#your governments are so happy that you are focusing on this kid

[pineapplecrispy]

People are tearing Noah schnapp apart over a pro-Israel video

You guys have a lot of energy. why don’t you direct it at your fucking governments that are the real villains.

He’s a 18 year old actor what the fuck is he gonna do?

Go to the streets and tell at your politicians demand change not “healthy representation”

Tweeting is not gonna change anything you are creating content specifically to distract yourselves from the main problem

[mydarlingclaudia]

I’m still coming back to you

note : divider is from @/aquazero. I've never written smut before, plus this is probably ooc, so I'm sorry if it's not the best. I based this off of She's My Collar by Gorrilaz. since this is smut mdni.

wc : 1.3k

desc : you and Leon have something special, neither of you would trade it for anything. smut!! - oral (f receiving), more focused on Leon's pov, fwb (kind of??), Leon being kinda head over heels for you, a little bit of angst, not proofread, fem!reader, wrote this with DI!Leon in mind

Leon thinks he might be in love with you. You’d always welcome him into your home, or he’d welcome you into his. You helped take the stress away from his work and made him forget that everything was out to get him. The two of you weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend, but he knew damn well that he was yours and you were his.

It was routine. Leon would come back from a mission, wash up real quick, make his way to your apartment with a gift for you in his hand, and you’d be there waiting for him, like you usually were.

He’s been doing this with you for a while now, he’d met you at a bar in D.C. a few years ago, a one night stand turned into the two of you continuing to run into each other whether at the same bar or anywhere else in the city, and that led to more nights of the two of you passed out in his bed or yours, wearing nothing but love-bites and blankets. He liked you a lot more than he’d anticipated, he liked doting on you a lot, too.

Leon coming home from a mission wasn’t the only time he’d see you. He had a busy schedule, you knew that, that was the pretty much the only thing you knew about his job besides it being doing dangerous things for the government, but he’d try to see you once every couple of weeks at the very least. His arrival wouldn’t always be a surprise, he liked taking you out to dinner almost as much as he liked having sex with you. Leon did his best to plan dates with you, they weren’t ever anything really mind blowing, usually just dinner dates or him taking you shopping. Leon liked watching you try on dresses, he liked sharing a bottle of wine with you, he liked spending some money on you.

He couldn’t stay away from you, and you couldn’t stay away from him, he could die and still find a way to get back to you.

Leon never asked for your number, he hardly used his phone for anything outside of reading the news and work, he figured that if he had your number, he’d never put his phone down. Of course, that didn’t keep you out of his mind all day long. And it’s not like him not having your number made him unable to ever see you, he knew where you lived, he knew your work schedule. If he was to drop by your house and you weren’t there for some reason, he could just leave a note taped to your door telling you to come meet him at his apartment.

Leon also thought that if he got your number and ended up losing his phone on a mission and it got into the wrong hands and they somehow found out about you, then things wouldn’t end good for either of you. That’s why after he joined the DSO he hasn’t been in an actual relationship, as much as he longed for one, he knew he couldn’t risk it. You were the closest he could get to that, he’d never really be able to date you, but you seemed happy with what the two of you had. Marriage and kids probably wouldn’t be his scene, anyway. And even if his relationship with you was able to get that far, he couldn’t just leave you home alone with a baby for weeks at a time, he’d feel horrible about it.

You’d never really talked about it, you’ve joked about it a few times, but there wasn’t really any significance behind them. It’s better that way.

Leon was lucky that you were his, even though it wasn’t official. He could pretend his life was normal for a few nights when he was with you.

The nights where he felt the most normal, was when he had his head buried between your thighs after he cooked you steak in the comfort of his apartment.

He’d just come back from California, as always, he didn’t say much about the mission other then it was more complicated then it should’ve been. Leon had told you that he went to the store and bought everything he needed for steak, all you needed to do was go home with him, which you were more than fine with. You always loved his apartment, it was comfy and smelled like him, you’d left a few of your own things there over the years. You knew what was going to happen when he knocked on your door, sometimes after missions he just had this look to him that told you he needed your help de-stressing, you were always willing to help.

Your back is pressed against Leon's bed while your hips are supported by his hands, your thighs rest on his shoulders, occasionally squeezing his head while he kneels between them. A string of shaky pants and whines fall from your mouth as he continues to eat you out, your grip on his hair tightens as you buck your hips against his face.

One of his hands leaves your hip to press down on your stomach, keeping you still against his mouth. Leon pulls away from you, pressing his face against your thigh and biting it gently.

"Stay still, like I told you." Leon mumbles softly, pressing down on your stomach a bit harder, the hand that had remained on your hip slips down to hold the underside of your thigh.

"C-Can't-" You whimper, weakly digging your heels into the back of his ribs to try and bring him closer once again.

"You can't?" He teases, raising an eyebrow and pulling further away from you slightly, to which you whine at. You removed your hand from his hair and sat up on your elbows and huffed, Leon only chuckled softly and reached up to place a hand over your chest, pushing you back down. Leon let his hand slide down over your breasts that were spilling out of the bra he hadn't bothered to take off of you after he covered your chest with soft indents of his teeth and hickeys, his hand returned to your hip before he attached his mouth back to your aching sex, sucking roughly.

Your thighs tightened around Leon's head again, refusing to let him go as your back arched ever so slightly off the bed so you could grind against his mouth. This time, he didn't pull away or scold you about keeping still, he just gripped your hips tighter and pressed his face against your cunt, lavishing attention to the sensitive flesh.

Leon always tried his best to savor you, even though you've done this together countless times. He loved the noises you made for him when he found the right spot to suck on or grind against, his memories of moments like these with you are what got him through tough missions, along with knowing that he'd get to do this all over again with you when he got home.

Your hand finds its way back into Leon's hair, he grunts against your flesh, giving your thigh a light slap as he pulls his head a few inches away, his breath fanning across your cunt.

"I know you missed me, but be patient. I've got you, I promise." He reassures you before he drags his tongue slowly up your slit, listening to you as you moan.

Your grip in his hair only tightens as you rock your hips again, feeling his tongue delve deeper to eat you out more thoroughly. He always did this; the teasing. You loved it.

Leon's down there for another five minutes before your orgasm washes over you, by the time he's done licking you clean, he's already gotten his belt buckle off and his pants unzipped, trailing wet kisses up your body before his lips meet yours. He'd never get tired of this, even if he does it one thousand more times, he'd do it happily. He's got you, and you're the best thing life has ever thrown his way.

[ew-selfish-art]

Dp x Dc AU: Bruce has a 'if you can't beat them, join them' mentality about the tabloids claiming he adopts too many kids- Developing foster homes that are paid for through the Wayne inheritance, personally vetted by the Bats, they're the leaders in the space for child health outcomes and family placement. Insert Danny.

---

Bruce has too much wealth, too many rumors and not enough reach into the abhorrent foster homes around Gotham to improve them. Tim ends up being the one to suggest it- He's the one who buys up their real estate for their safe houses after all- and Bruce is more than ready to pull the metaphorical trigger to get new clean welcoming spaces, Bat-background checked fosters and a new era of adoption in Gotham underway.

He's lobbied the state and the federal government for reforms of course, but this is a project he can micromanage. He spends time with every kid that comes through, talks with all the families that want to adopt and makes sure that these miniature homes are provided only the very best. Alfred personally hires all the staff, and with Barbara more than happy to help relocate the unhoused children she spots while they patrol, the project is a glowing success.

Occasionally, spots in their houses fill up, and those are the weeks were Cass takes on the Cowl of Batman- Bruce Wayne will personally invite a child in need to his home. He always has one of his kids present (they rotate on a pre-determined schedule) and he does his best to try and get them to understand that they deserve the world, have all the potential that anyone else has and can achieve a bright future. That he will personally aid them in their ambitions.

PR goes crazy for it of course, but Bruce and all of his children know its genuine. Almost too genuine, because a betting pool 'WILL THEY BE ADOPTED' regularly circulates between the siblings and the entire JL when someone spends time at the manor. And not just the black-haired, Blue-eyed kids get picked as favored outcomes- but obviously the running joke gets passed around.

It's a Thursday night when Bruce gets the call that the houses have once again filled up, and that there is a child in need of a home. The social worker (he knows her as Marsha and he has flowers planned to be sent on her birthday next week, like he does for all of his employees) (Say micromanaged one more time) explains that the kid is a bit cagey but has opened up with some humor. She explains that he has a few strange... mannerisms. She's not sure what to make of him, a non-gothamite for sure but something is, well, distinctly 'not from around here' about his energy.

Danny arrives at the house, meets Duke and Alfred, and by the time Bruce meets him at the dinner table it seems as though Marsha had it all wrong. This kid was laughing, he was teasing, he was totally playing along like he'd gone through nothing. Bruce is glad he's in high spirits but its just so... so different from all the other children he's taken in.

Bruce re-focuses on the conversation when Duke mentions something flashing, and its the first time that Danny goes quiet. Entirely still.

"...you noticed that?" Danny quietly asks, a bit of disbelief in his tone.

"You don't have a flashlight on or something do you? It was super bright whatever it is that you had in your hand a second ago?" Duke tries to sound chill but he's looking very much not chill. Bruce saw nothing, and that puts him further on edge.

"Look... I uh, I've been though... I've been through a lot lately. And the last lab I was in kind of, messed with me. I'm normally much better at dealing with it all, I promise." Danny sounds nervous, and the room seems to chill.

"Ah shoot, sorry." Danny notices something and frantically apologizes.

"Sorry for what Danny? You've done nothing wrong but I am worried about you- You said you were in a lab?" Bruce is desperately trying to calm him down while not slipping into Batman interrogation mode.

"Uh, yeah, like a lot of labs. It should get warmer in a second, its just cause I startled, I promise."

"You're a meta." Duke speaks softly and with hope in his voice- Danny is looking between them with wide eyes filled with fear.

"I mean I don't technically have the gene-"

"Danny, have you told any of your case workers where you were? Do any authorities know what you've been through?" Bruce needs to know, desperately, that who ever gave this young boy super powers is brought to justice. Danny goes quiet.

"I'm really sorry." He says softly, but he doesn't leave them.

Duke and Bruce try to ask a few more questions but the silence that meets them declares the conversation over, even with Duke admitting he himself is a meta. Danny didn't even look up from his plate. They watch a movie after dinner, and Danny seems to get back to the smile-y happy guy he had been before dinner.

Each of the bat-fam have their own interactions with Danny- And even if they're getting along amazingly, Danny won't open up. He doesn't open up to his provided therapist. Doesn't talk to Alfred. No one knows what's up.

So when Marsha calls Bruce back explaining they now have a spot for Danny and he can move out of the Manor... Bruce replies that he'd like to get started on Adoption paperwork, so long as Danny is fine with it.

---

Turns out, Danny is fine with it. he's both the newest Wayne and their newest case. (And godamnit, his new family is going to avenge him. If only he'd let them try.)

Danny figures out that Duke= Signal early on because of that dinner, and if he's going to keep his parents out of jail, he needs to be as close to the investigation as possible. He knows that he shouldn't protect the Fentons, but he feels the upset in his core at the thought of letting them befall any harm. He has to protect them. Has to protect Jazz and her hiding spot as a mole within their lab. Has to.

Even if it meant lying to his new family who loves him, and who he loves in equal return. Even if it means lying to The Bats.

---

Tabloids go crazy about the black-haired blue-eyed thing of course, but no poll was ever taken by the batfam or the JL who know the whole story.

[ladykailitha]

Batshit Soulmates: Epilogue

Here it is. The end of an era. I struggled mightily with this one because I was so focused on canon that I forgot that I'm a writer and I can do what I want.

Once I got over myself the story just flowed so well it was done in two weeks.

But as I said last week, I'm a little mean to you in this. Spoiler under the cut.

In Medias Res| Prologue|Pt 1|Pt 2|Pt 3|Pt 4|Pt 5|Pt 6|Pt 7|Pt 8| Pt 9|

This ends the way season four does only with all the allies together not just some of them.

****

Nancy, Robin, and Dustin all returned to Steve’s house to make sure Eddie was safe.

Steve told Eddie that his uncle knew he was alive and would get into contact soon.

Eddie nearly cried in relief. “Thank you, Stevie.”

Then a car pulled up at that exact moment. Then of all things a pizza truck. Steve pushed Eddie into a nearby bathroom and looked out the window.

Out of the pizza truck hopped out both Byers boys, Mike, and the driver, a long haired native boy in a Hawaiian shirt. Then Joyce, Murray, and a very much alive Hopper exited the car.

And Steve’s heart nearly burst. He quickly ushered them all inside. His street had a lot of empty houses since the earthquake, the rich having somewhere else to go, but he didn’t trust the ones that remained.

Everyone was hugging everyone else. Jonathan and Nancy, El and Hopper. Joyce and Will. Everyone was safe. Max and the Sinclairs weren’t there, but they were safe too.

Robin, Steve and Eddie on the sidelines feeling happy that they were all reunited at last.

The first thing everyone did was tell their stories. El started, then the Byers, then Joyce and Murray, Hopper next, Steve and Dustin, then Nancy and Robin.

There was just so much to do.

“He’s still alive,” El said, “I couldn’t kill him. He hurt Max and I couldn’t leave her. I couldn’t leave her and the bastard survived.”

Joyce scooped her up into her arms and rocked her back and forth, gently. “You did the right thing, sweetheart. Max is alive because of you.”

“We’re going to have to find a place to stash Hopper and El until this blows over,” Nancy said. “They can’t stay here, it’s already a risk with Eddie being here. But at least with him, Steve can claim truemate status.”

The heads of all the people who hadn’t been in Hawkins turned to Steve in shock.

“Eddie is your truemate?” Mike wailed. He sat down and put his head in his hands. “Of course he is. Fuck that makes too much sense.”

Steve could only agree, honestly.

Eddie put his arm around his waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I didn’t think so at first, but clearly the universe is smarter than we are.”

Dustin scoffed. “I think that could be said for most of the universe’s population, too.”

Both Eddie and Steve knocked off his hat together.

Robin cackled. “Hey, kids. If Steve’s the mom, then you all have a new step-dad!”

Joyce and Hopper chuckled but everyone else groaned.

Nancy tapped her foot irritated. “Can we get back on to the topic at hand, namely finding a place to put Hopper and El so the government doesn’t find them?”

“My cabin is in pretty shit shape,” Hopper admitted. “But I think if we all work together, we can make it livable again for me and Jane.”

Steve nodded. “That should work. No one found El when she was there before, so they should be safer there.”

“Just not everyone show up at once,” Joyce warned. “Too many people coming and going will alert others.”

Everyone agreed, but as they piled out of Steve’s house the sky lit up in red storm clouds. Ash fell upon Hawkins and ground trembled.

Everyone stopped on Steve’s lawn looking up at the sky, knowing Vecna had finally made his move.

The Upside Down was bleeding into the top world.

The war had begun.

****

I want to thank everyone for coming long with me on this ride. It's been fun!

Tag List: @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @emly03

@spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 ​

@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi

@messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv

@wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @bookworm0690 @vecnuthy @bookbinderbitch

@littlewildflowerkitten @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @scheodingers-muppet @cinnamon-mushroomabomination

@genderless-spoon @anne-bennett-cosplayer @irregular-child @oxidantdreamboat @mogami13

@samsoble @xandriumbat @ellietheasexylibrarian @lololol-1234 @y4r3luv

@disrespectedgoatman @king-zacharyy @chameleonhair @tinyplanet95 @thelittleclare

[1mlostnow]

OK!! I WANNA TALK ABOUT BEING GAY!!!

I hope that caught your attention :)

I’m also hoping to get more input from the queer community here so please comment or rb with anything you have to say.

Please read I think this is incredibly important.

Okay ⬇️

I am a trans man and I have only socially transitioned. I don’t usually like to talk about the fact that I’m trans, because I have this underlying fear that it will somehow remind people that I’m “not really a man” or something. Internalized homophobia, I guess. But this feels really important to talk about.

The 2024 Election. I am confident in my belief that we will have a second trump term. It is so incredibly important for trans kids to build community. If he gets elected, that puts us and queer people as a whole at risk.

Depending on which state you’re from, you may have already gotten a taste of this. I’m from a primarily red state and we’ve got bathroom bills, book bans, and transparency bills.

Bathroom Bill -> bans trans folks from using the bathroom which aligns with their gender identity, requires them to use bathroom that corresponds with their sex at birth. I know for a lot of states, this also removed gender neutral bathrooms in a lot of places.

Book bans -> thank you Ron Fucking DeSantis (florida governer, ran for president but dropped from race in January 2024(?)) Lawmakers can decide what books they consider inappropriate for schools, and have them removed. They defend it by saying they’re banning “sexual content” but majority of it is mentions of queer folks in books. To them two boys holding hands for one sentence may as well be a book full of smut. Overall, they’re only retracting what they want to, excluding gender/sexuality mentions and critical race theory.

Transparency -> OH MY FUCKING AHSHDHDRRR. Okay so. In my state and many others, there’s something referred to as a transparency bill. It was advertised as transparency in education and a right for parents to know what the schools’ curriculum consists of. Part of this bill requires teachers and administrators to out a student to their parents or guardians if they come out at school. — Going into this school year, I was unaware this bill had passed. I emailed my teachers the week before school and on my second day, the principal was legally required to phone home. Luckily, everything was fine on my end and my mom already knew.

Now these are the things that have already happened. There is so, so much more. Bans on gender affirming care, legally classifying marriage as between a man and a woman, and SO much more that I can’t even comprehend enough to type out. Please do your research.

It’s so hard to stay positive when I fear for my wellbeing, my future, and my life. I am a teenager. I am meant to be going to school to learn math and science, not the Ten Commandments. I’m meant to be able to use the bathroom without feeling out of place, no matter where I am.

I know this focused primarily on trans people but this also affects the queer community on so many levels.

I cannot be happy in a country that believes that being queer is a mental illness.

I hope to god I’m reaching people. I think building community is one of the most important things that we could be doing right now. As well as educating and encouraging others to vote blue.

It’s between a man on his deathbed and a felon.

It’s between a man who doesn’t know where he is and a man who claimed this country would become a “unified reich.”

A democracy or a dictatorship.

[hatchetings]

is it wrong to say i don't think calling wiggly the villain of black friday is totally 100% correct (it is correct to a certain extent but viewing it by it’s theme it’s not as correct)

since black friday displays an anti-capitalist message, and wiggly's main goal is to fuck over the world, or at least the usa (capitalist country) and does so using capitalism to his advantage, but obviously not in a way that the audience would take it as pro-capitalist, because that's exactly what it's not.

wiggly shows an anti-capitalist message that only the audience understand. not the characters, as they are under manipulation.

and depending on whether your a capitalist or anti-capitalist, the role of wiggly changes. it also changes whether you view it from your own perspective or a character perspective.

for capitalists (and honestly government officials, but they're the exact same thing let's be honest), this is the exact thing that they don't want capitalism to be portrayed as. capitalists tend to be wealthy as well, and a line from wilbur, who has been manipulated to spread a message as such from wiggly, says "the poorer get poorer, and the rich, well, they just get richer." and statements like this pisses capitalists off, because they KNOW it's true.

point here being, capitalists themself have a reason, in their minds, to not side with wiggly.

for anti-capitalists, shouldn't we side with this message? wiggly isn't really the villain, more so just unethical and a bit manipulative with the his messaging and how he feels. yeah, he's fucking over millions of people doing it, but he's also spreading a message that needs to be spread to an audience.

now, looking through the character perspective, holy shit he's terrible, but then again, indulging in capitalism, which to be fair is inevitable in the united states.

but it's also the fact that instead of spending time with their children or people they care for, they're more focused on getting a toy their kid didn't want, not even thinking if their kid asked for it. the only person we see realize this is tom... anyways. kids, especially younger kids without affiliation to any kind of gift (so... not hannah), like tim, aren't effected by wiggly's manipulation because they just want their family and the people around them, they don't need products to fill in gaps in their life. and they don't need an abundance of money or products to feel happy.

also the shoppers actively have the mindset that buying this toy will make their kids, or themselves, feel happier in the long run which just isn’t true.

so it depends on who you’re viewing it from. i guess i might be a bit biased as someone who’s 15, but who knows.

viewing it from an audience perspective, yeah i don’t see wiggly really isn’t THE villain, he’s spreading an anti-capitalist message which is woo! so cool. maybe don’t kill people in the process next time but. you’re trying, wiggly. that’s all we can ask

also thinking, the lib don't fucking care about money, they're eldritch gods. inheritly they don't give a shit about capitalism, they don't need the money. now, it doesn't make them inherently anti-capitalist, but again, with the anti-capitalist of black friday, i am inclined to believe that's more of how at least wiggly feels about capitalism. use it to end the world, it was a ridiculous concept anyways, kind of statement.

i think i went on a bit of a ramble i am so sorry

my point is just. to me wiggly is not the villain of black friday.

to me it’s the government & president goodman

anyways yeah i’m anticapitalist because i’m a diabetic and why is my insulin like 500 fucking dollars without health insurance even though the people who discovered insulin WANTED it to be free (i could go on a whole other rant about how capitalism is screwing over healthcare, and not just companies but like caring for your health, as capitalists within production companies actively decide to increase prices of life saving medical equipment because they’re aware the disabled people NEED them to survive will pay ANYTHING to have them… but then this would be longer than it is so. i could say how stupid health insurance is too but that’s for another day)

am i a little out of it? probably but that's okay, don't take anything i just said too seriously. or do i don't care 💚

[askew-d]

today i had an idea. that recess therapy channel, but make it wangxian.

teacher lan wangji, who recently adopted a-yuan, carried out his son’s desires to create a youtube channel interviewing other kids. he’s totally inept at it in the beginning, but fortunately his brother helps. and who would've thought? his son ends up making friends and he really finds children’s minds fascinating.

until their channel gets quite big. like, two million subscribers kind of big. other people interviewing him kind of big. and soon enough, his brother says, “wangji, huaisang wants to be part of one of your videos! he said it looks fun!”

nie huaisang didn’t have a large fanbase without reason. he was a well-known digital influencer with over ten million followers and a good writer. though lan wangji finds him odd sometimes, he accepts it. it couldn't bring any harm.

famous last words.

after nie huaisang, a lot of celebrities wanted to join in. lan wangji imagined it was for that facade of selling a good-hearted image inside the industry, but as long as a-yuan seemed to be enjoying, he continued.

in the two years he had the channel, he progressed to five million followers, hosted many top-tier artists along, interviewed hundred of kids — some more enthusiastic than others, that’s rather true — and received some proposals from famous entertainment companies to work with them, which annoyed lan wangji.

he continued being a teacher, a father and a host content creator for long, and one day, his son was checking his emails with him and jumped in excitement, “baba! look, look!”

lan wangji looked. it was a request from a certain wei wuxian’s agency, that, he later discovered, was one of the singer’s a-yuan and his close friends have been listening to lately. apparently, his rock band was very influential internationally, and when having a tour around china once more, he wanted to join for a video (why would his thirteen-year-old a-yuan be interested in rock music when humanity had the classical ones, he could never imagine).

lan wangji accepted, because again, it couldn’t do any harm.

well, maybe he should learn more about that expression, since wei wuxian was absolutely infuriating.

he was just a handsome, dauntless man in tight black pants and an oversized hoodie with the shiniest smile he has ever seen who got his son's favour in just minutes of conversation and could not, for the love of god, stop teasing lan wangji. lan wangji shouldn't be that affected by someone. he shouldn't be affected by the way he didn't care about social manners and plastered himself on lan wangji's side all the while he interviewed the kids as if they were intimate, but oh, what one shouldn't do truly wasn't how one acted or felt.

he found out that wei wuxian did have a good voice, although he secretly thought that he wasted it with those loud songs about rebelling against the government. he found out that he was exceptionally careful with children, withholding a balance of fun and wisdom; he had that carefree creativity and treated their worries with seriousness, struggling not to let them think he judged them childish. lan wangji was truly amazed at his character, and soon, they had recorded about four videos together.

and when it was all uploaded, the comments and views exploded. people focused more on them together than on the kids. it became the most viewed videos of his channels in no time.

"lan zhan, the numbers are growing each day! i'm so happy for that," wei wuxian said on the phone afterwards (when he proposed the idea of exchanging numbers, lan wangji was hesitant, but wei wuxian insisted that it was for them to share bunny videos, so he gave up on fighting the man, but weeks passed and they still talked more about their lives than just sharing said content). "but tell me, lan zhan, i think my amazing presence did bring some touch to your channel, won't you treat me to something as a sign of gratitude? you told me your family had a rule on being polite..."

they did have one. lan wangji told him once and it was enough to be engraved on wei wuxian's mind. he sighed and said, "mn. does wei ying want to have dinner with us tomorrow?"

wei wuxian laughed in apparent joy, and he shook his head slightly. it would be good to have someone over for dinner once in a while, beyond his brother. maybe he'd even buy some wine and meat for him, just as he said he liked.

lan wangji talked to wei wuxian some more, the other explaining about how his band would perform the upcoming sunday. they also talked about children, books and traveling. and on the other side of the room, a-yuan giggled in mischievousness.

[swaqcenix]

༻ It comes and goes | Natasha Romanoff ༺

Natasha Romanoff x gn!reader

≿━━━━━༺❀༻━━━━━━≾

Summary: You've spent a chunk of your life battling the emotional thoughts of bipolar and have no concept on dealing with your emotions. Sitting in the rain does feel like drowning but it's comforting, until a hand from Romanoff drags you out of the depths of water.

Warnings: reader has bipolar, mentions of low thoughts, a shit ton of hurt/comfort, natasha just allowing reader to understand it's okay to not be okay!

Word Count: 1.8K

AN: This is just a small comfort fic while I work on my peggy!yandere fic and of course the strip club natasha one. (I haven't forgotten them!)

Wrote this a while back just to cope with my own diagnosis and anyone is welcome to gain comfort from it. Be my happy flowers guys! <3

≿━━━━━༺❀༻━━━━━━≾

There's one thing people never quite clarify with you, that the older you get just becomes more hard to swim. Kids always jump for growing up and throwing away their innocence not knowing of the tidal wave coming slowly along the sea, prepared to drown out your every thought of contentment.

Aged 10 was the last time you could ever remember not suffering with the constant feeling of a pit of anxiety, suffering and longing to allow the waters of the sea to suck you in. The way you used to place fictional games with your friends, always being petty shit's on the concept of, "Ask... it's not my game," or the fighting of being first in the lunch line.

You'd kept the diagnosis quiet when joining the Avengers, not wanting any of your fellow teammates to think any less of you. You'd felt less of yourself the moment the words of the diagnosis slipped from the nurses tongue 5 years prior. 5 years officially diagnosed but you didn't feel any lighter, instead you felt heavier.

"Sometimes we like to do CBT," the woman stated and your head tilted to the side.

"What's CBT?" Your hands bounced on your knees.

Slipping out the compound wasn't the easiest job. You'd all had meetings back to back with Ross and the damn government. An excuse slipped past your lips faster than it should have done. You'd stated only that you couldn't attend the final one as you'd had to go pick up your little sister.

Sure it would have been a valid excuse. If you actually had a sister. Yet, you didn't so you knew you'd be caught out eventually especially if Fury found out already knowing your background including family members. Still, you'd deal with that when the moment occurred for it.

"It's called cognitive behavioural therapy. It's commonly used for depression or anxiety but we do tend to use it on other patients like in your case to help you to cope with living with bipolar."

Your brain tried to stay focused but all you heard was the words 'your bipolar,' then began to shut off. After that the session was a blur. No thoughts passed your mind, no feelings ran through your veins nor emotions. Just the concept of numbness. Nothing to feel.

Heading back to the compound was a stressful moment. As soon as you walked through the doors you'd have to put on a whole front again pretending you were and felt something you didn't.

In all honesty it was comforting to sometimes be able to do that. Around your therapist, the outside world even your family they treaded lightly, afraid one word would break you like shattering glass hitting the floor or a porcelain doll. With the Avengers they didn't know, so you weren't a doll and you weren't glass. You were yourself and that alone.

However, sometimes it would be nice to just let yourself go. Your feet padded up the stairs of the compound entering the main room, the lounge where they sat watching TV and discussing.

"Hey, Y/N.. you okay?" Sam's voice was the first to speak but it sounded.. concerned?

"Yeah, fine thanks Sam," you responded allowing your eyes to meet his own.

Trying to act as casually as you always did, you went to grab a glass of water turning on the tap watching it run down the sink hole. You often wished you could be flushed away like that.

Shaking your head away from deeper thoughts you grabbed your glass sipping at the water looking up to see everyone examining you. A familiar feeling of dread, the emotional tidal waves flushing through your skin wanting out came crashing to the surface.

They surely couldn't know, right?

Vision spoke up first, possibly to ease up the tension though you can hardly imagine toaster man knowing much about emotions. No offence to the guy.

"We were told you.. you're an only child," his voice seemed one not of judgment but of confusion.

"Oh.. right," was the only response your brain could conjure up in that moment.

Tony let out a half-sided smile and you were grateful he wasn't digging too much. Surprisingly none of them were. He did speak up after a beat or two and while it wasn't their fault you did wish they wouldn't at all.

"Whatever is going on, we.. we're here," His tone was the best of sentiment you'd get out of him.

You truly were grateful but you hadn't a moments thought on how to even tell them. Fear of being kicked off the team, living half a life amongst them simply for suffering with some health issues was silly to other's minds, but not to your own.

Shaking your head you grabbed your jacket you'd left on the chair offering them all a tight lipped smile. Your eyes connected with Natasha's and your eyes felt like watering. She wasn't looking at you like you were damaged, nor was it in a concerned only look.

Nat was looking at you like she knew, like she understood what you felt and the pain gnawing away at you only grew. Her emerald green eyes looking one of connecting with nature swimming with the look of understanding was a pain you couldn't bare.

You mumbled that you needed air, heading towards the patio you'd become familiar with at night. It had become a comfort location, you'd seen Natasha out there a few times although, come to think of it lately she seemed to not be heading there anymore.

The mumbling and mainly muffled voices of the Avengers informed you that it was raining, but your brain scarcely paid attention. You just needed out, besides who gives a fuck if the rain touched your skin.

Your brain danced with thoughts of how to calm yourself down and you knew instantly, as your reached into your back pocket slipping in your airpods and connected them to your phone. Sliding open the patio door, you ungracefully sat down on the bench looking down as the rain hit your skin.

Hair becoming drenched you focused on your chosen song, trying to drown out any invading thoughts that would cluster your mindset, instead focusing on how you felt utterly at home.

The chosen song had been Waves by Dean Lewis. It reminded you so much of how your brain's concept of emotions and how your life seemed to go in waves of the ocean.

Sometimes you saw yourself standing next to the ocean as it pulled you out. The freedom of falling, allowing yourself to no longer panic over bipolar or how the world saw you.

The rain splashed down heavily on your skin and you felt wet through but you didn't mind, or frankly didn't care. Nor were you sure how long you had been listening to songs in the rain, it felt late but it felt like seconds.

A gentle hand on your shoulder pulled you from your thoughts. Your mind had been dancing to Paris, Texas by Lana until your body almost jolted forward from the contact. The sudden shelter from the rain made your head tilt up to come in contact with emerald eyes.

Natasha stood tall, almost protecting you- sheltering you from the rain, a beacon of hope. You offered the best smile you could give, despite the fact it looked like you were in pain more than smiling before indicating to her to sit down.

Her red hair cascaded down her shoulders, pulled half back into a plait that was elegant but moved with ease. It suited her just as most things did. You'd noticed that about her, for a woman who'd been through so much Natasha did everything with elegance and ease.

"You know, when I was a child I used to run out into the rain, the firefly's came out at night," She confessed causing you to stiffen up.

Natasha wasn't one for opening up, let alone talking of her childhood past, so why you? You let her express her thoughts almost curious to see where she was going to take this.

"My mom she'd come out to find me afterwards and I was always helping my little sister who also danced away with the firefly's. It wasn't real though. Not truly," She proceeded and your heart melted and cracked for the older woman.

"Nat I.."

You weren't even sure what to respond with. Hearing her open up around her past made your own pain seem tiny, insignificant despite the fact she wasn't attempting to do that.

"You don't need to say anything, I understand. Perhaps not what you're going through. The feeling of masking right, I see it," she continued tilting her head towards you.

She proceeded her train of thought.

"It comes and goes in waves. The feeling of this family. I had no one after the family I grew up with, no one but myself. Don't drown your thoughts out in the rain, drag yourself up out of the ocean, trust me Y/N."

You finally looked up making eye contact with the Russian, smiling softly at her nodding. You took off your glove reaching sighing looking down at your hands.

"Sometimes, my therapist gets it to a certain extent but sometimes she doesn't. When it feels like all you can do it float out to sea and drown in a pit of your own emotions. The masking isn't something I want to do, but simply so people don't see my problems.. they just see me."

A tear slipped down your cheek without even realising it and you closed your eyes. Nothing was spoken amongst the pouring of the rain, nothing was needed to be said. All that was needed was the words you let echo. It felt like you were drowning in a sea of hell, with no way out.

Through the mist and fog engulfing your brain, taking you out to the sea you felt a touch upon your hand. Eyes opening wide, you saw it. Her hand clasped tightly in your own trying to drag you out of the suffering, reach to you through the ocean like a beacon of a ship, rising up it's anchor.

Her eyes looked into your own, reflecting what she wanted to say but had no thoughts on how to express it. Her touch was all you needed, the words slipping past your mouth before you could think.

"Your family.. It might not have been directly real, but they pulled you out of the waves while it lasted, it was real to you Natasha," You explained watching it pull at her heart strings.

She offered you a watery smile, her eyes dancing with sea of hope just as your own while you were perhaps an an anchor in the waves you steadied each other out in a balance.

"This family is real to you too. We are real and we see you. I see you Y/N," Her voice bringing comfort and warmth.

You grabbed her hand tightly because while your bipolar had an anchor on you, you had a ship lifting you through the sea's Natasha and your little family. They were there to guide you.

≿━━━━━༺❀༻━━━━━━≾

[pugzman3]

People will see this and think Elon is on the good side because he is telling the truth....exposing the plan. Fool, he is part of it. They are telling you what is going to happen and play a side to keep you from preparing yourself...and more importantly, your kids. Because this isn't going to happen in our lifetime. It's going to happen when your kids are adults, and their kids will grow up in this mess.

Remember a couple other things, Noah Yuval Harari has also told us this near same thing, and that happiness will be found in video games and drugs (notice how we are primmed to get medicated for everything). Also notice how legal Marijuana is spreading across the country slowly. We are also watching the systematic destruction of natural food (obesity is about to become the leading epidemic in all 1st world countries). The sperm count in men will be almost zero by 2050. Climate change will be an excuse to move people into 15 minute cities, front door delivery is available for almost anything now, we are all wage slaves in debt until our death, and so much more.

But what is everyone focused on? They are focused on the reality tv show that is trump in court, biden not knowing up from down, and any other thing the news says.

Yall....it's over. People need to start preparing their kids to face some very hard decisions and realities that are about to take place. The longer you keep hope that some man is going to rise up and destroy the deep state or whatever you want to call it, the longer you are procrastinating preparing your kids. This has been in the works for centuries and it isn't going to stop. But this is an election year, so everyone believe the same things that are said every four years, get out and vote because it hasn't worked so far...but this time it will.

And this isn't even the end game. Because the end game isn't just a one world government/religion/currency/military. It is the one world worshipping the antichrist. It's biblical. It has always been biblical. And the devil didn't just want to be a ruler of the nations, he wanted to worship that God was getting. And Revelation says he is going to get it for a moment. Seek Jesus before it's too late for you. Lead your children to Jesus and prepare them for tribulation because if you think it's crazy now, this is nothing.

[takitakidancetillthesunriseyea]

Your Thunder (The extra diary entry)

It’s been about a month since I received (what I’ve been calling) the Ateez Lore book, also known as Dear Diary it contains the diaries of Fever pt 2 & 3; Fever Epilouge; The World 1, 2 & 3; and a final new, extra diary entry called Your Thunder.

In the time since I’ve received it I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen any reposts of it online anywhere, and since it is a very interesting piece of the lore puzzle (and because my friend suggested it) I’ve decided to post it here. Tbh I’ve never scanned anything before but I’ll try my best to format it exactly as it is in the book. So without further ado, Your Thunder:

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧//✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“My dear ATEEZ

The sibling tree we planted together has grown much taller than me. It might not seem like a big deal, but shortly after you left this place, the tree trunk got badly split. I quickly put a splint on it and wrapped it well, but I was worried it might die. Fortunately, it has grown well, so isn't that impressive?

Looking at the much-grown sibling tree reminded me of the child and his older brother.

"If they had grown up, would they have looked like this? Would they have been this sturdy and strong?”

I asked you this question to myself. I imagined your playful yet proud responses. Only then did it hit me in a concrete way: the reality that you had left for your world, and the fact that I could no longer see you.

Until I passed Z's test with flying colors, no one expected that we would part so suddenly. We were so focused on being happy that I was accepted into Z's protocol management position and the next mission. Indeed, the protocol management position was the best way to access the system Z had built. And the hint you gave me was a huge key. 'The leader of Sciensalvar, Henry Jo.' Knowing the identity of someone who looked like Z helped me find the system password. (Did I mention that there were records of Z accessing your world in there? When Z briefly had the Cromer, it seems he met Henry Jo in your world. If my memory is correct, it was in 1999 in your world.)

While it was difficult to access the system, the system itself was designed with a simple structure. It wasn't that hard, since after the central government took emotional energy, all humans were no different from programmed machines. The structure of a dictatorship is obvious. We decided to use the well-built system itself. We just turned things upside down. Wag the dog, a strategy where the tail wags the dog's body to grab the head and take control. By tweaking the input values of chips implanted in people's ears, the tail became the head, and the head became the tail. Do you remember? Z desperately searched for the Guardians while surrounded by people in the square. It was so pathetic that I thought I was the villain at that moment?! What a joke…

So… What I'm saying is… If I hadn't been swayed by that pathetic act, we wouldn't have let you go. Just when I couldn't pull the trigger, Z took an old man standing nearby hostage, and as always, you used the Cromer to save the hostage, but Z used that to take your Cromer. Then Z immediately threw the Cromer to the ground. Probably intending to escape. You all ran towards the falling Cromer reaching out to stop it, but just as you touched it, the Cromer hit the ground and shattered into pieces. As the flash was about to engulf you and Z, I realized what it feels like to be overwhelmed with rage. I pulled the trigger at Z, who was clinging to SEONG HWA to somehow survive. After the flash disappeared, Z fell to the ground of the square with a thud. But you guys… You were gone.

You probably returned to your world, right? Even though you're not in our world, kids who followed your music, dance, and performances have become another ATEEZ, remembering you. You're not here, but ATEEZ is still here. Oh, by 'here', I mean 'the zone liberated from control.' After Z disappeared and you left, a lot has happened. We were divided into those who decided to live free from emotional control and those who decided to continue under the system's emotional control. We tried to make a unified decision, but it wasn't easy. After a prolonged period of indecision, we decided to respect each other's decisions. We couldn't force them to believe what we believed was right. We chose to coexist peacefully and divided into the 'Liberation Zone' and 'Control Zone', each establishing its own order. It's sad to think that, over time, we might become different nations, but what can we do? If I may be just a bit greedy, I just hope we don't treat each other with violence or coercion.

Thunder's headquarters now acts as the interim government of the 'Liberation Zone'. So, unlike before, it's become a place where people frequently come and go. The sibling tree stands in the most visible spot in the garden, and the injured trunk has healed, leaving bumpy scars. I wondered if the scars were too unsightly and whether I should cover them with a ribbon, but then a child walking with his parents saw the sibling tree and said this.

"Oh?! These trees have unique patterns unlike other trees. Wow, they're pretty."

'Patterns? Now that I think about it, I've only ever thought of them as scars, not patterns.' The patterns created by the scars distinguish the sibling tree from other trees. Scars can become unique patterns. Realizing that made me look forward to the 'Liberation Zone' that will have unique patterns in the future, and to myself.

I'm writing this letter because I miss you, but I don't know if it can cross the universe to reach you, if we can hear from you, or even if there is a way to send it.

I wonder if you safely arrived back home. When the first Cromer broke, you said you arrived in the past. Did you arrive on time this time? Are you still dancing and singing together there? I hope all your wishes come true finding your family, gaining independence from your strict father, standing on stage, meeting many people, and making lots of money. You've changed many people's lives, so I'm sure you've succeeded. Whatever it may be, I hope you remain 'free' without being too tied down, just like she said, the one who resembles me. :)

I miss you all. The Black Pirates, Thunders, Left Eye, and everyone in the Liberation Zone all miss you. Will there be a day when we meet again?

Hoping for that day….

-Your Thunder”

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧//✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Wow, it looks small in the book and long in a post. ToT

I’ll be posting my own ideas and theories on it soon, maybe, probably, but I wanted to get this out into the world first as it’s a very relevant lore drop. You can thank my friend @cyberkiddie for giving me the idea of posting it in the first place!

(*^v^)//💕 As always good luck to my fellow loretiny and I hope those who haven’t been able to find this yet make good use of it! Feel free to correct me if I messed anything up!

Atiny Fighting!

[weirdestbooks]

Florida Occidental (Wattpad | Ao3 | CH HHM Oneshots)

Florida knew he should be more upset about becoming a British colony—about being taken away from his family and shoved into an environment in which he knew nobody.

Sure, Santiago had become British, but that was long ago, and Florida was sure that his prior identity as Santiago had been all but erased from his mind.

He was happy to escape his Padre’s overbearing, perfectionist nature, the never-ending stream of insults and jeers towards the imperfections that made Florida the failure he was. 

He wondered if his Padre and Abuelo would even miss him. Surely, Padre would be happy that his children looked a little more perfect with Florida gone. He just hoped that Gran Bretaña would be kind to him, more accepting of Florida’s imperfections, or at least passing them off as a result of his Spanish heritage.

Although, based on how Gran Bretaña ignored Florida, focusing only on the French Colonies, it seemed that Florida might get off lighter and be looked at less closely as Gran Bretaña monitored the children of his most hated enemy.

Florida was often left alone, not yet ordered to bow at Gran Bretaña’s and forsake his family for the empire he was now a part of.

He realized why a few months after moving in.

He was ordered to Gran Bretaña’s room by the Thirteen Colonies, the colony that was supposed to be teaching him English. Florida had suddenly known it when the British took control, but now Thirteen Colonies mainly helped him by perfecting his grammar and getting rid of his accent, all flaws Gran Bretaña wouldn’t allow. 

After seeing what Gran Bretaña did to the colonies that annoyed him, Florida was eager to get rid of it. 

The pressure of perfection had returned. Although Thirteen Colonies was much kinder than Florida’s Padre had been. It was…it was nice.

But when Gran Bretaña ordered Florida to his office, Florida was scared about what that meant. Had he not been perfect enough? Had Gran Bretaña learned of Florida’s horrible imperfections from his Padre or Abuelo?

“Hello, señ—sir. You wanted to speak with me?” Florida asked, trying his best to focus on appearing normal and speaking English. 

“Yes, I did. I know we have not spoken much since your arrival, and I wanted to apologize for that. The French colonies and their disloyalties have kept me busy ensuring they understand where their loyalties now lie,” Gran Bretaña explained with an apologetic smile.

“I understand,” Florida answered. 

“And I thank you for that. I see your lessons with my son have been going well. It is nice to see you adapting so quickly. Now, I figured it was about time we established the relationship that would exist between us.” Gran Bretaña said. Florida was quick to bow his head, a habit long ingrained into him by his father.

“If you want to become my father, I am willing and ready to disown my Spanish family to become a true part of your empire,” Florida recited the lines he had come up with and practiced for ages with Thirteen Colonies to ensure that he said them correctly and, of course, perfectly.

“Thank you for your willingness, but I’m afraid I cannot accept that,” Gran Bretaña said. Florida froze, horror running through him. Did that mean what he thought it meant? Was Gran Bretaña planning on killing him?

“I accept your judgment,” Florida responded, trying to keep the fear from his voice. It didn’t work, as he could tell that Gran Bretaña had picked up on it.

“Do you think I’m going to kill you?” Gran Bretaña asked, sounding confused. Florida shrank in on himself.

“I understand why you would. I’m a—”

“Florida, you aren’t going to die. Trust me. Jamaica is…actually, I’m not sure if he’s your brother, but he was Spanish too, and he and I are close. I don’t want you to die. I believe that you can be a great addition to the empire. However, my government wishes to create a new colony from your preexisting land, and therefore…”

“Oh. We’re going to have a kid,” Florida realized. Gran Bretaña nodded.

“Yes. So I feel it is too awkward for you to call me father. However, if you feel it is beneficial to do a legal recognition, but not an emotional one, I can arrange that,” Gran Bretaña said.

“I would prefer not. I am loyal to you and only you, but I just do not want to…deal with complications from that,” Florida said. Gran Bretaña nodded.

“I understand completely. Now, I will call you back once I have fetched West Florida, who will be born sometime this week. Your new name will be East Florida, but you do not need to start using it until the new colony is born. I just wanted to give you an advance warning so you can start getting used to the name,” Gran Bretaña said, smiling again.

“Thank you,” Florida said, his voice tinged with relief. 

“You’re welcome. Thank you for being understandable. You are shaping up to be a good colony.” Gran Bretaña said.

Florida couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to know that he was wanted.

[manorpunk]

Are you writing a book? Or which story format are you aiming to publish your story with?

WELL WELL WELL FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK

I’ve spent this year bouncing several different ideas in my head (Manorpunk: The Rock Opera?) but lately I've been focusing on an outline for a novel, mostly because once the central idea got in my head it wouldn’t leave, and the ideas around it and related to it have been cohering well and I like how it’s developing. Let’s start with the one-sentence pitch! 

Manorpunk: To Seize and Hold - In a balkanized future-America, a small-town gay kid (in the adult sense) catches the affections of an eccentric military commander and becomes a pawn of the vtuber-president’s political schemes.

The Kid is Liam Hessian - Having suffered the thousand cuts of growing up gay in a conservative small town, Liam has become withdrawn and disaffected, retreating into a rich inner life where he may or may not be haunted by an wealthy ancient Roman woman named Leona. Beneath his aloof and disaffected shell, he struggles to maintain a sense of compassion and justice in a world that seems so cruel and nonsensical.

The eccentric military commander is Jacob Martin Rider - after leading a ragtag army to victory during the Quebec War, Jacob retired to a life of luxury, larping as a vainglorious Victorian dandy and living in a mansion full of strapping young men dressed as maids. His relentless charm and confidence hides a cruel, selfish, and cunning side - the sort of person with a smile so bright it makes you forget that he’s killed people. He takes a liking to Liam and sweeps him out of his small town and into a life of delirious indulgence.

And the vtuber-president is, of course, Sunny Roosevelt - the president of Usonia, who has cultivated an image as something of a tutelary deity, a ‘nationsona’ if you will, a bubbly cloth mother in public and a bratty child-empress in private. She has access to all manner of methods for hijacking electronic devices, appearing on people’s screens at a whim. She contacts Liam in private and ‘asks’ him to keep an eye on Jacob for her, to make sure he isn’t doing anything too irresponsible, given his reputation and previous experience.

I like this trio, not just because they’re my OCs and therefore they are my evil stupid babies but also because (I hope) they are thematically rich - each of them are a different take on the theme of one’s public vs. private persona, and each has a sort of historical resonance - Liam has his ancient Roman ghost-buddy, Jacob has his 18th century dress and demeanor, and Sunny’s avatar is a piece of future tech which also hearkening back to an age of patron saints and town protector-spirits (and Sunny is naturally quite happy to be perceived by her fans as something like a demigod).

It also (again, I hope) gives the story a sturdy backbone to build off of. “Oh no, I like you but also I’m supposed to spy on you (and also I’m not sure if I actually like you)” gives the story some stakes to support all the pondering about the fall of American exceptionalism, the goofy Pynchonesque names, and the yaoi.

Right, I haven’t even mentioned Webersberg yet! That’s another big plot thread. Actually, that’s a handy way to transition into an overall plot summary. 

We open on Liam Hessian in his hometown of Webersberg, in the year 206X. 

Back during the Polycrisis - the period in the 2030s when the US federal government collapsed - Webersberg was a mall-fort run by a local gang of bandits, but now it’s an isolated little farming town (the joke here being that bandits are the larval stage of landowners). The initial exposition is justified by having Liam sit up too fast after getting too high, based on personal experience. Liam works at the local Denny’s managed by his father, Roy Hessian, where he waits tables for a handful of bit-characters who help flesh out the setting: local schoolteacher and wine mom Aubergine Poot, affable black-market goons Liquor & Gusto, and the Tractor Samurai, the fourth-best tractor salesman in Manistee, none of whom are deserving of bold text.

We are also introduced to Remington Weber, the boss of Webersberg - calling him a governor in any capacity would be giving him too much credit, he’s in charge by virtue of having a cadre of large adult sons and a monster truck with a gun rack; we also meet Liam’s friend and pseudo-intellectual stoner Solomon van Gekkenhuis.

But, as tends to happen to small towns in the beginning of stories, everything is about to change. All the internet-connected screens in Webersberg are suddenly hijacked to announce the inauguration of president Sunny Roosevelt, who’s here to put America back together again in the form of Usonia, an EU-esque union of independent states There’s a 25% off sale in her merch store to celebrate. The unanimous response to this news is “wait, there was an election?”

Yes, there was an election, but Webersberg was never officially incorporated into the Great Lakes Republic, despite selling their produce all over the state. (I once heard that fascism is ‘the frontier coming home,’ taking techniques of colonial governance and applying them to the imperial core, and I’ve been chewing on the idea ever since. Unrelated, but also there’s an annual fee for ‘citizenship subscriptions,’ and if you have a Platinum tier subscription or higher you get one free hit-and-run a year.) Thus begins a spree to finish centralizing and consolidating the territory within Usonia, which brings us to Bogdan Comprendo, governor of the Great Lakes Republic. Bogdan meets with Remington to discuss the options for town’s future, and the big catalyst ‘things are happening’ scene is their meeting in the Denny’s, which includes this exchange that I’m rather proud of:

“Are you at all familiar with how the construction sector operates, Mister Weber?” Bogdan said, precise and punctilious with a hiss of the s and a click of the t, “the construction sector employs millions of people across every economic stratum, from day laborers to architects to investment bankers, and consumes vast quantities of steel, timber, concrete, rubber, copper, glass, and aluminum. This hunger for raw material creates entire industries which exist just to fill its needs - scores of miners, loggers, refiners, manufacturers, purchasers, and distributors, each industry employing more and more millions of people. If construction were to stop, not only would those construction workers be out of a job, but the demand for all of those raw materials would plummet, causing the price of those materials to plummet as well, ruining the profit margins of those industries which depend on the construction sector's demand. Businesses would go bankrupt. Unemployment would skyrocket. The economy would collapse. There would be chaos and riots. Construction must continue… but there is only so much land to build on. Do you know the best way to ensure continued employment in the construction sector, Mister Weber?”

Bogdan folded his hands and rested them on the table. Remington leaned back and folded his arms and smiled, looking rather satisfied with himself, like a mouse who was so excited to find an unguarded piece of cheese that he hadn’t noticed the cage hovering right above his head.

“By getting my permission to build some shiny new development here, isn’t that right?” he said.

Bogdan flashed a thin, poison-tipped barb of a smile.

“No. The best way to ensure continued employment in the construction sector is to find some shithole, bomb it to the ground, and rebuild it from scratch. That is option A. We are here to discuss option B, Mister Weber.”

Needless to say the construction begins shortly afterwards, giving Liam a glimpse into the new amenities of 206X, first in the form of the NomBox: a vending machine which dispenses fully-cooked meals in conveniently edible box shapes, like a naan cube stuffed with butter chicken or a spaghetti cube stuffed with bolognese sauce. Also, it won’t dispense your food until you say “baby wants a treat.”

On a slightly less whimsical note, Webersberg also gets an Aivrcade cafe - it’s the future, so VR is finally good now, finally, and Liam immediately gets sucked into playing Eternal Frontier, the massively popular fantasy VR MMO. Liam has finally escaped into a comfortable but stagnant routine of working at Denny’s, playing Aivrcade, and sleeping, but Bogdan’s gunboat diplomacy has wounded Remington’s ego, and he won’t take it lying down.

+++++

Whew, that’s a lot, and Jacob Martin Rider hasn’t even shown up yet. Felt good to get this all out, I’ve been rotating these shapes in my head for months and now I get to see it all pay off. Stay tuned for act 2!

[soaps-mohawk]

I honestly wouldn’t mind having a second omega if we get to be a power couple and torture all the boys with how cute and sexy we are tbh.

Would also love to see how the reader handles seeing the omega from the place again

Happy? Nervous? Excited?

Would love to see what you would do with it

(But im also selfish and would be iffy at dirst but it sounds like a cool idea)

That's basically the concept of my idea that involves two omegas 😂

I'm going to use your ask to explain that idea finally lol. I didn't nap but I am more awake now than I was lol.

But essentially, that idea exists sort of in a world like the one in CRCB, except the CIA is less involved and it's just more governments that require omegas to join the omega initiative and it's not exclusive to military, it's more just widespread in general packs are required to register and omegas get assigned based on things like personality tests, skills, temperament, etc. This fic would focus more on the opposite end of things, though, as the main omega would not be an institute trained omega.

Basically, TF141 already has an omega at the time the fic starts. She's institute trained (not the reader from CRCB though, would be an OC), and bonded and claimed by Price and Gaz. The fic would focus more on Simon and Johnny because Simon likes Price's omega but just isn't feeling it. Of course, the imbalance is starting to cause some tension within the pack, even if they don't mean for it to. That's a big no no, so Laswell does some digging for them and finds who she thinks is the perfect omega for Simon and Johnny and thus enters the reader.

I don't have much decided on as far as the reader's backstory goes (I'm trying not to entertain this idea too much yet lol) but she didn't attend an institute. So, she gets to go get her life upended and live on base with a bunch of crusty stinky military dudes (i'm kidding...mostly...) and of course there's some adjusting and tension and angst and sweet bonding with everyone. (again, I haven't thought much into the details on this one) But, eventually, the omegas kind of band together since they're in the same boat and they're together and alone a lot of the time while the guys train and are sent out on assignments and such.

Of course we get that sweet wlw goodness in there and it's kind of borrowing a lot from that line in CRCB where the reader remarks that some alphas like to watch omegas together 👀

Probably would be a lot spicier than CRCB has ended up being. Of course there will be angst (it's Ghost what do you expect lmaoo) and drama and probably a lot of tears but yeah. That's the basis of that idea.

Switching gears here, I have played around with the idea of bringing the other omega in for a cameo or something, but I wouldn't bring her in for like a full time kind of situation, a second omega type thing or anything like that. As much as my heart years for some wlw representation, I'm leaving it as just being something that happened in the past and focusing on just the reader and the guys cause I know that's what people have come into the fic expecting.

[thehorrortree]

Deadline: June 30th, 2024 Payment: 6 cents per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Cosmic Horror stories set in and around Arkham, Innsmouth, and other mythos related areas that take place in or are associated with Lovecraftian tales AND which feature a public or private institution of some sort Dragon’s Roost Press is please to announce the open call for our next anthology. We have previously published collections of short stories which mix Lovecraftian Mythos with elements of Romance (Eldritch Embraces: Putting the Love Back in Lovecraft) and with Humor (LOLcraft: A Compendium of Eldritch Humor). This time instead of focusing on emotions, we want to look at setting. Specifically, we want to look at how different institutions have to deal with the eldritch abominations of Lovecraftian horror. Arkham Institutions (tentative title) will feature 10 – 15 short stories focusing on the various aspects of government and business and their relationship with the oddness that creeps up in and around that most (in)famous New England Town. What We Are Looking For We want to see Cosmic Horror stories set in and around Arkham, Innsmouth, and other mythos related areas that take place in or are associated with Lovecraftian tales AND which feature a public or private institution of some sort. What does Arkham Elementary teach? What weird cases does law enforcement have to deal with? What kind of people are seen in the Emergency Room? The psych ward? The local library? We are still looking for character driven stories, but make sure that these places are characters in their own rights. Draw us in and make us feel like we are there. NOTE: We are not looking for stories set at Miskatonic University nor the Orne Library. There are plenty of stories with these settings. Give us something new. What We Want Original short stories, 3 – 5K words in length. While we have covered romance and humor in other anthologies, we don’t mind if these elements feature in your stories, so long as they scare us. Make sure we get that sense of cosmic dread. Humor and PG-13 rated spiciness are just fine. We are fine with gore, so long as it is not used as a replacement for plot. We do not require a happy ending. In fact, we kind of enjoy that hopeless bleakness. What We Don’t Want S.A./non-consensual sex, including minors in sexual situations, will not be accepted. We are not looking for sexually explicit material for this anthology. Consensual sex is OK, if germane to the story, but cut away before anything happens. Please, no tentacle porn. Animal cruelty is not welcome here. You can kill as many kids as you want, but the dog better live. Old Man Howard created a fascinating cosmology and left us a lovely sandbox to play in, but his problematic viewpoints have no place here. We saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off at the drive-in during its original run and we live by the idea that “isms…are not good.” All stories must be original works which you retain the rights to. Fan Fiction, Slash Fiction, and any other material containing characters which you did not create are not acceptable for this publication. We don’t like being sued. We are not looking for poetry, novellas, flash fiction, or artwork at this time. The Nitty Gritty Stuff The reading period will be from 1 May – 30 June OR UNTIL FILLED. All of our previous anthologies have closed early due to the number of submissions received, so don’t sit on your story. Get it to us ASAP. That being said, make sure that your work is properly edited before you hit the send button. We don’t mind a little light editing, but an egregious number of spelling and grammatical errors will lead to a rejection. Arkham Institutions is open to all. BIPOIC and LGBTQIA+ characters and authors are very welcome. AI generated content is NOT welcome. A clause in the author contract will stipulate that the story was not created using AI. Violation of this clause will lead to a ban from this and any future Dragon’s Roost Press anthologies.

Submissions should be sent as attachments to submissions@thedragonsroost.biz (note, this e-mail address is different from some previous submission calls). The subject line should read Arkham Institutions/story title/author’s name (example Arkham Institutions/Really Cool Story/Doe). E-mails which do not follow this format will be deleted unread. In the body of your e-mail, provide a short (500 words or less) biography. Submissions should be sent as .doc, .docx, .odt, or .pages attachments. Multiple submissions are OK, but please wait until you have received a response on your first piece before submitting your second. Simultaneous submissions: no. We prefer Shunn Modern Manuscript Format (found https://www.shunn.net/format/story/), but any standard format is acceptable so long as you use the formatting tools in your word processing program. In other words, do not manually indent paragraphs using tabs or spaces. Please convert your manuscript to Times New Roman before sending. We really, really hate Courier. You can write in whatever font you choose, but we want to read it in Times New Roman. Payment will be $0.06/word (sent upon publication) plus one contributor’s copy in both paperback and digital formats. We will be running a Kickstarter campaign later in the year to help offset some of the production costs, but this will not affect payment or publication. As with our previous anthologies, a portion of the profits will be donated to the canine rescue organization Last Day Dog Rescue. Primary publication will be via Amazon’s KDP POD service, but the title will be available through Ingram and Baker & Taylor. The book will be released in paperback and digital formats. Expected release date Oct 2024. Note to New Authors: Most publications seek First North American Rights. While you may be able to sell your story again as a reprint, publication in this anthology may limit your story’s future marketability and may affect the amount of money you will be able to receive from other markets. Please take this into consideration before submitting. Via: The Dragon Roost Press.

[yinn]

˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🍄 ꒱ ˎˊ˗ Goals

Summary: My goals in life, You can read this so it can inspire you to write your goals just know you don't need to plan everything in your life out and it doesn't have to be perfect. 🥀 ˚

1. What have you wanted to do but were afraid to try?

It would be to learn and speak Russian, I have been wanting to ever since I was a kid. I love the way it sounds the words are so thick and sharp. I am going to work toward this goal and start to study the words and how to write them.

2. Where do I want to be in 5 (or 10) years?

I want to be happy, I would like a decent job for my age starting doing the things I like more instead of thinking about what others think. I would be more into spirituality than I am now, I would want a more clean and fruit-based diet and actual food, not the fake food the US government is currently giving us.

 3. What do I want to accomplish this year?

To get my nails done dye my hair get a different carpet for my room do a 4-month shift (DR), Get into my dream school, and start focusing on my writing I want to be surrounded by new friends that I can trust and have similar goals... And start dressing the ways that match my aesthetic.

4. If you only had 6 months to live, what would you do and how would you live?

I would share kind words every day, I would kill people with kindness even if they continued to be rude and let people know that they matter. Try to make the world a better place before I leave I would say sorry for the things that I have done that people can't forgive me for...

5. If you won $1,000,000 with no strings attached, how would you spend/use it?

I would spend it on clothes, of course, the prettiest things !! also food because I'm a foodie I would give most of it to my parents since I love them a lot and would help me with budgeting.I would show rich people how to dress because for some reason 2024 fashion is straight-up trash...

6. If you were granted 3 wishes, guaranteed to never fail, to be successful in whatever you choose, what would you choose?

To be happy :) That's all I want !!

[raphael-angele]

I haven't done a Teen Justice post in a while...

Future AU

Okay, so basically they're all happy and married and have kids and yada yada yada. Here's my take on their families.

Laurel and Talia have a son and a daughter with a 10 year age gap

Klarienne and Jacqui (yes, I ship them) have a son

Troy and Raven have two girl who are twins.

However, I'm very focused on Troy and Raven's daughters. I can't even agree on a name cuz I chnged their names like 3 times now. For now, let's stick to Azrael and Veritas.

Now, it's a quiet day in the house and Raven is doing the dishes. Then, their 5 year olds climb up the stools of the counters to look up at him.

Azrael: Dad

Raven, looks up: Yes, girls?

Veritas: Can we go buy a book?

Raven: You girls have plenty of books in your room *washing his hands*

Azrael: Yeah, but we want big books like the ones you read.

Raven: You want to read novels.

Girls: Yeah!

Raven: I...suppose you girls are old enough for those. But we can't buy both of you books so you'll have to pick something you'll both want to read.

Veritas: We already picked something

Raven: And what is that?

Azrael: We asked Cassy (Talia and Laurel's son) what big books his moms let him read and he said he really liked Harry Potter

Raven: No.

Veritas:

Azrael:

Veritas: But...but why not?

Raven: Because I said so. I don't want you girls to grow up with the first book you ever read to be Harry Potter.

Azrael: But dad, magic isn't real! We're not gonna use the spells

Raven: Sweetheart, trust me, you girls are better off reading Percy Jackson. *realizing what he just said* Okay maybe I shouldn't have said that.

Troy: You're gonna let our daughters read that?!?!

Raven: It's better than Harry Potter.

Troy: I'm not letting them read inaccurate information about their lineage

Raven: I'm sure they'll be fine. If anything, they'll get inspired and become more adventurous

Troy: And learn how to overthrow the government?

Raven: We were doing that at their age, tesoro

Troy: THEY'RE FIVE! We were at least 18 when we started overthrowing the government

Raven: No, you were 14, I was 16.

They argue a bit more before they realize that their daughters slipped out of the room. When asked again, the twins agree on Fablehaven.