#straight busk

[ekrixart]

HIII ... could we get some rowan facts .. ? pls i love him so much im begging🙏

some random facts in no order of specificity or importance -primarily plays flamenco guitar -makes money busking, playing in bars or private venues when asked. he prefers traveling but has been staying in one town for a while recently -has fun charming others and making people feel happy but can easily get tired or overwhelmed by it too. Considered performing in a court or as a personal bard for wealthier clients but knows he'd get frustrated or burnt out by entertaining people for longer than a couple nights straight so he prefers choosing his own hours/busking -Feels fulfilled and satisfied by energizing a crowd but when he's not working he prefers being on his own in quieter and calmer spaces -when he's drunk he tends to enjoy antagonizing and purposefully irritating others more, often getting him into more fights and losing him money -since his job requires him to stay on the good side of audience members for the most part he likes having someone like the captain to tease who he can easily rile up -Here's his spotify playlist -favorite color is blue

[web-novel-polls]

Web Novel Weapon Tournament

[Please be courteous in the notes.]

Ruoye - Xie Lian’s spiritual device (TGCF)

Wiki Link

Submission:

Ruoye is technically a demonic weapon or whatever as it doesn't need spiritual power to control, but that also might just be because it's sentient and has a will of it's own but is deeply loyal to Xie Lian obviously. Ruoye can extend REALLY far!!! And he can form protection barriers, and decapitate zombies, and chop vegetables. There's nothing this good bandage baby can't do!! Peak performance! AND it'll pretend to do a snake dance while Xie Lian plays an instrument while busking!! Isn't that adorable! Xie Lian wears it on his wrists usually, and sometimes Ruoye will like tighten or rub his wrists to express fear or comfort Xie Lian and its so cute. Ruoye is so good. Personally I think despite Ruoyes background being like. Horribly tragic, thats what makes it so Good. All that pain and suffering made this thing that ended up protecting Xie Lian all these 800 years. But I left it last in case it's too much. (tw suicide mention) Ruoye was created after being soaked in Xie Lian's blood when it was used to tie him up while various people stabbed him with a sword a hundred times. Then when he was able to return home, it was used by his parents to kill themselves for a variety of reasons we won't get into. Then, upon finding them, he tried to kill himself too. But his cursed shackles prevented his mortal body from dying, so when he died he just came back; he came back to a silk bandage that after taking the life of 2 royals, and being soaked in the blood of a royal and former god and stuff, it came to life!! With resentment technically. But he's a good boy.

E-ming - Hua Cheng’s cursed scimitar (TGCF)

Wiki Link

Submission:

E-ming is the best boy. Hua Cheng forged his saber when he was defending humans who got caught in the middle of a big ghost battle for dominance, essentially. He dug out his cursed red eye and created E-ming from it. So his eye is on the pommel of the sword, right in the center above the handle, and it emotes!! When its happy, the eye curves into a crescent and it vibrates!!! It cries when Hua Cheng is mean to it in a fucked up sense of self loathing since his sword is born from him!! E-ming grows bigger when Xie Lian(Hua Cheng's god and eventual husband) kisses the blade, because silly erection joke! But also it begs Xie Lian for praise and attention because its BEST. BOY. Oh and I guess also the entirety of the heavens fears the cursed blade E-ming, which has the power to reopen any wounds its made an on an individual before. Just the thought of E-ming makes gods shake in their boots. But more importantly, he's best boy.

A Rock from LCF

Owner: Cale Henituse 

Submission: 

[spoilers for chapters 700+] Listen there's nothing quite like having a scene where the protagonist straight up beats the main villain with a rock. A regular, averagely sized rock. And then also chucks the same rock into the face of a literal deity. It was glorious. It was therapeutic. #rocksweep

Additional Propaganda

[nerdestiwrites]

call to the devil and the devil will come

The rest of the hotel had gone to sleep hours prior, the last to return to their rooms having been Charlie and Vaggie, strictly because Vaggie had practically forced the Princess to bed. Charlie had tried to argue, to say that she wasn’t tired, that she could stay up, that if her father was staying up then so could she. Vaggie had none of it, picking up the blonde and carrying her up to the bed as the exhausted princess half struggled against her girlfriend. All the while Lucifer watched from the bar, shouting a goodnight to his little girl and her girlfriend.

The bartender, Rusk, Busk, Nusk, something of that sort, had gone to bed just twenty minutes earlier after the King had assured the demon that his assistance was no longer needed. The cat seemed hesitant about leaving the bar unattended, about leaving his job when clearly Lucifer had no intentions of going to bed, but didn’t argue much past a few grunts and small mutters about how it wasn’t his problem now he was off the clock.

He sat at the bar, two fingers holding onto a thin straw as they stirred around the contents of the nearly empty drink. He hadn’t meant to drink, he was a sloppy drunk and knew that much, but Charlie wanted to celebrate now that the hotel had been rebuilt. She wanted everyone to celebrate, and so he agreed because now that he was back with his daughter, he wouldn’t do anything to disappoint her again. He couldn’t let himself drift back into the haze of never knowing what day it was, letting information just pass by him rather than taking it in and understanding it, of letting himself drift away from her again. He wouldn’t let that happen.

The look on Charlie's face when she realized that Alastor wouldn’t be joining the celebrations, was an excuse, Lucifer knew it was an excuse, about needing to prepare for one of his radio shows, or maybe he had said something about a meeting with someone, or something, it didn’t matter in the end. What had mattered was the disappointment on Charlie's face. Lucifer would absolutely not let that disappointment last on his daughter's face.

So he immediately did what he did best. Distraction. He kicked Husk out from behind the bar, having told him that even the bartender deserved a drink sometimes, and began making everyone a specialized drink. A cotton candy martini for Angel Dust, a muddled blackberry old fashioned for Husk, a cherry flavored Vegas bomb for Cherri, a simple spiked strawberry lemonade for Vaggie, and a rubber duckie-themed drink for Charlie. 

A handful of drinks later, and soon Charlie begged for him to drink with them. He tried to argue, even tried to make a mocktail for himself, but that damned cat bartender saw right through it. And so he had a few cocktails as well, and his mixing became less structured, no longer measured, and more of a free pour, which led to way too strong of drinks. The rest was a blurry mess he struggled to keep straight in his head, and now he sat alone, an empty glass with ice melting and a straw stirring it around.

As he stared into the empty glass, the devil let his head rest in his free hand, eyes closing momentarily as he took in a deep breath. Sleep wasn’t something that found him often, and he’d rather do anything besides lay in bed and stare at the wall or ceiling while his mind spun in the fuzzy state it was in currently. That would definitely be a one-way street to spiraling and he had been doing so well at staying focused and keeping his head on straight. If he spiraled now he might leave the hotel, and if he left, he knew he wouldn’t have the energy to return again. 

So Lucifer stood, stumbled, grabbed onto the edge of the bar, and groaned for a moment as the room spun around him. Sitting on the floor sounded like a good idea but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to get up and what a state to find the King of Hell. No, he couldn’t do that either. It would be at least somewhat respectable if he passed out on the couch inside the parlor of the hotel rather than the floor. 

He forced himself to stand straight, focused his eyes on the couch in the near distance, and moved his legs. He kicked his apple cane, sending it to the floor and rolling away but he couldn’t have cared less about the item. No, he had a goal in mind. Couch. Make it to the couch. His hand moved, his angelic power working without his mind helping, and a small plain rubber duck appeared clutched in his hand. 

He squeaked the duck once, then twice, focus. It helped him focus as much as he hated to admit it, even in the drunken state, and he made it to the couch. Lucifer allowed himself to practically fall face-first into the couch, his entire body fitting along the length of it and he groaned. Perhaps he should’ve eaten before drinking so much, perhaps he should’ve been a bit more firm in his no.

The king really should’ve been better. Better than this, better for his daughter. He shouldn’t have just locked himself away, isolating himself from everyone. That did nothing but hurt Charlie, even if he had thought it was the best thing to do. Now there was a strain between him and her and he wasn’t sure he could ever fix it. He needed to fix it. He needed to. Needed to. 

He needed to have something in the background. Music, a show, a podcast, something to keep his mind focused and not spiraling. A squeak of his duck and he sat up on the couch, eyes searching for a remote or a TV or something. Instead, they found an old radio, one of Alastors radios, and a low grumble escaped his lips. Spiraling might be better than using that demon's radio for anything. 

A squeak of his duck told him otherwise and he sighed. Damn, his mind. Damnit it.

A wave of his hand and the radio turned on. Static filled the room and Lucifer the empty hand over his face before reaching over to fiddle with the knobs on the damned ancient relic, not like he had a lot of room to actually say those words out loud. He wasn’t one to usually want to watch TV, it scrambled the brain, and he was much older than the old radio was.

Turning the dial a few times to the left, and then to the right, the devil settled on a frequency that had been playing soft jazz. The music filled the air and he allowed his head to fall back against the couch as he listened, focusing on the different instruments that he could pick out and recognize. Perhaps if he could sit here long enough, he could get past the drunkenness and skip right past the hangover. Wishful thinking, drunk wishful thinking, but still. The king might not have many hopes left, let this be one that he knew was silly.

The radio started to glitch, or rather, it sounded like someone had turned the dial, interrupting the jazz and filling the room with static. An annoyed look crossed Lucifer's face and he looked up at the small radio. The dial was still pointed at the direction he had left it, but the static continued to get louder and more intense. He frowned, eyebrows furrowed, and he reached forward, turned the dial, and nothing. It remained the same. He groaned audibly now and sat up once more, the duck dropping from his hand and rolling underneath the couch. The radio suddenly shut off.

“Hahaha! What a sight to see! Truly!” The voice with the radio filter over it filled the silence and Lucifer's head snapped in its direction.

There stood Alastor, hands clasped behind his back as he leaned forward over the couch, staring down at the King. The fallen angel growled and went to grab onto the demon, however in his drunken state he had been too slow, or perhaps he overestimated how far he needed to grab, or maybe it was a mixture of both, and he ended up tumbling over the back of the couch onto the floor. A laugh track filled the air and Lucifer could feel the anger and embarrassment flowing through him more. The alcohol inside his system fueled his emotions. 

“You-” The King started as he pulled himself up off the floor, using the couch for support before whipping to face the demon once more. “You are so fucking lucky that Charlie cares for you. I would-would fuck you so hard.” His words slurred and he stumbled to find the words he wanted to say, and even when he wasn’t drunk he had a difficult time saying what he actually meant.

The Radio demon, who now stood a few feet away from the devil, raised an eyebrow, his smile tightening slightly as his head turned to the side slightly, mockingly. He stood there staring at Lucifer with that stupid face, mocking him. Oh, how he would love to wipe that smile off of the other's face.

Alastor stepped to the side as Lucifer rushed at him and watched the smaller man nearly trip and fall once more to the floor. He hummed, and laughed again, loud with the laugh track behind his voice. He was clearly entertained by the devil's inebriated state, which pissed Lucifer off even more. “Do you need help, sire?” He asked.

“Fuck you!” Lucifer snapped as he held his head, feeling a wave of nausea start to wash over him. 

“I would rather not.” Alastor mused, a taunt, and he snickered quietly. “Be careful with saying those words too loud, you might wake a certain resident who wouldn’t be so averse to spending a night with royalty.” 

That hadn’t been what he meant, the Radio demon knew that, he just wanted to get underneath the fallen angels' skin it seemed, and it was working. Lucifer's jaw clenched and he balled his hands into fists, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands before he took in a deep breath. Then he snapped his fingers, causing Alastors feet to become literally attached to the floor he was standing on.

Lucifer stalked toward him now that the other couldn’t move away and he saw Alastors eyes narrow as his smile tightened, the radio frequencies filling the air erratically. He moved the couch slightly with a wave of his hand so it was right behind the demon and then looked up at his face. The way Alastor stared down at him caused the anger to boil inside his chest more and it gave him the strength he needed. 

The apple cane suddenly appeared inside his hand and the king used it to shove Alastor, shoving him hard with the cane right in his torso, causing the other to fall over the side of the couch onto the cushions as the power holding his feet disappeared completely. 

Lucifer saw a flash of pain across the demon's face, the smile remaining couldn’t hide the pain inside the others' eyes, and for a moment he felt guilty. Then, as Lucifer stood there, stared at the demon as he laid on the couch, catching his breath, a hand over his torso, he could feel it. The fallen angel could feel the angelic energy radiating off of Alastors chest, he could feel it pulsating with every heartbeat and could feel it seeping further into the demon.

He sighed. A deep and long sigh as he realized what he had to do. The image of the disappointed face of Charlie flashing in his mind turned to one of grief and sadness. No, he wouldn’t let that happen to his little girl, he wouldn’t let that look ever cross her face again if there was anything he could do about it. 

And so, even in his drunken state, the anger had completely dissipated and had been replaced. He leaned over the side of the couch, fighting off the next wave of nausea that came rushing forth, and he stared at the demon who glared up at him. Alastor went to get off the couch, wanting to get out from under the King and get away from feeling like he was cornered, however, when he went to move, Lucifer's hand came down and touched his chest. 

A sharp radio noise came from Alastor at the touch, and Lucifer grunted. He undid the buttons on the demon's shirt and pulled away the soaked bandages, staring at the wound intently. “That looks like it-it hurts.” He commented offhandedly as he shook his head. Again, the cane was disregarded, no longer needing it and drunkenly not caring where it ended up at the moment. The fallen angel then hovered his hand over the wound, he knew in his current state he wouldn’t be able to heal it completely, he wouldn’t be able to get rid of the angelic radiation inside the wound that would continue to fester, but he could fight it off some and provide some pain relief. 

The Radio demon had his concerns, that much was evident as his entire body tensed at the light emanating from the king's hand, and he gripped the edge of the couch as he felt the warmth on his torso, but his body relaxed on its own as the intense pain he had been feeling subsided to almost nothing. Alastor blinked twice as he looked down at the wound, watching bright light, and Lucifer smiled confidently, smugly, as he pulled his hand back. That would be all he could feasibly do for the night unless he wanted to pass out and fall on top of the demon. Which would be worse than the floor. 

“I’m going… I’m going to… Fuck.” Lucifer moved away from the demon and shook his head a few times, grunting at his own slurring of his words. He needed to get to bed, even if he wasn’t going to sleep. If he was in his room at least then he wouldn’t embarrass himself so much. 

Alastor, always one to keep a smile on his face, to keep the show going, smirked at the perfect opportunity to spin the scenario back around. “You’re not going to do that with me, sire.”

Lucifer growled and glared at Alastor, immediately regretting what he had done for the demon. “That wasn’t what-what I was fucking saying and-nd you know it.” He snapped. “Going to bed.” Short and to the point, no chance of messing it up that time. 

Normally he would teleport himself to his room, it was easier and he wouldn’t have to walk as he wasn’t sure he could walk, but the risk of teleporting somewhere besides his room was a big enough fear that he decided he’d risk walking and falling on his face. So Lucifer turned away from the Radio demon and made his way carefully up the steps. He walked down the hallway, using the wall for support, and stopping every few feet to make sure he wasn’t going to be sick. Then he’d continue. And once he made it to his room, he congratulated himself before falling face first on the bed, burying his face into the pillows with a loud groan. He’d be regretting every single one of his life choices tomorrow, he knew that. He could already feel the regret with every passing wave of nausea threatening to win and take over. He’d have to tell Charlie, no more drinking nights for this old man, he couldn’t do it anymore.

[jewellery-box]

Corset

Designer Maison Léoty

French, 1891

The MET Museum

In the eighteenth century, the corset imposed a more-or-less conical configuration to the upper torso. By the late nineteenth century, a more softly rounded female form was preferred. This extended even to the body in profile. The straight and rigid busks of the eighteenth century gave way to busks that not only curved into the waist but also rounded out over the belly.

[jpitha]

Table of Contents!

Hi Everyone! I'm jpitha!

I write sci-fi shorts and stories! I have a few universes that I like to write about, mostly so I can keep worldbuilding straight. I post here and on r/HFY (a scifi writing focused reddit) and I've been trying out posting links back to here on Threads.

I like to post nearly every day. My longer works usually get posted once or twice a week, but I try and fill out the week with other stuff.

Since I have a bunch of posts now, here's a ToC to help you find the kind you want to read, broken out roughly by theme:

Multi-Part Long Reads

The Race (2 parts) First long one I did and the first time I introduced a K'laxi. I edited it from its original post as I learned more about them. Complete

Blockade Runner (2 parts) Might come back to this one later

Awakenings (4 parts, Intertwined with Hidden Depths) Complete

We Need a Ride (7 parts, 2 Codas stuff in Awakenings and Hidden Depths references it) Complete

Hidden Depths A Multi POV Adventure about when everyone on the Joint Human/K'laxi Starbase comes together to defeat an invasion force with the help of a long lost colony ship. (27, plus extra parts, Intertwined with Awakenings) Complete

Just A Little Further YA Flavored, first person adventure about Melody Mullen and what happens when she goes along on an exploratory trip to try and reach the end of the Warp Gate system. (40 parts) Complete

The Dreams of Hyacinth Cyberpunk Noir. Nicholas North is a easygoing small time crook who lives on the Corporation owned High Mars Orbital Hyacinth. When he is asked by a friend for some help, he agrees readily, not realizing what he's getting drawn into. Ongoing

Aliens are Gardenworlders

I want to live on the Gardenworld

Tumbling on a low gee world

Diary of a Human on the Gardenworld

Spacediving

Gord the Maplelegger

Gord's Tall Tale

On Lawbreaking

Gord Goes Curling

Gord Meets His Match?

Worldbuilding

Blockade Runner (redux)

Avoid Humans are Mary-Sue's

Remember that your Aliens aren't idiots

The Fire Brigade

Starjumper age

On AIs

How to Communicate Across Vast Distances

Working out the Day/Time/Date differential

The Real World is Messy

Humans Are Old (friends)

Humans get fevers

How to Communicate Across Vast Distances

Hidden Depths: A Side Story

On Cooperation

Did AIs Ever Think to Wipe Out Humanity?

The First Few Rows Will Get Wet

Slice of Life Stories

The Cyclists

Acetone is bad?

Gene's High Gee Gym

Hospitality

K'laxi and Human kids playing

Office Cookies

Humans and their Hobbies

All Human Ships Have a Manual Override

Allergies

Liver and Kidneys mean we eat anything

Frisbee tricks

Risk Tolerance

The Dinner Party

The Long Way Round

Humans Solve Problems With Explosions

Humans Play Wargames

Everyone has Proprioception

K'laxi Used to Run on All Fours

Humans Still Solve Problems With Explosions

Tattoos and Piercings

Ambassador Transport

Just One Question

Lin Makes Art

Bar fight Aftermath

K'laxi and Cats

Do it With Style

Upgrading Starbase

How are AIs Powered Anyway?

Computing Power (edited)

Outside the K'laxiverse posts

Humans and their computers

Who Is The Human?

Throwing

Mating Rituals

Hunting

Determination

Lateral Thinking

Catching

Oxygen Ain't Nothing to Mess With

Flash Fiction Friday Posts

FFF187 - You Can't Be Serious

FFF189 - Because You Need It

FFF191 - We're On Our Way

FFF200 - It's Just a Walk for You?

Encyclopedia Posts

Humans Make Friends with Anything

Human Kids Make Friends Easily

Humans Make an Entrance

Humans bring Busking

War Emergency Power

On Starjumpers and Battle

War Stories

A Matter of Scale

Just Another Merc

Time to Go

Gotcha! (or is it?)

Inter-Colony War

Always Ready

The Sacrifice

Relationship Stories

K'laxi Can Eat Waffles

Peripheral Vision

Dancing

Flirting through exercise

Nilan and Ta'reni learn about timekeeping

The Big Game

Heart to Heart

YA-esque Stories

Water Balloon War

The Birthday Surprise

Kelly and Panemi look at kittens

[whumpyourdamnpears]

Fruit of the Wicked: Chapter Six

CW: lady whump, male whumper/female whumpee, POC whump (whumpee is a Black woman), age gap whump (whumper is an older man), religious whump, attempted firearm use (it's unloaded)

Thank you Marz and Gen for beta reading <3

Word Count: 2,235 Previous Next

Dani stared at herself as she stood in front of the mirror in the diner’s single ladies room, taking in her new uniform. This felt like some sort of a sick joke. The yellow diner dress barely fit, although by the dress’s standards, it fit perfectly. The dress’s hem rested inches above her knees, just barely covering her ass. The white apron it came with did nothing to provide her with more cover, its length the same as the dress. She looked like something straight out of the sixties. She hated it.

The tips better be good, Dani thought to herself as she pulled herself out of the ladies room. Pale early morning light streamed through the wall of glass windows onto the booths and linoleum as she passed. The diner, despite the early hour, was already starting to fill up with its patrons. Dani subconsciously pulled on the back of her skirt as she made her way over to the group of waitresses crowded around the cash register, waiting for her.

————

The switch in the man’s hand came down hard onto Dani’s wrist. “Repeat it back to me,” he said.

Frustrated tears streamed down Dani’s face. She couldn’t. She couldn’t remember how the verse went. Every attempt of hers so far had been wrong, and now she’d reached the point of exhaustion where she couldn’t repeat even a semblance of what the verse was. Did he realize this? Would he ever? How much longer would he keep beating on her like this? Until she bled?

“I can’t,” Dani whined.

The switch came down again.

“Repeat it.”

————

The other waitresses were nice enough. Dani wasn’t really concerned about them; she’d dealt with bitchy co-workers before, she could deal with them again if it came to that. A few of them seemed to be better to work with than others: the shy college girl with the strawberry blonde hair, the short, thicker woman who would smoke with Dani on their breaks. She hadn’t bothered learning their names yet. They were here for their job and she was here for hers. She didn’t need to be friendly with them. She’d be off to some other town soon enough.

Dani didn’t care for the gossip that took place between the other waitresses surrounding the inhabitants of the town and their patrons; it was just background noise willing its way to be a distraction for her. She didn’t need that. She didn’t need to get invested in this place or the people living in it, she just needed to keep her head down and get her job done.

She’d occasionally hear the others talk about her when they thought she was out of earshot; how she appeared out of nowhere, how her car was always there before anyone else arrived and after everyone else had left. Maybe she’d slept with the manager to get the job. Maybe she was in one of those employment programs for convicts to get their lives straight. Dani didn’t care, she’d heard worse. It did feel nice to hear the strawberry blonde girl come to her defense at least a few times.

————

“So, where are you staying?” The strawberry blonde—Christina—asked her one day as they busked tables. “Like, for the night.”

“Excuse me?”

“Dani, your car is always out front. Always. You’re the first one in, the last one out, every day. Where are you…?”

“It’s really none of your business where I’m staying.” Dani cut her off, leaning over to scrub the booth with vigor. She didn’t need to know that Dani had been sleeping out in her car in the diner parking lot for the past couple weeks. And besides, soon Dani would have enough money to put a deposit down on the shittiest apartment Pointersfield had to offer and she’d be out of her car. She just needed a few more shifts to make it happen. She didn’t need people sticking their noses in her business, no matter how well-intentioned. She was fine. She’d be fine. She always had been, even when she wasn’t.

She’d never needed anyone before, and she certainly didn’t need them now.

————

“You’re making things more difficult for yourself, darlin’. Just repeat the verse back to me. Is that really that hard to do?”

Blood rushed in Dani’s ears. Her arms were covered in red welts, the skin on them just beginning to break and sparkle with blood droplets. She was trying. God, was she trying. No matter what she said, something was always missing, or wrong, or not what he wanted.

“I can’t,” Dani’s voice shook. “I can’t, I can’t do it, I’m sorry, I can’t do it.”

The man sighed as he lifted his hand. “Let’s try again.”

————

It was finally closing time. She’d been the one to close for the day, waving off her co-workers when they offered to help close up shop. She didn’t mind doing it alone. In fact, she preferred it. Being alone in the diner gave Dani time to clean herself up for the night, something she couldn’t do in her car, without having to find a rest stop somewhere and worry about being safe at it. She knew she was safe here. It was a nice town, a quiet town, and the closest thing that had ever happened to her there was when a group of confused truckers came to the diner for twenty-four hour breakfast, something they didn’t provide, who quickly left when they realized.

The clean-up was easy enough: all it was was a matter of putting in her ear buds and blasting a playlist while hunkering down to scrub the booths, counters, and floors. She could get it done in an hour easily.

This night should’ve been no different. She went through her routine as usual. When she had reached the, “count the money in the register,” portion of her routine, Dani’s eye caught on something under the counter. Seeing the hard, black plastic handle, she was able to instantly identify what the object was: a gun. Her fingers unconsciously brushed against the handle as she stared at it before Dani pulled them away to carry on with the rest of her routine. It hadn’t been the first time Dani had seen a gun, but certainly the first time she’d been in such close proximity to one.

By the time Dani reached wiping down the big bar counter, her playlist had reached a loud enough song that she couldn’t hear anything over it. She couldn’t hear the knocking outside the diner’s entrance. She didn’t even notice when the knocker managed to push open the door to let themself in. She only noticed once she was standing face to face with the man, who was waving his hand in front of her.

Dani screamed and ducked behind the counter, yanking her ear buds out.

“—Sorry to scare you, I’m just here to make my—“

Dani grabbed the gun from under the counter and pointed it at him.

“What the fuck!” The intruder screamed, shooting his hands up into the air, hooded eyes going wide. He was about her age, wearing a gray hoodie with the logo of some school (“Go Falcons!”) and a pair of blue jeans, with black, wavy hair and tan skin.

“Get out.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Get. Out.”

“I can’t!” He sounded frustrated, glancing down at something on the ground. Dani readjusted her grip on the gun.

“The fuck you mean, ‘you can’t?’”

“I have to finish making my delivery!”

Dani blinked, gun wavering. “Your delivery?”

The intruder looked exasperated. “Yeah! My delivery! Why else would I be bringing stuff in!” He used one hand to gesture down to a box of oranges he dropped onto the floor. One had fallen out and began to roll past both of their feet.

Dani slowly brought the gun down, staring at him. The intruder looked less terrified now and more annoyed that she’d gone ahead and made him drop his box of oranges she hadn’t noticed he’d even had with him. She looked at the gun. She hadn’t even loaded it, just grabbed it and pointed and hoped it would be enough to scare him off.

Oh, God. She was so fucked.

What if he told her boss? She’d lose her job for sure, and then she wouldn’t have enough to put down a deposit on an apartment, and she’d be stuck living in her car—

No. Stop spiraling. You can fix this.

She slammed the gun down on the counter, scaring the both of them. “How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

He looked at her like she had two heads. “I mean, you put the gun dow—alright, alright, Jesus.” He started, interrupting himself as Dani reached for the gun again. “Why the fuck would I be carrying around a box of oranges if I wasn’t bringing them somewhere?”

“Could be a cover.”

“I promise you, it’s not.”

Dani huffed, picking the gun back up and stuffing it back under the register.

The intruder watched her with uncertainty. “Aren’t you gonna unload it? Putting it back like that isn’t safe—“

“It was never loaded.”

“I’m sorry, what?” The intruder’s voice picked up. “So you’ve been pointing an unloaded gun at me this entire time?”

“You didn’t seem to notice.”

“Yeah, but that’s—how could I—“ He spluttered, trailing off. “Why was your first instinct to grab a gun?”

“To defend myself?” Now Dani was the one looking at him like he had two heads. “For all I knew, you were coming into a closed diner late at night to come take money out of the register and then murder me for being your witness.”

Something clicked for her. “Wait. I locked that door. How the fuck did you get in here?”

The intruder looked almost ashamed of himself. Looking down, he said, “I have a key.”

“You have a key?”

“Yeah, for when whoever is closing forgets to leave the door open.” He gave her a pointed look. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

“No one told me you were coming.” Dani bristled. Fuck whoever forgot to tell her.

“I come by every Wednesday for the perishables. Someone should have told you.” He bent down to grab the orange that was rolling away. “And, as wonderful as this interaction has been, I really need to get going on bringing this order in so I can get home before it’s tomorrow.”

Dani watched as the intruder picked the box of oranges back up and brushed past her to the kitchen. She knew he was upset with her, and she couldn’t quite blame him for that. He’d probably had a long day of, what, delivering produce? And then there she went, pointing an unloaded gun at his ass during what should’ve been the quiet final delivery of his day. Great. This had the potential to be a new record for the fastest Dani had ever lost a job.

When he came out of the kitchen, he started walking toward the diner’s entrance, presumably to go to the only other car in the diner parking lot that wasn’t Dani’s. “I’ll be right back,” he told her. “Try not to shoot me.”

“Fuck off.”

“Can’t yet, we’ve been through this.”

Dani groaned at him as she reached for the wash cloth she dropped during the altercation.

————

“Stop it!” She screamed, voice ragged. “It hurts!”

“That’s the point, darlin’. It’s supposed to hurt.” The switch came back down on the torn up patch of skin on Dani’s arm, blood splattering at the impact. Dani screamed. “Now, repeat the verse back to me.”

She couldn’t. She couldn’t do this. She tried, God, had she tried, and it hurt too much to even think in her state. She felt the tears spill hot down her cheeks, voice catching on itself. “I can’t. I ca—can’t, I—“ Before she knew it, Dani was sinking to the ground.

The arm the man used to wind up the switch came to cradle her back and ease her onto the floor. He came down with her, slowly, face now pressed into the thick hair against her face. “Okay,” he said softly. “It’s okay. Shhhh. We’re done. We’re done now.” His loose hand came to pull the wet curls off her cheeks, brushing against her temples as he pulled the hair back. “It’s over.”

Dani felt like she couldn’t breathe. Her arm was on fire, blooding running off the side of her wrist. The pain made her feel dizzy, or was it the hunger? She hadn’t eaten in days. Her head kept cycling through what felt like the past few hours of torture she’d gone through and it made her cry even more. She still couldn’t remember the passage, even as the man mumbled it into her hair and held her gently as they both sat on the floor. She cried, and cried, and cried until there was nothing left. Until she was so tired that her eyes and body grew heavy with the weight of what she’d just gone through. But the man didn’t leave. He sat with her until her sobs faded to silence, until her shaking stilled. And when she had finally fallen asleep, he stayed until he was done with her, laying her down onto the floor and brushing her hair out of her face once more.

Taglist: @flowersarefreetherapy, @generic-whumperz, @heartinthehospital, @deluxewhump, @another-whump-sideblog, @pigeonwhumps, @lektricwhump, @watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees, @sowhumpshaped

[kiawren]

Anyway.. Kiawren date I thought of last night Ok I didn't think everything through so I'm just making it up as I write now

Wren meets kiawe at like 8.30am in the morning and they were so happy and energised which he rarely is in the morning. Kiawe's like have you eaten breakfast he's like Erm no (used to eating lunch straight) and kiawe's like 😐. You need to eat before we do anything. So they go to the restaurant Mallow's family runs ☺️ they got a booth and at first they sat opposite eahc other and wren was like. Wait. And he gets up and sits on kiawe's side together. Anyway so Wren gets like pancakes idk and kiawe has already had breakfast so he just gets like a drink and while they were waiting for their food they were like bumping knees playfully and their arms were touching and stuff and mallow came back and Kiawe got a bit flustered so he inched away a bit (they haven't made it official but our friends all know).

After that we walk around Royal avenue and decide to see a battle royale I think he should get like free tickets cuz he's a trial captain so we got free tickets lol.

Oh ya mallow mentioned she was going to watch the Minior shower at night with Lana cuz sophocles told them tonight the shower is very visible so kiawrens like ok we're gonna go too.

Wren remembers kiawe would like to have a litten so he suggested going to find and catch one. Okay I made this shit up on the spot last night but I think Rowlets can only be found in lush jungle on akala, popplio in the waters near seafolk village on poni and litten on melemele wandering around urban areas. So we take a ferry to melemele and the sights and the sea breeze is so good... Okay then we find and catch one. Actually I don't like the idea of beating a wild pokemon to near-death submission so I think my toucannon just heat up it's beak (when did this turn into a 1st person pov) and litten felt the heat and warmed up to it and also purred and heated its back and kiawe's arcanine was also really friendly to it okay litten catch accomplished

Then they have lunch on melemele and go to the beachfront where they chuck pyukumuku in the water and wren catches a one.. I actually rlly want one but I haven't went to find it in the game idk why I'm so lazy. Anyway after this it's like 5pm idk...

They then take a ferry to Ula'ula and got takeaway food at Malie city btw I love the music there so much I hc there's this old man busking and playing the music there on some cool traditional instrument idc.. then they sit in the park to have their dinner and watch the sun set and the view on the pond is really nice Erm yeah then they take the bus up to the observatory and meet their friends there and sit on the grass as the sky gets dark and the Minior shower happens. And wren caught a Minior that day too 😁

On the ferry home to akala kiawe's kinda tired so wren let's him rest on their shoulder kiawe's kinda awkward about it like are you sure. And then he couldn't really rest his mind cuz he was feeling so flustered about it too. The sea at night time is so nice btw. Then back on akala each of them said he'll walk the other home oh wait actually what if wren said that but remembered he still has to give kiawe something. So kiawe's like great I get to walk you :) and wren's like urh no after we stop by my dorm I'm sitll following you back and kiawe's like What that's so Unnecessary but he relents cuz wren really likes him so much and wants to be romantic okay and he also doesnt want the night to end yet.. They stop by wren's dorm on route 8 and wren gives kiawe an origami red tulip they made. Becuz I was thinking if I showed up with a tulip in the morning that's kinda weird cuz what's he gonna do with the flower when we hang out the rest of the day. So it makes more sense to give it at the end of the day. Okay yeah kiawe's heart swells so much they uhm they haven't kissed yet actually. They just hold hands. Okay then wren sees Kiawe back to his house. You know there's this kid outside his house in the game that speaks to the MC. I think for some reason he was still outside and went Kiawe is that your boyfriend.? And Kiawe was so 😳 he couldn't speak so wren was like Yes😁👍 and the kid was like Ohhh.. Ok. and then they said goodnight and Kiawe really didn't want to close the door and he was like are you sure you don't want me to see you back and wren's like yah I'm sure it's not like a whole island away. Okay then they finally finally say goodbye and goodnight and see you tomorrow.

[saiyansweetheart45]

Ideas for the Coffee Shop AU

Hey, everyone! Later this month and throughout December, I'll be releasing the first chapters of my newest story idea! But for now, here's the layout for this lovely (if I do say so myself) new idea. I hope you all enjoy reading as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

The Full Moon Brew Coffee Shop is more than just a place to get a cup of coffee. It’s a haven that offers a break from the day-to-day chaos in the city of Calatonia, presided over by one Koala Connoisseur, Buster Moon, a coffee enthusiast as well as a master showman. The Full Moon Brew is a nook of coziness and even creativity. With the air teeming with coffee and creative encouragement, it’s no wonder the place hosts such an eclectic bunch.

Up and coming rocker Ash goes there at least twice a week to get her caffeine fix, but also likes the atmosphere because it helps inspire her songwriting.

Sweet-obsessed and sass-filled Nooshy likes to busk down the road (before meeting the rest of the gang) for extra pocket money to afford her cream and sugar-loaded coffees. And it combines the two things she loves: dancing and coffee. She also enters the occasional contest held at the shop.

Then there’s introverted British newcomer Johnny who spends anywhere from half an hour to sometimes even half the day, at the place, ordering at least three cups of coffee, all while reading or writing songs as well. It’s like a haven in the new city he's moved with his family to following his dad and uncle’s being transferred for a job. Occasionally, on their lunch break, the three older gorillas stop in to get a little bite of the pastries the place offers and of course an espresso-loaded cup or two. Each. They don’t ever stick around long, but they can see why the youngest member of their clan loves the place so much.

Then, we have the equally shy Meena, whose small family business supplies the baked goods to the coffee shop, and Meena occasionally visits both to subtly network for her family’s business, and to try to become more social, since coffee shops are great for being both social and withdrawn. And she loves their smoothies, and is trying to acquire a taste for coffee, but can’t quite do it.

Enter Rosita, the on-the-go mother that does it all, but always makes some time to get a little pick-me-up for herself and do a bit of work to help her husband, for whom she always orders a special cappuccino before she heads to pick up their extensive brood of piglets.

The tea-loving theater legend Nana Noodleman happens to be one of the top investors for Buster’s shop. The place is small but makes a pretty profit, what with having fresh, homemade treats, along with beverages one can’t get just anywhere. And Buster always makes sure to keep a steady supply of fine teas at the ready for Nana. She even has a special table with a high-backed purple velvet chair by the window just beside the patio overlooking the ocean.

The excitable bundle of Piggy Power Gunter occasionally visits the shop, drawn by the musical selection and the open mic nights. Though by his own admission, he comes less for the singing and more for the dancing. And of course, a caffeine fix here and there is needed for such dedicated dancing.

Another new kid enters. Meet Ryan Collins, a student in a nearby dance academy, who happens upon the coffee shop by complete coincidence. He finds that while he doesn’t much care for coffee, he enjoys the chill atmosphere, a welcome reprieve after his hectic classes under the iron fist of Klaus Kickenklober. Plus, who doesn’t occasionally love a Toasted Vanilla or Hazelnut Steamer?

Two new faces also enter this colorful Coffee shop mix, we have the two rich kids Eddie and Porsha, both of whom are working their first jobs ever under the watchful eye of Miss Crawly. Don’t let her age and dottiness fool you, the old Lizard Lady is a brewing MASTER.

Both prove straight away to be a bit…unskilled to say the least, but they slowly start to adapt, with Porsha even scoring huge brownie points when she creates a new drink for the menu.

And finally, the dutiful, efficient, and long-suffering Suki Lane occasionally stops by the shop to get coffee for herself, but also (reluctantly) for her image-obsessed boss who doesn’t like coffee but is quick to associate himself when the little shop starts to gain more attention.

Suki herself may not particularly like Buster, but she does like the coffee. And she does secretly loathe Crystal's dismissal of it. And dismiss it he does. At least until it starts to gain more popularity, at which point he tries to buy it out. But that meeting goes as well as you'd expect.

This version of Buster has a few slightly different traits; poised, knows his worth, and won't sell himself out for a few beans. He knows why Crystal wants the business and is having none of it. First off, because he knows the price Crystal offered is insulting given the profit the place brings in. Second, and more importantly, because his father bought the property, had the building built with his own money, and personally let Buster design the place, the menu, everything. This place is a symbol of everything his dad worked for and gave him. All the while the man was hiding a terminal illness. This last project was a distraction from the inevitable. And Buster will NOT trivialize that sacrifice.

[penny00dreadful]

Heyyy

I accidentally went down a rabbit hole for the devotion art, and I was wondering if you filled out character sheets for the boys and if so, would you be willing to share them??

No worries if not in either way!

The stat blocks need not exist, not do you have to share them even if they do.

Hello hello! Thank you for asking! I actually did fill out character sheets for the boys at Lvl. 3, Lvl. 10 and Lvl. 15 for my upcoming D&D AU, Devotion.

And then I put them down and now I can't find them again to share 😭😭😭

But I DO HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU! And I do have the few notes I could find. I saw your reblogs about Eddie's Lvl. 10 stats and you're so right, his health is really low 😬 BUT I have an in universe reason for it! 😅

When I was filling out their stats and figuring them out, I knew I wasn't going to be building them to min/max them, you know? Like I wasn't going to level them up the way one might usually with a character they are playing. Like I wasn't gonna say:

There might be battles up ahead so I need to increase their stats here and here.

Instead I went more in the direction of:

At this stage in Steve's life, he's 16, he thinks he's hot shit because he's got his expensive gold armor and he's at the start of his story arc so, for example, his Wisdom is very low (-1) at Lvl. 3 and he also has NO experience in combat of any kind, he's only fought when in training, never in a real world scenario.

Then as he gets up to Lvl. 10, he learns, he grows. He's 21 year old now. He's become more wise to the ways of the world, he's learned to fight, his weapons have changed, he's gotten stronger. He's at a +0 for his Wisdom now as he's learned more of the world outside his small town.

It's the same story for Eddie. While I don't want to say too much because of potential spoilers, I can tell you he has the 'urchin' background sooo... 😬😬😬 That might give a hint. 😅 But as a Lvl. 3 Bard at 17 years old, growing up in the poor part of town, he doesn't have a lot of access to the kinds of benefits Steve had growing up. Y'know, sometimes you gotta busk to eat and sometimes you go home empty handed.

So this poor fucker is STARTING OFF at a +0 Constitution.

Which... doesn't get better. Because his situation does not get better.

There is a reason he multiclasses into Wizard, and it is very reflective of his story in the show. Like, in a sense his situation gets better, he has his people around him, but he also ends up leaning into the freakishness, hence the School of Necromancy.

But none of this is conducive to growing up healthy. So by the time he is at Lvl. 10 at 22 years old, he's still at +0 Constitution because... well... because there's only so much one can do. Regular meals and a constant training regimene is not something he had access to for the longest time.

(And listen, as someone who's favourite character I played was a School of Necromancy Wizard who was the most glass of glass canons, I feel you, Eddie 😅)

So like, he's got 3d8 HP when he's at Lvl. 3 and I believe he rolled fairly high with his +0 and I think he was at 21. Then he took 7 Wizard levels (still at +0) which was 7d6, leaving us with ~30 HP gained.

So I suppose, long story short, I am approaching these stats from a storytelling perspective, rather than trying to buff them up for any future battles, you know? Along with a little bit of homebrewing or just straight up ignoring some things that I need to.

Like as a DM, if something needs to be ignored or overlooked to make the story more entertaining to my players, I'll do it. The Rule of Cool is always in effect with me. 🤣

So I kind of see it as me being the DM of their story, but of course, rather than me being the DM and them running off in the opposite direction I want them to, like my players so often do I am also the author, and I know exactly what direction the story is going to go in and what's going to happen and what their motivations are.

I dunno, it's a really fun thinking exercise and it has allowed me to get so deep into their characters.

Anyway I am SORRY this explanation has gone on so long and I've gone so far in depth when you probably just wanted something short and sweet but I love talking about this so, I took the opportunity and ran with it. 😅

So here's the notes that I found on their character sheets on scattered scraps of paper 😅 (and I know some of these might not line up with what's supposed to be done, but isn't the main point at the end of the day to have fun? 😊)

Eddie Lvl. 10:

Keen Mind Feat STR: -1 DEX: +1 Con: +0 INT: +3 WIS: +1 CHA: +3

Steve Lvl. 10:

STR: +3 DEX: +0 Con: +2 INT: +1 WIS: +0 CHA: +3

[invinciblerodent]

oh sometimes i'm overcome with the realization of just how sentimental a bitch i am

like i really am straight up just playing make-believe with these characters like they're digital barbies

okay so in Iona's inventory, i've had this necklace

since very early in act 1.

it was in Aradin's chest at the Grove, and it was the first thing "we" managed to get with the "I distract them with conversation/busking and you steal everything that isn't nailed down" act/trick I had thought up for her and Astarion. I thought it'd be kinda cute for him to, at the end of this test run, present it with a ~theatrical flourish~ once just out of earshot of its original owner, and for her to ~graciously allow~ him to drape it around her neck, as a hamfisted and silly act of mock-courtship they both know is false. (it was kind of a... "we both know what this is all about and where it's headed, but wouldn't it be fun to play make-believe and pretend it's something entirely different" type of thing.)

I thought it'd be cute, if a touch bittersweet for her to keep it, just slotted away in her little "sentimental items" pouch, like.... next to the dog toy, her old wedding band, and the other useless junk she couldn't bring herself to throw away or sell.

and then today, i found this as I was selling stuff in the Glittering Gala.

it's the same design. and i like to describe Iona's eyes as "amber" when I write about them (they're kind of a reddish/yellowish, pretty medium brown). and she looks much better in golds and reds than she does in blues and silvers.

so. um.

guess who got this bloody thing "sneaked" into her inventory at the long rest.

if you think i won't 1.) exit a trading screen abruptly, 2.) switch controlled characters, 4.) buy a silly and utterly useless junk item AS that character (thought about just picking her pocket but.... we have 35k gold. why would i.), and 4.) keep it in that character's inventory until it "seems like" the PC isn't "paying attention", and then 5.) drop it into their inventory "unnoticed", all for LITERALLY NO GOOD REASON other than just to act out a silly little gesture and support the little fanfic in my head, well.

you'd be very wrong.

((and i was grinning and giggling downright embarrassingly the whole time too))

[ajconstantine]

AJ Constantine's Good Omens Fic Recommendations. Human AU 10-20k word length.

In an effort to organize the stories that I particularly enjoy, I’m compiling them into categories and posting them. I’ll add stories to the lists periodically as I come across more that I like. 

My first category is Human AU of a medium-short word length of 10-20k. This length is a satisfying one; enough to feel like it’s a complete story without feeling like it’s a huge commitment to start reading. Interestingly, it doesn’t seem to be a fairly common word length, so I only have six stories to start with. 

If you enjoy any of these stories, please comment on the fic and let the writer know! It brightens their day immensely and encourages them to keep writing these wonderful stories for all of us to delight in. 

Click on the link below to see the list of stories. 

Where We Will Love by TawnyOwl95/ @tawnyontumblr. Rating: E, Chapters: 5. Words: 17,795 Summary: Crowley busks in Piccadilly Circus. Just down the road in Haymarket, Azra Eastgate performs at Her Majesty’s Theatre. One duet is going to change both their lives. MUSIC AU. AJ’s notes: Sweet meet cute, no angst. 

Cock Tales by TawnyOwl95. Bartender AU. Rating: E, Chapters: 4. Words: 12, 269 Summary: Crowley’s love life is on the rocks so he finally swears off men. Typical that his new job places him with a co-worker who's so straight up sexy. Or in which, Aziraphale tries to mix things up, Crowley is shaken and Anathema is a right stirrer. But could a relationship be worth a shot? 

I'm All Yours by FeralTuxedo/ @feraltuxedo. Rating: E, 11,479 words. Chapters: 4. Summary: Crowley has been rescuing his friend Aziraphale over and over again for a decade. Hopelessly in love, ready to jump at a moment’s notice when he was needed. When Aziraphale finally breaks up with his partner, Crowley is there to help him through what’s looking to be one hell of a mid-life crisis. Things could finally change. If he manages not to mess it up again. A human AU with a whole forest’s worth of pining squeezed into a single day. 

Strong Enough For Love by TawnyOwl95. Rockstar AU. Rating: E. Chapters: 5. Words: 14,577 Summary: Music journalist A.Z. Fell has been given the biggest break of his career. A chance encounter has opened up an opportunity to interview elusive rock star Anthony J. Crowley at his Oxfordshire mansion. What exactly is the secret hidden in Tadfield Abbey? And will Azi ever pin down Crowley long enough to get his interview?  

Tidewrack by TawnyOwl95. Pirate AU. Rating: E. Chapters: 2. Words: 6,706 Summary: Crowley never wanted to be a pirate captain. He likes giving orders though, and the clothes. And when pretty rich boys are brought to his cabin for questioning. Although this prisoner is making Crowley feel rather out of his depth.   

What Hath God Wrought by Saretton/ @saretton. Telegraph AU Rating: E Chapters: 1. Words: 10,310 Summary: Do you remember, my darling, the early days when there were just fingers and air and sounds – a rhythmic beeping in the day, a frantic answer in the night? The orange glow of lamps. Coding and decoding. Choosing the words carefully, never too many, but always enough. AJ’s notes: well done use of first person perspective, reads like a poem, lyrical and lovely. One of my favorites. 

[minniethemoocherda]

Iridescent: Chapter 5

Summary: When Jazz is promoted to Head of Special Operations, the last thing he expected was to have to work with a face from his past.

A/N: So yeah sorry this might end up more of a slow burn then I initially intended... Xxxxxx

Ao3

FF.net

Prowl had spent most of his allotted sleep time re-reading the autobot code to see if there was a way to legally remove Jazz from his position.

Unfortunately short of treason, there was no way to remove a head of command without input from the others and as they were fighting to uphold democracy, Prowl had to concede to the votes of his peers, even if he disagreed with them.

Ultimately all his late night research had resulted in was a four hour recharge cycle. Which was even less than the six hours he usually allotted for himself which he had previously calculated to be the minimum amount of sleep needed so that he could ensure that he was using as much time as possible to attend to his duties. And now his functionality was below optimum usage which in turn had increased his stress levels, as his battle computer helpfully informed him.

Despite the late night, he was still able to arrive fifteen minutes early to the fortnightly command meeting.

For once he was not the first person there, as sitting in what was usually his chair with their pedes up on the oval table was the source of all Prowl’s current problems.

“Good morning Commander!” Jazz cried with a wave. 

Prowl didn’t have the patience hold back a cringe at the loud audio volume.

“That is my seat.” He told him.

“Sorry mech, didn't know we had assigned seating.” Jazz said, although Prowl’s processor was willing to bet that it was no coincidence that the spy had chosen that seat, if the times he had previously happened to coincidently be busking outside his old station whenever he was on duty were anything to go by. Which they were.

"Here ya are." Jazz said, graciously getting off the chair and offering it to him with a bow.

Prowl had learnt more than he would have cared to know about pranks from the twins to fall for that.

“Whilst do not have assigned seating, normally I would sit there. However, today I have decided to sit here instead.” Prowl said, pointed sitting in the chair next to him.

If Jazz had been about to protest, it was cut off as the rest of high command started to arrive. The spy quickly started up a conversation with Ironhide and within a minute, the gruff old veteran was laughing along with whatever tales Jazz was spinning like they were old friends.

Prowl watched as Red Alert skittered around the pair and scanned their usual seat for explosives before sitting down, one optic trained on Jazz. Prowl was glad that at least not all of high command had fallen for his charm.

Thankfully it wasn’t long before Optimus arrived by which point everyone had settled down.

Optimus blinked when his optics landed on Prowl. Prowl felt a twinge of guilt as he just released that he was sat where the Prime would often sit, even though he knew that Optimus would not be upset by it.

Instead Optimus' optics moved from Jazz to Prowl. For some reason that his processor, hadn't quite worked out the meaning of yet, Optimus was wearing a similar tired look to when Bumblebee had decided to pick a fight with some of the older mechs for no reason.

For the most part the meeting carried on as normal. It was their monthly briefing with the rest of command at the MacCadam's base so Elita-One, Ultra Magnus and Chromia joined them via holo-call. Prowl's mood was not improved by Chromia and Ironhide spending most of the meeting blatantly flirting even though he should have expected it by now.

By the end of it, not much had changed and nothing new had been learnt. Megatron was still a threat and Elita-One didn't have anything new to report. The only thing that had changed was the pain behind Prowl's processor which had gotten even worse.

He headed straight for his office when the meeting was over, not wanting to indulge in pointless small talk that he knew the others, especially Jazz would try to force him into.

However, when he got there, he found a package waiting on his desk. Once again, having learnt from previous experiences with the twins, Prowl was not going to entertain the idea of opening that.

He also made a mental reminder to book a meeting with Red-Alert to re-evaluate his office security as he put the package in his draw to be tested by Wheeljack later.

Prowl had barely opened the morning reports when there was a knock on his door. He had no meetings scheduled and if it was an emergency then someone would’ve hailed him over his internal comms by now.

His processor ache worsened tenfold when he opened the door to find Jazz standing behind it.

“Hey Prowler did you like your present?”

“I haven’t opened it.” Prowl stated.

“Saving it for a reward for when you finish all your paperwork eh?"

Prowl had no plans on ever opening that present but he did not mention that as Jazz continued.

“Anyway, I was just passing by on my way to the rec for mid-day rations if you wanted to join me?”

Prowl knew that his office was not on the way back from the rec room as he deliberately selected it to be as far away as possible. But again, he decided not to mention that.

“Sideswipe brings me my rations as part of his current punishment detail.” Prowl also didn't mention that by the time the Lamborghini was done chatting the audio receptors off everyone, it was usually half spilled and lukewarm but it was preferable to being in the rec room where the constant bombardment of noise irritated his battle computer and nobody wanted him there anyway.

"No worries! Maybe some other time then?"

"Maybe." Prowl replied, shutting the door before he could be roped into agreeing to a specific time.

Frustrated Prowl tried to finish his reports, but thanks his processor ache he kept falling further and further behind schedule. Until there was another knock at his door.

As Sideswipe was not due for another hour, Prowl ignored the request for entry, his processor having already provided a 87% chance of who was most likely at his door and carried on with his reports.

A few moments later, despite being locked, the door beeped open.

Prowl startled as the black and white form of Jazz strolled into the room.

“So I thought, I would save Sideswipe the trouble of getting your rations. Plus I added something a little special.” Jazz said, winking at the unnaturally purple liquid that had been adorned with decorative rust flakes.

“I do not drink high-grade during office hours.” The and neither should you went unsaid. Besides, the texture of sprinkles irritated his intake port.

"Your loss Babe." Jazz shrugged.

“Babe?!" Prowl exclaimed incredulously.

“Yeah mech, everyone is either a bot or a babe and you tall, pale and serious are definitely a babe.”

Prowl bristled as Jazz’s optics roamed his plating.

"If you drink that in front of me, I'll report you." Prowl stated, having to hold himself back from flipping his table out of the way and shoving the spy out himself.

Jazz took the hint, sauntering back out, raising the glass to his lips just as the door closed.

Prowl commed Red-Alert an order for new security codes.

Sideswipe came and went with his mid-day and evening rations and Prowl finally felt his fuel pressure return to near acceptable levels as he worked through his meal breaks to catch up.

Then there was a beep at his door as despite having got new codes, it slid open.

Prowl's fault pressure skyrocketed as Jazz once again waltzed in, this time with an electro-bass in his hands.

“Aww you just missed one pit of an impromptu party!" Jazz cried. "And since you missed our little shindig in the rec, I thought we could have our own private party here instead!”

Jazz had barely started strumming when Prowl marched out from behind his desk. Yanking the instrument from his hands.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Prowl yelled, throwing the base across the room.

A flash of emotion slashed across Jazz; faceplate as it crashed into the wall. It was too fast for Prowl’s processor to recognise it, but if he hadn't been designed to look for the details that most bots missed, he probably would not have seen it at all.

Prowl watched Jazz approached the electro-base. The spy knelt beside it, cradling the instrument in his arms like a wounded animal. With his head bowed, his expression was hidden from Prowl's view.

Prowl didn't know much about instruments but to him it looked as though one of the strings had broken. But what he did know was that on their barren wasteland of a planet the probability of them finding a replacement was near to zero.

Before Prowl could even think about what to say, Jazz left without even looking him in the eye.

Feeling himself slip into autopilot, unsure what else to do, Prowl returned to his paperwork, failing to force his brain to focus on his work in an attempt to not analyse the impending guilt.

[korealog]

[2] Finding my way (ENG/DE) — Sunday, 14.07.24

(ENG)

After this great experience, I headed back to the beach. The weather had calmed down a bit and I went to the photo spot on Haeundae Beach. An older lady (Korean) saw me alone & asked me if she should take a photo. And off we went to the photo shoot! She went out of her way to take as many beautiful photos as possible. Totally lovely! Unfortunately, my weird arms made most of it looking not so good, so 12 photos turned into only 3 (but she doesn't need to know that ;)) At the end she wanted to take a selfie with me, why not? Another super pleasant encounter in which I was able to use my Korean. Afterwards I got a bit thirsty again & went back to the Shopping Street (which isn't actually called that) and ordered a peach iced tea... in Korean of course :D After half an hour of sitting on the beach, drinking my iced tea & watching people, I decided to take the train to Semyeon (I would call it a shopping district). So off I went on the Busan subway. After 30 minutes I was able to get off and ended up directly in a shopping mall in the underground of Busan. Stores as far as the eye can see. But I decided to go outside first. When I got to the top it was raining like crazy, but no reason to let my plan fall through. Let's get out into the floods. It wasn't cold, just clouds that wanted to get rid of their moisture. So I wandered around Semyeon for a good 2 hours & maybe even dropped a few things in my bag. (I paid of course, not if you're thinking now...) After that I went back to the apartment, ate ramyeon & headed straight back to the beach in search of something specific. Here in Korea they call it "busking", street performances. There were 2 singers on the beach and I spent about 30 minutes with them.... Unfortunately, the rain got so heavy again that they had to end their performance, so I went back to Shopping Street and returned home after an hour. So, I'd say that's it for now... Enough, right?

Let's see what awaits me tomorrow ;)

ByeBye xoxo

(DE)

Nach dem tollen Erlebnis ging es für mich wieder Richtung Strand. Das Wetter hat sich etwas beruhigt und ich ging zum Foto-Spot am Haeundae Beach. Eine ältere Dame (Koreanisch) sah mich allein & fragte mich, ob sie ein Foto machen soll. Und los ging das Fotoshooting! Sie hat sich so ins Zeug gelegt um so viele schöne Fotos wie nur möglich zu machen. Total lieb! Meine krummen Arme haben da leider eine kleinen Strich durch die Rechnung gemacht, so wurden aus 12 Fotos nur noch 3 (aber das muss sie ja nicht erfahren ;)) Zum Schluss wollte sie noch ein Selfie mit mir machen, warum nicht. Wieder eine super angenehme Begegnung in der ich mein Koreanisch anwenden konnte. Danach wurde ich doch wieder etwas durstig & ging nochmal zur Shopping Street (die eigentlich nicht so heißt) und habe mir einen Pfirsicheistee bestellt… auf Koreansich natürlich :D Nach einer halben Stunde, die ich am Strand saß, meinen Eistee trank & die Leute beobachtete, entschloss ich die Bahn nach Semyeon (ich würde es jetzt mal als Shopping Viertel bezeichnen) zu nehmen. Also nichts wie los in die Busan‘er U-Bahn. Nach 30 Minuten konnte ich aussteigen und landete direkt in einer ShoppingMall im Untergrund von Busan. Läden, wohin das Auge reicht. Ich beschloss aber erstmal raus zu gehen. Oben angekommen regnete es wie verrückt, aber kein Grund meinem Plan ins Wasser fallen zu lassen. Nix wie raus in die Fluten. Es war nicht kalt, nur Wolken, die ihre Feuchtigkeit loswerden wollten. So schlenderte ich gute 2 Stunden durch Semyeon & vielleicht fiel mir auch die ein oder andere Sache in meinen Beutel. (Ich habe natürlich bezahlt, nicht wenn ihr jetzt denkt…) Danach ging es wieder zum Apartment, ich habe Ramyeon gegessen & ging gleich wieder RichtungStrand, auf der Suche nach etwas ganz bestimmten. Hier in Korea nennt man es „Busking“, also Straßen Performances. Am Strand waren 2 Sänger, bei denen ich bestimmt 30 Minuten verbrachte…. Der Regen wurde dann aber leider wieder so stark, dass sie ihre Performace beenden mussten, also ging es für mich wieder zur Shopping Street & nach einer Stunde wieder nach Hause. So, ich würde sagen, das wars erstmal… Reicht auch, oder?

Mal schauen was mich morgen so erwartet ;)

ByeBye xoxo

[spotofmummery]

((consider: if amon met our blue meteion who vanished after EW, anon feels she could get hermes vibes from him (but also not?) also amon becoming her guardian/big brother figure or smthn would be really adorable imo + he could get told abt elpis from blue meteion's pov))

I do wonder if blue Meteion would sense a part of Hermes in my Amon.

He does share some personality elements, which were some things I developed years back, knowing nothing about the Hermes link. For example, he was born to a clan of forest Elezen, and his early upbringing was in the area we'd now consider the Shroud.

Due to that, he tends to have a pull towards the forest and is interested in the creatures who live there. Originally, this was more of a nostalgic point for my Amon, and a bit of outside character development - he is reminded of his childhood when in the Shroud. It's a part of the reason Tea and Tomes is located in Gridania and that if he busks, you'll find him in that city most often.

I felt like giving Amon an alternative early-life cultural point of view outside of straight up Allagan city life could have been part of the reason that he was able to recognize that things in their society were wrong. While he did desire to "fix it," he also embraced life in Syrcus as he grew up, in which he made a choice to turn his back on his more humble beginnings.

There's guilt and regret there for doing so when he looks back on it.

But with the canon linking him to Hermes, it was a neat coincidence, and made sense why he was drawn to the natural world and the creatures that live there.

Maybe that aspect would draw Meteion to him, and I'm sure Amon would be fascinated to learn of Elpis and the Ancient times from her point of view!

[518062]

me putting lestappen in odd situations again

cheeky au idea: litter picker max at a festival and charles sneaking in

Litter picking was not awful for twelve euros an hour, but the obnoxious EDM was a push too far. Max huffed, putting his headphones back on, thinking of festivals where proper music played. He pictured himself at Tomorrowland, basking in his own sweat. He thought of Berghain, which was even better. Unfortunately, nothing could save him from his destiny. People had no shame, he thought, picking up a condom with a frown. 

But he was okay. Litter picking with a bachelor in history was okay! The money was good, and it would keep him from busking to make his rent again, or tutoring spoiled fifteen-year-olds who thought World War 1 was in the seventeenth century. He scrunched his nose at the memory.

“No way,” he said, finding a phone tossed next to the long wall which surrounded the festival grounds. He knelt down to inspect it, curious - he saw many things during the job, such as passports, keychains, and notes of phone numbers. It was fun to find people’s little trinkets, even though it was his job, anyway. With a thumping heart, he picked up the phone, which had a fancy camera on the back and a credit card in the case. He could factory reset the device and sell it, making so much money he wouldn’t need to busk for months. So he grinned from ear to ear, scanning his surroundings before putting the mobile into his pocket.

“Shit!” a man yelled. Max looked up, startled, but it was too late. The stranger tripped from his position, falling straight on to the Dutchman, crushing him and the bin bag in his left hand.

“What the - ouch!” Max cried forlornly, looking at the rubbish which fell out of the now ripped bag. The stranger hastily removed himself from Max, patting down his trousers and hi vis. Max grimaced at his arm, where a bruise had immediately formed.

“Wow. Sorry about that. Climbing the wall was really easy, but getting down? Let’s just say it’s one of my harder feats,” said the man, kneeling down and panting. 

“Why do you need to climb the wall if you work here?” Max asked, observing the man’s outfit. He only had a phone on him, which lit up in his pocket. The manager had told him he was the only one working on this side of the field. 

“Yeah…ha… I work here. Absolutely. I just didn’t know where the entrance was,” the man chuckled, glancing at the crowd and avoiding Max’s gaze. He was constantly moving, as if Max was holding him up. “I’m going now, okay? I am way behind. I’ll pay for your drink or something as an apology. I don’t know.”

Max blinked. “Huh? Oh, yeah. It’s fine,” he responded, leaning over to grab the spilt rubbish, cursing the god above.

“Cool,” the stranger said, biting his lip. “It’s… where do you go to clock in?”

“You don’t. Did you miss training too?” Max laughed, face souring at the condom he had previously picked up. “You just sign your name into the little notebook and the manager collects it.” 

“Oh my god, exactly. Yep. I think we had different managers in training. Maybe he forgot to tell me. Thank you!”

“Sure. No problem.” He successfully put the rubbish back into the bag and stood up, taking his litter picker and moving on with his task.

The man nodded to himself, strolling towards the stage. Max could hear him answer his phone, speaking in French he could barely comprehend. Something made him pause, though, as he heard the word ‘escape’. Max slowly dropped the litter picker and the bag, walking after the man, who had sped up. Why would a litter picker enter through a wall by the back? He was obviously a fraud, but Max was too stupid to notice.

“Excuse me? Hey!” 

The man turned back, eyes wide. He hastily turned around and picked up the pace.

“You don’t fucking work here! You broke in! Fuck!” he ran after the stranger, glad the music distracted the crowd from his idiocy. The man turned around again, shouting into his phone and now sprinting towards the stage. Max didn’t know if he had it in him for a chase - was it worth it? Of course it was! He hated rule breakers. 

He chased the intruder to the side of the stage, and he had nowhere to go. Max knew the security guards would catch him, but none were there.

“What?” He halted, catching his breath. The intruder jumped over a barricade, leaving Max’s eyesight. He questioned his life choices, from abandoning his father to moving to a new country to thinking a three-day job would secure his rent. But after realising he had nothing to lose, he put his headphones around his neck and breathed, preparing for the leap.

[fostersffff]

Penny's Big Breakaway does indeed have the capacity for Shmovement™, but it feels cruel to not have a detailed movelist when this game is "what if Tony Hawk's Pro Skater was a proper platformer".

Brought you by accidentally figuring out that if you hold the ride button while stationary OR when you have no horizontal momentum (i.e. falling straight down), you do a Sonic spindash, which is really unbelievably critically important for making the ride button useful all the time.

(also just use the d-pad when you're busking, the deadzones for the analog sticks are unbelievably strict)