#wondering about all the other fast-growing plants and other plants and their uses

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

I've already talked about papyrus as a Pern-friendly alternative to paper given the problem of growing enough wood on a planet periodically hit by life-destroying fungus but I've thought about wood some more and realized - this is the kind of setting that would make use of a Fuck Ton Of Bamboo

It grows super fast, is ready for harvest in as early as three years and can be used for all sorts of stuff (except things that would require hard timber wood). Construction, utensils and tableware, fishing rods, furniture, paper, sprouts for eating and so much more

Also they definitely grow hemp on Pern for textiles, rope, oil etc

Bamboo and hemp in particular definitely feel like plants the colonists would take along for settling an alien planet considering their rapid growth speed and wide variety of uses

[4theitgirls]

productivity apps for self improvement

pinterest

you know i had to include the ultimate form of social media. pinterest is one of the only truly peaceful social media apps out there and focuses on sharing photos to your themed boards. this app is everything if you’re into making vision boards, moodboards, beauty, productivity, and really anything else. there’s something there for everyone!

finch

this is a wonderful self-care app, in which you take care of a bird while taking care of yourself! this is my new favorite app. i use the free version and it is adorable. the app asks you some questions about your goals and how you feel about self care, and gives you some daily goals based on your answers, but you can delete and add goals of your own. the more you log in and track your goals, the more adventures your bird can go on and the more they grow. i recommend this app to absolutely everyone and i will never shut up about it.

gymshark training

this is a free training app including many different types and styles of workouts. you can search for workouts based on duration, equipment used, the targeted muscle, and so on. you can also add workouts and plans of your own and track your progress.

i am sober

this is my favorite app for if you have something you want to quit. this isn’t just for substances or alcohol, but can also be used for quitting sugar, skin picking, caffeine, fast food, and so many other things. you can track your progress, review your days, make pledges, and connect with others who are struggling with the same thing you are. you are also given motivational quotes and reminders when you log into the app. there is an option for a subscription, but i use the free version and have had no problems with it at all.

study bunny: focus timer

an adorable focus timer where you gain coins with every goal/time you accomplish something with your focus timer and you can spend your coins on cute little accessories for your bunny! the only real issue with this app is that the ads are kind of crazy, and it’s $15 a month to go ad-free.

flora - green focus

this app includes a pomodoro timer and plants a tree in a rural community based on how often you stay focused using the timer on the app. the app does not plant a tree unless you opt for their subscription, which is $2 per year and allows you to plant one tree for 120 hours of focused time. you can also plant a tree every 24 hours with the $10 plan.

focus to-do: focus timer&tasks

this app combines a pomodoro timer with a daily to-do list. the app is free to use, but includes additional features for those with a subscription, which is $3 for every three months or $9 for a lifetime membership.

balance: meditation & sleep

a great app that includes nightly reviews, meditations, and sleep sounds. this app has great reviews, but it’s worth noting that it’s not completely free. it includes a trial, after which is $12 per month, or $70 per year.

insight timer - meditate & sleep

just as it sounds, this is another great app for meditations, ambient sounds for sleep, and progress tracking. there are tons of free things included in the app, but if you want to unlock everything, the premium plan is $10 per month or $60 per year.

structured - daily planner

an app with great reviews intended to help organize your daily tasks into achievable goals and track your progress. the app has basic features for free, but also includes a premium subscription if you want to unlock all the features.

routineflow: guided routines

this app caters to those who have difficulties staying focused and maintaining a set routine by guiding your routine for you and managing your progress. the app gives you one routine for free, but if you want another, you would need to pay for the $30 annual subscription.

how we feel

a wonderful free journaling app developed by therapists and scientists for logging your emotions, talking to other users, and tracking your mood patterns.

gentler streak fitness tracker

if you’re tired of the constant work and grind mentality, this may be the app for you. this app takes a gentler approach to fitness by tracking exercise, giving encouragement, and notifying you if you are overworking yourself. the app itself is free, but certain features require a subscription, which is $8 per month or $50 per year.

glo | yoga and meditation app

glo is a highly rated app for yoga, pilates, and meditation. unlike most of the other apps listed, you can’t really access much on glo for free. to access the full courses, they offer two plans: $30 per month or $245 per year.

waterllama

another adorable app that lets you track your water intake with a cute llama! super motivating and is free for basic features. if you want to unlock all features, the subscription is $7 per year.

mindllama

made by the same people as waterllama, this app allows you to practice and track your meditation and breathwork practice with a cute llama! like waterllama, the app is free, but some features require a subscription, which varies depending on whether you want the premium plan, the anxiety relief plan, or the sleep focused plan.

daily bean - simplest journal

another super cute app that helps you track your days and moods. the app itself is free, but a premium plan is also offered, which is $20 per year.

schmoody: mood & habit tracker

this app aims to help you through depression, anxiety, and/or adhd by helping you track your habits, talk to other users, and give you the resources to get you back on track. the free version includes the “essentials” to support mental health and well-being, but they also offer a premium version, which unlocks more resources and personalized options. the subscription is $15 per month, $60 per year, or $100 for a lifetime membership.

meditation timer - zenitizer

this is a meditation timer that focuses on simplicity and organization while tracking your meditation practice. a free version is available with a limited amount of content, but a premium version is also offered, which is $3 per month, $20 per year, or a $50 one-time payment.

mineral - gratitude journal

this is a free journaling app that is secure in the fact that you have to use face id in order to access your journal. this app is definitely more simple, but effective nonetheless.

focus keeper: productive timer

this app is a popular pomodoro-style timer app. i’ve heard that this app works wonders for many people with adhd. the app is free, but includes additional content and features for those with a subscription.

[reasonsforhope]

"It is 70 years since AT&T’s Bell Labs unveiled a new technology for turning sunlight into power. The phone company hoped it could replace the batteries that run equipment in out-of-the-way places. It also realised that powering devices with light alone showed how science could make the future seem wonderful; hence a press event at which sunshine kept a toy Ferris wheel spinning round and round.

Today solar power is long past the toy phase. Panels now occupy an area around half that of Wales, and this year they will provide the world with about 6% of its electricity—which is almost three times as much electrical energy as America consumed back in 1954. Yet this historic growth is only the second-most-remarkable thing about the rise of solar power. The most remarkable is that it is nowhere near over.

To call solar power’s rise exponential is not hyperbole, but a statement of fact. Installed solar capacity doubles roughly every three years, and so grows ten-fold each decade. Such sustained growth is seldom seen in anything that matters. That makes it hard for people to get their heads round what is going on. When it was a tenth of its current size ten years ago, solar power was still seen as marginal even by experts who knew how fast it had grown. The next ten-fold increase will be equivalent to multiplying the world’s entire fleet of nuclear reactors by eight in less than the time it typically takes to build just a single one of them.

Solar cells will in all likelihood be the single biggest source of electrical power on the planet by the mid 2030s. By the 2040s they may be the largest source not just of electricity but of all energy. On current trends, the all-in cost of the electricity they produce promises to be less than half as expensive as the cheapest available today. This will not stop climate change, but could slow it a lot faster. Much of the world—including Africa, where 600m people still cannot light their homes—will begin to feel energy-rich. That feeling will be a new and transformational one for humankind.

To grasp that this is not some environmentalist fever dream, consider solar economics. As the cumulative production of a manufactured good increases, costs go down. As costs go down, demand goes up. As demand goes up, production increases—and costs go down further. This cannot go on for ever; production, demand or both always become constrained. In earlier energy transitions—from wood to coal, coal to oil or oil to gas—the efficiency of extraction grew, but it was eventually offset by the cost of finding ever more fuel.

As our essay this week explains, solar power faces no such constraint. The resources needed to produce solar cells and plant them on solar farms are silicon-rich sand, sunny places and human ingenuity, all three of which are abundant. Making cells also takes energy, but solar power is fast making that abundant, too. As for demand, it is both huge and elastic—if you make electricity cheaper, people will find uses for it. The result is that, in contrast to earlier energy sources, solar power has routinely become cheaper and will continue to do so.

Other constraints do exist. Given people’s proclivity for living outside daylight hours, solar power needs to be complemented with storage and supplemented by other technologies. Heavy industry and aviation and freight have been hard to electrify. Fortunately, these problems may be solved as batteries and fuels created by electrolysis gradually become cheaper...

The aim should be for the virtuous circle of solar-power production to turn as fast as possible. That is because it offers the prize of cheaper energy. The benefits start with a boost to productivity. Anything that people use energy for today will cost less—and that includes pretty much everything. Then come the things cheap energy will make possible. People who could never afford to will start lighting their houses or driving a car. Cheap energy can purify water, and even desalinate it. It can drive the hungry machinery of artificial intelligence. It can make billions of homes and offices more bearable in summers that will, for decades to come, be getting hotter.

But it is the things that nobody has yet thought of that will be most consequential. In its radical abundance, cheaper energy will free the imagination, setting tiny Ferris wheels of the mind spinning with excitement and new possibilities.

This week marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The Sun rising to its highest point in the sky will in decades to come shine down on a world where nobody need go without the blessings of electricity and where the access to energy invigorates all those it touches."

-via The Economist, June 20, 2024

[wilwheaton]

what are your hobbies?

I have a garden that I love to work in every day.

During the lockdowns, I learned the difference between having a garden, and tending a garden. It turns out that I just love to tend my garden. I love to walk in it, smell all the smells, prune it and tie it up where it needs it, keep the soil healthy, and leave it alone when I've done enough.

In a lot of ways, I use my gardening time as a metaphor. One that was particularly meaningful to me lately came when I was pruning this feral tomato that showed up in one of my beds late last year. As a general rule, when I get any volunteers, I leave them alone, except to keep them away from things I've planted myself. But in this case, it was growing so fast and getting so out of control, I had to rein it in a bit, with some pruning and gentle redirection of the parts which were tied to the trellis.

I started thinking about the individual stalks as parts of my life experience: here's one that doesn't have anything growing on it, but if I follow it all the way to this point, I can see that it's providing support and nutrients to this huge, thriving, massively flowering hunk of the plant. It turns out that part may look like it isn't doing anything, but without it, this other part that's gorgeous wouldn't exist.

I could have just looked at it and seen a stalk that wasn't doing anything. I could have easily pruned it right then and there, and only after would I have discovered this lush, thriving, beautiful part of the plant that can't exist without this other part. I was so grateful that I took the time to look at the whole thing, to see that bare stem in context, to appreciate it.

I don't know if this particular metaphor lands on you, but it landed real hard on me. It inspired a wonderful moment of reflection and gratitude, and I also got excited for the ... I mean, it's at least a dozen, but maybe more ... little cherry tomatoes I'm going to get when they finish ripening.

I have recently noticed that, as long as I can remember, I have felt like I can't slow down, like I can't take time for myself, that I should always be working or trying to work. I've been working on healing as much of my CPTSD as I can, and part of that includes doing my best to give myself permission to slow down, to take entire days or even weeks off, because I have earned it. It's such a struggle for me.

And that's where my garden is a metaphor again: it may not be full of blooming flowers or tons of vegetables right now, but that doesn't mean it isn't growing. Maybe it needs to be watered and fed today, and tomorrow, I can just walk through it, and enjoy it.

It's one of my very few hobbies that are mostly private, that I keep for myself. I freely and enthusiastically share my love for classic arcade gaming, Tabletop and RPG games, and all my super nerd shit, so I like that I have this one thing that's just for me.

[cappulcino]

Seven Days Til Fall (Part 5)

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6 – Part 7

Read on AO3

Words: 5,533

Pairing: Lucifer Morningstar x Angel!Reader

Summary: You're an angel sent on a divine mission to retrieve a powerful relic that has been stolen from Heaven. The orders are clear: gain an audience with the Devil, make deals with them if necessary, anything to return that object to the Silver City. But Hell is not quite what you expected, and neither is Lucifer.

Trigger warnings: None in this chapter.

You felt like the worst angel that had ever walked the luminous roads of the Silver City since the War. Your purity, gone in smoke like Squatterbloat had warned you it would in Hell; your light, dimming and slowly giving way to the darkness like Michael had feared; and your faith, far from unwavering after the conversation you had had with Lucifer and what you had found in the Library last night.

Doubt had done more than just plant its seeds inside your heart –it had taken root, sprouted, and turned your mind into a fertile soil for thoughts and questions you weren't supposed to have to grow.

After what happened with Gabriel last night, you had stayed in the Library, desperately trying to distract yourself from these thoughts and questions and to refocus on your mission, which you felt the need to see through as fast as possible so you could find your way back to God's Light and into the Archangels' good graces.

But the problem since yesterday was that, no matter how hard you tried, your thoughts always returned to Lucifer and their Fall somehow. Yet, you had refused to give up and had stayed in the Library in search of something –anything– useful to locate the Cup of Eternal Grace. Night had thus quickly stretched into morning, and you had missed matins, only to tell yourself it was for a good cause, that you could keep searching and go to the next Mass, and… miss lauds as well.

You were, decidedly, the worst angel of all Heaven.

Still, it seemed you hadn't spent all this time at the Library for nothing. The ancient scrolls and dusty volumes you had browsed there did contain some scattered references to the Obsidian Bazaar and the Shadows. The latter were said to be most active during moments of transition –at dawn, noon, and dusk. While twilight was most ideal, it seemed their presence could still be felt during other times of day, provided one knew what to look for.

Finding the Bazaar required not only knowledge of the Shadows’ movements but also a token of permission, usually given by one of the higher demons. But you still had Lucifer and their authorisation to come and go anywhere you wanted, you thought, so you didn't worry about this too much.

There was only so much old texts could tell you, though. You still needed more specific information about the demon responsible for holding the Cup, and that meant turning to someone who might actually know who it was. It was time to see Arakiel.

When you entered the Observatory, the vast space resonated with a gentle hum, and the glow of Divine Light shone through crystalline orbs, all focused on the world below. Arakiel stood in the middle of the room, their soft gaze fixed on Earth –some part of the Northern Hemisphere, you recognised–, an almost dreamy smile on their lips.

Arakiel was not like most Archangels –not like most angels, really. They were sweeter, more patient and more understanding than the others, rarely acted in the usual hypocritical angelic way, and their take on things was more nuanced. You often wondered if this was what Earth did to angels who had spent too much time there. Arakiel certainly had; they had almost gone native in a way and, more often than not, didn't even let their wings out when returning to the Silver City.

"Look!" the Archangel said in a whisper full of awe, frantically gesturing for you to get closer. "Just two days until the autumn equinox!"

You approached and looked down. Sure the colours were pretty and the humans seemed happy, but you couldn't help but think about the earthquake in which little Jeremiah had died yesterday, the political conflicts that had been reported in Africa, or the genocide in Palestine, and made a face. How could anyone have such a jolly attitude about Earth –or at least humanity? Evidently, things had gone quite awry on that planet. You preferred Saturn.

"Did you know that in some human languages, they call autumn the 'fall'?" Arakiel asked after a while. "Mostly it's North Americans, I believe. But there are also similar expressions in the Finnic languages, Danish, Croatian, Macedonian, uh… Polish as well. Oh, and Hindi, Malay, and–"

"How fascinating."

You had to cut the lecture short. Arakiel tended to get very passionate about mortal stuff, and there had been over eight thousand languages since God had destroyed Babel. You couldn't keep up and nor did you have time for it.

"Why are You telling me this, Your Grace?"

Arakiel blinked, clearly startled by your interruption, but their smile didn't falter. Instead, they chuckled softly, as if amused by your impatience.

"Oh, no reason, I suppose. I just find it awfully poetic. It makes me hope that they know that everything that is lost can be found, that those who fall are meant to rise again, and that those who died shall live once more, like Christ. It is how the Almighty intended it, an endless cycle of life."

"I see," you said slowly for lack of a better reply. The Archangel Arakiel was too dear to you to ruin their views with your newly formed opinion on the matter of falling.

"Funny story, I met Our Lord's son. A very kind and gay man, always smiling and–" This time, Arakiel stopped themself. "But you're not here to hear about my earthly tales, are you?"

"Well, not this one. I have come to you to ask about the Cup of Eternal Grace."

Arakiel's expression sobered, their light-heartedness fading as they turned to face you fully. 

"Ah. Yes, of course. The Cup." They tapped their chin thoughtfully. "The humans who had it were part of a cult, a branch of a group that calls itself 'The Family'. They traded it off in a bargain they barely understood."

"For what?"

"An amulet of protection –so they said."

"To which demon?" you pressed, eager to move on.

"Well, it's hard to say for sure. Demons can be tricky, they don't always present themselves as they are. But they told me this one looked like a woman and had two heads."

"Do You trust those humans?"

"Do you have one single better lead?"

You didn't, and so you would be going back to Hell with that one information and many prayers.

This time when you arrived in Hell, Mazikeen was waiting for you right behind the Gate of Damnation, her arms crossed and her gaze unwelcoming. You sighed heavily at her sight.

"What is it now, Mazikeen?"

"You will not be seeing the Morningstar today."

"No, you already tried that once on me," you said trying to dodge her. "I shall ask the ruler of Hell myself."

Mazikeen snatched your arm then, crushing it mercilessly in her hand.

"Not this time. Their orders were explicit, they do not wish to see you."

"Why?"

"Personal reasons."

You yanked your arm free from Mazikeen's grip and muttered a "Fine", hurt and disappointment hitting you harder than expected. Why would Lucifer suddenly refuse to see you so categorically? Was this about the kiss –or rather, your refusal of it? Lucifer had seemed quite vulnerable, yes, but you refused to believe they would let it affect them so much. Or were they really that resentful?

"The Lightbringer told me to get you to the Obsidian Bazaar. We have had demons tracking the Shadows for you since twilight. We might not effectively catch them until the next main solar event but–"

"Noon, yes. I know. The Silver City's Library possesses quite the extensive literature on Hell, believe it or not, and I have done some research."

"Ha!" Mazikeen scoffed. "You think your lot knows more about our own realm than we do? The Shadows have changed a lot since those were written."

"Either way," you said, trying to ignore her mockery, "I need you to take me to a demon first. The Archangel Arakiel has interrogated the humans who traded with Hell. Now, I am fairly certain that the Cup is no longer in that demon's possession, but I thought I might ask them who they sold it to at the Bazaar. It could save us some time."

Mazikeen's face still bore a smug expression as she thought you were too naive for your own good, but she decided to indulge you.

"And which demon is it?"

"I… have no idea," you confessed. "I only know they traded with a Christian cult and presented themself as a woman with two heads."

"Yes, because a demon with multiple faces and who likes to present feminine to seduce mortals sure narrows it down." She sighed, then revealed her best guess. "That would most probably be Enepsigos. An angelic artefact that can give visions sounds like the kind of object she would want to have."

"Good. Then take me to her."

Hours later, you had finally made it to the Obsidian Bazaar, but not without trouble. Enepsigos had been less than cordial, spitting insults in your direction before Mazikeen's blade at her throat and a reminder of what her sovereign had commanded a few days ago forced a little more cooperation.

She had given up the name of another demon who, in turn, had given you the name of another. By the time you finally found out which merchant demon to turn to at the Bazaar, you had already discovered five intermediaries who had all wanted the chalice for a different purpose.

Every little conversation and negotiation had taken more time than necessary, and going from one place to another had taken even longer considering that Mazikeen couldn't fly –and neither of you wanted you to carry her. You had almost missed the transition at noon because of that, but at least now you had something concrete.

At last, a merchant at the Obsidian Bazaar had offered what seemed like a breakthrough, claiming to have sold the Cup to Lahash. He was certain that Lahash was the final link in the chain, but when you asked Mazikeen to take you to him, she outright laughed at you.

She had already been snickering all morning, throwing out comments and cutting remarks that, in a way, reminded you of how certain Archangels –especially Gabriel– talked to you. You hated it of course but, being so close to your goal, you had decided not to make a big deal out of her relentless derision, attributing it to her fiendishness.

But that one throaty laugh was the last straw; you couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Why are you laughing?"

Mazikeen shook her head, her grin widening.

"I just enjoy watching you play Angel Detective."

"This is not a game, Mazikeen."

"Oh, it is for me. In fact, I believe it is for most of us here." She shifted her weight on one leg and brought her hands to her hips, still smiling. "But I am feeling generous today, and since I have spent enough time with you already, let me give my favourite feathery sleuth a hint and put an end to both our sufferings."

You doubted she had anything relevant to say, but you straightened your back and wings, ready to listen.

"Go on."

"Lahash does not have your chalice."

"Oh, for goodness' sake."

"He has not had it for a while now."

"But the merchant told us–"

"He told us everything he knew, there was no lie on his part. Lahash did have the Cup and now no longer has it."

"How would you know?"

"Because I witnessed the Morningstar snatching it from his hands myself."

Your heart dropped to the pit of your stomach as the revelation hit you like one of God's thunders. 

Lucifer had the Cup. All this time, while you had been running in circles around Hell, chasing ghosts, they had it in their possession. How… petty of them. Had you interrogated Lahash, he would have most probably never denounced his ruler, and you would have sooner found one particular grain of sand on Earth than the chalice.

As you tried to think of anything in Lucifer's behaviour that should have made you realise what was going on, you felt a wave of betrayal surge through you, sharper than anything you had ever known. Had everything they had done and said only been a way to distract you from your mission? Or were they trying to compensate for this low blow somehow? This was the Devil, anything was possible.

"What?" Mazikeen's smirk was insufferable as if she was savouring your frustration. "Are you going to cry? Do angels cry Holy Water, I wonder?"

Mazikeen was going too far and you were in so much pain that any remnant of angelic restraint left your soul that instant, and you decided that the best defence against her was attack.

"You think this is amusing, don't you? You are running errands for a coward who cannot even face me. What does that make you?" You took an ominous step closer. "You are just like your mother, Mazikeen –born to serve a greater being and always messing with the wrong people. And one day… you will be replaced and forgotten."

Mazikeen's smirk immediately faltered, her pride pricked, and she drew her sword in a swift movement to direct the tip of its blade at your throat.

"Careful, angel."

"Go ahead," you said softly, not even caring about your fate at that point. "I'm sure that would speed the process."

Mazikeen stood still, her sword still grazing your skin and her eyes never leaving yours. And then, slowly, she lowered and sheathed it, knowing that her life would be on the line if she made an attempt on yours.

"Mmh. Evidently, Lucifer cares just enough," you mused aloud, although you were now convinced it wasn't personal, that you just mattered as a pawn in the Devil's game. "Right. Show me the way out. I need to have a word with them."

"I told you the Morningstar does not wish to see you."

"Let me rephrase this: I will have a word with your master. Get me out of here."

There was a flicker of hesitation in Mazikeen's expression, but she quickly gave up, not wanting to spend any more time around you anyway, and led you out of the Obsidian Bazaar.

You had been flying over Hell for what seemed like an eternity in search of Lucifer whom you had been assured was not at the Palace. Your wings were frankly starting to tire and tears were prickling your eyes.

You felt betrayed. Correction, you had been betrayed, this was no mere impression. What you truly felt like was lost and alone. In less than a week, you had distanced yourself from Heaven, your whole kind and what they preached after finding out that you maybe had put your faith in the wrong people. Today you realised you had actually done that twice. Who was there left to believe? What side was there left to be on? You were on your own side now apparently, alone and stupid.

Starting to lose your patience, you turned off after the ruins of the Necromanteion to follow the Acheron, and there, sitting on the bank, you finally found Lucifer. They felt your presence, of course, and looked up at you before slowly gazing back down at the river. You saw them move as you descended, and it looked like they were wiping their face. But you were exhausted, your vision had got slightly blurry with the tears you had shed, so you couldn't be too sure.

"Lightbringer," you called out as you landed a few yards away and took quick strides to meet them. "We need to talk."

"So Mazikeen betrayed Us," they muttered, not even bothering to stand up.

"Yes. Betrayal. Hell's speciality, it seems."

With their back still turned to you, you noticed Lucifer lowering their head and their wings slumping a bit. Their refusal to look at you made you seethe.

"Get up and face me like a proper monarch."

Slowly, Lucifer shifted on their knees before rising in one fluid motion. When they then turned around at an even slower pace, you not only noticed that their stance was entirely devoid of confidence for the first time since you met, but you also realised that their eyes were red, as if they had been crying.

The sight hurt you more than you wanted to admit to yourself, but you had already your own pain to deal with –a pain Lucifer had caused– and you didn't want to let their supposed affliction torment you. For all you knew, this could very well be the result of sitting by the Acheron for too long.

"I thought You didn't lie."

"And indeed, We have not lied to you."

"No?" You almost snorted out of pure nervousness. "How long have You had the Cup?" Your question was only met with Lucifer's silence and pinched lips, so you insisted, "Am I not clear today? How long, Lightbringer?"

"A day and two nights." You could swear there was shame in Lucifer's quiet confession.

"You have kept it from me all this time and You call that not lying? You promised to cooperate."

"We promised to help you, yes. But the task was always your own. Our role was merely to guide you."

"So what? You intentionally left bread crumbs everywhere and You were simply going to wait for me to follow them back to You?"

"Yes."

"You serpent…"

The disdain in your voice made Lucifer flinch. You could have hardly found a worse insult to throw at them had you tried, but it was the hurt talking and the regret would only kick in later.

"Where is the Cup now?" 

"In Our quarters."

"Good. Let us go then. I am taking that chalice back to the Silver City. Right now."

You unfurled your wings, ready to take flight again when Lucifer's voice stopped you.

"We're afraid that will not be possible."

"Why not?"

Lucifer took a deep breath and clasped their hands in front of them to regain some of their usual composure.

"The Cup has been deconsecrated and cursed. You cannot have it in such a condition, We need to restore it to its heavenly glory, and it may take some time."

This time, you couldn't help a short snicker. "I think You have had enough time. Besides, Your Majesty will forgive me if I doubt They still have it in Them to perform that kind of miracle. Your brother, however, will manage, I'm certain."

Your words cut deep, but the Morningstar tried their best not to let it show.

"If We return the chalice as it is, We will have broken Our contract."

"The contract? Oh, that takes the biscuit. I read that contract too, I'll have You know, and I distinctly remember the full clause. 'The Signatories agree that upon successful retrieval, the chalice shall be returned to the custody of the Divine Council without alteration, corruption, or delay.' Was the 'delay' part not clear?"

"The fact remains that We need more time. There is no point in handing you the Cup if it is altered. It is too great of a risk."

"The only risk I see, Lightbringer, is for You to be denied access to the Silver City. So You best hope that the Divine Council never learns about what You did."

Lucifer clenched their jaw, offended and somewhat annoyed by your incessant barbs. Still, they chose to ignore them.

"We meant for you. We will not take the risk of putting such a vile artefact into your pretty angelic hands, nor do We wish for you to be accused of having failed in your mission. You have not."

"Do not pretend You care about me," you snapped. "Did it ever occur to You that I was running a race against time or that my position in the Orders was in jeopardy?" Lucifer's eyes widened, revealing their lack of awareness. "Of course not. Because You only care about Yourself. I mean, was any of what You told me, of what happened yesterday real? Any of it?"

"We–"

"Don't bother. I am not sure that I want to know. God, to think that I almost k–"

You cut yourself off, incapable of finishing that sentence, especially not after your very first blasphemy. Instead, you looked up at the orange sky then down at the ground, anywhere that was not Lucifer's reddened eyes.

"I am going home," you said after a while, making sure to use that particular word to refer to Heaven. "But I will be back before dusk to retrieve the Cup. That is all the time You get."

"You are welcome to stay here while We–"

"Absolutely not."

You turned around, fully intent on leaving, and lifted yourself off the ground with a few decisive flaps.

"You were right," Lucifer blurted out, hurrying closer to stand right beneath you, their eyes welling up as they raked over your body and immaculate wings.

"About what?" you asked, facing them once more but not bothering to land.

"It is lonely. Ruling Hell, dealing with all the pain that reigns here. But with you… We kept the Cup against Our better judgement because when you are here, life in Hell does not seem so lonely any more."

You blinked, and when you spoke again, your voice had slightly mellowed.

"So You had me come back every day because You need… company?"

"We suppose, yes."

Lucifer seemed so sincere and vulnerable, but the turmoil raging inside you didn't allow you to calm down enough to reply politely.

"I am not Your pet. There is Mazikeen for that. Good, faithful Mazikeen."

"But it is not Mazikeen We want! Is it so wrong that We wanted to keep you close?"

"You did not keep me close, Lightbringer, You kept me shackled to Hell! But no more. I will be back for the Cup, but after that…"

You let your voice trail off, incapable of finishing that thought. Deep down, even if you wouldn't admit it, you didn't want to have to say your final goodbyes. Because leaving Hell forever meant being on your own forever, feeling lonelier than you already did, and you were well aware that you were not as strong as the ruler of Hell to handle that loneliness.

Right now, you had to go. And so you left.

"Back so soon? We can only assume you gathered us here to share some good news."

"Or some terrible ones."

You had summoned the Divine Council as soon as you had arrived in the Silver City and you were now standing at the foot of a large pulpit from which the five Archangels –Gabriel and Uriel, who had just spoken, Michael, whose eyes were narrowing at you, and Azrael and Raphael– were looking down at you.

"Actually," you said with a bright smile that felt a bit forced, "it is good news. I found the Cup of Eternal Grace."

"Yet we see no Cup before us," Azrael commented, their voice sharp.

"Where is it?" Gabriel asked in his usual condescending tone.

"I, uh…" Your palms were sweaty and you wiped them on your robes. "I, unfortunately, had to leave it with the Lightbringer so that they could undo the spells that have been cast on it."

Michael was the one to speak then, his voice low and dangerous.

"So, you found the Cup… and left it in Hell when I specifically ordered you to bring it back quickly. Now the chalice is in my sibling's possession. What game are you playing exactly?"

It wasn't a question, more like an accusation. You opened your mouth to explain, but Raphael's cold laugh cut you off.

"How convenient for Lucifer."

"Indeed," Uriel added, their tone sharp. "We send you to retrieve the Cup, and instead, you come back with excuses."

"I shall bring it back before the end of the day, I promise," you insisted, trying to control the tremor in your voice. "But it needs to be restored first. The Morningstar said–"

"Lucifer says a lot of things," Gabriel interjected. "And you seem to be listening too much."

You flinched at those words and swallowed hard, your mind racing. You realised Gabriel had probably told his peers about what had happened last night in the forbidden section of the Library, and, suddenly, it became pretty evident that if you failed to bring the Cup back tonight, the consequences would be dire.

But weren't the Archangels supposed to be pleased? You had found the Cup, that was the most important thing –the promise that you would soon bring it back to the Silver City and succeed in your mission. Yet, instead of praising you, the Council was once again criticising you.

After feeling betrayed by Lucifer, you were feeling betrayed by your own kind, left wondering which side was truly the better one. Or rather, which one was the lesser evil. Because if this was the Light, you were beginning to wonder what darkness really looked like.

Michael stood up and leaned forward, hovering over you. And, at that moment, you felt more scared of him than you had been of his sibling on your first day in Hell.

"You will go back to Hell this instant. I do not want to see your face again until the Cup of Eternal Grace is in your hands and back in holy territory. Is that understood?"

You shivered and lowered your wings in submission.

"Yes, Your Grace. I will be back before–"

"GO!"

When you found them again, Lucifer was sitting behind their desk, the Cup before them, gleaming in a faint, otherworldly light. Their wings shifted slightly as they looked up from their work, their brows furrowed in confusion.

"We thought you did not want to stay."

"I did not," you muttered, stepping into the room but keeping your distance. "To be frank, I almost stopped by Earth to wait there until You were done, but I fear the Divine Council might be keeping a close watch on me now, so I had no choice."

"Why?" When you didn't answer but instead looked away, Lucifer immediately understood. "It is Our fault, is it not?"

Tears started to prickle your eyes, you fought them as hard as you could.

"I should not be so surprised," you said. "The Devil, causing pain, leaving torment in their wake… It was to be expected. But I am still disappointed. And hurt."

"Our sincere apologies…"

You nodded, signalling you had heard them, but you weren't sure whether you wanted to accept their apology. Either way, you didn't know what to say, so you walked to a nearby cushioned bench and sat there.

Lucifer didn't add anything at first, their attention drifting back to the Cup. Silence stretched between you for over ten minutes as they worked, after which they spoke again, their voice now even quieter.

"Are you not going to say anything?"

"I do not want to talk to You, Lucifer" you replied, your voice cracking a bit as you gave up on etiquette to call the monarch by their first name only. "I have lost my restraint and my patience, and I am too hurt to be kind for now."

"We understand."

You missed it because you were still avoiding their gaze, but Lucifer smiled ever so slightly despite their own ache, as they realised you didn't hate them enough to want to be mean to them. But the smile quickly vanished and they turned their focus back to the chalice.

Two hours had almost passed when they finally stood up and approached you.

"Take it," they said as they handed you the Cup, their tone almost empty. "It is done."

You stood up as well, your fingers brushing against Lucifer's as you took the artefact. For a very brief moment, you felt the warmth of their touch, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.

"There is still time before dusk. Do you… Do you perhaps wish to have supper with Us one last time?"

Both the hurt you felt and your reason told you to say no, but your heart soared, trying to convince you to say yes. Truth was, as much as you hated what Lucifer had done to you, as much as you blamed the Lightbringer for your pain, you didn't really want to part on bad terms and you rather dreaded going back to Heaven. And so you hesitated.

"I cannot stay," you eventually decided, knowing the risk was too great. "I am fairly certain the Divine Council already believes I have been buying You time. I need to go and give them the Cup. And after that, I do not wish to hear about it ever again."

Pinching their lips, Lucifer nodded. They looked so sad, so vulnerable. Could it be that they felt guilty? Part of you wished they did, but you didn't have time to dwell on that. You had to go.

There was one last thing you felt the need to say, however.

"I would have lied for You, You know. In fact, I already did in more ways than one." Lucifer's eyes widened a bit and you saw it, the hope. "For some inexplicable reason, I even find it easy to hide and twist the truth for You. Because You opened my eyes to so many things and I blindly put my faith in You. But You betrayed it and have made me feel stupid. And so that doesn't make You any different from Your brother and his clique."

With that said, you turned to leave but before you could cross the threshold, you heard Lucifer's voice behind you, quivering and pleading.

"Will you forgive Us?"

It wasn't just a question –it was a cry, a desperate, fragile thing that echoed through the room and pierced your heart. Your throat tightened, your wings tensed, and for a moment, you considered turning back. But the hurt inside you was too great, too raw, and when you finally spoke, your voice was distant and almost cold.

"Peace be upon You, Lucifer Morningstar."

You didn't wait for a response. With the Cup clutched in your hand, you straightened your wings and left, certain you would never see the ruler of Hell ever again.

As you flew through the Silver City, your movements shy but quick, you received many looks and comments to congratulate you on the success of your mission. You ignored them or merely answered with a fleeting smile, and found your way to Michael's office.

You cleared your throat and held out the Cup as you entered, relieved to hand over that wretched chalice.

"I have brought the Cup, Your Grace. As promised."

It seemed Michael had been waiting for you. His back turned and his hands clasped behind him, he was staring out across the clouds.

Then he turned slowly, his eyes narrowing as they landed on the Cup. He stepped forward, taking it from you without a word. His gaze flickered over the artefact before he gave you a slight nod, though his face remained unreadable.

"You may leave now," he said, waving you off.

"Uh… But… Your Grace, the other day You told me–"

"Yes, yes. The Council shall discuss your case."

You blinked. No praise. No recognition. The promise of a promotion seemed further away than ever, and you wondered if it had ever been real to begin with. Your wings drooped slightly as you turned to go.

Just as your hand reached for the door, Michael's voice stopped you.

"Oh, before you leave."

"Yes?"

"You have not told us this morning. When exactly did you find the Cup, and where?"

You gulped audibly as the question made you question where your loyalties truly lied and whom you wanted to put your faith in –if there was anyone or anything left to put your faith in.

You stood in silence for a second that felt like a lifetime and when you replied to the Archangel, your voice was miraculously steady, though your heart felt anything but.

"I found it today, not long after noon. But like I said, I had to leave it in Your sibling's care so that they could restore it and ensure it would be returned without alteration, as per the contract that bound them to You."

Michael watched you closely, his gaze piercing, but then offered the tiniest smile.

"Very well. You may go, you are no longer needed. And you have my blessing to miss Mass –you need rest more than anything."

You furrowed your eyebrows finding the offer somewhat strange, and the formulation rather ambiguous, but you smiled and nodded, then turned once more to exit Michael's office.

You stepped through the threshold, and before you could take a single breath of relief, a sharp pain hit the back of your head. Your vision blurred as your knees gave out and you collapsed to the ground.

And there was evening, and there was morning –the fifth day.

[first-edition]

Fox and the Hound

Sum-Joffrey wants to send a message to your family after your brother embarrasses him, so he marries you off to his most unwanted man in his court, the hound. But will this marriage truly be a statement for an eyesore, or will it grow into something more. 

Cw for chapter- 18+ words and themes overall, cussing, mention of death, mention of sandors death, happy angst, reuniting lovers. Lmk if i forgot anything.

READ PREVIOUS CHAPTER HERE

CHAPTER 24

“Fuck me its cold.” Gendryl huffs as he pulls the blanket closer to his body. 

“Is that all youre going to do this fucking trip?” hound asks, pushing his shoulder almost causing the blacksmith to trip up. 

“Do what?” Gendryl asks, turning a bit to look up at the larger man. 

“Winge. You've been doing it this entire time. It's worse than the thoros singing. Talking about a woman who strapped you down, stripped you naked, some fucking red witch-” 

“She was gonna kill me, could-would have If it was for davos who-”

“But she didn't, hmm. Did she? So what are you whining about?” Sandor cuts him off, tired of his bullshit. 

“I'm not Whining.” Gendryl barks back. 

Sandor chuckles. “Your lips are moving and you're complaining about something…this cunt has been killed six times you don't hear him bitching about it huh?” Sandor says pushing Gendryl to the side and continuing off infront of him. 

“Sandor.” Jon says, turning to him, calling him up. Beric follows, wanting to hear the plan Jon might have. 

“I wanted to congratulate you on your fatherhood.” he says. 

“What?” Sandor asks, confused for a second. 

“Her grace, y/n clegane. She bore you a son. They call him the little prince. I was there. He's healthy. Takes after you.'' John nods. 

“Oh. hmm. I'm planning to deter all other nonsense after this shit to sail to Volantis finally.'' Sandor huffs out fixing the pack around his shoulders. 

John stops walking to look at him. 

“Volantis? There was a plague that swept over it, heathers plague, from the heather plant being tainted. Her grace isn't in volantis, she's in winterfell with sansa. Her parents sent her there because the plague does not touch the cold. She thinks you're dead though.” John explains. 

Sandors breath hitches for a moment before glancing at beric who nods with a smile knowing that the ‘lord of light’ has willed him to be here. 

“Dont smile at me like that you fucking necromancer.” sandor says. 

“You have a son clegane, the little prince, be thankful. When this is all over you can head there to reunite.” beric continues. 

“Why does she think I'm dead?” Sandor asks as they continue the walk. 

“Brienne of Tarth is also within the walls of winterfell when y/n arrived brienne told her, she pushed you and you fell.” John says. 

“The big woman?” Tormound asks, his eyes wide with wonder. 

“Y-yes.. John answers uncomfortably.

“I will make sure you join us when we arrive back there. You've got a son to meet.” Jon says. 

“You've got to stay alive now that is eh? Don't want your pretty missus to keep thinking you're dead now then." Tormund says, putting his hand on sandors shoulder. As fast as it was placed sandor smacks it off him. 

“Fuck off.” he huffs. 

“You're the dog, they told you were mean. Were you born that way or were you hardened?” Tormund asks him, smiling a bit. 

Sandor slowly turns to the other man scowling at him as if he can't understand a word he's saying. 

“What is wrong with you? Genuinely.” Sandor asks, huffing out a puff of air that can be seen because of the frigid temperature. 

“Nothing. You see I don't think you’re actually mean. I’ve seen the princess and the fact that she fell for a brute look of you well..ptff. Youve got sad eyes i think she takes care of you, takes care of you well, enough to put a babe inside her, i think that under all your anger and hate your a soft man, you either love her completely….of she just fucks you so good you cant leav-” tormund is cut short with a punch to face before he lands in the snow.

“I told you to shut the fuck up and i wont do it again. Talk about her like that once more and i’ll snap your ginger fucking neck!” Sandor barks out. 

“OI! Enough of that?! And keep moving!” Jon hollars out as the rest of the group is a bit of a ways ahead. 

—-----

You watch as the supply carts are unloaded, your men and the others pulling out and setting down crate after crate. The whine of a horse before two women in red cloaks ride into the gates. 

“Who's that?” you ask joss as he stands next to you. He shakes his head. They two are helped off their horses before looking around briefly and taking off their hoods. 

“Your grace. The red woman, Lady melisandre and her daughter Yin have arrived.” you turn to face lord baelish. 

“And who are they?” Sansa asks as she walks up behind you. 

“Sorcerers my lady, they are here to help decide the plan against the dead.” baelish answers. Sansa looks unamused as she looks at them. 

They look up to you before heading your way up the stairs onto the balcony platform where you stand. You turn your gaze over to where one of the guards are leading them twords you before they make their final destination. 

“My lady, your grace.” the one with brown hair says as they both curtsy. 

“Who sent it to you?” Sansa asks, frowning. 

“Your brother, the lord snow. I am Melisandre High priestess of the red women, and this is my daughter, Yin '' she speaks again. Introducing herself and your child yet they both look virtually the same age. 

“Why are you here?” you ask. 

“Lord Snow sent for us to assist in the fight of the dead.” Yin speaks. You notice that she, unlike her mother, has blonde hair and a fair complexion. Beautiful nonetheless and most likely powerful if her mother is the high priestess. 

“I brought you brother back to life after the members of castle black retaliated and took his life from him leaving him in the snow to die.” Melisandre says. 

“That was you?” Sansa says she nods. 

“My daughter healed the rest of his wounds. No fear can be fulfilled without scars but he is alive and walking.” the red woman replies. 

Sansa nods, taking a moment before speaking again. 

“I will have sleeping quarters set up for you then. Jon is not here, he is on the wall but he should be back within the week." Sansa replies looking to measter aaron before turning back to melisandre nods thankful for the hospitality as sudden as it may have been. 

“Your grace.” lucy speaks as she walks up to you your son in her arms. He immediately reaches out to you wanting you. 

A smile is plastered on your face as you bring him into your arms holding him close. Sansa immediately holds out her hand and joss take her finger in his hand wrapping his first around it babbling. 

“The little prince.” yin speaks. You look at her, focusing on her words. 

“He will make a great king when the illness has subsided and you are to return home.” she says. You nod to her. 

“Y-yes but i will not force him to his kingly role if he does not wish it.” you say. 

“Of course not.” yin speaks once more.

“My ladies, your rooms are prepped and ready.” mester aaron says prompting them to follow him. 

“My lady, your grace.” melisandre and yin both curtsy before following the mester away to their rooms to settle for the day. Sansa gives you a look of slight worry before a distant roar is heard. Everyone stops and looks around before a gust of wind and snow is blown up. 

Both you and sansa hurry to the edge and look up seeing not one but two dragons. Flying over head. Huge beautiful creatures. 

“Jon must be back!” sansa exclaims looking to you. 

“I guess she really in the dragon queen.” you giggle she smiles back to you. 

—-----

You watch as all the soldiers and other enter winter fell being greeted before the dragon ‘queen’ herself enters and is helped off the horse back. Sansa reluctantly says hello as they get to know each other. You watch from above as jon looks up you. He gives you a smile and you reply back with a saddened one. 

The distant grumble of the dragons that rest outside of winterfell behind you take your attention. You admire them before taking your leave from the balcony and walking down the stairs walking up to jon and the others. 

“Daenerys. This he Her Grace queen y/n clegane of house vixen.” jon says you smile at the other women her age the same as yours. 

“Your grace.” You say curtsying to her as she does to you. 

“Its relief and pleasure to meet another queen and one of rightful status.” she speaks to you. 

You nod before answering. 

“I hope you can find comfort and warmth here its the middle of winter so i hope the cold isnt too much for you.” you speak. She smiles and shakes her head. 

“The cold is refreshing.” she says happily. 

“y/n..i have someone for you.” jon says you frown wondering why he got you a present. 

“Youve got her a present?” sansa asks a bit jealous. Jon just chuckles and shakes his head at his sister jealousy. 

“Your grace.” you say curtsying to her as she once more does the same. You notice that jon give her a quick peck on the cheek before walking leading you to your supposed gift. 

“Are you together?” you ask him a slight bit of distan on your words. 

“Yes briefly, she saved us beyond the wall and sacrificed one of her children for us.” he says. Thats right jon had sent a letter saying that she had three and there was only two in the back courtyard.

“She had three.” you say as you both walk twords the gardens. He nods. 

“The night king took one down and i'm hoping that the others stay put. She loves them, they are her children.” he says. You see others bringing in supplies for making weapons to defeat the army of the dead. 

“What is my gift youre being so ominus about it.” you say changing the subject. 

“Not what. Who.” he says you frown in confusion as you both stop walking. More people gather into the courtyard chatting and unloading supplies but one person in particular comes into view and your breath stops and your heart falters. 

You glance back at jon in disbelief. Your husband dismounts the large horse as he rides giving the reins to someone before taking a brief look around only to spot you. He stops dead in his tracks, eyes not not wavering from your face as he makes much haste twords you. 

​​“Sandor?” You speak with tears welling up in your eyes.

Its really him. He lets out a pained breath before his body meets yours, lifting you in his arms hooding you closer than ever, not wanting to leave you alone ever again, not wanting to let you go. Setting you down you share a deep kiss a much needed passion you’ve both missed. 

He’s missed the relaxation your touch brings him. All those nights dreaming of you in his arms, all those day thought of his pure hope to get back to you. The pain of his loneliness melts away as soon as it hits. Despite his rough exterior tear manage to slip past wetting his cheeks as his grip against you tightens, silently praying that you are real and this is real that he’s really back into your arms.

“I never stopped trying to get back to you.” He says his eyes searching your face he pulls off his gloves his hands taking place on either side of your face feeling the soft skin of your cheeks. 

“Brienne told me she killed you.” You says sobbing as you clutch onto him.

“That big bitch, shes here?” He scoffs you nod a smile crossing your face missing his gruffness.

“I thought you were dead?” Your voice breaks. Settling his hard gaze to soften against you.

“No.” He says pulling you closer that you already are to him as you continue to cry. 

“No..no i'm right here. I promise.” he says. you place your hand on his cheek he leans into your touch.

NEXT CHAPTER HERE

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[strangerthings-01]

High as a kite

Plot: When you’re over at eddies house, you watch him roll up a joint and curiosity takes over. Eddie guides you through smoking weed for the very first time.

Warnings: slight cussing, mentions of weed. (Clearly)

I’m working on kind of a long story so I’m trying to write shorter ones to keep up my page since I’ve been gone so long. I hope you enjoy, my friends. 🩷

💜💜

Almost everyday after school, you and Eddie go back to his trailer to hang out and by hang out, kissing and you know what occurs. Usually he smokes a joint or two and everytime he offers you a hit and everytime you decline. You had never smoked weed before and if you were being honest, it kind of scared you. You knew it couldn’t really hurt you but drugs has never been something you ever considered doing.

“It’s a natural plant babe. Safest one out there.” He would always reassure you but it still never wavered your concern. He never pressured though. He would ask you each time he rolled up a joint because he figured one day you night change your mind but once you said no, he would drop the subject. He was good like that. You couldn’t believe he was yours.

Eddie was naturally funny. He could always make you smile or laugh no matter what mood you were in. But when he was high, you would always be clutching your stomach from laughing so hard. He was fun to be around and wasn’t different from when he was sober. You liked that.

Your curiosity about the plant had started to grow stronger the more you were exposed to it. You wondered what you would be like high. Would you be freaked out? Happy? Giggly? Probably all of the above. So when you and Eddie were hanging out again on a Saturday night, cuddled in bed, you finally caved.

He was rolling his joint up for the night and you watched him. You were in awe at his quickness as he used his fingers to stuff it and how his tongue flitted over the paper to close it up. You chewed on your lip, anxious to tell him you wanted to try it. Once he finally finished rolling it up, his eyes met yours and a grin formed on his face. “You good baby? You look nervous and entertained at the same time.” A deep chuckle came from his throat.

Your fingers intertwined with each other, something you did when you were apprehensive. “Yeah. I think I want to try to smoke tonight.” He had looked away to grab something but when those words came out if your mouth, you had never seen him turn so fast. “Wait really? Are you sure?” You smiled and nodded, your body shifting so you were facing him completely, your legs crossed. “Yeah. I’ve been curious about it lately and it’s a Saturday so I’ll have time to sleep it off.”

He smirked and reached over to grab a lighter. He grabbed the one you got for him randomly one day. It was a white lighter and had an outline of a couple printed on it. You thought it was super cute considering you guys were together. He loved it. “I didn’t pressure you, did I? I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

You quickly reassured him. “No no of course not. But I am really nervous. What if I freak out?” He reached over and rubbed you knee. “I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Despite your foreboding, there was no one else you could trust more than him. “Okay.” You stated in finality. “Fuck yeah baby girl. I’m happy you’re giving it a try.” Even though he tried his best not to sound too excited, you could tell he was. You knew he had been wanting you to try it.

He put the joint in his mouth and lit the other end, inhaling. You watched the lit side got brighter as he smoked and the smoke that released from his mouth. “It will make you cough since you haven’t done it before so make sure you take deep breaths when that happens. It will get worse if you panic. I do also have a cup of water on the table.”

“Okay.” You gently took the joint from his hand and glanced down at it, not sure how to approach it. “Some people inhale straight to the back of their throat but since you’re new, I would suck it into your cheeks and then inhale so it isn’t as harsh.” You took in his advice and put it up to your mouth. You did as he said and then finally Inhaled and exhaled, the smoke blowing in all different directions. You immediately started coughing which was uncomfortable but you made sure to breathe and it went away pretty quickly.

He had watched you the whole time and he looked proud which made you want to laugh. “The taste is so gross.” He laughed and shrugged. “It does but you get used to it. You did good.” You leaned over and kissed him, his response was immediate. “Thank you for being patient and so kind.” He kissed your cheek and gently took it back from you. “I love you. I’d never make you feel rushed or dumb about something.”

After a couple of hits, you started feeling dizzy and lightheaded. The room felt like it was spinning and nothing felt real. Your thoughts were so loud almost like someone was speaking words into your ears. You swore you could hear things outside, far away yet close. Everything felt heightened. You didn’t know why you felt so panicked or why there was so much pressure in your head. “Eddie?” You said softly trying not to freak out. He looked up from his phone and looked over at you. “Yeah? What’s up babe?” You placed a hand on your head and sighed heavily. “I feel so off. My head is spinning or the-the room is?”

He placed his phone besides his pillow not bothering to turn it off as he scooted closer to you. He wrapped an arm around you and stroked you arm, a comforting gesture. “It’s okay. You’re high sweetheart. This is normal.” You looked up at him and took a deep breath. “I’m high? Why does it feel like this?” He couldn’t help but release a soft laugh as he continued his soft touch on your arm. “Because you aren’t used to it. Your brain doesn’t understand what’s going on. Do you want some water?”

You cleared your throat and suddenly realized your mouth was super dry. How did he know that’s what you needed. “How did you-“ He cut you off as he stood up to the grab the water from the table. “Oh baby I’ve been smoking since 7th grade. Trust me. I just know.” You giggled even though it probably wasn’t as funny as it seemed in the moment. He still cracked a smile as he handed you the water. You sipped on it and felt the wet substance coat your mouth. He sat back down and took the glass from you when you were done.

After a couple minutes of silence, you started giggling and your hand went over your mouth. He scrunched his eyebrows as his face turned into a look of amusement. “What’s so funny?” You continued to laugh, a sound that was so contagious to him. “I don’t even know. I think I thought of something but I forgot.” He laughed along with you and shook his head. “You are something else pretty girl.”

You looked over at him and a sudden look of seriousness crossed your features. “You’re so beautiful. I love you.” Before he could respond, you gasped ever so slightly. “I’m hungry.” He snorted and bit his lip. “God you’re everything. Let’s go get you some food.”

You stood up immediately feeling a little wobbly but you gained your footing pretty quickly. “I could eat a mountain of food.” You stated as you walked with Eddie to the kitchen. He chuckled and slapped your ass as they started looking in the fridge for something to eat to satiate the munchies. “Oh I know. We better get a bunch of snacks and bring them back to the room. We’re gonna be here for a while.”

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.197 The haunting

Sophia made an appointment for Desi bright and early the next morning. After a thorough examination, the doctor determined she was as healthy as a horse and developing normally. I guess that just means my child has a nasty streak and needs to work on her manners. Honestly, the whole situation was kind of embarrassing. Of course, I'm not embarrassed by her behavior because all kids have something they need to grow through, especially being only fewer than 48 hours into childhood. However, the entire appointment felt like a judgement against our parenting. I caught every smirk, snide inflection of the voice, and slant of the eye. I hope Desi never gets sick because we are not seeing this doctor ever again.

Winter in San Sequoia is a lot rainier than I remember this year, and we have to spend yet another day inside. I love spending time with my family, of course, but I'm not a homebody and I'm getting a little antsy. My plan was to get started on the tree house, but I'll have to delay once more. The back porch is covered, so I step outside, hoping not physically being in the house will help. As if on cue, Desiree follows me and hits me with a very unexpected question.

"Daddy? Where do babies come from?"

My first thought is to panic and wonder how and why she's even asking, but we did just come from the doctor's office. She probably saw a poster or diagram that piqued her interest. Children her age are very curious about the world because their brains are developing super fast. They have more than just their stomach and entertainment to be concerned about now. Desi is smart, and I don't want to be the parent who insults her intelligence by talking down to her, deciding what she does and doesn't understand. Telling her about storks delivering babies to the front door will only confuse her. Besides, how can we develop trust if I lie to her? I'm going to tell her the truth—a very abridged truth, heh.

"Babies? Well... When mommies and daddies love each other, sometimes that love expresses itself in the form of a baby in the mom's belly. The baby grows in there for a few days, and then it is born."

I really hope that landed because despite everything I just said, it is waaaaaaay too early for the woohoo talk.

"How does the baby get in there?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh ..."

My mind races, and I regret not expecting follow-up questions. I refuse to have the woohoo talk right now, but she deserves an answer. How can I describe it without getting too graphic?

"Do you know how plants grow?" I ask.

She nodded enthusiastically.

"You put a seed in the ground and then you water it and then the plant comes up!"

"That's right. Mommies' bellies are like the soil, and daddies have special seeds."

"You and Mommy love each other. Will she have a baby?"

I have to sit down on that one. It's not every day I'm reminded of how my body failed me. Failed us. This innocent conversation got super deep really fast, and I need to gather myself before thinking of how to share that story with her.

"We can't have anymore babies, Des."

"Why not?"

"Because ... My special seeds are ... I don't have anymore."

"Oh."

"How does that make you feel? Do you want brothers and sisters like your cousins?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Well, let me ask this way. Does it bother you being the only child?"

She thought about it for a moment.

"No. I like having you alllllll to myself!"

That's a relief, but I feel bad forcing her to make that decision. True, me and Sophia are the only ones who can really make that decision, but I hate I made her even think about it.

"I like having you all to myself, too. Well, I have to share with Mommy, of course. You know what I mean."

"MOMMYYYYY," she shouted and hopped up from her seat. "Kooper poo poo'd on the porch!"

She goes inside, leaving me with my sad thoughts. I'm glad she's okay with not having siblings. That certainly makes it easier on my mind. I just hate that I couldn't give her any. Sophia and I discussed it, and we agreed a singular child is the best thing for our family. Most days, I'm totally fine with that, but the desire to grow our family is still there, hidden deep down in the crevices of my brain. I know it because sometimes it comes out to haunt me, and today it had an open invitation.

[balkanradfem]

I'm looking for a new roommate, so I had to spend a few days cleaning and arranging the apartment to look like a normal person lives there. I'm not just talking about being messy (although I am), but also about all of the ...slightly odd stuff I have going on. Like, piles of nettle drying everywhere, newspapers with seeds drying on every desk, herbs hanging from odd places, my pumpkins, apples, and zuchinni on the floor, my balcony being a drying station, odd plants growing in pots that are absolutely not balcony plants, and then all the tools and resources for my various projects, like bunch of branches on the balcony for making baskets, bags of clay under the desk for my next clay project, bunch of fabric and used clothing meant for sewing.

It's screaming 'odd weirdo lives here' and I have to look at every of these situations and go 'okay, what would a normal person do', so I sigh, gather all my apples and put them in a fruit bowl. Even though I'm absolutely not going to keep my apples in a fruit bowl, are you serious? They're rotting faster in there, they're crushing each other, and I can't see each one individually to know which one to eat first because its going bad. It's colder on the floor so they stay fresh faster! And they're not touching each other there so they can't spread the bacteria if one of them starts being sick.

I put my pumpkins on the counter, put a purple blanket over the couch and my new halloween pillow, put all of my seeds into little envelopes and mark them, store all my jars with preserves in the basement, take the compost to the garden, tell fruit fleas to go elsewhere, change my sheets, wash all the windows and curtains, put up fall decorations, so the apartment looks like an aesthetic and pleasant space where nothing ever gets done except sleeping.

So, I do all that, and I'm supposed to show it to a woman, and I got a call from a 65 year old woman who wondered if I would mind to live with someone her age. And I don't mind! I immediately tell her that age is a non issue and she's welcome to move in if she likes the place. So she comes by train, and I go meet her at the train station to show her around.

I could tell immediately she's of poor health; she's walking slowly and very careful with the stairs, she tells me about her hips problems (which by now I understand all women get), she tells me about various therapies she's been in, how she has heart issues as well, and will maybe get a pacemaker. I'm patient and careful to not walk too fast, I express concern and sympathy for her health issues. She's not particularly listening to me when I speak, she interrupts me to say something else. She tells me she's gotten divorced a few years ago, and I express approval.

She loves the apartment, and assures me she's going to move in. I explain that in order to have the place reserved for her specifically, I'd need her to leave any kind of small deposit of her choice, which I had to feature because lots of people say they're going to move in, and then disappear forever, and I'm in financial trouble if I kept the place reserved. She's irritated that I'm suspicious of her, and I explain I am not at liberty to trust someone's word, because I could get in trouble that way. She combats this by saying this thing is 100% certain because she says so, and I'm insistent on 'we'll see'.

So then I ask, if you are moving in, for how long would you stay? And she looks at me and hesitates, and then tells me she has this boyfriend in America, and they've been talking for 4 years, and he will maybe come for her in a month or so, and then if he decides that she's up to his standards, he might take her back with her. I'm frozen for a second, because that is ... degrading (up to his standards?!) so I go 'okay, so what you're saying is that the future is uncertain' and she realizes that I don't like this entire thing, so she goes 'oh he's 100% not going to come' and now I'm even more confused, because I know that if it was 100%, she wouldn't have even mentioned it. She kept pressing me to believe her word again, but I stayed firm on 'uncertain'.

And I'm just disappointed. I expect women who have lived and struggled and divorced to be wise and sure in themselves! Whenever I get a chance to find a roommate older than me, I dream of the possibilities of learning from her, of asking her about her life and experience and skills and wisdom, but I never manage to find that. Usually women I do try to win over are tangled in some male drama that don't allow them to move forward, and keep them pressed on the idea that the male will resolve their life situations, if only they manage to 'fit his standards', and I know it's not the truth, I know it's not reality. How is the society capable of taking wisdom out of women like this? And their self worth? I can't imagine contemplating if I'm fitting some male standards. Insane that women can be fooled into thinking like this!

So I don't know if the woman will move in or not, but I am worried about having to listen about the ill-mannered american male instead of having her tell me stories about her life and her perspective on it.

[mpregbuck]

Honestly -

Most of these ‘fans’ do not like Buck for Buck. They have created a version of him in canon and anything he does that doesn’t fit it it’s OOC for them, even if it is exactly how he’d act (case in point: The BT scene on 710). They, somehow, cannot accept Buck has changed and matured and is not the same guy he was during S2/S3. Hell, he’s grown alone during S7 alone. Discovering a part of himself has done wonders for him.

Likewise, I truly believe the only representation they care about or want is if it comes in the form of Buddie. They cry on how Henren is being ignored and how it is BuckTommy’s fault, but when have they ever shown care or interest for them beforehand? They use them as part of their argument without giving them proper attention. They don’t care we now have great mlm representation on screen in a show like 911, they’re just mad because it is not Buddie.

And I do suspect they became this mad this fast because they do see the potential of BT and they know this can very well be a LTR for Buck. Ofc we don’t know what will happen, but if we look at it from a neutral POV, we all can see the seeds being planted for Tommy to be there for a while. They’ve made creative choices with him that they haven’t made with no other LI that really sells it for me, to be honest.

(Including giving them a particular sound for everytime they have a moment, but I digress)

I do agree with you - I care about Buck being happy. I was quick to get on board with BT because I have never seen Buck act so giddy and into someone. And so far, I think Tommy is matching him really well. We’ll see what happens in Season 8, but I would be surprised if they break up during it, even more so if it is ep 3/4, which arguably will be right after the start of the season (assuming they go for a multi eps opener)

If I'm being honest, the toxic side of that part of the fandom feels very reminiscent of certain subset of another fandom I'm apart of that I do not want to delve into because I've already done so many times.

get ready for a long response

I came into the 911 fandom as bvddie shipper, I still love the ship itself, idc if it ever goes canon because fanfic exists, edits exist, fanart exists. I love eddie and buck as separate characters respectively and I do not need them to be together enjoy their relationship whether it's platonic or romantic.

I think a lot of the loud, toxic shippers cannot separate them. Listen I think the co-parent jokes are hilarious and cute, but when it comes down to it in reality of the show, buck is not chris' parent. he's like an uncle, so many ppl grow up with their parents friends as their "aunts and uncles" and that's exactly how I'm viewing chris and bucks relationship ever since I've come down from the bvddie high of analyzing everything and putting meaning behind every little piece of dialogue or set design or just like anything. I can acknowledge 911 is not a blockbuster franchise that has months or years of thought put into meaning behind set design or clothing choices like other fandoms I'm apart of that absolutely have so much thought and time put into them for things like that.

bvddie in itself is a great concept. absolutely you can read into scenes as being romantic even if they never were intended that way, that's what we do as fans. I completely understand why ppl see them as endgame because they're absolutely allowed to think that. but us bucktommy shippers are allowed to also talk about why we think bucktommy is endgame. I think that's another issue ppl are having is being able to curate their own feed, if you don't want to see people talk about one of these topics then block accs, block tags, keep your peace!

buck and tommy absolutely feel as though they have been written to last from what I've seen so far so tommy leaving so quickly would feel weird and like a punch in the gut to the journey buck as made. he made the effort to be with tommy even after everything went south. tommy made the effort to show up for buck. we are shown them being on very good terms by the season finale, like, we are probably intimate with one another and are in our cute honeymoon phase type of good terms. having them break up so early would be another Ali/Natalia moment and like, I just am tired of the same story being repeated for buck.

If they really were going for bvddie endgame, I think it would have been done this season. tommy wouldn't have been brought in at all or wouldn't have been involved in the plot outside helping rescue bobby and athena. they didn't need kim there, they could have built on eddies catholic guilt for his queer arc, they could have written what people were theorizing with the bachelor party where buck and eddie ended up kissing while drunk which could have spurred their relationship to begin and still have eddie go through a crisis and found a way to have chris still leave for texas (if they wanted to stick with a cheating arc, it could have been marisol & chris walking in on buck and eddie kissing) like there's so many things people theorized that genuinely would have been great ways to have bvddie be endgame but literally none of those things happened and instead we got buck in a stable, happy relationship with tommy that has been set up in a way that absolutely can have them going through all sorts of things from strengthening their relationship to testing their relationship. tommy can absolutely be integrated into the plot as much as karen is if not more. all I can say is why throw away such potential when you already had the other potential there?

also as an eddie diaz defender, they can never make me hate eddie diaz, I just want to see him not feel this constant need to find a new mom/wife when he's never had time for himself EVER. he needs therapy, he needs to build back trust with christopher, he needs to stop searching for this perfect woman because if there's someone out there for him they will find him eventually. I really want eddie to focus on chris and himself and stop worrying so much about what his life should look like per his family/what society thinks his life should look like.

I truly cannot stress enough how much eddie needs to fix himself and his and chris' relationship before jumping into another romance, whether it be buck or anyone else.

on the other hand, buck deserves to be loved ANYWAYS. tommy is already showing potential to just love buck anyways despite anything that happens, that he'll do anything for him, that he can be his rock. gerrard can definitely be smh to shake them up, no couple in this show is safe from anything no matter how in love and happy they are. it's time for buck to have his madney, bathena, henren moments with his own love interest. buck deserves to be happy with tommy, to go through the hard times with him, for someone to love him no matter what and that absolutely does not take away from how important buck and eddie's friendship is. people cannot seem to grasp that unfortunately and it's sad.

in other words, im so tired of people acting like they are superior over ships. I truly am.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

I'm going to take inspiration from the Halloween costumes, and say: New Prehistoric AU folks!

This au has the adults as prehistoric mutants, all of whom could turn into dinosaurs, ancient mammals, or other prehistoric creatures, and whom live on a large enough island off the coast of a sleepy coastal town between Canada and the United States...

They're the last of their kind, mutants, beings who could turn into the very creatures ancient humans feared and worshipped and hunted, but can take human form. But for being so powerful, they can't reproduce regularly amongst themselves due to low numbers, and they want to raise hatchlings/cubs, so they've struck a deal with the leaders/council of this coastal town: bring to their shores children that are new, not wanted, or bear their mark, and they'll make sure they prosper...

Reader and the younger teens are a fifth generation brought to the islands, and they can't remember anything beyond waking up in the dark pre-dawn on the pebbled, sandy beach... Each of them bears a mark on their wrist...

But they're all different. Some of them are fast. Some of them are smart. Some are cunning. And others are witty. Reader is... not quite any of those things...

A stranger approaches the group, telling them to make it to the ancient waterfall in the heart of the main island, and all will be revealed... and with nothing else to do, the teens make their way there...

Along the way more of their traits become apparent: Kitty is clever and extremely smart. Kurt is spry and nimble. Pietro is quick and the fastest of them. Wanda can fight and knows what plants are safe to eat. Evan thinks outside the box and uses the things around them to his advantage. Todd is street smart and can find water. Jubilee can start a fire and can sew clothing. Roberto knows how to fish and climb trees. And Reader is... well, they're not very fast, or the most clever, or knowledgeable about edible prey or plants, or how to start fire, or how to make weapons. They kinda just... stick around.

But they're kind. They're steadfast. If someone falls into a river, Reader drags then back out. If they run afoul of a dangerous animal, Reader kills it or does their best to scare it. When they can't cook food, Reader takes on the task, and taste-tests to make sure it's safe to eat. They may not be useful in other ways, but they make life a bit easier. A bit warmer.

They finally find the basin, and the large cliff where the waterfall crashes over... and there are eight erected pillars of stone, and eight beings waiting for them. These, as it turns out, are the adults, one of them being the stranger they met. They say they rule this island, and that they had them all brought here to be raised under them, to learn their ways, to grow their herd/pack. And they've almost all proved their worth...

There is Xavier, the smartest and wisest of them.

There is Magnus, the one who has mastered weapons and the earth.

There is Storm, master of the elements and flight.

There is Mystique, the most cunning and master of trickery.

There is Morph, their most clever and adaptable.

There is Beast, the most innovative and their healer.

There is Wolverine, the most skilled warrior and protector.

And there is Sabretooth, the most deadly and strongest of them.

The teens are told which of the adults will raise them, usually more than one share the task... until Reader is the last one left. And they're told that so far, they haven't shown the skills needed to survive, or thrive, or basic ideas on how to fight or forage or scavenge.

The teens are scared for Reader, but the older teens try to come in, to comfort them...

And Reader is stuck, wondering if they'll be killed (considered a mercy by the adults, rather than letting them suffer on their own trying to survive) or have someone vouch for them, to point out a missed trait, or ask for a chance for Reader to prove themself able to survive, worthy to stay...

(Note: Reader does end up staying! And the adults work on apologizing, but they have a surprising reason why they thought mercy killing was an option. And the marks end up taking the form of whatever prehistoric animal the person is, such as Sabretooth has a sabretooth tiger, Storm has a Quetzalcoatlus, etc. ) (What should Reader be able to turn into, and have traits from?)

[miimo96]

Thoughts on My Adventures with Superman S2 episode 9

So you're probably wondering what heck took so long for me to make this, and well ya see thats because I actually had to wait for this episode to come out on the website where I watch all my TV shows and anime on, and since That was taking so long to be released, I wasn't able to watch this and thus give my review on it, But now that it has officially come out I can finally Get my thoughts out there and Share it with you all, anyway that's mainly because why I've been gone for so long, that because depression kicks in at the most random times in my life and so I wasn't feeling motivated, but aside from that I'm finally ready to get this done and thus give you my review, anyway yeah Sorry for the wait but let's get into it^^;

______________________________________

Starting off I actually wanna talk about a few things regarding this opening, mainly about Clark's kindness; I love the fact that even tho this is a world where didn't never up and thus he never became Superman, he still has that kindness within him, and from the way he talks about wanting to help the creature and show him that it's not Alone, just shows that No matter what reality it is, he will always be compassionate and thus want to help people, hence what makes him Superman in the 1st place; also I didn't expect that in this episode we were actually going to be seeing an Evil version of his parents, because it's always usually just him getting the world he always wanted, I actually like that they took a different approach this time and thus gave us a reality, where he still has his parents, and where he basically got to grow up on krypton as a completely different person, also it's really interesting to see that in this version, the Black Mercy is more or less giving him a dream world where he basically has no control over, and Is kinda just gaslighting him like Brainiac would, I think that's because in this version, the black Mercy isn't a plant like most irritations, but is rather just a piece of technology, and since Brainiac was the computer system for krypton, he is able to access all the technology created from krypton, hence why Clark's mother Laura was talking to him that voice for a second,

Also this Shot right here is really Menacing AF, like Jor El looks seriously scary, oh and it looks like lois lost her memory so I'm wondering how that's going to play out

I fnd it very weird that Kara thinks Brainiac is Unstoppable Just because he's in Clark's body, like may I remind you of the absolute beatdown you gave your cousin a few episodes ago, like I'm really starting to believe that whole thing that people say of people who join the quote unquote "good side" end up effing sucking afterwards, like what is with that stuff, also before you say she was only able to beat him bc she was being controlled by Brainiac and therefore wasn't in control of her actions/ Strength, yeah sry but No, she wasn't being controlled by him at that time and was completely aware of what she was doing, the only time he was controlling her, was when she was hesitating to use her Heat vision to kill people, aside from that she was fully aware and wasn't Holding Back on him AT ALL; Also Mandy is such a bitch, that is all

Omg lois lost her memories I wonder this gonna play out, will she fall in love with Clark again, will clark remember who he is, will they even get along with each other, the possibilites are endle- Oh, well Never effing mind I guess, huh that was fast 😅 Also I really love the fact that Clark instead of becoming a warrior in this reality, became more of a scientist, it's funny because in the original animated series he was kinda like that as well, heck even in the comics I think he was like that, it just shows that Clark no matter what, really was never a fighter to begin with and only really ever does it in the name of Defense, with his real goal being to want to just help people through whatever means necessary, mainly through the power of science, like how in that 1 comic when he found the cure to cancer or something, Also can someone really explain to me how lois was able to prevent herself from being deleted, like I don't think it was ever explained and I'm really starting to believe it was just because of PLOT

Bruh Jimmy looks So heated at the fact that Steve of all people was the reason he and Kara were able to escape, like are you kidding me, THIS GUY!? 🤣🤣 Also shout out to my boy Steve for coming in clutch for our boy Jimmy, like he really is the Homie and I gotta say, the best get away driver like how do you sneak from Amanda waller of all people Undetected, dude's got skills

Hey Lois Idk about you but In my opinion This was the Worst explanation I ever heard, like I understand that time is resetting and so you've probably explained this to him like a hundred of times but Wow, you Really couldn't go any other way about it, like ya do realize this makes you look like a Crazy person right?; Also I legit could Never understnd Why she straight up tell couldn't tell Clark she loves him, like Omg wasn't you 2 already in a relationship at the beginning of this season, why is it So hard for you all of asudden o say I love you, when you LITERALLY established relationship early on, like WTF I'm sick of this trope already

Ok 2 things: 1 Jor El is scary in this sequence, like the way he screamed "Find her" really sent chills down my spine, and 2 why does this shot with him peeking out of the Bushes feel incredibly meme worthy?

Tbh I actually don't have much to say regarding Kara and Jimmy this time, aside from Jimmy being the GOAT due to how beautiful pep talk was, and how much I want them to end up together now, like I've said it before but I absolutely love their relationship in this series, and I really hope they get together by the end of it or at least if she ends up leaving earth like people theorize, in order to atone for her sins across the galaxy, at least get to confess his feelings for her ^w^

"Because the real lois wouldn't come for me" Ngl he deserved this exact response from her, bc wtf do you mean bro, i mean underrated your reasoning but just because you 2 had a fight doesn't mean she Stopped loving you, because you KNOW she wouldn't be here rn if she didn't; Also I find it very funny that her revealing What she did and how dangerous it was, is what brings Clark back, like it just shows how much he cares about her and how overprotective he is for her safety, Also I think i understand why she was able to do all this stuff in the 1st place

THROUGH THE POWER OF LOVE!! 💖💖😭😭😭

Tbh This is probably 1 of the best versions of Task force X I've seen so far, like this Roster goes Hard and so does this entire Shot like Damn, also whoever's Idea it was to Not include Parasite in this Scene Needs to be fired, like I understand why Livewire isn't here But PARASITE!? I mean the guy is seriously OP when given enough energy, as proven by his Kaiju form last season, and I could've sworn Amanda does has control over him now thanks to Lex, so WHY THE F$%k HE ISN'T HERE!? I bet he would've came in Real handy tho 😂

Ok 2 thing's again: 1 YEAH LET'S GO KARA! Eff you Brainiac you Piece of S#%t i hope you effing Die, and 2, Eyy i looks like I was on to something about Them being infused with Kryptonite; Also i see were Still stuck with these robot designs I guess, *sigh* look I've said it before and I'll say it again, These designs absolutely Suck, like No offense to the Animators But you're Really telling me we couldn't have gotten Anything better, I understand animation is Hard So you Need simple designs but c'mon, you couldn't at least go with the skeletal design he has in some iterations or even make Them look more like a Megazord than whatever the Hell this is? man I really hope this gets fixed in season 3 or something because I Just can't with this anymore; Also is it me or does this whole setup kinda feel sorta familiar, because I feel like I've seen this before, hmmmmm 🤔 eh whatever

God I love this Scene, from the scenery,to the lighting, to even their effing confession everything is Just AAAAAHHH So effing GOOD, Damn it Love this Series!! Especially the music in this scene like Omg it's such bop to listen to, and the fact that it's even the extended version of the God Damn intro is freakin Amazing ^^ Like this belongs in Top 5 motivational scene alongside You say run from the ending of the 1st MHA movie, like it's just That Good

OOOHH I'M LOVING THIS NEW SUIT Omg like this has everything I've ever wanted in a Superman suit, it has the perfect amount of gold to contrast the Red and blue, it reminds of Man of Steel and New 52 with Lack of shorts even tho I personally prefer the shorts, and it just Screams Superman, the only thing I would change about this would be those big ass Shoulder pads and i think maybe those finger straps, but aside from that, PERFECTION 😘

Small little animation error regarding Kara's eyebrows But not even that can Ruin this epic moment ^^

Finally It looks like people may be on to something about Amanda Waller possibly Framing Lex, setting him up to be the fall guy and making him look like he was The 1 responsible for everything, possibly losing his fame and setting him up as the Villain Next season, after all he is the 1 who built the Metalos So if anything went wrong, it is technically his fault, anyway however this plays out, I'm sure it will all end horribly for Lex in the end, overall amazing episode can't wait for the next one, hopefully it doesn't take too long to be released like this one, fingers crossed ^^

[danmei-confessions]

I truly think SVSSS deserves a revision more than any of MXTX's other novels.

I love the novel, yes, but it is poorly written. MXTX rushed the chapters after Bbingqiu's reunion due to using VIP lock for the first time and it makes the writing distinctly worse. I understand that she was young while writing it, which is the whole reason why it deserves a revision. The novel could have so much more potential than it currently does and it's no wonder that it's her least popular when even fans of her other novels choose to not read it due to being uninterested.

So much more story could be added, or just minor details. For example, we barely know anything about the 12 peaks all together, and unless you make up facts, there's practically nothing on their peak lords too. I see complaints about the SVSSS wiki being empty regarding the peak lords and I hate to say it, but that's NOT due to the moderators but rather pure lack of content. Hell, most of the facts that do existed were only in the light novel and not in the web novel at all. There's such little information it's really not shocking that the fandom runs on head-canons. In all 100 chapters of her novel, half of it in slightly plot, while the other is SQQ being... SQQ.

I have so many thoughts on the potential SVSSS has:

Despite it being mentioned that there are 'plenty of minor sects' we only hear the name of one.

Despite sects like Tian Yi or Zhao Hua being a part of the main 4, we know almost nothing about them, how they run, or their disciples/sect lead (literally the only named Tian Yi disciples are the 3 nuns). We also don't know their locations, what locations they control, or their history

The past events of SVSSS (before SY transmigrated) are so messy. Theres only 2 timelines I've found here on tumblr and even those are so different from each other. Theres no clear years compared to TGCF or MDZS and its so frustrating. This also leaves characters practically age-less (other than like. Binghe) unlike her other characters.

Almost none of the side-characters grow development with anyone other than Shen Qingqiu. I say 'almost' but I can not name any off the top of my head. There are characters that have/had such interesting relationships that were completely thrown out the window For The Plot. This is so.... disappointing, considering other character's relationships make up the plot! It's not only the MC!

Everything being rushed is heartbreaking, and with a re-write I think arcs such as the Holy Mausoleum, Jin Lan, Borderlands, etc could become SO much more interesting. Alongside that, the Mai Gu Ridge situation was blown off so fast?? Like, it was mentioned that the Endless Abyss was breaking through CCM, then just never mentioned again...

Power Scaling. Fights. Actual fights between people who aren't LGQ or LBH. We only really got NYY/LPM, MBJ/his uncle, and TLJ/LBH. Most of those were ALSO rushed.

The System's appearance was reduced LARGELY in the later chapters-almost like MXTX forgot about them. The whole first 2 volumes include The System so much, and its unique! functions! all for it to be disregarded and those functions to never be used other than the jade necklace.

Actually going into the wonderous world of PIDW that is claimed to have interesting weapons (only Xin Mo was shown), locations, plants (only Qingsi and that one thats too long for me to feel like typing shown), and creatures (only rly ZZL and Madam Meiyin shown).

That's all I really have right now. I'm not trying to be an anti of MXTX's other novels. I just think that SVSSS has so much potential that she could have brought out if she had chosen to revise it. I love TGCF and MDZS very much, they have great scaling, brought-out potential, and relationships that SVSSS so could have.

I do want to exclaim that out of all her 3 novels SVSSS has been my favorite for years. I genuinely feel upset that it was not the one picked despite how obvious it is that it has barely any NEW content. Or at the least, confirmed facts. In her QNA's most of the questions are purely MDZS/TGCF while there's maybe 2 SVSSS ones. Those few questions answered by her are literally lifelines for some fans. (Such as heights and Moshang) The novel could become popular just if the criticisms/potential of it were actually addressed. I'm not saying that casually but I am very sure of it as MXTX is a freakishly great writer and she COULD take the novel to the same heights as TGCF/MDZS if she truly wanted to.

.

[melodiousmonsters]

heyhey !! love your stuff !! i was just wondering if you have any info on the non-fire natural quads ?! (like entbrat, deedge, riff, shellbeat and quarrister) i'd really like to hear what they are like in your au............

Yeah uh sorry about kinda lying about answering my asks um I got bit by the programing bug but for games this time, but yeah. I only have drawings of some of them because lazy.

I'll be talking about all of them though, and a bit about monster maturing. The natural quads are only found in their elemental lands/islands as the elemental energies in those areas allow for eggs of their species to be formed in the first place. They can only have an elemental dominance of their respective element due to their connection with it.

Entbrats like woods, which plant island has an abundance of, and the woods they grow up in is the one they stay in whenever they have the choice of where to go, making it so the castle of plant island doesn't actually have a room for a boss monster due to how unlikely it is for the current boss entbrat to live in the woods near the castle. The castle of course was originally built to have a room for the quad, but it's been converted into another storage room. Castles serve mainly as storehouses in this universe.

Deedges are very strong and protective monsters. Their semi-serrated tusks and extra wide-opening jaws are perfect for defensive offense against the predatory critters of the cold lands/cold island. They are surprisingly mobile for not having any legs, their strong arms allow them to move, often they will fully support their body with them being the only things touching the ground allowing them to run as fast as most other monsters and also fling themselves to jump. They can get around well.

You may notice the extra speaker on the deedge skull in the drawing I made. Older monsters commonly develop enhanced versions of their younger form's body parts, making it so unlike humans, monsters actually get better at surviving the older they get. To a point of course, about a month before they die they start physically degrading similar to earthly creatures as they age.

Riffs like most air land dwelling flighted monsters are scavengers that soar the lands looking for anything edible. They are just a bit more so scavengers than most, they can eat anything primarily organic, like dead wood, limestone, etc. It's weird. Of course they prefer the more palatable normal food stuff, but if they needed to they could eat most of a house. As for ockulo trees, the small short lived ones grow from large piles of riff feathers left around during molting season. The larger longer lived ones come from dead riffs. When a riff is about to die it has a natural instinct to fly over to this one location in the air lands and bury themselves, the extra nutrients form the body allow for the tree to grow stronger. The place is simply called The Ockulo Grove and it's usually avoided due to how morbid it is.

Shellbeats are the most elementally in-tune of the quads and have very small amounts of control over their element. They can shift water around to move things, usually their drum sets. Speaking of their drum sets, they are primarily made of the shells of shellfish they eat. Water monsters love their shellfish, standard fish are for the cold monsters. Also they have the ability to spit "ink". People like to say it's just ink, but similarly to a lama's or alpaca's spit, it's much worse than it sounds. As babies they need the defense, so to make the ink as repulsive as possible it's mixed with half digested food from their second stomach and then spit out at a very high velocity at whatever is offending them. they can also just spit the ink by itself, shellbeat ink is commonly used for writing.

Quarristers hatch with all those heads, I know it ruins the unity concept the monster has but the quads are very rare monsters in this universe so like eight of them existing at once in the modern era is impossible. Each head has it's own consciousness and identity, but it's common for at least adult quarristers to all go by the same name. The heads can pop off and become their own organism whenever they please, and occasionally they do. But most often they realize that they need the other heads and come back after a bit.

Nowadays the previous quad trains up a younger one to fill their role after they retire, but in the early days of the modern monster world the natural island's societies were a mess with very little order. Monsters that aren't like three feet tall have a natural instinct to listen to anyone taller then them. This makes it so larger monsters often get unintentionally pushed up the social ladder as the one guy everyone goes to for advice. These so called boss monsters are often the quads as they are some of the largest standard monsters. After a while they generally learn to fill their roll, monsters naturally never have the urge, let alone the skills to lead.

[sudoki-sara1]

Abandoned

Chapter 2: A Knight’s Training

As Cinder walked through the halls of the Grimm Queen's castle she kept an eye out for Jaune, the new boy in Salem's faction. She entered the castle's library and jumps at the sound of books falling. When she looks at where the sound came from she found Jaune sitting on the floor, two stacks of books on either side. As she walks up to the boy he notices her.

Jaune: Oh, hey Cinder! Did your chat with Salem go well? Are you allowed to train me?

The boy's face lit up with excitement.

Cinder steeled her resolve and responded.

Cinder: Y-Yeah, she gave me the go ahead to train you. So uh... what are you reading?

The boy looked down at the books before looking back to respond with a bright smile.

Jaune: I'm reading about Grimm. If I wanna be a huntsmen I should know about their weaknesses too.

While Cinder did feel a little guilty she did also swear her life to Salem.

Cinder: Well... how about we head to the training ground and teach you how to fight first?

The boy nodded and closed the book before standing up. Cinder led the boy out to an open courtyard, the sky was dark and the only light source were the lamps around the courtyard.

Cinder: Seeing as how you don't have a weapon we'll start with hand to hand combat. I'll go easy on you to start you off.

Cinder walked a fair distance from Jaune before getting into a stance.

Jaune closed his eyes to remember what he read and thought to himself.

Jaune: 'Don't let your opponent get the first blow. Strike fast and hard... open palm for the face and closed fist for the body. Never show weakness. Never close your eyes when striking.'

The boy opened his eyes and ran straight at Cinder before stopping in front of her, kicking up dust as he slid, and using his momentum he struck Cinder with the back of his fist. 

Before Cinder could react, the boy had closed the distance and struck her. Air escaped her lungs as her attempt to jump back had failed, the boy was certainly faster than she thought, but he could work on his strength a bit. In retaliation she grabbed the back of the boy's head and planted it into the dirt.

When she let go of the boy he struggled to stand up. He panted as blood trickled down his nose. He put his fists up before Cinder raised her hand in front of her.

Cinder: Wait, hold on. Kid, you're bleeding. Don't you have your aura unlocked?

Jaune, shaking his head: Nah, I couldn't figure out how to from the books. Besides, in order to discourage me from becoming a huntsmen my parents and sisters never told me how to.

Cinder was stunned by this revalation. She walked towards him and took his hand.

Cinder: Hold on, I'll go ahead and do it for you.

She cupped his cheek before placing her forehead on his.

As rivers flow

as mountains grow

from blowing winds

to a growing tree

I shall release you binds

and set your aura free

Jaune felt a warm air encompass him as he started to glow. So... this is aura... it felt nice. Jaune began to blush as he felt Cinder's warm breath on his lips.

Jaune: Hey uh... I-I think you can let-

Cinder: Shut up, this feels nice, so let me hold you some more.

Jaune couldn't help but agree, so he wrapped his arms around Cinder. They embrace each other until the sound of footsteps hit Cinder’s ear. She quickly let go, dropping Jaune and letting him fall to the floor. Jaune sits up, a bit irritated.

Jaune: Ow... what was that for...

His voice trails on as he sees Salem walking out to the courtyard.

Salem: I was wondering what all the commotion was, were you two training just now.

Cinder dusted herself off and bowed before the Grimm Queen, trying to hide the blush on her face.

Cinder: Ahem, y-yes, we were training. I thought it'd be best to get Jaune started as soon as possible.

Salem: Is that so? Then don't mind me. Jaune, once you're done training I'd like for us to discuss a schedule for you to follow.

Salem began to walk away.

Once Salem is out of view Jaune turns to look at Cinder.

Jaune: Was that Salem? She's definitely... something. I thought she'd look more... Grimm like.

Cinder: You know, I think you're the only person that would be able to get away with saying that to her face.

Cinder began to walk towards a rack of weapons nearby. She grabs a wooden pole and tosses it at Jaune.

Cinder: Next we'll test out some weapons and see which one sticks. They're not as... advanced as other weapons, but it's the wielder that makes the weapon powerful.

The pole lands next to Jaune and he grabs it as he stands up. He places both hands on it and looks at it.

Jaune: Hey... got anything shorter? Something like a polearm... well it doesn't really suit me.

Cinder sighed as she looks in the weapon rack before finding a wooden bastard sword and tossed it to him.

Cinder: Here, how's that?

Jaune caught the sword by the sword and looked at it.

Jaune: Yeah... this'll do.

Cinder: Good, now let's get to work.

Cinder spun the wooden pole she held while Jaune holds up his sword as Cinder grabs the wooden pole with both hands. Jaune, remembering what he read, charged at Cinder who was prepared this time and blocked his strike. In quick secession Cinder strikes Jaune's gut after blocking, sending him flying. This time however Jaune didn't get injured or felt tired. He looked at the pole Cinder handed him earlier and quickly breaks off a piece from it, no bigger than a dagger. He charges at Cinder, this time coming up with his own technique. Jaune runs past Cinder, stabs the sword into the ground and uses his momentum to spin around while gripping the handle and kicks Cinder from behind.

Air escapes Cinder's lungs as she falls to the ground, she turns around to look at Jaune.

Cinder: Not bad... you certainly have some potential. I'll ask Watts to see if he could arange a weapon for you. Right now though I need some rest. You completely destroyed my aura.

Jaune: Ah, sorry about that... I'll uh... go see what Salem wanted.

Jaune walked away, leaving Cinder on the ground as her aura recovered.

Cinder stared at the dark sky and thought to herself.

Cinder: 'That boy... his aura didn't go down at all. Salem... you brought in a true prodigy.'

Jaune walked through the halls and after around 15 minutes he finally found Salem in her throne room.

Jaune: Um... Salem? You wanted to see me?

Salem: Ah yes, Jaune was it? I wanted to talk about a potential schedule for you to follow.

Salem crossed her legs on her throne.

Jaune: R-Right, um... so what schedule would you like to discuss?

Jaune spoke nervously as he stared at the beautiful Grimm Queen. The Grimm Queen pondered a bit before speaking.

Salem: How does this sound. From 8 AM to 10 AM you'll have lessons with me along with Cinder's friends, Emerald and Mercury. From 10:30 to 12 PM you all will train with Cinder. Afterwards you'll have an hour to rest which is followed by more lessons from 1 PM to 3 PM. From you'll be free to roam around and do whatever you want.

Jaune had been writing all this down on a notebook he had found in the library.

Jaune: Right... wait, did you say I'll be with two others?

Salem: Yes, I did. They'll be arriving at the castle tomorrow morning. Your schedules will start the day after.

Salem glared at the boy.

Jaune nervously nodded before Salem tossed him two photos of the people she mentioned who looked to be around the same age as him.

/ / /

I wanted Mercury to be a girl so here you go. Beautiful art from RWBY visual novel JPDE: Sonata of Fire. Also if anybody knows who the actual artist behind these character designs is please let me know.

[rederiswrites]

If you're wondering what we ARE going to do about all that poison ivy, and the general absolute shittiness of our fields, and for that matter what the fuck two people with no farming background and like...more than full-time work already are going to do with like sixteen acres of field anyway....we don't know.

Don't get me wrong, we have a lot of ideas. Most of which we either can't currently afford or for some other reason can't achieve. But some of which are lovely.

Rotational grazing, especially the high-density, frequently moved version sometimes known as "mob grazing", would eventually fix a lot of what's wrong with those fields. But not without way more animals than we have or even intend to have. We don't even have a "mob" TO graze. The sheep will eat some poison ivy, though it's not their favorite. They'll eat the leaves off the brambles, which is a pretty effective way to deplete the plant's stores and stunt it. They won't eat the Virginia Creeper.

But in a way, it doesn't matter, because we've spent nearly the entire last year moving the ewes through the smaller of the two fields, and they're only just getting back to where they started. In order to make a serious impact, they'd need to be grazing the same spot maybe every two months, depending on weather conditions. Not once a year. As I showed in a previous video, everywhere they go, they do visibly leave nitrogen, and we can actually see a slight improvement everywhere they've passed through. But it's not fast. And getting and caring for the...I don't know, fifty or so? sheep that would speed the process would make moving and caring for those sheep a full-time job neither of us has the capacity for. It's just not even an intention of ours. We've never really discussed a "cap", but I'd say that a "someday when we have real fencing and I'm healthy" number of sheep would still be twenty or thirty at the most.

The conventional, and arguable still best, way to fix the big field and its extreme fuckery would be to till and reseed. It would, believe it or not, still not eliminate all of the problem weeds, especially not the Virginia Creeper and Canada Thistle (which loves to grow back from root fragments and is resistant to normal herbicides). But it would be a huge start. We'd seed with a pasture mix that's full of plants that can handle being grazed down, and then mow where the sheep don't get to. I don't even know what it would cost to hire out all that work or rent the tools, but it's more than we have. It's like asking what it would cost to replace the siding on your house. I don't know, but I know I aint got it.

So for now, Jacob is spending a lot of hours just mowing. Mowing doesn't do as much as grazing, notably it doesn't leave nitrogen, but it does ensure that light is hitting the soil so that seeds there can sprout, and it does give the advantage to plants adapted for grazing (mainly grasses).

Eventually, the plan is to reforest several acres of the big field, using government programs. That also comes with the need to control understory growth for years until the trees mature enough to shade things out, but actually, help with that is part of some of the programs. They typically plant with a mix of natives--oak, tulip poplar, redbud...the mix varies based on what the contracted companies grew that year, apparently, but it's not really something you get to pick and choose. They come, they calculate their grid, they plant. But I don't think anything's to stop you coming through afterwards and planting your own selections in spots where saplings inevitably die. Pawpaw, white oak, American persimmon, hybrid chestnut... I dream of a day where we have maybe ten acres of forest, where I can harvest mushrooms and chestnuts, paw paws and berries and ginseng. Where the boy can bag us a wild turkey for holiday dinner or supplement the freezer with deer that got fat on fall acorns.

In my wildest fantasies (and, to be fair, what I have now was once my wildest fantasies!), the "small" field is an intercropped quilt of coppiced willow and locust, berry bushes, broad stripes of sorghum, amaranth, corn, and wheat for people and animals, strips of wildflower meadow to make corridors for animals and beneficial insects, and large patches of medicinal herbs and dye plants. The "north" field, the one that is so especially troubled now, is part forest, part pasture, with permanent perimeter fences, a loose scattering of trees that provide shade and fodder, and sheep being guided through the larger perimeter with portable electric mesh fencing.

So that's what we (very sarcastically) refer to as the "five year plan" here. But I'm trying to learn not to hamstring us with doubt and disbelief, so....that's the plan.