safe, warm and sane for the most part. But even as the mighty leader there were things she couldn’t give. And to have someone, just a nobody and newbie like you, walk in and give it without expecting anything in return was a punch in her pace. A bitter pill to swallow.

Everyone knew you were a pain in their ass. You talked too much. You sang in the shower. You danced while making breakfast. You were addicted to your late night tv series. And yet they couldn’t imagine giving you back up. They’d fight for your life with their own. They never let any harm go your way. Maybe they also saw you as just a naïve child, needed to be protected from the real world outside. Her team warmed up to you and she could do no other, for the team is one and one is part of the team.

So Andromache studied you. She observed your interests, habits and hobbies. The books you liked to read, the kind of music you put on when you were left alone or the side of bed you like to sleep on. She analyzed and examined you. And with every new discovery she had to admit she too liked you the tiniest bit more. Your personality was really hard to stay angry with. Even when you messed up, she couldn’t be mad at you for more than a day. Especially when you made pancakes for breakfast to make up for your mistake.

That’s how she found herself agreeing to the crazy idea of buying fireworks for your first New Year’s Eve with them. Even when she wasn’t completely comfortable with the idea, it wasn’t the most stupid one you’ve had, so it seemed relatively safe. She of course didn’t let you anywhere near the pyrotechnics, leaving it up to Nicky and Joe to set them up. They didn’t need you to accidentally blow yourself up or something.

As the midnight neared and darkness fell over the sky, you all went outside to see the showcase of lights. With a loud countdown getting down to zero, the fireworks went off creating magnificent scenes in the sky. You hugged her without warning murmuring thank you’s into her chest, and she squeezed you to her, setting her head up on your own as her eyes roamed the colorful sky. Even if she wasn’t a fan of New Year’s Eves, she’d set the lights up for you every night just to see your joyful smile.

As everyone settled down around the living room back inside, she made sure to keep you close, as if to draw in a bit of your energy and cheerfulness. She couldn’t imagine her team, her family, without you anymore. You were the perfect piece into their complicated puzzle.

[discordburger]

Gen info - Aether/Swiss, shapeshifter swiss, feral swiss, breeding

A/n - first time writing something and actually posting it...ohhh boy

Aether wasn’t sure what woke him up. Was it the sound of someone clawing on his door like a desperate cat? The sound of it being thrown off its hindges? Or was it maybe the smell, unholy lord, Swiss’s smell of pure sex. It was forced into his safe haven, assualting his senses. Aether sat up, glaring in disbelief at the figure in his doorway.

“Swisstopher Army Knife!” Aeth scolded the younger ghoul as he approached the bed with a devilish grin, tail lashing behind him. Swiss pounced, butting heads with Aether, knocking him to the bed with a thump. He cackled, wriggling on top of the Quint ghoul, sliding a clawed hand towards his boxers. He stopped, like he was thinking hard about this, before sheepishly looking into Aether’s eyes.

“Well? Get to it, sparkler. You woke me up, so at least give me a show.” He purred, “Wreck me.” Swiss snatched his boxers down, exposing Aether to the chilly night air. He was less tidy with his own, ripping them with his claws and a grunt of frustration. He rubbed his cock against Aether’s folds, groaning at his wetness already. He rubbed at Aether’s clit before sliding two fingers into his heat. “So wet for me already, shit.” Swiss growled, kissing at Aether’s neck. Aether grunted as Swiss worked his fingers impatiently, before adding a third digit. Swiss felt his own cunt drip, and growled at himself for not shifting before coming to Aether.

“Oh sparkler, I promise I’m ready,” Aether grunted, eyes fluttering shut.

“Don’t want to hurt you” He whispered back, eyes blown wide.

“Baby, I can take it.” Aeth chuckled, rubbing circles into his arm.

“If you’re sure,” He muttered, wiping the slick off his fingers onto his cock. He gave his dick a few strokes for good measure, before sliding into Aether, groaning at his mate’s familiarity. He leaned forward, kissing and sucking at Aether’s neck and chest, before biting down next to his symbol tattoo. Aether’s eyes flew open, gasping as Swiss bit down harder, leaving marks all over his chest. He dug his claws into Aether’s sides, pulling him closer.

“Fuck Swiss! Breed me!” Aether gasped, squirming as he gave small thrusts. Swiss lost all control in that moment, something in his feral brain snapping. His eyes flew wider, and he threw Aether’s leg over his shoulder, only to jack-rabbit into his mate’s cunt. The wet slapping of Swiss’s knot against Aether turned into a lewd song, the vocals being Aether’s moans.

Swiss’s knot popped into Aether’s wet cunt, leading Swiss to slam into him. He instantly reached down, rubbing at his own clit to send him over the edge. He yelped as he came, filling Aether with his load. He collapsed forward, gasping as Aether rubbed his back. He rolled to the side, awkwardly stuck to his mate.

“Lord below, that was great. Thanks baby,” He murmured into Aether’s hair, sleepily.

Aether looked up as his ruined door, muttering a curse when he saw Rain standing there angrily.

[missyourflight]

some stuff i read and watched january - may

i had to stop doing f1 stuff (because it was making me miserable lol), redirected most of that energy into reading romance novels (occasionally other things but mostly romance novels lbr) and watching films. anyway now interview with the vampire's back and i'm fully deranged about that etc. highlights below!

black sails (s1 & 2 rewatch): i do enjoy s1 for my sins (marcus aurelius foreshadowing!) but it's Wild how much s2 kicks up a gear the instant they start properly pairing off flint and silver. coming back for the rest of the rewatch once i've calmed down about the vampires so the true devastation lies ahead etc. also i rewatched twelfth night for toby stephens reasons, his orsino remains a formative piece of nonsense

mary & george: i'm not going to get into the whole nicholas galitzine filmography deepdive i was compelled to do for reasons not even known to myself but i raced through this. very sexy obviously but often in a way transactional or empowering or tender without necessarily being romantic. like it's not reinventing the wheel but it felt like a more expansive presentation of intimacy than you usually see in a costume drama. tony curran great in this!

shōgun: god what a show!! epic and tragic and funny and specific and just like an unbelievable showcase for craft and talent. fuji forever

a moment of romance: andy lau so gorgeous i could die, neon bloody hong kong action with a love story that's almost chaste until they finally kiss and it's fire actually. the rain! sparklers! explosions! a motorcycle helmet that says "safety!" on it!

tampopo: spent way too much money on a bunch of criterion collection blu-rays and i Loved this one, even the freaky egg stuff. an all-time food film and also baby ken watanabe is there with a little bandana!

all that heaven allows: i always feel like i came to sirk backwards because i saw far from heaven first; did magnificent obsession and written on the wind as well and the colours are always gorgeous but this was far and away my favourite. at one point a teapot gets smashed and i gasped like my heart was breaking

thief: god this absolutely rips! unfortunately your girl Is a michael mann bro (austin butler heat 2 let's gooo) and incredibly into things like blowtorches and shots of windows exploding outwards like a shower of diamonds

challengers: feral about it obviously, itemised list of derangements here

la chimera: it's josh o'connor season and i loved this even more than challengers, there are moments in this that felt like miracles

emma. (2020): rewatched this with the blu-ray commentary which only made me love it more, also i've warmed on callum turner since i saw his trip to the criterion closet, what a babe

queen of the damned: watched this in a vampire fever and in the spirit of "how bad can it be?" and the answer was: worse even than that

furiosa: a mad max saga: i really felt the saga of it all, like the almost mythic telling of it, and hemsworth's great and the action's great, but most importantly OH GOD TOM BURKE IS SO HOT AS PRAETORIAN JACK. OH GOD HE'S SO HOT AND STOIC AND SOLID and i was not prepared for it to be a Romance like that oh god

land of milk and honey by c pam zhang: near-future dystopian unbelievably sexy food book, i still think about some of those images. a duck breast split open like a geode!! fuck!!

the spymasters series by joanna bourne: i haven't loved a romance series like this in a While, it's napoleonic era spies! everyone's in love and constantly betraying and shooting each other! it's Not lymond but it was twisty and detailed enough to scratch the lymond itch for me. you can basically read them in any order because they weren't written chronologically, but take my advice and start with the black hawk, because then you can play "what's hawker up to?" in all the other books and hurt your feelings, then go back to the spymaster's lady and do the rest in publication order. i love my terrible spy family!!

practice by rosalind brown: i'm so obsessed with this, it's about a student trying to write an essay but really it's about shakespeare and yoga and the elaborate gay fictions she's constantly making up in her head

henry henry by allen bratton: henry iv by way of brideshead and patrick melrose, i deeply loved this and i deeply loved this hal. one for the hal/hotspur yuletide enjoyers etc

you should be so lucky by cat sebastian: i also read and loved her cabot series but this one really got to me. as a brit i can never truly be a baseball understander but this crossed the bull durham/everybody wants some!! line of making me yearn about it a bit

kaliane bradley, the ministry of time: loved this so wildly that i committed multiple counts of reverse wage theft to dazedly copy the best parts into my notes app and yowl about it with my friends who'd had arcs. sexy time travel roommate situation, my beloved

add me on goodreads or letterboxd if you're into that sort of thing etc

[cubistemoji]

@thewebcomicsreview op might be thinking of sparkler monthly magazine! Which is now defunct unfortunately. This comic rings no bells for me but if that helps

I’ve seen asks about finding webcomics and I seem to have lost one; I think it was hosted on hiveworks and it was very much in the 2018 boom! comics style. It was high fantasy that centered a tiefling girl and a human (?) knight boy. The girl could do fire magic and lived with an older tiefling and his husband in their cottage surrounded by protective wards that were a golden yellow color. At one point I think the girl got her arm set on fire by accident? I beleive the tiefling as were referred to as warlocks but I might be wrong. They weren’t called tieflings though. There is the distinct possibility it was hosted on sparklemag but I’m pretty sure it was its own site

.

[mysticsparklewings]

Obscutober 2024 Day 25: Lacuna 🫥

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Lacuna (n.)

a blank space; a missing part; gap

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#Obscutober 2024 Day 25: Lacuna 🫥

This one didn’t get nearly as much time as I would’ve liked since I spent most of today on a very different art piece…In vain since it’s still not ready to post. 😅

But I am still happy with this one & you’ll get to see that *other* art later! 

Click the "Keep Reading" and we'll talk a bit more about my general thoughts/process. ✨

⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

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I'm going to keep this description short and sweet tonight Sparklers both because I feel I don't have that much to say, but also because I spent most of the day trying desperately to get a different piece of art ready to post today too...But couldn't quite manage it, so you Sparklers will find out about that tomorrow. Point being: I'm about typed out...But I also can't stand the thought of uploading a third Obscutober piece in a row where I have to come back and type out the description later. 🙃

Likewise, I didn't have as much time as I necessarily would have liked to play with different ideas for the mandala on this one. In another timeline, I might've tried to do some kind of motif with a book with a clearly ripped page or something of that nature, since this definition is supposed to be, "Especially in a book or other piece of writing, including music." Or, thinking about that, maybe something that plays on sheet music would've been cute.

But since I was pressed for time, I opted instead for what I thought was a much cheekier option: I played on the idea of the mandala being unfinished, and therefore having lots of lacunas—missing parts—and in some areas looking like maybe the template for the mandala was still showing.

I do promise that unfinished-ness was intentional and in fact very deliberate. I've used the circular mandala templates when making mandalas traditionally, but I haven't bothered with them or any other "proper" tools beyond Procreate's symmetry capabilities for these digital ones this month. It's arguable there are some days I should have because it would've made things easier, but for the most part I've felt pretty comfortable without them.

The background was partly recycled from a rainbow swirl I made several days ago and ended up not using. And I'd tell you which Day that it was almost for, but I genuinely cannot remember for the life of me at the moment. 🫠

But you can see that I went over it with white in a lot of places. I had originally thought about making the whole things just plain black and white, about as unfinished looking as possible, but the idea of having it partially colored in a very unfinished way seemed like the more visually interesting way to go.

I stand by that assessment, though the whole thing did come up looking unintentionally a lot more like stained glass windows that I intended. 😅 Oh well!

I did also add one final, subtle touch; Just a little glitch effect over the coloring. I don't get many opportunities that feel fitting for a glitch effect like that, even though I really enjoy playing with what it does. Somehow that felt appropriate, like maybe the mandala itself glitched out at some point and that's why it's so unfinished. (Thank God that's not actually a thing that happened, though!)

Is it amazing? Probably not really, but y'know I think I could've done much worse, all things considered. I do think it's pretty in it's own unique way; I didn't expect to like the half-finished elements so much, but here we are! 😊

As usual, I'm not looking forward to cross-posting—especially after having done it once already today!—But I do feel at least a little better knowing I've got a super-obvious choice for the music pairing on Instagram...Here's hoping it'll actually cooperate with me when I attempt to add it. 🤞

That said, I best be getting to that now. See you Sparklers in hopefully less of a rush tomorrow! 😵‍💫

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See the Prompt List

Artwork © me, MysticSparklewings

Obscutober Concept Inspired by nikolas_tower

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⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

[inbetweenhours]

My gift for @tev-the-random for the @mcytblrholidayexchange :D  This has a  a wip attached as you can see, it was my first draft of your prompt before I settled on the finished design above :] There is a written component I added because I wasn’t sure how to match your prompt well with just art aha.  You had a lot of options and variety :] Also uh, if it wasn't clear this is based on the finale of Season 1 so yknow :v:

[ID: Image 1 is a digital drawing of Empires SMP season 1 Roseblings sat together riding the back of a white dragon high in the clouds. Gem is in front, a tense expression on her face. A baby ender dragon, Violet, is in her lap. Fwhip is sat behind her, looking conflicted down.

Image 2 is a screenshot of the gates of The Crystal Cliffs. Its opacity is low and over it Gem and Fwhip are sketched. gem is closer to the foreground, staring is horror with a purple  barrier of magic above her, protecting her from falling rubble. Violet, a baby ender dragon, is in her arms. In the background Fwhip leans against the gate opening, mask drawn over his mouth.]

The sound was the first thing to reach them. A mighty boom ripping through the air as a warning for what was to come. For many seconds the people of the Crystal Cliffs paused, curious of their neighbours' practices, and turned back to their days. High Wizard Geminitay did much the same as any other citizen. Looking up out the high window of her tower and squinting at the horizon line to the north. Wondering absentminded what trouble her brother has gotten into. She huffed, rolling her eyes and turning away from the darkening skyline back towards her deskwork.

Only moments later she look up to the sound of screams below, and is blown off her chair by the force of her window shattering.

Scrambling to roll behind her desk does little to shield her. Eyes wide and brows furrowed, she watches as her paperwork is blown awry. The Crystal Cliffs are usually safe, even with such explosive neighbours. The Grimlands have never been a threat. She scrambles for her staff, hiking up her skirt with a free hand as she sprints down the stairs of her tower. She pauses when she can, muttering incantation after incantation for protection as the building shakes around her. Tall buildings don’t do well with Grimlands-brand disaster.  She needs to get to low ground, fast.

As she breaches the landing of her home, throwing the doors open, she immediately regrets it. Gasping and swinging her staff in wide strokes to sweep an arcana barrier before her. A chunk of debris shatters on impact, throwing her backwards with the weight, but luckily without injury.

She pushes onward to the steps overlooking the Cliffs, and feels her breath cut short as she does.

Masses of debris are raining through the city. Every man, woman, and child running for their lives, wands raised and luck held close to their chests. A mass of roof disrupts Gems' view, nearly crashing into a student she had seen only days prior. She feels a sickening sense of pride with the speed at which their wand flies up to protect them. 

Then she looks up, gut swirling with dread as she finally takes in the distance. Nauseous black smog rippled over the forest. Grimlands is obscured completely from view, not a roof or wall in sight. It draws something hard to grip her throat.

Her parents are over there. Her brother, and their childhood home. Their parents forge where they played as children. Where Fwhip once burnt his hand and where he first trusted her to cast a spell on him. Not as a prank, but to help. The streets they used to run through, sparklers in hand in celebration of their country’s founding.

The Crystal Cliffs are Gems pride and joy, where she learned and thrived and made something of herself. But The Grimlands was her home. And not a single piece of it can be seen through the smog.  

She blinks, taking a shuddering breath and turning towards her own empire. Her heels click dangerously as she sprints, avoiding debris with light steps and a strong barrier spell over her head. She shouts encouragement to students and citizens alike, corralling them in groups to protect one another. They call to her for guidance.

 “Get to the academy”, she advises in return, authoritative and knowing in all the ways a mentor must be. “It has a lot of room, and together your spells may keep you safe!”

“What about you!” A young girl calls, her braids all twisted up. A new student calls out to her, from Gilded Helianthia if the tan complexion and sunflower embroidered skirt are any indication. Oh how far from home she is.

“I’m your headmaster, I will be fine.” She smiles as honestly as she can. The student nods shakily, and is ushered away by her upperclassmen and the young man that runs the crystal shop.

Gem turns her gaze just slightly to the caved in remains of a roof and various shards near her heels, and winces. Perhaps ran the crystal shop is a more apt description.  

She doesn’t dwell on it much longer, no time for such things. Making a sharp turn for the dragon stables as another chunk of debris disrupts the stone pathways. There's a cry from nearby as it makes contact with the street and Gem tears her eyes away as she spots blood seeping through the cracks of the pathway. 

Gem has never been one for worship, growing up Alatristic. She still refuses to give herself to any god, even seeing the purple of her academy’s uniform peeking from beneath the debris. 

It’s many steps past the atrocity that she succumbs with a heavy heart, and hopes that The Copper King and his vigil is watching.

She hardens her gaze as she meets the stables, beckoning one of the three grand white dragons from their perches with care. They’re curious about the calamity outside, she sees it in their eyes. Violet seems less enthralled and more afraid, half flying from where she had been curled up alongside one of the greater beasts.

“Awe, Violet— come here!” Gem coos, wrapping the hatchling up in her caplet carefully. She flinches, curling over the baby as a crash hits close outside. She hardens her expression, grappling for the mighty white dragon's muzzle and leading it out.

She watches over her kingdom for a long moment, and considers her choice. Citizens running for cover, clammering up the steps of the academy in the distance. She should go to them. They need guidance, they need someone to tell them it will be okay and lead them through these dark spots in the Cliffs' history. That would be the right thing to do, as their leader, as their mentor.

Gem whistles, sprinting towards the gates of the city, away from her people. The great white dragon flying overhead with her call. She points clamouring citizens in the right direction, even as she pushes past them.

And there, at the gate of her empire, Gem feels the air leave her lungs.

Count Fwhip stands, leaned against the walls of the gate, goggles cracked and scarf drawn over his mouth as he coughs. Gem can’t find it in herself to care that he is coated in soot as she runs towards him. She grapples his arms, and drags him away from his post. He stumbles in her hold, coughing  up a storm of soot and smog.

“You’re okay— you’re alive—” Gem stumbles over her word, pulling her brother haphazardly along. “Are you  insane? Of course you're insane— come along quick!”  She rambles scoldingly.

Fwhip manages a wry chuckle, before dissolving into hacking again. “Ah— Gem, my legs hurt. Just— just give me a second—”

“At least you have legs,” She hisses, pulling her brother along despite his stumbling feet and protests. She keeps her eyes up and ahead as she navigates, watching for the great white beast above as it circles, high above the peak of the debris. “Do you have any idea what’s happened? We need to go— now.”

“It wasn’t— it wasn’t meant to explode. I don’t know why it exploded—” Fwhip rambles, wincing as his heels are clipped by pebbles. The shaking of the earth throws him off balance and Gem barely grapples his arm before he hits the fractured rocks beneath them.

The look Fwhip gives her when he looks up solidifies something in her. The desperate shaken smile as he continues to ramble. Incoherent and wild eyed, and she knows this is his fault. This isn’t any random malfunction from any odd project. This was her brother.

Her lips pressed together, and she can see his expression waver, his excuses dwindling as yet another crash echoes amongst the screams. He whips up to look in its direction. Whatever he sees drains any colour left in his skin. Gem doesn’t follow his gaze, keeping her eyes on him as she realises what exactly she is feeling.

Disappointment.

Her lips tremble as she thinks it, and she knows maybe she is also frustrated. Staring down at her brother, who she loves and who she will choose again and again, over and over. Who she will defend the behaviour of to anyone— from Guardian Katherine to The Codfather. Who she has stood by through trial and tribulation, war and alliance. Nothing has made her turn her back on him.

And this is what she gets. An accident that shatters her country, her responsibility. That finally puts her in the crossfire. Maybe it’s karma, for never holding Fwhip back. When he rains explosives upon their enemies, tearing riffs in the land and biting enough to match his bark. 

She remembers something The Copper King had once said to her, at the tail end of a negotiations meeting between their allies. They have a saying in Pixandria, “To hold the fire is  noble, but beware of its burn”. It is meant to warn the countless watchers of the vigil not to burn themselves lighting candles and lanterns, to be careful handling the flames. It has evolved to mean that when handling something dangerous, put yourself before others. Choosing to guard a fire is good, to watch it so it does not get out of hand. But to stand so close to something so dangerous means you will be burned eventually.

Gem had brushed the King off as cordially as she could at the time. She has her own sayings, ones of loyalty and eternity and entirely unconnected from the gods.

She wonders if she had listened at the time if she would still be here in this mess, choosing between her country and her brother. She wonders if it would have changed her choice at all.

It doesn’t now, even if she knows better.

She grabs Fwhip’s shoulder, not speaking as he winces, and draws out her staff. She looks up, hoping that the sky does not crush them in the moments she needs to let down her  protective spell. She draws around them sigils on the ground, and thanks all she knows that Fwhip has given up on speaking. 

Moments later they alight into purple wisps, and find themselves unsteady on the back of the great flying white dragon. Fwhip nearly tumbles off before Gem drags him back by his scarf.

“Thanks,” Fwhip mutters, spitting some remnant of soot from his mouth into the sky below. Gem grimaces, sitting in front of him and looking down over her people.

“Hold on tight,” is all she says, tucking her chin over Violet as she curls up around her neck.

They don’t speak after that. 

Fwhip tried. Asked where they were going, asked what the plan was. Gem didn’t know. For once she didn’t want to be the one with the plan, and didn't want to clean up everyone else's mess.

“Away,” is all she said. Maybe it was her tone, or the dry closed off choke of her throat that gave it away, but Fwhip stayed quiet after that. Barely dared to breathe or cough as they soared away.

Away from their homes, and their responsibilities. From their friends, whatever may have remained of their family. Gem thinks to herself, amongst the expanse of clouds, if her people will be alright. She gave them direction, they are strong together. They will elect a new headmaster soon enough. They surely saw her leave.

Saw her abandon them.

She doesn’t bother asking if there's anything left of Grimlands. Too afraid if she opens her mouth it will only spit anger. She’ll get over it. She knew she would the second she made her choice.

Fwhip is her brother. She would die for him and she knows he would just as easily do the same. She has never claimed to be a selfless person, and she refuses to have guilt for choosing Fwhip over her students. She always would, and they would be fools to think otherwise.

That doesn’t mean she can’t be angry. Can’t be disappointed with the efforts of her defence returned so cruelly. The accidental nature makes it only worse. One day she will let Fwhip explain himself. And maybe that will make it better. Maybe it won’t.

For now she grits her teeth and stares into the blue expanse ahead, Violet in her lap and her brother at her side. She moves forward.