#thanks folks its been a blast

[fivedayslater]

Part 27: Apprehend Law

Dinner and a Murder: A Mr. Prince Mystery Masterpost

“Just on time,” Sanji says as he nods towards the door, “You ready?”

Law gives him a wry smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, “I suppose there’s no point in me trying to resist, is there?”

“I am sorry,” he says as he puts his cigarette out in the nearby ashtray, “I know your circumstances were tough, but you have friends you could have asked for help. There was no reason for anyone to die.”

“I know,” he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he opens them again, he stares at Sanji with a new resolve, “My actions have consequences. The least I can do for both Nami and Ace is face them.”

He steps forward and follows Sanji out the door.

Zoro follows after them, he’s unsurprised and delighted to see.

“You don’t have to-” Sanji starts, but Zoro quickly cuts him off.

“I know,” he says, an almost shy grin on his face as he grabs his hand, “But we did this together. We should end it together.” 

Sanji flushes at the contact and the words, but holds his hand tight as they all step outside.

He’s not shocked to find Zeff here, since the old man has a habit of sticking his nose into Sanji’s business, and immediately turns to him, “Geezer.”

“Eggplant,” Zeff greets with a stern look as he puffs on his cigar, “What do you have for me this time?”

He eyes his and Zoro’s joined hands, but doesn’t comment. Sanji squeezes Zoro’s hand, and likewise doesn’t explain.

Instead Sanji’s eyes dart to Law, as he thinks about how best to explain to the old man exactly what happened tonight. The more he thinks it over, the more he realizes that punishing Law won’t be enough to truly bring justice for Ace and Nami.

There was someone else pulling the strings behind everything, someone who has been alluding justice this whole time.

But maybe, with the events that played out this evening, with Law’s help, with all the evidence they’d gathered, they can finally do something about him.

“It’s a bit of a doozy this time,” Sanji admits, “But if we play our cards right, we should be able to take down a dangerous scumbag known as Blackbeard.”

Law and Zoro both turn to look at him, faces stunned. He gives Zoro’s hand a squeeze, and hopes the look he gives him is enough for him to trust him. It must be, because Zoro squeezes back and nods for him to continue.

“Blackbeard?” That has Zeff raising a curious brow, “Been after him for ages. What happened?”

“There was a double murder here tonight,” Sanji explains to Zeff, “The first victim, a young man named Ace, was killed by his friend Nami, who also happened to be working as Blackbeard’s bookkeeper. Blackbeard has had a vendetta against Ace for a while, so it’s no wonder he got angry when he found out. However, Nami’s work with Blackbeard was coerced. She wanted out, but in order to do that, she had to take advantage of some of her other friends.” He nods to Law, “Like Law.”

“So you killed this Nami, I bet,” Zeff concludes with a sigh.

“Yes, sir,” Law admits, regret clear in his voice.

“But Blackbeard was the real villain tonight,” Sanji continues, “Everyone here is a victim of his terror. With all the evidence we’ve gathered tonight and Law and the other guests’ cooperation and testimony, I’m sure we can finally put him behind bars.”

“It’ll be tough, Blackbeard’s not one to go quietly,” He chews on the end of his cigar for a bit as he mulls it over, then gives Sanji a slow, easy smirk, “But damn if you don’t make me want to try. Alright kid, I’m game. What have you got?”

-

The court cases surrounding what the media quickly dubs as the Great Blackbeard Conspiracy are, unsurprisingly, long and complicated.

But in the end, after Usopp, Zoro, and Law give detailed testimony about the years and events leading up to Ace and Nami’s murder, after Nami’s sister gives a heart wrenching account of just what Blackbeard put her sister through that has half the jury in tears, after Luffy give detailed testimony about the years and events leading up to Ace’s accident and murder, after Sanji’s meticulous and thorough account of his and Luffy’s entire investigation, both that night and beyond, Blackbeard and his cohorts are found guilty on all counts.

“I’ll be seeing you real soon, Mr. Prince,” Blackbeard laughs, his smile wide, but his eyes are full of malice as he’s taken away, “I’ve got a long memory, and thanks to you, plenty of time.”

Sanji sighs as he watches him go, just thankful that there’s one less terror out there in the world.

When it’s all said and done, he finds Zoro waiting for him.

The affection and attraction he’d felt for Zoro that first night hadn’t faded with the lengthy trials. If anything, with Zoro being the sure, sturdy rock they’d all needed to lean on throughout the whole thing, it had grown.

But he hadn’t done anything about it, hadn’t said anything to Zoro. He’d been so focused on the case and taking down Blackbeard, he didn’t want any distractions, or for Blackbeard to use Zoro against him, or worse, to devote anything less than his full attention to Zoro.

Zoro deserves nothing less than everything Sanji can give him, after all.

He knows it won’t be easy, he knows his job will get in the way more than not, but through whatever else life throws at him, he knows he wants Zoro there by his side, helping and supporting him in the way only he can.

“Mosshead,” Sanji says in lieu of a proper greeting.

Zoro turns to look at him, that brilliant smile of his on his face, “Curly.”

“It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, well,” he shrugs as he turns completely, “You’ve been busy.”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“Oh?” He tilts his head, “What?”

Sanji’s heart races as he swallows any lingering doubts. He takes one more step forward, putting himself right in Zoro’s space, grabs his hand, and says, “I love you.”

Zoro blinks at him, and his smile grows even wider somehow as he laughs, “Damn, beat me to the punch.”

It’s Sanji’s turn to be surprised, “What?”

Zoro shakes his head as he rubs a gentle thumb across his knuckles, “I love you too, Sanji. I’ve wanted to tell you ever since the night we met. I just didn’t want to distract you from what you had to do here.”

“We’re done now,” Sanji’s heart is soaring in his chest as he steps even closer, “You can tell me now.”

“Then I will.”

He brings his hands to his lips and kisses his knuckles, “I love you, Sanji. I love the way you solve mysteries, I love the way you throw yourself into everything you do. I love how your hair glows in the sunlight, I love your smile, your face. I love everything about you.

“So what do you say?” Zoro leans in close, his lips hovering tantalizingly above Sanji’s, “Will you be mine?”

Sanji answers by closing that miniscule distance between them, claiming Zoro’s lips, and Zoro’s love, and Zoro as his own.

“Yes,” he says when they pull apart, “I’ll be yours, as long as you’ll be mine.”

“I’ll be yours forever.”

Sanji doesn’t fight the temptation to kiss him again, to hold him close as he kisses him back, too lost in everything Zoro’s offering to care about witness.

“C’mon,” Zoro says when they finally separate, tugging his hand as he guides him away, “The others want to celebrate.”

Sanji takes his hand, and they walk off to the rest of their lives together.

END

[rubyroboticalt]

QBLR QUARTERLY part 2!

That's right, this report needed two whole posts. Onto the news!

Who let wizards on the server? Zpca's laboratory is discovered in far-off salt flats. Ruby terraforms a black sand beach and takes possibly the worst screenshots of it ever. My liege, you have advanced darkness on. Cheez returns home after a long while away.

And now, a reading from r/malelivingspaces. Orange acacia walls. Shroomlight peeking from above the ceiling and on the lower wall. Orange sandstone ceiling. Meaty red floor. Large desk on the right wall. Single acacia chair at the desk. Unidentifiable orange metal in the wall. This has been a reading from r/malelivingspaces.

Brie reaches a milestone of over 500 deaths, only 1/4 of which are the result of player kills. Dollie participates in a magic ritual with friends! Hivi crafts every single attainable plushie thrice. Ladel has some family bonding time.

Glitch finishes their gardens. Splat and their family convert an airship into a spaceship with airlocking and amenities! On the last two days of play, the Void Worm is unbanned. Residents jump at the opportunity to kill such an elegant beast. Berry organizes a room full of all the flowers in the game.

The mysterious salmon receives some hugs and love from Appie and the bog. Sweetpea tries and fails to go to heaven. Gummy shares the longest playtime of the server, totaling over 45 and a half days. Moo finishes a chapel for their religion.

Inc finishes a tower with which to escape impending apocalypse. Apple finishes the portalfolks garden and invites guests to leave a note in the guestbook. Popcorn celebrates a birthday in the last day of server time.

Oh my lord, audience, do you remember the call to keep a lookout for Spamton after the court case special? It's a good thing we did -- he tries crashing Popcorn's birthday party! And who is there to stop him but WD Gaster himself! I don't believe it!

In the last hours before the end, residents make final arrangements to escape to other worlds. Chunks begin to be consumed, as the Dark Magician harnesses the magic power and energy put into this world for one final clearing of things.

And with that, I'd like to thank Grace, Levlies, Crow, Lim, and Qrth for being an all-star admin team keeping the server running smoothly. Thanks to Ven, Vern, Angel, Cand, Elli, Jay, Mack, Neon, Niko, Percy, and Val for being a super-attentive super-supportive mod team making sure bugs got fixed and lost items were returned. Thank you to Mira, Danny, Jace, Inc, Roy, Glitch, Solaria, Appie, and Cassi for being an amazing bog commune. Thanks to all the other players I haven't mentioned for making the server such a beautiful, lively place. And thanks to you, humble viewer, for coming on this journey with me.

link to part 1

[barrenclan]

Not ashamed to say that the end of the latest issue with asphodelpaw, and slugpelt and redstar talking about her, and her warrior name, Made me cry a few real tears! but god, what a testament to how amazing and well written this story is!

ive been following this comic since the very first clangen video you posted, and i can't believe it's almost over, but at the same time, thank you for seeing it to its conclusion and putting so much care into it that so truly paid off.

things are already so satisfying—redstar stepping up, becoming leader with confidence, but also knowing that barrenclan can't and shouldn't last past her—cootstorm displaying a hurt and emotional side i didn't think she had but makes perfect sense for her to have LOL—everything! good luck on the last issue and everything else you do from then on!

This issue seemed to get a lot of people emotional, which makes me very satisfied haha! It always means a lot how much this series has meant to folks. I'm very honored you've stuck with the story for so long, it's been a blast to work on and a real treat for so many people to engage with it like they have.

Thank you! :]

[yuurivoice]

Hi Yuuri I just wanted to say I miss Howell. That’s all I hope you have a good day😊

I do too! There's still a lot about him I want to know and figure out. I was able to delve into him a bit more (and get some much needed closure) with some friends. I don't think he's really a character that I want to do various iterations of in different worlds and campaigns, because it's that specific story of his that I love. If it's removed from that world and story, I'd rather have another shot at a new character.

I was able to salvage a couple of relationships out of the rubble from the entire ordeal surrounding TnD, and I've got no beef with anyone who wasn't literal human trash, so Howell's place in my heart is unscathed in terms of being attached to a really shitty time and situation.

Reflecting on those days, that shit was a nightmare scenario. Obviously my own emotional turmoil pales in comparison to the literal criminal and victim in our midst, don't get that twisted because those most directly impacted by one asshole's actions should be the primary concern. It is a hell of a pill to swallow having something that dear to you go up in flames in such a public and grotesque way.

I don't blame anyone who feels any type of way about how it was handled and the aftermath of it. The truth of it all is, one person's really fucked up actions had widespread effects on a lot of people. The radius of that bomb was no joke.

Howell is very dear to me, and those Sundays were genuinely the favorite day of the week for me over that time. The backlash, anger, resentment, and then emptiness of it all really took its toll, as I'm sure it did on everyone caught in the blast zone.

The bad guy got got in the end, and I'm thankful for the folks who made sure that happened.

That year as a whole was really difficult. That wasn't the only heavy thing I had to work through that year. There was a stretch of six months that were probably the worst of my adult life in terms of interpersonal turmoil. The universe really took a bat to my kneecaps.

Saying ALLLLLLLL of that to say, if I had lost my love for Howell, it would have taken a significant toll on me creatively. I would not so freely share the parts of myself it takes to create the stories and characters I do now. I can pretty confidently say that something like Echoes or Shattered would never happen.

I struggled mightily with BitterSweet Chapter 3 for that reason. It was hard to want to carve out pieces of myself to share with the world, and certainly very difficult to work with anyone else out of fear that their bad actions could rob me of my passion even more.

But I learned a lot, and over that time I also think I was able to show my community how serious situations get handled while I'm at the helm. I hate that me and the team have been on the frontlines of a few really serious community PR nightmares, but I do think we've been able to exhibit an ability to treat things with maturity, respect, and direct action.

So Howell means a lot to me. We've been on two journeys, one fictional, and one real...and boy we've gotten our asses kicked more than a few times.

There is a chance, albeit a small one, that there's a DnD story to be told with Howell and some friends, for the world to partake in. Don't know if it'll happen, but the chances aren't 0%...

[daisyrb-gvf]

Cruising Into Love

d.r.w. x f!reader

My first post on tumblr, but definitely not my first fic. Danny's cruise picture had this story pouring out of me, so I hope you all like it! I thought this first chapter would be longer than it is, but the next part of the story deserves its' own chapter.

Words: 3.2k

Summary: After 3 mundane months of working on a cruise ship, you're met with the most gorgeous man you've ever seen.

Warnings: plenty of swooning, language and brief mentions of f masturbation.

You sigh as you zip up the back of your fitted black dress. Another night, another performance. You love being an entertainer, and sitting behind the keys is as close to home as you can get on this ship, but after 3 months of your 8 month stretch, it is starting to feel so redundant, and there are only so many songs that are approved to perform at the piano bar. The boss wasn’t too pleased with your medley of LL Cool J songs with an audience consisting of mainly 50-80 year olds. Tight ass. 

“Just three more nights and you get a break,” you reassure yourself as you touch up your makeup in the pathetically tiny mirror that looks huge in this shoebox of a bathroom. 

“Alright girl, I’m off,” you say to your slightly-less-than-pleasant bunk mate. It could be worse, but it would have been nice to bunk with someone who actually seemed to give even half a fuck about you. At least she wasn’t mean. Just…distant. 

“Kay,” she replied with enthusiasm akin to a corpse, not bothering to look up from the sketch she was working on. You sighed again, feeling like you’ll never be able to chip away at that wall. You didn’t come here to make friends, but damn, a little human connection would be nice sometimes. 

– – –

Your body shuddered as you threw back a shot of tequila at the bar. “Thanks, Chris,” you said to the bartender-one of the few people who will have an actual conversation with you. He winked before flicking his eyes over to a young, classically hot dude. Boyish features, blue eyes, sandy blonde hair…you get it, but definitely not your type. 

“Down boy,” you say with a chuckle as you wink back at him. 

Settling down at the keys, the audience gives you a small applause as the chatting dies down. 

“How’s everyone feeling tonight?” you ask the small crowd, mustering up as much enthusiasm as you can. You get a small cheer, and a few whoops from the more inebriated folks. “You mind if I play a few songs for you?” A louder cheer encourages you as your hands start to dance across the ivory keys. 

Ooh you can dance

You can jive

Having the time of your life

Ooh, see that girl

Watch that scene

Digging the dancing queen

The crowd sings along with you-definitely one of the more tone-deaf groups you’ve played for, but at least they seem to be having fun. Dancing Queen is always a good opener, and one of your favorites, so you prefer to start the shows this way. 

The crowd cheers as you segue into your next number. People are getting tipsier with each song, and you have to admit, it is pretty entertaining. Drunk crowds are typically great audiences unless they get belligerent. 

“Alright, it’s been a blast playing for you all tonight,” you say as you start the intro to your final song.

I needed the shelter of someone’s arms

And there you were

I needed someone to understand my ups and downs

And there you were

WIth sweet love and devotion–

Holy shit. Who is that guy? A tall, dark, and handsome man emerged into your view after an elderly couple left the table in front of his. You miss a note and snap back into focus through the chorus. What the hell? Why is some random-admittedly gorgeous-dude throwing you off? That’s new. You make it through the second verse, but after that it’s impossible to not steal another glance. Your knees get a little shaky as you drink him in, thankfully keeping your shit together in your performance. You watch him sing along as he drums his fingers on the little bistro table. You realize you glanced a little too long once he smirks at you, locking eyes. You blush red and avoid the entire corner of the room where he is sitting for the rest of the song. Oh God, how embarrassing.  

The crowd cheers as the song ends and you take a bow before immediately walking back over to the bar…which, unfortunately, is far too near the gorgeous man in the corner. 

“One more tequila, please, Chris,” you say anxiously as he chuckles. 

“Little flustered there, aren’t you? Wouldn’t have anything to do with that yummy Greek statue of a man there in the corner would it?”

“Shut up, Chris,” you whisper, your face turning redder by the second. 

“Mmhmm, okay. Whatever you say,” he says with a smirk before walking to the other end of the bar serving the influx of post-performance guests. 

Walking out of the room, you make it maybe ten feet before realizing you left your phone behind the bar. 

“Shit,” you mutter to yourself, debating on walking back now or waiting until the crowd clears in hopes of avoiding the gorgeous creature who made you pathetically weak in the knees. 

“Oh, come on, he is just a man. Get the fuck over it,” you mutter again, rolling your eyes at yourself. You turn around and make it one step before slamming straight into someone. 

“I’m so sorry!” you both say in unison as large, warm hands wrap around your shoulders, steadying you. Of-fucking-course. 

“Oh, no worries!” the insanely beautiful man replies, dropping his hands from your shoulders. The summer breeze feels colder than it had before as your whole body flushes. 

“Oh-um-yeah, okay,” you sputter out with a nervous smile. Good God, get your shit together. 

He chuckles, “Your performance was great. We loved it,” he says warmly as a beautiful, tall, brunette woman walks up next to him. Of course. There’s no way this man could be single. It only makes sense that he would have one of the most staggeringly gorgeous women on his arm. 

“Yes, it was lovely!” she chimes in, hooking her arm through his as she reaches out a hand to shake yours. 

“Oh, thank you!” trying to stay as cool as possible and not show your disappointment, you shake her hand and flash a smile. 

“I’m Josie, and this is my brother, Danny,” she introduces. 

Oh. Brother. He’s her brother. The relief you feel is embarrassing and you hope it doesn’t show on your face. You sense it does, based on the tiny smirk Josie is clearly trying to hold back. 

“Nice to run into you,” Danny says with a chuckle, reaching his hand out to shake yours as well. He holds your gaze for just a moment longer than you expected. Just long enough for your breath to catch as you get lost in his dark hazel eyes…flecks of gold, brown, and green-the warmest eyes you’ve ever seen. He flashes a bright white smile that makes your chest tighten. 

“Yeah, uh, you too,” you reply with a nervous giggle, your voice barely shaky. Oh my God, you are so fucking embarrassing. 

“Come on, Dan. We’re late meeting mom and dad,” Josie says, leading Danny down the hallway. “Nice meeting you!” 

“Yeah, you too!” You stay glued in place for a moment, watching them walk away. Damn, the back looks just as good as the front. Danny turns around at that moment, catching you staring. He smirks and winks before turning back around, disappearing as they turn a corner. 

“Real smooth, you idiot,” you sigh, tossing your head back before walking back into the bar. 

– – –

You got almost no sleep that night, and it infuriated you. Losing sleep over a man you barely met. Get a grip…but, those eyes-such a warm hue, long lashes, smooth, tan skin, he had a little dusting of freckles on his cheeks and angular, almost avian, nose. His features were masculine and sharp, with a jaw that could probably cut glass, but his kind eyes and heart-melting smile made him seem so…soft. You could tell he was a man who wasn’t afraid to do some grooming and pampering. With skin like that and shiny, dark brown, perfect ringlets of hair long enough to barely brush his shoulders…yeah, he put some effort into his appearance. His demeanor didn’t seem cocky or vain, though. Confident, sure, but not full of himself. Ugh, and then that body. 

“Oh, come on,” you say exasperatedly to yourself as you roll over for what was probably the 20th time, trying to relax. “You’re not 13 years old. For God’s sake, you are 25. Act like it.” 

You take a deep breath and relax one muscle at a time, feeling the gentle rocking of the ship lulling you to sleep. You start to drift off and the image of Danny turning around to wink at you jolts you awake again. 

“What the hell? May as well just stop fighting it,” you say defeatedly, letting your mind drift off to Danny with no resistance. You close your eyes again as you try to remember every detail. His sun-kissed skin, broad shoulders, slender hips and legs, but you could definitely see the muscle definition under those tight black jeans. You let out a little giggle as you remember the cheesy little shark tooth necklace dangling on his collarbone, just above a small patch of black hair dusted on his sternum. His short-sleeved top was unbuttoned just below his pecs, leaving the rest of his torso up to your imagination. You find yourself imagining how it would feel to run your hands over his warm, undoubtedly hard, stomach before smoothing them around to his back, running up to his sturdy, broad shoulders. You know what would help you sleep, but even alone in your bunk, you’re embarrassed that seeing this man for a few moments would cause you to slip your hand into your shorts. You wonder if you had met him earlier in the day it would have given you time to shake it off. Maybe take a run around the 7th floor track that wraps around the ship on the deck. But for now, you need sleep, so you do what needs to be done. Thank God your bunkmate is working the overnight shift. It only takes a few minutes before you finish with a soft sigh, drifting off to sleep seconds later. 

– – –

Hard as you tried, you can’t help but feel a slight pang of disappointment when Danny doesn’t show up at the next night’s performance, and you feel pathetic for that. This is a huge ship. It’s impossible to do even half of the activities offered, so why would he come to the same show twice? To see you? Come on, girl. Get real. The self-loathing is bubbling up inside you as you attempt to exhaust yourself by running seven miles. Does it work? Absolutely not. You’ve never felt so electric and energized. Any other time you would have been grateful, but not now. Not when, despite your exhaustive efforts, you still find yourself relieving that ache in your core before drifting off to sleep. 

Rolling out of bed the next morning, you feel a bit better. The exhaustion from your run the day before caught up to you, and your legs feel like they are on fire. Thank God. Despite the pain, you brush your teeth, throw your hair in a bun, and slip on a tank top, shorts and running shoes, making your way to the 7th floor. Maybe after today’s run you won’t even think about him when you fall into bed tonight. 

A small smile forms on your face as you close your eyes, feeling the sea breeze enveloping you as you step through the double glass doors onto the deck. Most people you know prefer to run out on forest trails, feeling the crunch of leaves and soft dirt under their feet, seeing the sun filter through quaking aspens, hearing songs from morning birds harmonizing together. You love it too, but the power and energy that the ocean offers can’t be beat. You start off with a slow jog, warming up your aching muscles, before finding your stride. You feel as if the ocean is running alongside you, the waves matching your pace. You finally start to feel like you’ve found your footing again-literally and figuratively. After your first lap you see a few more people making their way onto the deck. Most come out for a nice walk, just enjoying the view they don’t get to see often. You see a sweet old couple, moseying along hand-in-hand. Just walking silently. Comfortably together. This is a common sight around here, but you feel a bittersweet sort of heartache for just a moment before someone whizzes right past you. 

Long legs, narrow hips, mess of dark chocolate curls tickling those broad, tanned shoulders with each step, the navy blue muscle tee giving you a much better view of those shoulders as they flex and move in tandem with his strong, lean legs. Legs that he clearly enjoys showing off based on the yellow shortie-shorts he’s sporting. You increase your pace with a surge of adrenaline, but also so you can get as close as you can to the view. As he reaches the curve of the track at the front of the ship, he looks over his shoulder at you, grinning before picking up his pace. Is he…challenging you? Oh, it is so on. You weren’t an all-state track star for nothing. You grin and take a deep breath, pushing yourself faster, the excitement dulling the burning pain in your thighs. Danny hears you round the corner as you catch up to him, chuckling through his steady, heavy breaths. You’re not letting those long, sculpted legs have an advantage over you. Ignoring the burn in your chest, you surge forward faster, eventually passing him. Looking over your shoulder you catch him staring at your ass. He quickly looks away and out at the ocean. If you weren’t puffing and panting so hard, you’d probably giggle, but it’s all you can do to stay focused and not let him catch up to you. You both run another lap, taking turns being in the lead before you both give up and just run at a steady pace next to one another. 

“Okay, I give up,” he says, holding his hands up in surrender. “You’re good! How long were you running before I came out?” You couldn’t help but shiver slightly hearing the deep timbre of his voice between his panting breaths. 

“Oh, just barely over a lap,” you reply, doing your best to not sound like you’re dying, and failing miserably. 

“Safe to say this is something you do often?” He runs the back of his hand down his neck, wiping off a bead of sweat that rolled from his chin down over his prominent Adam’s apple. 

Taking a big gulp of air that had nothing to do with your exhaustive run, you wipe sweat from your brow and try not to stare at his neck and shoulders glistening in the sunlight. “No, this is my first time,” you say as seriously as you can manage. 

“Are you joking?!” he asks incredulously. 

A laugh bubbles up at the sight of his adorably confused and surprised expression. “Absolutely. I’ve been running basically my whole life.” Your breathing is finally starting to slow along with his, the rise and fall of his chest and shoulders still exaggerated, but not as fast. 

“Oh, thank God,” he replied, flashing that bright smile, your breathing picking up again ever so slightly. 

“Bit competitive, huh?” You walk over and grab a couple of towels and water bottles from the recently restocked shelf. 

He chuckles, “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” You hand him a towel and bottle and he immediately chugs half of the water, a tiny bit of it running down his chin, the small stream of cool liquid mixing with the sweat on his neck, traveling down his protruding Adam’s apple again. “Thank you,” he says, wiping his brow with the slightly scratchy fabric of the generic beach towel. 

“Oh, yeah..uh, you’re welcome,” you awkwardly sputter, yet again embarrassed by the reaction this man is getting from you for basically just existing. 

He drops his head, clearly trying to be a gentleman and hide his knowing smirk. After a brief awkward moment he looks out at the water. “Bet this never gets old, does it-getting to run with the waves every day?” 

“Never,” you reply, with a contented sigh. “The ocean is the best running buddy I’ve ever had, no offense,” you giggle. 

He chuckles back at you, “None taken. I totally understand. I wish I could do this every day.”

You both saunter over to the railing and lazily lean over the smooth, wooden bar. 

“Well, they’re basically always hiring here. Want a job?” you ask with a chuckle. 

“Don’t tempt me,” he replies, his large hands gripping the rail as he leans back slightly, enjoying the breeze. His damp curls already drying from the salty air. 

“This sea breeze is really the only thing that could do any tempting. Cruise life behind the scenes isn’t very glamorous. I’m sure whatever you’re doing now is better than this.” 

“Maybe so. Depends on the day.” 

“So, what do you do?” you ask, turning around to lean your back against the railing as you take another sip of water. 

“Danny! I thought you said you were going to wait for me?” Josie bursts through the glass doors, looking irritated. “Oh hi!” she says, flashing a bright smile-very similar to her brother’s-at you. “It’s good to see you again. You want to join us on our jog?” 

Josie is so bubbly and bright. She has that magnetic energy that people are just naturally drawn to. Matched with her staggering beauty (that clearly runs in the family), you imagine that there are plenty of unsuspecting people out there who have been left in a haze by her presence. You find yourself just a bit jealous of whatever genes run in that family.

“Oh, thank you for asking, but I actually just finished up here. I don’t think I have another lap left in me,” you chuckle, finishing off what’s left of your water. “Not after kicking this guy’s butt,” you giggle nodding your head in Danny’s direction. 

“Excuse me?” he retorts, “I do believe that it was a tie,” he laughs. My God, he has the most adorable laugh you’ve ever heard-kinda dorky, actually, and you are so glad this Greecian god has been humanized a bit, even if it did make your heart ache more for him. 

“I believe you,” Josie loudly whispered to you with a wink, “and thank you for tiring him out a bit. Now I can outrun him,” she laughed before bolting down the track. 

“Oh come on, sis! That’s not fair!” he called out, running after her. After a few strides he slowed down and turned around, running backward, “It was good to see you again!” 

You watched him run down the track, frozen in place again, until he turned the corner. 

“Guess I’ll be losing more sleep tonight,” you mutter with a sigh before walking inside to take an ice cold shower.

LOTS more Danny in the next chapter, I promise. I'm a slow-burner.

Go to Chapter 2

@spark-my-nature

[sonics-atelier]

Blooms of Friendship: Thorin and Bilbo's Garden Challenge

For @bagginshieldweek24 Day 6 : Single Parents/Uncles AU + Gardening

Summary: Mr Gamgee has a gardening competition, Thorin doesn't have a green thumb so frodo helps, cue fluff.

a/n : I had a blast writing this, btw if anyone cares Sam and Frodo went frolicking in the Forest later.

In the peaceful heart of the Shire, where the hills rolled gently under a sky that seemed perpetually blue, Gaffer Gamgee announced a grand gardening competition. The rules were simple: whoever could grow the most beautiful, vibrant garden in a month would be declared the winner. The competition stirred excitement among the hobbits, and even more so for Master Baggins and Master Oakenshield.

Bilbo, ever the lover of nature, had always kept a flourishing garden. His flowers bloomed brightly, their colors a vivid tapestry that delighted the eyes. Thorin, on the other hand, was a dwarf of stone and steel, more accustomed to the cold beauty of gems than the delicate life of plants. Yet, never one to back down from a challenge, Thorin decided to participate.

For the first two weeks, Bilbo’s garden thrived as expected. Flowers of every hue and fragrance filled the air with a sweet perfume, and Bilbo took great pleasure in watching them grow. Thorin, however, found himself in a different predicament. Despite his best efforts, his garden was a desolate sight—wilted plants and dry soil that seemed to mock his determination.

It was during one of these frustrating afternoons that Frodo, Bilbo’s young nephew, noticed Thorin’s plight. With a gentle smile, Frodo approached the dwarf. “Uncle Thorin,” he began, his voice encouraging, “I could help, if you’d like. Gardening just takes a little patience and understanding.”

Thorin looked at Frodo, surprised but grateful. “I’d appreciate that, Frodo,” he replied, nodding. “Perhaps you can teach this old dwarf a thing or two about the Shire’s secrets.”

And so, Frodo took Thorin under his wing, guiding him through the basics of gardening with the wisdom that came so naturally to the hobbit folk. Together, they tilled the soil, planted new seeds, and tended to the ailing plants with care. Under Frodo’s patient instruction, Thorin began to see the subtle changes in his garden. Slowly but surely, green began to spread, and small buds appeared, promising blooms yet to come.

As the competition drew to a close, Thorin’s garden was not the most vibrant, nor the most extravagant, but it was alive and blooming—a testament to his perseverance and Frodo’s guidance.

The day of the competition arrived, and the hobbits gathered to admire each other’s hard work. Samwise, acting as the judge, made his rounds, carefully inspecting each garden. Bilbo’s garden was, of course, a sight to behold—full of color and life, just as it had been from the start. Thorin’s garden, though more modest, held a charm of its own, with sturdy flowers and a sense of quiet resilience.

When the results were announced, Bilbo secured a well-deserved second place. Thorin, to his surprise, was awarded third place, his efforts recognized by Old Gaffer Gamegee, who appreciated the effort and care that had gone into reviving the once desolate plot.

Bilbo laughed warmly when Thorin’s name was called, the sound full of mirthy. Thorin, however, had eyes only for Frodo as he handed the boy the bronze medal. “This belongs to you, Frodo,” Thorin said sincerely, “You’ve taught me much, and this is as much your victory as it is mine.”

Frodo beamed, clutching the medal with pride. “Thank you, Uncle Thorin,” he said, his face alight with joy.

As the crowd began to disperse, Thorin placed an arm around Bilbo’s shoulders, drawing him close. The two of them stood together, watching as the evening sun cast a golden glow over the Shire. Bilbo leaned into Thorin’s side, a contented smile on his lips.

“You know,” Bilbo said teasingly, “I never thought I’d see the day you’d take up gardening, Thorin.”

Thorin chuckled, his gaze soft as he looked down at Bilbo. “Well, I never thought I’d enjoy it, but it seems the Shire has a way of surprising even the most stubborn of dwarves.”

Bilbo grinned, tilting his head to meet Thorin’s eyes. “It certainly does.”

Without another word, Thorin leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to Bilbo’s forehead, a simple gesture that spoke of quiet affection and shared contentment. In that moment, there were no grand declarations or flowery speeches—just the peaceful understanding between two souls who had found a home in each other, in a land where flowers bloomed as brightly as their love.

- @sonics-atelier 2024 , do not repost or reuse in any way , shape or form.

[deedala]

☀️ weekly 🌴 tag 🌴 wednesday 🌊

hello it is thursday!! not wednesday, alas, we persist. big thanks to a one lil miss ✨🌟🌙 @celestialmickey ✨🌟🌙 !!!! for writing this weeks game and for tagging me!! + @gallapiech @blue-disco-lights @heymrspatel @jrooc @mmmichyyy @too-schoolforcool @lingy910y @crossmydna @energievie @palepinkgoat 💖💖💖

name: deanna 🌱

pronouns: she/her

what year did you graduate high school? lets play a game actually, what do you think? did i graduate in 1998, 2002, or 2006?

tell me where you live without *telling* me where you live: woody harrelson and i know the same amusement park like the back of our respective hands

tell me what you do for work: digital coloring book

caffeine source of choice: brew my own hot coffee in which i pour oatmilk and french vanilla dairy-free creamer

do you have a skincare routine? super sensitive skin, had to do accutane in my 20s *and* back in 2019. dermatologist has me on a very strict routine of gentle salicylic acid facewash and oil-free fragrance-free sensitive-skin formulated facial moisturizer. nothing else allowed!!

how often do you do laundry? every single fucking day of life and if i dont i will be overcome and i will suffer

favorite flower: poppies!! (iykyk) but dandelions are a close second

your go-to karaoke song: i've never gotten to do karaoake for reals but i think it would be an absolute blast (and hysterically cringey) to sing wuthering heights by kate bush!!

what kind of phone do you have? mint green iphone 12

do you wear contacts/glasses? i wear a single contact lens because i had to have a bunch of surgery in my left eye in my 20s and one of them involved replacing my lens with an implant (hi im bionic, i have a serial number) that is a corrective lens giving me 20/20 vision (apart from the blind spots where my retina is destroyed) SOOOO i literally can only wear that one contact lens in my right eye to fix my (extremely bad) vision on that side. glasses dont work when you've got 20/20 in one eyeball and -7.25 in the other.

what color is your hair right now? its a 10

you’ve just been handed $10,000 cash, what are you spending it on? theres a lot of shit in my house that needs to be fixed. or maybe we can use it as a down payment for buying a new house? (probably not the market is so insane in my city because of the university and the landlords) but i guess...in fantasy world where this happens...yeah we use it to help ourselves buy a new house lol.

how many pets do you have? none

have you ever been on a train? many many trains! some in america, most of them in europe

and finally, tell me something about yourself people might be surprised to know: god im so uninteresting... i love olives and pickles and cilantro and mint but not garlic and i cannot taste spicy things (i deeply wish i could, ive tried so many times and all i get is like bitter charcoal numb tongue)

and now i'll tag some folks under the cut who maybe?? havent played yet?? maybe want to play????? if not consider this me handing you a dandelion + poppy 💐 under the cut!!

@darlingian @spookygingerr @mybrainismelted @creepkinginc @suzy-queued

@sleepyheadgallavich @thepupperino @iansw0rld @gardenerian @ardent-fox

@catgrassplantdad @whatwouldmickeydo @gallawitchxx @wehangout @captainjowl

@the-rat-wins @loftec @spoonfulstar @callivich @sam-loves-seb

@howlinchickhowl @rereadanon @softmick @burninface @sickness-health-all-that-shit

@sleepyfacetoughguy @transmickey @lee-ow @themarchg1rl @vintagelacerosette

@xninetiestrendx @michellemisfit @steorie @samantitheos

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

[crazylittlejester]

I think a rarely seen angst idea is the main hero learning that the villain is related to them in some way. So...

- Legend learned probably during his first or second adventure that he was Ganon's nephew. The mere thought made his blood grow cold and bile rise to his throat. How could he be related, by body and blood, to that thing he has fought time and time again. He's thankful that he wasn't tainted by his malice, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

-Hyrule didn't realize until much later down the line, possibly by Aurora. Maybe they were looking through old records from the eras long before theirs, only to find the bloodline that belonged to Ganon. He was sickened and disturbed, and by both his decision and hers, they burned the scroll. Hyrule hated him enough as is, they would hunt him down if they ever knew.

-Sky always knew that something was slightly off about himself. He had abilities that the others didn't, and upon learning that the Master Sword didn't burn the other heroes when they wielded it was a little strange. Fi always hinted that he wasn't something mortal, but he always brushed it off as his own paranoia. Sun knows, deep down. She knows that he is the bastard son of Demise, and that is a secret that will go with her to the grave.

-Time's mother would have been considered a lucky woman by a lot of people. To be chosen by the king of the Gerudo of all people to marry would have been an honor, and she considered it so. She would birth him a son, one with a pointy little nose like his and eyes as blue as hers. Time knew after connecting the dots during his adventure. The similarities he had with the king of thieves was far to many for any denial. It's a secret only Wars and Malon knows. The shame he feels is something beyond all else.

-Four was blessed by the winds, that's what his grandfather told him. He could easily tell if a storm was coming or if the winds were trying to lead him somewhere. That's how he got around in his journey to help the minish and when he drew the four sword. He, just like Sky, is unaware that Vati was his grandfather's brother. Wizards age much slower than non magic folk, which could easily make anybody none the wiser. He simply inherited a little bit of magic from that side of the family, that's all.

-Warriors was told outright by Impa that he was the son of Volga. He was given two options by his commander, renounce the man and deny any relations to him, or be killed for being an accessory to his war crimes. He wasn't foolish, and took the former. It didn't soften the blow after the war that his father was killed in the final battle against Cia, but what's done is done. He does often wonder if he could've harnessed his draconic side if he had betrayed the kingdom instead, but dwelling onwhat ifs never helped anybody.

-Twilight, being Time's decendant, makes him related to Gabondorf as well. Unfortunately, it seems he inherited that cruel man's tendency to lean into magics and weapons that belongs to that of darkness. The dusk could easily claim him as its own, and the shadow that plagues them all seems to have an easier time replicating his very form and personality. If he were to adorn the blasted armor Ganondorf wore during their final encounter, it would look as if made for him. Another Link who likes to pretend he knows nothing.

-Wild was born many eras before Hyrule was truly the empire it is (or once was, after the Calimty struck) today. Born between a simple human woman and the first Gerudo male to be born, he was a bright little angel. But, all good things must come to an end, and after the Imprisoning War, the young woman sought for anything to prevent her child from being executed for his father's crimes. A kind woman, Zelda, she called herself, offered to help. The young boy was swept away to an era out of reach, and the woman slept easy knowing her little boy was safe. She does wonder what happened to that kind woman, maybe it has to do with the beautiful dragon that now lingers in the sky?

-Wind is the luckiest in terms of relations. He was so far removed from Time that one could simply say that they were to distant to be proper relatives. His Ganondorf knew that the boy was somebody who could've been the heir to his throne so many ages ago, and he reminded him so much of how he was back when he was younger. He might have been blessed to not be closely relate to him, but Wind was the only one of them all to be seen as family by him.

yo dude, you put a lot of thought into these, these are cool! i don’t usually headcanon things like this but it’s such an interesting idea and definitely adds a whole new layer of angst and suffering 😭 ESPECIALLY THE WARS AND VOLGA ONE LIKE DAMN? AND WILD?? OUGH.

[digitaldoeslmk]

I apologize if you're not the right person to ask but I've been wondering this for a while and since you both enjoy (but are critical of) lmk and also enjoy/know a lot about jttw I figure you may be a decent person to ask. And I mean this is as an entirely genuine question.

Jttw has so many different adaptations and parodies and, for lack of a better term, spinoffs, why is it that LMK in particular seems to get so much more criticism? How is it different from any other story that uses jttw as a base?

I was under the impression that while a lot of events and chatacters have been changed or tweaked in some ways (looking at red son in particular, as well as seemingly replacing Buddha with the jade emperor, I could go on) it was still relatively faithful at least in spirit. It has a lot of callbacks and mentions to the book, even if it's more or less an AU of the original story.

So why is it that its adaptation in particular seems so...disliked I suppose? Or at least takes a lot more criticism than other adaptations. I could take a few guesses (fandom (and its lack of knowledge of the source material) being a big one, or otherwise being more western than the story probably should be) but as someone who was introduced to jttw by lmk (reading the book now and having a blast with it) I'm curious and confused as to why it seems to be disliked when there are so many other jttw adaptations that also change fair chunks of the story, and those don't seem to garner the same level of criticism.

And I apologize again if you're maybe the wrong person to ask, but I wasn't sure where else to start, if you know anyone who can maybe answer this better I'd love to hear from any of them as well, I've been so curious about this for a while.

no worries at all, and i appreciate the ask!

i do wanna preface this by saying that i have very little interaction with the LMK fandom, and mostly heard the horror stories through the grapevine or by others telling me their own experience with it. and make no mistake, this sideblog is very much me laser focusing on the few stuff i enjoy of the show and expanding on those and filling in the rest with a lot of plaster and spite ajdhawjhbdh

i will keep most of my vitriol to myself though, and that the opinion i'm giving is my own. there's a lot of good folks who are more than welcome to pitch in with their own criticisms here, for a larger poll of voices.

read more cus this is long xvx

as you have said, JTTW has an overwhelming amount of retelling, rewrites, sequels, prequels, adaptations, what have you. trust me, there is a JTTW adaptation for everyone out there and it's part of the beauty and appeal of it. and equally, everyone has their pros and cons for each of them.

one major point to keep in mind is that LMK has a very online fanbase, and it's an abnormally large one. it also has fans on the west and in china, and the language barrier tends to keep both rather separate, for better or worse. so a larger fanbase means a larger pool of criticism simply by law of averages.

another thing to keep in mind is that, because it is so large, a lot of people are getting into JTTW thanks to it, and it's exactly those changes that make it even more of a hurdle for people to meet JTTW where it's at. and by that i mean, a very different worldview and belief system than known in the west.

i've been in the JTTW fandom properly for, three months now?? three and a half lol and the amount of reading and studying i've been doing to just scratch at the depth of centuries of cultural context is not insignificant. and i'm only just starting! it's a wonderful experience, but not many in the LMK fandom are as eager or willing to learn all that, much less listen when people correct them on things that they believe, that are factually false. and that can be deeply frustrating for those who simply want to share in the joy of learning.

it's incredibly demeaning and patronizing, to have such an old and rich culture reduced to a single adaptation that rly lambasts the roots of its entire premise for existing. no other fans of other adaptations have that kind of attitude that i've come across; those are all understood as AUs and not to be taken as gospel, but some of the fandom treat LMK as the end all be all of JTTW media and it's, infuriating.

beyond the fandom leaving one hell of a bitter taste, there's the fact that LMK is a very westernized view and parody of JTTW. it breaks not only with the lore of it, but with the very fundamentals of Buddhist and Daoist cosmology. those changes you mentioned, like the JE replacing Buddha and then the guy getting killed, the absence of several concepts and deities, and sometimes the very change of them, are incredibly disrespectful on their own. it's very hard to remove JTTW from its religious roots (it can be done but those usually read more as "inspired by" rather than proper adaptations), and to do so by filling the empty space with a Greco-Christian view of cosmology is... A Big Ol Yikes.

while we in the west might be okay turning stuff like Christian, Norse, Greek, etc. mythology upside down for our stories, it comes off as disrespectful to do the same for an overall dismissed and ignored religion in the west like Daoism, and even more so for such a sprawling one as Buddhism. that attitude does not translate well at all, and to be faithful only in spirit is simply not enough. you wouldn't (i hope) say that about people who appropriate Indigenous or closed faith beliefs for their own use; it's 2023 surely we don't need to revive the W-nd-ig- debate again, or the Lilith one. (i can for further context but i'd rather not, but you're than welcome to google it)

at the end of the day, an AU is just an AU until you're using it to sell toys and it has turned into a massive entry window for many western fans into a foundational piece of literature for an entire country that has been and still is routinely degraded and discriminated against.

i hope this hasn't come off as too harsh, but this is smth that rly grinds my gears and i tend to be a bit stern when discussing it. none of it was aimed at you anon, i know you're just trying to understand the situation and i do appreciate the effort you're making!!

[loemius]

im too like fuzzy from cough syrup to answer YOUR question-- Hephaestus is associated with copper specifically from my understanding, but I know a lot of modern helpol folks associate him with stuff like computers, the internet, metal in general. Hephaestus needs some love, whats some other things you associate him with, either upg or historically (I kinda like thinking of him as the god of disability aids like wheelchairs and prosthetics)

OH BOY I LOVE THIS QUESTION!!!!! i love hephaestus and i am so glad to spread some love for him. thank you for this fantastic question <333 historically speaking: -cranes! paper cranes are really fun and easy to make and would be an awesome votive for him. -donkeys! i think about this one a lot and his myth with dionysus where he'd been cast out of olympos and dionysus was the one who came after him and was able to convince him to return, and he rode back on a donkey: "One of the Greek legends is that Hephaistos, when he was born, was thrown down by Hera. In revenge he sent as a gift a golden chair with invisible fetters. When Hera sat down she was held fast, and Hephaistos refused to listen to any other of the gods save Dionysos--in him he reposed the fullest trust--and after making him drunk Dionysos brought him to heaven." [theoi.com, Pausanias 1.20.3] i mean just look at him on his steed. i love it. [also sourced from theoi.com]

-this is a weird one but chains. he's got a lot to do with chains, from the aforementioned binding of hera to the net of chains to capture ares and aphrodite in their affair to the binding of prometheus. i havent quite developed my thoughts on this yet, but i think it's very interesting. -hammers. he's often seen depicted with his hammer, and of course he helped zeus give birth to athena by using his hammer to split his head open. having experience in metalworking really made me appreciate this more, because there are SO many different kinds of hammers and using the wrong one can completely change the outcome of your work. also, its hard work! makes me think more about just how strong lord hephaestus is to make such grand works. -i think about him a lot with jewelry making, since he's got quite a few historically attested pieces of jewelry that he's made. upg: -i also associate him with mobility aids of all kinds. i also think about him and apollo working together to make medical technology, which means a lot to me as someone who's had health struggles. -i also associate him with computers too. i pray to him when my technology doesnt work LMAO -tobacco. i liked to smoke a cigarette with him before id go into the metal shop (dont smoke please its terrible for you) -the smell of metal. weird one but id go into the metal shop and take a sniff and be like :') ahhhhh hephaestus. i worked a lot in copper and bronze bc theyre soft and cheap metals, and the smell of copper on your hands after spending hours on the jewelers saw... like nothing else in this world. -soldering. when i learned to solder i would pray to him to help me do it well and get a good solder. it is harder than you think, especially when working in silver which can and WILL melt if you're not careful enough. it really made me appreciate how diligent and patient he must be. on a similar note, annealing metal also made me think of him. annealing is the process of heating and quenching metal to strength it once it gets too soft and you are quite literally just blasting it with a torch until it’s red hot. takes so much patience and carefulness. -open flame cooking. he's associated with fires after all and just. tossing something on the grill or over a campfire always makes me think of him. i also think of zeus when i grill things but i dont have a reason for that other than grilling is dad behavior and he is the ultimate dad. -LEGOS. any time i play with legos i am thinking about him. its the building aspect and the creativity. -really i think about him, athena, and apollo a lot when i'm creating, especially 3d works for hephaestus. i'm pursuing a bfa so i make a lot of things, and i think a lot about his skill and dedication to the craft when i make them.

thank you so so much for this ask!!! i loved answering this and would love to hear others thoughts on this <3 gods bless you with health and happiness!!!

[robthegoodfellow]

New ask game for writers:

Very low-pressure rules: Tell me which fic of yours was the MOST FUN TO WRITE (if you want to). Like, which one did you have a BLAST writing? Feel free to share, to rec, to tell us WHY they were fun, etc etc—Thanks for the tag @ihni and @shieldofiron 💛

Recency bias almost made me say the demon Billy fic, but then I remembered that every chapter made me cry at least once 😅 Cathartic, tho!

For pure batshit bonkers fun, I guess it'd have to be That's All Folks! where I gave Vecna's victims the powers of Looney Tunes and make Billy their Bugs Bunny trickster god. I'd never tried world-building or Mungrove to that extent and I loved it.

Sideways was a different kind of fun—I spent that whole summer in this weird adrenaline rush, high off my own invention. It was the first time I'd written anything in ages, which was its own thrill, and the first time I'd been active in a fandom. Started meeting some amazing people.

zero pressure tags to join in: @fizzigigsimmer @spaceofentropy @house-of-chant @imsodishy @passivenovember

[bitbybitwrites]

Wanted to say thank you to the lovely folks who have been tagging me for Six/Seven/Several Sentence Sunday and WIP Wednesday for the past few weeks: @porcelainmortal , @annepi-blog , @daisyishedwig , @sunnysideprince , @itsmaybitheway

, @nocoastposts , @getmehighonmagic , @onthewaytosomewhere , @forabeatofadrum , @iboatedhere ,

@wordsofhoneydew , @duchessdepolignaca03 , @taste-thewaste , @14carrotghoul , @rockitmans . . . Thank you for thinking of me! 💖💖💖

Haven't written too much lately ( damn you Real Life getting in the way as always), but here are bits from two WIP ( one Klaine and one RWRB) for you all!

1.) From my final chapter for Falling For You (Klaine Secret Santa 2023 Fic) (Psst . . cc @mynonah)

“Good lord, Cooper, “ Blaine said as he tried to walk into the living room with the tower of precariously balanced, yet beautifully wrapped boxes in his arms.  “Did you buy everything in the store?” “It is the holidays, “ Cooper announced loudly.  “And if I wish to spoil my family, then so be it.” He removed his winter coat, handing it over to Kurt.  “You may find a little something under the tree for you too, as the newest part of our jolly crew. “  Cooper winked at Kurt.  “Just think, when you two becomes official, then I can really start some fun gifts.  But if nothing else, I think you and Squirt will both have fun with what I'm giving him this year.” Kurt blushed at the thought of “officially” becoming part of this crazy Anderson-Lopez clan in the future. Blaine stared at one of the presents in his hands and then at his brother.  “Wait.  Cooper, is this gift something that should not be opened in the presence of a 6 year old?” Kurt’s eyes widened as his head whipped around to stare at Cooper, who looked like the cat who drank the proverbial cream. “Maaaaaaaaybe . .  .” Cooper sing-songed gleefully as he sauntered away towards the kitchen. “Batteries are included.” He chirped happily over his shoulder to them. Kurt and Blaine both glanced at the shiny box warily, half expecting it to start vibrating on its own at any minute. “Should . .should I ask? Do I even want to know?” Kurt whispered. Blaine sighed as he placed it down among the presents around the tree, nudging it around to the back where it was hidden well.  “No, no you do not.” he muttered.

2.) From the phantom touch of your hand (RWRB Fantasy/ cursed tattoo! AU)

No one dared approach the hooded figure who appeared in the doorway of the inn that night.  As he entered, a hush fell over the room while everyone watched the stranger shuffle across the room to sit alone at a table closest to the fire.  His eyes were ice blue, his stare hardened, and his mouth set in grim line. The visitor's clothes bore witness to many a rough day upon the road. There were mud-caked boots upon his feet as well as a worn leather jerkin and breeches upon his frame. He sat hunched under a faded cloak that looked like it was once a thing to be coveted, but was now near threadbare in patches: it’s fine metallic embroidery dulled and its rich color faded. The stranger scowled at anyone who dared look his way, a thin scar that marred his fair skin rippling along his jaw as he did so.  There was a sword strapped to his waist which gleamed bright as its razor sharp blade caught the the reflections of the flames - its presence a visible and deadly warning for all to stay far enough away. A brave small boy scurried over to deposit a bowl and some bread in front of the visitor.  The swordsman tossed the child a coin for his trouble. “Ale, sir?” the boy inquired. Henry shook his head.  He had to keep his wits about him.  There would be time enough to drown his sorrows at the bottom of a tankard.   Later.  Once he and Alex made sure this blasted curse was lifted.

Tagging ( but no pressure of course) : @kirakiwiwrites , @madas-ahatters-world , @little-escapist , @gleefuldarrencrissfan ,

@gleefulpoppet , @hkvoyage , @esilher @datshitrandom @myheartalivewrites ,

@madas-ahatters-world , @spaceorphan18 , . . and open tag for anyone else who wants to share any projects their working on. 💖💖💖

[theradicalscrivener]

The Life and Tinies of Trevor 4: Devon

It's Trevor's series, but he doesn't appear in this one. Makes you think...

Jokes aside, this chapter formally introduces a character mentioned in the previous chapter. Devon was also in the lab that day, and his new size has its own set of difficulties.

(P.S. Ya boi's got Linktree and Bluesky now)

[First Chapter] || [Previous Chapter] || [Next Chapter]

                Devon’s heart was pounding in his chest as he placed a hand against the cat-flap installed in his front door. He had left the house many times before, but he had not been past the little bodega on the corner of his block… Not since The Incident, anyway.

                You wouldn’t know it by looking at him now, but he was once a decently tall guy. He stood a solid 5’8, but five of those feet had been blasted clean off of him in a lab accident during his chemistry class, and HE was one of the lucky ones… if you could call being chest high to a Barbie “lucky”. He was towards the back of the class. The closer someone got to the epicenter, the smaller they became. Some were left inches tall. Some centimeters. Some were even reduced down to mere millimeters, and an unlucky few now measure in microns! Even in his current, shrunken state, it was hard for Devon to fathom a human being being reduced down to the size of an amoeba or even smaller!

                Devon had recently been in contact with a few of his friends from that class. Trevor now stood a hair shy of two inches tall. It was hard for Devon to fathom Trevor now being so tiny that he didn’t even reach Devon’s knees. Trevor had always been a “big” presence despite his fairly average height, and somehow, being reduced to less than two inches hadn’t seem to diminish Trevor’s exuberance, but even Trevor now towered over their mutual friend, Rex.

                In some ways, Devon was dreading meeting Rex again. It wasn’t that they had parted on bad terms or anything. The last time Devon had seen Rex, Rex had sucked him off sloppy in the science building bathrooms right before class. Rex was fun to hang out with and gave great head. He was the life of the party and had helped Devon take the first steps towards coming out. The real reason Devon was hesitant to see Rex again was… well… seeing Rex! Devon didn’t even know if he could! Rex was so tiny that it was hard to even measure him! Best estimates put him at roughly half a millimeter! What could Devon even do with a guy that size? Would he be able to even hear him? Would he be able to even see him?

                Still… it was thanks to Rex and Trevor that Devon had finally gotten permission from his parents to venture further than the street corner. Ever since his shrinkage, his parents had kept him on a short leash – in some ways literally! They were afraid to even let him outside for fear a hawk or a stray cat would carry him away! It had taken weeks for Devon to convince them to even let him wander off to the bodega down the street! And before they even let him do that, they made him wear a collar that had a tracker in it. It wasn’t even a cute collar! It was a garish, plastic, teal abomination that didn’t go with any of his outfits! … not that he had many outfits. He had to get his stuff custom made. He was a tad too short for Ken’s clothes, and even had he been a few inches taller, the stuff they made doll clothes out of was stiff and scratchy. It would have been irritating to wear and tough to move in.

               Devon was glad that he had managed to talk his folks into letting him design his own clothes. His stuff was made out of light, easy to move in fabric, and was a fetching shade of black. His outfit looked much like the stuff he used to wear back in… the before times. All except for the godawful hamster collar, anyway.

               Devon’s heart was still pounding as he made his way down the sidewalk. He had walked this path several times now, but it was still jarring to be out in the world of the bigger people. Devon didn’t even reach halfway up most adult’s shins! He was knee high to a toddler! He was barely bigger than an action figure! He was the worst possible size! He was so small that he was easy to miss, leading to many people almost stepping on him, and yet he was so big that he couldn’t slink unseen through the crowd. Everywhere he went, he would constantly hear people murmuring as he passed. “Woah. Is that real?” “Hey. Do you think he was involved in that incident a few months ago?” “Mommy! I want a dolly like that!” People often wanted to ogle him, or handle him, or question him! It seemed like he couldn’t even travel to the corner store without getting interrogated at least twice, and once one person started talking to him, others wanted to join in too! Before he knew it, he would be at the center of a team huddle as several towering individuals hunched down around him and talked down to him!

               Devon wasn’t sure if the novelty had started to wear off, or if he had somehow managed to move unseen. Foot traffic in this part of town seemed surprisingly low today. Was it a weekend? A holiday? Would traffic be more or less if it were? Devon wasn’t sure anymore. Days all blurred together, and he had been so far removed from society for so long, that work days and shopping days seemed like foreign concepts. Whatever the case may be, it only took him around twenty minutes to reach the corner store.

               On some level, Devon knew that it was strange that this trip was such an ordeal for him. The bodega was only three doors down from his parents’ townhouse, and yet it may as well be three miles at his size. A trip that once took him a handful of minutes now took him half an hour.

               Once he reached the street corner, Devon stared up at the doorway to the bodega. Just the doorframe looked as tall as a five-story building. Part of him considered going in. He had a bit of a rapport with the guy who owned the place. Even after Devon had shrunk, the shopkeep had been nothing but kind to him, but Devon didn’t have anything he particularly needed at the moment, and there were even fewer things that he could lift. His old order of a coke and a candy bar was now impossible for him to lift, let alone consume. A standard 20 oz. bottle was as tall as he was and far heavier!

               Instead, Devon decided to wait at the corner for the bus to arrive. The roar of cars rolling past was deafening. At his size he could feel the very rumbles of the cars engines even as they idled at the stoplight. Everything felt so much. He wished he had brought some sort of ear protection, but even protecting eardrums wouldn’t have done a lot to reduce how overwhelming his surroundings were. Even just the tires of the cars in front of him completely dwarfed him. He didn’t even reach halfway up the hubcaps, and that was with the few extra inches of height granted by the sidewalk. And yet, despite how huge and overwhelming the vehicles were, they were somehow less jarring than the people that had clustered around the bus stop.

               Devon continually had to dart out of the way as people approached. Very few were looking low enough to spot a guy who was less than a foot tall, and as more and more people crowded around the bus stop, Devon found himself unintentionally gravitating towards a pair of boots that dwarfed his whole body. Devon was so short that his head only reached a quarter of the way up most people’s shins, and the dude was tall even by normal standards. The collar of the dude’s thick, black, leather boots were a bit above eye level to the shrunken Devon.

               Devon glanced up and up at the towering figure. The tattered jeans and the denim vest were a familiar sight. These were the kind of people Devon liked to hang around with before the incident. He found that punks were often nicer than your average person, and this one either hadn’t noticed him, or, as was more likely the case, didn’t care enough to mess with him. How little this guy seemed interested in the tiny figure that stood at his feet was a huge relief, especially when considering the looks he was getting from other people in the crowd. There were a few chatty ladies who were glancing his way while whispering to one another, and everyone else had at least cast a curious glance in his direction.

               The events at the lab were no secret. As much as the university would have loved to keep everything under wraps, it was kind of impossible to keep the lid on such an event. Whatever happened that day completely turned the laws of mass and matter on its head. The scientific community was in an uproar. Theories and dissertations abounded as countless post-grads decided to change their focus to do their doctorate on whatever the hell happened there, and even without the buzz in the scientific community, the shrinkage had affected too many people to safely keep a lid on. Everyone in the building had lost anywhere from a handful of centimeters to a handful of feet. It was a college town, but it wasn’t a large college town. Everyone knew at least someone who knew someone who was affected by the blast. It would be easy to act like nothing had happened if everyone had lost only a small bit of mass, but there were people that were now smaller than insects!

               It was because the events were such public knowledge that Devon had the awkward sort of minor celebrity status that he did. Everyone had heard about people like him, but few had actually seen one of the shrunken people. Devon was no stranger to being stopped and interrogated by random people on the street which was why he was so thankful for the punk he had gravitated towards. The sheer aura of Don’t Fuck With Me this dude exuded provided Devon a barrier against nosey people.

               Eventually, a bus trundled up to the stop. The doors opened, and a handful of people shuffled off. Devon kept far enough away from the doors and close enough to the ankles of the punk that he didn’t have to worry about being stepped on, but the motion of so many massive people did send his anxiety into overdrive. He was just so easy to overlook at his size! But eventually the flow of traffic off the bus abated and the flow of traffic on began. Devon hung back as the first few people went on, and then made his move.

               Devon stepped up to the curb and balked at the distance. Not only had the bus stopped a good distance back from the curb, but the bus step onto the bus was above eye level! He’d have to Tomb Raider this shit to get onto the bus!

               Devon took a few steps back and got a running start. He gathered up some steam as he dashed the foot or so towards the curb and took a flying leap towards the bus. The gap was, in reality, less than a foot from the curb, but at his size, it was like taking a six-foot flying leap! His hands barely managed to grasp onto the edge of the step! Fortunately, the rubber mat of the bus stairway gave his fingers enough traction for him to keep a grip on the ledge, but he was still left dangling above the pavement.

               The fall wouldn’t be a problem for him. It was such a short drop that there was no risk of getting hurt, but if he fell, the bus was sure to leave without him! He didn’t feel like trying to dodge tires, and he definitely didn’t want to be stuck at that street corner for another half hour waiting on another bus!

               Devon gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might. He wasn’t the most athletic guy before the incident, but in the weeks since being shrunk, he had definitely trimmed up. Everything was a full body workout for him! Trying to climb the stairs in his house was like trying to scale a wall for each step. He’d have to leap and pull himself over the rest of the step! Still, getting up the stairs was easier than trying to pull himself up and over a ledge that was far above his head, and to make matters worse, he was on a tight timetable. The bus driver could slam the doors shut at any moment!

               Devon struggled and strained and pulled himself up and over the ledge just in time for the bus doors to slide shut behind him. The force of the doors slamming shut sent him toppling backwards against the stairs.

               Devon grumbled as he stared up at the steps above him. Busses always had obnoxiously steep steps. He had caught his foot and stumbled when trying to board the bus numerous times when he was his old size, and now that he was chest high to a Barbie, it was even worse! The stairs were taller than he was! Devon made a mental note to look up some parkour vids on YouTube after he got home because he could already tell he was going to need it in the future. However, that didn’t help him at all in the now.

               Devon leapt up and caught the lip of the stair and slowly pulled himself up and over the ledge. Right as he did so, the bus began to move. The bus took off so suddenly and so swiftly that Devon was sent tumbling! Fortunately, he managed to keep himself from rolling back off the stair that he had already climbed, but the sudden motion had left him jostled and jarred.

               Devon took a moment to clear his head before attempting the next step. Fortunately, this one was shorter than the initial step. A little bit of a running start, and he was able to scramble up the side of the step and onto the next one. Devon gave a quick exhale and shook his arms out to hype himself up and then scrambled up the next step in much the same way. He staggered into the central aisle and took a moment to catch his breath. He was relatively safe where he was now. All that was left was to lay low until it came time for his stop.

               Devon dipped under a nearby chair and clung to the chair leg for stability as the bus made its rounds. His hiding spot not only kept him out of the way of people walking up and down the aisle, but it also gave him a decent view of the digital sign that listed the upcoming stops. The sign was so far above, that Devon felt like he was watching the alerts in Times Square instead of the sign in a bus. The sign was so far above him, that his neck was quickly getting sore, but he didn’t dare move farther back for fear of not being able to make it to the front before the bus took off again.

               Again, Devon was struck by how surreal the whole experience was. He had ridden this bus several times before in the past, but back then he had been tall enough to effortlessly use one of the seats. In fact, back then he had been able to sit down in the seat rather than having to climb up to get to it! And of course, back then he didn’t have to worry about the foot traffic! With each stop the bus made, more people shuffled on and filed off. Massive feet which were as large as Devon’s whole body, if not larger, stomped past him. He could feel the shockwaves of each massive footfall. Each step that people took felt like an earthquake to him. Devon felt so weak and powerless as people walked past that he couldn’t even fathom what it would be like for Trevor or even Rex! Devon barely reached past the collar of most peoples’ shoes whereas Trevor would barely be taller than the soles! And as Devon watched foot after massive foot tread past him, he couldn’t help but wonder just how tiny Rex would be in comparison.

               Eventually, the bus stopped at Second Avenue. Devon remembered this stop from the before times. The next one would take him to the outskirts of the campus, and more importantly, to the apartment complex that Trevor and Simon lived at. Devon had been there once before, but that felt like a lifetime ago.

               Devon waited as the bus began moving once more and headed towards the campus. Just a few more blocks, and he’d be off the bus and beginning the next phase of his journey. Devon was so nervous and so excited that he could barely contain himself. It had been so long since he had had the chance to hang out with friends, but he also knew that this was new territory for him. At least back home, he was never far from safety, whether it be the safety of his own home, or the relative safety of the bodega.

               The bus rounded the corner and began to slow down as it approached the stop. This was it. Devon braced himself. As soon as the bus stopped, he was going to have to make a dash for the doorway. He just hoped that the foot traffic wasn’t too heavy. If he had to play Frogger in the aisle as he darted towards the door, he ran the risk of missing his stop!

               However, something unexpected happened. The bus slowed down as it approached the stop, but then it sped up again! It didn’t even stop! No! there must not have been anyone at the bus stop, and no one had pulled the rope to signal the bus driver they needed off!

               Devon silently swore to himself as he watched the sign above the bus driver change from University Heights to Central Campus. Why was there no one at the stop? Was it a weekend? A holiday? Were classes not in session today? If there weren’t students looking to get on the bus at the Heights stop, then what guarantee was there that the bus would even stop at the university?

               Panic began to set in. Devon needed to get off the bus before he got too far away. He didn’t know how far this bus traveled, and he didn’t want to risk getting stuck on the bus as it traveled all the way across town, or worse, it made its way to the bus depot to end its route.

               Devon looked around the bus. The bus had gotten fairly empty in the stops since his house. There were only a handful of people on it. There was a pair of older ladies towards the back. A mom and her young son somewhere in the middle. An unnervingly twitchy older man… and that punk that Devon had used for cover back at the bus stop.

               It wasn’t even a hard decision. Upon seeing his options, Devon immediately turned and darted towards the back of the bus. He didn’t want to risk being spotted by someone he didn’t want to see him, so he kept to the space beneath the seats. He dodged between feet and trekked across old wrappers and discarded newspapers. The carpet beneath some of these seats was filthy! The bus clearly hadn’t been washed in ages! He found half-eaten candy dropped beneath the seats. He found a massive wad of freshly chewed gum pressed against the leg of one of the chairs. Unfortunately, he didn’t spot it until he had accidentally shoved his hand directly into it. His hand sunk into the thick, rubbery substance. The was of chewing gum was so massive that it was like the size of a basketball! Had it been softer, he could have shoved his entire hand into it. Fortunately, he was so small and weak that even had he shoved with all his might, his hand would barely have sunken into the goop.

               Devon pulled his hand back. The sticky substance pulled at his skin of his hand as he did so. It was disgusting! It wasn’t just sticky but the smell of sugar and fake strawberries was cloying. Devon wanted nothing more than to wash his hand, but the only cloth he had access to were his own clothing, and coating his shirt or pants in sticky sugar residue felt like a fate worse than death.

               Devon forced himself to ignore the grimy feeling on his hand and direct his attention further back towards the large backpack that sat propped beside one of the chairs. The pack was old and beat up and covered in patches and pins. Devon recognized a few of the bands advertised on the pack as well as a familiar rainbow flag. The flag patch was surrounded by various flaming skulls and barbed wire, which somehow made perfect sense.

               Devon’s heart was pounding as he approached the backpack. What was he doing? What would he say once he got the guy’s attention? “Hey. You don’t know me, and you have no reason to help me, but could you please help me get to my friend’s house”? There was no good way to ask. Devon was betting a lot on this guy not being a total piece of shit. Devon was so small and there were so few witnesses that if this broke bad, the guy could easily shove Devon into his backpack and carry him away!

               Devon tried to shake the thoughts from his mind. He had had plenty of friends who looked a lot like this guy in The Before Times. Devon trusted this punk way more than the chatty Kathys in the back, and he definitely trusted him more than that crazy guy or the bus driver.

               With his mind mostly made up, all that was left was for him to try to get the guy’s attention, and that meant getting up onto the seat!

               Devon placed his hands against the thick fabric of the punk’s backpack and slowly began his climb. Again, Devon was struck by how small he had become. He was trying to crawl up and over somebody’s backpack like it was the rope wall at a playground! Just the tongue on the zipper of the backpack was wider than Devon’s forearm and almost as long!

               As Devon scaled the side of the shed-sized satchel, he was reminded of the time he had visited a rock-climbing gym with some friends. Scaling the sound of the pack was very similar to scaling the wall at the gym only instead of faux stone handholds, Devon had to step from pin to patch to pin as he climbed the side of the backpack.

               Devon quickly found himself standing atop the backpack. The trek had gotten him well over a foot off the ground, but it wasn’t enough to get him all the way up to the seat. The top of the seat cushion was now level with his chest. It was a simple enough climb, but he was already so exhausted from all the other stunts he had had to do to get this far. It seemed like the world was just one giant obstacle course at his size, but at least he was nearing the end of his current task.

               Devon took a deep breath, shook out his arms, and leapt up to scramble up and onto the empty seat. Even though he was exhausted, climbing onto the seat was easy enough, however, as Devon stood up, he glanced over towards the dude who was sitting in the window seat.

               Devon gasped as he realized the guy was staring right at him! Devon instinctively took a step back, but he immediately realized his mistake. He was already on the edge of the seat! There was nowhere to go! His foot hovered above the edge for a split second before his mistake and gravity started to catch up to him. Devom flailed his arms and tried desperately to maintain his balance, but he could already tell it was a lost cause. At this point, the best he could do was try to limit the impact of his fall.

               Right as Devon began to tumble backwards, the towering figure in the neighboring seat lunged at him with his hand outstretched. Was he trying to grab Devon? In any other situation, Devon would have been terrified to see someone so large lunging at him so fast, but It all happened so fast, that Devon’s mind would have been spinning even if he wasn’t dealing with the vertigo of losing his balance on such a high ledge.

               Devon suddenly felt something against his back. He had fallen backwards, but he had not fallen off the seat! Something now propped him up and kept him from toppling into the aisle. As Devon glanced around, he quickly realized what it was that had saved him.

The dude had placed his hand directly behind Devon to provide a barrier. Devon was suddenly hit by waves of conflicting emotions. Now that he was pressed against the guy’s palm, it was clear to see just how tiny Devon was compared to him. If the dude decided to curl his fingers, he could easily wrap his hand around Devon’s entire torso and then some! Devon was so tiny that had the dude wanted to, he could carry Devon around like King Kong carrying his latest captive!

               Devon was immensely grateful to this guy for catching him and was double appreciative that the guy had done so in a way that didn’t involve directly grabbing him, and yet being pressed against a giant’s palm made Devon both incredibly nervous and incredibly excited. Devon had not had much exposure since he had shrunk. His exposure was pretty much limited to his immediate family and the kindly old owner of the shop down the street. These were people that Devon knew very well and could trust completely. Devon knew nothing about this guy other than his choice in attire and what bands he chose to advertise on his backpack!

               There was a tense pause as Devon leaned awkwardly against the guy’s palm and stared up at the towering figure. Devon had not gotten a good look at the guy’s face at the bus stop, but now, Devon was staring directly at it! The guy was stunningly handsome. His dark hair, which was gelled up in spikes, stood in stark contrast to his piercing grey eyes. Devon could do nothing but stand there and stare in awe as the blood rushed to his face and his crotch. His cheeks burned bright red, and the front of his pants suddenly started to feel tighter.

               After a tense moment, the guy finally broke the silence. “Are you alright,” He asked.

               “God, I hope so…” Devon muttered as he stared at the titan in awe.

               The dude tilted his head to the side slightly like a confused puppy. Had he not understood what Devon had said? Devon was suddenly incredibly thankful that his voice didn’t carry far at his size. This gave him a second chance to make a first impression on this guy that didn’t make him sound like a total doofus.

               “Yes! For the time being, at least! I might need your help, though!” Devon shouted up at the giant.

               “My help?” The guy asked. He tilted his head slightly and cocked an eyebrow skeptically.

               “I… I need some help, and you… seemed like… you might be able to help?” Devon said. He tried his hardest to keep his voice raised enough that the guy could clearly hear him, but the way that the guy was staring at him as if appraising him made Devon feel smaller and punier by the second.

               The guy looked up and glanced around the bus as if taking a quick inventory of the passengers. Then he redirected his attention back towards the shrunken figure on the seat beside him. “Ok. I guess I can see that. What’s up?” He said.

               “I missed my stop,” Devon said as forcefully as he could muster. “I meant to get off at the Heights, but the bus didn’t stop there.”

               “That was a couple stops ago at this point. It’s a few miles away,” the guy commented.

                “Yeah… it could take the bus hours to get back there again, and I have friends waiting on me, so…” Devon stammered.

               “Friends? Are they your size?” the guy asked.

“Well… some of them are smaller…” Devon replied awkwardly.

“You don’t say…” The guy said. He suddenly leaned back against the window. One leg was draped over the side of the chair and the other leg was crossed over his lap. He seemed fascinated by this new information which made Devon a little worried.

               “Well, Not all of them are…” Devon stammered. He was starting to doubt he made the right choice in revealing himself to this guy, but he the cat was already out of the proverbial bag. There was nothing to do but see this through… and speaking of bags, Devon remembered a specific patch on this guy’s backpack and decided to play that angle. “My friend Trevor said his boyfriend could come pick me up, but I wanted to prove I could make the trip by myself so I turned down the offer,” Devon explained.

               The guy once again cocked an eyebrow as he sized up Devon. There was clearly something going on in his head, but Devon had no idea what.

               “So, this friend of yours, Trevor. How big is he?” The guy asked.

               “I… don’t know. I haven’t seen him since, well… All this,” Devon said and gestured towards himself.

               “And he has a boyfriend? Is he also…?” The guy asked.

               “No. He wasn’t in that lab, so he was unaffected. He’s still however tall he was before,” Devon explained.

               “Huh. No shit…” The guy said. The expression on his face seemed to indicate that he was mulling over the mechanics of it and that he was amused by whatever images he was dreaming up.

               “So, as I was saying…” Devon began to say, but the guy quickly interrupted.

               “Oh, right! Did you want me to take you?” He asked.

               “No. That’s fine. I just need someone to signal to the bus driver so I can get off,” Devon explained.

               “But we’re like on the opposite side of campus. Even if you cut straight across the quad, that’d be like three miles, and at your size… that’d be like… I mean, no offense,” The dude said, seemingly genuinely concerned.

               Devon didn’t want to admit it, but this guy was right. Even if Devon got off at the next stop, he’d be in for several hours’ worth of walking to get back towards the Heights. The trek across campus was a massive pain even when he had been full-sized, but now that Devon was the size of a squirrel, the trek was guaranteed to be even worse, and that wasn’t even factoring in the several city blocks between his current location and the campus itself. He’d have to cross several streets in broad daylight if he were to try and walk.

               The other option was to wait at the bus stop and catch a bus going the opposite direction, but that brought with it several new challenges. Devon didn’t know the bus routes well enough to know which line he needed, and he was far too short to read the signs posted at the bus stop.

               Whatever the case was, he either needed outside assistance or he would have to spend hours to get to his intended destination. This world wasn’t designed for people of his size, and as much as Devon wanted to prove to his family and to himself that he could be self sufficient even when he was, literally, only a handful of inches tall, things had already gone so off the rails that he had to admit he needed help.

               Devon had apparently spent long enough lost in his own thoughts that things had started to get so awkward that the giant felt he needed to break the silence. “I’ll take you,” he said.

               “W-what? I can’t ask that of you…” Devon stammered.

               “You don’t have to. I’m offering,” the guy replied.

               “But don’t you already have plans?” Devon asked.

               “Not really,” the guy said with a shrug. “I was originally going to go to the park to find somewhere quiet to study, but I’m not feeling it anymore,” he said.

               “But the park would have been the stop right before the Heights,” Devon said.

               “Yeah. I’d been kinda watching you since before we got onto the bus. I was… maybe curious… maybe concerned. I dunno. I just didn’t feel right leaving until I knew that you would be fine,” he said.

               “O-oh…” Devon replied. He could feel the heat in his face. His heart was pounding. Not only was he a little over half a foot tall, but he was blushing!? How embarrassing!

               “I noticed you were hanging around me at the bus stop. It’s not that common that someone wants to be near me, especially someone like you,” he explained.

               “W-well… I was friends with a few guys like you before… well… you know,” Devon explained.

               “Were friends?” he asked.

               “Yeah… I haven’t reached out to any of them since… well…” Devon explained, his voice trailed off at the end.

               “Have you reached out to any of your friends?” The guy asked but then quickly corrected himself, “wait. You said you were on your way to a friend’s house, Trevor, right?”

               “Y-yeah! Although, he reached out to me, first. I was… I don’t know,” Devon said. He started to go into more detail, but then suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. Why was he telling this guy this? He didn’t even know the guy’s name!

               There was a moment of silence as the guy just continued to patiently watch and wait for Devon to say more, but Devon was too conflicted to continue. Everything in his head told him to not unload his lofe story to this guy he had just met, but something about this guy’s calm and caring personality made Devon’s heart cry out for him to spill everything.

               Devon wasn’t sure if it was just to break the silence or if it was an attempt to change the subject since Devon was obviously conflicted, but the guy suddenly spoke up, “We’re approaching the next stop. Let me take you to your friend’s place.”

               “I… you really don’t have to…” Devon stammered.

               “It’s fine. I want to. I don’t have any other plans, and I’ll feel better knowing you got there safely,” the guy said.

               “B-but… I don’t even know you?” Devon stammered.

               The guy merely shrugged and reached a hand towards Devon and extended a pinky. “Ashton,” he said.

               “W-what?” Devon replied.

               “My name. Now you tell me yours, and we won’t be strangers anymore,” Ashton explained and then gave a quick little motion with his hand to try and coax Devon to shake.

               “O-oh… I’m Devon,” Devon replied. He reached out and placed a hand against Ashton’s pinky. Ashton’s hand was so large that Devon couldn’t even fully grip his pinky. Devon was so small that grabbing onto Ashton’s fingertip was like trying to palm a pro-sized basketball.

               “Nice to meet you, Devon. So does this mean you’ll let me help you?” Ashton asked.

Devon blushed once more. He hoped that at his size, it was hard to tell that his face was beet red, but given how pale he was normally, he doubted he was hiding it well.

               Devon wanted to protest, but he knew that would be not only foolish but hypocritical. He had specifically sought this person out. Devon needed help and he wanted Ashton to help him, and yet… it was so hard for him to accept Ashton’s offer.

               It wasn’t that Devon didn’t trust him. Devon had never been one to ask for help. Even before the incident he had been too proud and headstrong to ask others or even allow people to help him, and once he shrunk, he just became even more determined to prove that he could do everything on his own. Yet even as he put up a brave face, he knew that it wasn’t true. Pretty much as soon as the bus had rumbled up to the bus stop, Devon had realized he was in over his head.

               While Devon stood paralyzed by his own nerves, Ashton reached up and tugged the cord above the window. The telltale chime indicated that the bus driver was alerted that someone needed to get off at the next stop. Ashton then reached a hand down and held his palm out so that Devon could climb aboard.

               “C’mon. This is our stop,” Ashton said in a calm, reassuring tone.

               Devon’s heart was pounding in his chest as he stared at the guy’s palm. Ashton’s hand was so large that Devon could recline in it as easily as he could a papasan. Devon looked back up at the towering punk. He fought against his own nerves and managed a nod. “O-ok.” Devon replied as he stepped up onto Ashton’s outstretched palm.

[First Chapter] || [Previous Chapter] || [Next Chapter]

[dat-soldier]

inspired by the asks youve been answering from folks binge-reading your comic, i binge read your comic. holy fucking shit

that comic is just. the most. the comic of all time. i absolutely fucking love it so far and cannot wait to see more. absolutely unhinged and a BLAST to read through.

its fast and absurd and keeps throwing curveballs, but the pacing is so tight and its all so cohesive, its amazing to read and i love it

let this be a warning to everyone: the comic is Good AND it is free at dolmistaska.com and it has RAVE reviews,,,,,,,

But again, thank you so much for giving it a chance <3

[dropthedemiurge]

2023 Year Results

I have lost my ranking of favorite Thai BL/QLs that I made during half of the year, so I'm just going to write it anew^^

My Top BLs by the end of 2023:

1. Be My Favorite

2. Moonlight Chicken

3. Not Me

4. The Eclipse

5. Semantic Error (or if we talk only Thai series, then Bad Buddy!)

Honorable mentions: Only Friends, SOTUS, Laws of Attraction, Kieta Hatsukoi, My Ride...

I keep changing the places and Moonlight Chicken held such a strong place in my heart but now I'm also taking into account whether I liked all pairings and characters, so BMF finally took over. But I still can't decide whether The Eclipse is higher than Not Me, I might rewatch it endlessly but Not Me was a cultural reset :D As well as Semantic Error who's done so good and finally broke through the typical Korean BL setting and public's favor.

Bad Buddy has done amazingly as well but there are only 5 places in Top 5 ranking 🥲 I guess, the Our Skyy just dimmed my good memories about it a little bit x)

I love how this year we got shows that have expanded beyond the borders of usual BLs, they added mystery and mystic, action, time travelling, sitcom etc, mixed gentes, kept speaking out about many important things - from marriage legalisation to equal rights - that definitely had its own impact on real life, actors went on many fanmeetings overseas, from West to East, and overall... This was a good year, story and fandom wise.

My Fanfic Statistics

I stopped writing metas and somewhat distanced myself from the fandom when I felt that my views often didn't align with majority (and also got shadowbanned by tumblr?), but I wrote ~ 80k words on AO3 and drew >10-15 arts that I really enjoyed. I still have many wips so look forward to them!

I wrote way too many Only Friends fics whole I watched the show xD This was definitely a show that gave out ideas (and sometimes outrage) and lots of angst.

But Not Me fics are still my number one (though mostly because of all the crossovers with other series I keep writing about)

Also somehow Bad Buddy OT4 fic is now the longest fanfic I've ever written (both in Neglish and my native language). And it's still not finished but tbh even I don't know exactly how it will end, that's how self-indulgent this is but I'm so happy rhat many people were excited about this idea with me!

My Fandom

I also had a blast having various discussions in my own small community and people who wanted to share opinions and watch series together. You guys keep inspiring and supporting me in exploring many ideas, drawing art and writing many fics, I truly admire and adore you all, especially my fam @springkitten @xagan and also @thepancakelady @wereflamingo (I'm surprised how often we agreed with each other on somethjng but that's what makes discussions interesting xD).

Also I want to hug bad buddy server was a joyful discover this year too that inspired me to start learning Thai, our not me server that keeps being my safe comfort space and many hugs to some tumblr folks who I talk in replies and reblogs (I am truly bad at remembering usernames but if I ever chatted with you here, I am definitely thinking about you and your profile picture <3)

Here's to 2024 and more projects

I also started my FirstKhao AU visual novel, and though I thought I would be able to make it in a month or two and then got struck by Health Doing Bad for a long time, I'm definitely determined to finish it next year.

And we keep talking about making Poetry Zines with @springkitten inspired by lakorns/bls we watched and I'd like to try and make it happen 👀

I also want to return to commissions in a better way, because of political situation I haven't been able to continue drawing for my foreign friends but thanks to my other friends who are generous to help me with handling finances for me, I might be able to start drawing requests again! I also spent like 5 months fixing my health that kept me from creating I want to finish old ones and I'm really itching to return to drawings and other projects :D

And I have in my mind mastering pixel and 3d art as a part of my Changing Profession and Career Path in 2024 so let's hope I can lighten up everyone's mood with cooler art and animations 👀

Happy New Year and Happy holidays, everyone!

[thisaintascenereviews]

Leon Bridges - Leon

R&B singer Leon Bridges started his career by imitating Sam Cooke about a decade ago, and truthfully, I love his debut album, 2015’s Coming Home. It’s not a unique album at all, but he brought a 1950s and 1960s sound to the modern era (as well as brought modern production). A lot of people thought that he couldn’t make that shtick last, and truthfully, I agree with that. Maybe he could have had a couple of albums in that vein, and he did come out with that album during the crux of the 1970s soul resurgence that was happening, thanks to Sharon Jones & The Daptones, St Paul & The Broken Bones, Allen Stone, and others that took note from that era and sounds of music.

Instead, Leon Bridges went into a modern direction with his follow-up, but he still played around with retro sounds. His third album, 2021’s Gold-Diggers Sound, is one of my favorite albums of the last few years, and it plays with a nice mix of neo and retro soul. It goes into a lot of directions, having more of a progressive sound, instead of sticking to one or two sounds. While that album was his most critically acclaimed, it was also his least commercially successful, so a few years later, he’s back with Leon, and I totally forgot this was even coming out this past weekend, but I was instantly excited.

Leon Bridges is one of my favorite artists of the last ten years, give or take, so I’m always excited to listen to a new album of his. I had no idea the direction he would go with this, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that this record is almost an acoustic-soul album? Sort of, at least, but there’s a huge influence of 1970s singer-songwriters here, as well as some country and folk, but there’s still just as much soul and R&B. If anything, this record is a smorgasbord of Southern sounds, but it’s a wonderful album that admittedly took a few listens to really sink in. This album is not a super high energy record, but it’s also very smooth, relaxed, and catchy.

Despite how much I enjoy this, I wouldn’t say this is one of my favorite albums of the year so far, frankly, because it doesn’t quite reinvent the wheel, although it’s still great. Interestingly, he moves into a more intimate and personal setting, and the lyrics reflect that, too. The album has really nice universal themes of loving those around you, appreciation of what you have, and reflecting on the past, and its sound reflects that. I love how quiet and relaxed Bridges sounds, and the instrumentation reflects that, too, but that leads me to my biggest issue here — the hooks are that pronounced, and because this album stays within a couple of key sounds, it ends up blending together. It all sounds good, but it all just sounds the same.

I don’t think this album tops Gold-Diggers Sound, because that record was more interesting and more unique, but this has its place, too. It’s a solid little album that would be perfect for the fall, especially if you wanted something that isn’t spooky or scary. I’ve been having a blast with it, even if it isn’t the first album I go to when I wake up, but it’s for a good atmosphere that’s perfect for fans of folk, soul, singer-songwriter music, and pop of the mellower kinds, so if it sounds like something you’d be into, I’d say check it out. While this record doesn’t quite blow me away, and it’s not quite one of my favorites this year, Bridges still sounds wonderful on this thing and it has a real nice sound.