#this world needs fewer stupid people

[snoweylily]

the camera cuts to me, on the bus, ten minutes ago, sitting next to a lovely old lady who reaches up to press the stop button, making her sleeve roll down, revealing a shiny silver bracelet with the letters "DNR" in bright red letters

me, a fool with a bookstagram account, out loud: "huh... did not read"

her, very calm, very sweet: "no dear, it stands for 'do not resuscitate'"

[crucialplayer]

Thoughts on Venus placements

!! everything is based purely on my experiences with signs, written with no other purpose than to share my observations and be unserious.

Aries Venus. View public humiliation as a flirting tactic. Will borderline call you stupid and ugly and genuinely expect people to get the hint that they’re actually very interested. Will prob ask themselves out on ur behalf. If u don't show interest immediately as they enter a room they’re done. Life is a cycle of falling in and falling out. Romance is 90 percent fucking.

Taurus venus. Like anyone who’s pretty but LOVE prob one person in a lifetime. Will have an aneurism if you try to rush them or speed up the prelude. Unbearable in their pickiness (esp with food and smells). Have deluded themselves into thinking there are people dying waiting for them to grace this earth with their love and attention. Limit freedom but act bothered when being imposed with the same limitations. 

Gemini venus. What’s there to say that hasn't been already cried out loud by the casualties of their love. Wandering eye. Don't promise much and deliver even less. Fun tease flirts, will take you on Before Sunrise style date and rot ur brain with all the talk. Like to leave people wondering. Everyone wants to try this one out at least once. Word’s been going around that a non-cheating-gemini Venus has been spotted in the wild but we’re yet to confirm the evidence. 

Cancer venus. Want to be treated like a baby but always end up babying other people. Want to please their loved ones at all times and if not met with instant appreciation become very irritated and sad. Never voice their needs properly. Expect the most distant emotionally constipated people they usually choose as their partners to be mind-readers. Cook-clean-snog love. 

Leo venus. Promise u the moon and the stars but will be too lazy to actually get them. Love themselves first and won't let you forget that. If not received naturally - will drag those compliments out of you manually. At their best great at hyping people up. Love anyone who praises them. Also kinda get attached quite fast. Get jealous and offended easily (I feel like I say this about every Leo placement but what can u do).

Virgo venus. No one can please them and with time fewer people try. Get the ick over people simply breathing. Want the most sterile of love there is. If you’re not the best at your craft or do not aspire to be WHY the fuck not??? Legit think organizing ur desk is a good substitution for letting know they have warm feelings towards you.

Libra venus. Their partner is the star of the night month year life. Choose partners that can be bragged about and envied for. Very loving never shut up about their relationship no matter the setting always find a reason to bring them up. In a relationship make concessions until they blow up.

Scorpio venus. Insanity falsely taken for being in love. Blood contract on the first date. The ones that giggle at cannibalism=love metaphors. Might just lock you up but in a romantic wayyy... Romance is NOT a joke and ANY attempt making FUN of it WILL NOT slide. Looking around might count as cheating. Also if I may I suggest never leaving them on read..) Forever and always til death do us part. 

Sagittarius venus. Often forget that they are in a relationship. Love the fun aspect of dating, but hate everything else. Need someone who constantly shakes things up and makes life interesting for them. In an ideal world, they travel around the globe and have a lot of se make meaningful connections for life. Very playful tho!

Capricorn venus. In relationships become very domestic but it takes a lot for them to actually end up in such. Love language is to cover basic necessities and feel worn out after that. Typically require to be TAUGHT on love and I know there are some people who find this an exciting quest god bless you on that journey. Prob the most rigid Venus in terms of compatibility with others imo. 

Aquarius venus. So fucking random in terms of people they crush on like I can never guess who’s gonna tingle their interest braincell this time. Normally they go for the intellectuals but once they think they’ve got too predictable with it next choice is gonna be wild. Friends with people who have a crush on them and are oblivious to it. Freeze when you get mushy or clingy with them. 

Pisces venus. Takes a village to pull them out of that one abusive dynamic they’ve been perpetually stuck in. Unironically think of themselves as smol beans. Dedicate their whole unprompted to the person they’ve had a crush on for like two days. Very very veryyyy lovey-dovey-sweet-corny, have no problem confessing their love. Likely to draw ur portrait if they like you. 

[headspace-hotel]

some times i look at terf blogs just curious about wtf kind of Drama is going on cause "radfem" tumblr is constantly exploding when one of their buddies turns out to be a horrible person.............in a way that affects them personally

Like last time there was a whole thing over a woman needing funds for an abortion and getting harassed by other "radfems" over it because "she chose to have sex with a man"

now some person is saying that although all men are bad, white men are inherently safer and less violent than men of color, and a bunch of people are defending them and its a total shit show

There is nothing i could say about this that would communicate more than just the posts themselves

That's Racism. You Just Described Racism. It Does Not Stop Being Racism because you believe there are real differences between how violent different ethnicities are. That Is The Racism

Miscellaneous other rancid takes within a few reblog chain links of the above

this person had another post like "why are we funding ozempic when you can just lose weight by replacing all the fast food in your diet with vegetables? it's easy!"

zero people were burned at the stake at salem.

...

okay but how do I even BEGIN to extract the infected ingrown toenail of stupid that this post nauseatingly embodies. Terfs have this whole genre of post that mourns every devastating historical evil as an atrocity "men" perpetrated, caused by "patriarchy/male violence."

Sure. Whatever. Slavery in Britain and the southeastern USA, (the only places slavery existed), the Holocaust, that was "male violence," caused by men, because men are violent and violence is male. Women are definitionally incapable of violence and have never ever ever abused power over others and the world is made of pudding.

Out of the 19 people executed at Salem, by hanging, 5 of them were men. This doesn't matter because facts don't matter, what matters is that the Salem witch trials are the example of violence prompted by alleged "witchcraft" that you can remember without googling it, and in the deeply symbolic mythology of your ass backwards brain, violence against alleged "witchcraft" is always ACTUALLY patriarchal retaliation against Women's Knowledge, which is always ACTUALLY an ancient genocide of women that transcends culture, which by the way is what you're experiencing when people are mean to you online.

Therefore the Salem witch trials, an event with fewer casualties than the Boston molasses flood, is similar in significance to the Holocaust.

Wow. Such biological reality. Very scientific facts.

[dead-girl-tells-stories]

Everyone from babies to young adults suddenly disappears from Amity Park, and the ghost portal self-destructs as well. The GIW and the Fentons obviously come to the conclusion that it’s ghosts but realize that this issue is way bigger than they can handle, so they call in the big guns, The Justice League.

Of course, they don’t tell the Justice League everything when they come. No matter how much they thought themselves to be heroes, they were simply glorified police in spandex. And with how they operate, they are all too small-minded and won’t be able to see the bigger picture. They also knew fully well that a lot of their methods weren’t even remotely close to being morally or ethically right, and if the JL found out, they would be screwed. So they simply told them enough to get them on their side. 

Besides, how could they not help with how many people were missing? This was going to be easy.

_______

The Justice League didn’t trust the GIW. Something about them was just off. But so many missing people were on the line, so many kids! 

Ghost?

Should they call in the JLD?

_______

Jason knew something was off with Crime Ally.

Nothing was wrong per se. In fact, everything was going great. Crime was at its lowest in like… forever. The general atmosphere was more calm, if not a bit chilly. He himself was calmer. And there were fewer kids on the streets. Which would have been a good thing if this wasn’t fuckin’ CRIME ALLY!

Jason’s been stressing himself out, trying to find out what was going on. He’s been searching up and down, talking to people left and right. No one was reporting anything amiss. Some even told him that they still saw the kids walking around, though not as often as before. And they also looked like they were being well taken care of.

He even saw and talked to some of the kids himself and it was the truth. 

But when he asked where they went, they only laughed and ran away from him. Shouting that he would know soon before they disappeared around the corner. At this point, he was sufficiently freaked out and was so close to getting Batman to contact the JLD, but something told him otherwise.

A few days later Jason was in bed. He had ended patrol early that night and intended to get a full eight hours if he could.

But as fate would have it, he would not. Because just before he could hit the hay he heard it. Well, felt it would be more accurate but how could you feel a siren’s song? Pulling you? Drawing you in. Telling you that it would give you your deepest desire.

He didn’t even bother to suit back up into Red Hood. He just followed it. Followed and followed, Until he got to a dead-end alleyway. But there was no ‘end’. All there was, was darkness. 

He began to get skeptical and took a few steps back. But the feeling was still there. Pulling, telling that all of his answers were in that darkness. Everything he wanted, needed, awaited beyond it. 

He did the stupid thing and went into the darkness.

He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t the feeling of walking through thick goop. But the feeling didn’t last long, and he eventually stepped out.

Again, he didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t this. 

Kids running around without a care in the world, unrestricted. Teenagers just hanging out and being kids too. Whatever adults he saw all looked pretty young, but they were all happy. 

He looked around and noticed that it looked like a weird mix between a suburb and a night market, but it worked quite well. The stalls were all unmanned, and it seemed whoever could just take whatever they wanted. Dim but pretty lights connected all the stalls to as far as his eyes could see. And the sky.

In Gotham, there’s so much smog and bad weather you’d be lucky to even see a piece of blue during the day so no wonder people often forget about the night. But this, the night sky wherever he was, was beautiful, beyond what words and even thoughts could convey.

“Hello, Mr. Red Hood.”

Jason jumped. Was he so out of it that he didn’t even notice someone coming up behind-

Forget what he just said about the sky. The woman right here that was now standing before him? She- She-

“Are you single?”

There was silence. Then she giggled. Guess Jason didn’t need his helmet huh? His face was enough.

He also wanted to die again but hey, at least she laughed!

[superhaught]

Sweetest Girl (Chapter Four)

Pairing: Regina George x Reader

Warning(s): continuation of angst, insight into reader's home life (absent parents, poverty), emotional damage

Word Count: 1600, Part 4/?

Summary: Reader and Regina try to cope in the aftermath of their confusing and sudden separation. Regina keeps up appearances, Reader doesn't feel like herself.

@sapphicantics saw it first <3

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

The rest of the day passed with no word from Regina. 

After Regina let you out of her car, you walked a few minutes down a dirt road to to the trailer park you called home. Your mom was predictably passed out in front of the TV that sat on the table in the middle of the Jayco trailer. Dad wasn’t around. Also predictable. 

You grabbed a few things you needed and checked the refrigerator for something to eat just in case but there was only a half empty case of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

The rest of your day was spent walking to the 24 hour gym to grab a shower. To McDonald’s for a meal. Then to the library to finish your own homework. 

Weekends were the hardest. Two fewer meals a day when you weren’t at school. Too much time to kill. Sundays were the worst of it because the library closed at 5 instead of 9.

You were trying to do your history readings but your thoughts kept frustratingly drifting to Regina. You thought about how if she knew the full truth, she’d be pissed at you for not saying anything, and then she’d feel guilty for making you leave, and then she’d be pissed all over again. 

You wanted to hit yourself. You’d only really known Regina for a week and already you were thinking about her like she was your best friend in the world. You pinched the bridge of your nose and sighed. 

At 4:50 pm, someone lightly tapped your shoulder, waking you up from an accidental nap hunched over your books.

“Gotta pack up sweetie, I’m sorry,” the librarian gave you a pitying smile. 

You blinked and nodded, “sorry for falling asleep.”

“Don’t worry. Have you eaten today?”

You nodded again.

“Alright, well grab something from the pantry on your way out anyways.”

“Thanks.”

You had gotten into the habit of getting your breakfast from the cafeteria and then sitting out in the front courtyard to read and people watch as your classmates arrived for school. You didn’t realize that you were able to recognize the sound of Regina’s car specifically until you were looking up from your book and watching it pull into her spot in the lot. 

The blonde opened her door and threw her hair over her shoulder. She wore sunglasses, making her expression unreadable as she strode across the pavement. 

You clocked Gretchen and Karen’s approach just a second before it seemed Regina did and you watched her take a deep breath in before they pounced on her and started yapping her ears off. 

None of that came as a shock to you. You figured she would uphold her usual even if was still as upset as you were. What happened next was what rendered you paralyzed. 

As the girls made their way toward the school building, some guy intercepted them and slid in between Regina and Karen. He did that stupid thing where he ran his hand through his hair and then stretched his arm out as if he was yawning just so he could drape it around Regina’s shoulders. 

She didn’t react. 

He then leaned in to apparently kiss Regina. At that, she did turn her head so that he could only plant one on her cheek, but still. 

You were aware that you were staring, mouth fully agape, eyes wide, as the group of four walked past you. You didn’t care. The only thing you cared about was the fact that Regina glanced back at you over the shoulder that the dude was possessively gripping. You couldn’t see her eyes past the dark lenses she was wearing and all you could think about for the rest of the day was how much you wished you could have seen her expression. 

During the chem quiz, you kept glancing across the room at her. Trying to check in, catch her eye, anything. She never looked up from her paper. Not once. 

When time was up, you turned your quiz in feeling fairly confident that you performed terribly on it. You watched Regina get up from her desk and check over her answers again before she looked up and met your eyes. 

If it hadn’t been for your teacher telling everyone to find their seats again, you might have stood there and held eye contact with Regina forever. 

She gave you a pained smile and then cleared her throat before walking up the aisle between the rows of desks and handing her quiz in. 

You sat back down at your desk and watched her the entire time it took for her to return to her desk and sit. She didn’t look at you again, but she moved her hands to her lap and picked at her cuticles for the rest of class. 

When you were all dismissed, you tried to catch her on your way out, going as far as to call out to her but the woman knew how to move with purpose and she was well ahead of you. 

At the same time, your teacher called your name, “stay a second, will you?”

You sighed and turned around.

Your teacher was holding yours and Regina’s quizzes in each hand and glancing them over, “well, by the looks of this, she has improved remarkably. However, your quiz…”

You winced, “I know.”

“If I didn’t know your handwriting I would have to assume that you swapped papers with her or something. This isn’t you.”

You nodded, “I just had a really bad day. I don’t think I’ll screw up this bad again.”

“Well, your grade is going to be fine but, are you okay? She’s not giving you trouble is she?”

You glanced at the classroom door that Regina left through then shook your head and faked a smile, “no, no. Not at all. She’s… she’s been great to tutor.”

“Okay, well, if you need anything, you’ll let me know?”

You nodded, slung your bag over your shoulder and walked out the door. 

You knew when you agreed to tutor Regina that there’d be a chance she might get under your skin. She is Regina George, after all. You just never expected that the getting under your skin would be because you were falling for the girl and unable to do a single thing about it. 

As it turned out, though, Regina wasn’t done getting under your skin for the day. 

The blonde was leaning against your locker when you approached it. She was examining her nails but then she looked up at you and dropped her hands to her side. She opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again. 

You stared at her expectantly, “well?”

“Um, could you come with me, please?”

“Why?”

“To talk.”

“Talk to me here.”

“I… I can’t.”

“No? Do you need your boyfriend or something?”

Regina clenched her jaw. 

You felt a pang in your chest. The words this isn’t you echoed in your mind. 

She frowned and looked down at her hands. 

You sighed, “where did you want to talk?”

She met your eyes again, “bathroom?”

You nodded and followed her down the hall. Once inside the restroom, she checked the other stalls for any stragglers that hadn’t gone to lunch yet. 

You crossed your arms in front of your chest and waited for her to talk. 

She faced you from a respectful distance, “I just… I wanted to say I’m sorry again.”

“What are you sorry for, exactly?”

“For… well, all of it.”

“What was the plan? Were you going to lead me on, maybe start a secret situationship, keep me wrapped around your finger while you kept up appearances at school? But then you flipped out, and now you’re sorry that you did it, or are you sorry that it didn’t go the way you wanted? Did you think that maybe if you apologized you could try again?” 

Regina’s eyes went wide and she shook her head, “n-no! That… that’s not… I didn’t…” she stepped closer to you and you stepped back.

“No, actually, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Because you tried to warn me, didn’t you? You said that I should stop being so nice so that I wouldn’t get taken advantage of, right? So I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to you.” As you continued, you started crying, and so did she. 

“When did it start with the guy? Before? Or last night? Does he make you happy, Regina? Actually, nevermind, it’s none of my business. It’s not like we’re in a relationship, right?”

Regina sobbed, “please, please just… please listen… I didn’t set out to hurt you… I… I got scared…”

You wiped your face of the tears you’d shed, “I’m sorry, Regina… I don’t actually want to be mean…” 

She stepped closer to you again, “I… I don't want to lose you as a friend because of this.”

You shook your head, “fuck, I don’t know Regina… I think it’d be best if we just… left each other alone…”

“No, wait… I don’t want that.”

“I’ll still tutor you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“That isn’t what I’m worried about!”

You took a step forward and closed the space between you and Regina, “then what do you want?”

She seemed to cower from the question, “I don’t know.”

You nodded. You met her eyes and you felt your lip quiver, so you turned your face away, “then… I guess… if you figure it out, let me know. I… I’m upset right now but… I don’t want to lose you either.” 

With that, you turned around and left. 

Regina didn’t see you skip lunch to go outside and cry until the next class period. 

You didn’t see Regina go into one of the bathroom stalls and do the same.

Next Chapter

[dyaz-stories]

'You smell nice' — Day one of Inukag Fluff Week

Just a fun lil one-shot for day one of @inukagfluffweek! There is a hint of background SessKagu too because I love them.

Mild warning for Inuyasha's potty mouth and that should be it.

Public transportation was the bane of Inuyasha’s existence.

First of all, whichever human had come up with the idea that half the population would stuff themselves into tin cans to get themselves to and from places, following the same precise and regular schedules every single day, deserved a trip straight to hell. It was easily the dumbest fucking concept known to man, and no self-respecting demon would have agreed to it.

Then there was the fact that there were people everywhere on public transportation, and man, did Inuyasha hate people. Gross, stupid bastards with no self-awareness and no regard for others. There were the students who’d bump into you without even noticing, the women recounting their day far too loud over the phone, and, the worst of them all, the gaggle of salarymen drunk off their asses after some reunion at work. Those ones were rude, entitled, clumsy, and, what was by far the biggest offense, they fucking stank.

And that part was what took the public transport experience from shitty to downright awful. The smells. Inuyasha was no fan of cities in general, their pollution, the sheer amount of things everywhere, whether restaurants, stores, or, of course, public toilets, and, well, the people. It wasn’t always the lack of hygiene, though that was an issue for sure, but the sweat after a day of work, the deodorants, the perfumes, they all came together to produce the foulest of stenches. He hated it here.

The train veered sharply to the left, and Inuyasha tightened his hold on the overhead bar he favored using. Fewer human hands had grabbed it, and since his height meant he had no issue reaching for it, he preferred that to other solutions. In front of him, Kagome hadn’t been so lucky, standing right against the door with nothing to hold onto. With a squeak, she stumbled backwards on her kitten heels, her back colliding with Inuyasha’s broad chest — not that there was really anywhere else for her to go, with how tightly packed the train was.

His free hand closed around her hip, stabilizing her. It came naturally, just instinct, no need to think about it or how nicely her body slotted against his.

She tilted her head back, pretty eyes looking up to him pleadingly.

“Sorry, Inuyasha,” she apologized, lips forming a cute pout.

“You’re good,” he replied, voice gruff. He sent a nasty look to the man on her right, who’d bumped into her. People usually steered clear of him, so the closer she was to him, the better. “You’re getting off at the next stop, right?”

“Yeah,” she beamed, and as always, he marveled at how easy it seemed to be for her to smile and distance herself from the mess of the world around her. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shut down the noises, the smells, the flashes of people’s screens — well, unless he had her to focus on. “I can’t wait to get home.” An eyeroll. “Today was the worst.”

A smirk tugged at his lips.

“Really? You didn’t enjoy Kagura making a scene?”

He knew he had. His sister-in-law was probably his favorite person in the family, actually, with his nieces a close second, and watching her strut into her asshole husband’s office to yell at him about him cancelling their anniversary dinner had absolutely made his day. They could never stay mad at each other very long, so he was sure a very expensive reconciliation was coming, but he’d had his fun for sure.

“No, I like Kagura,” Kagome replied. “But I got cornered by Hojo at the coffee machine and he wouldn’t stop talking about some miracle diet he thinks would cure my allergies and it took me forever to free myself.”

“Want me to do something about that? He never bothers me with that shit.”

“That’s because you terrify him,” she sighed, “so no, that’s not necessary, don’t—” Another turn, but this time he kept her pressed against him, clawed hand on her waist, and her voice barely wavered. “—worry about it. And thanks for that, Inuyasha.”

A knot formed in his throat at the way she leaned back into him without hesitation. He swallowed around it. Where most people cowered away from the hanyo, Kagome had never acted like he was a threat. Sometimes, he felt she was even a little too trusting. Made him feel and think all sorts of things he wasn’t very proud of.

“’s nothing.”

From how he stood behind her, he couldn’t help but catch her scent, especially when she moved and her hair were right under his nose.

And, fuck, she was a breath of fresh air. He’d known that from the first day she’d strolled into the office, of course, gust of wind blowing through the open door and sending her smell throughout the whole office. He didn’t know what it was, if it was the reiki he could guess at under her skin, that gave it such a pleasant flavor. Either way, it could become overwhelming even in the wide open space. Here, on the other hand, it was the perfect distraction against everything else, and it took more willpower than he’d like to admit to not just sniff at her.

“Everything okay?” she asked, catching him off guard, her big inquisitive eyes staring up at him.

“Yeah, it’s—” Damn it, he’d known she was always noticing things no one else cared about. “That’s— You smell nice,” he blurted out at last, and immediately, he wished he could slap himself in the face. What a fucking weirdo. Turned out, everyone who had told him his mouth was too big for his own good, usually before they got their asses handed to them, had been right. Couldn’t he have kept it shut this one damn time?

“Oh,” Kagome said, and her expression turned thoughtful. He waited for the inevitable judgment to fall down. “I read that demons often find perfumes difficult to deal with, so I haven’t worn any since getting hired at Taisho Inc. Is that really better for you?”

There was the knot again, but this time it wasn’t embarrassment, and rather another, deeper emotion. Of course she’d pay attention to that kind of stuff.

“Yeah, it is,” he answered, clearing his throat. “Makes it hard to be around too many people.”

“That’s good to know,” she said with a nod. “Let me know if I can do other things to help you, alright?”

He would not be telling her anything about the thoughts that were running through his mind at her proposal. Nuh-huh.

“That’s my stop,” she grinned up at him, grabbing the hand at her waist and squeezing it gently in hers. “Thank you again, Inuyasha. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

She waved at him, and a second later, she was lost in the crowd, and his world was just a little darker, duller, blander. He let his hand fall back to his side, flexing it reflexively as if to remember how it had felt, touching her.

Keh. He couldn’t believe she was making him look forward to another day in the office.

As a lot of you know, it's been ages since I last wrote for this pairing that's still near and dear to my heart, so I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! Don't hesitate to scream at me about it in the tags, in the reblogs, in my askbox... anywhere your heart desires lol. Thank you for reading!

[dameferre]

here’s the thing. i hate everyone who didn’t vote for kamala harris, and i literally don’t care why. fewer people voted for trump than in 2020. so where the Fuck was the turnout from everyone else

whether they voted for trump, voted for a third party candidate, or didn’t vote at all it doesn’t make a fucking difference to me because it doesn’t make a difference to him. to the republicans. to the world we have all woken up in.

i don’t care what holier than thou, short sighted, stupid, selfish reasons people had for however they chose to or not to vote, if it wasn’t for harris then they’re responsible and i fucking hate them with every fragment of righteous anger in my body. i hope they lie awake at night thinking about how their action or inaction put so many more people in very real danger. in america, in palestine, in mexico, in every country the us has a chokehold on. they made the world worse and hurt everyone i love

and i literally don’t care what the democrats have or haven’t done btw!! they were the better, safer, kinder option and now we’re all fucking screwed. politicians are never gonna be exactly what we want it’s about doing All The Good We Can. it’s about recognising what’s at stake and swallowing our fucking pride and doing what needs to be done and as soon as it’s finished rolling up our sleeves and fighting the good fight that’s so much fucking easier to fight with democrats in office.

also i genuinely wanna know how ‘sending a message to the democrats’ works when they’re not Fucking In Office. & how’s the moral high ground taste you stupid fucks. the democrats get paid to look the other way when people are at risk bc it benefits their interests? to actively harm people with their inaction? congratulations you did it for free.

i hope they find a way to forgive themselves because i sure as fuck will never forgive them

[dudesome]

My interpretation of Serana and relationships.

So I've been seeing some people's thoughts on Serana from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, there are a variety of opinions on her and relationships.

I have seen people mod or write her as someone very open to the idea of having a relationship, while others see her as against it due to her trauma and fewer see her as someone only open to a purely platonic relationship. (Which is an idea I can get behind.)

As someone who adores Serana as a character and was like "Ah, c'mon." when I found you could not marry her, I have been thinking over her as a person. To me, it makes sense that she wouldn't be a fan of marriage. The only experience with marriage is her parents and that wasn't a great start and she became a vampire through very gruesome means, it is almost natural for her to be afraid of marriage.

Some people have said that she just doesn't like temples and not the concept of marriage, but her dialogue says otherwise.

"You're sweet. And... I'm not stupid. I can see what you're getting at. But... that's just not something I'm going to be able to do. Ever. Given how I've lived... what I've done... I can't ask the gods for a blessing like that."

Here we can tell that Serana isn't just not wild of the idea of being in a temple, the blessing of marriage itself doesn't suit her. She feels unworthy of asking for a blessing from Mara because of what happened to her. Now that could propose the idea that Serana and the dragonborn could just be in a romantic relationship and not get married, but here is the thing; Does she even like the Dragonborn that way or; Would she allow herself to like someone that way?

The first answer for me is; Maybe. "Look, I care about you. A lot. And I'll come with you wherever you want to go. But... with everything in my past, I don't think I could bring myself to go into a temple and ask for that kind of blessing. It's just... it's not for me."

Now it is obvious that Serana deeply cares for the Dragonborn. Also, there is this rare dialogue of her flirting with the Dragonborn. When asking her about what she knows about the Elder Scrolls, she responds with this

Serana: "Turns out you don't learn much from just sleeping with something."

Dragonborn: "Are you saying you want to learn more about me?"

Serana: "I guess you'll never get to find out."

So she cares about you a lot and she is even flirtatious towards you, so it is possible that romance may be a possibility for her.

Now as for the second question:.....I dunno. Also maybe?

In previous dialogue in regards talking to about her parents, you are given the option to remind her that what happened with her parents is not her fault and she would respond with "I know that in my head. But I just can't help feeling bad about... the way things are. Sorry, I know you're trying to help. Thanks."

She seems to blame herself a little when it came to the breakdown of her parents marriage, so it may seem she is nervous to start a relationship with the Dragonborn due to her fears of it ending badly and she could have only herself to blame.

For the idea of marriage to even become more plausible and look good to her, she would need to overcome her trauma first and foremost, but how exactly can that happen? She could get therapy.....but I don't think that exists in the world of Tamriel. So now the real question is here.

How can Serana overcome her trauma or manage? And this is not just to the extent of her getting all romantic with the Dragonborn. Yes, everything I wrote down so far is in regards to romance and marriage, but that was just there so I can lay the foundations of where I am getting at. Serana for her own sake, must learn what happened to her parents is not her fault, she is worth the blessing of the deities for her own choices in going against Harkon and saving Skyrim and her bravery, and she is worth more than she believes.

How can this happen? For me, it would mean she can just settle down and and live her life, have deep and meaningful conversations with the people she trusts and slowly and surely figure herself out. Perhaps by the end of it all, she can start her own life in whatever she desires and maybe then, she could be with the Dragonborn in ways she didn't think she could.

What do you think?

[buttered-milky]

Maedhros goes crazy hard to me because yes he has a villain arc but he also has a suicidal ideation arc. You watch him have fewer and fewer living clues as the book goes on. You watch him have passive SI that gets more and more dangerous until it’s not passive anymore. You watch him slowly implode.

[Silly little essay ahead and we’re talking about suicide so be mindful. Feel free to add your own thoughts!]

Like he starts out pretty okay. The decision to go parlay with Morgoth on his own could actually be argued to just be stupid heroism and nothing else. He’s got things to live for. There are a considerable amount of people who hate him, yes, but there are also a considerable amount who admire and/or rely on him. Also, most of his family is alive and (debatably) well at this point.

And even on Thangorodrim, he doesn’t give up his spirit like we know elves can do. He begs Fingon to kill him, but he never just…lets himself die. There’s a difference between wishing you were dead and planning out suicide—a huge difference. He’s still got ambivalence, and he’s still resilient as hell (literally).

But things are getting worse. He decides to hold Himring. Which is the closest to Angband. The most dangerous. Because he doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt, or because he doesn’t care if he himself does—yet there are still reasons to be alive.

Most of his family is alive, too, and Fingon is anyways, and he’s done something good abdicating. He’s building himself for war, sure, but at least he is still capable of good?

And then the Nirnaeth.

He loses Fingon. He still has his closest family alive, at least, but they are all capable enough of committing atrocities with him. They don’t need to rely on him so much anymore—and none of the other Noldor are.

Maedhros is resilient, but there is less and less to be resilient for.

There’s the Second Kinslaying. He loses many of the few people who could at least understand him. He loses two elf twins who were his one chance at redemption. He’s so tired. There is almost nothing left, anymore, besides the Oath. There’s the Third Kinslaying. He’s lost all but one of his brothers. He gets two more twins he doesn’t even want because they are living reminders of his prior failure. He is still alive, though. Even though probably everyone in the world but Maglor wants him dead, he’s still alive.

And then the Valar take the Silmarils.

Maedhros has this beautiful argument with Maglor. I’ve seen people talk about how flawed Maedhros’ points are during that argument and I raise you this: they’re not designed to be logical. They’re designed to be hopeless. And they’re perfect at that.

Let me tell you something. I don’t know how many of you have argued with a very high risk suicidal person about reasons to live, but I have. You can go on for hours and someone who is truly hopeless will fight you tooth and nail to convince you everything that could be wrong is and that the world is nothing but hell. Doesn’t happen all the time—but there are people who do this. The arguments aren’t designed to be logical. They’re designed to be hopeless. They’re designed to convince you by any means possible that death is the only answer, even if that means is despair.

And honestly, the arguments aren’t even for you. This is just what this person has been thinking. It is justification. No one wants to make a decision they know they’ll regret. So despair as a forgone conclusion must be justified. There is no ambivalence anymore. There are no living clues. There’s only dying.

Maedhros is putting all his resilience and all his stubbornness to work convincing himself and others that killing himself is the only way out.

.

Hope couldn’t kill you on Thangorodrim, Maedhros, and nothing but yourself can kill you now because you’ve made yourself into something desperately strong. Nothing but despair can kill you now. You were holding up hope like a crucifix against despair and now you can only see the cross to die on.

Maedhros, you beautiful fucking tragedy.

.

We talk about his heroism slowly turning to villainy. The heroism is thinly veiled SI. You have to remember he is the narrative incarnation of despair. Suicide is the perfect end for him because despair and hopelessness is the one thread running through all SI. Despair is the one thing you can count on to always beg you to die, and it’s what ends up killing a guy who was otherwise unkillable.

[local-philocalist]

Entry to your 20s, advice to the 20-year-old women

Four pieces of advice for the twenty-year-old women from a twenty-something year old woman.

1. Move Your Body

I cannot stress this enough, if you can, please move your body! Move your joints and build your muscles. The doctors, scientists and our parents were unfortunately right, the older one becomes, the weaker they get. If you want to still be able to run around in your fifties, sixties, etc. You need to start the habit now. Get a routine, start working out, try a sport, attempt a dance class, and get active in general.

I’ve recently gotten a gym membership and have begun pilates once or twice a week. Although at first, my muscles were burning, my body soon got used to it and I found my stamina and flexibility improving.

However, you don't need to spend money on a gym membership or Pilates to get fit. You can take a run around your local park, start a sports team with your friends, or try a YouTube workout from the comfort of your home. There are so many different ways to stay fit without emptying your pockets.

2. Eat Your Vegetables

I understand that some people are genuinely picky eaters and their parents never took the initiative to introduce different textures and flavours healthily. Thus this has followed into adulthood and are now unable to eat anything outside the same four meals.

I also understand I cannot say too much as someone who can eat almost anything but as a reformed vegetable hater I do have a little bit to offer. To live a long, healthy life vegetables are a necessity. So if you find yourself unable to eat certain vegetables, I would suggest cooking the vegetables differently, or incorporating ingredients you enjoy in your meals, think outside the box!

There are many articles about breaking picky eating, as adults we should try to expand our tastebuds, there's so much food to enjoy in this life. Nobody likes to be the person ordering chicken fingers at a Michelin restaurant.

3. Feed Your Brain

[edited: the previous paragraph has been published on my personal substack as a full piece; I've rewritten and changed this section for publication and privacy purposes].

I urge young women to nurture their brains; you are so blessed to be in a society and world where education is so accessible for women. If you live in the West, take advantage and don't feed into the propaganda of "I'm just a girl". Women are being minimised, and I don't want young ladies falling down the rabbit hole of this recent no-purpose lifestyle that's advertised.

Looks are essential, and don't get me wrong, I know attraction still plays a huge part in society, but it isn't the only important thing. It's not cute to be ignorant, lack life skills and use social media concepts like "I'm just a girl" as excuses. Stupidity isn't hot, so while it's okay to indulge in media consumption, find yourself hobbies outside of that and put in the effort to grow intellectually and further yourself.

4. High Self-esteem Will Protect You

Most of my girlfriends are in the dating field, and from the stories they tell me its clear these men are crazy. Good discernment is needed and for you to trust your discernment you need a healthy level of self-worth.

I’m not just talking about romantic interest, in general, high self-esteem will take you far in life. From romantic partners to career paths, when you know your value and do not settle, that translates to every crevice of your life. People treat you with more respect, you're likely to find yourself in fewer abusive scenarios and get better opportunities in your place of work.

Nothing good comes from beating yourself down and letting others treat you horribly. Overall your twenties can be fun but also filled with anxiety so take it step-by-step, don't beat yourself up and remember comparison is the thief.

[nevaroonie]

I Love You

TW - Inversion Mentions AN - I know it says inversion but this is fluff. Why not kick start fluff week with a Ashlo Fic! WC - 1092

This was requested by @dawnofiight

This sucked. It was supposed to be hangout week with the wolfie boys, but David with his anti-social ass. Was staying at his house. The resident troublemaker wasn’t able to make it either. So it was just him and Asher. And he was fine with that. Fewer snacks to buy as well as fewer blankets to share. 

Though he would have to find them first, Milo didn’t have to worry about that… unless Ash wanted to make a blanket fort. He chuckled at the thought perhaps he should prepare more blankets and pillows. The last thing he needed was that child disguised as a grown man. 

Complaining about how hard the floor was. Now that the thought was crossing his mind. David had been spending a lot of time with his mate. Milo didn’t blame him, they’re good people. And troublemaker and that stealth couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other as of late. 

So that left just him and Asher, with a fuck ton of cheesy romance movies. He made sure to hide every horror movie that little shit left. He hated those things, who watches movies to get scared? Not this wolf. He had enough scary stuff, perhaps in another life, he’d grow to like those tHiNgS. 

But not this one. 

Truthfully, asher was supposed to host this. But he begged Milo to host this one, there was no doubt it had something to do with the inversion… he hated that word, that night. The longest night of his life. He never thought he could almost lose so much in a day. But they were past that. And he didn’t need that to ruin the night. 

It was going to be perfect, stupid romance movies and Asher's beautiful face. Wait ashers what? 

 –

Milo placed the bowl of chips and salsa on the coffee table. As he went to grab the candy bowls he heard a knock on the door. 

‘’ Just a second ‘’ he rushed to place the second bowl on the table. Why was his heart beating so fast? It was just Asher.. And his, pretty eyes.. And that smile, the one that could light up a room, god could he stop simping for 5 minutes. 

A small groan exited Milo's throat as he opened the door. 

‘’ hey, ash! ‘’ 

‘’Hey Milo-low‘’ Ash teased as he stepped inside. Earning an annoyed grunt from the man. 

‘’ barely been here five fucking minutes and you’re already makin’ short jokes,‘’ Milo said as he shut the door. The action only earned a laugh from Asher. What would he be if he wasn’t making those jokes? That laugh was cute though. 

‘’ you see; im seeing all these snacks and not a single blanket ‘’ Asher looked at Milo accusingly  

‘’ so you want me to freeze ‘’ 

‘’ no you just got here faster than I thought you would ‘’  milo rolled his eyes as he stepped out of the room to receive said blankets   

Asher glanced over at the stack of movies:

Past Lives

Anyone But You 

The Worst Person In The World 

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire 

A Star Is Born           

He never thought Milo would like romance movies. Nor would he have a collection as big as this. Maybe it was something he picked up from Marie? Who knows.. That being said, The Worst Person In the Word sounded good. Asher picked up the movie and read the back. 

The chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is.      

Huh.. this seemed interesting- 

‘’ I got the blankets! ‘’ Milo muttered through the giant mess that covered him. Asher couldn’t help but laugh. He missed this, whether it was the whole pack and their mates or just Milo and him. That event ruined him. Scarred him literally and physically. But the stuff like this. Brought the joy back into life, Milo brought back this joy. 

 ‘’That's a big load for a small man like you ‘’ 

‘’ YOU ASS! ‘’ Milo threw all the blankets and pillows at Asher; all Ash could do was laugh. This short-shit brought back the sunshine in his world. 

Even if he relentlessly teased him, Milo still brought a smile to his face. When he ran towards him and David after that Ward went down. He couldn’t help but smile. 

– 

‘’The fact you thought I wasn’t going to want to build a pillow fort is madding! ‘’ asher stated more annoyed than excited. 

Milo rolled his eyes, but Asher did have a point he should have expected this. 

‘’ sorry I thought you grew up ‘’ milo snaked a chip from the half-empty bowl, they’d been watching movies for a while now. They finished up The Worse Person In The World, and cried through A Star Is Born. while Milo agreed that the 2018 version was good. He liked the original more. 

‘’ me? I’m as grown as im gonna get ‘’ that sentence earned a fit of laughs from both Ash and Milo. 

‘’ in all seriousness.. This is fun ‘’ Ash said looking at Milo. ‘’ and this is something I never thought I’d get to do again ‘’ he finished

‘’ what do you mean? ‘’ milo was confused

‘’ I don’t want to kill the mood. ‘’ asher looked back at the television. Milo picked up the remote and paused the movie 

‘’Somethings wrong.. Tell me ‘’  he looked at him,  ‘’ you can talk to me.. ‘’ 

‘’ during the inversion.. The only thing I could think about was you.. Even as I was dying in David's arms.. The only thing on my mind was you. ‘’ he stopped and took a deep breath. 

‘’ I had some unresolved feeling, words all the works.. I that I never got to say. And hanging out with you tonight. Made me realize.. That life is too short.. Too waste time. ‘’ 

‘’ what are you saying Ash‘’ Milo was confused    

‘’ life is too short.. And im not waiting until the next bad event to tell you I love you. ‘’ god that bit felt rushed. Ash felt like he just had a huge burden lifted off his shoulder.    

‘’ you lovable oof. ‘’ Milo couldn’t help but start laughing.

‘’ why are you laughin' buster? I’m pouring my heart out her- ‘’ 

Milo grabbed Asher by his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. And god did it feel good. 

‘’ I’ve waited to hear those words for so long. So say them again. ‘’ Milo said letting go of his shirt. 

‘’ I love you, Milo Greer. ‘’

~~~

Taglist @porters-fangs @achios @sunsickcrab @dawnofiight

[plagues02]

Is There Room For Four?

Chapter One - Room for Two

Summary: Simon 'Ghost' Riley didn't need a soulmate. He was fine in the black and white and gray world he was stuck in. Then one by one his soulmates start crashing into his life, bringing a new color with them. Turns out Simon likes this new colorful world his soulmates have brought him into Characters: Simon 'Ghost' Riley, Gary 'Roach' Sanderson Ship: GhostRoach, End game SoapGhostRoachKönig Work Count: 2055 Note: This was written back in 2022 and was originally posted on Ao3 Chapters: One(You're Here), Two, Three, Four

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley worked alone. He always did. It’s been like this for a while now, but it wasn’t always like this. There was a time that he was Simon when he was a freshly turned eighteen-year-old. He stayed as Simon for a good while. Until it happened.

His family was killed, and he went after Roba, killing the man that had his family killed. He remembered seeing an old mask before he started the fire. The very same mask his brother would scare him with, and he grabbed it. Simon died that day. He died in the fire, and he became Ghost.

Ghost was a cold man who cared for nothing but the job, making him the ideal guy for solo jobs. However, fate was cruel, and fate had other plans.

When Ghost was told he would be teaming up with an American, he asked to see his folder. The American’s name was Gary Sanderson. Gary? What kind of name was Gary? His eyebrow raised, even more, when he read that his nickname was Roach. He took it back. Gary was normal. What kind of name was Roach?

During the first meeting, the Brit figured out why he got this kind of name. At least part of the reason. Gary was short, almost a foot shorter. Maybe not a full foot, but close enough. He was also quiet. From his file, he learned that Roach was selectively mute, and from meeting him, he learned he used ASL. Ghost was lucky to know a few signs to understand parts of what he was saying.

On the helicopter, Ghost looked over at the mission file. Roach watched out the window before looking over at the other man when he started speaking.

“There’s one building. A decent side warehouse. We’re looking for this man-” Roach took the paper from Ghost to look at the man. “-We’re to take him alive.”

The American nodded as he handed the paper back, feeling the helicopter get closer to the ground. They were about a twenty-minute walk away from the warehouse. The walk was quiet. It seemed to be how the two of them liked it.

Roach was a follower, noted Ghost. Always a few steps behind, never beside, never ahead. He was also aware of his surroundings, looking around and having his gun at the ready.

“Two routes,” Ghost stated when they got to the warehouse and took out the front guards. “You take left. I’ll go right.”

There were a few things that Roach noticed when meeting Ghost, and even from just looking at his file. He didn’t show his face, staying hidden behind a skull mask and sunglasses. Oh, those sunglasses looked stupid with that balaclava. The headphones didn’t help.

The American also noticed that the Brit was like him. A man of few words, Gary was just a man of fewer words. Only speaking about the mission, not that Roach minded. He wasn’t one for small talk.

Finally, he noticed how Ghost didn’t like eye contact, even with the sunglasses. Roach knew this because when he tried to look at his face, the other looked around. People with trauma around soulmates often do this so Roach assumed his world was as dull and gray as his own.

Before meeting one’s soulmate, their world would be shades of gray. Color would only splash into their life when their eyes met with the other half. Roach has met many people before. He has watched pure joy over people’s faces from meeting their soulmates, but he has also seen horror spread across their faces as well. It appeared Ghost would have been one of those so he refused to look. Avoiding eyesight was the only way to not meet your soulmate. Otherwise, fate would bring you together. Roach wanted to find his soulmate one day.

Now was not the time to be thinking about soulmates. The sound of gunshots from the other side of the building altered the guards that someone else was in the building but only on one side. The American took out as many as he could before he was also noticed, taking cover around a corner as he reloaded.

Thanks for the distraction Roach thought after finishing the final few guards on his side, taking the ammo off their body. He did change guns when he realized they didn’t have the ammo he needed.

Ghost nodded at Roach when they met up in the middle. The rest of the way to the final room was a straight shot. All the guards were up front, none in the middle, and very few in the room with the man. The American barely had to raise his gun before they were all down.

“Fucking hell,” the Brit said when the door behind them slammed open. The two took cover as about fifteen more armed men came into the room.

Roach found himself taking the time to aim for headshots at those who didn’t have helmets while Ghost just shot. They made a good team, and they both noticed during this time.

Fuck Gary thought at the sound of a car engine turning on and then the car speeding away. The other man’s body language said the same.

When they were sure the fifteen men were down, the two walked to each other again. The younger man could feel the stress coming off the other’s body, knowing they had two options. They would report their mission as a failure, or the mission would take a few extra steps to complete.

“We’ll get him next time,” signed Roach when Ghost finally looked at him. “And there will be a next time.”

Before the Brit could open his mouth to respond, Roach fell into his arms at the sound of a single gunfire. Ghost didn’t hesitate to pull out his handgun and shoot the culprit, one of the fifteen guards that used his coworker’s body to survive the original shootout.

“Bloody hell,” Ghost grumbled, pulling up the other’s shirt. He reached up to click his communicator. “Ghost 0-2, target got away. Roach is shot. Immediate evac requested.”

The response took a few seconds. “Heli can be there in ten minutes. They will land in front of the warehouse.”

Ghost looked back at the younger man, who was watching him with his brown eyes. Brown? Wait wait wait,,, brown?? His eyes went back down at the wound to see red on both Roach’s paling skin and his own gloved hand. Fuck.

He looked away to see his sunglasses were on the ground beside them. They had to have fallen off during all the confusion. He turned to look back, realizing that not everything was in color. His pants were still gray, and the American flag on Roach’s chest was still black and white. 

Ghost was glad his mask covered his face. It was a mix of surprise, fear, and his face was also beet red. He finally stood up, helping Roach to his feet after putting his sunglasses back on. He threw his arm over his shoulders.

“We’ll talk about this later,” he said in a small voice, moving Roach’s hand to the wound. “Keep pressure on this.”

Roach watched him for a while before nodding. He leaned against the taller man, looking around as they walked. Where were the colors? They were supposed to be blinked by colors. This was anything put. Only a few colors and shades fill their world.

The helicopter wasn’t long after they got outside. Ghost helped push Roach into the ‘copter before jumping in himself. Instead of across from each other like they did on the way here, he said next to the younger man.

“How bad is it?” A voice came over the speaker.

Ghost moved Roach’s hand to look at the wound again. “Right above his hip,” he responded. “Bullet is still in there.”

“It’s twenty minutes until we’re back at base. There’s a medkit above you. Use it,” the voice said again before the radio went off and the helicopter started going up.

Ghost reached up to grab the med kit, kneeling on the ground. He placed the kit on his previous seat. Roach pulled his goggles up, resting them on his helmet, with his free, non-bloodied hand.

It was clear that Ghost wasn’t used to giving medical care, but he knew enough to be helpful. While the bullet was still in him, the Brit cleaned around the open wound and wrapped it up tightly. He also handed a sanitizer wipe to the American to clean his hand off.

Gary watched the man sit down by him again, staring ahead. Silence fell over them once more. It was more comfortable than their last silence, the two understanding each other a little more than before. 

"Stop moving," Ghost only spoke after the third or fourth time that Roach shifted with a groan. "You'll hurt yourself more."

Roach froze, unsure how to react to the care. He looked out at the sky, relaxing more with another pained noise. Ghost's eyes followed him behind his sunglasses. He can't sit still, he thought, silently laughing. 

They made it back to base shortly after this. The landing pad was on the other side of base than medical. Another soldier tried to take Roach from Ghost, who quickly turned that down. No one questioned him as he started heading toward the building.

It was three days later when they got a chance to sit down to speak about what happened. Ghost sat next to the American, placing a piece of paper and a pencil down on the table in front of him. Roach raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know much sign language, not American at least,” Ghost explained. “I’m not forcing you to talk.”

Roach smiled behind his mask. They were both in casual clothing, but they also both kept their balaclavas on. Ghost wore the skull one while Roach preferred a plain black one.

“Now,,, we see colors,” Ghost started. “But not all colors. Strange, isn’t it?”

Without the sunglasses, Gary saw his eyes were gray. Were they gray? Or have they just a color they hadn’t unlocked yet. He knew his eyes were brown, same with his hair. He wondered what color Ghost’s was.

Gary leaned down to write. It’s weird. I asked the doctor about it and was told it’s possible there’s more of us.

The Brit raised an eyebrow. “More of us? Like we have more soulmates?” Gary nodded. “Fucking hell.”

Ghost rubbed his face with a sigh. He didn’t want one soulmate. He obviously didn’t want more than one. His stomach dropped when he looked back to see Roach’s response to his reaction.

Roach’s shoulders drooped down, and his eyes looked sad. When they met the other’s, he looked away. The older man frowned behind his mask. He liked the man’s eyes. They were,,,

“Beautiful.”

Gary looked back at him, squinting his eyes in confusion. He felt his face heat up when the other’s hand cupped his cheek.

“Your eyes are beautiful,” Ghost, no, Simon said.

They stared at each other for a while while Simon rubbed his thumb against his face. The hand slowly went down and stopped at the bottom of the balaclava. In response, Gary reached up and did the same thing. They stared at each other, asking a silent question. Simon nodded a little, moving his hand up again. The other copied, and they were maskless. 

Age showed on Simon around his eyes. They had very noticeable eye bags and were slightly wrinkled at the corners. Hair that curled at the ear, facial hair that wasn’t shaved. A few scars on his nose and cheeks. His skin had color, but his eyes and hair did not.

Gary still looked his age, a few years younger than Simon. His hair was shorter and looked clean-cut, like his facial hair. Beauty marks under both eyes. His face was more messed up than Simon’s. Scars on his cheek, nose, and one going from the corner of his lip to his cheekbone. There was almost a large one on his neck. His hair and eyes were colored along with his skin.

“...If they’re anything like you, I won’t mind them,” Simon said in a small voice. Gary smiled in response with a matching silent laugh.

[astrronomemes]

PERCY JACKSON AND THE LAST OLYMPIAN: STARTERS

a collection of quotes, phrases, and sayings from the 2009 Rick Riordan novel, Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian. change & alter as needed.

"He's trying to be nice to me, which is almost worse."

"So, hypothetically, if these two people liked each other, what would it take to get the stupid guy to kiss the girl, huh?"

"So I guess you guys have to go save the world now."

"You can't count on friends. They will always let you down."

"They don't show you stuff like that in The Little Mermaid."

"He's a pretty nice guy, but you should always keep one hand on your wallet when he's around, and do not, under any circumstances, give him access to shaving cream unless you want to find your sleeping bag full of it."

"If I die, I die. I can't worry about that, right?"

"Are you still having bad dreams? Headaches?"

"I should never have told you about that."

"You run away from things when you're scared."

"You could honor [name]'s memory by fighting with us."

"You can't prevent a prophecy."

"[Name], at least be safe. Promise me you'll be safe."

"If you ever need a warm place to sit and a home-cooked meal, you are welcome to visit."

"You are a good hero, [full name]. Not too proud. I like that. But you have much to learn."

"They don't serve very good enchiladas in the wilderness."

"As I recall, in the old times we almost died a lot."

"Excuse me, but if you're going to kill me, could you just get on with it?"

"With great power comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later."

"You'll do well, [name]. Just remember your strengths, and beware your weaknesses."

"My family hates me. They don't want me. I ran away."

"I tell you what, [name] — you're pretty fierce. We could use a fighter like you."

"Knives are only for the bravest and quickest fighters. They don't have the reach or power of a sword, but they're easy to conceal and they can find weak spots in your enemy's armor. It takes a clever warrior to use a knife. I have a feeling you're pretty clever."

"You're part of our family now. And I promise I won't let anything hurt you."

"Can we go back to the battle now? I want to do laser mode again. That was fun."

"You should've saved him when you had the chance. You're the only one who could have."

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?!"

"[Name], this is serious! You are not going to loot a candy store in the middle of a war!"

"Just be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you. ...I mean, because we need you for the battle."

"Are you trying to get yourself killed, kid? Or are you just extra stupid?"

"Don't I get a kiss for luck? It's kind of a tradition, right?"

"Didn't I kill you already?"

"You're cute when you're worried. Your eyebrows get all scrunched together."

"You are not going to die while I owe you a favor."

"You would have done the same for me."

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

"We'll have to work on your bunny phobia later."

"Oh, demons aren't so bad. You just have to keep them well-fed."

"Your courage does you credit, [full name]."

"The children of the gods must find their own way."

"So it was for my own good? Growing up on the streets, fending for myself, fighting monsters?"

"If I know anything, I know that you must walk your own path, even though it tears my heart."

"I'll bonk him on the head harder next time."

"I don't want him to hurt you anymore."

"And you'll understand if I keep hoping there's a chance you're wrong."

"I didn't know you could fly a helicopter."

"Everybody keeps telling me to sleep. I don't need sleep."

"You know what would help this boy? Farming. Six months behind a plow. Excellent character-building."

"On second thought, I'll be inside."

"That's what I do. I help my friends."

"He promised I was saving lives. Fewer people would get hurt."

"Well... sure good to be together again. Arguing. Almost dying. Abject terror."

"You and me, that wasn't part of it. Our fates aren't intertwined. I think you've always known that, deep down."

"Is it too late to join the party?"

"Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?"

"I hope that was a monster I just killed."

"I survive all those battles, and I get defeated by a stupid chunk of rock?!"

"You were like a brother to me, [name]. But I didn't love you."

"I hope... I hope you know I'm really proud to  be your friend."

"No hero is above fear, [name]. And you have risen above every hero."

"Nobody's planning to kill us so far."

"Make us a city for the ages."

"It's just... I've got a lot of life left to live. I'd hate to peak in my sophomore year."

"[Full name], I have had my doubts about you, but perhaps... perhaps I was mistaken."

"[Full name], you might just teach us a thing or two."

[partyanimal167]

Reminiscing- Crocodile x GN!Reader

Here's another addition to my Spy event! I wanted to try writing a bit of a chiller vibe and of course needed to include my favorite warlord here. I've been craving more fics with him

🔷️ The After-Hours Lounge- Crocodile x GN!Reader

cw: flirty banter, fluff, not proofread bc I'm going to work lol

There were the golden years. There were the memories of battles, spats, fights, and triumphs. Who didn't like remembering those times?

Crocodile was a successful man. Many people knew that. He had businesses that vied for his attention, money that never left him without, people always ready to do whatever he needed whenever. He didn't need or want much. Not anymore at least.

There were times, though, that Crocodile wanted to get away. He needed space, a breather from all the demands and luxuries. And he did know where to find it.

There weren't that many spies who could go out and retire from the life of crime-fighting and intense strategizing. Most kept pushing until they were put out of the game--or life. But there were even fewer who decided to stay in the real world instead of disappearing to a personal hideaway to be paranoid of vengeful descendants or hide to silence their night terrors.

But you were different.

You couldn't completely abandon the life, so you found yourself running a late night bar where you could still see the brightness of new recruits and weathered looks of your old peers. It didn't matter who stopped by because this was a place for drinks and story-sharing. It didn't matter if with a friend or foe.

So Crocodile knew he could come by for a drink, and when you were the only one there--sweeping while humming to a tune, he knew it was going to be a good night.

"Crocy," the way you said that stupid nickname with endearment instead of taunting already started the memory wheel for the older man.

You went behind the bar and reached for an aged bottle of cognac which was his favorite. You took out two crystal glasses and gently plopped in the intricate spherical ice. Croco,dile rested his chin on his propped hand--watching you pour the liquid.

"Good evening to you too Flower," he chuckled.

You placed the drink in front of him and leaned forward. "Oh jeez, that name reminds me of when we first met."

Crocodile brought the glass to his lips and grinned. "Ah, when you first tried to kill me, I remember that."

You shrugged as you sipped. "In my defense, you were trying to overtake a country's department of defense."

"It's was a business opportunity." Crocodile half-defended. "But gosh you were so ruthless. I probably could remember that punch if I think about it."

You rolled your eyes. "You had three gunmen on me." you placed your drink down and sighed. "Where have the years gone? That was my first time being told to retreat, you know? I was pretty confident I was going to end your life that night."

Crocodile took out his cigar and snickered. "And I keep telling you there were five gunmen, so it was good they called you back." he took a moment to enjoy his smoke. "We got to play that cat-and-mouse game a few more times over the years."

You nodded as you thought about it. "Yup, and you somehow were able to become a respectable businessman."

"We all have our ambitions when we're young--always wanting more and more." Crocodile explained.

The two of you paused for a moment to enjoy the drinks and listen in on the music being played. There was an odd history between you two. You were definitely enemies at one point, but politics and objectives changed over the years. There were other people for you to track down, and different businesses for Crocodile to draw his attention towards.

"Well," you broke the silence, "did you get what you were looking for?"

Crocodile hummed into his drink. "Now, I have a delicious drink and good company. I think that's all that matters now."

You chuckled as another song started playing. "Oh look at us, reminiscing about the glory days." You refilled his glass just as was nearing empty. "Who would have thought this is where we would have ended up?"

"Life is funny like that. We were so young when we met. We would have betted our lives and lost if someone told us we'd being chatting on a lazy evening like this." Crocodile went on. He took in the swirls and colors of your eyes. "I'm glad it ended up like this."

"Me too." you went around from the bar and held out your hand. "Let's have dance together then. For old time's sake."

Crocodile stood from his seat and put out his cigar. "I thought you'd never ask."

Requests are open, so send them my way. I totally have a bias for Crocodile, but I enjoy others as well so don't be shy~

~~~

Awww, there's just something about going down memory lane that's so sweet and delicate--no matter what age.

[vincess-princess]

we, the psychos

ch. 9

Word count: 2103 Warnings: - A\N: a day late, but the update is here! i figured tommy hasn't been in a spotlight for a while so this is all his pov

The laughter only stopped when they loaded Tommy with a double dose of laudanum. He slept like dead through the night, without his usual nightmares. Which would be nice were waking up not extremely miserable afterwards.

It took a lot of effort just to open his eyes. The grey light from the window, though rather dim, hurt to look at. Tommy’s vision was blurry, and his body felt like a puppet with cut strings, like it stuck to the mattress and had to be scraped off with a switchblade.

The switchblade came in the face of Duff carrying a fabric bundle.

“Well, good morning, my merry man,” he said cheerfully, placing the bundle at Tommy’s feet. “See your fit’s over. That’s good.”

“But at what cost,” Tommy croaked, pushing himself up on the bed. His head immediately reacted to the movement by exploding with such pain Tommy dropped back onto the bed with a groan. “I never want to take this medicine ever again.”

“Unfortunately, that’s the only thing that works,” Duff shrugged. “C’mon, don’t be a baby. I’ve got something for you.”

He unfolded the bundle, which, as Tommy feared, turned out to be a hospital robe.

“One of the laundresses got it tailored to your height.”

“No-o,” Tommy moaned, turned over to the wall and covered his head with his pillow. “I’m not putting that on.”

“Yes, you are.” Duff’s tone didn’t change a note. “You’re not special.”

“If I weren’t special I wouldn’t have an, um, ‘fancy’ ward,” Tommy mumbled. And also would have been punished for the fight.

“Well, beside that.” Duff didn’t relent. “Listen, you’re not having lunch until you put this on.”

“It’s lunchtime already?” For some reason Tommy thought it was morning. Though the grey skies looked the same at any time of day. “Why haven’t you woken me up for breakfast?”

“We couldn’t. You slept like a corpse. Dr. Duren told us to let you rest.”

Special princess, Wharton’s voice said in his head. Though if he truly was a special princess, he wouldn’t be forced to wear the hospital robe.

“Can I see the doctor?” Tommy asked.

“Now?” Duff frowned. “He’s seeing other patients, not sure if he can spare time for you before lunch… What do you want from him?”

“I wanna ask him something.”

“Alright, I’ll go check. Maybe he’ll fit you in somewhere. But you aren’t going anywhere until you put on the robe!”

“You are a horrible, horrible person,” Tommy said.

“I just treat all the patients equally.” Duff looked offended. “This is a public asylum, there are people of all walks of life here. And, regardless of their past, they deserve equal treatment. You included. C’mon, I don’t have all the time in the world.”

“You will burn in hell,” Tommy promised, sitting up on the bed. The fabric was rough and thick. God, it would hang off him like a potato sack.

“For treating everyone equally? I doubt it,” Duff huffed. Tommy managed to annoy him.

“This is just stupid,” Tommy complained, slowly undressing. He hoped Duff would get the hint and turn away, but the nurse kept watching him indifferently. “If people are to be treated equally, they would be born equal. But they’re not. Hey, could you not look at least?”

“No,” Duff disappointed him again. “What if you decide to pull something while I look away?”

“What, is that an impression you have of me? That I’m capable of something like that?”

“I haven’t formed it yet. But I do already know that you’re a spoiled whiny baby.”

“Hey!”

“The longer you dress, the fewer the chance Dr. Duren will see you.”

“Ugh.”

Tommy slowly unbuttoned his shirt, carefully folded it and lay it on the bed. His trousers soon followed suit. He needed to change underwear, but with Duff looking… no, he’d better do it at night.

Tommy was right about the robe. It did hang off him like a potato sack. The person it was tailored for was way wider in the shoulders and the hips, and the shoulder seams went like halfway down Tommy’s sleeves. The trousers separated into pant legs somewhere a bit above the knee. It was the worst outfit Tommy saw in his life.

“Not bad,” Duff said when he was done.

“Not bad? Not bad?!” Tommy almost screamed. “This is an atrocity! A crime against humanity! A horror beyond comprehe-“

“Save all that vocabulary of yours for Dr. Duren.” Duff rubbed his temples tiredly. “Now let’s go, I need to escort you to other patients. I’ll see about Dr. Duren and come back with the results.”

Dread washed over Tommy. Other patients were going to see him in this. Yes, they wore the same clothes, but they fit them. Psychos of their status weren’t supposed to look good. Tommy might be a psycho too, but he was different.

“Tommy.” Duff was calm, but there was something in his tone that made Tommy swallow all the objections he was going to unleash.

“Coming,” he could only say as he shuffled out of the ward after Duff.

***

“Oh, Tommy! How you doin’?” Mick greeted him warmly. “Your fit had us all scared. Is that a common thing?”

Oh, right, the laughing fit in the canteen. Lamenting the loss of his dignity, Tommy almost forgot about it.

“Depends,” he shrugged. “A couple times a week. And always at the least appropriate of times.”

“Yeah, that sure was not a good time to laugh,” Mick agreed. “But all that matters is that it’s over. And you’ve got new clothes, I see. How does it feel to be one of plebeians?”

“Horrible,” Tommy grumbled. “I’d rather kill myself than wear this.”

“Nah, it’s not worth it. You’ll get used to it.” Mick patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s go rake some leaves, or Simmons is gonna get big mad.”

They weren’t given proper rakes, of course. Instead they got shovels with blunt edges. These could still serve as a weapon, only with a little bit of effort, but the next step would be raking the leaves with hands so that was the best option.

“Do we have to…” Tommy grimaced, holding the shovel with two fingers like it was something disgusting. He just stepped in mud, and his boots – the last of his normal clothes – now looked just as awful as the robe. Tommy’s mood tanked completely.

“At least pretend you’re doing something,” Mick said, slowly moving the shovel back and forth. It didn’t gather a lot of leaves and was largely useless, but it did look like Mick was working. But Tommy felt offended by the entire concept. Why does he, a nobleman, have to work like a servant out in the cold, standing in mud? Did he not deserve some privileges? His father was a sponsor, after all!

Tommy stood upright and threw the shovel on the ground.

“I am not doing anything.”

Mick rolled his eyes. “You do you. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Tommy found a drier place under a tree and sat down there, observing other patients work. Nurses watched them on the other end of the garden and didn’t notice his impunity at first. But only at first.

Then one of the three nurses on site spotted him. He walked up to Tommy and squatted in front of him. He didn’t look angry or irritated, but there was something behind his indifference… something that said “don’t fuck with me”. And he badly needed a haircut. No wonder half the hospital was wearing long hair – the nurses couldn���t even provide an example.

“Tired?” the nurse said, tilting his head, a mocking glint in his eyes – or was Tommy imagining things?

“I’m not going to do this.” Tommy waved at the patients working.

“And why is that?”

“Because that shouldn’t be patients’ work. Hire a gardener or something.”

“With pleasure - if you provide the funds.” The corner of the nurse’s mouth curved ever so slightly.

“I’m not the one you should be asking.”

“Well, then you are not the one to make such requests. Grab a shovel and go.”

“No.”

The nurse sighed. “I don’t remember you: you must be new. What’s your name?”

“Tommy.”

“Alright, Tommy. Listen. You’ve got two choices now: to pick up the shovel and work, or to have a talk with nurse Simmons. You know nurse Simmons, don’t you?”

Tommy nodded.

“Then you know he’d not exactly the right person to bring your work complaints to. To him, the nurse is always right and the patient is always wrong. And he doesn’t like when patients are wrong.”

“Are you threatening me or what?”

“I am not threatening you. I’m just telling you of possible outcomes. The one to threat you would be nurse Simmons. So are you working or do I call him?”

“Call whoever you want. I’m not doing unpaid labor.”

The nurse smiled, and it was even more unnerving than his resting face. “As you wish.”

He rose from the ground and strolled to the other side of the garden. For a bit Tommy considered hiding in a nearby bush – there would be no scolding if they couldn’t find him – but then shamed himself for it. He was not afraid of some nurse. Even nurse Simmons.

He swiftly changed his mind when the man approached him. He was approximately the same height as Tommy, which – did that asylum collect tall people or something? Tommy couldn’t even use his height advantage here.

Simmons, lips pressed into a thin line, arms crossed, towered over Tommy. The nurse that called him stood a bit farther, clearly lingering to enjoy the show.

“Thomas Lee, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Stradlin here said you don’t wanna work.”

Aha, the nurse’s name was Stradlin then. “Work for free,” Tommy corrected him.

Simmons raised his eyebrows. “Sorry? You suppose we should pay you?”

“I suppose you should pay a gardener and not force patients to do his work.”

“Well,” Simmons smiled unpleasantly, “we’ll consider it. Now get your ass up and work.” He picked up Tommy’s shovel and handed it to him, then pulled on his sleeve with such force he almost lifted Tommy from the ground. To his surprise, the rough robe fabric withstood the test with honor.

“Hey! Don’t touch me!” Tommy yanked the sleeve out of Simmons’s hand. “I wish to talk to Dr. Duren, and until I do that I am not doing anything.”

Simmons gave him a long, apprehensive look, and then, to Tommy’s surprise, nodded slowly.

“Very well. Cannot deny a patient access to his doctor. Come with me.”

Tommy blinked in surprise. Did this really work? Were all Stradlin’s promises a lie?

Without looking back Simmons headed down the path to the asylum. Tommy almost ran to catch up to him.

“But Du- Michael said Dr. Duren’s schedule was all busy.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll find some time for such an important patient,” Simmons said without looking at Tommy.

Well, that was an approach Tommy could work with. And what was Duff talking about then? Just wasting his time?

Tommy turned around to see Stradlin stand back there, following them with his eyes. And smiling.

They entered the building, and Simmons led Tommy down some corridor that he hadn’t been in yet. As they walked farther from the entrance and the canteen, Tommy grew nervous. Wasn’t Dr. Duren’s office on the second floor? They had already passed the only stairs he knew about. Maybe in the back of the building there was another?

Then Simmons stopped in front of a door. Metal, with a small barred window at eye level, it didn’t look like it could lead to Dr. Duren’s office at all – more like a yet another ward.

“This is Dr. Duren’s office?”

“Waiting room,” Simmons said, unlocking the door. “The door to the office is inside.”

He opened the door, but Tommy couldn’t see what was there from behind Simmons’s wide back.

“Then why is it dark there?”

“Because we don’t waste oil on scum like you,” Simmons grinned, suddenly very unfriendly, grabbed Tommy’s forearm and pushed him inside, into the darkness. When Tommy, panicking, grasped at the doorframe, Simmons slammed his fingers with his fist so painfully Tommy cried out and fell to the soft floor, clutching his hurt hand to his chest. The door behind him closed, and he was now in complete darkness, save for a small square of light coming from the hall through the barred window.

Behind the door Simmons was laughing. “The doctor will see you soon,” he said, and then he was gone.

[themarginalthinker]

Woke up, got up, took a shower, and started to think about population densities of vampires in the Lost Boys universe.

Unlike many other vampire medias like Vampire: The Masquerade or Underworld, while there COULD be vampires, as Edgar says 'occupying high positions in the government', I think it's just not really a thing in this world. Vampire's feeding issues (needing to exsanguinate at least one human on order to be sated) puts a pretty big roadblock in any high-profile schmoozing any vamp may want to do. Max was likely already pushing it with owning a local business on a fairly popular seaside town.

So if vampires in this world are not creating massive networks of influence across the world, being the hand behind governments and all society, then..what is their actual population?

My take: much fewer and farther between.

Think about it: they're big pack predators. Their prey is...well, abundant, but tricky to actually get. If they wanted to stay in one place, that territory would need to be pretty damn large. Staying in centers of activity with a lot of people coming and going and creating barriers of time before someone would even know anyone was missing, like a town or city, is a no-brainer, right?

Well...yes and no. See. Just like with humans, cities attract people. The prey comes in, and predators follow. But that also means a LOT of those pack predators in close proximity to one another. Which means pretty fierce competition.

Max and the Boys seemed to have cleared out Santa Carla pretty well for themselves, but this doesn't read as nearly the norm to me.

Vampire packs are likely pretty small, getting no larger than the Boys and Michael and Star (Max wanting to add in Lucy and Sam as well was just plain unhinged overkill with no actual thought being put into territory management tbh.) As such, the easiest option for most TLB'verse vamps is likely...to just move. Become nomadic. Follow music tours as 'fans', tourist seasons in towns, hell, even hopping continents once and a while. This is often the reasons clans form, a stable central group that acts as something of a gateway to certain regions, hostels and camps for nomad singletons and packs.

The hard numbers on this are iffy? But I can check some stuff and make estimates later, just for fun. The vampire to human ratio is Definitely much much lower than you'd think though, with it being in my mind anywhere from 1000 to 3000 humans per vampire in any given area.

We head canon vampires need to eat somewhat less frequently than every night (Santa Carla would be empty by now if that were the case) so let's say...once a month for a healthy vamp with access to a steady supply of prey? That's 12 humans a year. Multiply that by pack size (4) and that's 48 humans missing from a designated space per year. That's. Still quite a bit. Again, much easier to hide if it's an active town. Much harder for rural areas.

Surviving in the vampire world ain't easy. Especially as a singleton with no pack or coven, especially if being one of those on the move.

The canny survive. The stupid do not. There are two ages of vampire's you'll usually meet out there:

The very young, and the very old. The dullbloods and rainbow teeth.

We'll let you decide which one is more dangerous.