#wayfinders: off course

[yiqi-fr]

I know that the Fathoms aren't released yet but I just had to design one for when I get one after unfathomable odessey! I love them so much :3

[snackbagstudios]

First five pages of our webcomic, bc I still REALLY like them

This here, it's all free to read

[thedevilsnatteravn]

@natsleeperagent drew the original sketch for this and i “stole” it to practice my rendering technic! (Dont worry Nat was informed and gave permission to finish the artwork😉)

This is probably one of my first times drawing without lineart!

This is fanart of Arcane especially Silco and Jinx! However the characters are replaced with Andree and Sallly from Wayfinders Off Course!

Check out Wayfinders: Off Course on Tapas. https://tapas.io/series/WayfindersOffCourse

[snackbagstudios]

excuse me but THIS GUY OUR GUY THANK U

from this comic...

HEY that's MY emotional support morally ambiguous misunderstood full of trauma touch starved yearning for love drenched in blood responsible for numerous atrocities comfort character who is TRYING & u will TREAT them with RESPECT

[dr1lldash]

venture x medic!reader 1.4k, pure fluff (pls note i have not written in years and wrote this in like an hour bc i cannot stop thinking about them) (part two)

You met Sloan on a dig in Cairo. You were a medic, which was a relatively easy job with the Wayfinders. The dozen or so crew members were usually careful, the keyword being usually.

You were sitting in your tent, triple checking your supplies when you heard footsteps rapidly approaching. You barely had time to turn to the tent flap when it was whipped open.

“I’m fine, I swear!” someone protests as they’re pushed inside. “It’s just a little bump on the noggin!”

“Sloan, you passed out for almost a minute. You can come back as soon as (Y/N) gives you the all-clear, but not until then. If it’s really just a little bump, you’ll be back before the end of the day.” You recognize Carrie’s voice, but not the person she’s talking to.

“This stinks,” they mutter, kicking at the ground before looking up at you. You only had a moment to look closer at them, noticing a bruise forming on their forehead underneath a mop of curly, dark brown hair. One of their thick eyebrows is pierced, and it was slightly swollen. They look back at you for a second, unblinking, before wiping some dirt off of their face. “Uh, hi! I’m Sloan.” They stuck a hand out at you.

You look at their hand, covered in dirt, but shake it anyway. “(Y/N),” you respond. “Are you hurt?”

“No!” they insist. “I mean, I fell a little bit. But not that far! My head barely even hurts!” Your eyebrows narrow slightly in worry. You reach out and touch their forehead, barely brushing up against it, and they wince and pull back.

“This doesn’t look good,” you tell them. “Can you sit for a minute?” Sloan does as you say, almost onto the cot behind them. You turn around to grab an ice pack and some painkillers, and they look around the tent.

“It’s pretty nice in here,” they say, more thinking out loud than talking to you. “It gets so hot outside.”

“I can’t imagine that coat keeps you cool,” you respond, handing them some pills and a bottle of water. You hold the ice pack to their forehead. They wince again, but don’t pull away this time.

“No, but I’m not really outside that much. Once you’re a few meters in the dirt, it gets freezing.” They pop the pills into their mouth and swallow them with a swig of water. “Can I go back now?”

“I need to make sure you’re not concussed.” They pout slightly, letting out a sigh. “It won’t take long, I swear.”

“Okay, okay,” they concede. You ask them about symptoms, and they tell you that they’re not nauseous, lightheaded, or tired, but their head is pounding a little bit, which is to be expected from the size of the bruise that is slowly but surely still forming. Their loss of consciousness concerns you, and you have them lay down for a minute.

  “Did you eat breakfast?”

“I had a granola bar.” They pause. “Well, it was a cereal bar, technically, but it’s the same thing, right?”

“Uh, not really, but at least you got food in your stomach.” You check in your cabinet, and pull out a bag of beef jerky. “Can you eat?”

“Ooh, yeah!” They happily take the bag from you, and start munching. “Do you always have snacks in here?”

“Of course, you’d be surprised how many people don’t notice they’re hungry til they’re about to pass out.” The two of you chat about different things while they work through the bag, and when they’re done, they finish their bottle of water.

“So, am I okay to get back now?” You check the time on your watch, about an hour has passed since they came into your tent and they still seem fine.

“Yeah, but come back if you feel nauseous or anything, okay?”

“Uh-huh!” They swing themselves around so their legs are dangling off the cot before dropping to the ground. “I swear.”

“Alright.” You smile at them. “Be safe.”

They flash you a chipped-tooth grin back. “I always am! Well, usually. Bye!” They wave at you as they walk out of your tent.

You don’t see them for the rest of the day, so you assume they’re fine. The next day, however, they’re back in your tent as the sun is setting.

“Sloan, are you okay?” You’re worried as soon as they enter, but they flash you that grin again.

“Yeah, I just thought you’d miss me.” You can’t help but smile at them. “Plus, the bruise is kind of killing me. Can I have some painkillers?” You glance at their forehead, and their bruise is turning a deep purple. It’s normal, it should be expected, but it doesn’t look comfortable, especially with their goggles pressing on it.

“Of course, but you shouldn’t take them on an empty stomach.”

You turn to grab painkillers and a granola bar for them, but before you can, they ask, “So we should grab dinner?” You’re not sure why you’re slightly surprised, but you agree. So you can make sure they’re not having any concussion symptoms, of course.

“Yeah, that sounds great.” You beam at them. You hand them the painkillers and the two of you walk out of your tent, towards the bonfire next to where the kitchen staff have set up. You tell them to sit as you grab plates full of food for the both of you, and by the time you get back to them, they’re twiddling their thumbs and watching the fire.

“Thank you!” They grin up at you as you hand them their plate, quickly digging in. They bounce their leg ever so slightly as they eat, leaving the two of you in a comfortable silence. You can hear the conversations of the rest of the crew around you, more murmurs than anything else. When the two of you are done eating, Sloan takes your plates back to the kitchen staff to be washed. You sit, looking at the slowly dying fire, and you’re slightly surprised when they come back to sit with you.

“Do you like ice cream?” You’re not sure what you expected to come out of their mouth, but it isn’t that. “I asked the kitchen staff to keep some safe for me, and I wanna share. I-if you want it, of course.”

The heat in Cairo has been getting to you the past several days, and even though the night was cold, the heat from the bonfire leaves you sweating. “That sounds perfect right now.” They stand up, holding a hand out to you.

“Follow me!” You take their hand, following them as they practically run to the kitchen staff’s trailer. You’ve been inside a few times, only to restock on water and snack foods, but Sloan seems to know where everything is. They grab bowls and spoons before dishing out a generous serving of vanilla ice cream. “I would usually bring a couple flavors, but they told me they didn’t have room this time.”

Sloan hands one of the bowls to you, digging into their own as soon as their hand is free. “Ugh, this is so good,” they practically moan. You take a spoonful, letting the cream melt in your mouth before swallowing it.

“I honestly can’t remember the last time I had plain vanilla.”

“What? But it’s the best flavor!”

You shake your head. “Strawberry.”

They tilt their head from side to side like a see-saw. “Hm, okay, I’ll concede to strawberry. Rocky road, too.”

“It’s been years since I had rocky road.”

“I’ll get you some once we’re done with the expedition.” They freeze as they bring their spoon up to their mouth. “I mean, if you want to. And if you can. I don’t want to assume -”

You interrupt them. “That sounds great, Sloan.” They continue eating their ice cream, a content smile on their face as a soft blush spreads on their cheeks.

“It’s a date,” they mutter. You’re not sure if you were supposed to hear it, but you’re glad you did. Once the two of you finish your ice cream, they clean the bowls and spoons and put them away.

They take you back to your tent, the two of you being as quiet as possible. You’re not sure how much time had passed, but it seems like everyone else had already gone to bed. They grab your hand and squeeze it for just a second, smiling warmly as they wish you goodnight.

When you crawl into your sleeping bag, there’s a smile that won’t fade and a warm feeling in your stomach.

[airship-full-of-dragons]

Dive 1 - resting

Dive 1 - Complete The expedition is taking a well-deserved break. Once they begin their next dive, they'll immediately need to start replenishing their supplies. Check back later! While the event is in a Rest Phase, any supplies turned in will not contribute to the Sitewide Effort, but will count as participation for the purpose of collecting the reward from the phase.

Merrigan: Aha! What did I tell you? Treasure! Beautiful, glorious treasure! Oh, err, and more information, of course... We were able to map out what's changed since our last visit... oh, several decades ago, I'd say. Reefs are naturally resilient against most underwater currents—they double as wavebreakers for delicate shorelines—but the tempest was powerful enough to damage the coral. Upsetting, but at least it told a clear story for us to follow. If there were signs of the Tidelord here, they'd have been displaced. Any debris would have been carried off in the direction of Saltmire Trench. You know, it's strange. Fathoms have named wayfinder after wayfinder for generations, but we've circled the globe so many times that the role always seemed to me like some... outdated tradition, all pomp and little substance. Not that I wasn't honored to be selected! My grandmother carried out the same duties with such elegance and patience—all the navigation, the storm-tracking, the charts and maps and exploration, the... responsibility. It's just... well, I am younger than most in my pod. At this point, older Fathoms hardly even need to glance at an astrolabe anymore. I never thought they'd all be looking to me for something this... dire. Anyway, you didn't come here to listen to some overgrown hatchling wax on, you're just trying to help! Thanks for that, by the way. We've got the start of a base up and running, and the Sour Kelp is just what we need after a long dive. It helps ward off the Scale Scurvy! What, you've never heard of Scale Scurvy? Well, let me tell you, it's no j—nevermind, there's no time to get into details. You need to prepare for more gathering! Well, err, please. And... thank you. Again. Yeah, all right, I'll... I'll see you at the trench!

Individual images:

[peaxhxhair]

Hi!! First off, I hope you're doing well! :) Just wanted you to know you inspire me a lot, your writing is admirable <3

Onto the request (can be an oneshot or headcanons! no preference, go with what you want!), how do you think Venture would treat a sensory overstimulated FTM!reader? I know for sure they would respect him and treat him like he wants to be treated in that moment, being there for him OR leaving him alone, if he wants to. Personally, I think they would try to talk him through it (that actually helps me a lot!), letting him vent or distracting him with their excavation stories in a sweet, low voice... jwhwhwjshs I love them so much

If you don't want to write it, it's okay!! Hope you have a good day/night <3

Pairing: Sloan Cameron x FTM!Reader Warnings: Binders, mentions of claustrophobia, sensory overload / sensory overstimulation. Word Count: 1.3k A/n: AHHHH I LOVE YOU!!! I'm gonna give you a little kiss on the forehead ahhh!! <3 Thank you for the request!

I've really gotten into doing head-canons with little drabbles in the middle, so that's what I decided to do here! Hope you enjoy!! <3

Navigation Overwatch - MASTERLIST Consider becoming a Member! <3

The Background

Let's say you work within the wayfinder society with Sloan.

Maybe you two started your apprenticeships at the same time.

Being similar ages, the two of you got along like a house on fire.

It was nice, speaking to someone your age.

~~~

You figured out your identity at around 16 years old - right as you accepted into your apprenticeship into they Wayfinder Society.

It was difficult - telling everyone you knew to change their view of you.

Well, it wasn't hard for you - but it was hard to make them understand.

You tried, but if the words you said to them didn't stick - then they just didn't stick.

You preferred to focus on yourself, rather than on what other people thought of you.

It was easy for you to deal with the silent disagreement with your identity.

You focused on your apprenticeship - moving to live close to their main base.

All on your own.

~~~

Meet-Cute

Meeting Sloan was well - a little chaotic, as one would imagine.

They had found you cutting your hair, with the bluntest scissors on earth.

You had finally been given a chance to work with archaeologists, so obviously you wanted them to view you as you saw yourself.

Or at least...Make a good impression.

It had been a while since you had cut your hair...

You family weren't exactly into the idea of you cutting your hair short.

~~~

"Woah, hey there!" You startle slightly at the sound of an extra person in this bathroom. It was lucky that the scissors you had acquired were the worst - so you didn't end up cutting any hair off of your head unintentionally. You were surprised to see someone your age when you looked to the left.

"Uh...Hey?" The look on their face was concerned, and slightly scared, even as you regarded them. Maybe it did look a little crazy - the fact that you were cutting your hair in the sink of a public bathroom. But hey, desperate times.

You observed them as the two of you stared at each other. Dirt on their face, long beige over-coat, pride pin secured to their front pocket.. Oh hey! You knew that flag!

It seemed like when you noticed their pin, they had noticed the trans flag pin you had secured to your backpack - which was still on your back despite being hunched over the bathroom sink. You both stared at each other in recognition - before they grinned at you.

"You uh... need some help with that?"

~~~

Their offer to help cut your hair was weird - but they did give you a sick ass haircut.

The idea of it made you slightly nauseous at first, but you did end up grateful that they were good at cutting hair.

…Better than you were anyway...

They introduced themself as Sloan, and you told them your name.

It felt weird, having someone actually call you by the name you told them.

In a good way, of course.

Since that day, the two of you spent every day together - and quickly became close. They were there for you through everything - as were you with them. The good, the bad and the ugly.

~~~

Sensory Overload

Since graduating from your apprenticeship with the Wayfinder Society, the two of you had travelled around the world.

Sloan was very opposed to taking days off - since they enjoyed their job so much.

You sometimes struggled to keep up with their enthusiasm.

By no means did you hate your job - you knew that you wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

But...Everything was.. loud, and touching you.

Having to hold heavy machinery - hear the sounds of drilling - feel the dirt against your skin.

Sometimes it got to you.

~~~

You felt nauseous. Overwhelmed by the constant noise and heat - the goggles over your eyes making you feel claustrophobic. Your fingers shifted against the drill in your hands, and you tensed, immediately feeling more uncomfortable than you had been before.

The overwhelming need to stop sensing anything was the only thing you could focus on. Too. Much. Everything. You were in a bit of a difficult place to just, stop sensing anything. So, you kept drilling - pushing through the ache in your chest that made you want to just, drop everything.

The wayfinder society had decided that travelling to the middle of nowhere to find an ancient omnium was a good idea. Drilling for something none of you had any idea how to find, was just crazy.

There was so much drilling, and talking. and YELLING. You could hear it echoing through the tunnel you had made. The drill slips from your hands as you lose your focus - clanking against a rock as it falls onto the ground. Your first thought was to leave - but you hated the thought of moving. Feeling your clothes against your skin. It made you feel sick.

You slump onto the floor - shutting your eyes and covering your ears with your hands. An attempt to block out the noise. You could feel the fabric of your binder digging into your skin - making you chest feel tighter than it already was. There was a lump in your throat - and a pain in your jaw that you tried to suppress. You couldn't cry. You have no reason to.

~~~

Sloane is a very nosy person - I think everyone knows that.

On expeditions like this, Sloane would probably come and check on you.

Maybe they'd help you out, or show you a cool rock they had found.

In this scenario, they had found a geode when digging a tunnel of their own, and had come to show it to you.

Though, when they find you curled into yourself in a corner, they have an idea of what's going on.

It wasn't like this was the first time it has happened.

There had been a few times in the past where you had gotten overstimulated like this at work.

Every time was slightly different, but they knew what to do now.

~~~

"Hey dude! Look at this geode I found" Sloane calls as they wander down the tunnel you had dug. They weren't far enough in to spot you just yet, though when they didn't hear a response from you, they grew concerned.

Sure enough, when they reached the end of the tunnel, they spotted you hunched over - your knees pulled to your chest as you attempted to block out any noise. It doesn't seem like you notice them at first, only flinching slightly as Sloane takes a seat in front of you.

The first time they had found you like this - they had sat with their legs out-stretched. It hadn't been a big deal at first, until you had sat the same way - pressing the bottom of your shoes against theirs. You had explained at one point that it was somewhat grounding...To know that they were there.

So, Sloane sits the way they always do - giving you that invitation. They fish something out of their bag, pulling out a pair of soundproof earmuffs. You don't notice at first - due to your eyes being firmly shut. So they place them over your ears for you, having to tug your hands from your ears with the sleeves of your shirt.

~~~

They hate sitting in silence. But they'll do it for you.

They'd do anything for you.

It's a while before you open your eyes - blinking away the tears that had formed.

You prop your feet against Sloane's, and they grin happily at you.

The earmuffs were definitely helping - as you couldn't hear the sound of drilling anymore.

Having finally looked at them for the first time in what felt like hours - Sloane pulls out the geode they had found.

They crack it open, showing you the inside.

A beautiful Amethyst geode.

Having them show you that distracted you from yourself - from what you were feeling.

You were grateful for Sloane.

You always had been.

[kh-yumio]

My sibling has said that if you draw your fnafhs x kh idea then they will watch kingdom hearts

"watch" like in only watching the cutscenes? Nah, make your sibling play the games. it's better.

Anyway, here is the Wayfinder Trio in FNAFHS style.

Vanitas is Ventus' shadow, of course. They're obviously the Freddy-Fred combo here.

If something looks off is because: 1-. I'm trying to imitate Edd00's style from the 1st season of fnafhs. 2-. I haven't draw in digital for maybe a month or so.

[rosie-kairi]

*Walks in with a slushie* hey so after I sent that ask it made me come up with a whole idea I've come to call the Ghost AU:

Picture this, Ephemer and Brain are the only ones from the original 5 to rebuild keyblade society and live actual lives growing up getting married, becoming masters, and having kids. Yet despite that they're both weighed down by the guilt and despair believing they abandoned their friends to die when escaping the digital daybreak town.

So at the end of their lives all they want is to reunite with their lost friends. When they die Brain and Ephemer do find each other in the afterlife (or the final world) and they're so happy and they missed each other soooooo muuuuuch. Except there's one problem, they can't find the others. So they go searching the afterlife to find them.

This eventually leads them to Strelitzia who goes on to explain that actually they're all still alive. Ven, Skuld, and Lauriam ended up in roughly the same time period just spread apart from each other but worse than that they're all in a pretty bad situation. Determined to right their wrongs Eph and Brain go back to the mortal world to take care of their unfinished business. But of course, being spirits they can't directly affect or interact with anything so they can only do so much.

Ephemer goes in search of Ventus and Brain for Lauriam, and then they plan on finding Skuld together. Ephemer unfortunately finds Ven in the clutches of Xehanort and is helpless to stop the neo shadows from ganging up on him. He reads Xehanorts heart and tries to whisper in his ear this is wrong, you know this isn't right he's just a little boy please don't. Whether Eph recognizes Xehanort as his descendant or not is up to you (personally i think it should be riku but we're not talking about that) but fails to stop the split and can only watch in horror as Ven is ripped apart and left in a cationic state on the near brink of death.

Desperate to save him Ephemer searches for a light strong enough to help, and guess who he finds? On the night of Sora's birth as his heart makes its way to the destiny islands Ephemer guides him to Ven and asks for his help knowing that a pure light will give Ven time to regather his strength. You can also imagine his surprise when he sees Ven dropped off at Eraqus' residence. The only real way for Ephemer to interact with the wayfinders is to go in their dreams and ask them to look after Ven and succeed where he failed. His messages are cryptic on purpose to keep Ven's true identity safe but also forge the subliminal suggestion to keep the younger keyblade wielder safe. And then Ven decides to journey on his own and Ephemer would've had a heart attack if he wasn't already dead and tries and fails to get Ven to go back to LoD. Only to regret that when he sees Eraqus draw the keyblade he once wielded and left to Brain be turned on Ven (it's a real good thing Brain wasn't here for this because ghost or not things would've gone from bad to worse seeing his grandson pull a stunt like that).

All the subliminal messaging pays off when Terra and Aqua go all out to protect Ven but it's still not enough. Ephemer tries to stop Ven from sacrificing his heart in the meta battle pleading for him to stop but if he couldn't stop Ven at 11 he wasn't going to have much luck with him at 16. When the battle draws to a close all Ephemer can do to stop Ven from fully fading away is to once again guide him to a heart that will keep him safe. He whispers to Sora's heart take him and protect him and over the next 10 years visit his dreams encouraging Sora to be strong and save him which unintentionally feeds into his savior complex (whoops).

Meanwhile Brain successfully locates a much older Lauriam but is unable to stop him from becoming a Nobody (and as a ghost he tries to throw hands with Luxu who he clocks instantly but he's dead so all he can do is yell insults and curses). Brain can only communicate with Marluxia when he's standing in front of a mirror or a reflective surface it's the only time he's visible and can get Marluxia to hear him. He keeps trying to get him to remember who he is, a dandelion, a union leader, a keyblade wielder. He tries to apologize over and over for failing to help him when he needed it. For giving Lauriam hope of finding his sister and then not following through with his promise to help find her.

This obviously does not go well for Marluxia too ashamed to fully face what he has become and what he has done. His heart is in turmoil and anytime Strelitzia is mentioned has him storming away or breaking the surface Brain is reflected in. This all comes to a head in CO, where Brain keeps trying and failing to get Lauriam to wake up and stop his schemes, and even though Ven's heart is currently with Roxas at that time the bond is still there and it's the closest Brain has gotten to getting through to Marluxia. But all it does is bring more anger and despair so instead of waking up he buries himself deeper and succumbs to darkness fighting Sora.

Now Ephemer and Brain truly feel like they've messed up. Ven's heart is damaged and not in his body, Marluxia is gone but Lauriam didn't show up in the afterlife so they didn't get him back, and they still haven't found any sign of Skuld. Standing in the CoW even though Ven is asleep and can't hear or feel them the boys can't help but marvel at how big he is now, they smooth down his hair and readjust his jacket and cup his cheek and even though neither can actually feel anything it just feels so good to see him again. Occasionally they both enter his dreams just to check on him and make sure he's okay but they can't bring themselves to actually talk to him.

They realize Ven is likely the key to bringing their lost friends fully back so they split up once again this time Brain trails Xigbar to see what plans he has while Ephemer tracks down Ven's heart and has the talk from the previous ask with Roxas so when Sora wakes up Ven will be safe.

When Marluxia comes back and meets Sora it's much more intense. Even though Sora doesn't remember he now has Ven's heart and his presence is reaching out trying to connect with Lauriam deep inside. Ephemer is still whispering to Sora to free him, bring him back over his shoulder which just confuses Sora. And when trying to unleash the power of waking Ephemer can directly speak with Sora guiding him through the process to release Ven's healed heart. Both Ven and Eph thank Sora for keeping him safe all these years but Sora won't remember that part.

It all comes to a head in the keyblade graveyard where both Eph and Brain try to use their keyblades to divert deadly attacks just off course enough to miss giving the others but mostly Ven more openings to attack. When Marluxia is defeated for a final time he finally remembers everything and the gold bleeds to blue and he smiles and cries realizing that he didn't completely fail and sincerely thanks Sora for "protecting him" which he doesn't understand.

Then the big attack happens with all the keyblades getting launched and Ephemer appearing proper he lends his strength to Sora and again thanks him for "keeping him safe" which just confuses Sora even more (weirdo cryptic guys never explaining anything to him story of his life).

So in the end they finally managed to save Ven so one day two more to go. They now have to find Lauriam all over again because Streli confirmed he's still not dead and he finally got his heart back so he's all complete and continue their search for Skuld. Unfortunately, 5 very unwanted individuals materialize outta nowhere 4 of which should not look like no time has passed for them at all. So despite being departed souls Ephemer and Brain ready themselves to try and stop old enemies from hurting their friends, they somehow have to find a way to make more direct contact and likely jog some old painful memories.

How the rest of this plays out depends entirely on what holes Missing Link and KH IV fills going forward.

Ephemer and Brain when the Nightmare is never-ending.

FR that sounds like it would suck soooo bad for these guys. Universe just does NOT want them to win.

[wailer-moon]

Quietly drops concept doodles for the ValRayne Fae AU

WIP Story under the cut because my brain has gone brrr over this..

Playing with the idea of Harlow unknowingly being the granddaughter of a mortal grandfather, and a Huldra grandmother who's true identity wasn't revealed to Harlow until her apparent passing. Harlow follows the instructions in her grandmother's will, using protections and tools left for her, to venture into the fae realm to inherit her grandmother's old home.

Of course the eventual goal is for her to fall for a skele and turn Fae herself. Her fae form is based heavily off the Rosy Maple Moth <3 Now I just have to figure out which boy is gonna get her.. :'c Indecision ya'll, indecision.

The story of a silly mortal girl testing her luck every time she goes into the Fae Realm, her protections and Wayfinder no doubt to be stolen from her on one of these trips no matter how much her grandmother tried to prepare her for the land of the Fae.

Harlow's always been a bit too blunt, clumsy and well-meaning but unfocused for her own good <3 c:

(Debating a revision in the future if she ends up in the Summer/Spring court instead with a Flower Mantis perhaps, or to lean more into the inherited Huldra qualities.. but for now!<3)

Faeu belongs to @owl-bones and @antlered-prince who are extremely lovely and creative people. You're both cooking and I adore to see it

[wedielike]

Requested by @wayfinder-family-lover : an oyeicher proposal

Read on AO3 or:

Cher’s ass is still sore from this morning when Oyei had rolled over on top of him and whispered something dirty in his ear, sneaked his hand down under the covers and let his lips do the apologizing for the last few days. Cher’s over it, mostly, his sudden and unpleasant fear that Oyei has grown tired of him.

Sitting on the edge of the boxing ring, he watches Oyei going through his usual morning workout. He could be going over books or trying to schedule more clients, but he’d rather be here.

Oyei has been trying to make it up to him the past few days—maybe even going a little overboard with the horny routine. Sex in the shower, sex in the office once he installed a decent lock, blow jobs in the middle of the night. It feels like when they first got together, and Cher isn’t sure it’s a good thing.

They’re different now than they were then, hopefully more mature although Cher doesn’t always feel like it when he gets those stupid doubts about their relationship. He knows they’re unfounded, that Oyei only has eyes for him, would spend every minute of every day with him if he could. But he can’t shake it.

He doesn’t notice Oyei glancing at him as he rises from doing pushups on the mat, too distracted by the questions circling his brain.

“Why are you frowning?” Oyei asks, wiping sweat off his brow and reaching for a towel tucked into his shorts.

“I’m not,” Cher says, though he probably was. Setting his elbows on the rope behind him, he leans away from Oyei as he comes over.

“Still upset with me?” Oyei asks, tilting his head to the side and widening his eyes as if he can beg his way out of the doghouse. Not that he’s in the doghouse anymore, but Cher wonders now if his reaction had gone too far. After all, a normal couple goes a few days between sex and nothing is wrong. Why had his mind jumped immediately to cheating?

“No,” he says, and it’s mostly true. He’s more upset with himself now.

He’s not surprised when Oyei slides in beside him, presses a sloppy kiss to his cheek. He doesn’t jerk away like he normally would in public (though there’s no one in the room at the moment), just sighs and glances at Oyei.

“P’Yei,” he says after a second, pulling Oyei’s hand from where it’s fiddling with his hair, holding it in his lap instead. “You love me, right?”

He’d never doubted before, had been confident that Oyei wouldn’t so much as look at anyone else—knowing full well Cher would go to his mother’s house and he’d never see him again—but that was before he’d actually thought it possible. Before something changed and Oyei hadn’t even cuddled him at night for the first time ever. He’s tried to convince himself that he’s reading too much into it, that Oyei is tired or busy with gym things, that a few nights without cuddling isn’t odd. But it is, for them. It is when Oyei spends practically every minute they’re alone trying to kiss him, get his hands on him. When he doesn’t try, it worries Cher.

Oyei’s thick eyebrows furrow at the question, as if he doesn’t understand why Cher would ask.

“Yes, of course. I love you more than anything,” he says, eyes big and serious as he gazes at Cher.

“More than boxing?” he asks, and Oyei smiles, reaching for Cher’s face, stroking his cheek gently.

“Yes,” he answers with no hesitation. “I love everything about you. Your tiny shorts and your funky socks. How you tell the truth, even when I don’t want to hear it. How smart and sweet and sassy you are to me, and to Yak. How you take care of this place, of me. I’d be lost without you.”

Cher feels a bit relieved to hear it, feels stupid that he had to ask. Looking away from Oyei, he huffs. Shouldn’t he be secure enough after all these years?

Oyei slides off the ring, stepping in front of Cher and pulling him up before Cher can even protest.

“P’Yei! What are you doing?” he says as Oyei hefts him into his arms, a firm grip underneath his thighs, and Cher has to wrap his arms around his shoulders to keep himself from falling backwards. “Stop, you’re all sweaty!”

“You didn’t used to complain about that,” Oyei says, eyebrows raised, holding Cher against him. Cher can’t go anywhere, tucked tightly in Oyei’s arms. “You used to like my sweat. Have you changed?”

Cher takes a breath, steadying himself with Oyei’s hand moving to squeeze his ass, holding him up against him. He’s always liked that Oyei was bigger than him, could lift him easily, but right now, he’s not sure what to do.

“No,” he answers instead, brushing a thumb over Oyei’s hairline. But he has changed. They both have, and isn’t that the point? Isn’t that what relationships are supposed to do? What is his and Oyei’s turning into then?

“Yes, you have,” Oyei corrects him, and Cher looks around quickly as Oyei starts to move. He has no idea where they’re going or why, but he can’t exactly escape when Oyei’s the one carrying him. “And that’s a good thing.”

Cher arches an eyebrow as Oyei takes him down the hallway, past the door to the office and to the bottom of the stairs. Is he really going to carry him all the way to their room?

“Why is it a good thing?” he asks as Oyei starts up the stairs.

“Because people shouldn’t stay the same,” Oyei answers, holding on tighter than Cher slips a little. He worries for a second they might fall down the stairs, but Oyei is stronger than that, strong enough to get them all the way to the landing and down the next narrow hall to their bedroom in the back. “What makes a relationship work is when people grow together.”

“Who told you that?” Cher helps get the door open, resigned to staying in Oyei’s arms. He honestly doesn’t mind it too much, the firm grip around his back, a broad hand braced under his ass. It makes him feel safe.

“My mom,” Oyei says, turning around so he can set Cher gently on the table. They’ve done this a thousand times, but it’s usually on the bed, prefaced with a peppering of kisses from Oyei, wandering hands that hoist him into his lap where he’s already hard. This time, Cher scoots back on the table, a little confused as to where this is going.

“Didn’t your parents divorce?” he asks, doubtful, and Oyei nods.

“Exactly.”

Cher doesn’t get it. If Oyei is trying to make up for the last few days, he’d rather just have cuddles and reassurance that everything is fine.

Wrinkling his nose, he just watches Oyei brush his hair from his eyes, the soft, loving gaze he’s used to not quite taming the uncertainty in his stomach. He doesn’t like feeling insecure, isn’t used to it when it comes to Oyei.

“I’m sorry I’ve been distracted lately,” Oyei says after a long minute, tilting Cher’s chin to his, pressing a kiss to his cheek, again and again until Cher has to shove him away.

“Can’t you just tell me why?” Cher asks, holding Oyei’s shoulders back to stop him trying to kiss him again. Maybe there’s a reason. Maybe there’s not. Maybe Cher is just overreacting. He doesn’t know. He can’t stop himself from wondering.

For a second, Oyei doesn’t reply, but then, to Cher’s surprise, he takes a step back.

Holy shit. He really is seeing someone else, isn’t he? His stomach plummets as Oyei turns his back at the bookshelf.

“I was going to do this later,” Oyei says, and Cher is trying to decide if he’s more devastated or angry, staring down at his feet, debating leaving right now so he doesn’t have to hear some terrible excuse as to why Oyei would do it. Oyei turns back before he can, though. “I was going to take you to the waterfront, where we had our first date. Our first real date.”

He would do it there?! Cher thought, chest clenching. The place where they’d kissed for the first time, where Oyei had slipped his hand into Cher’s as they walked along the river and he’d felt a tingle up his arm. The place they’d gone when Oyei invited him to move in after only six months of dating. He would really ruin that for them?

“You don’t have to,” Cher said abruptly, glancing at the door. He could make it there in less than five steps, be out of here and never come back. “I don’t want you t—” He stopped short as he slid off the desk to his feet, gaze landing on Oyei before him, arms outstretched, a tiny velvet box cracked open in his hands.

It doesn’t make sense. The box, the shimmer of the light reflecting off the gold ring inside, the way Oyei’s eyes glisten as he looks at him.

He feels every breath he takes as he stares at the ring, at Oyei. This isn’t what he thinks it is?

“I went to see your mother,” Oyei says finally. “She said you’ve always loved this ring, that she’d been saving it for you at the store. I asked if I could have it.”

“Why?” Cher hears himself ask, a stupid question, but his eyes flick to Oyei’s, and he sees the nerves for the first time, the quickness to his smile when Cher asks.

“So I could ask you,” he says slowly, reaching for Cher’s hand, “if you’ll marry me.”

It had been the last thing on Cher’s mind, the last reason he would have suspected for Oyei acting oddly. He doesn’t even know what to say as his mouth opens and no words come out. He feels the tears before he realizes, sliding down his cheek—a flood of emotions breaking free.

Oyei’s hand gets there first, wiping away the drop sliding past his nose. “Cher? Are you okay?”

Cher just shakes his head, unable speak for a second as everything comes together. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he finally raises his gaze to Oyei before him, the concern on his face.

“How long?” he manages to ask, wiping away another tear that falls. He’s not even sure why he’s crying, just that it’s happening. “How long have you had it?”

Oyei blinks, shaking his head. “About a week.”

A week. Just about the time Cher noticed something was off. That’s why Oyei has been weird. Nervous maybe, distracted, planning? He finds himself smiling, a wave of relief sloughing off him as he takes a deep breath.

“Cher, baby,” Oyei says after a second, looking nervous again as he stands there with the ring. “Are you gonna answer the question?”

Right, the question.

“Yes,” he says finally, letting go of all the stress and worry from the past week, his stupid unfounded conclusions, his smile growing as Oyei’s eyes get hopeful. “Yes, I will.”

Oyei grins too, pulling Cher to him for a proper kiss—soft and slow, brimming with warmth and happiness as Cher clings to his shirt and doesn’t want to let go.

He has to, though, to let Oyei pull the ring from the box and slide it on his finger where it catches the light. It looks so perfect there, especially when Oyei links their fingers together. They’ll have to get one for him too.

“Still mad at me?” Oyei asks one more time as he tugs Cher in close, leaving a kiss on the apple of his cheek, the bridge of his nose, the corner of his mouth.

“No,” Cher answers truthfully this time, tilting his head toward Oyei’s as he nears his lips. “But you better not scare me like that again.”

“I could never want anyone but you,” Oyei assures him, hugging him tightly, and Cher knows it’s the truth.

He knows it’s the truth and he doesn’t need to question anything as Oyei kisses him again, holds on tight, and never lets go.

[snackbagstudios]

it is all fake

(this is Lani from our dnd-webcomic, plz don't use her for your own things, but plz do read the comic if you want )

[thedevilsnatteravn]

More Wayfinders Off Course related stuff!

With two different versions of Sallly!

Check out Wayfinders: Off Course on Tapas. https://tapas.io/series/WayfindersOffCourse

[paschameleon]

Presenting the family of Motunui.

Moana took her time, but eventually she married a childhood friend of hers.

On Motunui there was a quiet boy named Lawai'a who had always admired Moana from afar. While Moana was outgoing and curious about the world beyond the reef, Lawai'a was shy, preferring the peacefulness of the island and the rhythm of daily life. His family were fishers, and he spent much of his time by the shore, catching fish with his family and watching the waves, sometimes imagining what lay beyond them.

As children, Lawai'a and Moana would cross paths frequently when they and the other children of Motunui played together. Moana was always kind to him. Lawai'a would often see Moana sneaking off to the water and he would join her at times. The two would talk about their theories of what was beyond the reef.

Years passed, and Moana set off on her voyage to restore the Heart of Te Fiti. When she returned home as a hero, Lawai'a was proud of Moana and was glad that she was safe. He realized that he had feelings for her, but he was too shy to admit it. As adults, Lawai'a found himself spending more time near Moana, though still too shy to express how he truly felt. Moana appreciated his calm presence and reliability, even if she didn't realize how much he cared for her.

It wasn’t until one peaceful evening, when Moana came back from her second adventure, that Lawai'a finally found the courage to speak.

Caught off guard, Moana didn’t know how to respond at first, but as she reflected on their years of friendship, the moments they had shared, and Lawai'a's presence in her life, she realized that there had always been something special between them. Slowly, they began spending more time together, not just as friends but as something more.

Together, they go off on adventures sailing beyond the reef and exploring other islands.

Later they had a son, which they named Matai

Matai

Matai is a thoughtful and curious young man who spends much of his time gazing at the stars and dreaming of adventure. He has a deep love for astronomy, and while he thinks wayfinding and sailing are incredible skills, his fear of the ocean, stemming from a near-drowning experience, keeps him from embracing them fully. He is too stubborn to even try to go back in the ocean. He refuses to listen to his parents on that matter. Despite this, he loves hearing and telling stories of legendary voyages and the history of his people. Intelligent and resourceful, Matai is always quick to find solutions to problems, but his self-doubt can sometimes hold him back as he is unsure if it is the best course of action. He is shy and not particularly brave, so he’s often scared of many things. Matai possesses a strong optimism and a deep care for his friends, family, and the people of Motunui. His fear and self-doubt create a barrier between him and his longing for adventure, but he is content with his daily activities and helping his community on land.

[dr1lldash]

yandere!venture x reader 2.9k tw: violence, fire, death (not major character), unhealthy relationships

i have never written something like this before, i dunno how to feel about it tbh but i did my best ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

prompts: 3. “no babe, you aren’t weak – i should just be the one protecting you, okay??” + 7. ”i only hurt them because i love you…” (slightly modified)

You didn’t get the chance to meet Sloan until you had already been working with the Wayfinders for a few weeks. You had certainly heard about them, the other members of the Society constantly talking about things they had done in the past, their work ethic, the way they can always light up a room, the ideas they had to unearth artifacts that the others would think lost. You were impressed by them, eager to meet them, but if you could turn back time, you would have left the site before you had a chance to.

You finally got the chance to meet them one night when you and a few other Wayfinders were having a bonfire. The dig was going well, you still had a lot to excavate, but you had made a lot more progress than you usually would have by that time. Part of that was, of course, due to Sloan working overtime, forgoing sleep in order to keep digging alone with only a headlamp to illuminate them. On this particular night, however, they had decided they needed a break, and what better way to get a rest than by roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire?

It took them a while to notice you. They greeted their friends with a wide smile, showcasing their chipped tooth, taking a skewer and a hot dog and letting it blister before they devoured it. You could hear their laugh from across the firepit, a sound of pure joy that made butterflies erupt in your stomach. You kept an eye on them, entranced by the way the flames danced in their eyes, but quickly turned your head when they looked at you. For a split second before you could react, they made intense eye contact with you, intensifying the feeling in your abdomen. When you gained the courage to stop staring off into the cliffs surrounding you, they had already looked away, now fully engrossed in their conversation.

The smoke blowing in your face was starting to make your eyes water, so you got up, walking towards the tents so you could get a drink out of the cooler. You pulled out a bottle of cold water, slightly wet from the melting ice surrounding it, and sat on top of the cooler in order to enjoy it. You were looking up at the stars, trying your best to find the constellations you know, and you didn’t hear the quiet footsteps approaching you. When an unfamiliar voice behind you asks, “Can I get in there?” you jumped, nearly falling off the cooler.

You quickly turned your head to apologize, but the words got caught in your throat when your eyes met Sloan’s, a lot closer than you had anticipated. They were hunched over, hand already on the cooler, face inches away from yours, if that. You stuttered, not really getting any proper words out, sliding off the cooler and away from them.

“Didn’t mean to scare you,” they said as they opened the cooler and grabbed themself a water bottle. “Sorry about that.” You struggled to find the words to respond as they drank quickly.

“No worries,” you eventually managed. “I was just distracted, I didn’t hear you.”

“What were you distracted by?” They crushed the now-empty bottle and shoved it in their pants pocket.

You pointed up. “The stars are a lot clearer out here than I’ve ever seen.”

They looked up, a small smile on their face. “First time I ever really saw the stars was on a dig. You never really get used to it.”

The two of you continued your conversation for what felt like minutes, but the herd of people entering their tents tells you otherwise. Sloan looks at their wrist, to a watch with illuminated numbers wrapped around it. Their eyes widened. “We should, uh, get to our tents. We have to get up to dig in a couple hours.” They turn their wrist so you can see the numbers, telling you that it’s just past three in the morning.

“Shit.” The two of you said your goodbyes and goodnights quickly, rushing to your individual tents to get as much shut-eye as you can.

Morning came too quickly, but your energy levels spiked when you found out Sloan would be joining your field crew. “The director said going out alone could be dangerous, and she doesn’t like me going out as late as I have been. Said we’re a team, we’re supposed to keep an eye on each other and keep each other safe,” they explained.

There were eight people on the crew with them joining, so you’re all able to split off into pairs to excavate certain areas. Sloan had the most experience, and you had the least, so they volunteered to partner with you, to show you the ropes and make sure you’re able to keep up.

You were grateful for their help, knowing that they could work at least twice as fast without you, but they never made you feel like a burden. They slowed their walking pace so you didn’t get exhausted, showed off any artifacts they uncovered and let you try to identify it before they did, even guided you to shady spots they had found in the previous days so you could cool off when the sun beating down on you got to be too much. The two of you talked for most of the day, and by the time the two of you were walking back to the campsite, a half dozen new artifacts in tow, you felt like you understood why everyone liked Sloan so much.

Slowly but surely, over the next few weeks, they started to hang around you more.

The first step, of course, was to go on every dig with you. It was easy enough to convince you that it was necessary, and you were so eager to learn, you never even considered that you weren’t the only new Wayfinder. They started to eat breakfast and dinner with you, only a few times a week to start, but it became every day before you knew it. It made sense, though, right? You eat breakfast together, you go and uncover what you can find, and you talk about it that night. Things started to feel more off when you had a free day and Sloan all but refused to leave your side.

Your plan was to go into town and just look around. Sloan asked if they could tag along, and since you knew they had seen the sights before, you gladly accepted. You followed them around like a puppy for a few hours, listening intently as they told you the history of the town around you and recommended shops and cafes for the two of you to stop by. It was a good day, by all means, but there was a nagging voice in the back of your head telling you that something was wrong.

Sloan bought you lunch, a t-shirt you were eyeing and even a postcard. “I have a whole book of them in my tent, I get one for every dig. I can show you when we get back, if you’d like.”

“Absolutely!” Your eyes were wide with excitement. “How many do you have? How long have you been with the Society?”

They paused. “Not sure how many I have, but I bet it’s over a hundred at this point. I’ve been a Wayfinder for about a decade now.”

“Woah.” You blinked a few times. “That’s…a really long time.”

They smile at you. “Time flies when you’re having fun. It barely feels like it’s been a year sometimes. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing.”

When the two of you left the cafe, the sun was beginning to set. You made your way casually back towards the digsite, but a small shop caught your eye before you left town. “Ooh, one sec, I wanna look in there.”

You turned your head to look at Sloan only to find them glaring at the store, an expression you hadn’t seen on their face since you met. Not when you needed a break after only a few minutes of searching an area, not when an artifact they had been so ecstatic to uncover crumbled to dust in their hands, not even when someone else took the last marshmallow right as they had been reaching for it. Their scowl was gone in an instant as they looked back at you. They glanced at their watch, the numbers starting to glow as the light around you faded.

“It’s kinda late, we should really be getting back.”

“Oh, okay.” Your voice was quieter than you had intended, but if Sloan notices, they don’t say anything. They take your hand in theirs as they keep walking, pulling you away from the store. You convince yourself that you imagined the look on their face, that it was a trick of the shadows due to the setting sun. The look in their eyes was so full of hatred, and there’s no way Sloan has that type of loathing in their heart. You shake your head slightly in an attempt to get rid of the thoughts, and it seems to work.

Then, you’re distracted by the fire engulfing the digsite.

Almost every tent was in flames, a thick smoke covering the area and spiraling up into the night sky. The tents that weren’t in flames were already ash. A wave of heat hit you as you stood still, completely unable to move your legs. Sloan, on the other hand, was immediately in action.

“[Y/N].” They put their hands on either side of your face, forcing you to look in their eyes instead of the chaos a few yards ahead of you. “I need you to stay here.” Their eyes flitted back and forth behind you, taking in your surroundings. “There’s a clearing right over there. Can you stay there for me?”

You shook your head. “I want to help you.”

They pursed their lips. “I don’t know what’s going on, it isn’t safe. Please just trust me on this.” They looked over their shoulder. “I’ll find help, we’ll put the fires out, and everything will be okay, but I need you to be safe first.”

“I can help, I can keep you safe. I’m not weak.”

They let out a sigh, but it didn’t seem exasperated, more concerned. “No, you’re not weak, I don’t think you’re weak, I just…I should be the one protecting you, okay? Please let me do this.”

You nodded, but it felt like admitting defeat to do so. They nodded back, not saying a word as they turned and ran into the inferno.

You manage to stumble a few feet to the clearing, and you fall backwards into some sand. The smoke wasn’t so thick there, you could breathe more comfortably, but you could barely see your hands in your lap. As your brain adjusted to the situation you were now in, you found yourself worried about Sloan. It felt like it had only been a few minutes, but it could have been longer, and the crackling of the fire hadn’t faded at all.

You managed to get to your feet, immediately regretting it as your lungs filled with smoke. You doubled over, coughing loudly, and something knocks the wind out of you as it knocks you to the ground. You felt a considerable pressure on your chest, and as you struggled to breathe you were able to crane your neck to look at it. An armored black boot and a matching pants leg rests on your sternum. You tried to look up, but smoke obscured everything above their thigh. A gun appeared out of seemingly nowhere, and you heard it cock as it pressed to your forehead.

“Straggler, huh?” The voice was slightly muffled, but you could almost hear them laugh as they said it. “Should’ve just stayed wherever you were. Boss said no survivors.”

You wanted to beg for your life, you wanted to scream, you wanted to travel back in time an hour ago and beg Sloan to let you go into that store, just for a few minutes, but everything you wanted to do got caught up in your throat and you were completely unable to make a sound.

“No last words? Pity.” The gun pushed harder into your head, and you felt tears welling up in your eyes as you tried to come to terms with your fate. You squeezed them shut, silently praying for the stranger to make your death quick, when you heard the whir of an excavation drill coming to life behind them. The foot preventing you from breathing felt lighter for a moment before it was completely removed, a loud thud to the side following as you felt something warm spray on your face. Even through the smoke, you could smell the metal.

Blood.

You were borderline hysterical. Now able to breathe, you felt sobs shaking your entire body as you breathed in lungfuls of smoke. The fast, almost painless death you were about to face was ripped away from you, and now, your fate might be much worse. The drills used to destroy packed dirt were anything but gentle. You had heard of people losing fingers, hands, entire limbs due to careless use, but the cracking of bones you had just heard had already been cemented in your brain. You were beginning to panic, wondering why it was taking so long for them to just end you already when you opened your eyes and saw a familiar hand reaching out to you.

Their yellow nail polish was chipped more than it had been earlier and blood trailed up as far as you could see in a spiral pattern, but there was no mistaking Sloan’s hand. “Are you okay?” they asked, coughing as they did. You heard another thud and their other hand reached out to you, equally stained with blood, if not more. Unable to blink, much less move, you stayed limp and allowed them to pick you up.

“Did they hurt you?” The concern in their voice was evident, and it took all of your willpower to force a sound out of your throat.

“No.” They wrapped their arms around you at this, squeezing you tightly.

“I was so worried.” Their head was pressed into your shoulder, muffling their words. You struggled to pick your arms up to match their hug, but you managed. After a moment, they pull away from you, looking into your eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

You nodded slightly. “Sloan…” your voice trailed off. “Where is everyone else?”

Tears instantly welled in their eyes. “I couldn’t find anyone. I put the fires out but I couldn’t find anyone. There’s so much blood, [Y/N].”

Blood.

You looked down at Sloan’s hand, now resting on your shoulder. The blood was still fresh, and beads of it dripped onto your shirt, staining it. “You killed someone.”

They shook their head. “I didn’t want to. I didn’t know what else to do.” You started to turn your head to look at the body, but everything in your heart screamed at you not to. “I only - I only hurt them because I love you.” Their grip on your shoulder tightens. “I need you to be okay. I don’t know what I would do without you.” You looked into their eyes and you saw that same intense gaze you had seen the first night you met. The butterflies in your stomach returned, but it didn’t feel like such a good thing anymore.

“They almost killed me.”

“I would never let that happen, I swear.” Their wide brown eyes were pleading, and you felt tears welling up in yours once again. One fell from your eye, and as if a dam was broken, you started to sob uncontrollably. Despite the situation lasting less than an hour for you, the stress was overwhelming and your body was finally able to catch up on it. Your chest hurt and you weren’t sure if it was the smoke clouding your lungs or a bruise from the boot that had been crushing them beginning to form.

You barely manage to get the words out. “Sloan,” you choked out between sobs, “they almost killed me.” Without a word, they wrapped you in a hug once again, stroking your hair gently. They held you like that until you were able to calm down, and when your sobbing stopped, they helped you to sit on the ground.

“It was Talon.” You looked at them as they began to explain. “We found something they wanted, and we didn’t give it up fast enough. I don’t know what it was, but they destroyed everything else.”

“What are we going to do?” Your voice was hoarse.

“I’ll contact headquarters. They can pick us up, get us out of here, keep us safe.” Sloan clenched their jaw. “As safe as they can, anyways.”

“Has this happened before?” you asked before you could stop yourself.

Their eyes unfocused for a moment before they blink a few times. “This is a dangerous lifestyle, [Y/N].” You decided to accept their lack of an answer.

“I’m scared, Sloan.”

They leaned over, taking one of your hands in both of theirs. “I’m never going to let anyone hurt you. I just need you to let me protect you, okay?”

You nodded softly. “Okay.”

They brought your hand up to their mouth, pressing a gentle kiss on it. “I won’t let you out of my sight ever again.”

[alpaca-clouds]

Learning from Indigenous People

You know how I knew that the big guys from the "new atheist movement" in the early 2010s were full of shit? Yeah, they started to vent about indigenous knowledge. How that was not real science and should not be taken seriously, because "it is not real science", with it betraying their super eurocentric view of science.

This is a general problem we have. It is also something that at times really turns me off from STEM - you know, as someone who is working in STEM. Because while in new science we do definitely include things found out by non-white people, when it comes to the old science (so, basically most stuff happening before 1950) people just ignore all the science done outside of Europe.

This shows especially in regards to indigenous knowledge. This will often be just overall depicted by science as "superstition", no matter what it was. Be it methods of medicine, methods of wayfinding, knowledge about the land and how to protect it, knowledge about animals, about plants... All those things that collected in indigenous knowledge that often does still not get taken seriously.

There is this often quoted little fact: It was indigenous people who invented injections, by using hollowed bird bones for it. And that is just one thing.

And there is of course just the fact of knowing how to take care of the land.

Of course, there is the opposite of this. The people who go deep into the "indigenous people are super vibing with the environment, they are basically magical", which of course is also a racist stereotype.

But, yeah, fuck... You know, we should still just be open to learning from all cultures there are. It does not fucking matter whether they used a formal "scientific method" in the way western science does these days. Knowledge that has been collected over hundreds of years.

And I am just so done with the people who want to keep ignoring it.