#this is a writing exercise for me

[whumpbby]

You know what?

Lan Zhan is mostly so frustrating as a character to me, because making him interesting and giving him a character arc would be so easy and it wouldn't even require changing his character or the overarching story!

Solution:

Have the Lan kick him out after he took the lashes for Wei Wuxian. No seclusion, straight up blacklisting from the properties.

That will reinforce:

A. That actions thaken in good faith result in unfairly harsh consequences.

B. That Lan are a strict sect that will stick to their rules to their own detriment.

C. That Lan Wangji took on an actual risk by trying to save WWX and it cost him more than he was ready to pay. Everyone lost in WWX's gamble.

Have him be a rogue cultivator that has spent thirteen years trying to earn the right of returning to his sect and family - and that's the reason he's where the chaos is, the reason he's known outside of Gusu and sticking to their creed to the letter. It would give him a valid personal reason to resent Jiang Cheng, because in his eyes JC didn't lose as much as him for doing much less.

It would give him internal conflict separate from WWX - does he want to go back to the sect that abandoned him? Does he want to go back to the sect he doesn't believe in anymore? Can he even allow himself to stop believing in the Rules and their utility - because if he stops, what's left for him? He'll be alone in the world that doesn't understand him and won't allow him to grieve the man he loved. Hell, have him question his decision to help WWX and come to no definite answer.

Give him a crisis of faith when he's one step away from returning to the sect and his brother, and his uncle, and that's when Wei Wuxian comes back into his life.

And the choice placed in front of him suddenly has weight. Does he go back to the sect, something he has been working towards for years? Does he abandon the only light in the darkness of his post-war life, that kept him going through the worst times for a man that died over a decade ago? Can he abandon the chance to get back to his beloved brother who breaks law by speaking to him a few times a year?

Or does he choose Wei Wuxian? Choose him in the way he didn't before, this time with his eyes open and aware of the consequences? Does he break away from the sect that killed his mother and broke his father with their unbent, heartless adherence to the Rules? Can he go back to that life after knowing freedom?

And WWX will do okay without him, it's quite obvious he can just live his dream of being a rogue cultivator with ease.

But Lan Zhan won't do well without Wei Wuxian - because WWX was the symbol of freedom for him from the first meeting. Freedom to feel and to act, and to follow his heart.

And he chooses WWX, knowing that he won't be able to go back home - accepting that the home he remembers only ever fit him when he made himself smaller for it. You can never go back home etc.

And that closes the thread of generational trauma for these two - the thread of crappy 'parents/elders' straddling their kids with their own issues.

Coincidentally, that would merge beautifully with WWX's plight - both of them leaving previous lives symbolised by their brothers, that are appropriately opposite in character to suite their specific emotional baggage;)

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Child's Writing Exercises and Doodles, from Egypt, c. 1000-1200 CE: this was made by a child who was practicing Hebrew, creating doodles and scribbles on the page as they worked

This writing fragment is nearly 1,000 years old, and it was made by a child who lived in Egypt during the Middle Ages. Several letters of the Hebrew alphabet are written on the page, probably as part of a writing exercise, but the child apparently got a little bored/distracted, as they also left a drawing of a camel (or possibly a person), a doodle that resembles a menorah, and an assortment of other scribbles on the page.

This is the work of a Jewish child from Fustat (Old Cairo), and it was preserved in the collection known as the Cairo Genizah Manuscripts. As the University of Cambridge Library explains:

For a thousand years, the Jewish community of Fustat placed their worn-out books and other writings in a storeroom (genizah) of the Ben Ezra Synagogue ... According to rabbinic law, once a holy book can no longer be used (because it is too old, or because its text is no longer relevant) it cannot be destroyed or casually discarded: texts containing the name of God should be buried or, if burial is not possible, placed in a genizah.

At least from the early 11th century, the Jews of Fustat ... reverently placed their old texts in the Genizah. Remarkably, however, they placed not only the expected religious works, such as Bibles, prayer books and compendia of Jewish law, but also what we would regard as secular works and everyday documents: shopping lists, marriage contracts, divorce deeds, pages from Arabic fables, works of Sufi and Shi'ite philosophy, medical books, magical amulets, business letters and accounts, and hundreds of letters: examples of practically every kind of written text produced by the Jewish communities of the Near East can now be found in the Genizah Collection, and it presents an unparalleled insight into the medieval Jewish world.

Sources & More Info:

Cambridge Digital Library: Writing Exercises with Child's Drawings

Cambridge Digital Library: More About the Cairo Genizah Manuscripts

[inkskinned]

i love when words fit right. seize was always supposed to be that word, and so was jester. tuesday isn't quite right but thursday should be thursday, that's a good word for it. daisy has the perfect shape to it, almost like you're laughing when you say it; and tulip is correct most of the time. while keynote is fun to say, it's super wrong - i think they have to change the label for that one. but fox is spot-on.

most words are just, like, good enough, even if what they are describing is lovely. the night sky is a fine term for it but it isn't perfect the way november is the correct term for that month.

it's not just in english because in spanish the phrase eso si que es is correct, it should be that. sometimes other languages are also better than the english words, like how blue is sloped too far downwards but azul is perfect and hangs in the air like glitter. while butterfly is sweet, i think probably papillion is more correct, although for some butterflies féileacán is much better. year is fine but bliain is better. sometimes multiple languages got it right though, like how jueves and Πέμπτη are also the right names for thursday. maybe we as a species are just really good at naming thursdays.

and if we were really bored and had a moment and a picnic to split we could all sit down for a moment and sort out all the words that exist and find all the perfect words in every language. i would show you that while i like the word tree (it makes you smile to say it), i think arbor is correct. you could teach me from your language what words fit the right way, and that would be very exciting (exciting is not correct, it's just fine).

i think probably this is what was happening at the tower of babel, before the languages all got shifted across the world and smudged by the hand of god. by the way, hand isn't quite right, but i do like that the word god is only 3 letters, and that it is shaped like it is reflecting into itself, and that it kind of makes your mouth move into an echoing chapel when you cluck it. but the word god could also fit really well with a coathanger, and i can't explain that. i think donut has (weirdly) the same shape as a toothbrush, but we really got bagel right and i am really grateful for that.

grateful is close, but not like thunder. hopefully one day i am going to figure out how to shape the way i love my friends into a little ceramic (ceramic is very good, almost perfect) pot and when they hold it they can feel the weight of my care for them. they can put a plant in there. maybe a daisy.

[scealaiscoite]

reasons for there to be only one bed ˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🍊 ꒱

¹⁾ they’re undercover as a married couple, and as such need to act like one

²⁾ there’s technically two beds available, but it’s freezing cold and everybody knows body heat works best

³⁾ it’s a camping trip, and one character’s forgotten their sleeping bag

⁴⁾ a character goes to their friend’s house after an emotional upheaval in search of comfort, and ends up staying the night - but refuses to kick the homeowner out of their own bed, resulting in the two of them sharing it

⁵⁾ in a roommate scenario, one character’s bedroom has been rendered unusable - and with the couch being unsustainable in the long run, they proffer sharing the one remaining bed as a solution

⁶⁾ there are two beds, but only one blanket

⁷⁾ a character’s taken ill, and the other party worries too much to leave them alone for even a minute

⁸⁾ in a fit of anger after a mission gone wrong, both characters sleep in the only available bed because no one was chivalrous to offer to take the floor

⁹⁾ a character’s had a nightmare, and needs company to feel safe enough to go back to sleep

¹⁰⁾ the weather takes a tumultuous turn, meaning a late night hangout has to turn into a sleepover when a character gets stranded there for the night

¹¹⁾ it’s a late night at work and when they both grow too tired to continue on, the only option is the lone office couch

¹²⁾ a threat’s been made against one/all character(s) involved, and so under the guise of safety in numbers it’s deemed safest if they stay together - everywhere

¹³⁾ one character joins the other for a late-night conversation, and ends up getting comfortable in their bed next to them - evidently too comfortable, as the char in bed falls asleep on the visitor and effectively traps them there

¹⁴⁾ there’s no bed in the shoddy refuge they’ve found after things went sideways, so when it comes time to sleep the only real choice is to stay close together

and, of course,

¹⁵⁾ it’s the last room available at the hotel after a long trip

[me-writes-prompts]

-:"We just got married!" Newlywed Prompts:-

(Tag me if you write these! || requested by: anon(hope you enjoy!) )

By @me-writes-prompts

Their first morning together

^^"Breakfast in bed?" "Oh! you didn't have to do that!" "Of course, I did. I vowed to be the chef in our relationship."

Making each other new playlists

Leaving little love notes around the house for each other before they leave for work

Surprise dates

Going shopping together for the first time after being married

^^"I should've known you married me for my money :(" "Oh shush! I'll pay next time, promise!" They don't.

They decide to adopt a pet to celebrate!

Now that they're married, they can workout together(and make fun of their partner's stamina)

"We need to get a bigger place, don't we?" "Yeah, seems like it." They say when they see how much stuff their partner has.

Rewatching their favorite show together

Decorating their first christmas tree

[bisclavret]

you're telling me bbc merlin has an episode called The Secret Sharer where everything revolves around a bunch of characters digging around for merlin's secret identity and gwaine is there for no reason other than to beg merlin to trust him again and proves himself worthy of that trust by turning his back on his knightly duties and doing everything to help merlin even though they might be saving a traitor for all gwaine knows and then merlin literally does magic in front of him and they even kinda acknowledge it by shrugging at each other and this still doesn't count as a magic reveal and they all just go back to their stupid little ignorant lives in camelot after that. do i have that right? ok. so first of all this show is a cheap farce but we knew that. second of all. Gwaine Knows. obviously

[turtleblogatlast]

Small but significant character moments that I actually really adore are from both the times we see the boys as tots. There is a reoccurrence that happens in both of them that I find so incredibly interesting.

For the turtle tot short, Splinter leaves the boys with weapons. In the short, Raph is the one who suggests they do “what Lou Jitsu would do” and Leo is the one who takes point when Splinter comes back to reprimand them. Leo, in taking point, is the one to defend them and get Splinter off their tails.

And then, in the flashback regarding the Kuroi Yōroi helmet, Raph is the one who grabs and throws “Skully” as a way to replace their missing ball which breaks it into pieces, but Leo is the one who speaks for the group and rushes into action to fix the teapot.

I love this for multiple reasons, but the biggest are how it shows that Raph has always been inclined toward the bold and fun and making the plans to include his brothers in what he loves and believes they’d love, whereas Leo has always been inclined to be the “Face” of the group and shoulder the attention even if it’s potentially negative all while coming up with on the spot attempts to fix the situation.

[seiwas]

bakugo swallows a spoonful of food too fast and lets out a small cough.

it's cute, barely there—could even pass as him clearing his throat if anything, but you notice it because bakugo always eats his food carefully, never hurriedly.

you try your best to hide your smile across him, head tilted down towards the bowl of soup you're swirling with your spoon.

"s’your soup funny or what?" he grumbles, gaze narrowing at you.

your eyes widen and the grin you'd been trying to suppress attempts to slip out, your teeth catching on your lower lip to stop it from fully revealing itself. when you look up, he isn't mad, but the expression on his face lets you know that he’s suspicious because you’re acting so weird.

"it's nothing," you smile, shaking your head.

just that you think it's so cute of him—that little cough. how he’s comfortable with you like this, off-guard.

he doesn't press further, but his eyes squint before returning to his food.

"can i taste?" you ask, spoon reached out and begging as you eye his bowl.

"t'spicy," he doesn’t even look up.

you pout, "i wanna try—"

the stare he gives you is flat, a dull crimson that’s rehearsed; the same one he sends you each and every time you ask to taste something he's flagged too spicy for you, yet for some reason you still insist on suffering through.

"—please?"

it’s unfortunate he still hasn’t figured out how to say no when you ask this way.

he pushes his bowl towards you, the liquid in it a vibrant, scary, and very spicy red. you can already feel the insides of your nose burning. he leans back and crosses his arms over his chest, watching as you gulp nervously. anticipating.

you wet your lips once before dipping your spoon into his bowl, collecting just enough to taste but not enough to form a mouthful. you swallow again before taking a deep breath as the cool metal of the spoon pushes itself past your lips.

it's okay.

for a second, maybe.

until it starts to burn, your tongue on fire as dry heat makes its way to the back of your throat. this is the worst coughing fit of your life.

are you crying? or are your eyes actually sweating?

you squeeze your eyes tighter and think, no wonder bakugo had coughed earlier.

.

when you think you've recovered, eyes rid of tears and throat probably extremely fucked from all that coughing, bakugo slides over a glass full of milk and a small, peeled open yogurt cup that he keeps in his fridge for all the others times you've done this already.

[tartagliove]

Tartaglia working out with Reader who is not as fond of exercise as he is looks a little like...

Glaring up at him as he pushes down on your shoulders to make sure you squat down far enough. Your thighs are burning. You want to stand up, but he doesn't let you until you hold the squat for five seconds.

“Screw you, Tartaglia,” you snarl at him after you straighten up.

He just flashes you a cheeky smile. “Five more left.���

You scowl at him but start the next squat anyway, making sure to bend enough. He lets go of your shoulder and circles around behind you as you do another.

The next time you sink down into the squat, warm hands wrap around your waist and slide down to your hips as he mirrors your squat. Tartaglia applies pressure, firmly weighing you down so you keep the right position. When he lets you up, his hands travel with you, sliding back up to your waist, his thumb slipping under your shirt to rub circles across your skin. You shiver.

“Two more. C'mon, I know you have them in you. Make them good.”

You groan at him in protest but squat once more with his hands holding down your hips. Then as you sink into your final squat, he lets go to circle around and stand in front of you. His blue eyes track your every movement as you complete the squat on your own, straightening up with an exhale—just to end up chest to chest with him. “Good job,” he croons, taking in the way you pant for breath and your legs tremble from the exercise.

A whine escapes your lips. “Can I be done now?”

“With squats? Yes.”

You sigh in relief and take a wobbly step back from Tartaglia.

He closes the distance, refusing to let you retreat. “Ah, not so fast. You have weights to do. Time to work on these arms!”

You cross aforementioned arms defensively, glare returning instantly. “I hate you.”

“You love me,” he fires back.

“You’re delusional.”

“And you’re going to complete this workout your boyfriend prepared so he can cook dinner as you take a nice, hot shower.”

That does sound nice, even though you know you’re in for at least another half hour of pain. “Pasta?”

“And garlic bread.”

“Fine. I’ll finish your stupid workout.”

You press a quick kiss to his lips. The fond look that appears on his face makes you turn on your heel and stalk off toward the rack of weights, leaving him before he realizes you aren’t too upset about exercising with him after all.

[fatedroses]

Finally I can post the comic for Adventurer!Zenos that has taken hold of my brain for the past week.

AKA a man who is currently running off the fumes of the literal souls of the damned being very desperate to be out of the void he was stuck in (and for the first time actually being able to just enjoy something mundane), only to get absolutely overwhelmed but all the stimuli he had just... ignored until now.

[finalgirlgretchen]

another ode to mary oliver

[bluegarners]

i like jason because you can always sense this intense and deep longing for want, but jason doesn’t really know what exactly it is that he wants. once he finds out though, he does everything he can to destroy it. and i think that kind of dissonance impacts how he views his personhood and physical body bc there is this sort of casual distaste for it in that he knows it’s his body but it’s also a body that he, let alone, anyone shouldnt have or want. and so when his body betrays him, it’s a justification for the distaste, but when his body rewards him, it becomes yet another argument he has with himself about whether the kind of existence he possesses is even real. it’s even more a problem once he begins to realize that there is the possibility that others could want Him, including His Body

[crushribbons]

nsfw txt!

SEBASTIAN SALLOW ——— who doesn’t know why he says it, doesn’t want to examine it too closely. it falls out of his mouth so easily, while she’s bouncing on his dick and he’s digging his teeth into her shoulder to try and stop himself, but he can’t: “Mommy…” it trickles from his lips like honey, mingling with the two salty tears streaming down his cheek from how fucking good she feels. he’s trying so hard to muffle the word in her neck that she almost misses it, but he swears he hears a pleased little huff slip out. it bolsters him at the same time it makes his already flushed face burn with gorgeous and glowing humiliation. “Oh, fuck, mommy, please…” he’s still trying not to say it but what was left of his composure is gone, leaving him as she picks up her pace and fucks him senseless. his head thrown back, his nails digging into the soft flesh above her ass. he has no idea how sweet he sounds.

[scealaiscoite]

“i’ll keep you safe” prompts ˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🍊 ꒱

⋆ “i can stay the night, y’know. if it’d make you feel better.”

⋆ “try and get some sleep. i’ll stay right here- i won’t let anything happen to you, i swear.”

⋆ “you should’ve told me this was going on. i would’ve put a stop to it the second i heard about it.”

⋆ “no one gets to treat you like that, you hear me? no one.”

⋆ “either go to bed and get some rest willingly, or i will drag your ass down the hall kicking and screaming. you know i’ll have no problem with either option.”

⋆ “you must be freezing- here, take my jacket.”

⋆ “this place is dicey at the best of times. just take my hand until we’re clear of it, yeah?”

⋆ “anyone touches you, says anything to you, so much as looks at you the wrong way- you come get me, and i’ll set them straight. understand?”

⋆ “i’m not jealous. i just know the intentions that someone like that has for you, even if you claim not to see them yourself.”

⋆ “stay behind me, no matter what.”

⋆ "i know you can't believe it yet, but i promise you can trust me. whenever you're ready to rely on me, i'll be here for you. i swear it."

⋆ “i like seeing you this way. so… at ease. makes me wonder how anyone could ever purposely put you under stress and live with themselves afterwards.”

⋆ “shut up and just let me take care of you!”

⋆ “this isn’t up for discussion. i know you’re used to looking out for yourself, but i need you to understand that you don’t have to live like that anymore. i’m here. for as long as i’m around, i’m going to come between you and anything that wants to hurt you.”

⋆ “no one’s ever going to hurt you again. i promise you that on everything i believe in.”

[cambion-companion]

whenever you have time, i NEED you to write something based on that ask you got about vhagar being super attached to aemond's girl 🥺

These requests are from November, so yes I am still working on the messages I have received! Thank you for them :)

I would love to expound more upon Vhagar bonding with the reader (you) especially after you and Aemond get married. The idea of dragons being intelligent enough to feel/recognize the bonds their riders have with other people is something I'd love to be canonized.

When Aemond could not find you within the walls of the Red Keep or honing your body in the training courtyard, he knew by now you were well outside the confines of King’s Landing, spending quality time with your newest best friend.

“I thought I would find you out here.”

You looked up with a smile at Aemond’s familiar velvet voice.  Your back was pressed against the iron dragonskin of Vhagar’s neck, a book of Targaryen history propped open upon your knees as you had been regaling the dragon with tales she would’ve been well familiar with.

“I needed to escape the stuffy sitting room for a while.” You agreed, feeling the rumbling purr growing within Vhagar as she acknowledged her rider’s presence.

You scooted into Aemond’s embrace as he took a seat on the soft earth beside you, peering briefly at the book you had been reading. “And what does Vhagar think about today’s reading material?”

You looked sideways up along the endless expanse of Vhagar’s neck to where her yellow eye watched the two of you.  You caught Aemond’s eye with a smirk. “No complaints so far.”

“Hmm.”  Aemond took the book from you, closing and setting it aside before taking your hands in his.  He leaned into your space, brushing his nose against yours before finding your lips in a chaste kiss. “One day I’m going to seek you out and find you’ve taken her out for a ride.”

Your heart stuttered in mild fear at the very thought. “That’ll be the day.”  You laughed as Aemond breathed a soft chuckle, tucking your head beneath his chin, his warm breath rustling your hair.

He held you for many moments as you basked in the warmth of his body and the continual rumbling of Vhagar as she shifted slightly at your back.

The three of you were alerted to the sound of many hooves thundering upon the earth as several riders cleared the hill.  Upon seeing the massive island-sized dragon laying before them their horses reared in fear, nearly sending several soldiers toppling to the ground.  Vhagar’s head became visible from your periphery as she growled low and deep, moving to position her snarling teeth in between where you and Aemond sat and the newcomers.

“Vhagar, gida.”  Aemond calmed the dragon with a word, though Vhagar did not move her head from its defensive position.

Aemond gave you a strange look which you mirrored right back at him. “Has she acted like this before?”

You shook your head, glancing to where you could see the sun glinting off dragon teeth the length of a man’s body.

“My prince!”  The leading rider called, unwilling to come any closer. “The king requests your presence at once!”

“Duty calls.”  Aemond sighed, rising to stand and brushing sand off his clothing. “Would you like to remain here or accompany me back to the city?”

You took his proffered hand and he helped you rise to your feet. “I’ll come back with you.”

At your movements Vhagar grumbled another deep sound of displeasure, her tail this time slithering around to block your path forward, even separating you from where Aemond stood.

“Vhagar!”  Aemond said almost reproachfully, looking to where Vhagar’s gaze was still fixated on the soldiers.  He shook his silver head in annoyance. “Seems she has become incorrigibly possessive of you overnight.”

“Vhagar.”  You called to the ancient she-dragon gently.  The yellow eye flicked briefly to you. “Nyke ȳgha.”  She seemed to relax at your Valyrian reassurance, allowing you to take Aemond’s hand again and proceed closer to where the soldiers waited.

“I haven’t a clue what’s gotten into her.”  You muttered to your husband.

Aemond shook his head in agreement as he glanced back toward where Vhagar still was growling low. “Perhaps she decided to take you on as a sort of dragonling…” He stopped mid-stride, color draining from his face as he turned to face you. “A child.”

“I am hardly her child, Aemond.”  You snickered, your smile dropping when his expression remained serious. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you…” Aemond shot a look to where the riders were obviously trying to listen in, he lowered his voice and leaned closer to you. “Are you with child?”

Your stomach swooped as shock coursed through you. “I-I don’t know.”

“Let’s pay a visit to the maester after dealing with whatever my brother wants.”  Aemond squeezed your hand briefly, unable to keep an excited grin off his angular face. He looked again at Vhagar, this time in mild wonder.  The grumbles and groans of the dragon faded away as the riders escorted the two of you back to the Keep.

Nine months later the kingdom welcomed the birth of their newest Targaryen princess.  

She grew to be very much like her father, in mannerisms and visage.  When she was old enough Aemond didn’t waste any time in introducing her to Vhagar.  

The old dragon seemed to already know who she was.

[peachfruitcake]

well gosh