#the dogs cost $5k

[bluepurple]

what is it with apartment handymen and buying purebred bulldogs

[spehllmanbound]

Which dress should I wear to my fuck ass cousins wedding ?

[bitchesgetriches]

Hey bitches! Other than a downpayment, whag other money should you have saved before looking to buy a house?

Great question, my little wombat! Depending on where you live, you might be responsible for the closing costs, which for me personally were somewhere around $5k. Or, you'll need to pay the realtor's fees (again, depends on where you live).

Also, you'll want to have some set aside for urgent repairs or renovations. For example, when we bought our house we needed to build a privacy fence around part of the backyard so our dog could frolic without running away.

ALL of these costs can be negotiated with the seller. We got our seller to take on the closing costs and pay to repair two broken windows. In exchange, we didn't ask them to lower the price because the furnace needed to be replaced.

Good luck, my darling wombat! Hope you get a great house! Here's more advice:

Season 2, Episode 2: “I'm Not Ready to Buy a House---But How Do I *Get Ready* to Get Ready?” 

Did we just help you out? Join our Patreon!

[ms-demeanor]

Okay so long story short my sister's dog got really sick and the emergency vet bill was so high that it made me freak out and realize that if the same thing happened to tiny bastard I wouldn't be able to afford to treat her, so I signed up for pet insurance in a fit of absolute terror (we are talking about a vet bill that cost more than my car, and the dog is fine now and my sister can manage that kind of expense, but there is no way I could pay a $5k+ vet bill) but I've been poking around online and it looks like opinions about pet insurance are really mixed so I wanted to ask tumblr:

[chibinightowl]

It feels weird doing this, but I figure it can't hurt. My dog Ember took quite the tumble playing fetch a couple weeks ago and tore her ACL. According to the surgeon, it's a fairly common injury for dogs, so the recovery rate and prognosis is good. But her surgery is going to cost $4500.

If you're a fan of my writing and have a spare couple of bucks in what I know are already challenging times for a lot of us, my Ko-Fi link is below. If you don't, but care enough to signal boost, I'd appreciate that too!

I'm also open to doing some writing commissions (maybe about 3-5k in length max for about $50), so if that's your speed, message me on Discord and we can discuss.

Thank you!

[shuttershocky]

When do you want to use crusher guards?

I'm going to be lying to you if I said I know.

Right now, Crushers fit into a very awkward niche among all the Guard classes. They have the high health and very high DPH that are the trademark of Dreadnoughts but with even higher numbers, the AOE attacks of Centurions with LOWER numbers (they can hit up to 2 enemies at once, Centurions can hit 3 at E2), have incredibly slow attack speed (they have an attack interval of 2.5 seconds, which means it takes them 2.5 seconds to do one attack) which means they have much lower DPS than Dreadnoughts and Centurions while having a similar DP cost to Centurions, and have 0 DEF. At all. None whatsoever.

The 0 DEF is maybe their greatest drawback. it means that any kind of physical damage against them acts as True damage, which turns even minor trash like slugs and dogs into legitimate threats, even with their fuckmassive (5k+ on Quartz) HP pool.

I'm going to be honest here: I do not know how to make Quartz work at all. Her incredibly high HP pool still isn't high enough to make up for her 0 DEF making it impossible for her to be buffed by Aak (who would otherwise be licking his lips at those swole stats), and that 0 DEF also means Shining cannot save them with her S3 to make it possible, since her S3 gives allies +100% DEF, and 100% of 0.... is 0.

Just like Melantha casted a shadow over the whole Dreadnought class until modules came out, another Dreadnought kind of screws Crushers over despite being their obvious inspiration: Matoimaru.

Matoimaru at max level and max module (which is quite cheap to do if you like her as she's a 4 star) hits a gargantuan 5k HP while having the same 0 DEF drawback that Crushers do... but she attacks a whole second faster (1.5 vs 2.5), giving her better DPS while closely matching their stats. If you also wish to use Matoimaru as an HP tank such as vs Arts damage, she has a self-heal skill with S1 that scales off her max HP, something that Quartz doesn't have either, and a second life granted by her module in case you need more because Dreadnought modules lol.

Quartz's best utility vs Matoimaru is hitting 2 units instead of 1, but since she's incredibly squishy and shouldn't be BLOCKING 2 units in the first place (she will die to dogs and slugs), you're almost certainly going to use a Centurion for your crowd control needs.

The best idea I have right now is waiting for Silence the Paradigmatic (who is free in the upcoming Lonetrail event!) whose S3 can provide allied immortality. Activate that while Aak buffs Quartz, and Quartz with S2 should actually deal decent numbers with her S2. She's going to be 1 HP the entire time though, and it's still not going to be that great.

I don't know. I think right now Crushers are competing with Splash Casters and Abjurers as the worst class in the game, and they're winning since modules gave heavy buffs to both Mostima and Dusk, while Silence the Paradigmatic is legitimately trying to challenge Gladiia's title for strongest welfare by having the most hilariously busted defensive support S3 I've ever seen.

I think Crushers are gonna need a really good module. And a completely different approach to how they work. I think that's why Siege Alter isn't out yet despite it being so obvious—they wanted to make her a Crusher guard, then saw what happened to Quartz and Wind Chime and realized this class needs extra help.

[suzukiblu]

bonus WIP poll!

This is a slightly odd thing to do, probably, but I'm taking my roommate to IKEA tomorrow and have just recently realized that I DIRELY need at least a couple new bookshelves since I've collected a metric fuck-ton of books and knickknacks that were previously at my mom's place and have extremely, extremely limited storage space for it all.

But also I'm straight-up broke and still need to cover parking and gas and groceries/dog necessities this week, so in an attempt to get my room in a more usable condition ASAP while also saving myself shipping costs at a later date, I'm gonna run a Ko-fi goal in conjunction with a WIP poll of some popular faves that I've neglected a little bit lately, and if I hit the Ko-fi goal by noon EST tomorrow, I will write 5k in the winner of the poll, and also buy myself some bookshelves! If I DON'T hit the goal by noon tomorrow, I'll just write 2k for the poll winner (and alternately, if the goal happens to overfund, welp, then I'll just write a little extra, hah).

yes I really do need shelves this bad, my room is NOTHING but boxes right now and I have nooooowhere to put the things inside said boxes, it is a PROBLEM. 😅

In theory, everyone wins?? Or at least everyone gets some writing!

ETA: link to my dang Ko-fi now ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN THIS POST, hahaSOB. Sorry 'bout the oversight.

[ashlingiswriting]

do i know you? chapter four

[ 5k words ] [ prev chapters: one, two, three ] [ masterlist ] "he's actually asking you the question—you, of all people. it’s so funny, it could break your heart." richie jerimovich x reader, past mikey berzatto x reader, slow burn warning: vague conversation about assault (no actual assault happened against any canon character), organized crime activities, mild claustrophobia

when you push open the door, you expect to find richie tucked away safe from the harsh wind, leaning against the wall in his usual spot. instead, he’s sitting on the sidewalk in front of your building, his ass on the curb and his feet on the asphalt, like he’s daring the cars to run over his toes. he doesn’t look like he’s waiting for somebody, he looks abandoned.

you tuck away your latest story—egyptian history is clearly not meant for tonight—and walk over to him. what’s up? 

he says nothing. 

all right, then. you sigh and you drop into a squat beside him, both feet flat, knees under your upper arms, and arms loosely crossed.

i can do this all night, you say.

his eyes don’t so much as flicker. his big black leather jacket has always looked ridiculous, oversized, like he’s playing dress up in his dad’s clothes, but there’s a touch of pathos to the slouch of it now. there’s a weariness that has soaked into him because he’s been marinating in it over the months. there’s pain, too, so much that you can’t help but think of michael. 

it’s eva, he finally says.

the richie bad news thing? you say. it’s a wild guess but better than nothing. you have to say something, anchor him before he drifts off again.

he shakes his head. she said this man at school, he, uh. he really freaked her out today. i don’t know. 

your stomach drops. nausea sets in immediately, but you push past it. step one is to protect her, and everything else can be dealt with later. you’re horrified to discover that after all that painstaking care you spent making sure he’s never cross-contaminated with your business, now there’s no choice. now there’s a threat. whatever the cost of the method, the threat has to end.  

uncrossing your arms, you reach out and put your hand on richie’s arm, grip him firm through the leather jacket, and look at him squarely. 

he blinks, looks down at your hand—you’ve never touched him before—and then up at your face. 

slow, steady, marshaling every word of your command to pierce through the fog he’s in, you say: don’t do anything. i know a guy. 

at that, his eyes sharpen and narrow, baffled. what are you talking about? he says. ow, jesus.

you search his face hard and clutch his arm even harder, like you can wring the truth out of him by the strength of your fingers alone.

she’s okay? you say.

she’s okay.

oh. pause. when the relief hits, it hits so hard, it’s nearly grief and it’s far too late. your mouth has gone bitter and your heartbeat is like a jackhammer to cement, reverberating through your body loud and fast and unstoppable. you let go of him.

richie’s face wrinkles with confusion, and he figures it out entire minutes too late. why would you think—

because it’s always some dirty old man, there’s always—you have to stop. your voice has gone transparent and you’re helpless to fix it. swallowing hard doesn’t help. standing up so fast that you’re lightheaded, that helps a little, though you don’t like the useless swing of your arms at your sides. 

finally, you manage to say, i’m not crazy, these things fucking happen. 

these things happen, but eva’s okay. nothing’s happened to her. richie says it with a terrible gentleness you can imagine him bestowing on a car crash survivor or a starved stray dog. his hand closes over your ankle through your jeans, the touch a shockwave that goes right through you. hey, i’m sorry, he says. 

between leftover nausea and fresh embarrassment, you can’t even look at him, so stare far over his head and say, don’t.

he lets go. you wish he didn’t. 

after a while, he says, you’ve never even met her.

she’s yours, though.

and there it is. the truth. you don’t know when this happened, but somewhere along the way, your care has stopped being richie’s inheritance from michael. now you care simply because it’s richie. it’s a surprise to find that there is someone left alive you’d kill for, but it also feels completely natural. if you’re dropped in water, you will swim. if you’re hit, you’ll hit back. if eva ever does get in trouble, you’ll do what you have to do. and that’s it. 

the thought becomes so real you could touch it like a photograph in your back pocket. there’s someone left that you’d kill for. good to know.

you turn away from him, using the wind as an excuse, sheltering your cigarette and lighting it up again. richie stays sitting right where he is, as though you haven’t confessed anything. there really is a merciful streak in him about five miles wide.

the nausea abates, after a little while. the thought occurs to you that you can’t just get lost in your head again. he’s still sitting there, he still needs you.

so what’d this guy say. you keep your voice as casual as you can. the man at the school. what freaked her out so bad?

never mind, richie says. it’s okay.

i swear to god, richie, after all that, you better tell me about it. 

okay, he says, every bit as exhausted and miserable as before, but at least no longer fully bogged down in his own head. you wanna sit down?

no.

he nods. into the fraught silence, his words come slower now. he speaks like he’s groping in the dark for the shape of his thoughts, fitting his hand to each individual word, mindful of sharp edges. 

a poet visited her school today. he’d written something for them about the class caterpillar that died last week. i don’t know whose genius idea that was, but anyway. he pauses. now she’s asking me about things dying. people dying, you know. her mom. me.

after a second, you say, fucking poets, with real sympathy. 

he nods wearily. somebody shot at the beef today too. we’re fine, nobody got hurt, it’s nothing, it’s. he rubs his forehead with his hand. it was a nice poem.

yeah? you say. 

whole city’s just fucking…

he gestures once, gives up, and lets his hand dangle from his knee. 

after a second, you sit down next to him, cross-legged and companionable.

what was it like? you say. the poem.

i can’t remember the words, he says. the general idea was, like. all a caterpillar needs to do is be what it is. eat everything, dream of flying. that’s what it’s meant to do. he looks over. you know what we’re meant to do?

he's actually asking you the question—you, of all people. it’s so funny, it could break your heart. you shake your head.

me neither. when he looks back out at the street, his eyes rest on the shadows in a way that makes the shadows seem that much more desolate. i mean, i’ve done things, but not. he doesn’t finish the thought aloud. 

finally, he says, what would a poet even do with me?

a dark suspicion tries to grab onto, but it’s so ludicrous and so extreme that you bat it away. you just made the mistake of falling prey to a baseless, sick fear once. twice in one night, that’s too much.

what would a poet do with either of us? you say. but you’re not gonna die.

i might.

the worst thing about it is how quiet richie says it. it's not an argument. it's just a fact.

you’re not, you say fiercely.

richie turns his head and looks at you, his blue eyes fraught and unwavering. 

how do you know?  

ping! 

fuck. your phone shouldn’t go off now, of all times. you haven’t had to deal with so much as a simple flesh wound since little caruso got shipped to the hospital, and now is the moment you get called in? if you ignore this text while you’re supposed to be on call, you could get fired or worse. 

you ignore the text. back to the question: how do you know richie’s not gonna die? because he can’t. because you won’t allow it.

you say, if you’re not around, who’s gonna explain to your daughter that poets are all a bunch of shitheads? 

ping! ping! ping!

fuck me, you mutter, putting your phone on vibrate.

it’s all right, never mind, richie says. he looks faintly sick, or maybe that’s just the cold and the time of night. 

it’s not all right, but you open your phone anyway. as you start reading the texts, your heart rate goes into overdrive and the eerie calm of crisis descends on you. 

i’m sorry, you say, meaning it. i’m really sorry. but you gotta get out of here.

as if to drive home your point, your phone vibrates in your hand with two more texts.

at first richie doesn’t move, and you’re afraid he’ll argue, or protest, or do anything that will force your hand to choose cruelty so you can get rid of him fast. but instead, he finally hauls himself to his feet. 

you know a guy, huh, he says.

you don’t want to acknowledge the insinuation with any kind of an answer, which as it turns out is a mistake.

it’s all right, he says. i’m kind of a diy guy myself.

you look up. don’t be.

the wind is tearing at your hair, and at that angle, in shadow, his eyes look unusually dark, not one hint of blue.

i can’t track the fucking joke with you sometimes, richie says.

i’m not joking. 

your phone vibrates once again.

fuck. you have no choice. you stand up, look at him as kindly as you know how, and say, get out of here. please. 

and he does. 

.

.

.

the texts come from an anonymous number, just like always. 

> 28 ppl carbon monoxide poisoning

> 2 dead already

> no hospital

> beth can’t come

> 3 dead

> be there soon

the answer is obvious. if the poisoning has gotten so advanced that some of the victims are already dying, then only in-hospital treatment can save them. even a quick google could’ve come up with this answer, and yet it feels like it’s taking you twice as long to reason it out when half your brain is helplessly looping over and over on you’re not gonna die and i might.

when a black corolla pulls up next to you only a minute later, you yank open the passenger’s side door only to find the seat already occupied.

holy shit.

jack? you say, stunned. i thought you were in prison.

he’s big, round-shouldered and full-bearded, and he looks even bigger squashed into this small car. he’s also sweating like a motherfucker. 

i was. get in.

you hurl yourself into the backseat and the driver takes off before you’ve even managed to get your hand on the seatbelt. the sudden violence sets you back on track. who cares how the oldest caruso kid got free? what matters are your patients. 

listen, if we don’t do a hospital drop, these people are all dead, you say.

why? 

you’re so grateful it’s jack. he’s brutally competent and efficient, not a word or a breath wasted, and he’s the only caruso kid who ever actually listens to you. 

if carbon monoxide poisoning is this bad, we can’t just slap a bunch of oxygen masks on them and call it a day. that’s not enough, it won’t work fast enough. not with three dead already. 

what do we need?

your skin is practically humming. hyperbaric chamber. lay them in an airtight container built specially for the purpose, fill it with pure oxygen, crank up the pressure. this is the kind of equipment that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, so they probably don’t even have them at a place like saint anthony’s. these people need a level care of care that only northwestern-level money can buy, okay? or maybe uic. i don’t even think they’ll have enough chambers for all of them in one building, we might have to do two separate dumps, or—

no hospitals, jack says. we have orders. 

now you remember why he’s the worst of the caruso kids too. he’s the smartest, which means he should fucking know better. 

how much do these people know? you say. when that gets you nowhere, you drop subtlety and go straight for the jugular. are you really willing to kill twenty-five people just to please your fucking dad?

i’d kill you if i got orders, he says. don’t waste time.

it’s a breathtaking thing to hear, and yet, on some level, you were expecting it. after a second, you say, they’re dead, then. but tell me what we got.

no hospital raids, not around here. dad says it might fuck things up for little if a theft cranks up hospital security. but you’ve got as many oxygen canisters as you want down at the blackbird processing plant. 

and that’s where we’re headed?

yeah.

okay, you say, and it sounds like a question. but then, five minutes later, you say okay like it’s the answer too.

jack fully turns around in his seat to look at you. he’s going prematurely gray at the temples, and in the dark, his eyes look bottomless.

what do you need?  he says.

and for once, you know. what you need, what you are, and what you’re meant to do. so you tell him.

.

.

.

when you arrive, there are only a few lights on inside the factory. you and jack get on an indoor vehicle, a little white golf cart, and speed through a looming, shadowy forest of metallic machinery. 

your patients are waiting for you, all of them unconscious and laid out neatly like logs in two rows on the ground. their faces and clothes look sickeningly similar to each other, so you glance at jack and mentally add human trafficking to the long list of his family’s crimes. 

there’s also around two dozen men who all came to attention when jack stepped off the golf cart, standing silent and expectant. one of them is different from the others, a short man with the distinctive, overwhelmed expression of a civilian who just got drafted. that must be roberto, the floor manager that you talked to earlier on the phone. 

sedatives? you say, and one of the men hands you a big plastic bin full of smaller boxes. you pick one up and squint at the tiny print on the white and orange label. fuck me. 

the sedative they managed to get on short notice? it’s dormosedan. which is mean to be used on fucking horses. horses. jesus christ. yeah no, you’re not giving that to your patients. 

we’ve got ahold of ten oxygen masks, says jack. eta twenty minutes. 

you shake your head. you can see everything in viciously crisp color, time has slowed to syrup, and you can clock even the far-off horn of a distant train. oxygen masks aren’t enough. 

turning to roberto, you gesture at the massive section of piping in front of you. is that it?

i don’t think it’ll work, he says, this close to shaking. 

you speak past him to the assembled men. load them.

beside you, jack nods. with that, the men begin picking up your patients and carrying them to the wide-open hatch in the huge pipe, getting down on hands and knees, crawling, and pulling the unconscious people after them. 

you can’t do this, roberto says. we have to call the cops, we can’t just—

jack reaches for the gun tucked into his jeans and you close your hand over his wrist just in time to stop him from pulling it out. if he gives this guy a heart attack, that’s just one more casualty for you to deal with.

roberto, this is fucking happening, you say. you let go of jack’s wrist, go over, and lean in close to him, ignoring his flinch. you lower your voice. please don’t make me deal with another casualty, we’ve got enough of those already.

after a second, roberto walks away and put his password into the control pad.

when the hatch closes, there are two bodies left lying on the floor, people who are already dead and thus not worth loading. how many patients left living does that make? twenty-four? twenty-three? you’ve lost count.

flood it with oxygen and then increase the pressure, you say to roberto.

how high do you want the pressure?

double whatever the psi is right now.

you can actually see the movement of roberto’s adam’s apple as he swallows.

hey, you say warningly.

after a second, he types in the command. you can hear the humming of the machine as the pressure increases.

you want me to pause it in intervals so the pressure doesn’t increase too fast? he says. 

you have no fucking idea. no, you say. just do it.

you take out your phone and start a timer. you don’t even know how long these people should be in for, or how long the canisters will last, but you sit there with your pencil and paper, gather what you know, and get to work.

they can’t stay in for too long, because you’re terrified of one of them improving enough to wake up trapped in the dark. they’d die of a fucking heart attack, breaking into the list of the world’s top ten most miserable deaths. on the other hand, they have to stay in as long as it takes to oxygenate them, or they’ll be dead for certain. and a third consideration? if they’re in for too long, there is such a thing as oxygen poisoning. which. fucking hell.

you write out your calculations so hurriedly that you can barely read your own figures. god only knows if they’re correct. you finally come up with a number of minutes, and once that time has passed, you tell roberto to lower the pressure. in intervals this time, with pauses in between. after all this maniac effort, you’re not gonna lose anyone to the bends like they’re fucking scuba divers. no, no. you’ve entered the stage when everything is hopeful with zero basis in fact. they’re all gonna make it. every last one of them. 

this is the worst part. the part when all the decisions have been made, and all you can do is stand there and wait. you abandon your paper and pencil on the floor and begin to pace like a maniac, not caring who sees you. 

jack is texting to somebody on his phone, mountainous and intent, but when you pass by him, he says, homemade hyperbaric chamber.

are you supposed to feel fucking encouraged by that?

if they all die, you’re gonna have to kill me too, you mutter in a venomous undertone.

don’t make threats.

the oxygen masks arrive. turns out that only eight of them work, but at least they come with appropriately sized canisters. you instruct jack’s men on how to use the masks on the patients once they emerge from the pipe. if more than eight patients end up making it, they’ll have to rotate the masks between the patients in fifteen-minute intervals. somehow, you don’t think that will be a problem. 

you can hear roberto praying quietly in the background.

time disappears, and the one thing you want most in the world is a smoke, though you can’t have it, not with all these gas canisters around. just one cigarette, that would save you. not a menthol, a sapphire. or maybe just standing partly sheltered from the wind in a spot that smells of those cigarettes, drinking half a smile over a stupid joke, you want it to be over already, you want to go home—

finally, the pipe has been completely depressurized and the patients are taken out one by one and laid out once again in their two rows. you dart forward, accidentally bashing your shoulder against an unexpected bit of machinery in the dark, and kneel beside the first one you see. 

the woman is weathered and broad shouldered, somewhere in her forties, and looking as peaceful as if she’s just taking a nap. there are strands of gray in her dark hair and laugh lines in the corners of her eyes. you don’t want to check her pulse, but you do.

she’s alive. 

all around you, there are footsteps padding by you, quiet words being exchanged. survivors are being laid out, men are fixing the oxygen masks on them, and somewhere in the background, roberto is trying to argue with jack, his voice pitching ever higher with every denial he’s dealt. some of the machines are being turned on in preparation for the morning’s work, great dark monsters humming and growling at each other in the dark. 

this is not over. there is so much left to do. and yet, for a moment, you close your eyes and feel her pulse murmuring it into your fingertips: still here, still here.

.

.

.

when you were first charged with the care of these people, twenty-five of them were alive. by the time they’re carried away from the factory and you’re forced to go home, only nineteen of them are still breathing. 

it’s nineteen more than you thought you could save. it’s still not enough.

when the car drops you off at your building, your eyes go to the spot where richie should be standing, but of course he’s not there. it’s morning, not his hour. why you were expecting him, you don’t know.

you want to tell him about this night more than anything, but you know you never can and you never will. 

.

.

.

you find him laid out neatly like a log, gone cold and facing up. no blood, no wound, nobody else. at least this time they let you come and see him.

the sun comes up over the bridge and stains the cityscape as gold as good. oh, michael.

you kneel without a prayer, run your fingertips across his sweater, soft and slow as though you could still wake him up. your knuckles knock against metal, so you stop short, look down, and there it is: the gun, your gun, the ready death you try to pull from out of his fingers. 

baby, let it go.

his grip goes tight, his blue eyes open slow.

.

.

.

the sound of your evening alarm tears you out of your dreams. you find yourself clutching at empty air so tightly that your nails leave red half-moons in your palms, and at first, you remember nothing but the feeling.

it all comes back in bits and pieces jumbled together: the little white golf cart speeding through the factory floor, the sunrise over the bridge, closed eyes above oxygen masks, the rows of bodies, richie’s eyes. you’re not gonna die and i might.

you sit up fast, fully awake. a chest-crushing certainty takes hold. all the old excuses are carried away from you like paper in the wind. 

he says shit that would scare anyone into wondering if he’s okay, but then he turns around and jokes like nothing’s wrong. he has people he loves dearly, but he still comes to you for comfort that you are hardly able to provide. he has access to a gun. this time, it’ll be his own. other than that, it’s all the same as last time.

the fact that you’ve noticed the pattern is no comfort to you at all. by now, you know richie right down to the ground, from his peculiar little habits to his pet baseball peeves to his customary jewelry to the shape his mouth makes when he doesn’t want to admit that you’re funny. you know him so well.

and you’ve only ever been able to save people if they’re total strangers.

.

.

.

by the time richie strolls up to your building, it’s occurred to you that somewhere in the haze of grief and touch starvation and whatever words a shrink would use to describe the feeling of twenty-five lives depending on you, maybe, just maybe, you’ve gone a little fucking crazy yourself. 

jack won’t return your texts or calls, so you have no idea how your patients are doing, and that is so deeply fucking upsetting that you swerve right back to richie. 

maybe richie’s not deeply depressed. maybe it’s like the time—literally yesterday—when you assumed eva got hurt and psyched yourself up to request permission from old caruso for a full-on murder. 

also, and this cannot be emphasized enough: you only slept for two hours. 

so, mustering the last bit of mental strength left at your disposal, you head downstairs early and decide not to bring up your batshit theory unless you’ve got actual evidence that you’re right. 

richie seems a surprised to find you waiting for him, and he approaches a little awkwardly, his hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets. the sight of him alone is enough to calm you a little, the reality of his stained shirt and haggard face. 

hey, you say, in your very best imitation of a normal person. 

yo, he says. last night was.

yeah, you say. then, as casual as you can, you good?

he shrugs. i am if you are?

you nod. in the silence, you can feel the awkwardness draining away, so you give it a little while before you finally say say, so what’s the story, morning glory?

his nose is running a little and he’s as tired as ever, but the smile is real. you wanna see something crazy?

always.

he gets his phone out of his pocket and flips through a blur of emoji-studded texts to find the thing he’s looking for. 

my buddy tim got video of this crazy fight on the l this morning. looks exactly like that one with the nerd. like, same fucking thing, i swear to god. 

he turns to you and catches you watching him close, soaking him up. he’s stubble-cheeked and grinning, he’s standing solid, he’s completely fucking fine. he has to be.

what one with the nerd, you say, a little too late. noticeably too late, so you add an explanation. i didn’t get much sleep last night.

yeah, i wasn’t gonna say, but. he raises his eyebrows, tilts the words playful enough so they’re not a threat. secret agent?

you hum a bit of the james bond theme song, then point at his phone. you’re gonna have to show me the nerd one first, cause i don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. 

you’re gonna love this, he says.

you shake your head as you get out your pack and your lighter. you have no idea what it’s gonna be, but you’re smiling already. am i actually gonna love this, or is—

no, you’re actually gonna love it, he says.

cause you remember the one with the fuckin poacher trying—

well, maybe my tastes are a little too eclectic for you, a little too avant fucking garde, but—

avant—you burst out laughing. you bruce springsteen motherfucker, don’t talk to me about avant garde. 

bruce springsteen is the man, was that supposed to be an insult? before you can say a thing in your defense, he interrupts. shh, it’s starting. 

you lean against the wall and watch. you’re not gonna cry, but there’s something in the way his body protects you a little extra from the wind. he’s okay. he’s okay, so you must be too.

the video turns out to be exactly the opposite of what you expected, because the nerd wins. in detail, a meathead picks a fight with a skinny little twentysomething redhead, and the redhead retaliates so fast and dirty that even the meathead’s friends seem impressed when they arrive on the scene drag the redhead off him.

right? richie says, when the video ends, supremely satisfied. it’s so funny to you that he loves that video, because between meathead and nerd, you wouldn’t have guessed him as identifying with the nerd. rather than ask him about it, you settle for a childish little poke. you’re too exhausted to do anything else. 

that’s a nerd to you? you say.

he’s wearing fucking glasses, what else do you want.

everyone wears glasses, numbskull. you flick the screen with a finger. that’s not a nerd.

richie splutters. and he’s short!

everyone’s short to you.

richie half turns to you and leans a little into your personal space, looming in a way that makes him occupy your whole field of vision. you stand your ground on instinct.

yeah, you’re short to me all right, he says.

well, you’re fucking… 

he’s so tall, and that’s terrible, and yet you kind of wish he was even taller so his face wouldn’t be so close to your face. there’s really nothing you can think of to say. you’ve well and truly lost the plot.

richie bursts out laughing.

…a pain in my ass, is what you are, you say. rick. 

so you got no sleep last night, he says, still laughing but moving back a fraction, letting up. 

you shake your head ruefully. like none.

then what are you doing vertical?

good question. technically, it’s against the rules for you to sleep while you’re on call, but at this point you’re pretty done with the carusos and their fucking rules and you really only got out of bed this morning so you could see richie. 

you shrug and raise your cigarette, half hoping he gets it and half hoping he doesn’t. 

he does, of course. you can tell by the way he says, go, then. go take a nap.

you should be grateful that you’ve gotten through the conversation without making an utter fool of yourself with your little conspiracy theory, but being with him right now feels so easy, you don’t want to leave it behind. 

you good? you say.

i’m fucking golden, baby. 

so you leave. as you wait for the elevator to come down and get you, you look back at him one last time through the glass of the apartment building’s doors. he’s standing there watching one of his videos, totally engrossed, totally delighted, his fist pressed to his mouth.

sleep should be safe for you now, right? sleep should be safe for you now.

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[ chapter five ] [ masterlist ]

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@garbinge, @narcolini, @drabbles-mc, @beingalive1, @eternallyvenus, @cerial-junkie — if anyone else wants a tag, let me know.

[romirola]

Headcanons for the Shaw Pack’s Holiday Volunteer Work

Started by Gabe and preserved by David, the Shaw Pack has a tradition of incorporating extra volunteer work into their schedules as the season of many holidays approaches. It’s not mandatory or something they officially report, but the pack takes their responsibility to continue the tradition seriously.

David: Food Drive Organizer- David organizes a massive food drive that benefits Dahlia’s food pantry. Not only will he organize and promote it all himself (although according to the paperwork, he does so anonymously), but David also gives a huge amount of non-perishable food. Once everything is collected and ready to be distributed, David always ensures to set up distribution so that it is equitable and welcoming for everyone who uses the food pantry. 

Angel: Writes Cards for Nursing Home Residents- Beginning as early as September, Angel writes hundreds of cards for nursing home residents who may or may not receive any visitors. They take special care to write different messages on each card, sometimes including little jokes or drawings. 

Asher: Arranges a 5K Race/24hrs Caroling Event to Benefit Humanborn Acclimation Services and Programs- Asher’s annual “Holiday 5K/Caroling Extravaganza” has become quite a popular event among the empowered population of Dahlia, even if it is a bit eclectic. Racers in the 5K acquire sponsorships to participate. Groups of carolers do the same and provide some sort of musical entertainment (broadly defined to include all ages, talents, and interpretations) for 24 consecutive hours. All of the proceeds of the event benefit programs that help humanborn empowered people acclimate to their magic, which, as the son of two humanborn wolves, is a cause near and dear to Asher’s heart. The event is always a fun and festive success, with local businesses donating the prizes and restaurants providing food for everyone. 

Babe: Gift Wrapper to Benefit a Homeless Shelter- Babe spends a couple weeknights per week at a department store as a gift wrapper. All of the donations go directly to a local homeless shelter. Babe wraps each gift so carefully and precisely that the clients feel compelled to double the donation they were originally planning to give. 

Milo: Plays Santa at the Local Library- He schedules weekend visits at the public library and arranges for a photographer to accompany him so that even families who cannot afford a portrait of their child(ren) with Santa have the opportunity to get one at no cost (plus a candy cane!) Milo works hard all year to perfect his “Ho-Ho-Hos!” and listens to every child as they speak with him. If a child does not want to sit on his lap or has sensory difficulties, Milo is always accommodating and makes sure that the visit is friendly and fun. 

Sweetheart: Blood Donor- Sweetheart always makes sure to donate blood to ensure that the vampiric community will have sufficient blood bag resources to sustain them during a time of year where Clans often celebrate together and are in need of extra blood. They are proud to help support the vampire community any time of the year, but especially when many are missing their former lives and traditions. 

Darling: Shifts to Serve as a Therapy Dog at a Pediatric Hospital- In their wolf form, Darling visits unempowered children who are currently hospitalized and are in need of some holiday cheer since they are fighting to get better and cannot yet return home. Unlike the parents, guardians, and other adult visitors, the children are never afraid of Darling as a wolf. They cheer and clap when they see Darling stroll through the door and jump on their beds. The children eagerly pet them and talk about whatever they want. To be able to do this, Darling proudly forged a “Therapy Dog Certification” document for themselves. 

Sam: Secretly Shovels and Salts Sidewalks- Sam will often take his trusty shovel and bag of salt to neighborhoods of Dahlia that seem to be last on the list for shoveling and salting. He works under cover of night, able to make good use of his vampiric strength and speed to clear walkways and keep everyone safe from falling on icy paths. 

[jellypawss]

things i’m sad about with the new pack and would have love to seen OR modders pls fix/add:

better horse genetics (and just pets overall, probably not possible but a girl can dream)

higher horse prices, would love for them to cost 5k and get more expensive with their skills and etc

more toys for the horses

when you do a ride with them they never return home automatically and that whole system is glitchy, i’d love to see if they are off home-lot they route back home after a ride

clothes for horses? wtf ea

toddler interactions for horses

mini horses for kids

selfies with horses

more fruits to make nectar with

poisonous nectar (funny)

ability to open a bar

vet options for horses (this was the perfect opportunity yo...ea???)

unicorns in the wild :(

more indigenous clothing/hair (yall did somewhat decent but I would have loved so much more, especially food.)

WILD HORSES!!!! come on man

lot traits...horse hangout???? hellur????

on-lot vets (call a veterinarian over for horse visits or big dogs/goats/llamas/cows)

special type of horses, unicorns, skeleton horses, familiars, etc.

 this did not feel like an expansion

[brandileigh2003]

Masterpost: Here's my fics, and recs

Silence between us a soft wolfstar falling in love, features Sirius dealing with anxiety, and remus who is deaf and has an adorable service dog. (Complete, 30k)

Silence between us universe: can stand alone, but will have some spoilers for main fic. collection of one shots, more to be added. Silence within remus' pov of silence between us, Signs Between Us, Where the Silence Began

---All completed unless marked, no particular order---

Collapsing: 1st war divergent wip, accident leaves Remus severely injured. (17k now complete)

A New Chapter (26k) follows trans remus from Hogwarts through divergent end of the war, studying how lycanthropy and disability affects his life and relationships

Inevitable When you finally fall in love, you never expect that you'll have to lose them way too soon. Cancer fic with MCD. Ending did help me heal some from heartbreak though. (8k)

A Matter of Loyalty (13k) 1st war divergent fic, dual pov, angst, check tags, now completed

DN(R): lie low at lupins, canon divergent. Remus explains what led him to get a "DNR" tattoo (3k)

Identically pining Hogwarts era 1 shot. mutual wolfstar pining, identical twins sirius and regulus where Reg decides to help get them together. Remus is disabled. (6k)

I've got you: hurt/comfort sickfics (56k)

Other Side of the Screen: sirius falls for remus' voice, even more as they become online friends. But there's still a lot they don't know about each other. (3k)

Memories of you: Exploration of Sirius' grief in two parts. (7k)

Through the Years: older wolfstar. Married with grandkids (2k)

Parks and Playdates: Remus didn't imagine joining a playgroup would bring so much joy into his life (4k)

I don't wanna be anything other than me trans fest fic: Lily and remus friendship, remus transitioning at school, pining Remus (4k)

Tears of Blood: mcd, 1 shot, historical fic exploring Spanish influenza (3k)

Hearts finally in sync: divergent lie low at lupin's (3k)

House of cards: 1st wizarding war wolfstar internal thoughts (3k)

Bad practices: remus is spiraling bc of his past and Sirius helps him work through it (make sure to check tags) (2k)

It all comes back around: centering around two run-ins with boggarts (5k)

An unlikely place to fall in love: au/modern 1 shot: both chronically ill and meet in the hospital (2k)

The truth sets no one free: Sirius was given a trial and gets his freedom but it's at a steep cost. One that he'd rather not pay.

I would do it again: fluffy and sappy wolfstar

Guarding remus au/modern 1 shot high school colorguard fic, Sirius pov, ft trans remus (7k)

In Every Universe: series of unrelated one shots for FFF. Updates when inspired by prompt.

Song Interrupted siren Sirius who wants a way to not have to kill to live. (4k)

A matter of choice sirius turns to alcohol after a bad mission and he's questioning choices and love (1k)

On sinking ships (you showed up just in time): Titanic dorlene fic with no mcd (14k)

How to find me: i'm on tiktok. I have Twitter and youtube under same screen name but I don't do anything over there.

--Here's a list of some fics I recommend: I add to it sometimes. Enjoy!!

Recs: Part 2, 1 shots, trans remus recs, fluff recs, wip version, part of my to-reread list, re-read 3rd time, jegulus, chronic illness/disability/deaf/blind, autism, mcd,

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

~*~

1. hello! as always thank you for the good work! I’m looking for ‘seraph of the end’ au fics or something that goes like that, specifically wangxian.

~*~

2. Hi! Any recs for arranged marriage fics, of the sort in which lwj marries a fearsome yiling patriarch but once he gets to know him he falls in love? Thank you!!!

Caught Between Sun and Shadows by Alliandra (E, 71k, wangxian, LXC & LWJ, grapshic depictions of violence, sunshot campaign, arranged marriage, YLLZ WWX, pining, battle husbands, versatile wangxian, falling in love, resentacles, sex pollen, fuck or die, golden core reveal, politics, hurt/comfort)

💖 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, immortal WWX, slow burn, pining, arranged marriages)

what price is duty, what cost is love by thunderwear (G, 18k, wangxian, canon divergence, WWX was never adopted to Jiang, war prize, YLLZ WWX, pining, first kiss, first time, falling in love, angst w/ happy ending)

holding hands with you in this rain-flooded street by puddingcatbeans (M, 12k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, husbands to lovers?, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Everybody Lives)

~*~

3. For the next ITMF, I'm interested in people's favorite fics from the last six months (ish)! There's so much good fic in this fandom that it's hard to keep up with the new stuff. (I hope this kind of request is ok) @ehyde​

💙 Wish I could forget the taste of your skin and the feel of your hands pinning me down by KizuKatana (E, 63k, wangxian, WQ & WWX & WN, modern w/ cultivation, getting back together, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, case fic, pining)

all the problems we could solve by Stratisphyre (T, 20k, wangxian, modern, getting together, somewhat non-linear, fluff, humor, violence, meet-cute, identity porn, thieves au)

born under unlucky stars by RoseThorne (M, 1k, JZX & MXY, JZX & QS, wangxian, WQ & WWX & WN, major character death, canonical character death, ghosts, brotherly love, spells & enchantments, MXY pov, anger, revenge)

Ominous by 3neetee (T, 5k, wangxian, pre-relationship, established relationship, character death, fae & fairies, changelings, dark wangxian, BAMF WWX, graphic depictions, suicide, implied/referenced domestic violence)

Hear a song this deeply by so_shhy (T, 87k, wangxian, modern w/ cultivation, academia au, kid fic, music, action/adventure, canon-typical violence, slow burn, fluff & angst, canon-typical JGY behavior, happy ending)

The Sculptor by Eleanor_Fenyx (M, 27k, wangxian, LQY/WQ, LWJ & WQ, SL/XXC, modern, lavender marriage, period typical attituted and terminology, mute SL, queer themes, queer families, slow burn, getting together, intimacy, artist WWX, professor LWJ)

For A Gentleman, Ten Years Is Not Too Long by Cerusee (G, 10k, NHS & WWX, JC & WWX, A murder mystery I guess, canon-typical ambiguity, Ambiguous/Open Ending)

What We Grew in this Forsaken Place by Admiranda (T, 27k, WangXian, Modern Cultivation, Shapeshifter LWJ, bottle episode fic, bunny crimes, WWX Has a Fear of Dogs, WWX is a genius, unexpected pet owner WWX)

Foxsong by Admiranda (T, 41k, A-Qing & WWX & LWJ, Yi City trio, WangXian, SongXiao, fox a-qing, Fox Spirit WWX, Dragon LWJ, Dragon LWJ/Fox WWX, XY causes problems, High Fantasy, mythical beasts in human forms, Found Family, background wangxian, married wangxian)

to explore strange new worlds...! Series by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf, tardigradeschool (G/T, 44k, NieLan, WangXian, Star Trek Fusion, Vulcan LWJ, Vulcan LXC, Vulcan Culture, Child LWJ, Child LXC, Medical Procedures, Lán Family Feels, POV LQR, LXC Needs a Hug, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Neglect, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Bad Parenting, Chronic Pain, Disability, College/University, POV Alternating, PTSD, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Panic attacks, Vulcan mind meld)

Love Buns by Czeriahx (G, 2k, JYL/JZX, wangxian, fluff, cooking adventures with Jin Zixuan)

your bones don't rust by curiositea (M, 2k, wangxian, modern, established relationship, fluff, light angst, anxiety, panic attacks, kissing, hand-feeding, WIP)

when you love somebody, bite your tongue by sophiahelix (E, 17k, wangxian, cloud recesses study arc, first time, horny teenagers, sharing a bed, fantasizing, size kink)

A storm without a warning by Spodumene (E, 22k, wangxian, modern, compulsory heterosexuality, masturbation, eventual smut, pining, denial, drunkenness, jealousy, not actually unrequited love, angst w/ happy ending)

Fakespeare in the Park by Scrippio (T, 58k, wangxian, JC/WQ, JYL/JZX, modern, theatre au, fluff, accidental baby acquisation, light angst, WIP)

This Time Around by KouriArashi (T, 83k, JGY & NHS, NHS & WWX, JGY & WWX, time travel fix-it, kid fic, families of choice, angst, grief/mourning, class issues, past child abuse, politics, moral ambiguity, everyone lives, happy ending)

~*~

4. Heyy! For the next ITMF can you please recommend

A) some fics about wangxian friendly sparring where they are both equals in swordfighting.

B) fics with WWX sparring with Madam Yu (not Jiang friendly if possible). And WWX wins the fight (obviously).

Thanks for your hardwork! @iwhateveryou2331

4A)

somehow, someway, we all get to someday by Stratisphyre (T, 76k, CSSR/LQR/WCZ, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Role Reversal, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Parenthood, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Family Feels, Not JFM Friendly, Not Lan Sect Friendly, past emotional abuse, Demisexual Character, Inclusive discussions of reproductive rights) this one is strong with the ‘wangxian equality’ vibe; there’s a great wangxian sword fight somewhere in there, too

the earthquake in the room by phnelt (E, 39k, WangXian, College/University, Modern: No Powers, Canada, Getting Together, Mentions of lwj/others, inter-faculty romance, strangers to lovers to frenemies to lovers, mostly book characterisation) not swordfighting but martial arts however it is well done!

4B)

❤️ I Started From the Bottom/And Now I’m Rich by x_los (E, 57k, WangXian, WWX/Others, Mutual Pining, Marriage of Convenience, Arranged Marriage, No Sunshot Campaign, Fix-It, WQ Lives, Transmigration, Time Travel, Weddings, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Daddy, Black Widow, Protective Siblings, Dysfunctional Family, Family Bonding, Sugar Babyconsort, Politics, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Crack Treated Seriously) can't promise not-Jiang friendly, but there's a great sparring session between WWX and Madam Yu.

~*~

5. Do you know any fics where wwx leaves the wen remnants after they go to the burial mounds to go back to yunmeng for something??

~*~

6. Hello! Hope you're all doing great so far this holiday season! I was hoping to make a request for a future itmf. Do you have any recs for some pokemon AUs?? I found my old copy of pokemon moon right before I bought pokemon violet, and now I'm playing both and have a huge craving for some pokemon crossovers! Preferably wangxian and it'd be great if it's completed but I'll be happy with anything! Thank you so much! @suibian800

This Tumblr post

A Journey in the Making by DawnCloud (G, 6k, wangxian, Pokémon au)

of ghosts and graveyards by DiRoxy (T, 10k, wangxian, Pokémon au, pre-relationship, case fic, ghost WWX, happy ending, LWJ & JC working together, depictions of science experiments on pokemon)

~*~

7. Have you come across any fics with lwj and wwx just. Adventuring and traveling post-canon? Like solving mysteries and maybe some whump and protective lwj when wwx tries to save the day? @shiro-tora3​

build me no shrines by occultings (microcomets) (M, 54k, WangXian, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, First Time, Getting Together, Confessions, Sharing a Bed, Hair Washing, Sentient Burial Mounds, Case Fic, Post-Canon, CQL Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Light Angst, Flashbacks, mild body horror, foot washing, Happy Ending, Non-Sexual Intimacy, …then sexual intimacy)

Wearing Down Every Bone by CSHfic & VSfic (E, 30k, wangxian, case fic, time loop)

爱不释手; never let me go by yiqie (E, 68k, wangxian, case fic, demons)

Linger in the Sun by etymologyplayground (T, 39k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Case Fic, Intimacy, Curses, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Cuddling & Snuggling, Getting Together, Romance, Sexual Tension, Scent Kink, m.. maybe??, its not as intense as a kink, Fluff, Scars, Sharing a Bed, Nonverbal Communication)

The envy of the world by vulnerable_bead (E, 48k, wangxian, LWJ & LSZ & WWX, LJY & LSZ, post-canon, case fic, smut, fluff, established relationship, wangxian as teachers, wangxian as musicians, spellweaving) poetic fairytale prose; a casefic of unfurling complexity with an intelligent, subtle, and tragic antagonist; mysterious uncharted musical magic; a climactic confrontation that deserves to be animated. And then there’s the famous Windowsill Papapa Scene.

~*~

8. Hi guys! Happy holidays, hope you enjoy them 🤗 I was hoping for the next ITMF post you could recommend some wangxian fics where they’re already sleeping together and WWX thinks it’s just casual and he’s very angsty about it because he’s hopelessly in love with LWJ. Bonus points if LWJ gets to do an epic love confession. 🙏

(our friendship) up against the ropes by daltoneering (E, 36k, WangXian, Modern AU, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, lan zhan FUCKS, Fluff and Smut, Experienced LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Mutual Pining, Friends With Benefits, Pining while fucking, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Masturbation, Spit Kink, Dirty Talk, Light Bondage, Praise Kink, Dom/sub Undertones, Kink Negotiation, Pride and Prejudice 2005 (dir. Joe Wright), mentions of Wei Ying/others and Lan Zhan/others)

You'd Break Your Heart to Make It Bigger by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 32k, WangXian, soulbonding, First Time, Case Fic if You Squint, Fools in Love, soul boning, soft fools in love, Pining while fucking)

Introduction to Floating by cupofwater (E, 13k, WangXian, Modern AU, Sex Pollen, Mildly Dubious Consent, Getting Together, Pining while fucking, Love Confessions, Modern Cultivation, PWP)

Treat you right by airinshaw (E, 20k, WangXian, Modern AU, Sex Work, Anal Sex, Getting Together, Pining while fucking, Consensual Non-Consent, Light Dom/sub, Sexual role play)

↑ these are tagged 'pining while fucking' , I can't promise a big LZ confession tho

~*~

9. Hello, I am in the mood for soft E rated fics! Please no fics where wangxian is not together!

Catharsis by sevenless (E, 3k, WangXian, Incense Burner, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Porn with Feelings, Body Dysphoria, Body Worship)

~*~

10. Itmf civilian or rogue cultivator wwx (never part of Jiang or other sects) ends up at qiongqi wen prison post sunshot (Maybe he was minor wen or wen servant/civilian, or had wen friends or wrong place wrong time etc) and ends up escaping

~*~

11. ITMF some Nie Mingjue centric fics. Gen or slash, but no niecest, please!

shades of grey spill from my veins (bleeding ink all over the page) by Reverie (cl410) (M, 58k, NieLan, WangXian, SangNing, POV NMJ, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Accidental Sibling Acquisition, Single Dad NMJ, Fluff, Humor, Happy Ending, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Protective NMJ, Some angst, Blood and Injury, Kidnapping, Protective Siblings, Found Family)

Once Upon A Time in Qinghe by paranoid_fridge (T, 22k, NHS & NMJ, WangXian, NMJ & LXC, Angst, Humor, Spoilers, Post-Canon Fix-It, Sort Of)

The Quiet Room by nirejseki (T, 37k, NieLan, XiYao, Sensory Deprivation, Partner Betrayal, Consent Issues, Manipulation, Medical Trauma, Canon Divergence, not very friendly to LXC, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Mental Health Issues, denial of agency, Willful Blindness)

a *lot* of nirejseki’s stuff is nie mingjue heavy, and their nie bros stuff is familial

The Veil Between by staringatstars (T, 1k, NHS & NMJ, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Canon Divergence, Protective Siblings)

Empathy by clockwork_spider (M, 30k, JGY & NMJ, time travel fix-it, second-hand trauma, empathy, hurt/comfort)

~*~

12. Is there some good junior centric fics there? I’d love to read ones espescially with all four of them!

grow by cafecliche (T, 14k, LSZ & WWX, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian, Age Regression/De-Aging, Character Study, Post-Canon, [Podfic] Grow by jellyfishfire)

Time Travel, Obviously by nirejseki (Not Rated, 1k, Time Travel, Crack) short, funny, and very on point characterisation for all four of them

autonomous by captain_apostrophe (E, 34k, LJY & LSZ & OYZZ & JL, LJY/LSZ, scifi au, cyberpunk, polyamory negotiations, complicated relationships, developing relationships, tattoo as self-defense, epilepsy warning for flashing title gif card, on hiatus)

matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match by mowochi (T, 21k, LJY & LSZ & OYZZ & JL, JC/NHS, post-canon, outsider pov, canon compliant, matchmaking, fluff, junior quartet dynamics, family bonding, JL pov, getting together)

~*~

13. Could you please recommend some angst fics? I want the most heart wrenching angst that will make me sob :)

We do actually have a Heavy Angst Comp that you can also look at ^^

~*~

14. IITMF request: A) are there any fics where WWX is not the son of Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze ?

B) fics similar to 'To the Heavens and the Earth'

Thanks so much!!

~*~

15. Hello! Thank you for your hard work getting fics for all of us deprived souls. I would like to ask for a few fics because I'm in the mood for fics where weiying got all the love he deserved, especially while growing up. I'd like for his childhood to be happy and loved by the family who get him out of the streets (either the jiangs or it can be anyone). Once again, thank you and have a nice day.

❤️ the thing with feathers by RoseThorne  (G, 43k, wangxian, Transmigration, Time Travel Fix-It, Illnesses, Family, Scars, Memory Loss, Angst, Fear, Recovery, Sharing a Bed, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good Parent YZY, Referenced Sexual Slavery, Blood and Gore, Sexual Tension, Arranged Marriage, Grief, Adoption, POV Third Person, POV Alternating, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Good Parent LQR, Clairvoyance, Butterfly Effect) sort of

somehow, someway, we all get to someday by Stratisphyre (T, 76k, CSSR/LQR/WCZ, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Role Reversal, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Parenthood, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Family Feels, Not JFM Friendly, Not Lan Sect Friendly, past emotional abuse, Demisexual Character, Inclusive discussions of reproductive rights) (link in 4A) canon divergent fic in which he gets all the love from his actual mom and dad (they don’t die)

Flowers Blooming by Ilona22 (M, 35k, WangXian, Adoption, Prostitution, Family Fluff, Family Drama, Growing Up)

~*~

16. Hi! For the next ITMF, can you recommend fics about wwx' genius? Like everybody realize and are in awe because of it? I mean, he invented a lot of things. Preferably post canon, but i'm open to anything. Thanks for your hard work♥

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 508k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement)

Instead by apathyinreverie (T, 12k, WIP, WangXian, Fix-It, like self-indulgently so, by way of dark(er) gusu lan, manipulative elders, but in a good way?, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, of sorts, not Jiang friendly, not really gusu lan friendly either, not particularly friendly towards anyone really, Cultivation World Critical, Sunshot campaign, Fluff, Politics, Courting Rituals, possibly implied mpreg, Genius WWX, Talismans, No demonic cultivation, Possessive LWJ, Protective LWJ, Canon Divergence)

The River Runs Forever by Cerusee (T, 136k, WIP, WangXian, SangLi, Badass WWX, Inventor WWX, Jiang/Nie sibling power quartet, Dead JC, Jiang Sect Leader WWX)

finding you always, all ways by BlueFrogs (T, 31k, WangXian, ChengQing, Reincarnation, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Romance, Memory Loss, Age Difference, due to reincarnation)

~*~

17. Hello! I can't decide wether i should be proud or embarrassed of myself, i just finished your whole jiang bashing comp list and i crave some more. Can you please share some more? Thank you!!!

sukob by Anonymous (M, 7k, wangxian, JC/LXC, royalty au, revenge, banishment, forced seclusion, amanesia, running away, mpreg, miscarriage, concubines, not JC friendly, not LXC friendly, not gusu lan friendly, dark LWJ, happy ending for wangxian)

Lie for Love by sether1n3 (E, 65k, wangxian, LWJ/MXY, modern, secret (2013) au, angst w/ happy ending, hurt/comfort, mpreg, hit & run, WWX goes to prison, hurt WWX, depressed WWX, panic attacks, grief/mourning, not JC friendly, enemies to lovers, WIP)

Hua Xianle by Tiffany_Guinne (Not rated, 49k, hualian, wangxian, not jiang friendly, not YZY friendly, not JC friendly, not JFM friendly, WWX adopted by hualian, no golden core transfer, WIP)

One more time with feeling by Hauntcats (Not rated, 19k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, time travel fix-it, not JC friendly, not Jiang friendly (aside from JYL), angst w/ happy ending, no golden core transfer, WIP)

Attack a Bear In Its Den by Hauntcats (T, 6k, JC & WWX, wangxian, major character death, time travel, not JC friendly, no golden core transfer, angst w/ happy ending)

The Debts of a Child by Hauntcats (M, 115k, WWX & Jiangs, wangxian, not Jiang friendly, angst w/ happy ending, dark)

The Wei of family by HikariNoHimeWriter (E, 46k, wangxian, CSSR/WCZ, ABO, rogue cultivator WWX, everyone lives au, omega WWX, alpha LWJ, genius WWX, WWX & CSSR has ADHD, falling in love, hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual smut, not JC friendly, not YZY friendly)

Ad Oblivione by Baph & HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 71k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, temporary character death, canon-typical violence, multiple pov, hurt/comfort, identity reveal, golden core reveal, cultivation world critical, not JC friendly, not YZY friendly, angst w/ happy ending)

Turnabout by miixz (T, 32k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, post sunshot, fluff, not everyone dies au, outsider pov on time travel, parent wangxian, wen remnants live, misunderstandings, getting together, not JC friendly)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[divisionofboy]

Hi everyone! Please keep reading or at least reblog this post!!!! My cat needs help. My cat has a unique medical issue and none of the vets he has seen can discern the cause or solution. I was told my cat is very healthy for his age and that he could live another 5-6 more years!

He is unable to pee on his own and seemingly has no feeling in his bladder. He is not in pain or suffering but does have to get his bladder drained every other day! If he doesn't his bladder could rupture and he could die.

Toulouse is so full of life still. He is eating, playing, cuddling, and doing all the things he normally does. He loves to rub against his dog sister and play with his catnip toys. He really enjoys watching the birds and squirrels outside too. This cat is my best friend and we sleep side by side every single night. Keeping his bladder empty is costing me hundreds of dollars a week.

Since these issues started my partner and I have spent over 5k which wiped our savings completely. We have no money for Christmas and my partner had to cancel seeing his family this year because of the costs and frequent vet visits.

We have been told Toulouse may benefit from a surgery but it's going to be thousands more dollars that we just do not have, and none of the places will give us any sort of payment plan. We have already applied for care credit and maxed out the card on his other vet visits. We're thousands in debt over this and really need support.

It has been so frustrating that none of the vets will let us do a payment plan. My cat's quality of life is still good and it makes no sense to put him down over a lack of funding. Please donate if you can and share this post wherever you can.

There are medical reports on the gofundme for proof and if you have questions please dm me.

[grantihare]

update on mordred: he needs a femoral head ostectomy, which (as far as i understand) will just remove the broken bit and heal much easier than getting him the pins in his bone. none of the veterinary hospitals the er recommended are open today, so i wont have a real quote or know when i can get him fixed up until i can make the calls tomorrow, but the er vet said it can be between 3-5k. google is a little more conservative with it being 1.5-3k, so im going with 3k as our estimate right now.

were very, very lucky that the er visit came out to just below what we were able to cover with help from family, but that means were pretty much wiped. well be applying for care credit once we have our cost estimate, and therell be a donation post properly made then as well.

mordred has painkillers and were making him a little "safehouse" where nimue cant bother him out of a dog crate borrowed from my mom. hell have everything he needs in there. its the best we can do until everything reopens tomorrow, but it still feels like its not enough.

if anyone has any tips on making it more comfortable for him in there, id deeply appreciate it. we live in whats essentially a studio and it means that the crate is the only way to eliminate high surfaces for him, which the vet recommended to help keep him as pain free as possible. hes got food and water, his own low litterbox, and a big soft bed in there. hes basically unable to move, so suggestions to keep him from being bored to death would be amazing.

[ha-youwish]

Hey so, I am in dire need of financial help to support my emotional support dog, Stitch.

He’s a french bulldog who has had a myriad of issues revolving around a benign growth on his behind. Today we found that it grew back to the point of blocking his intestine.

I don’t have much money to pay for treatment because of his previous surgery and a recent layoff. If you can help in any way you can I would appreciate it greatly.

Right now I am anticipating that the total cost would be somewhere around $5k, with that cost including room for any other expenses.

Please donate a few bucks if you can that would be so cool thank you

[gaming-thoughts-by-an-idiot]

Fable 2, once more!

"Today I found out there's two ways you can get flies around you... by having sex without a condom aka u get STDs, AND if you're corrupt... which I am currently cuz im making everyone give me 100% in rent"

"Holy shit, I soon got 10k! I went from like 5k... wait, does it keep going when the xbox is off? That's not possible... right? I gotta google"

"Yes... yes I do"

"OH MY GOD. FUCK. IM ON THE LOWEST, IM ALL THE WAY CORRUPT OMG"

"After 10 hours of napping, I got 20k almost 30k muhahaha"

"Alright, I need a husband"

"Are all the monks bisexual?"

"Cmere baby"

Rob: its not a bad house

Me: it cost 10k its perfect stfu

"HOW DO WE HAVE SEX WHAT"

"Okay apparently the house made me evil... gotta evict some people"

"Wow, my husband just said HE doesn't care bout my looks, but his friends make fun of him... I bet his friends also wanna bone me"

"Purification? This is the house for us"

"Alright, I'm a mom now"

"God, I feel so bad for Theresa... this isnt the last time she's gonna read those cards"

"Game made my daughter have the name Becky, and it makes me think of spy x family, so I like it"

"Yeees...yes... love me, child"

"Oh crap, I threw up on my child"

"Juuust gonna sleep a lot so people think I'm pure"

"Oh my god, there's so many people who love me"

"AH"

Rob: I hope our love lasts longer than my parents

Me: WHAT

"Speechless"

"Damn, monks are horny"

"Fiiine we can have sex"

Extra salted peanuts: two peanuts were walking down the street, and then they were assaulted. They deserved it

Me: WHY WHAT DID THEY DO???

"Sooo, apparently if you buy lots of houses, log out of xbox live, set your date to several years and then start the game, I can get a lot of money? Let's do it"

"Okay idk how to sign out of live, so let's skip that"

"I managed to get off live"

"... okay I can't set date"

"Nevermind I set the date"

"Let's see if this works also this hack is so sad cuz it was posted 15 years ago, aka 2008, and they were like 'the highest u can set the time to is 2024' like ow, that's now"

"I'm so excited"

"It didnt work :("

"IT WORKED IT WORKED YO IT FUCKING WORKED I HAD 7K AND NOW I HAVE 59425 OMFG"

"It says I'm in Feb, so I'll do Jan 2025, idk if I have to but I'll turn on and off xbox"

"wait... am I stupid? Oh god I am... I should do Dec"

"51k wow... I now have 111225 coins, just amazing"

"Now I'm setting the time back cuz it's gonna stress me"

"Alrighty, behold me, buying all the houses hehe"

Me: I have a lot of money!

The villages: so that means you're gonna lower the rents right?

Me: :)

The villages: ... right?

"I just need to buy all the houses and before, ya know I leave, I'll put them down to like less than 50%"

"Wow... I don't have enough money to do buy the pub... I thought I had like a lot of money now aww"

"I set my title to 'dog lover' and idk if I uh like it"