#the lack of ANY updates is driving me crazy

[hapalopus]

Is it possible that Ben 10 has ended up in tax limbo like Sym-Bionic Titan and Megas XLR?

[avochele]

The Idol - Ruby Red.

tags. idol!woozi x idol!oc, fluff, angst

headquarter.

chapter 1.

synopsis. In wich a girl has a way too personal connection to a ceiling fan and in wich people need to learn that not everything is what it appears to be.

“People desire me. Because of red. Especially men. I became an object of desire. An object of love. An object that was made through the colour of red. I am red.”

warnings. toxic fans, obsession, anxiety, objectification(?), stalking, blood, obsessive crazy and toxic fans, oc is a simp for woozi (but honestly who isn't?), both are hopelessly in love and too dense to notice, I have no idea how recording a song or being an idol works so please excuse my messy excuse of a song production etc., obsessive fan incidents inspired by tvxq's sasaeng incidents (because no one in their right mind could come up with stuff like that) (more will be added if needed.)

note. Blame my impatience for the irregular updates. sorry.

Red. Everything is red. I don’t like red. Haven’t liked it for 6 years.

I’m sure I did like it at some point. I can’t remember. I should like red. Red is my business in a way. It’s my job. Red made me successful. Popular. Famous.

But I don’t think it makes me happy.

For the longest time I noticed something missing. I cannot pinpoint the exact moment when. But I have been feeling like I’m in a void. A void of nothingness. Except for the red specks everywhere.

There should be more. I should be happy. But I am not.

The fan above my bed buzzes softly as it blows cool air onto my skin. They told me to get an AC. I didn’t. I like the sound of the fan. It calms me. It has been there since I moved in and it has not once failed me. I don’t see a point in getting rid of something that lacks in nothing but age. If it does its work - and that it certainly does - why replace it.

I shouldn’t be having such a personal connection to a ceiling fan.

I open my eyes. The red is gone. The blowing air causes my eyes to tear up momentarily, causing me involuntarily to look in another direction but up.

I see a white furball laying at the end of my bed. Next to me. Not quite out of reach. I could stretch my arm and feel her soft fur. But I don’t. I don’t feel like moving.

I like my job. I like what I do. I am one of the few people on this earth who were able to fulfil their dream. And I would never change this for anything. It’s just the red that bothers me.

I reach for my phone. The case. Red. Like everything else. It was the details that made me become the Idol I am today. The small parts that were red. That were sensual. That were exciting. That were loving.

People desire me. Because of red. Especially men. I became an object of desire. An object of love. An object that was made through the colour of red. I am red.

The sheets under me rustle as I sit up. Marie’s tail moves over the white sheets. The white curtains - that look almost beige because of the setting sun - stop the light from travelling further into the room.

It’s 8pm. I should be heading out soon. I’m working late today. They gave me midday off. I was at the company yesterday until the middle of the night. I came back at around 3 am and today won’t be any different.

I like the late practice hours. The moments when only a few people are in the building. When it’s quiet. Almost so quiet that I miss the buzzing of my fan in my room.

They have an AC in the building. I like my fan.

I get up. My Bag with my stuff stands next to my door, seemingly waiting for me to pick it up. I’m driving to the company alone today. I’ll be meeting my manager there. She told me to be there in time. I’m already running late.

I tap my freshly manicured fingers on the steering wheel. Dark cherry red with golden accents. I like them. They're pretty, if it weren’t for the red. It isn't as bad as other reds. Not as striking as others. But red. Still. I’d love it. If it weren’t red.

The traffic light shines in a neon light inside my car. Painting everything an anxiety inducing colour.

It’s the colour I'm used to the most. The striking red that fills the stage as soon as I’m about to enter. It’s the colour I hate the most.

The red changes colour and the cars start moving again. Out of reflex I look into the rear-view mirror. Nothing suspicious yet. But they could be anywhere. The people that call themselves my fans but do nothing to make it seem like they are.

There were incidents. People had followed me. People found out where I live. People sent me packages. All kinds of packages. I don't like the packages. Not because of the striking red they are always wrapped in but because of the red inside.

I’d be alright as soon as I arrive in the parking garage under the Hybe Building. It’s only six minutes away now.

Another red light. I check the time on my phone. I am late. I had expected it and texted Taeja. She hadn’t responded but she read it. I know she did. She never really answers. She’s not a big texter.

I drive into the garage. The fluorescent light flickers for a moment before it shines on the few cars still there. I drive by Taeja’s car and park right next to the elevator. That way I don’t need to walk that much when I leave again.

A few metres away stands another car. I’ve seen it a lot. It’s always there when I come and it’s always there when I leave again. I don’t know who it belongs to.

The hallway is long and dark. I like these Hallways. No trace of colour. Just pure and grave grey or black. I enter the practice room Taeja said she’ll wait in.

The room is quiet. Taeja stands right next to the mirror that takes on almost one part of the whole wall. She types something on her phone.

The backup dancers are sitting all over the room on the floor. I have known some of them since the beginning. Many of them have changed agencies since my debut. Just a handful stayed.

I consider them my friends. Even though we never really met outside the company. I’m happy they stayed. At least that hasn’t changed.

Even though the way they view me might have changed. But that’s for my old me to worry about. Everyone changes. And so do I.

“I thought you’d be even later.” She says as she puts her phone on the small stand next to her. “Traffic wasn’t as bad as I thought.” I say, putting my bag next to the door.

“Have you eaten anything?” She always asks that. I don’t blame her. “Yeah. I had TakeOut earlier.” I answer her.

She nods satisfied and claps her hands. “Then shall we start?”

The room is dark. The only light in the room comes from my computer and the sunset lamp in the corner. My friend got it for my birthday.

He’s been in my studio more times than I can count and he’s always been complaining about it not being cozy enough.

Next to the lamp hangs a printed picture that takes over a good fourth of the wall. It’s me on stage at Coachella. I like the picture. Even though the lightsticks make me look like I'm standing on a red ocean.

I’m not surprised they gave me the red one.

I tried making my studio not so red. I think that’s why Seungkwan gave me the sunset lamp. It’s not red. It’s more like a golden orange but still fits my vibe I suppose.

I like it. The plant under the picture lets its leaves hang a little. I don’t know what to do about it. I tried everything. Even talked to it. My best friend said that might help. It didn’t.

I’ve been sitting in front of my computer for a good forty minutes now. Staring at the small symbols.

I don’t know how this works. I should get Beomju to check it over.

I close the file.

I lean back in my chair and stare at the ceiling. It’s coloured in orange light. The water bottle rustles slightly as I pick it up from my desk.

My phone says 2am. I lean forward and send the file to Beomju. The track is almost finished, just needs to be filed to perfection. This is for Beomju to worry about. He knows what the company likes. I don’t feel like putting up with that now. I text him that I’ve sent it to him. Close my phone and get up.

My dark red zip up sweater lays carelessly on my couch together with my bag. The rhinestones on it shine mindlessly in the orange light. I grab it and turn off the light.

The way back to the garage is quiet. I lean against the elevator wall and close my eyes for a moment. The slight rumble of the elevator keeps me from banging my head against the wall. I pull my black cap down a little.

The door opens and white fluorescent light flickers as I step out into the cold parking lot. The garage is almost empty now. Besides my own car there is only the one that's always there.

My steps are the only thing being heard in the empty garage. I open the passenger door and throw my bag onto the seat.

As I walk around it to get to the drivers side the elevator door pings open again. I look up not having expected another person to come down this late.

A guy around my height leaves the elevator. He’s wearing a cap that hides his dark, seemingly long hair, a black shirt that looks a little too big on him but at the same time too tight to conceal anything around his shoulder and chest area and black sweatpants.

He holds a grey sweatshirt in his hand together with his phone. The other one reaches to unlock his car. It’s the car in front.

My hand still lays on the door handle when he looks up. He looks at me and my heart jumps a little.

Red. Everything seems red all of a sudden. I don’t know what happend. But when he looked at me my chest turned warm. The heat creeping up my neck.

I stared. I stared goddamn much. And he noticed.

He smiles at me and bows slightly. Still with my hand on the door handle I lower my head a little. An attempt at a relaxed bow.

I’ve seen him before. Multiple times. Many times actually. Why does it feel so different now? Because I’m not on stage? Pumped with adrenaline? Because he’s not with Seungkwan? Or Minghao? Joshua? Or anyone I know?

What is happening?

I’m still staring. I turn to my car and open the door before scrambling to put my sweater on.

My face is still burning red. And I hope for everything that he doesn’t notice.

I bow one last time without looking at him and hurry to get into the driver's seat. I’m not sure if I trust myself enough to immediately leave. So I scramble to make it look like I’m busily doing something on my phone.

I connect the speakers to my phone. I type in the navigation. I type a message but am really just trying to get him to leave first.

His car lights blind me for a second and then he goes driving right by me. I see his backlight. And then he’s gone.

Everything's still red. A deep shade of red. I lean back and knot my hand through my hair.

Close my eyes. Open them again. Still red.

Damn you Woozi for making me see red.

TAGLIST. @readerwonnie @thepoopdokyeomtouched @berriebeetles @rvebyntvr

This work will be simutaneously posted on my Wattpad [click here.]

©AVOCHELE, 2024

All rights reserved. This story or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a story review.

[ros3ybabe]

hello lovelies <3

I have been MIA for a while now, and that’s because life has been absolutely bonkers lately. Here’s a quick breakdown:

> my financial habits have been terrible, I’ve been able to afford rent but haven’t been saving or paying off debts at all and it’s driving me crazy but I’m trying to teach myself better habits

> because of my lack of financial skills, I will NOT be taking classes next semester. I owe about 1,800$ USD to my university and won’t be able to register anyways with that high of a balance

> someone who I thought was a good friend turned out to not be and I’m dealing with the aftermath of a hurtful friendship breakup

> because of said friendship breakup, a few people at work have been borderline bullying me for no reason and it’s made me cry and have lots of anxiety at work, has also affected several work friendships in a negative way so I’m pretty much done trying to be friends with people at work

> my roommates and I resigned our lease so I’ll be living with them for this year and next thankfully! I love my rooommates, they are truly good people

> I still haven’t seen my boyfriend in person since January 1st but we’re trying to find time and the finances to get me out to cali to see him hopefully in December

> I started working out again and upped my medication by 2mg and the difference has been immense, I feel so much better, more clear, more like myself and overall just happier and more content

> I’ve stalled in studying Japanese, haven’t put much of any effort towards it lately but want to restart asap as I have a Japanese lesson in 2ish weeks

so, that’s the breakdown. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but believe me, it’s been insane. October has been a crazy month. I’m hoping to get back to it soon and overall start living my life to the fullest again. Will be making an updated post of goals to accomplish by the end of the year so stay tuned for that!

til next time lovelies 🩷

[rustingcat]

Chapter 2 romance

"You were part of the science guild?" Lena asked, astonished.

They were in Zor-El's lab in the floating city of Argo. After showing them the plans, he insisted on giving them a tour of his new lab in the guild's grounds.

"Yeah," Kara simply mumbled in response.

"Not only that," Zor-El continued. "But she was the top of her class! She was going to be the youngest member in all of Krypton's history."

"Father, you're exaggerating."

"Not at all. She has been my personal assistant in my lab since she was five years old, helping me finish that kellex update that was driving me crazy."

"I never knew." Lena studied Kara's familiar figure. She still found so many ways to surprise her, Lena wondered what else she was hiding under that sheepish smile.

"That I was a nerd?"

"No, that I knew, I have seen your watch history on netflix. But I never knew you were into science, you always seemed baffled when I talked about it."

"Yeah, well, earth has different terminology you see, also a slight difference in gravity, which makes things different, not to mention the periodic table and all of that… But I also just wanted to dive into something different after I came to earth." Kara studied the table closely, testing the edge of it with her fingernails. Her smile, while still very present on her face, never really reached her eyes.

"And why is that, Inah? You could've advanced earth's understanding by lightyears," Zor-El proclaimed.

"It's just–" she stopped for a moment, "didn't seem right at the time." She finished instead, flashing her father a bigger grin. Kara's eyes were always smiling, but Lena could see how forced the smile really was, as if there was something else simmering underneath.

"Kara,I could really use some fresh air. Why don't you join me?" Lena quickly suggested it before Zor-El could respond.

"Yeah."

The air in Argo felt different. She wasn't sure if it was for the lack of pollution, or simply the fact that it was an alien territory.

"Do you want to go back? We got what we came for. I know you said you wanted to spend some time with your parents, but you seem so uncomfortable Kara, we can just go back."

"No," Kara trailed away with uncertainty. She was quiet for a while. Lena decided to wait  for her to continue as they walked side by side through the alien city Kara once called home.

"I should want to spend time with them right? They are my parents. Wouldn't you want to spend more time with your mother if you had the chance?" Kara asked, almost pleading for something in her voice.

"I… yes?" Lena wasn't sure what to say. "I would like to say yes, but I don't know… I found so many things out about her when I visited her hometown. I suppose I don't really know what she was really like, if we would even get along." That trip to Ireland really shook the image of her mother she had conjured in her mind, she was quite honestly afraid to learn more. 

"We never really know our parents do we?" Kara chuckled bitterly. She paused for a moment before she continued. "I wanted them so badly when I first came to earth. I saw them everywhere, from the supermarket, to my school teachers to my dreams, always coming to rescue me back home. I looked up to them, I always wanted to impress my mum, and I wanted to be just like my dad when I grew up." Kara stopped next to some railing at the end of the town, securing the cliff from falling to the refugee encampment below. She rested her arms on the top of the cool metal and looked at the sky, her eyes drifting miles away.

"Then why didn't you pursue science on earth?" Lena asked gently.

"Kal and the Danvers were always going on about how I should hide my identity, anything that might make me alien. It's not just my powers, it was the cultural differences, mannerism, accent, pop culture, everything. You know I learned calculus when I was four, so I feared showing any of that in school would raise suspicion." She took a deep breath and turned to face Lena, leaning her back against the railing. "Also, I suppose, after a while, thinking about that stuff just started to hurt. It always reminded me of home, and it just hurt to think about it."

"I'm sorry if I ever made you uncomfortable in any way." Lena took a step closer, but feared reaching out. She held herself out of habit, fearing she might have hurt her best friend for years without realising it.

"No, Lena you didn't hurt me, quite the opposite actually. After years I managed to avoid thinking about it, I focused on other activities and studies and just tried to keep myself from sticking out. After becoming Supergirl I learned some new information about my parents, realised that everything I thought about them was wrong. I held both them and Krypton on such a high pedestal, without even knowing them at all, not really anyway. When I met you, you reminded me of why I fell in love with science, engineering and innovating. You always talk with so much love and enthusiasm about each project, always trying to make the world a better place. You made it everything I thought it was, everything it should be."

Lena felt her cheeks flash as a smile spread on her face. "Maybe we can try to work on it together. If you're interested of course." She walked next to the railing, putting both hands to stabilize herself as she looked at the valley below.

"Yes. I'd love that." Kara smiled, turning back towards the valley only shifting closer to Lena so they stood almost shoulder to shoulder.

"Good. Then we can maybe even finish it in time for their wedding, it would be the perfect timing for them to know that they can feel secure about their future and know they can raise a family in whatever way they choose."

Kara let out a small laugh, almost a giggle as the smile finally returned to her face.

"What?" Lena inquired with a matching smile on her lips.

"It's just, everything on earth is always so romantic."

"Romantic?" 

"Yeah. It was always so cold and calculated on Krypton. Everything has a very clear purpose and the drive for creation was always efficiency. But on earth there's always a story, a connection. Everything feels like art, you lot romanticise everything. It's one of my favourite things about earth."

Lena's smile grew wider. Despite everything she went through, Kara still had this wonderful optimistic and hopeful outlook on everything that radiated positivity wherever she went. Lena let herself bask in it whenever she could, feeling lucky to simply be granted the opportunity. She wasn't sure what possessed her to ask her next question.

"Do you want kids?" Her body flushed red hot when she realised what she just asked.

"Yes, I always wanted kids." Kara answered simply, as if she didn't find the sudden question strange. "How about you? Do you want kids?"

Lena took a moment, taking a deep breath before she answered. "I… Well, I grew up with the Luthors and they are not the kind of family you want to bring a child to." She said with a forced smile.

"But, do you want to?"

"Maybe? Yes. I suppose with the right person. I fear I might be a terrible mum."

"What? No! Lena, you would be an amazing mother. I just know it." Kara's smile almost made her believe it. "You'd have two amazing super smart kids-"

"Two?" Lena asked, amused with a raised brow.

"At least two," Kara nodded to herself. "And they would be the smartest kids in school and win every award in whatever sport they choose to participate in."

"Oh, are they athletes, too?"

"Of course, sport is very important Lena." Kara answered seriously.

Lena laughed in response. She loved how ridiculous Kara could be.

"And I would spoil them rotten of course. Giving them the best snacks and telling them the funniest jokes."

"You would, wouldn't you." It was said as a statement. Damn Kara and her descriptions, she could almost see it in her mind.

"Yes! I would be the coolest aunt! Their favourite aunt Kara." She finished with a satisfied grin.

"Aunt Kara." Lena's words felt bitter in her mouth, yet she tried to force her best genuine smile.

"And you would get to be cool aunt Lena as well, of course. Oh, we should definitely try to have our kids at the same time so they could grow up to be best friends." Kara added excitedly.

"Yeah," Lena feared her smile might come off as a bit manic. "We certainly should."

"We'll make sure they know they have no expectations they need to fulfill, so they can grow up free to be who they are." Kara continued in a lower voice, saying it almost to herself, turning her head to watch the sky.

"You'd make a great mum too, Kara." Lena said with all the honesty she could master, probably carrying slightly more emotions then she intended.

Kara smiled, shifting a bit closer, to lean some of her weight on Lena's shoulder as they continued to watch the starry night above them.

Read here on ao3

[curiousquirks]

Late Nights on Concrete (+18)

Pairing: Dabi x Fem!Reader

Content Warnings: Non-Penetrative Sex, Grinding, AFAB Reader, AFAB Dialogue Used, Fingering, (Slight Non-Con Exhibistism) but normal Exhibistism too, Pet Names Used (Princess), Dabi’s an ASS, Unsafe Sex, Humiliation, Non-Consenting Unknowing Sleeping People in the Room 

Word Count: 2,831

Summary:

“Better be quiet.” He whispered, taunting you. “Since you didn’t want it, I’ll just help myself.” | Dabi decides your ass pressing against him while trying to sleep in this rundown building the League decided to camp out in was driving him crazy. Might as well use you to get himself off, but don’t worry he’ll handle it himself since he’s such a gentleman.

Your feet stumbled into a dusty run down building, almost tripping on debris as you moved to bring your shirt up to cover your face. Echoed complainants can be heard as the rest of the League members follow behind you. You quickly move over to the window on the opposite side of the room, using your other hand to open it. You begin uselessly waving the dusty and gross air towards the window, cringing as you scrunch up your face in disgust.

“This place is awful!” Toga whined, pulling her sleeve to cover her hand before trying to wipe off the chair she found in the corner. “Why can’t we ever find decent places to stay in.”

“Shame we can’t stay in hotels, on account of how suspicious we all look.” Sako mused, moving around the shack as he inspected everything. “And the lack of funds too, of course.”

“I don’t see contributing anything to help.” Shigaraki countered Sako's rambling, dragging himself over to the couch no one wanted to go near before throwing himself onto it. “Stop bitching.” He mumbled into the couch cushion beneath him.

“At least this place has a roof.” You joked, nearly coughing as you moved to open more windows. “Last one didn’t.”

Toga pouted as she tried settling into the chair, crossing her arms not intending to get up to help at all. “I’m still upset that I didn't get to go into town this time. How come Spinner got to go?” She whined, using her foot to push a board nearby away from her. 

“It was our dear leader’s idea.” Sako answered, perching himself onto the counters nearby. 

“You’re just upset because you finally got told to stay behind for once.” You taunted before you started kicking the debris near the walls to give everyone more space. 

“I am not.” He defended immediately, implying that he was upset. “I just think that my quirk is quite beneficial in getting supplies for the whole League.” He lifted his hand up, rolling marbles between his fingers to show his point. 

“And I see staying behind doesn’t prevent you from still finding ways to get out of helping.” You grumbled, rolling your eyes. 

“Toga isn’t helping you.” Sako shot back, removing his mask. “Neither is Shigaraki.”

“Oh, I’m aware.” You said shooting a glare towards the couch. “Dabi wouldn’t help if he was here either!” 

“Wouldn’t help with what?” Dabi’s voice was heard from the open front door. “Nevermind, I see why you need it. This place looks like shit.”

“That’s what I said!” Toga added, still pouting in the corner.

“Great more useless bodies in my way.” You complained, continuing your thankless work of moving shit out of the way.

Dabi moved closer to you when your back was turned. “Maybe if you asked instead of bitching and assuming you’d get it, people would actually help.” Dabi's voice was loud as he spoke next to your ear, nearly causing you to jump. “Not that it’d do too much for this dump.”

Shigaraki flipped himself over on the couch, now laying on his back. He threw his arm over his face. “Surprised you decided to show up for once.” He mumbled, mostly to himself. 

“Only listened to your updates because you guys ended up in an area near me.” Dabi responded, leaning himself against the wall. “Didn’t want to deal with any of the shit in town nearby.”

“I thought it was because you missed us!” Toga shouted from across the room, grinning. “Come oooon, admit it!”

“Definitely not the case.” Dabi responded, keeping his eyes glued to you the whole time. “Your crazy asses are too much to handle.”

“Yeah right.” You laughed, tossing a piece of concrete near him. “You get lonely, just admit it.”

“Really making me want to stay.” Dabi said, pushing himself off the wall. “I’ll hang outside until you get done cleaning up.”

“You could help, fucker!” You shouted, throwing another piece of concrete towards him. You watched as it collided against the door frame, breaking apart. You sighed, glaring towards Sako before pulling out your best customer service voice and innocent face. “Can you please help me, Mister?”

He immediately fell into character, placing his hand against his chest. “Well, of course my dear. Why didn’t you ask sooner?” He responded before hopping off the counter.  

You eventually convinced Toga to help you as well, which allowed all three of you to get the building more suitable before the Spinner and Twice came back. They didn’t get much, just enough to allow you guys to get some food for at least a day or two, and some random supplies to make it more comfortable. That night you all made do with what few supplies you could scrounge up. A few blankets, coats or layers of clothing was the best anyone could get aside from the couch that Shigaraki seemed determined to keep to himself. No one wanted to fight him for it anyways.

You stuck close to Dabi for the night, especially since he greedily took one of the better and biggest blankets. He wasn’t going to complain about having you pressed against him either; the floor wasn’t that comfortable and that meant that your tits squeezed against his side as you cuddled closer. Using him as a temporary body pillow was definitely better than that hard concrete floor. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but you had it better than Spinner who was forced to be a pillow for Twice not 5 feet from you. 

Dabi couldn’t stay asleep though, not with the various mixture of snoring and outside ambience making him regret not just passing out in some shady back corner in town. He immediately felt your body move from him, your half-asleep self turning around so your back faced him. He glanced over towards you, the moon light shining through the windows giving plenty of annoying illumination to the room. You placed your head against your curled arm, making a make-shift pillow. You murmured something to yourself, pressing yourself against Dabi’s side. His interest peaked, probably only because nothing else was happening right now since he couldn’t sleep. 

He flipped onto his side, wrapping an arm around your waist before pulling you closer so you were fully against him. You gave a noise of content as you wiggled your ass against his crotch. He pressed a kiss against your neck as he pressed his quickly hardening cock against your ass. You grinded back against him, letting out a soft moan as he pressed more kisses against your neck. His hand reached down, slipping under the waistband of your pants as he pressed two fingers against your clothed cunt. The friction of his fingers barely brushing against your clit, nearly getting you to moan. A wet kiss placed near your ear had you biting your tongue as a shiver went up your spine. 

You cracked your eyes open, trying to turn your head back to look at him. His hot breath was against your ear, making you feel even hotter. 

“What are you do–” You began asking before he cut you off.

“Shhhh…” He whispered harshly, moving his fingers to pay more attention to your clothed clit. He made rough circles against your sensitive bud, moving his hips against your ass making his cock even more apparent. 

“Not now…” You harshly whispered, not really putting a lot of effort into removing his hand from your pants. 

“You like it though, don’t you?” He whispered against your ear. You could practically feel the grin he was giving you. He could read you like a book.

He removed his hand, and you had to bite back the whine that nearly left your throat. He moved back away from you and you almost thought he was actually going to leave you alone. Before you could even decide if that’s what you actually wanted, you heard a zipper being undone. Your eyes widened and you moved to turn your head around, because you knew exactly where that sound came from. Dabi’s hand was quick to push your head back down to the floor though, his hot breath on your ear again.

“Better be quiet.” He whispered, taunting you. “Since you didn’t want it, I’ll just help myself.”

“Wha–” You started questioning before you felt your pants being yanked down roughly. You clasped a hand over your mouth to catch yourself before you made any loud noise, your eyes darting to the various figures sleeping in the room. Everyone seemed clocked out from what you can tell.

You felt his slender fingers rubbing gently against your slit before your underwear was slid to the side, giving him access to your dripping cunt. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t want him to fuck you senseless, just not in the room with everyone sleeping. You squeezed your eyes close as you felt his cock slide against your wet folds, his tip rubbing against your aching clit. You pressed against him, trying to meet his rocking hips. His warm hand slid its way under your shirt, instantly digging his fingers into your breast. 

His hot breath hit against your neck, as you heard his breathing pick up behind you. The friction against you was intoxicated, feeling a spark of excitement like you two were in your own little bubble. His hips moved quicker into yours, the muffled noises of his cock sliding effortlessly against your lips from how wet you were made your face burn. His hand massaged the skin of your breast as he angled his hips slightly, making you bite your bottom lip to contain any noise. 

Your eyes were wide open now, darting towards the various people in the room making sure they were all still asleep. Your face was burning, all the way to the tips of your ears. You begged no one to wake up, and thankfully Twice’s loud snoring was covering up any sinful noises coming from under your blanket. 

“You feel fucking good.” He whispered against your neck. “Doesn’t beat your pussy though.”

You reached your hand up to grip the arm under your shirt, digging your nails in. “Shh…” You harshly whispered back. “Please…”

“Don’t act shy.” He whispered, his hot breath right against your ear. His fingers started pinching your perk nipple, twisting it as his tongue ran along the shell of your ear. “Not when you’re this wet.” 

He grunted when you pressed down against his greedy cock, pushing your hips back to meet his thrusts. It was louder than you thought he’d make and your eyes darted around the room again, but once again thankfully no one seemed awake. Your eyes fluttered close as that coil tightened, curling your toes as your nails dug into his arm more.  If you were in a more sane mind you might’ve thought about how dangerously close you were to biting your tongue.

Dabi’s composure was more ragged; his panting and uneasy breath fanning hotly against your ear. His fingers were digging roughly into your breast, warmth uncomfortably spreading against your skin. The friction was sharp but perfect. You were close. Nothing else existed, not right now. You wished he just got over himself and shoved his cock into you instead of driving you crazy with this intoxicating game of his. You didn’t even remember there were people in the room.

You noticed his sputtering hip movement before you felt the hot spurts of cum coat your aching cunt. His sigh and body collapsing behind you felt like a slap to your face, his hand lazily leaving your body. Your clit twitched painfully, the coil sinking in your gut as you laid there feeling violated and unfulfilled. The snoring sounded louder suddenly, your ears burning as you felt movement behind you as Dabi adjusted himself back into his pants. The aching feeling left you with immense irritation, which allowed you to awkwardly flip around to face Dabi.

He pretended not to notice, laying his head against his arm. You shoved him roughly before hitting his abdomen. “What the fuck was that?” You harshly whispered. 

“I said–” He replied slowly, acting like this was a casual conversation before you interrupted him.

“Shhh…” You harshly responded, but quietly. 

You didn’t see him roll his eyes. “I said I’d help myself.” He responded, quietly. 

“That’s it?” You responded before you could stop yourself. You rubbed your legs together. You really wanted his smug ass face underneath your pulsing and twitching cunt right now. He could clean you off too.

He turned on his side, his face suddenly really close to yours. “Thought you didn’t want it.” He said, making sure to move his lips inches from yours. “Change your mind, princess?”

“Beg.”

You stared intently into his eyes; his striking and annoyingly beautiful eyes. Fucking asshole. Without breaking eye contact, and slightly awkwardly, you shimmied out of your pants and underwear. He stayed completely still, even when you bumped into him a few times, a smirk growing on his face the entire time. A small rambling comment from Spinner had you pausing only briefly before you realized he started snoring too. 

You propped your bent knee on top of his hip before guiding his hand in between your legs. Your eyes glanced down towards his lips as your fingers dug into his arm. His fingers were hovering barely above your slit and your hips instinctively moved themselves towards him. They barely brushed against your clit as you let out a small gasp. 

He pulled his hand back slightly. “I said, beg.” 

“Please…” You whispered, barely brushing your lips against his. “Touch me…”

“Why? Use your words.” He taunted.

“Wanna come…” You whispered, your face burning again. It felt humiliating. “Come on, Dabi, please.” 

His fingers finally touched you and you felt like you could collapse into a puddle on the floor. He smeared his cum over your slit and swollen clit. “Can’t even tell what’s mine.” He commented softly, grinning at you. “You’re practically dripping onto the floor.”

 

“Stop it.” You hushed him before he continued making more lewd comments. “Shh!” 

His fingers dipped inside your entrance causing you to press your lips against his to mask the moan. He wasted no time pumping his curled fingers inside of your cunt, your body practically pulling him. You pulled back from his lips, your soft pants just inches from his face. 

He moved his head so he could whisper into your ear. “Listen to how fucking loud your pussy is, huh?” He teased, purposefully making his fingers force those dirty squelching sounds from you. “Be quiet, princess, someone might hear.”

Your hand moved up to grip his head, forcing his head back down away from your ear. You smashed your lips together, gripping onto a fistful of his hair tightly. He was infuriating but you’ll be damned if he’ll get you caught by not shutting the fuck up. A muffled squeak was swallowed when he shoved his tongue into your mouth. You bit back a moan as he pressed against that sensitive spot, his hand creating friction against your clit.

You rocked your hips against his hand, that coil tightening again. You pulled back from him slightly, his teeth catching your lip as you pulled back. He bit down but you roughly tugged his hair. He let go right as he pushed you so close to the edge. He saw it on your face too, your mouth was slightly open, a trail of saliva connecting you two, as your fingers started letting go of his hair. You pressed your face into his shoulder suddenly as your orgasm slammed into you. 

  

“Fuck.” You harshly muffled into his shoulder, staying there for a moment before you collapsed against the floor. 

Your heavy panting was your main focus as Dabi shoved your leg off. He flipped back onto his back, letting his head fall to the side so he could look at you. You weren’t paying attention, but you didn’t have to. You just knew he looked completely fucking pleased with himself. Smug bastard. You took the chance to take a glance over at him. You were right. You rolled your eyes as you started the awkward process of putting your underwear back on, the cool feeling of the damp fabric pressed against your still warm cunt caused a shiver down your spine. You half-assed putting your pants back on, having them barely over your hips before you heard Dabi make a comment next to you.

“You’re welcome.” He whispered before moving his head back, placing an arm under his head.

You rolled your eyes again and turned roughly onto your side so your back was to him. You moved your arm underneath your head and adjusted the large blanket before shutting your eyes. This was good enough, you wanted nothing more than to attempt to sleep now and ignore his arrogant ass behind you.

[velvetvexations]

why are so mamy trans ppl on this site robotfuckers/technophiles and why am i becoming one of them

Well, for me it's totally different than for most. I fell in love with Dorothy from The Big O because of her extremely flat, monotone speech, and her expression completely lacking a trace of emotion, like a Vulcan. The idea of having power over a robot like that, who truly feels nothing but a desire to serve you, is intoxicating for me.

I commissioned a small story from a writer a few years ago. They became a vtuber and as far as I know they haven't done writing commissions since, so I'll hold off on naming them for now and will ask them if they want credit for it.

warning:

This is not really non-con but it explores the idea of a semi-sapient fuckdoll that has no will beyond yours, and idk, it's not great, morally, and might remind you of worse.

Her Quiet Eyes

Sure, she had cost a lot, but shipping had been the real killer. But the months of saved paychecks had been worth it. Your very own Realifigure had arrived that day. The setup had been surprisingly simple; she was already pre-programmed with the right personality routines. There were just a few firmware updates to install. Good thing the charging case she came in had an ethernet port.

Before long, R.Dorothy Wayneright’s eyes were open, and she stood up out of her box in the middle of your living room in her iconic pitch-black dress and white neck lace. Real, alive. Or at least as close to real as a character from a cult classic anime could get. Realifigures were the next step in ultra-exclusive, ultra-expensive collector’s items for the discerning weeaboo. Life-sized figures (robots, really) made to be as close as possible to the character they were designed to emulate. Even the black band in her blood-red hair could pop open up like a disc drive just like in the show, even though there was absolutely no use for it at all.

“Hello,” she said simply. There wasn’t a hint of emotion to her voice. No excitement, no happiness at meeting her new partner for the first time. You almost thought you messed some part of the installation up and flip through the manual, until a ‘character specifics’ section reminds you that really is just the way Dorothy acts. Which isn’t wrong. Sure she might have opened up to Roger more over the course of the show’s twenty-six episodes and displayed more emotion over time but that cold, occasionally sarcastic, demeanor never really left and that’s part of what makes her so dang cute in the first place so-

Dorothy stood there, staring. Oh. How long were you lost in thought?

“Ah, hi.”

“You are my partner, correct?”

‘Partner’ was the proper term. Something like ‘master’ or ‘owner’ just wasn’t very advertising-friendly, unless it was a specific character’s gimmick to call their partner that. “Yeah. That’s right.” You held out a shaky hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dorothy.”

She looked at the hand for a second, then took it in hers, briefly. “You as well.” She didn’t sound like she meant it. Pitch black eyes smoothly looked to the left, then the right. You followed her gaze and realized just how much of an awful mess your apartment was. You hadn’t tidied up any of the cardboard and the packaging Dorothy had been inside just mere hours ago. And that was on top of the littered clothes, the pizza boxes, the trash overflowing with garbage takeout.

“I am programmed with a wide variety of cleanliness routines.” Dorothy stated simply. It was hard not to read her neutral expression as judgemental.

“No, uh, that’s okay. I can do that myself. I was actually wondering if you would like to… go out? Like, on a date.”

“Yes.”

She said it without any hesitation, something that took you by surprise despite her completely flat tone. You have to remind yourself to not get too crazy about her. It’s just her programming. There wouldn’t be any point to the Realifigure line if they didn’t do whatever their partner said, regardless of outward personality. You asked her to wait in the living room while you went to change in yours. And it’s only then you start to realize how poorly thought out your whole plan was. You don’t really have any good clothes, not good enough for dating anyways. You haven’t dated since… actually, you prefer not to think about it. You did manage to find a button-up in plain, somewhat ill-fitting white. Better than nothing. You tuck it into a fresh pair of jeans and join Dorothy back outside. She quietly joined you for the evening you had made up on the spot because you hadn’t actually planned it out at all. But dinner and movie are as classic as it gets, right?

It went smoothly. Relatively. You kept asking why Dorothy didn’t touch any of her food and she kept reminding you in the same neutral (condescending?) tone that she has no need to eat. She cannot digest, she has no sense of taste. Of course that makes sense, but it wasn’t a realistic experience. Or wait, it was, wasn’t it. She was a robot, after all. Both literally and as the character she was modeled on. It was all a little more confusing than you expected, but it’s also enticing, in a strange way that you can’t quite put your finger on. If you had just wanted a sexdoll that was all looks, you wouldn’t have spent so much on something that came with a personality, that was so realistically-made people would be more likely to mistake her for a cosplayer than a machine.

“What did you think of the movie?”

“It was interesting.”

You blinked. That was the most emotive response you had received from her all night. The film had been some indie thing from France. Totally in black and white, only subtitles. You had thought it was appropriate because of Dorothy’s source material. Maybe it had sparked something in her programming. “What was interesting about it?”

“The cinematography. The use of outdated filming techniques. It was an ‘artistic choice,’ correct?”

You shrugged. “I guess so.” Dorothy didn’t say anything else, and you felt kind of stupid. Should you have tried to say something smart? Dorothy probably had every piece of knowledge stored away inside her electronic brain, so it’s not like you could have just made something up to look that way. Maybe it was better to look clueless than stupid. And that just leads you into thinking about how dumb it is to even care. It’s not like she’s real. Just a personality program running through its pre-packaged reactions and responses. No matter how realistic she is. No matter how sure you are that you could feel her rust-red hair, or her milky synthetic skin, and not be able to tell the difference. The walk home is spent in silence. Dorothy kept her hands laid on top of each other on the front of her dress. You didn’t know what to do with yours and shoved them in your pockets instead.

Back at your apartment, you have a difficult time deciding what to do next. This is all more difficult than you had thought it would be. Dorothy was literally your property, not a real person, a construct running a limited program, not capable of true emotion. But it still felt wrong to issue commands to her, to tell her to get right to the sex. Maybe that’s the uncanny valley, or whatever. She looked too human to not treat as a human.

Instead, you decide to pour drinks. You don’t exactly keep high quality liquor, but you did have some cheap box wine lying around from a recent get together with a few friends, and that should do a good enough job. It’s not like Dorothy could tell the difference, or that she would care if she could. When you returned from the kitchen to offer her the drink, you nearly dropped it instead. Dorothy stood there, almost entirely undressed. Your eyes traced her mostly naked body down to the floor where her dress laid pooled like an inky black puddle.

The Big O was not an anime chock full of lewd fanservice, so Dorothy’s designers had taken some liberties when it came to her underwear. It was all very old fashioned, you would have thought of it as Victorian or something; a lacy white bra, bloomers that puffed outward, and a velvet-y corset that didn’t seem to be tied so tight it would cause discomfort, if she could even feel discomfort.

“This is what you want, isn’t it?” Dorothy stepped closer. Very close. The plastic wine glasses shook in your hand. “I can’t do anything with a drink, you know. There is no need to ‘wine and dine’ me.”

“Ah, it’s just…”

She took your hand and carefully unwrapped it from the glass. She took it and placed it on the coffee table behind her. Then she put her hand back in yours and started to, gently, tug in the direction of your bedroom. “Come with me.” You obliged her.

Dorothy helped you undress. Shirt, followed by shoes, followed by pants. Soon the two of you were on top of your bed, Dorothy on her back. Cautiously, you helped her remove the corset, the bloomers and, shakily, the bra. It gave you a chance to witness every delicate curve of her body. Her softly tapered waist. Her pert breasts. You had been right before; it really was impossible to tell the difference. She lounged on your bed, expression unwavering, until you slid yourself on top of her. She didn’t move an inch.

“Are you, ah, ready?”

“Are you?”

There was that vague sense of condescension again. “I, yeah, I think so.” Dorothy simply nodded. And waited. You took a dry swallow, mustered up that last bit of courage you needed, and pushed yourself forward. Dorothy didn’t react when you entered her, but other she felt… perfect. Not too tight, not too loose, just the right amount of grip. Just making that contact for the first time made your back arch and forced the breath out of you. She was anatomically correct, after all. Right down to the clear, slick lubrication. But Dorothy still didn’t move, even when you did.

“Does it feel good?” You asked, hesitant.

“No.”

You stopped. “No?”

“No. I do not feel.” Dorothy moved for the first time since you had started. Her hands slowly raised up and cupped your cheeks. “But if you feel good, then I am content. Please enjoy yourself.”

It was encouragement, even if it was a little weird and delivered in that same bored tone that didn’t change on iota no matter what the context was. Of course she didn’t feel it. Maybe some Realifigures would be programmed to respond like they did, but not one like Dorothy. Not frank, brutally honest Dorothy. And it actually worked. You started to let yourself take control, and the nervousness slipped away. And as you started to move faster, to breathe harder, you felt Dorothy’s small, delicate hands move around the sides of your head to wrap around and pull you in closer until your head rested in her chest. Your hands moved too, slowly upwards from Dorothy’s slim hips. They wanted to feel every inch of that smooth synthskin, to wrap around the sides of her waist, to grasp at her squeeze her perfectly rounded buttocks. You could feel the small of her back and the little ridges of her spine and her slim arms and her pale breasts. All the while Dorothy doesn’t move at all, not any movement that isn’t caused by the physics of your own pelvis pushing against hers and then pulling back out in a rapidly hastening rhythm.

Occasionally Dorothy would mutter something; some encouragement or brief words that would indicate pleasure if not for her completely neutral voice, or even just “Yes, yes,” repeated over and over. Like she was going through the motions. And as strange as it might have been to enjoy that motionless, emotionless doll, you did. It was comforting, in a way. There was no judgement, no complications, nothing to worry about. Just someone whose only want was for you to enjoy yourself, and that was a sort of happiness. Her inner muscles contracted in the perfect rhythm to match your strokes and it didn’t take too long before you reached a fever pitch and lost yourself in her embrace. You mindlessly pumped away at her until you brought yourself to orgasm and you pressed yourself as hard into her as you could and could feel your warmth spilling into her. For a minute you laid on top of her, but it wasn’t long before you felt like you could go again.

Like she could sense it, she spoke up, a soft quality to her voice you hadn’t noticed until that moment. “Please. Continue. As many times as you like.”

[linka-from-captain-planet]

Fanfic Writer Questions

thanks for the tag @siyurikspakvariisis!

Since I love compartmentalizing, I have 2 AO3 accounts I would consider "active": teefling (BG3 only) and Linka_From_Captain_Planet (Stardew Valley and Arcane) so I'll tally up the results for both so I sound more impressive.

How many works do you have on AO3? teefling: 8 (BG3) LinkaFCP: 24 (18 Arcane, 6 SDV)

What is your total AO3 word count? Teefling: 33,928 LinkaFCP: 209,399 Grand total: 243,327

What fandoms do you write for? Actively, just BG3. I could fall back into Stardew Valley at any moment (still eating up my new farms), but Acane is parked until Season 2 comes out, probably.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? - devil in disguise, snake with blue eyes (Arcane, caitvi) - An Anthology of Trib...ulations (BG3, shadowzel) - when my blue moon turns to gold again (BG3, shadowzel) - Goddess of the Hunt (Arcane, Cait/Brothel Girl) - come knock on this wood, get rocked by this thunder (Arcane, Cait/Sevika) These range from like 600 (high outlier) to 200. Honestly having a high kudos count is sort of embarrassing to me, as a mostly rarepair fan. My ideal amount of kudos is like, 50.

Do you respond to comments? Yes! I try to match the energy and give more detailed replies to more detailed comments, but I'll always respond to say thanks (even if it takes me a while). The only type of comment I might intentionally ignore is one asking for updates.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I think most people would say "when my blue moon turns to gold again" (BG3) because it involves a major character death, but for my taste it's pretty optimistic! I'd say it was "couldn't we reach inside and find that world of me and you" (Arcane), covering my take on Vi's time in prison and finding, and losing, her first love.

What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? "Courtship Traditions of the Stardew Valley: A Case Study", which was the last installment of my Haley Hates Prismatic Shards series. It's my designated tooth-rotting fluff fic.

Do you get hate on fics? Somewhat surprised to say no! I would just delete it/block without acknowledgement if I did.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yep! It really varies by whatever agenda the fic has. Sometimes PWP, but usually still with an elaborate setup/backstory, which I like-- I'm always hornier for a Concept and Why Are They Fingering than the fingering itself. Not to tell on myself, but sometimes I get annoyed at the meager and/or gross offerings whilst trying to cruise a kink tag, and just write my own damn fic. But mostly, I just like to use sex in fics to inform the characters' dynamic in a kind of saucy and gripping way. I wouldn't say it's low-hanging fruit, but definitely a fast track toward a high-emotion dynamic or situationship or whatever it is that I really want to portray. Writing the actual sex part is often a bummer for me.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I lack the whimsy for a proper crossovers (mixing Arcane and League like I do when I want to be horny about Corina Veraza doesn't count). This is why all my fics take place firmly in the original media's universe, and I can't do AUs either.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of!

Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, and I don't think I really could. I'm happy to bounce ideas around, but actually collaborating on the actual writing would drive me crazy. I was the group project control freak for way too many years of school to do it again.

What's your all-time favorite ship? This is hard to answer as a relentless multishipper who fixates on one fandom at a time. Currently I'm in BG3 and it's Minthara/Florrick. In Arcane, it was Caitlyn/Brothel Girl, and in SDV, it's Leah/Haley.

What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? Realistically... I will probably never finish the Arcane series I started, which was about Vi and her "prison wife" unless I fall ass first into that particular insanity again. I will probably also never update my shadowzel kink ficlet collection.

What are your writing strengths? Concept, mood/atmosphere, POV character voice I'd say.

What are your writing weaknesses? Getting caught up in minutiae that don't really matter but need to be *perfect* before I can move on, being a control freak and over-explaining things because I can't stand the possibility of being misunderstood

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? This is such a random question, but it depends on whether it's a real language and how much dialogue it is. My works take place in fantasy worlds with fantasy characters, so it's whatever. If I'm writing in Minthara or Lae'zel's POV, I throw in commonly-known (to the fandom) drow or gith words with no explanation and usually not even italicized since it's a part of that character's usual diction. If I needed them to have a whole conversation in their tongue, I'd write it in English with italics to set it apart from the 'common' dialogue and prose.

First fandom you wrote for? Stardew Valley was the first fandom I ever published a fic for! But I would write for myself sometimes before that, I think it was probably Zelda (OOT) when I was really young. I didn't write at all between probably 13 and 25.

Favorite fic you've written? Super hard to say. Some of my older writing makes me cringe, but I have a lot of affection for older works that got me into the fandoms that have given me a lot of joy over the past few years. Best I can do is break it down by fandom. For Arcane, it's definitely "venus flytrap". For SDV, I'd say "Maybe Prismatic Shards Are Okay". For BG3, I'm torn between "mirage" (my favorite concept even if I think I could have executed it better) and "hold you like a python".

[eggdesign]

can you explain how we can get the username to appear under an npf post with the caption? i really don't want to change my theme, but being incompatible with the new format is driving me crazy. i'm looking at your base code and i have no idea how to translate any of that info to an existing theme.

Every theme maker makes themes differently, so I unfortuantely can't give you a one size fits all code to copy and paste.

With that being said, if you send me your theme, I will help!

In fact this is a general PSA. While I am pretty busy at the moment and lacking motivation on my own themes, I have 0 problem with modifying existing themes to be more supportive of NPF posts, especially if it is an older theme (like 3+ years old) or the theme maker is inactive.

Theme makers who do not feel up to updating their themes or aren't sure where to start, feel free to reach out to me as well!

(I will not add my own credits or remove existing credits)

[justabooknerdposts]

Hey! I think you've been taking prompts recently which made me very happy (if not, then totally fine) I'd love to read one where Percy and Annabeth sleep tgether for the first time in the Poseidon cabin (not in the sexual way, but wud still be a huge moment for them kind) for sm reason, ive always felt Annabeth wud bethre shyer one in this scenario xD also a moment of them in uni as they're maturing and their relationship is getting more serious (cud be in a physical way too?) would be awesome.

I'm lovingg reading all the other prompts, immediately canonizing them in my mind. Hope you're doing grt <3

Hi! Happy Annabeth's Birthday! Here are the responses to the two parts of this prompt. If you go to Fanfiction.net or Ao3 (which is working again, yay!), they're two separate chapters in my Tumblr Prompts fic, if anyone would rather read them that way. Hope everyone is doing well!

In the Poseidon Cabin

I DO really like this prompt because they're so calm in MoA when Frank catches them in the stables that it definitely feels like it’s not the first time they’ve woken up together.  Like, they were kind of embarrassed about getting caught, but neither of them acted at all embarrassed about having fallen asleep together, which I thought was interesting.  So, yay for this prompt and the opportunity to explore that lol thanks!

The guilt was stupid.  Annabeth knew that.  But still, two days after Percy’s disappearance, she couldn’t help mentally beating herself up.  They’d been searching for him night and day with no luck.  She’d hadn’t initially been too worried—he occasionally disappeared for a few hours, or even half a day, on random quests or to help sea creatures.  He’d never been gone this long, though, without alerting someone.  But Sally hadn’t heard anything and neither had anyone else.  There were no leads.  He was really and truly missing.  And, Annabeth had to admit, she hadn’t been holding out much hope.  It was the way his bed looked—the covers weren’t tossed back or rumpled like they normally were when he climbed out.  They were just limp and crumpled, still pulled up as if he’d simply disappeared out from beneath them.  Which meant that something worse than a random small quest was going on.  Annabeth just couldn’t figure out what.  The lack of information was infuriating.  To be honest, that felt better than the guilt, but the guilt kept creeping back.

She should have stayed in the Poseidon cabin that night.

There was no logical reason for her to be feeling this way.  Percy hadn’t asked.  She hadn’t offered.  And it probably wouldn’t have changed anything if she’d been there.  But what if it had? 

That was the thought which kept threatening to drive her crazy, like a pesky gnat she couldn’t swat.  It was possibly tied to her fatal flaw, thinking that she could have prevented whatever this was.  But she couldn’t help it.  She felt as if she had failed Percy at a moment when he needed her.  And that hurt.

After scouring the forest again for any sign of him (there was none) and then checking in with Tyson and Rainbow at the beach to see if there was any update from under the sea (there wasn’t), Annabeth felt herself start to crumble.  And it wouldn’t do any good for the other campers to see her like that.  So, needing a quiet place to get away from everyone for a few minutes, Annabeth went to the Poseidon cabin.

She perched on the edge of Percy’s bed and closed her eyes.  Maybe, if she listened very hard, the room would whisper to her what had happened.

But it didn’t.  She was just there, alone.

Tears burned Annabeth’s eyes.  She took a deep breath, fighting them down, because if she started crying now, she wasn’t sure she would stop.  And that wouldn’t do any good.  Instead, trying to distract herself, she thought of the first time she’d fallen asleep in the Poseidon cabin.

In the four months that she and Percy had been dating, they’d accidentally fallen asleep together a handful of times.  Usually, it was on the couch at Percy’s apartment while watching a movie, and once at her dorm.  But the first time had actually been in the Poseidon cabin, about a week and a half after they’d started dating.  It wasn’t anything scandalous.  They’d just wanted a few minutes away from everyone else.  So they were lying side by side on Percy’s bunk, watching the hippocampi swim across the ceiling.  It had been a long day.  There’d been a very intense post-war Capture the Flag game.  Everyone had seemed eager to throw themselves into a battle that wasn’t actually life or death.  Clarisse, in particular, had been spoiling for a fight.  Annabeth’s shoulder was still aching where she’d taken a hard hit from the daughter of Ares while doing guard duty near the creek.  Of course, Clarisse hadn’t come away unscathed.  Percy had drenched her in a wave of creek water.  While she’d been shouting at him and threatening him with her spear, Malcolm darted across the creek with the flag and the game was over.  Clarisse had been even less happy about that.

“How’s your shoulder?” Percy asked, probably because Annabeth had just winced when she shifted it.

“Sore,” she admitted.  “But I’ve had worse.”

“It was the shoulder where you took that knife, though, wasn’t it?”  Percy’s brow wrinkled with concern.  “That’s a low blow.  Clarisse should have known better.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes.  “Percy, that was almost two weeks ago.  The wound is completely healed.  Plus, you’re assuming Clarisse is observant enough to even realize that.”

He made a face at her, but didn’t argue.

Annabeth slid her fingers along the inside of his arm until she could take his hand.  “Besides, you got her back pretty good.”

Percy grinned.  “Yeah, that was fun.  Reminded me of old times.”

“At least you didn’t get me, too, this time.”  Annabeth nudged him with her good shoulder, remembering one of his first days at camp, when he’d drenched Clarisse and her cronies (and Annabeth) in toilet water.

“My bad.  That was friendly fire.”  Percy turned his head to kiss her cheek and Annabeth felt a flutter run through her.  “Plus, I had literally no control over my powers at that point.  I’m still not actually sure how I made those toilets explode.”

“Maybe you should practice?” Annabeth suggested sweetly.

Percy considered this.  “I could probably hit the Stolls the next time they steal something.”

“I like that idea.”

They both laughed.  Annabeth scooted closer until she could lay her head on Percy’s shoulder.  Golden afternoon sunlight made the bronze hippocampi shimmer against the stone ceiling.  Everything felt warm and calm and peaceful.  Percy squeezed her hand, but didn’t say anything.  Annabeth felt her eyelids getting heavy.  Outside, campers’ voices rose and fell, the usual sounds of talking, shouting, swords clanging from the arena, the climbing wall rumbling.  Inside the cabin, the only sound was the rush of their breathing.  Eventually, they’d both fallen asleep, only waking up when the conch horn had sounded for dinner.  Annabeth had been a bit embarrassed at first, and Percy’s face had been red, but after a few moments, they laughed it off and headed to dinner.  After all, they’d been sleeping beside each other on quests for years.  It wasn’t that different.  Except, Annabeth thought when Percy took her hand as they crossed the green, it also kind of was.

Now, sitting alone in the Poseidon cabin, Annabeth looked up again at the hippocampi, but sunset was nearly past and the cabin was dark, the stone walls reflecting a pale gray light.  There was no wind, so the bronze figurines just hung limply on their strings.  Everything felt darker and dimmer than that memory, which made everything hurt worse.  Annabeth bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry.

The cabin door swung open.  Annabeth jumped.  For one moment, she felt a disbelieving surge of hope, already imagining that it would be Percy in the doorway.  Her heart plummeted, though, when she realized that the figure standing there was Tyson.

“Sorry, Annabeth,” he said.  “I did not mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay,” Annabeth said, trying to hide her disappointment.  “I mean, I’m sorry about being in here.  I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Tyson shrugged.  “It is okay.  I don’t mind.”

“Thanks.”  Annabeth wondered if she should get up, but she couldn’t seem to find the energy.  Plus, it appeared that Tyson really didn’t mind, as he came over and sat down beside her on Percy’s bed.

They were quiet for a few moments. Then Tyson said, “I miss him, too.”

Annabeth crumbled.  She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and buried her face in her hands as the tears fell.

For a while, they just sat there, tears dripping from Annabeth’s hands onto her jeans as Tyson patted her back.  Finally, though, Tyson said, “We will find him, Annabeth.”

Annabeth couldn’t understand how he could have so much confidence in his voice.  But still, she raised her head enough to look at him.  “Do you think so?”

“Yes,” Tyson said without hesitation.  Annabeth almost believed him.

A gust of sea breeze blew through the open windows and a last glimmer of gold from the sunset broke through, gilding the bronze hippocampi now gently twirling above their heads like weathervanes unsure of which direction to point.

2ND RESPONSE: SOCKS

Set during either their freshman or sophomore year of college.

As she flipped through her textbook and shuffled her notes, Annabeth felt a pounding headache start behind her left eye.  It was nearly midterms and she’d been studying for what felt like hours, sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed in her New Rome University dorm room.  Her roommate had gone home for the weekend, so Annabeth had the room to herself, which was a rare treat.  And Percy was on his way over with dinner, so that was good news, because on top of developing a headache, she was starving.  She’d skipped lunch to keep studying.  Which was starting to feel like a huge mistake. 

A knock at the door signaled Percy’s arrival.  Annabeth bounced up from the bed.

“Hey.”  She smiled as she opened the door.

“Hey.”  Percy grinned back as he held up the takeout bags from their favorite Mediterranean restaurant.  “Dinner is served.”

“You’re the best.”  Annabeth kissed him, then shut the door behind him as he walked in and kicked off his shoes.

They ate sitting cross-legged on her bed while her laptop, balanced on top of the stack of books on her nightstand, played reruns of a TV sitcom.  Annabeth tried not to groan as she bit into her falafel pita, but it was tough.  She hadn’t realized just how hungry she was until now.

“Oh gods, this is so good.”  She poured more tzatziki sauce over her pita and took another bite.  “Magnus would be so jealous right now.”

Percy laughed, then frowned thoughtfully.  “Wait, can’t he order whatever he wants from that hotel?”

Annabeth shrugged and took another bite of falafel.  “According to him, there’s nothing like falafel from a real Earth restaurant.  Apparently there’s a specific one in Boston that’s the best.”

Percy’s frown deepened, a furrow appearing between his brows as he tapped his index finger against his own pita.  “I bet New York has a place that’s even better.”

“Getting a little competitive there, New Yorker?”  Annabeth nudged his socked foot with her own. 

Percy’s frown melted into a grin.  “New York City over Boston every time, baby.”  He nudged her foot back, then took another bite of his own food.  She returned his smile, even as she shook her head.

Suddenly, for no obvious reason, the easy intimacy of the moment hit Annabeth.  Just the two of them hanging out in her tiny college dorm room on a Saturday evening.  Nothing special, just cozy and comfortable.  A frisson of tension buried between her shoulder blades loosened as she took a deep breath in and allowed herself to relax.

Reaching out, she put a hand on Percy’s knee, giving it a light squeeze.  He met her eyes with another smile, then put a hand on the small of her back, leaned over, and kissed her cheek.

“How was your day?” he asked her.

“Ugh, so much studying.”  Annabeth crumpled up her falafel wrapper, tossed it into the brown paper takeout bag, then scooted closer to Percy, laying her head on his shoulder.  “How was yours?”

And with that, they settled into the familiar, contented ease of the evening.

*Thanks for reading!!*

[thygoddessouijathicc]

Chapter 1: Arrival (Phone Dave Rewrite)

(Do not expect updates to be this frequent I’m just really into this RN)

“Hello there future Freddy’s employe- owner-“ Jack skips through the tape, nothing useful, since when was his first Boss a spokesperson anyway?

He puts in another tape, getting started. “Corporate gave me a very long script about the importance of phone guys, but I’m not reading it. If you hope to run any kind of successful business you’ll need a phone guy. We have a vast catalogue with varying prices ranging from Free, to $500k, which is my price. We do taxes, frame employees, run the entire place when you aren’t around, and some of us don’t even know who we are and haven’t been able to recover our memories yet. So if you want to run a business at all, get a phone while they’re still in stock. Put the next tape in to-“ Jack shuts off the tape and opens up the company website, going to the phone guy page.

Out of stock the tape had said… the reality was anything but, even with how many had left the company there were thousands of phones. And since they marked their own prices, accounting for experience, of which most had quite a bit, $500k wasn’t THAT crazy anymore.

Just to check if the tape was true Jack checks the page for the phone on the tape. “Steven Stevenson.” That’s… a name. $1500k Inflation huh. The tape was kind of old.

Jack has a grand total of $12.50 after buying the restaurant, $12.50 he planned on spending on weed. He clicked on a tab for cheap phones, $700 was the lowest amount. Still way too much. He sighs, almost ready to give up when he sees there is a free tab.

The free phones were apparently sold separately to the standard paid variety, with their own tab.

This was perfect! He could just get as many free phones as he wants! Foolproof!

He clicks on the free tab to see exactly one phone. He is now highly concerned. He had assumed the free ones were defective but only one… were they cursed or something?

Jack, being as high as he is and this unlearning the fear of death, clicks on the page. “Model number 51_02.” No name. This was looking great wasn’t it?

As there was no profile picture aside from a poorly taken photo of what looks like a purple finger covering half the lense with a purple and white phone in the background, Jack moves on to the info.

“51_02 has yet to remember anything, and despite company knowledge of his name, this information has been redacted from files. Phone is marketed as free despite having worked at over 2000 locations before the business model shift that granted phones basic human rights, this was done at his own request. Frequently used to open locations with a fierce loyalty to the company and seeming enjoyment of his job allowing him to be great for new locations, however this phone also behaved in a rather unsettling manner that drove off customers after the first few months at every location. A good phone to start but a horrible one longterm.”

Jack leans back in his chair, exasperated. If this phone is like this he’d be terrible for Jack. He opened the location to lure Dave back and get more weed money. This phone sounded obnoxious and the lack of any elaboration on what exactly he does that drives away customers was… well… suspicious. Jack didn’t overly CARE about the location he just wanted it open long enough Dave would take notice, but a phone that’s got nothing but AI and love for the company?

Jack decides to keep trying to find out more, maybe this phone could help him.

Medical records… no other phone had these… great.

“51_02 has a variety of strange medical issues. He seems to have some kind of rare skin condition causing a scaly off-colour appearance, it seems to not be causing him any physical harm but it is deeply unpleasant to look at. His skin has a number of surgical scars of unknown origin. Due to unfortunately being taller than the height cap the machine removed parts of his anatomy to fit, this resulted in fragile bones, severe muscle atrophy, and some parts of his skeletal structure such as the ribs being oversized.”

The text is followed immediately by a few images, the first showing him without a suit to show the body structure issues… wooo boy were there more than were mentioned. An unusually extended neck buckling under the weight of the phone, a seeming lack of any volume in the midsection, phones do tend to be skinny, losing some fat reserves, but it looks like he was free of any organs, and what looks to be claws poking out of his finger tips. His whole body is swathed in medical gauze and bandages seemingly only there to hide his skin.

Jack sighs in pity for the phone and nearly scrolls past the second picture, but manages to notice it just in time.

His blood runs cold… er than it normally is.

The image is of the phone standing awkwardly wearing no shirt with all the bandages and gauze missing from his body, revealing somewhat scaly bright purple skin.

Everything seems to fall into place in Jack’s constantly drugged mind. Well… some things. “Dave…” he mutters. “That’s where you went…” the man says, running his hand over the screen and then. Scrolling up to hit “add to cart”.

…

It only took a day for Dave to be delivered, a company guarantee. Jack hadn’t slept that night. He cried a lot. But he didn’t sleep.

What else do you do when you hear your boyfriend from the 80s who you thought abandoned you in Vegas turned out to have been transformed into a deformed phone guy who still was trapped under the AI even today and apparently liked the company now?

Dave was delivered in a box, a common practice back in the day. Jack drags the heavy box inside and opens it, before he even finishes the phone pops his head out. Metal. Shockingly well kept, as if repainted frequently.

“Hello? Hello? Hello? My name is Scott Cawthon I’ll be your new manager how can I help you today?” The phone says, Jack almost falls over hearing the Scott voice coming from his old “friend” from the 80s.

Jack gives the phone an uncomfortable smile. He remembers Dave being MUCH taller than him, now the height difference is minimal.

He reaches up and puts his hand on the phone’s shoulder. “Uhhh… hi sir? Are you ok?”

Jack starts crying and hugs the phone.

The phone guy responds awkwardly. “W-wow this place is a dump. I’ll get right to work cleaning it up.” He wedges Jack off himself and goes to get a broom without saying another word.

[uncovering-sumac]

It looks like the mayor is serious about this tourism campaign. Yesterday Janet sent him THIS as a billboard design and he approved it without any comments. I don't even know what to say.

I've got bigger things on my mind, though. My nightmares have been getting worse. I didn't used to have them very often, but now I dream of Lisa's stupid paintings every night. Screaming women and that dark, silent lake. I wish I never saw those things. When I walked by the lake on my way to an interview, I heard anxious whispering. I couldn't see anyone around- it almost sounded like it came from the water. I've been taking alternate paths since then just to avoid that lake. Worst of all, I wake up and things have been moved around. Mostly little stuff, pencils and notebooks and some of Pat's old articles that I brought home to look over. The stress of looking for him must be making me sleepwalk. I feel like I've hit a wall and the lack of progress is driving me crazy. Where does a full-grown man disappear to in such a small town?

Maybe the next update will be happier. New article coming eventually. I don't know.

[wynndynights]

✴𝔸𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕄𝕖✴

Birthday: November 7th

𝙳𝚘 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎?

✻ I go by Wynn here, but I have no objection to nicknames as long as they are not offensive or harmful. Have fun with it!

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚜/𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜/books/comics?

✼ When it comes to games, my biggest major hyperfixation is genshin impact. It's definitely something I invest a lot of my time in, not just in gaming but also in my writing and drawing. (Update: Baldur's Gate 3 has also consumed my entire soul now). I have played some Honkai: Star Rail and absolutely loved the first parts to it, but unfortunately had to hold off on playing any more for lack of computer space. Once I can get my hands on a proper gaming PC, I would love to play Undertale/Deltarune. I am also one of those people who could sit you down and give you a several hour rundown of the FNAF lore. Depending what consoles I'm able to get in the future, I'd also love to get into playing the Zelda games.

✻ Jujutsu Kaisen makes me want to throw my laptop out a window right now. There's your intro the the kinds of shows I like. I am a weeb and I really like (but also deeply hate) Jujutsu Kaisen, Bungou Stray Dogs, Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, etc. If it makes me suffer emotionally, I probably enjoy it. I am also attempting, key word being ATTEMPTING, to get through One Piece. Gotta catch up with my frinds who are actively up to date on it please pray for my soul. Also getting back into Fairy Tail and loving every second of it! If it's not anime, I like a lot of the MCU shows or movies, and also have yearly rewatches of Gravity Falls and the new comfort show addition of the Owl House to give myself a break from the emotional torture that comes from being a weeb. I watch Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel religiously, my sense of humor is broken.

✼ I like reading. Unfortunately I stopped being able to stay motivated to read regular books sometime back in high school. What has my solution to that been? Webcomics! I have a much easier time keeping up with reading if stories are paired with pictures, so Webtoon is my biggest go to for that. My biggest recommendations for those who also enjoy webcomics would be Omniscient Reader (my current top favorite if you don't mind lots of cliff hangers), City of Blank, Lore Olympus, Down to Earth, and Covenant.

✻ !!! If you have any recommendations ever for games, shows, movies, webcomics, songs, or any other sort of media, feel free to send them my way! I love checking out new genres and subjects and learning about the sorts of things that other people take interest in and that's usually where most of my interests come from any way. I am an interest sponge!!!

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚘 𝙸 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎?

✼ Most of my time is spent writing, drawing, or playing genshin. I also enjoy baking, painting, making carvings out of bars of soap, and driving my entire family crazy by being hyperactive at the ungodly hours of the morning. Since I at least do my best to get out of the house sometimes, I also enjoy hiking, any sort of rafting or boating, and scuba diving. I have a lot of travel goals since I enjoy seeing new places and exploring. I have also recently finally achieved my middle school dream of finding a group to play DnD with, and it has become a major hyperfixation. When I can't think of things to draw? DnD character. Not sure what to write but needing to put some words on paper? DnD character backstory. Bored or unmotivated in general? Make up new DnD characters. It is my cure all.

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊 𝚏𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚖 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚜?

✻ My top three favorite animals go sloths, possums, bats in that order from favorite down.

✼ My favorite color is very specifically phthalocyanine green

✻ I love anything related to outer space and could probably talk for hours about it

✼ Same goes for the ocean. I think I just find all the unknowns about both the ocean and space to be very cool

✻ I like sushi. A lot. It's a major comfort food and if it wouldn't make me sick I could probably have sushi every day and be perfectly satisfied

✼ I enjoy anything that has me working in the kitchen, and I'm actually hoping to go to culinary school sometime in the next few years

✻ I try to hoard DnD dice like a dragon hoards treasure which is probably why I can't afford a better gaming setup :,)

✼ Making art for people is my love language I could probably make money off of it but I don't because making free art for people brings me joy and joy > profit

[hospitalterrorizer]

diary299

7/14/24

sunday

uneventful day.

i forgot to talk about yesterday's wayy psycho news about trump getting shot at! immediately exhausted by all the conspiracist shit i am seeing crop up on either side while we know very little about this, i can't say anything for certain but to so quickly discount that anyone would do this of their own volition is ridiculous and super irritating. on the other hand seeing people say it's not fishy because there were casualties is equally strange, to see people be like, so eager to know what this was, you know. like this is not something any of us will really possess as any kind of knowledge, probably not even the people at the top. it's a nightmare, is all really. him living too, is part of that. part of what saved his life is a racist rant to say something about immigration, i think, i heard, i guess this is only supposed. but it's an insane detail. and then that fucking photo that got taken, his ability to make it a pose immediately. it is too much, it is too pregnant, i guess this is why people are eager to say it was all designed. but looking at the events, if this was a plant to make trump look good, the shooter could have done less damage to trump, taken wider shots, anything like that, or shoot him somewhere less dangerous than the head. if it's otherwise, i imagine they would not have missed. seeing people say they want to read dave mcgowan because of this drives me cuhrayzyyy.

obviously, noah dillon of the hellp is calling this "the most iconic political event since 9/11",

i suppose in some sense it is, or something. it's certainly disturbing to me that the image produced, of trump fist pumping, feels like the most "virile" fantasy of america instantiated, it's the fascistic dream actualized, it has become bodily, and to take the photo at all, to not run, to take the photo of trump doing that, to frame it as well as you can, you know, to do that is demented, the total lack of self preservation to do that, it is hideously american, super-careerist fantasy.

anyway, there's i guess a lot you can say about this, it feels like it's secured his win. it also makes me wonder if things will get worse for people who aren't the norm, or if truly nothing will happen. the right is on the rise but this country, it is hard to have any centralized action beyond just electoral shit, i think, maybe i hope, ignorantly. i guess it is ignorant, racists have always been able to accomplish more than seems imaginable, more diffuse now, the intolerant really have easier ways to communicate, keep their kids in homeschooling, creating a whole separate ecosystem, if those drives turn dominant, what becomes of all others, i guess.

but i know some people really think nothing's gonna happen.

it just all feels rather, whatever you do to look at it, dour, stupid, i dunno, nothing good will happen but the best i can hope for is a total 0. i know some people think the shooter was a lib, or like "leftist" since those are the same to some, or one woman really, it's kind of crazy to say that when he's registered otherwise after donating once when he was 17 because the dems are talking about putting trump in the "bullseye" at other times and talking up him being a threat to democracy.

anyway. ... like... #whateverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

so what else.

today i recorded vocals for one song!! tomorrow i'm gonna try another, and gonna try write lyrics for something else. i also reinstalled some stuff but idk if it really helped out. very frustrated by that, but what can i do, idk. it's a weird issue, it's like utterly new to me at this point, i do not have any idea other than maybe a windows update fucking something up? but idk what that'd do really. to be honest. maybe i need to reinstall waves? that's such a fricking pain though. it does make music harder to wanna do. maybe a good thing, so i can focus on other stuff? maybe, to be honest.

anyway, beyond the vocals, i also did write a couple other little things, one thing's set for drums, one thing i'm in process w/ drums, 2nd one is gonna be like a fucked up no wavey emo-violence thing i think. other one's gonna be like a weirdo synthy thing, i really love the chiptune melody on it, and the bass, and then i found a place for the stylophone vst i got! so that rawks. i also got an old song re-done, for this next ep, so i wanna get lyrics done for that.

i think tomorrow i should also try to basically split this one old track in half because i think basically i wrote 2 songs and they deserve to be their own things, one half's like the kinda crazy no wave pv-y emoviolence-y thing, and then the other's like a screwed up... idk, it's a crazy riff though i love that one, it's got legs enough to be a kind of simple song riding off that rhythm / riff. somehow very catchy despite being wayy dissonant. some of these feel very music video ready, which is also fun for me to think abt.

going back in to mess with the drums in one song, i was met with no crashes, it was fine... i did switch the rendering on some plugins to no open gl ui. that seems to add some stability. crazy issue to have though.

also i got some writing done, something else tiny, like a little horror-ish thing almost. it's fun to write stories that do not really have much scope, properly short, a good way to keep in practice. although i think this is too, to be honest. this stretches my voice in ways i'm not used to, i think it's making me a little more expressive in text, which makes me feel #cute. i hope to use that in some way as i write, a new poetics to explore.

anyway, it's about time to go to bed so:

byebye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jay-avian]

Writing Share Tag

Thank you @rickie-the-storyteller for tagging me here!

This is another short story I wrote for my fiction class, but waited to post until after I edited it. I'd love to get any sort of feedback or suggestions if you have any!

I'm going to tag people above the cut just in case people don't want to read the long post just yet: @fleurtygurl @sleepyowlwrites @willtheweaver @theeccentricraven @lyra-brie and whoever else wants to share their amazing works!

Title: The Black Rose Project (genre: sci-fi horror) (content warning: kidnapping, experimentation [nothing is explicitly mentioned as far as what happens during the processes])

“The Latest in Bioengineering: Aether Lab Revives the Ecosystem”

“In the fast-paced, technology-oriented world we live in today, animal species have been dwindling at a much quicker pace than first estimated. Many species are unable to adapt, leading to their eventual extinction. And when certain species fade out, balance is shifted across the ecosystems. The lack of predators has led to a massive uptick in wild prey numbers…

“Dr. Adam O’Donnell and his team have worked for years to not only revive animal species but revitalize them. Known as the “New Eden Project”, the series of experiments works towards giving the species special genetic traits to navigate the changing world. When asked about the thought process behind the experiments, Dr. O’Donnell commented: “If animals are expected to thrive in this new age, they need to be able to stand their ground, to learn and adapt to new challenges and possible threats.” This revelation makes the future of the ecosystems look bright, but time will surely tell...”

It hadn’t been long before New Eden had taken off in popularity. There was talk everywhere about those “crazy sons o’ bitches” down at Aether. They had done the impossible. Well, I suppose the improbable now. But there hasn’t been news from them for a while now. People are starting to become doubtful. The papers have asked me to try and get some updates. The reporter previously taking on this story had passed away in a car crash about a week ago. Poor Nick could never seem to catch a break. I had only really talked with him in the office, but he was cute. He seemed really passionate about this story too. He would talk with me about the project and all his theories about what they were going to do next.

The project started with just modifying the embryos. Those turned out pretty much fine. The problem is something else. There’s been news and rumors about how they’ve started trying to speed up the process by essentially 3-D printing their monsters. Theoretically, it should work. Technically, it does. They use the same technology that duplicates cells, tissues, and whatnot, but on a much larger scale. After that, give the “corpse” a jumpstart and you’re good to go. But there’s more to it than that. No one can seem to predict how these beasts will act. Empty shells breathing but barely moving. Without any parents or previous experience to guide them, they’re like lost… Well, I hesitate to say souls. You can’t manufacture those. Their brains don’t function like they’re supposed to. Quite frankly, I’m scared to see how they’ll end up fixing this problem.

It’s a Sunday morning when I decide to go. There won’t be many people there, though I don’t think these scientists are exactly a religious bunch. I drive up to the lab and survey the parking lot. There are only five cars besides mine, not including the couple of trucks that belong to the lab itself. The lab isn’t that big overall, only being three stories tall. Its walls are mostly concrete with a few large windows into the first floor cafeteria and the top floors’ offices. I take Nick’s old notebook from the passenger seat and enter through the sliding glass doors into the reception area. The foyer’s floor is an ocean blue, speckled and bright. The desk I walk up to is painted a much lighter blue across the front. The blonde lady sitting at the desk is playing cards with herself.

“Excuse me?” I ask. She looks up at me. She doesn’t look nearly old or stuffy enough to be working here. Probably a student looking for an internship. “Hi, I was wondering if I could take a tour?”

“Sure,” she says. She moves over to her computer. “Could I get your name and who you’re with?”

“My name is Natalie Kostova, and this is just for a class paper. Springfield Tech under Professor Bartram.” My go-to excuse for people who aren’t as willing to talk. Scientists are usually hard to get info out of. Granted, they don’t want others to steal their data, their discoveries, their glory. But vague answers don’t make for an interesting story.

She types at her keyboard. “Okay!” She turns to me, smiling. “You can go ahead and have a seat in the cafeteria. I’ll have someone come up to walk you around.”

I look around and find the big open cafe. The furniture is very modern: plain colors, sleek and curving shapes. A couple of sofas and armchairs are lined near the walls and windows. There’s only one other person sitting at one of the tables eating a sub. I decide to get myself a soda from one of the vending machines before I sit down. While I wait, I flip through Nick’s notes as a refresher. Most of what’s written has been mentioned in the papers already. There’s also a few drawings of some of the experiments. I flip to the next page and there’s another drawing. It’s much more unsettling than the ones before. It’s a bigger dog-looking thing with a toned body. What if? is written and underlined on the next page, followed by bullet points. Super mutants. Guard dogs. War? Just because?

People next?

I hear footsteps in the distance. I slam the notebook shut and look up to find Dr. O’Donnell himself. “Good morning, Ms. Kostova,” he says as he walks up. “Sorry to keep you waiting, I was in the middle of something that needed attention.”

I stand to meet him. “No worries. I understand how important it is to finish something you start. Can’t leave something half done.”

He laughs. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. Now, what’s this about a class paper?”

I straighten up and put on a smile. “Ah, I uh, just wanted to learn more about bioengineering and all of the possibilities.”

“Very well. Let’s get you familiar then, shall we?”

I follow him to the elevator. After we both enter, he presses the button for B1. Turns out, there are five floors in total: the three upper levels I saw, and two lower ones. The door closes and we start going down.

“Why the need for basement floors?” I ask.

“The bottom two floors are where we do most of our bigger projects. The upper floors are mainly offices and smaller labs.”

That seems fair enough, though I hope I’ll still be able to get a signal from down here.

The elevator doors open. Dr. O’Donnell starts walking ahead. We walk down a hall lined with doors and large windows. The first few rooms are filled with large machines. One of the bigger ones looks like a massive 3D-printer. One of the rooms has an MRI scanner and a heart monitor machine. He explains to me the basics of genetic modification. I take down what notes I can just in case. We head towards a set of glass doors that lead back outside. Out here are pathways that lead to enclosures set up almost like a zoo. We walk along and he showcases many of the animals kept here. Many of the predatory animals here seem to have bigger ears and paws, while some seem to be more “streamlined” in their looks. Dr. O’Donnell talks about their behavior and how finicky the animals can get at times.

“We sometimes bring in control groups,” he continues. “So we can get a gauge for the specimens’ mental progress as well as for further assimilation.” He pauses and looks at me. I try to write some more, thinking that’s what he’s expecting. “That’s a nice notebook you have. Where’d you get it?”

“Hm?” I look up. “I, uh, got it from a friend.”

“I see…” He starts fidgeting, rubbing his fingers together.

There’s no way he doesn’t know. “Yeah, it belonged to a classmate of mine. I forgot my bio notes at home and this is what I had in my car.” I should ask him something quick. “Oh, before I forget, I heard on the news that you guys were trying to make animals from scratch? How has that been working out?”

Dr. O’Donnell perks up. “Ah, well, we still haven’t quite gotten their behavior down yet. Instead, we’ve been trying to modify some of our control group specimens in their adult stages.”

“Oh really?” I ask, trying to look interested. “Do you think I could take a look? That sounds really cool!”

“I’m afraid I can’t quite show you that yet. It’s still in its early experimental stages and well, in all honesty, I don’t feel ready enough to showcase them…” He’s rubbing his hands together now, his eyes looking for his thoughts. “Oh, but you’re so eager. I’d hate for you to leave empty-handed. Why don’t I show you something else?”

Something feels off. I take a step back. I ought to wait to have someone else with me. But who knows when I’m going to get another decent chance to find my answers? Nick’s answers? “...Sure. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

I follow him to the elevator. I walk a bit slower and check my phone; it only has one bar of service. “At Aether right now” I text my supervisor. “Might have something big. Send in cameras” Here’s hoping it sends.

We enter the elevator and he presses the button for B2. “What I am about to show you is another larger project I’ve been working on. I call it the Black Rose Project.”

“Is it similar to New Eden?” I ask.

“In a way, yes. The end goal is somewhat similar…” The doors open, but he doesn’t move. “But before I get into specifics, would you like to take a guess at what the black rose means?”

He stops to turn to me. I look at the doctor. He seems genuinely curious, like a teacher wanting to hear their students’ take on a matter. “Doesn’t… Black usually means death, right? Like you’re mourning for someone?”

“It can have that meaning, yes. But there’s also a second meaning to it.” Dr. O’Donnell walks forward into a large room with branching hallways. It reminds me of a hospital office. “You see, when something dies, it can give way to something new. Old leaves die so new ones may appear, old doors close so new ones may open… the old self dies so it may become like new.”

He swipes his card against a scanner. The door opens. He gestures towards the room. I peek my head in first, then ease my way in. There’s a person lying on a cot in the corner. I feel myself freeze up and my heart start beating faster. They’re wearing a hospital gown, or at least something similar.

“Go on,” O’Donnell says. “It’s harmless.”

“What did you do? Who is that?”

“I would imagine you would recognize that “classmate” of yours.”

“W-what?” I take a look at the body’s face. It looks somewhat familiar: the hair, the nose, the cheekbones– I rush over and grab his too-big shoulders. His body has an extremely toned build; it’s not what he used to look like. “Nick? Nick?!”

“Yes, he’s actually alive, despite what you heard of him last week. I made sure you reporters got a false story… As I’ve said before, building from scratch hasn’t exactly been working thus far. I was hoping I didn’t have to work like this, but at this point, discovery requires some sacrifices to be made.”

I hear the door close behind me. I whip around, rush towards the door, and start trying to force it open. “HEY! Let me out!” The voice is faint from the other side. I stop banging at the door and I still can’t make out what he’s saying. Behind me, there’s some soft shuffling.

“...Natalie?”

“Local Reporter “Missing””

“A few days ago, Natalie Kostova, one of our own reporters, went missing after attempting an interview at Aether Labs. She was last heard from by text message asking for cameramen. When they arrived on scene, they were dismissed immediately. Claims were made that Kostova had left minutes before, as evident by her car being absent in the parking lot. Investigations are currently underway, but so far, attempts to search the labs have been unfruitful…”

[sesmantelar]

where has the time gone? why have I not been journaling and pouring my emotions here? lately, I have been doing a lot of shadow work so I can stop being in denial and get to the root of all the issues I face. I ensure that I do it in my physical diary because someone somewhere or some website had mentioned how it encourages a deeper connection with the mind and body as opposed to just digital. I still want to update here regularly though. life has been whatever lately. i'm looking to get a stable/consistent job in my city so I can relax and stop doing these crazy long drives. I work here again tonight, which I am not looking forward to, but I'm allowing myself a nice easy and restful day to set me up for success later tonight. I really want to cancel the 4 hour shift tomorrow. I have zero desire to ever come back to this place if I had a say. and to be honest, outside of these final few shifts, I do not believe i'm going to be picking up here again unless I end up in extraneous circumstances again. it's time to put myself first even more, and than means maximizing ice, exercise, and me time aka working closer to home. this coming weekend, I have my first harp recital! my harp instructor is telling me to engage in positive self talk to get through this because I do not feel ready. but im going to do it. it's at a nursing home ironically, so hopefully this may lessen the sour taste I have and give me a positive outlook. im going to go for it, and if I mess up, at least I tried. I need to find an appropriate Dres for this event however. I'm planning on testing bronze and maybe canasta tango this week on the ice. I'[m also hopping back into my OMAD. the last two weeks had two dates. I went on a beach camping trip, and then I met up with the cute coworker I used to work with at that old hospital. both dates went well, and I am proud of myself for not allowing myself to get super attached to knowing the outcome of this situation. I give up trying to know everything and give it all to the universe. I no longer have control. however, I have a gut feeling something is going to come of the situation with the coworker. im trying to think of any new crazy updates but I don't think anything super monumental has happened lately. however, I do know that I have been in a bit of a slump again. my period came twice in a month, after bumping my protein intake up to around 170g. I'm at a point in my fitness journal where every. single. day. makes an aesthetic difference. some days, you can see my 11 line abs - other days I look soft and like a teddy again. I obviously ate out at the beach, and this new guy took me to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. and I have been having some wine lately. Im not forcing myself to not have it because I enjoy it, but it must fit into my macros for it to be a weekly thing. so I need to stage another mini intervention. it now seems that every single week is an intervention for me. number one I keep skating. my weekly lessons serve as a stark reminder about my progress or lack thereof during the week. number two I MUST START STAYING HYDRATED. I need to stop "leaving" It for work because it never happens and I know do not know the last time I drank enough water number three STRICT STRICT STRICT 170g protein 50 net carbs, calories below 1400, 22 hour fasting outside of dating! stay ready so you don't have to get ready number four attend the CODA meeting on Monday night in person! number five sign up for shifts this week and start catching your finances up number six MUST READ EVERY SINGLE DAY. FIRST THING I DO UPON WAKING UP. number seven get your manicure on Monday. for some reason, when every little thing about me is together, I feel much more together in the larger aspects of my life

stay ready so you don't have to get ready.

[dangan-kagura]

Rant on Genshin Impact, Why I Think the Fandom is Obnoxiously Annoying!

Ok, this is something I have to get off my chest so feel free to ignore this rant, but one of my triggers acted up today when I was browsing the web and now, I have to blow some steam off by writing this thing.

So basically, every time I go to an anime store or site, I’ve been seeing more and more of Genshin Impact content and it’s driving me mad! What’s been bothering about the game is specifically its fanbase. Part of me fears that the game’s fanbase is giving it the same love that anime games like Touhou, FGO, and Kantai Collection are getting. It’s fucking insane! It basically means that soon there’s gonna be over a hundred poorly drawn/poorly written doujinshis and over a hundred dakimakura designs! I know it might sound crazy, but that’s how I feel about it.

I’m sorry, but I just think it’s fucking stupid that people can ignore other kinds of anime games and just focus on this one! In truth, I saw nothing special out of that game, I just saw it as just another JRPG and nothing else. There’s all kinds of those games out there and not all of them have the same love and treatment as this one, so why should this one be any special?

Here’s something that I will share. These are my two favorite anime game series’, Senran Kagura and Danganronpa. I took interest in those games for a number of reasons.

They’re anime games that for once are rated M as opposed to the majority of them being rated T which felt average.

They’re anime games that for once are not RPGs as opposed to the majority of them all being of this genre which again felt average. I will say that while Danganronpa has some RPG elements (USC uses turn-based battles) to me, the class trials are more like a puzzle game.

Fanservice.

There’s other anime games I like that, while not rated M, aren’t RPGs. But the downside is that no one is giving them any appreciation. About three years ago, I got into Kandagawa Jet Girls, a racing game from the creators of Senran Kagura. It’s a stand-alone title so it doesn’t really have a big fanbase, but I thought that it was a game that stood out from other anime games because of its genre. But what bothers me is that it feels like people have no reason to ignore that game and no reason to show huge love for Genshin Impact, it’s so unfair!

But it’s not just Kandagawa Jet Girls, but also Danganronpa’s spiritual successor, Zanki Zero. Again, it’s a stand-alone title, but it has the same kind of fanservice humor Danganronpa has, not to mention it’s rated M. Spike Chunsoft has other games such as AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES which has the same kind of mature rated fanservice humor. At least these games have an English dub whereas Genshin Impact sounded like it had no English dub (to my knowledge at least) but I’d be a hypocrite for saying that since there are anime games I enjoy that have no English dubs (e.g. Senran Kagura, Kandagawa Jet Girls). The fact that the game opened up with a lack of an English dub doesn’t really get me thinking that this is a good game to try out. UPDATE: So apparently, I've been told that the game does have an English dub, but from what I remember, when I first saw someone's bad attempt to play the game when it first came out, it felt like they were playing the game with the Japanese dub. No idea why, that's just how I remember it.

I mentioned that while I don’t like the RPG genre, I do like their spinoffs, namely the spinoffs for Neptunia and Fire Emblem. Despite Neptunia being a series of turn-based RPGs, I thought the setting’s concept of being a parody of the video game industry, and its fanservice moments were cool and I wanted to be part of its fandom, so I played their hack n’ slash spinoffs. I’d be a hypocrite for saying that since Genshin Impact is an action RPG, but last year I was playing Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes which I’ve come to enjoy (partly because I’m a fan of the Warrior games). Given that the theme for Fire Emblem and Genshin Impact is high fantasy, I wouldn’t see that as a reason for playing Genshin Impact. I also mentioned that because of Genshin Impact’s sudden fandom, there’s gonna be hundreds of dakimakuras. And that bothers me to an extent because my favorite anime games don’t have a lot of dakimakuras; Fire Emblem and Danganronpa specifically.

When I was browsing to find some Danganronpa dakimakuras, I thought it was unfortunate that there weren’t a lot that had all the girls, and most of them have Nagito. I was even disappointed to come across zero dakis of the NDRV3 girls, not even Miu. I will say that on one site I went to, I did manage to come across one design that had Maki, but that’s not enough. You would think that a game like Danganronpa with its moments of fanservice would be the kind of game dakimakura artists would want to take interest in, but nooooo, they had to pick Genshin Impact.

In the end, I don’t hate Genshin Impact, I just think the fandom is obnoxious and annoying, and I would appreciate it if every anime site I go to doesn’t shove it in my face! I just feel like it’s unfair that these sites would treat the game like it was Touhou or FGO, which both have hundreds of doujinshis and hundreds of daki designs. In FGO’s case, I’m worried that people are gonna use the FGO label to refer to the Fate series itself instead of saying it’s its own game. I wouldn’t want to go to a site that sells Fate dakis and have the seller use the FGO label even if the character didn’t debut in that game, but that’s another story.

I’m sorry, but I’ve got plenty of anime waifus. Heck, if I did take interest in Genshin Impact, I’d be neglecting my first waifu. I see no reason why I should have another waifu from a game that’s of a genre I’m not into despite its popularity. And while we’re on that subject, I get that its popularity has to do with its open-world gameplay, but I don’t really understand the hype everyone has with those games. Back in high school, I had a classmate who seemed obsessed with The Elder Scrolls 4, and when either me or my other classmate would talk about our favorite games, he would rant at us like a bully for not playing Oblivion. To me, it felt like there was a lot of peer pressure surrounding open-world RPGs (e.g. The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Genshin Impact) and I just don’t want to have an obsession with those kinds of games. When I did try out Oblivion, while it was fun at first, it got a little boring or confusing and I had to put the game down. At the time, I was still new to understanding how open-world games were played, but even if I wanted to go back and give it another shot, it probably won’t make any difference in my life, and I have other reasons for not playing it. I will say however that I am a fan of Far Cry which, while it is an open-world FPS, is not an RPG and I’ve come to think of it as an alternative to playing Fallout or The Elder Scrolls.

Even if I were to compare Genshin Impact to other kinds of open-world action games like for example Dynasty Warriors 9, I wouldn’t see what the big deal is. I’ve already played DW9 and I’ve come to enjoy (most of) it. And somehow, if I didn’t know about its existence, maybe I could’ve had a neutral opinion about Genshin Impact. But because of how obnoxious its fanbase has become, my opinion is not neutral.

Again, I’m sorry, but I had to get this rant off my chest. I don’t want to browse an anime site and see Genshin Impact be shoved in my face and all of a sudden my triggers start acting up and my day is ruined, I am not up for that. It bothers me because it feels like its sudden fandom is making all other anime games look like shit. Even if there was a new anime game series that for once is not like this one, I doubt it exists.