#this hating my art slump sucks though

[bloos-bloo]

Guess who’s also back in an art block 🫠

Meeee- I just need to work on my art style again- praying that art fight helps me with that

[chaoticattt]

I want to throw something so bad rn my dad loves AI and my brother agrees and my mum thinks it is inevitable. I hate this. I hate it so fucking much. The art industry has always been my dream job. When I was little whenever someone asked me my dream job it would be art related. I have poured my heart and soul into it. And this is wrecking everything I have ever cared about. It is stupid (the situation I mean) They don’t understand and they don’t care and I am sick of crying to myself at 1 am over it. I am sorry for ranting. May take this down later

[puddle-nerd]

Healing Warmth

Summary: When you’re sick, Spider makes a great cuddle buddy.

Prompt #10 for my submission for #𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬𝟏𝟒𝐃𝐎𝐋𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

Story Tags: No use of Y/N, Female Reader, Human Reader, Established Relationship, Sick Reader, Spider loves cuddles, Spider radiates heat, Change my mind

Author’s Note: A long time ago, my first ex did this while I was sick, and I felt so loved despite being a sick mess at the time that I wanted to share this with you all. Also, remember, Spider is a sixteen-year-old boy who doesn’t know the healing arts of the Omatikaya so he’s trying his best.

AO3 Link

“I’m fine,” you protested vehemently for the fifth time in thirteen minutes and twenty seconds before a round of violent coughing stormed malevolently up from your lungs and sliced your throat from the inside to add insult to injury. You doubled over beneath your many blankets, curling in on yourself as you choked and gasped and coughed some more until your body was trembling and you felt weak to the point of wanting to pass out. You refused to meet Spider’s knowing dark chocolate gaze and huffed weakly as you slowly slumped back onto your bed. Unfortunately, this – your terrible illness, what usually went by the term ‘head cold’ around the human encampment, which was stupid because you felt it throughout your whole body and not just in your head – was expected because you always without fail got sick annually for, like, two and a half to maybe three weeks when the weather of the Omatikayan forests turned cooler. And you’d already been feeling under the weather for at least a week, though this was the worst of it, so far.

It wasn’t fair.

Spider hardly ever got sick. Not even when he spent time around you while your fever was high, and you felt like you were dying. And even when good ol’ Norm tried to cheer you up at your bedside by explaining that Spider had different chromosomes and genetic makeup that was a little more effective against human ailments than you did, you would just groan and toss a pillow at your adoptive uncle. Good naturedly, of course because the tall human male was a nerd, but you loved him dearly anyway.

“Wanna try that again, my silly little girl?” Spider smirked, crossing his arms over his chest and raising a brow at you.

You flipped him off, your arm trembling when you raised it in his direction.

Spider just laughed, knowing you didn’t actually mean it and uncrossed his arms, coming towards you and crawling up onto your bed until he could flop beside you on top of all of the covers. You groaned at the sudden weight pressing against your over sensitive body but twisted onto your side, anyway, allowing the tall boy to curl up behind you. Your body soaked up the heat radiating off of him like a sponge and it did make you feel better… a little. Of course, that could have also been wishful thinking, too, wanting to spend the day with the boy you cared for deeply, even if you were ill. Still, you knew he had plans today, like most days, and you decided to remind him, just in case he had forgotten. That’s what a good girlfriend did, right?

“You’re gonna be late… Lo’ak’s gonna come looking for you soon if you don’t go meet up with him soon,” you murmured to Spider over your shoulder, “and he’s gonna be upset if you cancel.”

The younger Sully son hated when you took Spider’s attention away from him, but you weren’t sure if it was because Lo’ak didn’t have many friends or because of something else…?

You suddenly started to cough again, though not as violently as before, thank Eywa, and curled in tighter on yourself, your lungs temporarily itching deep within your chest cavity with each ounce of air tickling their insides. Spider, unable to do much, hugged you through the blankets and rubbed at your back before reaching over onto your nightstand and handing you your water bottle. He helped you take a sip, encouraging you to continue to suck up the liquid until you moaned in protest. Carefully, he put your water bottle back and eased your body back down onto the mattress, cuddling up into you once again.

“Lo’ak can survive without me for one day,” Spider muttered. “You might perish this time and I refuse to let my girl die on me.” You scoffed, rolling your eyes, even though he couldn’t see it. And really, you actually did love cuddling with him, whenever you could. Your bedroom door opened and – instead of the blue skinned teenager you were expecting – your mother carefully strolled into the dim room with a small medication bottle and a steaming cup of tea, not even blinking when she noticed the sixteen-year-old boy at your back. “Drink this and take these,” she said before looking at Spider, who helped you sit up once more. The older woman commanded him, “Make sure she drinks lots of water whenever she's awake, please. Whenever he comes around, I’ll tell the Sully boy you’re occupied today.” The blonde teen nodded his head, replying, “Yes ma’am. Thank you.” Your mother smiled and took the empty cup from you, adding, “Try to get some sleep – both of you. Sleep will help you heal faster, baby girl.” “Thanks, Mom,” you nodded, and your boyfriend helped you lay down again. “Thanks, Spider,” you whispered as your mother closed the door about 50% of the way. You pulled his arm around your middle and intertwined your fingers together, adding “For taking care of me.” Instead of answering, he hummed and kissed the hinge of your jaw, snuggling closer to you with a soft sight, holding you tight and secure. With his heat seeping into you, and his arm around you, you drifted off as the medication attempted to get your body back to normal, feeling safe and well loved.

𖥸 · ─────── · 𖥸 · ─────── · 𖥸

Originally Posted: 10 February 2024 Word Count: 900

@crybabies-heart, @cryingwhilereading, @ikeyniofthetayrangi, @erenjaegerwifee, @bambithewriter, @lloreya

AO3 Link

[nyoomfruits]

nyoomfruits masterlist

miscellaneous

my drabbles

fic recs

fave art

—

fics

la douceur de l’été (lando/oscar, 34k, completed)

“Alright, okay,” Lando says, slumping down a little theatrically. “So you’re all just going to leave me down here to rot.”

“No one is leaving you to rot,” George says, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Oh, so, what, are you going to carry me up the mountain then?” Lando counters.

“I’m not going to-“ George starts, but gets cut off by Oscar.

“I can stay.”

--

you love me (but you don’t know it yet) (lando/oscar, 34,5k, completed)

When they get to the McLaren motorhome, his PR rep is already waiting for him in the doorway, arms crossed, eyebrows raised. “We would’ve preferred if you’d told us about your boyfriend beforehand, Lando,” she says, as they make their way inside, glancing at Oscar following behind them. “We could’ve had some contingency plans in place.”

“Well, I would have told you,” Lando says, “I just didn’t know he existed until like 20 minutes ago.”

--

ghost of you (charles/max, 3,5k, completed)

“All right, are you now finally ready to explain why four time world driver champion Charles Leclerc is currently in my living room?” Max says, as Charles towels off his hair.

Charles pauses, lets the towel fall into his lap, stares at Max with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, did you say four time?”

--

where i am going is right where i am (lando/oscar, 18k, completed)

Oscar, Lando likes to tell people, is a slow burn. Unremarkable at first. Almost a little boring. But then he wiggles your way into your life with his croissants and his soft little smiles and then one day you wake up and realize you would conquer worlds, slay dragons, eat spinach puffs, anything just to get him to look at you.

Max, on multiple occasions, has told him that’s a him problem and that not everyone experiences this around Oscar. Lando thinks Max is an idiot.

--

sink your teeth into me (lando/oscar, 5k, complete)

“Yeah,” Oscar says, shrugs. “Would be better if it wasn’t so fucking orange, though.”

“Oscar,” Lando tuts, heading for the door, back to his own driver’s room. “Where’s your team spirit.”

“Dead,” Oscar says, small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, gesturing at the orange coffin as if to say ‘get it?’.

--

love you with the lights on (lando/oscar, 28k, complete)

“I texted him,” Lando says. “He can’t have forgotten about me, I texted him, and he never texted back.” 

 Max shrugs. “Maybe he didn’t know what to say. After all, how do you tell your fuck buddy that you’ve accidentally gone out and acquired a baby?”

--

already home (lando/oscar, 32k, completed)

Lando takes a deep steadying breath. “I think I might be in love with Oscar.” He says, and hates how immediately when he says the words, he knows it’s true.

“Right,” Max says, nodding. “And?”

“What do you mean, ‘and?’” Lando says, a little outraged. “I can’t be in love with him! We’re married! This is like, a disaster waiting to happen!”

--

this feels like falling in love (charles/max, 3k, completed)

Five kisses throughout their lives, and the one that started it all.

--

thinking ‘bout your touch (oscar/lando, 2k, completed)

Lando’s brain gets so occupied by the thought it shouldn’t come as a surprise really, when a few rounds later Oscar says, “Dare.” Lando blurts out, “Let me suck your dick.”

There’s a long, awkward silence in which they just stare at each other, Oscar’s expression completely unreadable. “Uh,” he eventually says. “I think a dare is something I’m supposed to do.”

--

i’ve tasted blood (and i want more) (oscar/lando, 5,5k, completed)

Lando grabs a pillow and hits him with it, while Oscar laughs loudly. His fangs are on full display, white and sharp and pretty. “You know what I mean, you dickhead!”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Oscar says, eyes twinkling. “You want me to use you as a human Capri Sun. You know, like a weirdo.”

“God, you’re making this so much worse than it is,” Lando says, burying his face in his hands. It’s. Well, it’s embarrassing, but Oscar also hasn’t outright said no, so. You know what they say. In for a penny, in for a pound. “So, will you?” And then, just in case, he adds. “Suck my blood?”

--

purring in my lap (’cause he loves me) (oscar/lando, 5k, completed)

The cat thing ends up getting sort of explained in Bahrain, when Lando walks into his driver room and finds a small orange cat sitting on his couch.

Oscar’s cat, presumably.

And he kind of looks like Oscar, too. Slender, lean, and with a slightly grumpy, unimpressed expression on his face. It makes Lando laugh a little. Like owner, like pet, clearly. “Should I just call you Oscat, then,” Lando jokes, giving the cat a little head scratch.

The cat, Oscat, stops rubbing at Lando’s hand and just stares at him instead. Lando would almost say he was looking at him disapprovingly, but it is a cat, so he’s probably just imagining things.

—

glitch (charles/max, 26k+, completed)

Max hums. “Well, at least that means I won’t bump into Charles Leclerc again.”

“Bummer, really,” Daniel says, moving back to his own seat and drinking the little bit of coffee that was still in the cup. “Could’ve been the start of a great love story.”

Lando snorts. “Kids, it all started when I told your father, who had won two World Driver Championships at that point, that he sucked at driving.”

Max sticks his middle finger up at them, and pulls his noise canceling headphones back over his ears. Only two hours left to go, he thinks, wistfully, and goes back to work.

—

heart on your sleeve (charles/max, 5k, completed)

The thing about having a racing helmet that constantly displays your emotions for the whole world to see, is that you kind of get used to it after a while. These days Charles almost forgets it’s even a thing. Almost. But then he goes and falls in love.

—

you’ll be alright (charles/max, 19k+, completed)

Charles is not an idiot. He knows there’s a part of him that has been at least a little bit in love with Max for as long as they’ve known each other. But he’s always been able to shove it down. Burying it under rivalries and competitiveness until it was getting hard to differentiate between love and hate. And that had worked, for a really long time.

And then Max had to go and barge into his life and be really fucking cute with his baby.

—

silly me (to fall in love with you) (charles/max,18k+, completed)

“We’re not asking you to ‘woo’ him,” Christian says, looking pained at having to say the word ‘woo’, “We just need others to think you’ve wooed him.”

“I’m not following,” Max says, frowning.

“A PR relationship,” Poppy explains. “You pretend to date, making the public think you’re all happy and in love. Then you reap the benefits of being in a relationship without actually having to put in the effort or work.”

“Absolutely not,” Max says, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s depressing, I’m not doing that.”

—

you can hear it in the silence (charles/max, 7k+, completed)

“Thanks,” Max eventually says. “For letting me crash.”

“Yeah, yeah, we should definitely do this again sometimes,” Charles says sarcastically, seeming to finally have woken up enough to actually get out of bed.

“No fucking way, once is enough,” Max says, because it sounds a lot better than ‘this is the best I’ve slept in ages and I think it might’ve been because you were next to me’. “Besides. You snore.”

Charles gasps and looks at Max. “I do not.”

He doesn’t. But the complete outrage on Charles’s face is too good to tell him the truth. “Oh, yeah, like a goddamn sawmill. Thought you were going to wake up the whole house.” Max says, and then laughs when Charles lets out an indignant squawk and launches a pillow at his face.

Or, the five times Max and Charles accidentally fall asleep together, and the one time they do it on purpose.

[vitentia]

SAY YES TO HEAVEN .lıllıl.

pairings ━━ rockstar!ellie williams x artist!girlfriend!reader (no physical descriptions used but female pronouns are used)

warnings ━━ little bit of teasing but sfw, teeth rotting fluff

synopsis ━━ you and Ellie came from entirely different worlds. she was all about the limelight, you preferred pen names, she lived for the burns and cramps on her fingers after a long show, while you preferred the satisfaction of finishing a strenuous piece of work. but when Ellie wakes up to find you taking a page from her book, everything makes sense again.

authors note ━━ i needed more fun ellie fics without the smut so I decided to write it myself in case anyone feels the same lol.

Wow.

Ellie’s friends often joke about her beings whipped but, fuck, she’d never felt it until now. Watching your eyes dart back and forth between her position and your canvas was truly a sight to behold. To be honest, she didn’t quite know what was going on when her eyes fluttered open with a blue tinted light casted over the room.

She’d assumed herself dead and was quite comfortable with the heaven she was casted upon, not that she though she’d be in heaven in the first but, hey.

At first, she took a sharp inhale and sat up abruptly, looking around like a madman before your frantic hands waved her down.

“No, no, no, no! Don’t move!” You stood up from your seat across from the couch she was napping on and pushed her on her back.

“Damn, woman! Let me wake up first.” She joked, squinting her eyes as you pushed and prodded at her face to position it just right.

Once you were happy with the pose, you skipped back over to your spot and began dipping your brush into the watercolor paint.

She smiled to herself, “Are you drawing me while I sleep, Mr. Goldberg?”

You gave her a pointed look and continued your simple strokes. “It was golden hour and you looked so calm, sue me.”

“Does this mean I can go back to sleep?”

“No.”

Ellie clicked her teeth but remained still, her eyes tracing over your…everything for the entirety of the time she was laying there. Silence remained a safety blanket over the both of you and, for once, her ears stopped ringing.

“I thought you were in a art slump, what happened?”

You sighed with a shy smile. “You happened.”

“Aww babe-“ she cooed, sitting up on her elbows until you fully moved out from behind the canvas.

“Don’t!-“

“Sorry!” Ellie apologized, immediately going back to her position. Once she was comfortable she gave you a smile. “Better?”

Giving her the “I see you” gesture, you slid back on your chair and switched brushes. “I thought about what you said.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Wh…what did I say?”

“The…the fight we had last week, it had me thinking.” Ellie sucked in a breath, ready to interrupt. “Don’t speak until I’m done, Ellie Williams.” She shut her mouth. “You’re right, I am too…obsessive with my art. Honestly, I think I was so defensive because it’s true. I don’t take risks with my art, I don’t branch out, and when I don’t feel like it’s good I just self implode and hate it and myself. But you’re…not.”

“Well-“

“You’re so confident about everything you do. When you fail or mess up you just…laugh? It blows me away every time. You blow me away, Ellie.” You sighed and put down your brush. “When I came out of the shower and saw you asleep on the couch with the light hitting your face just right, you looked so serene I decided to take a page out of your book. Hence the watercolor.”

When you didn’t speak again, Ellie assumed she could speak now. “Does that mean I can move now?”

You chuckled lightly and stood up, holding your hand out for hers. She took it happily and immediately walked over to the canvas.

“Hang on, I’m not-“ Cut off by Ellie’s gasp, you assumed the worst and cringed, fiddling with your hands.

“Is that what I look like?!” Ellie exclaimed. From her hunched over position, she looked up at you with a childlike wonder in her eyes. “Hell, no wonder your so in love with me. Look at me!”

You gave her a playful glare as she stood to her full height and put her hands on her hips, proudly looking at her work. Ellie smiled widely at you and yanked you into her arms, fully encapsulating you in her entire being as she squeezed away all doubts and fears you still held.

“God, I’m so proud of you. I know it’s not easy for you to let loose but the fact that you did this just for me is unbelievable.” You cuddled into her hug, trying hiding your embarrassment from her eyes until she abruptly pulled away and gripped your cheeks with one hand and staring deeply into your eyes. “I will marry you, you know that?”

You tried to smile but were prevented from that when she pulled you into a kiss, and then another one, and another one, and another one, and-

“Okay, okay, okay! I get it.” You laughed, pulling away from a breath.

Still holding your cheeks, Ellie pulled away with a geeky smile. “We should have kids.”

You gave her a confused look.

“Forget the logistics of it. I just want another you. Forever and ever.” She waved away your confused and turned into laughter, pulling you into another hug.

“Now who’s obsessed, Mrs. Goldberg?”

[marco-newgate]

Marco X CisFem Reader

7

You had initially thought this date wouldn't be so bad. You were wrong.

What you thought had been a Big Lebowski crack when he met you at the bar was actually a jab. He'd never even seen the movie. Who hates on bowling? You didn't mind a little sarcasm, look who you're surrounded by 24/7, but this guy was sort of mean about it.

He's a surgeon and a good one apparently, well known by most of the patrons surrounding you. One of which he got into a heated argument with. The attractive redhead eventually noticed your embarrassment and apologized before going back to his table. Law didn't apologize though; he actually didn't seem to care at all that you were embarrassed by all of the gawking their outburst had caused.

This cocky shit.

Super hot..cocky shit

The server came and picked up your menus. When he turned and asked what you wanted Law spoke instead ordering for you.

"I hope you don't mind." He started, "You seem like the type who will order the cheapest thing on the menu... to be polite or course."

Rude!

Well, there was truth to that but it didn't need to be pointed out.

"Excuse me for a moment." You smiled and stood.

Once you reached the ladies room you fished you phone out of your clutch furiously dialing Nami only to get her voicemail.

"Why would you set me up with this gorgeous asshole?? You are totally gonna pay for this."

Me: Worst. Date. Ever

Ace: Its all in your head. Give the guy a chance.

Ace: you didn't want this to work out in the first place.

Me: shut up

Me: he's a colossal ass

Ace: I'm not rescuing you so give it up and go back to your dinner

Me: I hate your dumb freckled face!

Ace: I love you too my darling sweet best friend

You sighed in defeat tapping your free hand on the counter as you scrolled through your text log and stopped on Marco's name. You could do it, but you also knew he might actually show up. And as much as you wanted him to, you also didn't.

Ace sat on the sofa chuckling to himself.

"What's so funny yoi?" Marco asked rounding the corner.

"Oh F/N was trying to fake emergency her way out of her date." He waved his phone, "I told her she had to suck it up."

"She wouldn't ask if she didn't have good reason, right?" The blond slipped into his favorite teal hoodie that hung by the door.

"She's just being difficult because she didn't want to go in the first place. It's for her own good. You should have seen her before she left." Ace turned to face his brother wiggling his brows.

"That's OK." Marco shrugged.

He'd honestly rather not see you dressed up for a fancy date.

"Where you going?" Ace asked suspiciously.

"The bar. Not that I have to tell you anyway."

_____________

"Will you stop sulking?" Thatch placed a shot in front of his brother.

"I'm not sulking yoi."

"What's up with him?" Shanks nodded toward the depressed blond.

"Nothing." Marco replied.

"He's upset because F/N is on a blind date with Trafalgar Law." Thatch laughed earning a sharp glare from his brother.

"She's hating it by the way." Marco started, "She was texting Ace."

"Not surprising." A female voice chirped from the other side of Shanks.

All three males turned to the pinkette.

"That guy has a terrible attitude. He's super hot though."

"Not helping Bonney." Thatch chuckled.

Bonney shrugged continuing to munch her order of nachos.

Marco spent almost two hours at the bar getting pity drinks from women who thought he'd just been dumped. He sat slumped forward eyes barely open, mentally torturing himself. What if the date took a turn for the better because you decided to give him a chance. A surgeon certainty sounded better than a high school art teacher, right?

Thatch : Can you come get this sad sack?

[[ Image received from Thatch ]]

Me: Yes! I'll be there in 15 or less.

You shook your head at the picture of a completely wasted Marco slouched over Thatch's bar.

"Everything ok?" Law inquired.

"Ah, yeah. Seems my friend got pretty drunk and I need to go pick them up." You smiled retrieving your keys from your clutch.

"I'm sure we'll see each other around." He smirked handing the valet his ticket.

"Sure. Thanks for tonight." You nodded and made your way to the mall parking lot the next block over.

You were so glad to get away from that stuffy place. Tossing your heels in the back seat you shifted into gear and turned onto the main road.

"Over here." Thatch pointed to the end of the bar.

"Hey F/N! You're looking well ~" Shanks winked as you passed.

"Charming as usual Red." You smiled slipping into seat next to the blond, "Oi...pineapple ~"

"Heeeey F/N." Marco smiled turning his sleepy gaze to you, "When did you get here yoi?"

"I'm here to take you home you drunken goon." You laughed.

"I'm n-not drunk." He hiccupped.

"Oh of course not." You stood as Thatch rounded the bar to help you pull him off the stool.

The drive home was quiet until Marco started fumbling with your radio. You didn't mind, you shared the same taste in music. He opted for a Blue October CD that was already in turning it up before slouching back into the seat.

What if we could

Where would we go

If it felt right

Would you want me to know

I would meet you

Would you meet me

Wildly appreciate lyrics for the car ride. You skipped to the next song.

"Sorry yoi." The blond murmured.

"For what?"

"You had to leave your fancy date to get me."

You chuckled, "If anything I should thank you. You saved me from having an awkward 'I'm not coming home with you conversation."

"He was gonna take you home yoi?" He sat up.

"He didn't say it...but I have a feeling that's how most of his dates end."

Marco frowned, "Bonney said he is super hot yoi."

"Well, I can't deny that." You looked at the pouty drunk, "But he isn't my type."

"I see." He relaxed.

"Think you've sobered up enough to walk a little? The boys aren't home and I'm sure pops is asleep." You asked pulling into the drive way and parking.

"Mhm." He hummed heaving himself out of the car.

"I mean I'll help you, idiot." You grabbed your shoes and shuffled to steady him.

"Ya know, you look really nice tonight yoi." He commented snaking an arm around your waist.

"At least someone acknowledges my effort." You laughed, "I thought it was customary to compliment your date."

"He must be blind yoi."

"Thanks." You flushed.

The two of you shambled into the house.

"Where do you want me to drop you? I'm not risking the stairs."

"Couch yoi."

"Your yois are more frequent when you're drunk." You commented earning a flushed glare from the blond, "What? It's cute don't worry."

He seemed more flustered as you plopped down on the sofa together.

"You wanna sleep out here? I'll get you a blanket and some water."

"Yeah thanks." He yawned stretching out.

After getting Marco situated you retired to your room to get comfortable.

What a weird fucking night.

A light tap brought you back to your door. Rubbing your makeup remover wipe over your face you opened it revealing a swaying Marco.

"Sorry yoi... I forgot to give you your shirt." He said far too loudly in the quiet hallway.

"Hush, you'll wake pops." You pulled him into the room.

He held up a small brown bag and plopped down on your bed. You took it and continued to wipe your makeup off taking a seat next to Marco. The plain gray v-neck you'd given him four days ago now had an elaborate turquois phoenix soaring across it.

"Marco this is amazing." You held it up to get a better look at the intricate detail of the curling flames.

"I'm glad you like it." He replied sheepishly.

"Like is an understatement." You wrapped your arms around his neck.

Before you knew it his lips were on yours.

[elxctrics]

"here's a glow at the face of the canyon and a sound blowing 'round says you're nowhere you've ever been before. take a plunge into the colorado river where you feel yourself for the very first time, i knew you'd be a friend of mine."

(—) ★ spotted!! PRESLEY ST. JAMES on the cover of this week’s most recent tabloid! many say that the 45 year old looks like MILO VENTIMIGLIA, but i don’t really see it. while the ARTIST/PHOTOGRAPHER/MUSICIAN is known for being INTUITIVE my inside sources say that they have a tendency to be BROODY i swear, every time i think of them, i hear the song CLARIE AND EDDIE by KINGS OF LEON { he/him / cismale }

  ˗ˏˋ ＊ ‣ 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬    :  

connections || musings || instagram || headcanons

𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓼

name: presley st. james

age: forty five

nicknames: none

date of birth: may 13th, 1978

astrological sign: taurus

place of birth: ouray, colorado

occupation: artist / photographer / musician

voice claim: caleb followill from kings of leon

label: the brooder

positive traits: creative, artistic, deep, talented

negative traits: broody, reclusive, grumpy a perfectionist, 

characters/celebrities she’s like: caleb followill, luke danes from gilmore girls, keith scott from one tree hill, alaric saltzman from the vampire diaries, rufus humphrey from gossip girl, nick carraway from the great gatsby, noah callhoun from the notebook

𝓫𝓲𝓸𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓱𝔂

born and raised in mountain town, ouray colorado, presley was raised as the only son of claire and eddie st. james. 

claire was a singer in a local bar, the leon, and eddie was the owner of said bar and the two had a ‘love at first sight’ kind of love, however their relationship was an incredibly toxic one - filled with jealousy and booze and rage, although they did their best to shield young presley from it.

presley had always been a lone wolf, much too quiet for his own good and never had or kept many friends. he preferred being alone and could often be found painting in his school’s art room or learning instruments in his father’s bar before they opened for the evening.

while he wasn’t the best student, he excelled in the arts and for his thirteenth birthday, his parents got him his first camera and living in such a picturesque little town, he fell in love with capturing it’s beauty and went on to win many photography awards throughout high school.

he loved writing music and singing, too, but after attempting to perform at the school’s talent show and getting all choked up on stage, he realized he was far too shy for that kind of spotlight and preferred to be behind the camera.

when college came around, he got accepted into parson’s school of the arts in new york city and double majored in fine art and photography.

there, he got in with the artsy scene in new york and it wasn’t long before his paintings and photography were hanging in galleries across the city and eventually, the globe.

he was on a high, but art was fleeting, and people were always looking for the next best thing, so it wasn’t long until he had to do what most had to do and sell his soul to hollywood.

he became a world renounced photographer for the rich and famous, shooting vogue covers and the most high profile fashion campaigns and became incredibly sought after in the industry.

however, he felt like it was sucking the life out of him and he hated it, causing him to become rather grumpy and recluse and thus, he turned to drinking, just as his parents did years prior.

while in the heart of his creative slump just last year, he lost both of his parents within six months of one another and truly hit rock bottom, feeling as though life meant nothing and turned to writing to get him out of it.

after getting a little too drunk at a bar one night with his friends, he drunkly performed one of the songs he had written in the presence of all of his industry friends and after hearing his deep, raspy unique voice, they pushed him to start taking music seriously, which he did, since had nothing left to lose. 

he got a group of his buddies together and formed the band ‘kings of leon’ - named after the leon bar that his father owned in their small town.

now,  after the release of his debut album ‘only by the night’  and riding on the high of the success of his singles ‘sex on fire’ and ‘use somebody’, he’s in a better headspace and has a newfound confidence in himself that he didn’t before.

he still works on photography projects on the side, since that’s where his heart is, and still very much spends late night hours in his studio trying to paint something great again.

[hobisexually]

Sooo I don’t know how you’re feeling right now and if you can relate but lately I feel like I’ve just been working allll the time and don’t have any time to think and pause? I’m 30 years old, single since forever I guess, and life just keeps on flowing without anything really happening apart from work. I get home, eat, watch some series or something, go to sleap and repeat? And I want to change things up but I just really don’t have the energy to??

hiya darling, ironically enough I didn’t answer this yet because… I didn’t have any time to think and pause dndnd

no, but, I understand you, I really do. I felt the same for a really long time and even though I really love my job, and I would probably still do it even if I was a millionaire, the repeat and the being so wiped out from giving everything at work was too much for me. especially with covid in between, the only thing I focussed on was work (because all social events were out of the question, and if they weren’t they were out of the question for me specifically because I was really very fucking terrified about getting covid so I cancelled almost everything). work was all I had so I gave it my everything and then realised I didn’t want to live life like this

the problem is, though, that we also have something to prove? especially when you’re young and just starting out (30 is still young and at the beginning of your career) so I gave myself some goals and some time and then started looking into ways I could do work a little easier. what I found was that I was much happier when I worked four days a week instead of five but I realise that’s not a possibility for everyone because we need the money, but maybe you can look into working 4x9? Or 36 hours instead of 40? because even only working Friday mornings rather than the whole Friday makes a difference for me

and I also made myself do at least one fun thing during the weekend or at night during the week. fun can mean anything that’s relaxing to you — sports, art, shopping, meeting up with friends, partying, or just going for a walk through nature. I know how hard it is to do anything when you’re this tired and when work and society demands this much of you but when the balance is skewed you need something that refreshes you. I’m not saying push through all your tiredness, definitely rest where you can, but there are different types of rest and sometimes going into nature, venting at a friend in person or exercising also is rest. mental rest, emotional rest, a rest from the burdens you carry…. it matters and also gives you more energy to do things in the long run

idk, the balance is hard and I tend to overdo it and then crash again because I gave too much, but when I did it just right I feel so much better about my life in general as well, it’s about finding out what works for you. and I also don’t know whether there’s anything you go through that makes your energy levels even lower so if you know there’s something chronic at play for you, of course take that into account or make the activities smaller, but life isn’t about work. we work to live, we don’t live to work, even if society and work try to tell you differently.

but this they don’t tell you about adulthood, right? and I’m sorry you’re in a slump, I was in it for two years as well and it felt horrible. and it’s still there sometimes, and sometimes there are weeks I cannot get out of bed outside of work at all and I just accept my fate — that is okay too as long as it doesn’t last too long, you know?

also. the being single thing fucking sucks and it gnaws at me every fucking day, I really get you and I don’t have much to say on that that you’re not already feeling or thinking, just know I understand and I deeply hate it too. that’s the one thing I’m still stuck on as well and I hate that everyone else seems to be able to date so easily 🥲

[arkyv646]

HAI! I'm ALEX, an eighteen-year-old who is lost and confused about... everything.

Not-so-fun facts about me: I LOVE books—specific fictional books that allow me to escape my confusion and responsibilities (I really shouldn't be doing that, given I'm the firstborn, and yet here I am), and self-help books that ease the confusion of life and my own mind—sometimes.

I'm also a sucker for fluffy romance and Slice of Life genres. Contemporary romances, YA books. Don't get me started on classic books—this is only my own perception, but reading classics is like reading a math textbook. I love to watch classic movies, though.

I like my romance tropes—EXCEPT SECOND-CHANCES THAT ESPECIALLY INCLUDES CHEATING AND ANY OTHER "ACCIDENTAL" MISTAKES, MISCOMMUNICATION, AND LOVE TRIANGLES (Either kill me or I kill myself. No in between).

I'm a CARAT and an ARMY (The best decision I've ever had in 2020 and 2023). And I of course love Taylor Swift.

I draw, but I'm too lazy to improve my skills. I love doing art, and I am willing to learn every art medium there is—If I magically manifest some kind of permanent motivation at will, that is (It sucks being in a creative slump after 2-3 days of hyperfixation over something spectacular.

I am a pathological people pleaser due to a traumatic experience in the past, which is a pretty formative one for an eight-year-old little girl. But hey, kids are kids! Naive. Ignorant. Clueless about the effect they inflict on the kids they bully, unknowing that that little girl they bullied would grow up insecure to the core, desperately trying to become useful so others won't hate her and won't think of her as some kind of burden, and become friends with her. Those kids don't know that she will claw her eyes out and nitpick every mistake she's made as punishment, that she will self-sabotage great relationships because she's afraid people will leave her eventually, so she does it first.

Really clueless.

(Still, kids are kids—innocent, little monsters).

I am suspected of having ADHD—which I affectionately call DAVE—"Dopamine Attention Variability Executive dysfunction."

I am a lost girl in this fast-changing world. And then something happened. The impact was decidedly strong, so strong that my world shattered into nothingness. Ruins. There was nothing left. Not even a single flicker of who I am was left. The worst part is: that I had no idea who I really was. I was... Well, to put it in words, NOT me.

That world... It was based on the people I met. The likes. The opinions. Depending on who I'm currently associating with, that's who I am.

I became other people.

This post... It will serve as my starting point to begin again, to try and know ME.

Ofc without the pressure of keeping it up daily. Daily is impossible.

And I hope that whoever I end up being, the people I love will still accept me and love that ME for who she is.

(Credits to the owner of the photo)

[impzone]

It can be tough to choose a direction to go in, art wise. Maybe you're just burnt out? It's really hard for me to pick up the pen again when I'm in a slump, I can't stand touching my tablet when it's really bad, which sucks when you have ideas 😞

ugh maybe yeah 😭 i always hate to say that i’m burnt out because i never feel like i worked hard enough to be burnt out, though i hear that’s a common sentiment too. i had to stop drawing for a good bit because of my wrist and now that i’m well enough to draw again not being able to has been really frustrating :(

i hope that if i am just burn out that i can get back some clarity after it fades orz

[bahamutgames]

AFTERTHOUGHTS - ROUNDUP ROUND 8

October - November 2023

Hello again!! Soon December will be upon us (or maybe it already is by the time I finish this lol. We'll see) and before you know it, 2023 will already be over. Sheesh. But we still have a few days of November and some big things in December to go through so let's take it one step at a time, okay?

Had an interesting time during October as I was finishing some RPGs and fell into a bit of a funk / gamer block after some junk. But thankfully I managed to pull myself out of it and I'm happily chipping away at my next RPG as we speak! I ended up playing a good amount of shorter stuff these past 2 months, so let's go ahead and talk about some of it!

Per the norm, these aren't reviews. Just my thoughts I'm slapping up here. You should play everything I talk about regardless of what I say and form your own opinion. Cool, let's begin!

Pikuniku (January 24, 2019) - Xbox One

As I said earlier, I fell into a bit of depressed slump for a little. And I decided that replaying Pikuniku would fix me. I played this back around the time covid started, so it had been a long while since I played it. And, yeah, it's still REALLY good! Cute visuals, one of my favorite OSTs ever probably, super charming script and story. It's such a good time honestly even if can be a little rough at points. If you haven't played this game before, I've played it twice now and it 100% gets my seal of approval.

Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F 2nd (March 27, 2014) - Playstation Vita

But... Pikuniku, despite how much I adore it. Didn't fix me. No, sadly, I was still in a bit of a slump and not sure what to play next after being drained of my gamer energy. Then I dug through my games to fetch a console for my sister, and happened to accidentally find out my other sister owned a Miku game on vita. I had no idea we had this! And I've been getting more into vocaloid lately. So what the heck? Why not play it?

I used to hate rhythm games but lately I like them a lot more and, yeah, I had a great time with this! Staying up late in bed playing it late at night was a ton of fun. I discovered a lot of new vocaloid songs I hadn't heard before (off the top of my head I really liked Melt and the spooky themed one but I'll have to relisten to them all to say which were favorites). The game is super cute, I think it looks great, I LOVE that there's a lot of costumes for each of the 6 characters, I liked all the music, and honestly yeah this game really made me feel a lot better.

Only things I can say against it is that easy is WAY too easy, not even asking you to use most buttons of the system. While normal was just WAY too brutal, I couldn't even beat Melt on Normal. Maybe I just suck though. Also I think it can be a little difficult to figure out how to equip costumes but it's not that big of a deal. I like the magician miku outfit a lot, fun game :)

Paratopic (September 6, 2018) - Nintendo Switch

Hey! Here's a game you probably would NOT expect me to play because I avoid horror like the plague lmao. But my brother bought this a long while back, and I saw it sitting there unplayed. And it's like, less than an hour long. So I figured, what the heck? And gave it a shot (shoutouts to my siblings owning random games I guess lol).

Paratopic is interesting because it's meant to be played in one go, with no saving at any point. There's not really any losing either, so it's kind of like an interactive movie. It's told out of order and is also not super in your face about the plot which could be a drawback but it's very clearly the intention so I think it does it very well. Graphics were nice, story is odd and interesting, it's a very unnerving game. I couldn't even relisten to the OST while writing this cause I was too scared (still listening to miku). But again there's no major scares as far as I recall? It's similar to Fatum Batula in art, odd themes, and the fact that it's probably a good horror game for people who hate horror. Not my thing but happy I played through it!

SLUDGE LIFE : The BIG MUD Sessions (August 2, 2023) - PC

DID YOU KNOW I'M A SLUDGE LIFE FAN!? DID YOU KNOW THAT? DID YOU KNOW I 100% COMPLETED THE FIRST GAME THE DAY I STARTED IT AND I OWN A CIGGY TSHIRT CAUSE I LOVE IT SO MUCH!?

Well anyway, I do. And somehow I missed out on the fact that there was a Sludge Life 2 demo that was free to play and had its own plot! So, naturally, I had to sit down and play it! Not a lot to say because it is a small story, taking place only in one building rather than a big city. But I thought it was a great way to get back into the swing of things with Sludge Life, and I had a blast completing this bite sized story! I even completed the full Gato Mago demo present in the game lol. If you're not sure if you'd like the games, I might honestly recommend playing this to give it a shot since it's easy to complete but has everything present in the main 2 games.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass (March 18, 2022) - Nintendo Switch

I talked about the end of the Booster Course Pass a little bit on twitter. But just in case you missed it, I wanted to talk about it here. It's finally done, and honestly I had a blast with it. While this DLC was kinda rough at first, being pricey for some admittedly low quality tracks (at least in terms of graphics) I really think by the end they pulled it together and made this a very worthwhile package with LOTS of new tracks and even new characters that they didn't have to do! I really appreciated it!

This final set of stages was nice, DK Mountain is a classic and it's great to have it back. Rosalina's Ice World was a pleasant surprise! Bowser's Castle 3 seemed like it was gonna be the most boring one but I LOVED it! And Rainbow Road Wii was such a nice send off! Great remake of a great track!

For new tracks, Piranha Plant Cove stood out to me the most. I adored it, as it was brand new to me since I don't play Tour (my younger sister does and she hates this track lmao). But I thought it was gorgeous, has a great aesthetic with the beach/jungle ruins at night, and has great music. It felt like something out of a JRPG which love, and the music particularly reminded me of Sea of Stars a bit!

New characters were great too! Overall while there's still some characters and tracks I wish returned (Wario Stadium, ROB, stuff like that) I do think overall this DLC made MK8DX such a complete package and was totally worth the price of entry I payed however long ago. They brought back some of my all time favorite MK stuff such as Choco Mountain and Petey Piranha.

And honestly, it's looking like MK8 might finally be done. We might actually be moving onto Mario Kart 9 soon which feels crazy to me. MK8 is finished, Tour is done getting new content. I really truly think the next MK thing we see will probably be 9. And I wanted that for YEARS! When they announced the booster pass it rubbed me the wrong was cause I just wanted 9 already. But now that it's here? I'm gonna miss 8 a LOT. It's my favorite one next to DS probably. And it's been the latest Mario Kart for SO long. I remember going to gamestop the day it launched on Wii U to pick it up in 2014 (THAT'S 9 YEARS AGO, BTW. 9 YEARS OF MK8). I've gone through major life changes during the course of MK8's existence. Graduation, learning to drive, moving out (multiple times), presenting in public for the first time. Mario Kart 8 has oddly been a consistent part of my life for a while now. And I'm honestly a little emotional to let it go.

However, I'm very excited to see what comes next from this series. I'm waiting with baited breath for 9, and I'm sure that regardless of what the next game is like, I'll probably love it. It's hard to say goodbye, but I do really love MK8 more the more I think about it and reflect on my time with it. Late night playing with my sister, playing online with friends, playing with randos, driving around the tracks slowly to see all the little details. Thanks for all the good times Mario Kart 8. I'll always be using tilt controls :')

Super Kiwi 64 (December 2, 2022) - PC

Wow that last one got a little emotional, huh? Let's move onto something I haven't spent a large formative part of my adulthood playing. Siactro is a small indie dev I have become fiercely loyal to, playing just about everything they put out since I first played the original Toree! So when I saw they were making a new 3D Collectathon, I was VERY excited!

And this game lived up! It's great! Some GORGEOUS worlds that look so breath taking with these N64 styled graphics. Some fantastic music to accompany you. It feels WONDERFUL to play, I genuinely am OBSESSED with Kiwi's moveset. Gliding, dashing, stabbing into walls to climb up them. It might make exploring a little easy but exploring is absolutely the focus more than platforming is. And I think these tools make that goal very easy and EXTREMELY fun. In fact, it's so good I'm actually sad it isn't longer. There's only 8 worlds and they're all 100% completed rather quickly. Which is fine, Siactro games tend to be short. But this one was just SO good, I wanted more! That's a positive though I promise!

My only real negatives are that the game doesn't explain the plot too well, you have to play Beeny to understand what's happening. Which is fine for me, but it's odd they did that. I also think it's odd that there's NO ENEMIES! I don't think I took a single hit of damage through the game. I think some cute (CUTE NOT HORRIFYING) enemies would really elevate the game and make it a little tougher. Likewise, I know there's only 5-6 main collectables in each world, but I do think some way to keep track of them would be huge. Even just a hint list so you know what you're looking for. Regardless, super fun game, another banger from Siactro and if you're looking for a shorter 3D collectathon, do give it a look!

He Fucked the Girl Out of Me (July 24, 2023) - PC

I'm not sure it's appropriate for me to discuss this in this format as this is a deeply personal game for the creator that tackles real life serious subjects about their past. However, it is still a game and it's a game that's VERY good and I think everyone should play!

He Fucked the Girl Out of Me is a visual novel about the creator's life as a transwoman, and their time as a sex worker. It's a very sad game but that's exactly how it should be and it does end well. But I think it's a really interesting game just by the nature of it being an autobiographical game. That's something I've been interested in for a while and this game does it very well. Really putting you into the head of the creator as they take you through the story.

The graphics are nice, looking like a gameboy title. The story is told very well and did honestly make me cry a bit (I'm particularly sensitive though I cry a lot aha). It's a short game but I would love to see more games that tell people's experiences like this, I think getting to play it can give you a look into their life that a book or movie just can't do the same way. I really loved the scenes where you could pick snacks and see her thoughts on them, and I thought the scene where you see what people message you in this line of work was very well done. There's isn't a ton to say about the gameplay side of things, but I think that's fine since again, it is autobiographical and it manages to tell that story very well through a more VN styled approach.

The game tackles topics about shame, and hiding your trauma due to fear of getting in trouble and the trauma that fear adds on top of the shame. It's a something I think a lot of people can relate to even if you don't go through something as traumatic as what the creator of the game went through. It's an important message and I'll absolutely be keeping an eye on this developer going forward. If you've got the time, give this game a shot.

SLUDGE LIFE 2 (June 27, 2023) - PC

And here we are, Sludge Life 2! As a huge fan of the first, I couldn't resist anymore. I'm a little late but I just HAD to play SL2!! This game picks up RIGHT where The Big Mud Sessions ends off. Big Mud has gone missing after recording, and it's up to Ghost to track him down! All while tagging, making some new friends, and taking pictures of stupid stuff along the way.

It's very similar to the first, but now with the added Ciggy City attached the main town from the first game so there's a LOT more to explore now! Just like the first one it's a ton of fun to run around and platform about while tagging stuff and making friends with random taggers. A lot of them are new this time but there's some familiar faces too. It's still a blast, there's still lots to do, I like that the plot covers some more serious topics, it's very funny, it has great music, I love the graphics. Overall it's a blast! There's a fully uncensored penis in it which is awesome! This is random but I think more games should be allowed to have full uncensored nudity without getting an AO rating.

However, I personally didn't prefer it over SL1 or the Big Mud Sessions. It is fun. But like, I think it wasn't as fun. And it felt like they were leading up to something a little cooler than how it plays out. The death mold felt like it should have been a big thing leading to a big finale. But it's just the bad ending and it's quick and not addressed much, which is how the bomb worked in the first game. But the bomb wasn't teased and didn't feel like it may have been a big deal if that makes sense? I thought Ciggy City could be a little annoying to navigate at times, I don't like Gato Mago as much as the game in the first, I feel like they didn't improve some issues such as it being REALLY hard to find tag spots when you're near 100, I couldn't figure out how to spit in that guy's food! It is still good and I had a great time playing through it, but it just didn't feel as amazing as I was hoping a sequel would feel.

Regardless, I still recommend this series, and I hope we get a Sludge Life 3 that can maybe make good on some of its plot teasing? I am interested to see how the Death Mold will tie into a potential 3rd game as well seeing more uprising against the corruption in the world and the clops. I also would like to see a boss fight, because I really thought the health bar in the trailer meant there was gonna be a boss fight. Doesn't need combat or anything, I think the moveset present in these games could already make for an interesting boss.

Hello My Name is (Val)iant Or Val's Guide To Having A Broken Vag (June 1, 2023) - PC

Another short visual novel about sex and body stuff! This was also a game I randomly discovered a few weeks ago and had a great time playing through it! This game is more lighthearted than He Fucked the Girl Out of Me, but is still a great time and still has important things to say. You play as Val, a transman who has lived with extreme vaginal pain their whole life. And you see the struggles that comes from doctor negligence and trying to find love with that problem.

This one has some more gameplay like scenes, mainly 2 minigames you play twice. But the way they're handled is VERY interesting! I won't spoil it but there's a Tetris minigame used for talking to doctors, and a Rhythm minigame used for having sex. And the way it contrasts the feelings between 2 different experiences in both situations using these minigames is REALLY well done.

It's not autobiographical I don't think, but is more autobiographical in the sense that it capture's the dev team's past issues with doctors ignoring you, medical racism, and the lack of help and care for people with vagina's comfort in sex and just in their bodies in general. I'm not kidding when I tell you this game taught me more about vaginas than my entire life of sex ed in school. Drop out and play video games, kids. You'll learn more.

Great graphics, great music. I know I shouldn't compare it to HFTGOOM so much but I liked both of these a lot! I would love to see more games about real topics that affect real people in the future, and especially ones that maybe tackle more genres than just Visual Novel (though I understand it is the best medium for this)

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode I (January 19, 2012) - PC

It's time... to talk about Sonic 4... I want to preface this by saying I LOVE SONIC, and I genuinely feel kinda bad whenever I trash on something Sonic related because the series gets so much undeserved hate. And I know I recently had some negative opinions on the Final Horizons DLC but oh my god... Sonic 4 made me appreciate that so much more. Guys, this game sucks. I'm not joking when I say this is probably the worst Sonic game I've ever played.

This game feels so absolutely soulless in a way no other Sonic game can even come close to imitating. It's trying so hard to be like a Classic Sonic game by copying its level themes, concepts, and music style. But it copies absolutely none of the charm in any way. The music just isn't very good (kind of a sin for a Sonic game?). The graphics are REALLY bad imo. It's trying to make all the 3D models look like 2D sprites but it fails MISERABLY. The effect only works on the final boss. I really can't explain it, you'll just have to see the final boss for yourself, it's clearly trying to look like a 2D sprite. The game plays like GARBAGE! Sonic is so slow, takes forever to reach any meaningful speed, and the homing attack doesn't work 99% of the time. It's truly baffling to me.

Speaking of the final boss, that sucks too. The bosses in this game are all rehashes of earlier bosses, but less fun! Big surprise! This game ends with the Death Egg Robot again but unlike the Generations fight with it which is cool. This fight is like, a massive slog that takes FOREVER to kill. I seriously think it may take like 10 minutes to get through if you do perfectly? And it certainly took me about an hour with all my deaths. And the story being like, just the Sonic 1 story is so boring, no one talks, the animations don't look that good. This game just SUCKS. And that's just the game, not even considering the fact it's uploaded to Steam with an error that makes it so you can't launch it without a fan made launcher!

I think what bothers me so much about this game is that people ALWAYS like to flame on the usual suspects when it comes to Sonic. 06, Shadow, stuff like that. But I will die on this hill, those games, while maybe not being GREAT and certainly lacking polish, are FUN and full of heart and soul. Why is this game NEVER brought up? It has barely any, if any, redeeming qualities. I know this was made for youtube reviewers who hated Sonic having friends and stories but I genuinely cannot believe that even they would enjoy just playing Sonic 1 but worse and shorter? Truly a game for no one. Let's move on.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode II (May 15, 2012) - PC

So right out of the gate, this game is SO much better than the first it's actually jarring. I still don't think it's great. But it's more just, eh, rather than being terrible like Episode I. For improvements, they drop the art style which is a big help. I feel like the music, while still trying to sound like Genesis music, actually works this time and sounds pleasant and fun. And while Sonic is still REALLY slow and the homing attack still doesn't really work, it just feels better to play. And the addition of new content instead of just rehashing old stuff is VERY welcome. Sonic 4 Episode 2 opens with a brand new, gorgeous castle stage. Has Tails who is used for team up moves, and features ACTUALLY NEW BOSSES! Wow!

Overall it is a massive improvement over the first. But it still has a lot of issues. For one, the levels are SO long. Like, they just do not end ever. And they do kind of start to copy other games in the second half . The Tornado level is a SLOG and just not fun. I hate the stupid half pipes (does anyone really like these?) And the bosses are even worse, they're not BAD but they're SO long and all end on this big hit you have to land that can be a chore to get right (the trash golem boss). And the final boss, while it is WAY cooler, lasts SO long!! You have to walk through a not super short level to get to it, watch a not short cutscene, then watch a cutscene after EVERY PHASE. Unskippable, do this upon EVERY DEATH. Not every Game Over, EVERY DEATH!

Whatever, again, it is a LOT better than the first. It's not offensively bad like that one was. But still, kind of an odd game. The boss themes are great though.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode Metal (May 15, 2012) - PC

I probably don't have to discuss this as it's just Episode I backwards. But I do have to give some props to this one cause it is kinda neat. And probably the most interesting idea of Sonic 4. Letting you play as Metal is cool, I'm a sucker for stuff like this where you revisit worlds in a different context (you start at the final world and work your way back to the starting world.) It's neat! And even though it's pretty much identical to Sonic 4 Episode 1. It's way shorter, with no bosses. So it's more fun.

Overall I'm happy I tried Sonic 4. But these games just sucked man. If you wanna play one, just play Episode 2 don't even bother with Episode 1. I genuinely get a bit of happiness knowing there was never an Episode 3 I have to suffer through. 2D Sonic still has a place nowadays. But everything offered here is done better in LITERALLY EVERY OTHER ATTEMPT AT A NEW 2D SONIC!

Want classic gameplay with nice classic pixel art? Sonic Mania is there. Want classic gameplay with the modern designs? Sonic Advance Trilogy is better. Want 2D Sonic with homing attacks and boosting and stuff? Sonic Rush games are better. Oh but you can't play as Metal? YOU FOOL!! SONIC RIVALS 1&2 ARE BOTH BETTER AND ALSO HAVE SHADOW AND EVEN ROUGE IS IN THE SECOND ONE!

And when do these games take place? Is it trying to imply this ACTUALLY takes place between Sonic 3 and Adventure? Like is this supposed to be saying Metal is only in heroes BECAUSE of this game? That's nuts right? That sounds insane right?

Again, truly a game for no one. Go play Sonic Rivals.

Portal (October 10, 2007) - PC

Ah, Portal! You may be surprised to learn I've never beaten this game! And more surprised to learn I've NEVER beaten a Valve game prior to this! I started this game when I was young but got stuck during one of the puzzles (the only where you have to launch yourself across the barrier you can't shoot through?) and dropped it. But I own it again on steam and thought I should give it another go. And I'm glad I did!

This game was SUPER fun! It's short but every level is genuinely cool to try and figure out how to use the portals to their fullest. Which, in of itself, feels very impressive to me. I can't help but feel like programming and making those portals work must have been a NIGHTMARE! But it payed off because again, it's SUPER fun! GLaDOS is really funny during the whole thing, the credits song is of course fantastic, and the creepy parts where you see outside of the experiments were VERY scary and I had to mute the game during them cause they unnerved me so much lmao.

But without a doubt, the best part of this game was the final boss. I thought it was SUPER interesting trying to get the portals lined up to blast GLaDOS. And the context of the fight, with GLaDOS being obsessed with flooding the facility with toxic gas was very funny.

The only real drawback I can say the game has considering it's so short is that the final escape sequence is a little long. But GLaDOS taunting you during it and trying to sound like she's in control of the situation was fun and I did like the part where you have to fight a bunch of the turrets at once.

But yeah! Fun game! Glad I finally beat it! I still hold firm that Chell is the best choice for a Valve character in Smash Bros. cause I'd be SO interested in seeing them make the portals work in that game!

[peachyteabuck]

Star Sign(s): from memory I am a cancer sun, gemini moon, and leo rising (if any hot queers want to slide into my DMs and explain this to me lmk)

Favorite Holidays: thanksgiving!! I hate that it is, because I feel like I always have to say it is not my favorite holiday in a weird colonialist way. Rather, my family has Thanksgiving with another family we're friends with and it's this grand undertaking. I DO think curriculum surrounding Thanksgiving needs a major overhaul and I would not be upset if the holiday was entirely revamped entirely to be focused on learning about the tribes from which our state (both MI and the broader US colonial project) was stolen from and we were asked to take tangible steps to return land to the stewardship of said tribes. I just like my no-stress eating day.

Last Meal: I had a taco for breakfast from leftovers from last night! It was overfilled but I love leftovers and it was very good. I think a 2024 project will be mixing in vegetables into meat more often (I used a bell pepper but I've also used black beans which were also very good). I've been slipping with making ~ healthy choices ~ so I gotta get back on it

Current Favorite Musician: I'm so bad at liking musicians as a whole because I listen to "new" music very rarely. I have been listening to a LOT of Vitamin String Quartet, though? So them, I guess?

Last Music Listened To:

don't worry about it

Last Movie Watched: The Dungeons and Dragons movie (at the request of the gf)

Last TV Show Watched: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Last Book/Fic Finished: the last book I finished was (I think?) a Danielle Lori book because (despite her being terrible) the books are quite well-done and I wanted to think critically about her pacing

Last Book/Fic Abandoned: The Vegetarian, which was so good! And short! And then I just never finished it and it was returned

Currently Reading: I'm in this major reading slump--no audio books, no physical books, nothinggg. My brain tbh is just fried. Ever since I hit my book goal in early December my cranium has been empty

Last Thing Researched for Art/Writing/Hyperfixation: This was for work, but I went on a deep dive into Victoria Woodhull, who was an activist during the Progressive Era. She was cool as hell and I want to be her when I grow up. I didn't end up mentioning her at all (sometimes you have to kill your babies IRL) but she's SO fucking interesting to read about.

Favorite Online Fandom Memory: Early 2010s bandom was so, so good. I'll never get that level of chaos and beauty again tbh. One Direction was also chaotic but the demographic was much more annoying

Favorite Old Fandom You Wish Would Drag You Back In/Have A Resurgence: I miss in like the late 2010s when Marvel was way more popular. It's understandably died off because Marvel sucks, but I miss writing dirty lesbian porn day in and out

Favorite Thing You Enjoy That Never Had an Active or Big "Fandom" but You Wish It Did: Leverage :( I feel like the "monster of the week" style lends itself to a lot of fic writers writing fics about their OTHER hyperfixations and I think that's sooo beautiful. I have like 4-5 fic ideas based on my job(s) alone, lmao

Tempting Project You're Trying to Rein In/Don't Have Time For: I want to write a romance novel so, so bad. I refuse to live in a world where colleen hoover can write books and I can't.

I was tagged by my buddy and old siren (freeform) mutual @imaginejolls for this ask game!

Star Sign(s): Sagittarius sun, Aquarius moon, Capricorn rising

Favorite Holidays: halloween :3

Last Meal: my mom's cajun beef stew with rice pilaf and a roll

Current Favorite Musician: I've been listening to a lot of noah kahan recently (vermont represent), but I also adore hozier, gracie abrams, lizzie mcalpine, phoebe bridgers, etc. I've never been the same since I was told my taste in music was yallternative. I also love lil nas x and found a new musician through tiktok that goes by brye that is really good

Last Music Listened To: the playlist I listen to the most, especially for sleep: immaculate fall vibes (technically the name of the playlist is just a bunch of the artists featured in it but the description is immaculate fall vibes). my most recent song was save me by noah kahan

Last Movie Watched: this is so embarrasing but I watched the meg with my dad yesterday lmao. I have a weakness for stupid monster movies (we used to watch the shittiest syfy movies together when I was in hs. the shittier the better). I thought he'd like it because jason statham but he was meh about it

Last TV Show Watched: last one I was invested in was the new episode of percy jackson, but I did watch a little bit of that polish show high water on netflix the other day which seemed interesting

Last Book/Fic Finished: god I actually haven't been reading fic for a hot minute which is really surprising. probably my reread of of the northmost winds and skies by @jjackfrost. wasn't in the crossover fandom until earlier this year but actually adore that pairing. this is now my comfort longfic (+400k). it's so good, I read it and I wasn't even in the fandom at the time and it was amazing!!! all the characters are written so well, the voices and pov are great, the worldbuilding and storyling is amazing! I've gushed in the comments before but ugh I love it so so much. inject this into my mf veins

Last Book/Fic Abandoned: I don't really abandon fics, I just wait for them to get updated again. as for books, I really tried to get into loveless by alice oseman because aroace rep but I couldn't really get into it :/

Currently Reading: nothing at the moment (not going to list all the fics I'm waiting for updates for because I can't remember them all and the ones I can remember would take up like multiple pages lol)

Last Thing Researched for Art/Writing/Hyperfixation: ooo this is hard. technically speaking I've been hyperfixated on playing animal crossing so the most recent thing I looked up for that was what treasure islands were lmao

Favorite Online Fandom Memory: oooo I'm not sure actually? I really love having mutuals even if we don't talk. I also really enjoy when people engage with my posts and appreciate my tags and aus. I like sharing my thoughts and ideas with you guys and it's so heartwarming and validating when y'all enjoy it right back

Favorite Old Fandom You Wish Would Drag You Back In/Have A Resurgence: I agree with jolly, I miss siren dearly. can they just do a leverage in like five years and retcon the last season? thanks

Favorite Thing You Enjoy That Never Had an Active or Big "Fandom" but You Wish It Did: probably some of the kdramas I've watched. I adored the guest on netflix but there's no fandom. I really REALLY wanted some fix-it fics for the ending of my name but there weren't any because the fandom was too small :(

Tempting Project You're Trying to Rein In/Don't Have Time For: so many things that I jump between (the adhd of it all lmao). I really would like to make a leverage ot3: are they queer video essay and I have some stuff typed up BUT I work in the healthcare field and I'm really hesitant of putting myself on video because when you work in this field it can be weird if clients or employers find your channel. so that's technically on hold for privacy reasons rn. I also really want to learn how to sew and make clothes and my roommate has even offered to help (they used to do competitive cosplay) but I'm just very unmotivated. I want to get back into witchy things but don't have the mental energy to invest in that other than appreciating my stones

tagging 10 moots but anyone can play!!!: @leverageclips @all-things-breathing @digitaldiscipline @peachyteabuck @vampirewalterskinner @buzzmcnab @sidras-tak @my-beloved-lakes @kajaono @suddenrundown

[albatris]

happy final day of camp nanowrimo!!! there's only about two minutes left for me and I'm very happy to announce I did hit my target of 35,000!! wahoo

I was worried I wouldn't for a hot minute there hahaha

anyway taglist hello hello taglist @goosemixtapes @multi-lefaiye @itisi-asimplegay @nicola-writes @the-one-who-makes-negative-noise @ambiguousfiction @tracle0 @writeouswriter

today's wordcount is 35,072!

and oh man, I forget how pouring all my creative energy into Writing for a whole month just leaves me itching to draw by the end of it jfdhjgkdfghjkhg. good news for those I've promised art to hahahahaha

this weekend has been unbelievably busy for me and I'm absolutely so out of it and exhausted. forgive me if I'm behind on responding to tags yet again. also forgive me if there are any weirdass typos in this update I am wearing long wacky acrylic nails right now and they feel SO uncomfortable but they're pretty so I allow them

also, good news, exciting news, I'm finally going to get my loan insulin pump next week! the journey has absolutely sucked, my friends, but at least it's almost over! yeeeeeeehaw

I hope you're all doing well!!

today's mood is aqueduct of midbrain and today's jam is "love today" by mika!

today's excerpt is from yesterday's writings actually, I was just too exhausted to update yesterday lol. Alex and Nat only go on one vampire bro murder roadtrip in book two to eat some objectively terrible people. Nat enjoys it and Alex does not; this is fairly standard

honestly it's not a very exciting excerpt to finish on but it's the only recent bit I had at my disposal that didn't need a bucketload of polishing

today's excerpt is,

"Shh," Nat said, his lips almost brushing the microphone. He stifled a silly, cheerful giggle. Though he couldn't pinpoint exactly where the humour in the situation was hiding, he could feel it in there somewhere. "Shhhhh. Ease up. I can't understand you when you're yelling."

The crackling syllables rolling from the radio didn't pause for even a second. So harsh and barking. Rattling at his sensitive eardrums. His own voice had not gotten through.

"Ah," Nat said, peering at the little machine properly this time, his attention wandering down the array of buttons on its face. He jabbed the one that looked the most relevant with a pointed claw and cleared his throat. "You have a dreadful voice. Just terrible, just terrible. Really grates on the ears."

The incessant chatter paused. Nat nodded approvingly, but he'd barely opened his mouth to continue speaking when the noise snarled to life again in a burst of ringing static.

"The fuck are you talking about, Jackson?" the voice barked, slightly clearer now at least. "Why's your voice so—crackly? Are your batteries—look, never mind. There's a situation with Carmen."

Interesting.

Nat flipped the radio playfully round in his hands and abandoned the body on the couch to slump to the floorboards. He tilted his head against the back of the couch and kicked his legs out. This time he did laugh, just shortly, just a little bubble of glee fumbling its way up through his chest. He jabbed his claw back into the button.

"Well, there's no Jackson down here, actually," he replied, an almost lazy drawl to his voice. He felt like he ought to have one of those curly phone cords to twirl around his fingers like Quinn did sometimes. "Only me now."

The reply was instantaneous and glaringly hostile. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm the vampire that just killed him," Nat said. "Jackson, I mean. And listen, I hate to be a bother, but I'm still kind of peckish. There's another tasty morsel tucked away for me upstairs, yeah? I was told there would be."

There was a short click and the crackling machine went dead.

"Aw." Nat frowned. He leaned forward to peer at it. He jammed his claw into the button a few times. He jammed his claw into all the other buttons, too. He shook the unresponsive thing around, hoping it would make some kind of noise. It did not. "Fine then," he muttered. "Be like that."

He waited a few more moments, relaxing back against the couch, but still keeping his ears tuned towards the stairs for any brush of movement. When nothing heralded the second human's approach, Nat hmphed and gathered himself upright, despite how warm and lethargic he felt. He was still peckish, but only a touch, and trudging upstairs felt like a lot of effort for very little payoff, considering all he wanted to do now was curl up and sleep.

Often, humans were remarkably prone to rushing in to investigate horrific danger firsthand, which was kind of them. If his second course wasn't going to come down to meet him, he supposed he had no choice but to bring the horrific danger upwards instead.

[author-morgan]

Your work is so good, you should do this for a living! Your Ivarr stories are treasurers! Because quality Ivarr content that matches up exactly with my fantasies are rare, and I'm shit poet...

Could you please do one where the clan's dainty sweetheart secretly has the hots for Ivarr but avoids him because she doesn't know how to act around him.

He's also into her but thinks she hates him.

She gets terribly drunk for first time ever, throws herself at Ivarr...

Confused but also turned on, he internally struggles because doesn't want to take advantage of her.

He puts her to bed/or gets someone else to do it? Ubba? Because he doesn't trust himself to be alone with her?

Finds her when she's sober and not hungover, confronts her because drunken words are sober thoughts. She's embarrassed but they end up having really great sex!!!

i do write for a living, just not creative writing oh the joys of academia. apologies for the long wait, but here's more Ivarr! hope you enjoy! ♥ i kind of went overboard (like 3.3k words overboard) but it's Ivarr and i'm thirsty as hell for this bastard. Ivarr the Boneless x fem!Reader

EIVOR SHAKES HIS head. His arms crossed with a frown playing on his lips. He doesn’t see what you do —why of all the people in Midgard, you only have eyes for Ivarr the Boneless. Even Ubba would be a better choice, he thinks. It’s in Eivor’s nature to worry over and protect the ones he loves after all he’s lost. You are another example of Styrbjorn’s charity to those he considered friends, just as he is Sigurd’s brother in all but blood, you are their sister and have been for many years —becoming a temper for the two rowdy boys, favoring the healing arts over swordplay and battle.

Since Eivor’s initial meeting with Ivarr in Repton, there’s been something about his methods and outlook that sets Eivor at unease, even more so now that he’s caught Ivarr’s gaze lingering on you —like now during the autumn feast. Some jest, saying opposites attract, and while that seldom seems to be the truth, it is for you and Ivarr. He is cold iron, warm blood, a harsh winter —and you’re soft silks, a cool breeze, fresh spring blooms.

He’s seen the looks you share with Ivarr. Fleeting and flirtatious, but that is nigh all you share besides few rushed words in passing. Ivarr cuts an intimidating presence, and you’ve never been quite sure how to converse with warriors beyond your brothers. It’s nigh as difficult for Ivarr —all he knows is bloodlust and his fellow drengrs— finding the right words to say is not a battle he thinks he can win. There’s fondness between you, almost everyone can see it, but there are times when Ivarr is left to wonder if you truly like him or if your soft smiles and kind words are only a product of his reputation.

Ivarr’s feelings are clear to himself, though, especially as he watches you among the people of Ravensthorpe, partaking in the autumn festivities. Seeing you wear a crown of gold and amber leaves, dancing with Ceolbert to the drunken tune of Bragi and his tagelharpa with a tankard of Tekla’s mead in hand makes his heart beat faster, and his mouth go dry. He keeps to the benches, reminding himself that a drengr does not dance —at least not this type of dance.

The evening fades, but the festivities don’t. Soma claims her clan throws the best feasts, though you’re tempted to challenge the jarlskona for the title since Ravensthorpe has grown. You look around, searching for your brothers, but Sigurd has retired for the evening, and Eivor is slumped over on one of the tables, asleep —his hand still curled around the handle of his mead cup. Sighing, you find Ivarr’s gaze in the hazy air of the longhouse, half-shocked by the intensity and darkness, half-eager to return the lust-laden stare with your own.

Emboldened by the mead, you gather another horn and move across the longhouse where Ivarr sits. With a smile, you offer him the horn of mead before taking the empty spot on the bench next to him. He eyes you, curious, as he turns up the horn —downing the mead in a few gulps— and turns his attention to you. Spurred on by the moment, you lean closer, twisting to drape your legs across his thighs, squirming more than needed. “What game are you playing at, little dove?” Ivarr asks, his gaze dark and tone dangerous. You only smile, flitting your eyes up to meet his as you tip up your cup.

The soft plucking lyre strings and the low thrum of the tagelharpa are nigh enough to lull you to sleep coupled with the stillness. When you start to sway, both from the trance of the music and the heaviness of your eyes, Ivarr brings you closer to his side before deciding it best to see you off for the night —lest he is on the receiving end of Sigurd or Eivor’s anger. Ivarr pushes the bench back from the table, slipping his arms around your shoulders and beneath your knees, rising with you cradled in his arms —head resting on the leather of his shoulder pauldron.

When Ivarr places you on the straw and rag stuffed mattress of your cottage at the eastern edge of the settlement, you are not eager to part with him —the bulge tenting his britches tell you he’s not eager to leave you either. “Don’t” —you hiccup, lips turning into a pout as you lift the hem of your skirt to show the bare skin of your calves and beyond— “don’t you want me?”

Gods, Ivarr wants you. Just the thought of lying with you sets his blood hot and racing —like a giddy boy before his first battle. He doesn’t think he’s ever wanted a woman more. But he can smell the mead on your breath and see the weariness hiding in your eyes. Ivarr knows it is the drink speaking for you, and he will not be the one to dishonor such a woman as you. “You’ve too much drink, little dove,” he chides in a rough chuckle, uncurling your fingers from their hold on his tunic. “Sleep,” Ivarr says, sitting back on his haunches —drinking in your appearance for a final time, “I doubt you’ll say the same thing come the morning.”

MORNING BREAKS AND so does your uneasy rest. The scent of smoke and mead clings to your skin and clothes, as does a dried sheen of sweat. Rising, you strip out of the soiled clothes and into a linen shift. With the hour still early and some only just retiring for bed from the feast, you gather up a cake of soap and boar-bristle brush, heading toward the small waterfall and pool at the northern edge of the settlement. Sparing a quick look around and now certain you’re alone, you strip, stepping into the clear, cool water with a sharp inhale.

Humming a soft song, you wring the suds from your hair and cross toward the bank where your clothes lay, but the snap of a branch underfoot stops you. Gaze darting around, you see him emerge from behind the trunk of a large tree near the stables. “Ivarr,” you greet, not shying away from his wandering gaze. His silence and the look in his eyes make you smile as you wade in his direction, stopping when the water brushes the underside of your breasts. “Are you watching me?” It’s a redundant question that needs no answer besides the hungry look in Ivarr the Boneless’s eyes.

“What you said last night–” he starts, voice surprisingly cautious, but you cut him off with a wave of a hand and scolding grin. “I was not that drunk, Ivarr.” Tekla’s mead had not dulled your senses, only gave you the courage to act on buried feelings. He lifts his brow and rakes his hand through his parted hair. “And yes. I meant it,” you tell him, wearing the same look now as you had last night nigh begging Ivarr to have his way with you. If Ivarr is surprised by the truth of your feelings, he hides it well. You motion to the pristine pool of water and bite down on your bottom lip before finding his gaze again. “Join me?”

Ties and buckles rustle as he hastily kicks away his boots, drops the fittings of his armor, and does away with his britches and tunic. Ivarr circles you like a wolf eyeing his wounded prey, and then he pounces, wrapping an arm around your middle, pulling your back flush against his chest. He leans forward, trailing his nose along your shoulder and neck —rough hands trailing up your sides and around to your breasts, squeezing them and teasing your nipples between his thumbs and forefingers.

When you gasp, he bites down on your shoulder and rocks his hips into your ass with a low chuckle. “You know who I am?” He means it as a warning —a warning of his bloodthirsty and unkind nature, that he is not a man to sing sweet songs or offer tender caresses. You already know that, having been privileged to witness Ivarr the Boneless in battle and know him outside of his craft.

“I do,” you answer, unwilling to shy away. He sucks in a sharp breath when you turn to face him, stepping closer and look up at him under lidded eyes with a wicked smile that sends blood rushing to his already half-hard cock. Careening toward Ivarr, you brush your lips across his jaw, settling one hand over the dark tattoo of Yggdrasil on his breast. “And if I wanted gentle,” you breathe at his ear, nipping at his neck, “I would fuck one of the Saxon monks.”

Ivarr laughs, grinning, but it falters when you reach below the water and squeeze his cock and balls, giving no doubt to your intentions or your wants. “Careful, little dove,” he hisses, tilting your chin up. He hunches, ashen hair half-falling before his face as he leans down and kisses you, warm, open-lipped, and intoxicating.

You pull back with a groan, and Ivarr chasing your lips, stopped only by your hands cupping his face —thumb tracing the deep scar on his cheek. “While giving the gods a show sounds delightful” —Ivarr’s lusty eyes take on a twinkle at the thought. Suddenly he’s picturing you splayed out on a Christian altar, spent from his love with his seed dripping from your cunt. His cock twitches, pressed tight against your belly— “Sigurd or Eivor finding us like this is less enticing.” Had it been anyone other than Ivarr, your brothers would have turned a blind eye, but neither have particularly liked the interest you and Ivarr show in one another.

Stepping back, you grip onto his wrist, staying his hands from their wandering assault, and pull him toward the waterfall and the small cave beyond. Before Ivarr has a chance to move again, you smile for him in the dim light, sliding an open hand to the nape of his neck, drawing him closer. With your lips pressed against his, Ivarr can only reciprocate —he parts your lips with his tongue, hands curling into your hips in a vice grip. But when the kiss breaks, you shimmy from his grasp and trail your lips to the dip in his neck —licking and laving.

“Having your lips on my skin is torture,” he inhales, hand fisting in your hair as you move down to the tattoo of Sleipnir at the center of his chest. You laugh softly and lean back, his eyes piercing through you. The smile on your lips is roguish, but you do not let up, making your way to his abdomen where a few small scars are clustered. Ivarr moans above you, and you haven’t even touched his aching, dripping cock yet. His hand reaches for your breasts, but you knock it away, having yearned for this moment for too long to let it slip away.

He titters at your enthusiasm and rolls his hips forward. Not dissuaded, you press your lips to the scar next to his navel, right below one of the dark runes tattooed on his abdomen. The hand still twined in your hair tightens, pushing you down to your knees. Ivarr’s legs are powerfully built, the muscles of his calves and thighs flex as you run your hand over them appreciatively, still finding small scars to trace and kisses, purposefully ignoring the hard cock pressed against his stomach. His hands clench as you kiss the skin of his thighs, your hair tickling the underside of his cock.

You smile at his surprised gasp when you drag the flat of your tongue along his cock, tracing along a vein running up the length of his shaft. Ivarr’s unable to hold back his groan when your fingers wrap around his girth, giving a few heavy strokes. And then, without warning, you wrap your lips around the head of his cock. He tastes of salt and iron and something forbidden and dangerous. Taking his cock as far as you can, you press your tongue against the underside, silently humming.

Above you, Ivarr chokes your name like a ragged prayer —it fills you with pride to know the son of Ragnar Lodbrok is coming apart at your hands and mouth, unable to say anything but your name. The lords of England may fear the whisper of his name, but right now, he is at your mercy.

Slowly, he begins to thrust himself into your mouth, but he makes no move to command your movements. Instead, his impatience wins over. He pulls you away from pleasuring him with your mouth. “Enough,” Ivarr says, his voice ragged as he crouches down, hand sliding from your hair and down to tweak one of your pebbled nipples, then lower still until he comes to the warmth between your thighs, slick with arousal. You whimper, gripping onto Ivarr’s shoulder when he pushes two fingers into your cunt, curling and thrusting. “On your knees, little dove,” he rasps. He warned you, and now he means to make good on his silent promise.

You struggle to gain your balance on the uneven ground of the small cave, but soon did, only to nigh lose it again when Ivarr slides the blunt head of his cock through your slick folds —thrice over before gripping onto your shoulder with one hand and guiding himself into your warmth with the other. Ivarr’s moan when he sinks inside you is breathless and airy, a misplaced sound from the likes of him. He grips you tight —one hand on your shoulder still, the other on your hip— holding your squirming body still as he eases his way into you. Your shoulders curl forward at the sudden wide spread of his cockhead into your body, fingers digging into the soft earth beneath you.

Ivarr pants against your shoulders —you can feel the open brush of his mouth along the sensitive skin of your spine and neck— as he draws his hips back and slams his cock back into you. You buck your hips back in time with his thrust, and Ivarr growls. You move with him as he fucks into you, squeezing with your inner muscles and whimpering in loud gasps. “Ivarr,” you chant, over-and-over.

He’s pounding hard immediately, giving in to the hunger that’s been consuming the both of you for far too long to be decent. His fingers are strong, streaking against your skin as his grip slides, something to discolor and bruise you by evening. But it feels so fucking good. You toss your head back, finding a glimpse of his face in this aching position with back arched, teeth shining in the low light, and eyes burning on you. He’s feral and ruined, and his fingers bend on your skin.

The building tension fades when he draws back, leaving you aching and empty. Ivarr spins you to face him as he reclines. “Ride me,” he commands, kissing you quickly, with an open mouth and teeth scraping your bottom lip. You pull away from the kiss, moving so you could sit atop him, straddling his hips, his back against a smoothed boulder. Breathless, Ivarr cannot be bothered with the loss of control —reckless abandon shines in your eyes, and he cannot help but grin as you slide down on his cock. He grunts enthralled at the feel of your warm cunt around him, walls clenching to feel every ridge and vein.

Moments pass, and you begin to move on top of Ivarr, rolling your hips into his. He groans, rough hands torn between holding onto your hips or pawing at your breasts. Instead, he decides to push himself up and let his lips attack your jaw and throat —biting and suckling— and annoyed at the slow in pace, Ivarr thrusts his hips up into yours, a sign to move faster. You don’t hesitate —lost to the exquisite bliss, clawing, desperate and eager. Holding Ivarr’s face in your hands, you try finding his lips with your own, but all you can do is moan and pant with him into his mouth, lost in the craven pleasure.

Ivarr bites hard in the crook of your shoulder and neck as he repeatedly drives his hips upward, chasing his and your releases. One of his hands slips between your bodies —his calloused thumb teasing your clit in a way that makes your hips stutter and body trembles, nails clawing into Ivarr’s shoulders. He grits his teeth, wondering if his little dove had broken skin. The burst of pain fades quickly as he watches your body bounce in time with his thrusts and listens to the moans and pants echoing off the cave walls and water.

He knows he’s close, his pants ragged and thrusts sloppy and desperate. The hitch in your breathing when he presses his thumb against your clit tells him you’re close to. It’s the boiling heat between you that takes hold, curling your toes and parting your lips in a silent throe, hands digging into Ivarr’s biceps as he chases his pleasure —teeth bared and bright eyes burning. Several thrusts later, his body tenses, and a dull warmth spreads between your connected bodies, and still, he is not done with the thrill of how you tremble and whine above him, but the rhythm soon slows, and you fall forward, resting your head on Ivarr’s chest.

You sit there, savoring the last twinges of carnal gratification, with your bodies rising and falling as you breathe in unison. And when the haze clears, you trace the small scars near his shoulders and follow the blue-black runes tattooed on his middle.

After what feels like an eternity, you feel him shift underneath you, sitting up on his hands. Ivarr glances over you —the small purple marks at the base of your neck from his lips and teeth, how your nipples are still hard, begging to have his mouth on them, and how your bodies are still connected. His cock is soft now, his seed seeping from your cunt and drying on your thighs —Ivarr thinks it a glorious sight. He hisses as he pulls himself out of your warmth, slowly, relishing in the gasps and whimpers you make at the resultant empty feeling it leaves between your thighs.

With flushed cheeks and swollen lips, you tell him you must go —this escapade would have already made you late for your daily duties, and the last thing you wish is for one of your brothers or Valka to find you in this state. He follows you from the cave behind the waterfall, back to the bank where his and your clothes are strewn. Gentler than you’d imagine, Ivarr kisses your cheek, then the corner of your mouth, before cupping your face with strong, rough fingers and moving your lips back to his. You let him move you, kissing you back, smiling against his mouth. “Come to me at nightfall,” you breathe against his lips, parting to gather up your clothes and shoes.

Ivarr grins, swatting your ass before pulling you against his chest, keeping you from reaching for your linen shift —his chin resting on your shoulder as his hand slides between your legs and two fingers sinking into your cunt, still slick with your essence and his seed. “That eager for my cock again, little dove?” He laughs.

He’s silenced when you grind back into his hips with a glint of mischief shining in your eyes. Ivarr lets you go, though reluctant, and watches you dress from the corner of his eye. It’s impulse driving you when you decide duties can wait. Smiling, you grip onto Ivarr’s wrist —he’s only half-dressed in his britches and boots, tunic in hand— and drag him away from the waterfall and toward your home in the settlement. Consequences be damned. It feels as though the gods made you and Ivarr for one another, and you aren’t willing to let another moment be wasted.

[taglist: @elizabethroestone @kitkitvm @elluvians @fullmoonwolfer1 @ghostieisalone @boodaga @southsideslutt @dynamite-with-a-lazerbeam @lizlovecraft @heathensith @alexisp787 @nobodyydobon @certifiedlittleshit ] if your name is italicized, tumblr wouldn’t let me tag you. if you want to be added to my taglist for Ivarr, just let me know in the replies or a DM!

[elvenbeard]

I've been in a really bad slump for a couple of weeks now, trying to figure out what I want to do, how I want to do it, struggling with art, struggling with having no energy...

I hate when I am *like this* because I let everything slide, nothing matters anymore, and it really sucks - it sucks the most though when I get to a point where I do want to do things again. Only to realize, I have been doing things the entire time, I was just too tired and annoyed to keep everything in order, or to appreciate what I had been doing while feeling low. If that makes sense?

I'm just rambling, don't mind me XD

But yes anyway... I just queued up all the streams of the last two months on my youtube that I had still lying around. Seven altogether at least! So Youtube will be getting updates a lot for the upcoming weeks.

Also, I took on and finished a very fun commission recently - the first one in a long time, a big one, too, but I just didn't have the energy yet to actually post it.

I also looked into setting up a shop with Ko-Fi, because I really don't like Etsy. I've been using it for a while now, but now there's the whole fee thing, and it just feels so utterly bloated and over-complicated, when I need something much smaller and simpler for just starting out. And then I saw you can actually do commissions via Ko-Fi, too. So I'll look into that a bit more.

I've also started watching Brandon Sanderson's writing lectures on youtube, a series that I saw recommended in a different post a while ago. Absolutely eye-opening in many regards, be it writing habits or just general techniques on how to outline. I have a very rough outline for "The King of Ivendarea", and I want to refine it as soon as I've worked my way through the rest of the videos. I'm excited to see where it will lead.

Finally, I have been getting excited about Cosplay again. Nothing super advanced to begin with - basically, crafting some of my favourite clothes from GTA: Online. Something that I could also wear in everyday-life, but that challenges me in a creative way. For example I've been learning how to create endless, seamless patterns for a jacket I want to make (work in progress still)

And yesterday I tried screenprinting on fabric for the first time. It turned out so nice, I want to do more!! XD

Also, I did some work in the garden, set up my veggie patches for the year (no veggies yet, it's too cold at night still), but it's a work in progress.

But yes. That was my last couple of weeks/ my day today with the youtube and stream and ko-fi stuff. I'm ready to go back to bed tbh XD But at least some things have been moving forward, even if I didn't realize. Send me some energy to post the commission later (cause it did turn out very pretty!! I miss doing commissions - if there's interest still from any of you, I might open 1-2 slots soon).

[elxctrics]

(—) ★ spotted!! MAVERICK LEDGER on the cover of this week’s most recent tabloid! many say that the 40 year old looks like CHRIS HEMSWORTH but i don’t really see it. while the MUSICIAN/ARTIST/PHOTOGRAPHER is known for being CREATIVE my inside sources say that they have a tendency to be BROODY i swear, every time i think of them, i hear the song CLAIRE AND EDDY by KINGS OF LEON {HE/HIM, CISMALE}

  ˗ˏˋ ＊ ‣ 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬    :  

connections || musings || instagram || headcanons

𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓼

name: maverick colton ledger

age: forty

nicknames: rick, ricky

date of birth: may, 13th, 1984

astrological sign: taurus

place of birth: ouray, colorado

occupation: artist/photographer/musician

voice claim: caleb followill from kings of leon

label: the enigma

positive traits: creative, artistic, deep, talented

negative traits: broody, reclusive, grumpy a perfectionist, 

characters/celebrities he’s like: caleb followill, luke danes from gilmore girls, keith scott from one tree hill, stefan salvatore from the vampire diaries, nick carraway from the great gatsby, noah callhoun from the notebook

𝓫𝓲𝓸𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓱𝔂

born and raised in mountain town, ouray colorado, maverick was raised as the only son of claire and eddy ledger. 

claire was a singer in a local bar, the leon, and eddy was the owner of said bar and the two had a ‘love at first sight’ kind of love, however their relationship was an incredibly toxic one - filled with jealousy and booze and rage, although they did their best to shield young maverick from it.

maverick had always been a lone wolf, much too quiet for his own good and never had or kept many friends. he preferred being alone and could often be found painting in his school’s art room or learning instruments in his father’s bar before they opened for the evening.

while he wasn’t the best student, he excelled in the arts and for his thirteenth birthday, his parents got him his first camera and living in such a picturesque little town, he fell in love with capturing it’s beauty and went on to win many photography awards throughout high school.

he loved writing music and singing, too, but after attempting to perform at the school’s talent show and getting all choked up on stage, he realized he was far too shy for that kind of spotlight and preferred to be behind the camera.

when college came around, he got accepted into parson’s school of the arts in new york city and double majored in fine art and photography.

there, he got in with the artsy scene in new york and it wasn’t long before his paintings and photography were hanging in galleries across the city and eventually, the globe.

he was on a high, but art was fleeting, and people were always looking for the next best thing, so it wasn’t long until he had to do what most had to do and sell his soul to hollywood.

he became a world renounced photographer for the rich and famous, shooting vogue covers and the most high profile fashion campaigns and became incredibly sought after in the industry.

however, he felt like it was sucking the life out of him and he hated it, causing him to become rather grumpy and recluse and thus, he turned to drinking, just as his parents did years prior.

while in the heart of his creative slump just last year, he lost both of his parents within six months of one another and truly hit rock bottom, feeling as though life meant nothing and turned to writing to get him out of it.

after getting a little too drunk at a bar one night with his friends, he drunkly performed one of the songs he had written in the presence of all of his industry friends and after hearing his deep, raspy unique voice, they pushed him to start taking music seriously, which he did, since had nothing left to lose. 

he got a group of his buddies together and formed the band ‘kings of leon’ - named after the leon bar that his father owned in their small town.

now,  after the release of his debut album ‘only by the night’  and riding on the high of the success of his singles ‘sex on fire’ and ‘use somebody’, he’s in a better headspace and has a newfound confidence in himself that he didn’t before.

he still works on photography projects on the side, since that’s where his heart is, and still very much spends late night hours in his studio trying to paint something great again.