#the only thing i don't know how to make is the shoes and i don't need another hobby asdffdfg

[blondieeu]

puppy. megumi f.

"i didn't know where else to take it."

There Megumi stood. His uniform drenched from the cold rain as well as the thing he was holding, bundled underneath his jacket. His hair was plastered to his forehead and his usual cool composed expression was a little strained.

"What?- Take what? Megs it's the middle of the night."

You rubbed your eyes, trying to rub the sleep from them, but you only ended up making your vision a little more blurry.

When your eyes finally started to cooperate, what he was holding under his jacket came into focus-- a small, scruffy, trembling dog. It's big wide brown eyes were filled with uncertainty.

"its hurt." He confessed.

You peaked your head outside of your door frame. It was already way past curfew hours. Megumi shifted his weight awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

"I didn't know what else to do."

A drop of water fell from a strand of his hair, all the way towards the wooden floor. You blinked up at him, still a little groggy but now fully awake - so much for exams.

"Are you- what? Just come in."

Without waiting for him to say anything else - not like he had much to say at all - you stepped to the side and gestured for him to enter the small room. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering from you, to the hallway, and finally down at the small puddle that's formed around him from walking in the rain. He looked so out of place here.

"Come on. You walked all the way over here and knocked on my door like you were the police or something, don't get all shy now."

Megumi's lips twitched into a small, almost imperceptible smile. He didn't say anything, stepping out of his soaking wet shoes and leaving them outside the door before letting himself in. The small dog in his arms whimpered slightly. He looked down at it and then back to you, as though searching for a silent cue on what to do next.

"put the dog on the bed megumi" you said, your voice was firm but gentle, and it wasn't just because of the dog - you also didn't want him to feel out of place here, he was always welcome.

His ears perked at the mention of his full name, a soft reminder that this was a rare moment of quiet between the two of you, where he didn't have to be the "Megumi" he was in front of everyone else. you gestured towards the bed, giving him quiet reassurance, the kind of comfort that only came when you didn't need to fill the space with words.

Megumi quietly moved over to your bed, still carrying the dog as if it were a piece of china glass. Carefully, he un-tucked the dog from his jacket and laid the dog on the edge of the mattress, and for a moment, he stood there, fingers lingering at the bedspread- your bedspread. You could see the way he faltered, his usual composure slipping- just for a second.

you didn't rush him. just watched quietly, aware that this was one of those moments where neither of you knew exactly how to navigate the silence.

"Come and dry off." you insisted, your tone was soft but grounded. You weren't sure if it was his wet clothes or something more that made him hesitate, but you wanted to make him feel like he had a place here, just as much as the dog did.

You turned away for a moment, grabbing a towel from a small drawer by your desk. When you turned back, you saw Megumi standing awkwardly, his hands still buried in the pockets of his soaked jacket. He didn't speak right away, and the weight of his quietness settled between you both, just a little to heavy to ignore.

"What happened? Why were you were out this late?" You asked, trying to keep your voice from sounding too concerned - but failing nonetheless, even if they were coming more from a place of curiosity.

Megumi rubbed a hand through his hair, pushing away strands of rain-soaked hair that clung to his forehead. He took the towel from your hand, but he didn't dry off right away. He just stood there for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

"I was coming back from a mission," he started, his voice a little rough from the rain and the unease that lingered. "The rain caught me on the way back. Saw the thing on the street, thought it was..already done for."

Megumi trailed off, his words hanging in the air, like he wasn't sure how much he wanted to explain. You noticed how his gaze dropped to the dog on the bed, like it had become a symbol of whatever feeling he hadn't quite unpacked yet.

"But then i saw it move, and i couldn't just-- ..leave it." He shifted on his feet, looking up at you now, a faint vulnerability in his eyes that he wasn't used to showing. "i dont know. it's stupid. i didn't wanna just walk away from it. I couldn't"

Megumi's usual calmness was slipping, and you found yourself wanting to catch it before it all fell apart. You didn't have to say anything else--he was speaking enough with his eyes now. He was hesitant, butt there was something deeper underneath it.

"so you come to my dorm in the middle of the night and just drop it off?" you teased him lightly, but it wasn't meant to make him feel bad. It was just a way for you to soften the situation, to get him to relax, even if it's just for a moment.

Megumi didn't respond, rubbing the towel into his damp hair, his movements slow as if he were still trying to piece together what had happened.

"it's... fine, right?" His voice just above a whisper, and this time, you heard the slight tremor in his words, the vulnerability that he couldn't hide anymore.

You turned to look at him, not even thinking twice. You wanted him to understand, to feel the warmth between you, not just the cold rain that had followed him here.

"what do you mean?" You asked, softer this time, your brow furrowed with concern. You weren't asking him to explain everything- but you wanted to show him that, whatever it was, he didn't have to worry about being too much.

Megumi swallowed hard, his gaze flickering from the towel to the floor, to the dog, anywhere but you. He still had that faint flush on his cheeks, that unspoken self-consciousness that lingered around him like a shield. But when he looked up, his eyes met yours.

"I mean.. bringing the dog here. Is this okay?" His voice was barely audible, but there was an unspoken weight in his words that you knew all too well. "I didn't know where else to go."

You didn't break eye contact. there was no judgement in your gaze-just understanding, maybe even something more, something neither of you had quite said out loud yet. You could feel the space between you both close, that invisible thread that had always been there, pulling you closer, without either of you fully acknowledging it.

"its okay megs" you said softly, reaching out, just barely brushing your fingers against his, as though to anchor him in this moment. It wasn't a confession, not yet. But it was something deeper than friendship, something unspoken. "You don't need to worry. I'm glad you came here."

For a second, it felt like everything else faded away-just you, Megumi, and the quiet understanding you both shared.

He looked down at the dog again, a faint sigh leaving his lips. The tension in his shoulders loosened, and the weight of the night seemed to settle into something more managaeble.

"Thanks." He muttered quietly, not fully meeting your eyes, but the gratitude was clear.

You didn't need him to say more. The moment, the silence, said everything.

a/n: just something to post in the mean time 👍🏾

blondieeu xx

[blorbocedes]

Hiii - for the fic prompts:

girlcedes - 7. Trapped in a room/closet/elevator

Lewis is glaring at Nico like she orchestrated this.

"I have places to be too." Nico says out loud, in her general direction. They're standing as far you can socially distance on an elevator. An elevator that the intercom buzzed in and reported would take fifteen minutes to send in the guys to fix. That was twenty minutes ago. Such glitz and glamour to live in Monaco.

"Not you. Claustrophobia." Lewis grits her teeth. She's sitting in a corner, squatting in her Dior running shoes. Probably showing off her knees can still take it.

Nico's leaning by the glass mirror because she's wearing a white pantsuit.

Oh right. Claustrophobia. Nico always forgets because it's always funny, the cars they drive in is more cramped than the spacious elevator. But it's about control, she gets that. Lewis in a Formula 1 car is just an extension of her body. But Lewis would always keep the door of the drivers room open, back in Mercedes.

"How are you scared of this and not jumping off a plane? It should be child's cake to you. Hm, that's not right. Child's play?" Nico frowns trying to locate the metaphor in the medley of languages in her brain. She speaks mostly to keep Lewis distracted. Nico herself is not, her positive outlook mantras covered this. Negative thoughts cannot happen if you don't let it. That's why she never checked her portfolio after the AI company she invested in rugpulled millions. It simply does not exist if she doesn't give it the power to.

"Skydiving is incredibly safe," Lewis bites the bait, "It's safer than scuba diving. And you're in control the whole time."

"All it takes is one parachute not opening." Nico shrugs. Even the thought makes her shudder. Absolutely not.

"Good thing they strap you with two then." Lewis drawls. She doesn't say it, too graceful these days, but the idiot is implied.

Nico rolls her eyes but is beaten in the marketplace of ideas.

She turns to the mirror, her shoulder length blonde hair bouncing. There's a pimple cropping up under her chin, she can feel it. She presses down on it, warning it to stay there.

"Don't do that - you look fine." Lewis is frowning, looking up at Nico from where she's crouched.

Nico used to obsessively poke and prod at her face staring at the mirror as a teenager. She's a little embarrassed Lewis remembers from their days of sharing rooms during karting.

"It's the only mirror time I get. Vivi and I are very mindful of not passing any body insecurities to the girls. Entering the pre-teens is a very impressionable time." Nico explains. She doesn't need her daughters rubbing off on her complexes.

Lewis gets up, lithe like a cat, in her oversized crewneck. She looks pointedly at the lack of ring on Nico's hand. "How's the divorce going?"

Nico purses her lips. "Conscious uncoupling. Very well, thank you. How's Ferrari?" She switches the subject. "Learn any Italian yet?"

"I've downloaded Duolingo." Lewis smiles, sheepishly, the gap in her teeth is still charming even after all these years.

"I remember teaching you some." In bed, tangled up in each other, another lifetime ago.

"I'm sure none of that was usable, man."

"Hm. You should try ti va di fare dolce su e giù?" Nico smirks.

"What does it mean?" Lewis asks.

Nico just smiles in that way when she knows something Lewis doesn't. "I'm sure Leclerc will be down. Happy to... accommodate." The double entendre in her voice gives it away.

Lewis takes a step closer, her hand on the railing where Nico is standing. And suddenly, the elevator feels like a much smaller space, with nowhere to hide. She shakes her head, the rings on her tattooed hands glittering. Nico feels strangely naked without hers. "He's not my type."

Nico leans forward. "And who is?"

The elevator doors ding open. They are on Lewis' floor.

[narfin-frood]

another wave of swap doodles from another late night drawing sesh!

talking abt my new thoughts for the au also under the cut :))))))

so i've been thinking on the big catastrophic event. and i've landed on this:

i think the big catastrophic event is caused by the hat. the hat is never scooped up and adopted by wander during the big dispute the previous "owners" had, so it instead lands in the hands of jeff. jeff in the au is already a pretty normal, chill dude, with a band and a life. he's been friends with wander for a while, but during a lull where they don't see each other for a while, he gets ahold of the hat, and the possibilities overcome him. he Didn't Know how Good it feels to be Bad. and he's making up for lost time by tricking out his little ship with guns and thrusters and all sorts of evil stuff.

wander is taken into custody by sylvia, who is working for some organization like the men in black. she interrogates him, and realizes he doesn't know the first thing about what jeff has been up to in his absence, though she has pictures of them hanging out from years back.

they'd search for jeff, who announces himself as major threat when they finally catch up with him, and would attempt to produce some kind of enormous doomsday weapon from the hat. this would be like the last nail in the coffin for the hat, which was already within an inch of blowing up anyway, and it would explode and flatten the entire solar system and surrounding area, taking major threat with it.

sylvia and wander take shelter in a cave right before the blast hits, and when they come out, it's devastation all around. wander's been wrung out, now. his oldest friend is gone, and he feels to some degree responsible for the whole mess, even when sylvia assures him he isn't. they take a trip around and realize just how much damage the hat's explosion had done, and how far it stretches, and that's when wander starts to spiral. surely there's something he could've done to prevent it, and how dare he continue on when who knows how many wonderful people have just been vaporized in the midst of their "battle"(basically just yelling at major threat from a distance Not to Do It).

they come to rest on a planet that still has some firewood left, and sylvia goes off to gather it while wander takes shelter in another cave. A very damp cave, a dark cave, one that seems almost entirely untouched by time. and in the cave, there's one glowing orange mushroom.

anyway, that's about how long sylvia and wander know each other before the cult's inception. i think they only get to have a couple moments where they're just buds on a mission, and then it's all downhill. sylvia readily quits the men in black at some point between meeting wander and meeting major threat, but she retains the skills that made her such a good fit for it. and now, she doesn't have to wear those awful shoes that she hates.

honestly it's taken me so long to come up with something for it because, like i've said before, the wander over yonders are just kind of. backstory-less, largely. we get just enough backstory to want to know more, like with major threat and wander One Thousand Years Ago Exactly and sylvia's past as a bounty hunter, but. like. not much more than that.

and a lot of that has to do with the programming slot this show was given and how little time it actually spent on the air, like a lot of things, but also, y'know. tone. the show is aaaaaalmost a pure comedy, which i love it for, and the bits of tragedy and lore are almost always undercut with n jokes per minute. which!! again!!11! i like! i think it's fun and i like to be happy and have fun. and it also makes those moments of Ohhhh Ouchie my Feelings hit that much harder to have them entirely surrounded by peace love and funny joke.

so anyway. i kinda fear this backstory is just a little too #serious and makes too little #sense to me, but it's the closest i've come to something that makes sense for how wander turned out in the au. Shrugs. We shall see.

and all of this is from a little blurb i wrote for fun so like Please Dont Think This Is The Final Decision please. ill probably change All of this in some way or another bc i fear this gives sylvia very little time to be happy and i want her. to be happy. at some point. i need her to be happy more.

[mcflymemes]

NOSFERATU PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue from the screenplay, adjust as necessary

i have felt you like a serpent crawling in my body.

love is inferior to you.

i am an appetite. nothing more.

you are my affliction.

even now we are fated.

you know nothing of him.

your passion is bound to me.

you cannot love.

i cannot be sated without you.

we must remain calm.

you know i love you both.

why do you hate me?

you have never liked me.

search everything.

this is madness!

i must see them!

don't touch me. i am not to be touched.

our love was supposed to be sacred.

kiss me.

i need no salvation.

you will put an end to all of this?

come to me.

hear my call.

you are not for the living.

do you swear it?

what's that, my love?

there is nothing to be afraid of.

take off your shoes.

i wish i could stay, my love.

i really must be off.

come in, come in.

i thank you for considering me.

you are too generous.

it will be a great adventure for you.

why have you killed these beautiful flowers?

let us put them in water.

forgive me.

throw them out.

you cannot leave.

i must tell you my dream.

please, no more of your childhood memories.

never speak these things aloud.

it is a foolish dream.

everything is well.

when i return, i will finally make something of myself.

i love you too much.

it's worth celebrating your adventure!

i envy you.

it's crushing, [name]. crushing.

i cannot resist her.

not another word.

do take care of [name].

there is a monster in the room.

we have each other.

you're hurting me.

i am proud of you.

please keep safe.

have you so little faith in me?

i promise.

remember, it's all for us.

you bring trouble with you.

i only wish to stay one night.

i have an audience at the castle.

leave here.

you are late.

i wish you to do as i request.

it's nothing.

come by the fire.

why ever did you bring that here?

you must put that away.

what might we do for you?

that was yesterday.

do you ever feel at times as if you were not a person?

we all feel out of sorts.

look at the sea!

i am not mad.

forgive me. everything i say sounds so childish.

how careless of me.

you are fortunate in your love.

i fear i am taken ill.

if it continues, let me know.

i have received nothing of any kind.

still no trace of him.

for heaven's sake, you cannot leave.

a moment longer... please.

i cannot resist you, my love.

can you tell me your name?

he is coming.

why haven't you told me?

i must leave!

i sensed something.

you look tired.

would you describe them to me?

tell me what you can. from the beginning.

this is no delusion.

the blood is the life.

i feared i'd never see you again.

what the devil is this?

it is past three o'clock in the morning!

forgive me for the troubles i have caused you.

get off me. give me room. i can't breathe.

you frightened me.

may i stay with you tonight?

thank you for loving me.

our spirits are one, so too shall be our flesh.

you are mine.

[optionalopinion]

No offense I don't think this PercyDreadful person was stalking anyone. They repeatedly mentioned only looking into things at all to make an informed opinion on whether or not to go through with the 50,000 dollar offer to Quackity for his translator project and have repeatedly mentioned only looking at public information and the only infomation they have that isnt public is from that one person who had family friend ties to Quackity's friends and or family.

They have NOT ever not even once mentioned which information they DO have on him. So, to get an idea of what information they COULD have, you would have to look up what is already public for yourself, but they have mentioned public buisness sites and the complaints of fans, which are infact, both public sources one can refrence.

Additionally I looked into things, and apparently, Quackity said that if you do know anything about him, to NOT share it, especially publically, something which PercyDreadful has never done once, going as far as to have not even specified which specific sites they sourced their infomation from.

For all we know, they actually could be lying about having done any research at all and are only saying that to sound like they aren't being stupid about their offer. Because yeah, giving that much money to even an internet celebrity, let alone anyone you do not know, is kinda stupid if not very risky.

Especially because Quackity had recently gotten into legal trouble over not paying his admins, over working them, to the point the French Union got involved, which is very serious stuff and its actually more of a wonder why this still wanted to go through with it even after that. I know I wouldn't if i was in their shoes, thats just crazy stupid.

I think their only concerning thing here, at least personally speaking here, is that they seem to be ignoring how serious the QSMP issues got and were STILL trying their luck on giving him so much money. That seems less like parasocial behavior and more too much blind faith and optimistism.

I say this because they seem to imply they were very much aware of the QSMP situation, though to what extent we don't know, but if we take this at face value, surely they are aware that the egg admins expressed being mistreated, overworked and underpaid, right?

It sounds like they tried their best to make an infomed approach on the situation they were trying to set up, aka giving a fuckton of money to someone whos a celebrity they dont know personally, but are still fucking up by ignoring huge red flags.

Maybe it is better they didn't give Quackity the money. They seem very naive and reckless, though well-meaning, and i honestly wouldn't want to see a fan end up hurt because they did their research on their favorite CC they could have potential got a chance to work with only to ignore every red flag they found and got hurt because of they turned a blind eye.

Reposting this twitter thread here, if you see this guy donoing in someone's chat let their mods know that theyre a CC stalker VV

Bad, sneeg, foolish, and Q are already aware of him so be sure not to spam their mods, but just be aware

Edit: the persons full twitch username is percydreadful

[zroronoas]

roommate!ace pt. 2

you can read the first part here!

a/n: me bc i'm currently on impel down 😔

-

-after the last cuddling situation with ace, he's a lot more clingy and touchy now. if you're sitting on the couch on your phone or watching tv, he will literally just move you and wrap his arms around you. though it does end in you kicking him off because he makes you so unbelievably nervous and he can't just cuddle you??

"ouch! you're so mean to me!" he yelps while rubbing the arm that hit the coffee table.

"i told you not to do that!"

and you're yelling at him but your face is extremely red and you can feel yourself start to sweat.

-ace has always loved randomly coming into your room and just laying on the bed, but instead of just laying at your feet like he usually does, he literally gets under the covers and tries to get you to be the big spoon.

"how many times do i have to tell you to stay out of my bed?" you grumble. while you're complaining, he's grabbing your arms and forcing them around his waist. he's silently thanking the universe that he's turned around and you can't see the gigantic smile on his face.

-when he comes back to the apartment, he likes to shout as loud as he can that he's home. he says it makes him feel like you guys are a married couple.

"honey, i'm home!" he grins. he flings his shoes off before he runs to you with his arms wide open. it becomes a routine, you try to pry his arms off of you and avoid his hug, but he always wins.

-on the very rare occasion that he comes home drunk, his clinginess only gets worse. when you do get him into his bed, he literally will not let you leave him. if you do manage to get up without him, he'll stumble through the whole apartment trying to follow you around.

"ace! i told you to stay in bed!"

"but i miss you!"

he has you caged between his body and the counter, just literally leaning on you. you're about to collapse because it's ace and he's heavy, but you also can't help but find him endearing. his cheeks are flushed, he can barely keep his eyes open, and his arms are loosely wrapped around you.

but then he does the worst thing he could possibly do; he tries to kiss you.

of course, you don't let it happen. right when his lips are about to meet yours, you lightly push his chest. the rejection seems to sober him up, and his eyes widen and he's just continuously apologizing to you.

"i'm sorry! i didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, i'm so sorry!"

"ace, it's okay. let's just get you to bed, yeah?"

he finally lets you bring him to his bed and when you leave, he doesn't dare get up and follow you. he also can't sleep that night, despite being drunk. he's so embarrassed and he feels so bad that he made you feel weird.

but little does he know, you're rolling around in your bed and kicking your feet because the guy you've liked for a whole year tried to kiss you? but then it does hit you that it was probably just because he was drunk and he didn't mean it, so now you're super embarrassed and you aren't sure if you can ever face him again.

the next morning, you wake up to a whole breakfast made by ace. he's in the kitchen with just his stupid slutty and sexy basketball shorts on and an apron. no shirt, just an apron.

when he sees you, he forces you to sit down and eat his pancakes that say "sorry" written in frosting. he sits down in front of you and just watches you eat, but you can tell that it's still really bothering him.

"ace, it's really okay. you were just drunk-"

"i know i was drunk but i meant it."

you nearly choke on your food at the confession. when you look up at ace, he's rubbing the back of his neck and he has a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"you meant to kiss me?"

"well i definitely planned on doing it in a more romantic setting but you just looked so pretty, i couldn't help it."

"well," you start. "the setting right now seems pretty romantic to me!"

you're sitting in a messy kitchen and ace has an apron on that says "blow the chef" but you think that there couldn't be a more romantic setting than where the two of you were.

[dsireland86]

Okay can you please make a Emotional Dad Folio x fem reader fic who after a tough and risky labor gets to see his wife and baby safe and sound finally. But even better him finally getting to hold his baby for the first time and just having a full tears and snot breakdown cause he was scared and is just happy they're okay

This is just the sweetest. I had this whole scenario played out in my head before I even wrote it down 😁🥰

Emotional Dad

Tag list:

@philomenie @supersquirrel1996 @foliosgirl @angelmarie89 @fadingintothegrey @thisbicc @lacy1986 @dominuslunae @shayzillaaaa @mrsnoahsebastian @flowery-mess @iloveyoutodeathbutimdrowning @stardustsirenmelody @romanreigns-supreme @anything-more-than-human @into-the-grey @rumoured-whispers @myownthoughts12 @sister-sebastian @missduffsblog @bngurngheart  @somebodyllelse @xxkittenkissesxx @dizzylmwahh @supersquirrel1996 @kenjipepsi1 @blackveilomens @chey-h

I wasn't even sure I wanted kids until the moment my girl came to me with something in her hand. Y/N was glowing and never looked as pretty as she did in that moment when she told me to close my eyes. Her excitement made me excited. After pecking her lips, I closed my eyes. The item she put in my hands weighed about as much as a feather, so when Y/N told me to open my eyes, what I saw wasn't at all what I expected; a pregnancy test with two blue lines. She was pregnant. It was then I realized that the idea of having a baby was really something I wanted, but only because it was with the woman standing in front of me. Picking her up, I hugged and kissed Y/N, assuring her I was thrilled about us having a baby, and as the months went by and her belly grew bigger and bigger, the anticipation of meeting our child grew. Thankfully, our love making didn't stop. Y/N was even more beautiful with our baby growing inside her, making her so irresistible that I found it difficult to keep my hands off of her. The first few months were nothing, but as the baby got bigger so did her belly making it kind of hard. I grew nervous, even after reading everything I did about it, but Y/N reassured me that it was okay and that it wouldn't hurt the baby. After that, it was game on, buddy, and we made some of the best love the two of us had ever had. We were happy, and so ready to meet our little one, but not just yet. There was still a little while to go before that could happen. Or so we thought.

"Nick! Nick! Wake up, please!" Y/N shrieked in pain as she sat up in bed clutching her belly. "Oh god, it freaking hurts." 

Folio sat up, completely startled.

"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "I don't know! Something hurts, really bad, ohhh! Ouch!"

Y/N started crying, gripping the bed sheets tightly. Folio jumped out of bed, slipping on a pair of jeans, socks and his shoes, before grabbing his keys and wallet. Sending a quick text to the guys in a group chat, he leapt over to Y/N's side of the bed.

"Is it contractions? The, er, the ones you say aren't real?" "Braxton Hicks, and no, this is not them. Oh god! Baby, something is wrong!"

Folio placed his hand on his wife's belly, feeling just how active their little one was. But he noticed that something didn't feel right. Lifting Y/N's shirt, the round shape of her belly made him grin. He was definitely going to miss it and the feeling of their baby moving around inside. He leaned down and kissed it while gently running his hands all over, pushing on certain spots and noting things that once felt familiar didn't anymore. In Y/N's lower abdomen where the baby's head should be, there were movements that shouldn't, and feeling up the middle of her belly, he no longer felt the tightness of where the little knees and feet should be. Folio frowned, fearing that what he was thinking might be true. Y/N shrieked in pain, screaming through a loud cry.

"Nick! Make it stop! Please!" she begged, grabbing his arm. "Okay, baby. Alright," he said as calmly as he could. Throwing a shirt on, he helped Y/N up and to the car, running back in to grab the overnight bags.

All the way to the hospital, Y/N held on to her husband's arm, gripping his hand tighter each time the pain came. Her cries and pleas for the pain to stop wrecked his heart and it killed him knowing he couldn't stop it or take any of it away.

"Nick, I love you," Y/N said breathlessly through her pain. "Thank you for being here. Thank you for being so nice."

Folio chuckled.

"I love you, too, Sweetheart. We're going to get through this, okay? It might not seem okay right now, but in the end everything's going to be alright. And hopefully, soon, we'll be holding our baby."

Y/N looked over at him and smiled the best she could despite the pain, nodding quickly right before another wave of pain hit. Finally getting to the hospital, Folio walked Y/N into the labor and delivery ward, calling for help the moment they stepped in. A nurse brought over a wheelchair and helped Y/N sit then wheeled her through a set of double doors as Folio filled out paperwork and informed them on what was happening.

"Wait! Where are you taking her?" Folio asked in a panic, abandoning the paperwork. "Mr. Folio, it's fine. Your wife is being taken to a room. I'll take you there once you're finished."

Nick sighed, running his hand through his hair. He'd been trying his hardest to keep it together for Y/N, but now that he wasn't with her, he felt like he might fall apart. The doors behind him opened and in walked his four brothers, instantly making him feel better.

"What's the word, Folio," Noah asked, his tone thick with concern.

Nick shook his head.

"I'm about to head back. She's in a room, I think." "Do you know what happened? Why is she in so much pain?" asked Jolly.

Folio sighed. "I think, and I could be wrong; God I hope I'm wrong, but I think the baby is breached."

The guys looked at one another, some of them shrugging.

"It means the baby is trying to come out feet and bottom first instead of head first," Folio explained with a sigh. "Oh, fuck no!" Matt cried, biting his knuckle. “Couldn’t that seriously hurt her and the baby?” Nicholas asked.

Before anyone could answer, the double doors opened and a different nurse than before came out.

"Mr. Folio, can you please come with me?" "What's wrong? Is my wife okay?" "Can you please just come with me, sir,” the nurse beckoned Nick towards the double doors.

"Can they come, too?" he asked, nodding at the other four.

The nurse creased her forehead and pursed her lips.

"Are they yours or your wife's family?" "One hundred percent we are," Jolly spoke up.

The nurse cracked a smile, nodding sharply.

"Fine. Follow me."

She led them down the hall, to the right, down another short hall, and to the right again, stopping at a door to a waiting room. Folio looked at her confused.

"Wait. What about the room she was supposed to be in? I thought she was going into a delivery room."

Folio's heart started pounding.

"She was, but then something happened and they had to take her to surgery," the nurse said softly. She opened the door and ushered the boys in. "Hold up! Surgery! What do you mean surgery," Noah snapped.

Nick thought he was going to be sick. He was bent over, breathing hard and trying not to panic, but the thought of something terrible happening to his wife and child felt like his world was crashing down on him.

"Mrs. Folio is in surgery because the baby is breached. If you don't know what that means," "We know what it means," Matt interrupted, scowling at the nurse. She scowled right back. "Will they be alright?"

Folio was motionless, standing next to Nicholas. He felt sick, unable to move. He looked at the nurse as two small tears slid down his cheeks.

"I can't say. I don't have enough information. You all can wait here until a surgical nurse comes out and gives you better information. Should be within the hour."

With that, she turned and walked out another door, opposite the one they came in.

Folio paced. He sat, he paced, he ran his hands consistently through his hair, bit his nails, and then sat some more. He fought the tears, but lost the battle, allowing them to fall as he thought about the idea of losing Y/N. A world without her was one he didn't want to think about. Then he thought about his child, the little life he had yet to meet. He didn't even know the sex yet because he and Y/N chose to find out at birth. The tears fell harder as Nick sat back down, covering his face in his hands. After what felt like hours, a nurse came into the waiting room. She wasn't smiling, but not a lot of the nurses in the hospital did, as Nick picked up on.

"Mr. Folio, I need you to come with me, please," she ordered. All of them started to follow her, but she stopped them. "Only you."

Folio looked from her to the guys, then back to the nurse.

"Okay," he agreed, weakly.

He knew what was coming. He could feel it as he walked the hall, following the nurse closely. His wife was dead, and possibly their child, too. It was obvious from the way the nurse looked at him and spoke. The thought made Folio cry harder, no longer caring who saw.

Weeping silently, they rounded a corner, stopping at a room with a closed door. Gently knocking, the nurse opened the door and they entered into a dimly lit room. It took a moment for Nick's eyes to adjust, but when they did the first thing he saw was Y/N. She was alive and well, resting comfortably in a bed with their baby in her arms. Folio gasped, the very intake of breath hitching in the back of his throat.

"Did you think something bad had happened?" the nurse whispered. Nick huffed a light laugh, pushing his hair back. "Yeah, kind of."

The nurse placed her hand on Folio's back and patted it gently.

"They're both perfectly fine. Your wife went through it, but she's a fighter. You better worship the ground she walks on from now on."

Folio grinned.

"I already do, ma'am." "Good. Then go be with your girls. They need you."

Folio froze, eyes widening.

"Girls?"

The nurse smiled big.

"You didn't know you were having a daughter?" "No. We decided to wait." "Well, now the wait is over."

Folio smiled, focusing his attention back to his girls as the nurse left the room. The sound of the door closing caught Y/N's attention. She looked up and smiled the moment her eyes landed on her husband.

"Nick! Come here! Come meet our daughter!" she said quietly as to not wake the sleeping child.

Nick's chest no longer ached. He was able to take a deep breath as he urgently made his way over to the bed, never taking his eyes off his wife. Even though she looked exhausted, Y/N was still the most beautiful thing ever to him. She was alive. She was healthy. She was his.

"Are you okay? You look worried."

Y/N took his hand and brought it to her face, kissing his palm sweetly.

"Yeah," Folio smiled even though his eyes welled up with tears. "I'm fine. Just really happy you're okay. Both of you."

He wasn't about to indulge his wife with his fears and worries of the past hour. He'd save that for another day. He shifted his gaze from Y/N to the sleeping bundle in her arms; his daughter.

"Do you want to hold her?"

Nick's eyes swiftly looked at Y/N's.

"But she's asleep." "That's okay. She won't mind. I'm sure she wants to finally meet her daddy," Y/N said sweetly to him.

At first, he was terrified, but after leaning over and taking the tiny baby into his arms, Folio had never felt more happy and complete as he did right then. She fit perfectly in the cook of his arm, all bundled up in her tiny pink blanket. Her little button nose and small thin lips were like those of a baby doll, and for a brief moment, Folio thought he might accidently break her. And that's when he broke. Tears ran down his face as he cried, gazing upon the face of his little girl, and he sniffed and sniffed as the tears fell onto her blanket.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Y/N asked gently.

At first, Folio just shook his head, unable to speak.

"Hey, come here, come sit with me," she patted the spot on the bed in front of her.

"Talk to me, Nick. Tell me what you're thinking."

"I thought I lost you," he said, his voice breaking. "I didn't know what happened to you when they took you back through those double doors."

Y/N's shoulders fell.

"Babe, oh no, I'm so sorry," she apologized, laying her forehead on her husband's shoulder and placing her hand on his thigh.

"I waited for over an hour and no one could or wouldn't tell me anything. I didn't know what to think. When they told me that the baby was breached, it almost killed me. I knew back at the house that something didn't feel right when I laid my hands on your belly, but I wasn't prepared for everything that happened. I just..."

Folio hung his head, weeping quietly. His shoulders shook as he hugged his daughter to his chest, silently thanking God that she was okay.

"Nick, baby, I'm so sorry you went through all of that," Y/N apologized, choking up on her words. "Everything on our end went okay; just really fast. They told me she was breached and that made everything make sense. I wasn't really scared about the surgery, but just freaked out because you weren't with me. They told me you couldn't be because it was an emergency procedure. But I didn't feel anything and it was all over quicker than I realized."

Folio nodded, wiping his nose on the should of his shirt before placing a kiss on his daughter's head.

"Where do I lay her?" "Right here," Y/N told him, pointing to the rolling bassinet next to her.

Nick laid the baby down, caressing her little cheek before leaving her to find his wife. He stood over her, admiring the face he loved so much, thankful that they were finally together again. Y/N carefully scooted over some and Nick climbed in, throwing his arm around her shoulder where she settled in comfortably. Having him close to her again made Y/N feel complete.

"I love you, Nick. "I love you, too Sweetheart, and our little angel." "I realize she needs a name, right?"

Nick could hear the smile in her voice.

"Any ideas?" "No. You?" "Not yet. Let's get to know her a little first." "She needs one before we leave the hospital."

Folio smiled, kissing his wife's forehead.

"She'll have one."

Y/N grinned, burying herself deeper into Folio's side where she fell asleep almost instantly.

[aishangotome]

Azel Radwan: Romantic Ending Epilogue

Chapter 25

Thank you @passthechloroform for providing the script for this chapter!

We reunited in Acroite and said "goodbye" once more, each of us needing to fulfill our duties.

But this wasn't a "goodbye" forever, so there were no tears. Though tinged with loneliness, we began to move forward, this time with determination.

The days of pausing and hanging my head were over.

Some time passed after that—

Azel: This is completely useless. Start over.

Kamal: What?! How many times do you think I've rewritten this?!

Azel: It's your fault for only bringing me bills full of holes.

Azel: Even if it's outside your area of expertise, think from multiple angles. As it stands, there will inevitably be those who profit and those who suffer losses.

Kamal: Ugh... Azel, you used to draft bills so easily. I guess that really was amazing.

Enis: Of course it was. If you think we can do it just like him, you're in for a rude awakening.

Enis: Let's take it one step at a time. Kamal has only recently returned to public service.

Kamal: Sigh... I understand why people want to rely on divination.

Azel: I'll still give you an oracle if you pay me. At a special price.

Kamal: No thanks. Your divination fees are so exorbitant, I'd go bankrupt in an instant.

Enis: By the way, Kamal, how long do you intend to continue with this "older sister" act?

Enis: Now that the exile order has been lifted, there's no need to disguise yourself anymore, is there?

Kamal: I like it. Because, you know, I'm really beautiful, right?

Azel/Enis: ......That's true... / ......You are.

Kamal: Oh my, thank you! I'm so happy to have such honest little brothers.

Azel: Putting aside such trivial matters, how long do you intend to stay hidden?

(He noticed after all.)

I shift my body, which had been hiding behind a pillar, waiting for their conversation to end.

I meet eyes not only with Azel, but with Kamal and Enis as well.

Kamal: Oh, it's that time already. Miss Emma, long time no see.

Emma: It's been a while. I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation.

Azel: These two are the ones interrupting.

Kamal: Did you hear that, Enis? That misogynistic Azel is bragging so openly about his love life.

Enis: Was he bragging?

Kamal: Because he's saying, "I want to spend time with you alone as soon as possible. I don't want to be disturbed by anyone!"

Enis: That's true.

Azel: No, I'm just fed up with the sheer number of consultations you two have about official duties.

Azel: Listen, I'm already dead. Don't keep relying on a dead god.

Kamal: I know, but you're so competent, Azel. It's hard for us mere mortals to fill your shoes.

Azel: That being said, don't come back again.

Kamal: Could you at least show a little remorse?

My two older brothers don't seem to intend to stay long and start walking towards the exit.

But when they pass me, they stop dead in their tracks.

Enis: Miss Emma, have you thought about that matter?

Emma: Yes. I've discussed with the owner about opening a bookstore in Tanzanite and received permission.

(That's why I came to Tanzanite this time.)

The first thing people did when they started walking in a world without God was to seek knowledge.

The era when divination provided answers without the need for thought was over, and people were desperately flocking to the few bookstores that remained.

To improve the situation, His Majesty the King, Enis, has begun inviting book merchants to settle in the country.

This time, the owner was chosen and has been approached with an offer to open a bookstore with the support of the nation.

(But the owner is a merchant who wants to travel, so he wasn't keen on opening a Tanzanite branch.)

(...Until I raised my hand.)

Emma: I'd like to discuss various conditions...

Enis: Let's make time right now. Let's go together—

Azel: I'll handle the contract procedures. Enis, you have other things to do, don't you?

Azel, who had somehow appeared behind me, places his hands on my shoulders.

I sense an unspoken pressure from him saying, "Don't go with him."

Enis: Kamal, not again.

Kamal: He's saying, "Don't take my Emma away," right? Oh my!

Azel: Yes, you don't need my help anymore, then. That's a relief. Never come to the temple again.

Kamal: I'm sorry. But you should be a little more honest with yourself.

Kamal: No girl would feel bad about being loved.

Azel: ...>:(

Kamal: See you later then. Miss Emma, let's have a tea party together another day.

Enis: I'll take my leave as well. Miss Emma, I appreciate you considering this proposal.

Perhaps sensing Azel's pressure, this time they disappear beyond the sand clouds without stopping.

(It suddenly became quiet.)

Azel: ...What's with that big luggage?

Perhaps feeling awkward as well, Azel hurriedly breaks the silence by pointing at the luggage I had left by the pillar.

Emma: Actually, I'm having trouble finding a place to live.

Emma: I've been invited to the castle, but it's not very relaxing, so would it be alright if I imposed on you here again?

Azel: I'm in debt to you anyway. I can't disobey you, can I?

Emma: Of course, if you don't like it, I can rent a place in town—

Azel: You can stay here.

With a swift motion, he picks up my luggage, and Azel strides off into the depths of the building.

But after taking a few steps, he realizes I'm not following and turns around.

(Does this mean I can live here?)

(Before, he never even bothered to check on me like this.)

I desperately try to hide my surprise and run after him, not wanting Azel to get sulky.

Emma: Thank you very much. But I feel bad taking over part of your room like before...

Emma: I was thinking of cleaning one of the rooms and using it.

Azel: It would take years. Give up on that.

Emma: I have plenty of time.

Azel: The ceiling might collapse in places that haven't been repaired, you know?

Emma: That's a little scary... but actually, I found a good spot when I was exploring the temple before.

Azel: That place is sealed off now.

Emma: ...I haven't even said which place it is yet, have I?

Azel: A god knows these things.

Emma: You said yourself before that gods are ordinary people, Prince Azel.

Azel: I don't recall saying that.

Emma: ...Could it be that...

Azel: No.

Emma: You don't want to be apart from me for even a moment—

Azel: That's why I said no!

Emma: Eek...!

The feeling of having my cheeks pulled after so long made me a little happy.

Azel: ...Well, if you insist, I'll make you a room.

Azel: But you can only use that room from morning till evening.

Emma: Why is there a restriction?

Azel: The desert nights are cold.

Emma: I know that.

Azel: ...That's why.

(...?)

Azel, who had been walking with me, suddenly starts walking ahead, leaving me behind.

Emma: Wait!

Azel: Why should I wait?

(He said I can't use the room at night because it's cold, which means...)

Emma: Is this what you wanted to say?

I reach out to Azel and hug him tightly from behind.

(I already know this warmth.)

(Because I've experienced it so many times.)

Emma: That's right, you might be just right as a substitute for a blanket at night.

Azel: ...That's not it, but if that's what you want to think, then interpret it however you like.

Emma: You really aren't honest, are you?

Azel: I'm always honest.

Emma: But I also like that part of you that absolutely refuses to be honest.

Azel: ...

Azel turns around and looks down at me.

I feel like his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but no words come out.

(...What was he about to say?)

-

After enjoying a meal together for the first time in a while, we finished our nighttime preparations, and the evening hours arrived.

With the bookstore opening discussions concluded, I took out the alcohol I had bought in town from my bag.

Emma: Actually, I brought some alcohol as a souvenir.

Azel: What are you scheming?

Emma: ...You suspect my goodwill is a scheme? How cruel.

Azel: Am I wrong?

(As expected of Azel...)

Of course, choosing alcohol as a souvenir wasn't a whim.

Emma: Since we'll be living together again, I thought I'd like to have a heart-to-heart talk with you first.

Emma: You're not very honest, so I thought we could have a real talk with the help of alcohol.

Azel: Why should I go along with something like that?

Emma: ...Because I'm uneasy.

Emma: You're easy to understand, but you never express yourself in words.

Emma: I want to make sure I'm not doing anything you dislike without realizing it.

(Precisely because he's Azel, who has been troubled by the violence of love, I want to be sure.)

(I want to make sure that barging into the temple wasn't a nuisance, that my presence isn't a burden...)

Emma: I'll go make something to drink—

As I try to move away, he grabs my hand.

Azel: ...What about you?

Emma: Me?

Azel: There are still things I don't understand about you.

Azel: ...I'm afraid that before I know it, I'll become the perpetrator...

Azel: ...

Azel: No, forget it.

Azel lets go of my hand and takes out alcohol cups from a nearby shelf.

(...I thought he wouldn't honestly admit his love because he was embarrassed.)

(But in reality, precisely because he's been tormented by love, he's afraid to acknowledge it.)

(He's afraid that he might be unconsciously inflicting violence on me too...)

(Even though he knows it's different, maybe there are wounds that haven't healed.)

Emma: Prince Azel... Do you remember what I said when you forced that debt on me?

Azel: That I'm an evil god?

Emma: Not that...

*flashback*

Emma: Even if I'm in debt, I'll say no to things I don't like.

Emma: Don't think I'll just obey everything you say.

*flashback over*

Azel: —Ah, you did say that, didn't you?

Emma: That's the kind of person I am.

Emma: I'll say no to things I don't like. Of course, I'll also say yes to things I do like.

Emma: I don't intend to hold back, even if you're a former god.

Emma: That's why... I'd be happy if you loved me a lot.

Emma: Like Kamal said, no one feels bad about being loved.

Azel: ...

Azel turns his back to me and silently pours the alcohol into the cups.

Then, after taking a sip, he returns to my side.

Emma: Of course, you can also say no to things you don't like, Prince Azel—Whoa?!

Suddenly, he scoops me up and throws me onto the bed.

Before I can sit up, Azel leans over me and lightly pecks my lips.

Azel: How is this?

Emma: Uh...

Azel: You'll say no to things you don't like, right?

He gently nibbles at my neck, and my body heats up.

It's not an unpleasant heat; I tremble at the unfamiliar sensation, but I'm not afraid.

Emma: ...I don't... dislike it...

Azel: Very well.

(Come to think of it... Doesn't Azel become a kiss-demon when he's drunk...?)

By the time I remembered this, it was already too late. He continued to kiss my neck and slowly went down my collarbone, then trailed onto my chest over the negligee.

Emma: Nn... Um...

Azel: Ah... kisses and hugs were part of the payment terms, weren't they?

Emma: ...If I request them, will you provide them?

Azel: I'm already broke, burdened with a debt I can't repay even in a lifetime.

Azel: It doesn't matter if it increases a little more now.

Emma: Ah...

When he took my nipple into his mouth, I couldn't possibly remain calm.

A strange sensation welled up inside me, and I instinctively turned over to hide my breasts.

Azel: Why are you running away? I just want to kiss you...

Emma: It's embarrassing... Ah... Nn...

He pulls down my negligee halfway, and his lips touch my exposed back.

He kisses me greedily, over and over again, and the chill of the desert night fades away.

Emma: Nn... I thought... you disliked this sort of thing...

Azel: I only dislike women driven mad by aphrodisiacs.

Azel, transformed into a kiss-demon, places a kiss behind my ear and whispers.

Azel: This is what normal lovers do, right?

(...!)

(He finally acknowledged that we're lovers.)

(...The power of alcohol is truly great.)

His large hand caresses my leg, and—

Emma: W-wait, I'll drink some alcohol too!

Azel: Huh?

Emma: I don't dislike it, but... at this rate, I feel like I'm going to go crazy with embarrassment...!

Taking advantage of an opening, I slip out of Azel's arms and grab the alcohol cup that was on the table.

Azel: Ah...

Since there was still some left in it, I drank it all in one gulp. The sweet and refreshing liquid slid smoothly down my throat.

(Delicious...)

(...Huh?)

Emma: This doesn't seem to be the alcohol I brought...

Azel: ...

Emma: ...! There are two bottles.

The bottle cleverly hidden under the table was my souvenir, and the bottle in front of me, upon closer inspection, was just a normal drink made with fruit from the desert country.

Emma: When did you switch them...?

Azel: ....................

Emma: ...So you're not... drunk...?

Azel: ...Is that bad?

Azel turns away from me.

Azel: I'm not so much of a scumbag that I would take advantage of you while drunk.

Azel: ...Well, I think I did make a move on you before, but that was an accident.

Emma: ……

Emma: Hehe…..

Azel: If you have the composure to laugh, then I won't hold back either.

He pulls me close, and with a swift motion, my already slipping negligee falls to the floor. A scream almost escapes my lips, but it's muffled by a kiss.

Emma: Ah...Nn...

This kiss, which held a hint of hiding his embarrassment, is deeper and more insistent than before.

As I desperately tried to resist him, his large hand comes up and wraps around my breasts, fingers squeezing the tip.

Unable to resist the surging waves of sensation, I felt a strange discomfort in my lower abdomen and tightly gripped Azel's clothes.

Azel: What's wrong?

Emma: Don't say "what's wrong"...

Emma: My body... feels strange...

Azel: It feels strange, but you don't dislike it, right?

(...Well...)

His hand slips between my legs, teasing a sensitive spot, and my hips buck in response.

I desperately bite back the moans that threaten to escape, but he might have heard them anyway.

Emma: Ah... Please don't hate me even if I start acting strange, okay?

Azel: ...

Azel: Are you stupid?

Emma: Ah...

His fingers push into uncharted territory, making squelching sounds.

Azel: —...You'd be cute no matter what you do.

Along with the rising pleasure, a small voice reaches my ears...

(Real love makes me this happy, huh?)

.

.

.

Romantic Ending Letter

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[atowncalledher]

I live in bumfuck nowhere in the mountains, and we've had an inch or more of snow on the ground at any given time since early November, and it will stay until at least March. It will probably snow in April as well, but it won't stick around as long. If you're going outside, boots and thick wool socks basically a requirement. Any sort of smaller shoe will leave you with wet feet. Long pants are important, and if I'm going outside for any length of time I will wear either really thick pants or a separate layer underneath (in that case, I usually tuck it into my socks to keep my feet warm. I also usually wear some sort of undershirt that is tucked into my pants for the same reason.) There are also gaiters, which are a piece of clothing that wraps around your lower leg and over the tops of your boots that you can use to keep snow and ice from getting in. Getting snow in your shoes is the worst, and if left for a long time it can cause real issues (like frostbite).

Gloves and hats are super important, but scarves are honestly optional. It will help keep your next warm, but I have like mid-length hair and that usually keeps my next warm enough. With short hair it might be more important though. Another benefit of scarves is that you can pull them over your face if it's really cold, but for me I don't feel the need unless it gets below like, 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mudrooms are definitely real, and unless you take off your boots right when you walk in to your home you WILL track snow and mud all over the floor and it will melt, and then your floor will be gross and wet. Snow is very sticky, but ice is much more of a problem when you're out and about. As long as you bundle up well enough and you keep all the snow outside of your clothes you can walk through it well enough (though really high snow can take a while to get through and lifting your leg that high to walk will tire you out really quickly. This is why people invented snow shoes). Ice will make you slip and fall, and can be really hard to get back up depending on the situation. Snow boots will usually have more grip to deal with this, and putting sand on top of the ice helps a LOT as well. You can also get things to go on the bottom of your boots that have little spikes on them that help a lot as well (although the spikes tend to push back up on your feet a little, which I find really uncomfortable).

Black ice is a problem, and it can be hard to see, but people that live in a place will usually know where it will form, and which areas (roughly) will be a problem. Ice will melt in the sunlight (even if the temperature is still below freezing), which means that some places will keep being icy for longer than others. (IE on a hill, if one side gets a lot of sunlight in the morning, then the ice might melt on that side while the other side is still icy and dangerous). But in general, as long as you know how to walk on ice (it's a bit of a learned skill, but generally just move slowly and carefully) you will be fine. I've also seen people with walking sticks (usually with a little metal spike on the bottom to stick into the ice) to help with balance.

During the winter, snow will fall and stick around for weeks. It will slowly diminish over time, but it will snow again before it goes away completely. Once you get into early spring, snow might fall but will probably only stick around for a few days at most. A lot of times, natural condensation will form overnight and then freeze, so in the late winter/early spring (when you stop having a constant layer of snow on the ground) you'll get some ice on the ground that will have melted away by midday (although on cooler or cloudy days it might stick around a bit longer). At this point, with temperatures regularly in the 20-30s Fahrenheit, I wear a lot less layers. In the middle of winter I'm wearing about five layers on my upper body (undershirt, shirt, hoodie, fleece, and an outer coat. I work outside for the most part. Important to note that if I go inside I'll take off most of the layers. Inside is usually just a shirt and hoodie) and two layers on my legs. In the late winter/early spring I'll often only wear a shirt, hoodie, and outer jacket on my upper body. Hats and scarves are optional at this point and are mostly just for fashion.

This is part of like the three to four weeks between the cold snowy part of winter and "proper" spring (there's also this period at the end of autumn. As much as the four seasons are the same length, the actual weather doesn't match up. The stereotypical "spring" and "fall" weather only actually last about a month). A day can start around 20 degrees Fahrenheit and then be well over 40 degrees Fahrenheit by 2-3 pm, and then drop down again during the night. We wear so many layers so that we can take them off as necessary.

It's also important to note that there are a lot of different kinds of snow. Sometimes it's really fluffy and light, sometimes it's wet and dense. Sometimes it will stay nice and crunchy, and sometimes it will pack down and freeze over and pack down and freeze over again and again. I'm sure that this has something to do with the amount of water in the air and the temperature differential between the ground and the clouds, but honestly I have no idea and whatever kind of snow we get is what we get. The important thing to remember is that snow can get really fucking heavy.

Packed down snow it often a little easier to walk on than freshly fallen snow. Snow will naturally kind of melt off of asphalt (especially when you put salt on it. Every time it snows around here we have big snow plow trucks that go around pushing it off the road and spreading salt and sand behind them) but snow sticks around on dirt. What often happens, if you have a path that you want to keep walk-able, you will remove most of it and then there will be a relatively thin layer over the dirt that keeps getting packed down over the whole season (these bits of packed down snow will melt slower than untouched snow, so in the spring you sometimes get patches of snow where those paths are when everything else has already melted off.) This bits can get slippery, but throwing some sand on them will fix that.

Once it's finally spring, and the snow that has built up on the ground all winter finally melts, then it's mud season because that's a lot of fuckin water. Where I am, driving down a dirt road during mud season can leave tracks in the road inches deep. Step in that and you'll leave similar tracks (and your feet will get wet). This will last, like, the whole month of April. It sucks so much because going anywhere means trudging through so much mud. Boots are also mandatory for this season, although anywhere with paved or stone walkways will be mostly fine. This is when mudrooms are really important. Tracking snow in will make your floor wet, but it will eventually dry and you will be left with only a little bit of crud on the floor. Mud leaves a much bigger mess. In the mud, walking up a hill really really sucks because every step will slip back a little. Mud can be more slippery than ice sometimes. Cars can and will get stuck in the mud, and after mud season is over, the roads will have huge ruts and potholes in them and they will have to be repaired.

There's also freezing rain, although that usually happens more in the fall. Freezing rain happens when it's freezing cold on the ground level bit not up in the clouds, so you get rain falling, gradually freezing, and then more rain falling on top of it, leaving you with water on top of ice which is so slippery.

Also something fun is when you get a lot of ice on the ground, and then it snows on top of that a few days later, it can be really hard to tell what spots still have ice in them. That can be very dangerous, as the snow sometimes makes the ice more slippery (depending on what kind of snow it is).

Another fun thing that happens in the winter is ice fishing! Starting about this time of year, as long as the lakes have frozen over enough to walk on safely, people will start setting up little tents and stuff on the lakes around here and start ice fishing. I've never been involved (seems really boring) but it happens a lot here (we have a lot of small lakes).

My favorite thing about winter (and it happens a lot more in the late winter/early spring) is stepping on the edges of a patch of ice and getting a delightful crunching sound as it breaks.

Also, being as far north as I am, the sun sets early for the whole time between like. End of November to the middle of February? smtg like that. We get like maybe ten hours of sunlight and that's it. Shorter up until the winter solstice, then gradually getting longer again, but not past six pm until like. March.

Homes are also typically kept at a colder temperature than warmer climates. My mom keeps it a little lower than other people but in her house the heat is usually set to 62 degrees during the day. Use a lot of blankets and where hoodies. People typically also typically heat their homes with wood stoves on top of oil/gas heating. You keep some wood in your home, and then you have a lot stored in like a wood shed or similar covered area. Keeping the wood off the ground and covered is really important to keeping it dry. Putting wet wood in your wood stove will fuck your whole day up. If your wood is damp, you leave it near the stove while it's going to help dry it off, it's just good practice. When you're using a wood stove, you need to clear out the ashes from it as well. I think my mom does it every morning, and then saves it for her... compost pile??? I'm not sure. A lot of people around here spread it over icy spots in front of their day like sand.

Other relatively uncollected thoughts

if you are out in the cold for a long time, your fingers and toes will get cold first. If you are wearing gloves and thick socks it means that your core is too cold and is stealing heat from the rest of your body. Add another layer to your core and it will help.

Your head loses a lot of heat. More than you would expect. Wear a hat.

If you are out in the cold, do not under any circumstances get wet. Staying dry is incredibly important to avoid hypothermia and frostbite.

Do not touch metal with bare skin in freezing temperatures.

Elevation has a big effect on the amount of snow that falls and the amount of snow that sticks around. The town that I work in is about 100 feet higher above sea level than the town I live in, and it gets inches more snow.

Snow sticks together. As snow slowly slips off of a rooftop, it will form an overhang. This overhang can get like a foot long, and can fall unexpectedly.

Idk if this will have any bearing on your story, but in a very rural mountain area like I live in, power lines go down all the top. Practically every snow storm. People around here have generators. This is part of why you have wood stove. So you can still keep warm when other more modern heating methods fail. If you don't have a wood stove, and are in a situation where you have no other way to stay warm, you put on all of the clothes that you own. Extreme cold can get you fast.

On a related note, a lot of houses around here are manufactured homes, and heating by an oil furnace. This means that the oil tank is outside of the home, and you have to fill it with a different more expensive kind of oil so it won't freeze on you.

Similarly, if your water pipes aren't kept warm enough the water inside can freeze and explode the pipe.

Ice is incredibly strong and impossible to contain. If you have a sealed container with liquid inside, it will freeze in the cold. If there is not enough room inside for the ice, it will explode.

I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my lunchbox the other day that was outside with me for a few hours, and some of the water inside the jelly froze and it was kind of crunchy when I ate it. A bit of a strange experience, but water inside food will also freeze in the cold.

Contrary to popular belief there is in fact snow in California and I have been to the snow. For most Californians we’ve gotta visit the snow. We go to the snow, the snow doesn’t come to us. There are some Californians who live in the snow but they live in really rural areas in the mountains or far up north.

All of this is to say that I’ve seen snow. I’ve walked in snow. I’ve kept warm in a snowstorm. I’ve slipped on black ice and seen The Slush but I haven’t lived it long term.

So part of the book I’m writing takes place in the bit of winter just before spring when there’s The Slush and black ice forms overnight and I’m having to Google some things like do you have to prepare a house for snow and are mud rooms real and at what point is a scarf mandatory for your lungs to not freeze over and can there be snow and spring at the same time I’m not sure

[paddedlittleparadise]

"Baby's First Christmas" – Ream Teaser

Ever wonder what happens to good little cuckqueans during their first Christmas? Let mommy domme Corinne explain…

–––

"Welcome, welcome! Come on in, folks! It's cold as heck out there, isn't it? Sure, shoes off if you want…"

It's my first Christmas Eve as official lady of the house, and god am I loving it! Henry agreed to let me hold a party for our close friends tonight, and as our glittering tree and wealth of festive decorations make plain, that was all the license I needed to go all out. Honestly, why not? I'm not just Corinne anymore. I'm Mrs. Henry now: housewife, sexily attired hostess, interior decorator, party planner…

Oh yes. And also the capable second mother to Amy. Amy, Henry's former wife… who just earlier this year officially became our ward.

But that's all beside the point right now. Here are our good friends Dawn and Eli, rosy-cheeked and laughing, shrugging out of their coats and scarves and boots in the entryway while I bubble and effuse about how wonderful it is to see them. And I mean it, too! Not only are they going to bring a much-needed dose of socialization to our little household, but they're also going to be amazing interacting with Amy. Because, well…

"Exactly!" I bubble, leading them out into the gloriously festive living room. "It's her first Christmas Eve party since all the changes, you know. Here, where did she crawl off to? Amy! Amy, come out and say hi to our guests!"

Oh, there she comes: dragged reluctantly out of the hallway by my handsome Henry, her sweet Mary Jane shoes scraping and sliding unwillingly along the linoleum. She's done up exactly as I envisioned, too. I mean, just look at that adorable holiday outfit I put together for her! That red-and-green plaid dress! those matching hair ribbons for her pigtails! those frilly socks! those fluffy petticoats! that adorable diaper bum and frilly diaper cover peeking out with every step!

None of it is the sort of thing a twenty-something-year-old woman would normally wear, of course. But by now, every person here knows that Amy is no ordinary young woman.

"Aww! OMG, Corinne – she looks so freaking adorable! You gotta tell me where you got that outfit! And those socks?!" Dawn is squealing like a little girl herself – or rather, like the amused and extroverted girl friend I've always known her to be. Now she's stepping forward, hugging our blushing Little, who waddle-stumbles forward uncertainly into her old acquaintance's embrace. "Hey, there, sweetie! Don't you look festive? Are you excited that Santa will be coming tonight?!"

"Oh, she is," I interject. Amy's pacifier is dangling from the ruched front of her dress, and I stuff it into her mouth to stifle any protests. "It's been soo freaking cute, how excited she is for the holidays! See, earlier this week she wanted to get Christmas presents for me and Henry. But like, she's not exactly in any position to be buying anyone much of anything! So, we worked out a deal: Henry helped her make something for me and wrap it, and I did the same! So now she's got two darling little presents for us over there under the tree…"

I pause, feeling a flutter of delight as I glance down at the diminutive Amy, gazing up at us both with pacified mouth and cheeks pink with embarrassment. "Here, Amy. Why don't you go show Dawn all the presents? Go on, show her…"

Nor is Dawn's enthusiasm lacking. "Ooh – and we can tuck a few more under there, too! See, sweetie? We brought a few little things for you and your parents, too!"

And off they go. God, it's so sweet and laughable seeing my Amy waddling off to the tree. She was complaining like crazy when I was dressing her earlier this afternoon, of course. All fussy with her whines of "noo, I don' wanna diaper! I wanna wear pull-ups!" – as if she was remotely qualified to even try training pants anymore.

Fortunately, even Henry knows better than to listen to her and her silly whimpers. He has my back – which is why he didn't so much as blink when I wrapped her up in those double-thick and double-boosted Megamaxes. "After all, babe," I'd smiled serenely at Henry over her struggling whimpers, "I won't have time to change her during the party. Better safe than sorry!"

Anyway, it's frickin' cute, that ponderous waddle of hers. But busy as I am with the hundred and one things waiting for me in the kitchen, the most I can do right now is call over my shoulder to the trio of adults around the tree. "Hey – when you can, can one of you just check to see if she needs a change?"

It'd take Niagara Falls to soak that diaper she's got on. I know it well. But what's Christmas without a bit of fun? And god, there's little more fun than watching my husband's silly, juvenile little ex-wife blushing and squirming while everyone around her treats her exactly like the baby she deserves to be.

So yeah – it's no surprise when I hear a faint "Oh, yeah – wet. But she'll be good for a lot longer yet!"

In my imagination, the blush in her cheeks is probably just as beet red as the shine on these beautiful cranberries.

[…]

Want to read more? We've got the rest, plus many, many other stories all up on the PaddedLittleParadise Ream for your steamy pleasure!

[wolfsong-the-bloody-beast]

@ghost-type-eevee

I can't believe somebody's actually asking for more of my rambling. That's so nice of you to say, though! Have a picture of Alistair with a lamppost I made in the DAO Toolset years ago, just because.

(Except, I don't think there are metal lampposts in Origins, so this one had to do, haha.)

As for Alistair and the Wardens, he definitely also thinks they're the good guys. Though with him, I think his beliefs come from a different dimension than Blackwall's and Wynne's.

Alistair is very young in Origins. He's 20 at best. Most importantly, though, the game gets extensively into how lonely his whole childhood was. How because he was a bastard child, he was given away to Arl Eamon as a little boy. How that was the only family he truly had back then, yet he wasn't even allowed to build a proper connection with him, because Eamon's wife didn't want him around. She was too worried he might make her look bad, and that was more important than the little boy's wellbeing. The old fool Eamon caved and gave him away. Yet again, he was abandoned. But even before that, he spent his time lonely, with Eamon's dogs for company. So, he ended up in the Chantry, undergoing training to be a templar, effectively trapped in an organization that he didn't like (And which he saw for what it was! How scary is that?), training for a job he didn't want to do. Awful place for a child. Even more awful when you know you might have to spend your whole life there. And you'd think he'd find friends there - surely there must have been other kids around his age? But coming from Arl Eamon, the other kids thought he was putting on airs, he said, so he was alone yet again. He grew up like this. Saying that it must have been absolutely miserable, probably doesn't even begin to cover it, I think.

And then... Duncan came and got him out. Impossible to imagine what that must have been like. Alistair makes it clear he genuinely believes that Duncan saved him, that he did it out of the goodness of his heart. Not only that, but Duncan also became his father figure. Among the other Wardens, he found friends, brothers. Finally, probably for the first time in his life, he had a social circle, he had company, friends. Duncan is the closest thing he'd ever had to a father. Finally, he wasn't alone.

And, in the end, what's more worthwhile than killing monsters, anyway? It sure beats decapitating terrified young mages.

But you know all that! However, I'm saying all this because... I think his opinions of the Wardens are heavily influenced by that. Especially that. The Wardens are the good guys, because that's how he's experienced them. The Wardens are friends and family. The Wardens make good things happen.

In comparison with Blackwall, though, Alistair is an actual Warden. He lives the reality of it. He saw Duncan kill Jory during the Joining ritual. He watched as the new recruits drank what's basically poison with a high chance of killing them. I don't think his ideas of the Wardens are as knightly as Blackwall's, but he still does have a high opinion of them. He would probably agree with Wynne, anyway. In part, I suppose, also simply because Alistair himself is a goody-two-shoes. And with him and the Warden being the only surviving Grey Wardens in Ferelden, who's going to be there to argue proper methods anyway?

Funnily enough, if you have Alistair as the Warden for Inquisition, it is his strong moral compass and common sense, his refusal to follow the principle that the Blight must be defeated by any means necessary, that helps put an end to Corypheus' plans and save whatever is left of the order at Adamant. He was the only one who protested agaist the Wardens making rather dubious allies, to say the least, to the point that the order started hunting him. Which led the Inquisitor to join forces with him, in the end. (Of course, the order also ends up hunting Stroud and Loghain, but I haven't had them in my game yet, so I can't speak for them.)

And yet! Despite all that, he still defends the Wardens in all the arguments they have with Hawke. He just wants the Wardens to be the good guys so much. And all things considered, I guess I can't blame him.

I'm kind of obsessed with Blackwall's idealized ideas about the Wardens. He was once picked up by a Warden and lulled by the promise of atoning for his crimes and turning his life around, only for that opportunity to slip away when the Warden not only saved him, but sacrificed his own life to do it. This whole experience makes our Blackwall become a Warden in heart, if not in blood, but with his own ideas of what a Grey Warden should be - noble, brave, inspiring, heroic, self-sacrificial. Everything he now wants to embody. He knows well that he's not there, but he wants nothing more than to start from scratch and be that.

In his beliefs, he reminds me a bit of Wynne in Origins who tells the Warden at some point that the Grey Wardens are supposed to be more than killing machines and weapons against the blight.

“There’s more to being a Grey Warden than killing darkspawn and saving the world from the Blight. Ultimately, being a Grey Warden is about serving others, about serving all people, whether elves or dwarves or men. As a Grey Warden, you are a guardian of men. And you guard them because their continued existence is more important than you are.”

However, we know that's not exactly how it works. That's what they want the Wardens to be. The light against darkness. The shield against monsters.

Although it's not entirely wrong, either, I suppose, all things considered. The more darkspawn they obliterate and push back, the more people are protected from them. Of course, sacrificing their lives to fight literal monsters, which means those same monsters don't eat everybody's kids, ultimately is heroic, and it's something that must have been born out of the need to protect the world and its inhabitants (from the Blight). But to have idealized opinions of the Wardens to this degree, you have to ignore all the other shady stuff and the mentality we, as players, also know the Wardens for. The fact that the Wardens are primarily weapons to slay darkspawn, prevent and end Blights, by any means necessary. The last part is important. After all, they are the Grey Wardens, not the White Wardens. They recruit from all walks of life and are famous for taking in criminals. Not to redeem themselves and get a second chance at life, but because they usually have nowhere to go and nothing left to lose. It's not a coincidence that each of the Origins gets chosen by Duncan, not only because he sees them as capable, but also because they are in a situation they can't escape from. Either they join the Wardens, or they're done for.

We know the Wardens from a few games now, but does the public in the setting even know? Does the average person have any idea how far the Wardens are willing to go? Besides grand stories of slaying monsters in the dark and preventing the end of the world? Probably not. The order is very secretive. And it explains a lot. The Wardens end up sounding almost romantic, when being a Warden is anything but. Is it ignorance talking out of these characters? Perhaps.

It once again shows us this aspect of Dragon Age where you can't take everything a character says as a fact, because the setting is full of people who have no idea what they're talking about, but who are absolutely convinced that they do.

And yet, I can't help but also like Wynne's and Blackwall's romantic ideas about what the Wardens are or should be, almost knights in shining armour and all that. They're fairy tales, but they're beautiful fairy tales. And I can't fault the characters for wanting to believe it or even live it. Especially in case of Blackwall, who sees it as a way to make up for the crimes he committed, somewhat. In the end, this might actually be a bigger draw to join the Wardens than, "Got nowhere to go? Come suffer horribly and probably die gruesomely with us!" It all sounds great on paper, though. I can't fault Davrin for trying to find purpose in life by becoming a monster hunter, either.

And maybe a little bit of idealism doesn't hurt. Not only it's good motivation, but in the end, doing things by "any means necessary" doesn't always pay off, either. It led the Wardens into all kinds of trouble, like getting tricked into employing dangerous forms of blood magic and demon summoning, basically into doing their enemy's work for them. In their determination to win at any cost, they helped trigger a cataclysmic event. Maybe having some principles isn't so bad after all.

In the end, I can appreciate that we get to see the clash of the old and new blood in Veilguard, where there's hope for the order to transform into an organization that's less secretive, less exclusive, and hopefully less prone to letting corruption spread through its ranks and make other devastating mistakes. Duncan once said that letting people join the Wardens isn't an "act of charity", and I like how Evka and Antoine go, "Yeah, you know what? Fuck that." And that likely inspires more loyalty. I imagine Blackwall would like that.

[shirogane-oushirou]

no promises anymoooooreeeee i'll appear online when i appear online 😭 every time i say "ooh i think life is almost done being overwhelming!" it. becomes even more overwhelming in the dumbest ways. all i can manage rn when i'm not stressing myself into a shut-down state is staring at the wall while listening to youtube essays + mindlessly crocheting.

i might queue up ppls art and fics w/o commentary in the tags... i want other ppl to see what all of my cool friends have made, but i genuinely can't think right now with this monstrous brain fog. i'm really sorry, just. yeah. maybe i'll think of some way to make it up later!!! once the dust has settled!!!! but until then i wuv u and miss u. smiles.

[venting in tags including familial manipulation and ableism. i. didn't mean to write all of that, thiss was originally going to be a main blog post but. aaaaaAAAAAA!!!!!

also no need for replies or anything, i'd turn them off for just the one post if i could kjsndkn, i just needed to get things out and go eep jsjndsfdn ok bye bye bye bye!!!!]

[uncanny-tranny]

On the "darker" side of being comforted by one's immortality (not in the physical, but metaphorical), I've always been comforted by bone needles.

The idea that even after death, you've still been remembered by how you are used. No, bone needles probably weren't used with human bones, but it's a reminder that you aren't just going to... disappear. I'm comforted in the knowledge that I don't end in a "me" but in a "we," in nature. Everything about me is reused material so much more ancient than I am, and knowing that, I feel so much closer to the world.

[anotheruntitledsong]

lowkey reminiscing about how deeply locked in to tumblr I was at age 12. I like picked up DIGITAL ART (something I am and will always be genuinely terrible at) for it and everything

[icewindandboringhorror]

I love all of these goofy product photos where the water bottle is extremely obviously just photoshopped onto a stock image of someone pretending to hold something or whatever.. very convincing..

[magpienoises]

Good Omens has me in a headlock, again. Not that I mind.

I may finally be putting together a cosplay for it, for Halloween. Mostly sourcing premade stuff, since it's close and while I could make the whole thing from scratch in a month, I don't have the money at the moment.

The plan is to make a more screen accurate version for CostumeCon next year along with femme!Sauron. (Oddly fitting I'd choose those two.)

I won't have an Aziraphale to go with my Crowley, but I will have a Shax (my lovely mother!) :)

I haven't cosplayed in so long. Kind of excited, kind of nervous, definitely singing the Good Omens theme song with 'nya' noises while spending entirely too long staring at costumes. Did I say too long? Wait, is there any such thing as staring too long at costumes?