#How can I learn more about C-diff

[transmutationisms]

hello caden do you have any tips for approaching history texts (both primary and secondary) as someone not in the history field? also how does one widen their general knowhow regarding the histories of diff countries? it seems like the type of thing one shld work on if they want to do largescale analyses but ive only really ever known my own country's history and america's history

these are some guiding questions i wrote out in regards to evaluating sources, and some more general tips for reading academic texts. i would also honestly recommend this extract from david bloor's strong programme in the sociology of knowledge—this pertains specifically to scientific knowledge so may not be entirely relevant to you, but is worth glancing over anyway as the general positions on symmetrical analysis are really critical to absorb imo. i would also say a key to reading historical texts regardless of what field you're in or not is that you absolutely must be willing to call bullshit when somebody is just peddling reactionary or liberal frameworks LOL. these are texts that may have useful data or anecdotes in them but whose explanatory narratives are flawed off the bat and you can, should, and must say so. :-)

in regards to breadth of knowledge, i think it's easy to be intimidated, but the truth is most historians do not have a lot of facts memorised about the entire world either. to some extent breadth and depth will always have some conflict with each other, and most historical methodology these days leans more toward developing deeper knowledge of a few countries or regions (usually even more specifically identified by a research area focussed on some particular topic and time period!) than toward a narrative of world-history. a text that purports to accomplish that tends to be bad, honestly, because there's a necessary lack of specificity, elision of very different cases into one another, &c. that said i obviously do recommend digging into any and all topics you do have an interest in; try to read widely and critically, and over time you will usually find that you start to orient yourself in the particular history you're looking at. i don't think you're ever past a point where you can start this process and i think the skills that comprise historical study can always be learned and honed.

[allieebobo]

Hello there! I hope you don't mind this, but from the moment I first opened up Merry Crisis, the whole medium of IF has occupied a not insignificant amount of my headspace, introducing me to something I could never have imagined before. If I may ask, what first got you set into IF, and if someone was considering trying to get into the medium, what would you tell them?

Ahh!!! You're already really set on the writing/craft part (I love the stuff on your blog!) So I'll dive right into IFs as a medium and how I feel it feels different from writing fiction + advice I guess? (Below the cut)

If you'd like me to point you to specific resources and sites to get started on the actual coding, let me know!

Here's a short list: @manonamora-if has some great resources, brushmen on YouTube has some good choicescript tutorials, the choicescript website and twine cookbook have some pretty robust documentation on how to use the various scripts, and Emily short's blog has some more intellectual discussion of narrative.

SCOPE

I write pretty quickly but even then, I realized that the branching in IFs means that even short ideas become long and unwieldy pretty quickly. If I could go back and give myself advice, I'd be a lot more disciplined about starting small and contained.

2. BRANCHING

Branching (or having diff choices lead to diff scenes) is pretty much the heart of IF (vs. traditional fiction). Striking the right balance i.e. Providing enough branches for rich variation and the feeling of player agency while balancing against over-expanding the game beyond what's sustainable is super important!

Completely non-convergent branches are rare in IFs (i.e. writing essentially 2 different stories depending on a choice). Instead, two main ways to achieve branching are: (a) different scenes that eventually converge back into a main path, and (b) stat trackers that trigger different texts/scenes.

3. STATS

There are various ways to do stats: (a) numerical (if stat x > 10) (b) simple text (if stat x is "dislike") and (c) true/false (if stat x is true). I usually use numerical stats if more nuance is needed (e.g. for tennis skills), I also use it for relationship bars but am increasingly finding that it might be more elegant to use (b) to make the game remember significant moments and choices in relationships with characters.

(B) is my go-to for most other types of stats because of its versatility. (C) is for the simplest stats, and can sometimes be all you need (e.g. has MC kissed someone. Is MC selected to play singles etc.)

4. CODING

Whether to use choicescript or twine can be a big decision that determines how the IF eventually shapes up, because I think the first coding avenue you go down usually becomes a "first language" of sorts--what you tend to find most intuitive/familiar.

Personally I think choicescript is easier and faster to learn and lets you publish under the hosted games label (where there may be a ready made community/target audience). But twine allows for a LOT more functions, customization of the UI/look and feel of the game and also it's open source so you can self publish.

5. GAME VS STORY

I think ultimately depending on genre, IFs can feel very much like a game (e.g. the great tournament), with management of stats, success/fail checks, D&D-esque in nature, or like a story (e.g. branching is mainly in creating multiple layers of the overall narrative, there's more focus on dialogue and characters and development arcs etc.) Or it could be a balance of both.

[sialaterornever]

6 and 9 for the ask game, for any character you'd like!

6. How does your oc feel about labels? Theirs, or in general?

Ooooh this one I'll go with aodh gephelon my silly for the seiiki city :D

aodh for himself doesnt really like. give a damn about labels. it gets their use and respects them, but doesn't really care about them for itself. like, yeah, he uses it/its pronouns, but he doesn't really identify as anything particularly.

this also applies to its sexuality! he kind of just says he's bisexual because he's never really had any relationships ever, romantic or otherwise, so he just says he's bi just to get the question over with.

(yes, even friendships :pensive:)

i sincerely doubt he's going to give himself a proper label any time soon.

in general he still doesn't care, but he refuses to ask for details about what a certain label means. it can and will learn only through osmosis. actually i think he just says he's bi because that's the first label he learned about and decided to use it just cuz. yknow?

9. Are there cultural or lore specific aspects to their identity? If applicable, does their species affect it?

ok diff oc time! gonna answer for my main oc/sona, sia llaneig!

c!sia primarily identifies as fluidflux because of what they are! he's an alien called a pirinori that can basically shapeshift into species that they've absorbed the dna of, and their culture doesn't really have gender to begin with. they don't have male or female, the closest thing would be the Inside and Outside pirinori. i dont have names for them yet. thinking maybe Outside pirinori can be called the Hearth and the Inside the Fuel? Something like that

anyways basically how pirinori reproduce is that one or more pirinori goes inside the other (because their body is essentially this clay-like material without any fleshy organs or fluids) and the cores (basically their "main organ" that has all the functions of all of our organs combined into a ball) inside all the pirinori lose the protective shell that, well, protects it. the Inside/Fuel pirinori (which can be multiple) focus on creating children, which i dont really have fully fleshed out yet but whatever. the Outside/Hearth pirinori has to protect all the cores that are inside it and the other pirinori(s) involved to keep them safe and provide them energy. the more pirinori involved inside one will mean it takes longer to make children & puts more strain on the Outside/Hearth pirinori.

these roles aren't inherently born, though some pirinori are just better at guarding/creating than others. so, there's no real concept of gender.

c!sia because heavily influenced by human cultures and aspects after accidentally crash-landing on the planet, and liked the idea of just... changing their identity as they saw fit. similarly to her body. of course, just because he may choose one or more sets of pronouns doesn't mean they choose to look like it.

(they have, several times, shapeshifted into different genders (human and otherwise) in order to take advantage of different perks that they get)

as for sexuality, sia doesn't fully understand it because of the whole pirinori stuff. she doesn't see herself as either an outside/hearth or an inside/fuel pirinori and has no plans on making more pirinori, so she's kind of just unlabelled at the moment.

c!sia's also not really a self-insert since i myself am not fluidflux lol. he's kind of just like. a guy that i know.

[omegasmileyface]

The Forest, the Trees, the Fire I: CATALYST

Chapter 7

chapter 6 was also posted earlier, so go check that one out if you missed it! Authors: @attackradish, @ectolemonades, me. Artist: @/crunchysart

For the full characters list, word count, content warning, and a directory to all the currently available chapters and related content, see the Table of Contents!

full summary: The world outside of Amity Park has learned about the existence of ghosts, and the time for first impressions has arrived. The delicate public consciousness could be disrupted by the slightest ripple. Danny Fenton is being ripped apart from all sides, and when he finally breaks, the ripples will be very big indeed.

warnings: references to racism and classism

words: 2467

AO3 link

first chapter

previous chapter

next chapter

===

January 16, 2007

Jazz was trying very hard to focus on her dinner and not the growing anxiety around her new syllabi when her phone chimed. She had tried to set a boundary that she would never check her phone during meals and take that important rest period away from herself, but it was the first time it had gone off since Christmas. She couldn't resist!

Tucker Foley: (17:20) dannys missing. havent heard frm him since th 5th

Well. That certainly ruined the mood.

You: (17:20) Crap. R we sure that he's not just busy? 11 days is a lot but he's weird like that from time 2 time

Tucker Foley: (17:22) c thats the thing. hes been MIA a lot recently. several days at a time. but im more worried this time bcuz the portals gone

Oh. Oh, shit, that was new.

You: (17:22) The portal is GONE? How do u kno? What happened?

Tucker Foley: (17:23) whole ectomap is diff. not sure. phone call? i can get us some better communication

Jazz was shaking in her dining hall seat. Danny was gone, with no reliable way of getting between realms? Mom and Dad were alone, in the middle of an anti-ghost government incursion, and with their life's work inactive for whatever reason?

Maybe everything added together in the ways she feared, maybe it didn't. Either way, something terrible was either happening or about to happen. She could already feel the guilt weighing on her for not thinking to go back home before now.

You: (17:25) Maybe. I'm coming over tho.

Jazz managed to clean up her dinner and start heading back to her dorm before Tucker called.

"You're coming, for real?"

"Yeah. Clearly stuff's going on in Amity, and I need to be there for it."

"Yeah, but, like, don't you have classes that you can't miss?"

Jazz double-checked that her roommate wasn't in before continuing. "Tucker, my baby brother is missing, while my parents are working with the group that's getting his existence criminalized across the whole country. Why would that not be worth pushing my degree back a bit?"

"Just feels like a waste of loan money, is all."

Jazz shrugged. "I'll just loot Vlad's house and sell all his Packers merch."

"I imagine the feds already beat you to that. Good luck, though."

At least five outfits and two pairs of pajamas, check. Toiletries, check. "What'd they do with all his money, anyway? Maybe it's still out there and you could wire me some of it."

"Why do you think I can do that? I'm not a comic book character, Jazz, I'm a teen with a piracy hobby."

Jazz hesitated for a moment before packing Bearbert Einstein. "Worth a shot. So, what's been up with you?"

"What's been up with me? Oh, you're chatting. We're chatting. You really must not have any friends of your own."

"Tucker!"

"Sorry, just an observation. I'm sorry. Well. I made a little system people in town can use to plan pro-ghost protests and stuff, but otherwise I've been trying to stay out of it, even though it's been a little lonely."

Jazz hummed. She'd better pack a towel. For all she knew, the extras back home had been sewn into some kind of ectophobic parachute.

"Lola got in trouble at school for defending Phantom in front of the vice principal. Like, she had to stay after school while he checked with the GIW to make sure they didn't have to write her up or anything. Fuck that guy, honestly. So my parents have been on edge, and they don't want me drawing any attention. Lola's eight years old, and pretty fuckin' cute too! If she gets in that kinda trouble, imagine what'll happen if they think me or my parents are pro-ghost."

Jazz cringed. "That really sucks."

"Yeah. I know."

She gave the room another quick once-over to be sure she didn’t miss anything she'd need for the next month or two. "How's Sam?"

"Couldn't tell ya. Her parents were pissed when they found out she was leading all those protests, and they moved away."

"Oh. Haven't you been talking?"

"Not really. What would we talk about, anyway? She's still mad because I wouldn't join her on the front lines. She doesn't get it. If she gets arrested protesting, she gets an embarrassing picture in the newspaper and her parents pay a fine and life goes on. If the same thing happened to me, my future would be ruined, forget that I'm not eighteen yet. Nobody employs a Black kid who has a criminal record before graduating."

"I'm really sorry that's something you have to worry about."

"Whatever. It's Sam! I'm sure she'll figure it out in a couple months and immediately pivot to doing the exact opposite. She never turns down self-sacrifice when it makes her look good."

Jazz gathered up her backpack and duffel by the door. "Wow, sounds like you really haven't been getting along at all lately."

Tucker sighed on the other end of the phone. "Honestly, we never would have been friends if Danny wasn't there. He made it make sense somehow. Not that I don't like hanging out with Sam! She manages to keep up with our humor and stuff. But it's hard when there's nobody there to buffer her. …Or me. Probably shocking to hear this from Too Fine himself, but I know I can be kind of a hassle when I lose my impulse control."

"That's a really intelligent thought, Tucker. Maybe it'll help you build new friendships, if you want."

He scoffed. "You really therapy-talking me at seven PM? You must miss Danny bad."

"Could you give me a sec? I need to write something."

"She's deflecting now!" The line went quiet.

Jazz gathered up her roommate's sticky notes and pen. Sorry, Lin. I'm gonna be gone for a while, at least a week. Family emergency. Not sure when I'll be back, but if you see a ghost who looks like me and she asks for my stuff, let her take it. Thanks!

"'Kay. Anything else to say?"

"Not really. I honestly wasn't expecting a conversation. I guess, um… how have you been?"

"Eh. College. Hey, I'll be back in Amity by… midnight. Make sure it's not up in flames by the time I get there?"

"You're driving now? I knew you got your dad's bad road habits! Please don't fall asleep at the wheel, okay? I'll do my best to keep everything un-up-flamed until you get here."

Jazz clipped the seatbelts over her bags, just to be extra sure they wouldn't fly around. "Of course! I've got my soundtrack. Later, Tucker." She shut off her phone and stuck in her favorite hip-hop CD she kept hidden under the passenger seat. Time for a very reasonable amount of speeding.

===

"Huntress!"

Valerie looked down from her latest capture to see the Doctors Fenton, waving their hands like little kids to get her attention. She went down to meet them.

"Yes?"

"We've always been really impressed with your efficiency at dealing with ghosts," said Maddie.

Val thought back to all the times the Fentons had shown up to a ghost sighting already yelling, plotting their every move out loud. Sure, she had better tech nowadays, but she was pretty sure her greatest weapon against ghosts was common sense. "Thank you." Still, not bad to kiss up when it came to making connections. "That means a lot, from professional hunters such as yourselves."

"You may know that we've been working with the Garrison Irving Walker Commission recently," said Jack.

She didn't, but it didn't particularly surprise her.

"Well, we've been wanting to have you come in so we can talk business!"

"And by we," chimed in Maddie, "he means the Commission."

Mentally, Valerie prepped a fake signal to go off on her suit so she had an excuse to leave if she needed. She knew the GIW weren't after her, but she had been sort of avoiding them recently. Just in case. "Business?"

"We're all wondering how you make it look so easy!"

"And how you made that flashy suit!"

"It's not an interrogation or anything, we just want you to share some tricks of the trade if you've got time."

Valerie wasn't sold, so she used a technique she'd picked up when applying for jobs. "I'll have to make some time. Could I contact you later with a schedule?"

"Sure! The FentonWorks phone number—"

"Maybe a GIW number would work better? Since it's set up with them."

"For sure!" Maddie grabbed a business card from her utility belt. "If you just press 0 a bunch, you'll get to the receptionist eventually."

"We look forward to hearing from you!"

===

"What would they do if you said no?" Damon Gray asked. He handed Valerie another soapy plate.

She let the water finish running over the plate before she spoke. "I almost don't want to think about it. I mean, I want to think that they'll just respect my privacy as a fellow ghost fighter, but they didn't really have a lot of reason to look into Mr. Masters, did they? If they're that paranoid, won't they look into me too?"

"Well, let's think about it this way." Damon hung the dishcloth back on the faucet. Nice, sub-ten-minutes dishes! "What's the worst outcome if they do look into you?"

"Well, they find my secret identity."

"And then?"

"And then… they get mad at me for doing vigilante stuff. They arrest me for the property damage I've done in fights, and take my suit away because I'm a kid."

"Is that it? Could be worse. I'm sure the people will be on your side because of how much you've helped the cities before. Will they look into your suit at all?"

"Ooh, yeah, if they can. It's sort of bonded to me right now."

Damon frowned but didn't interrupt.

"They might find out that I'm using tech that came from ghosts. I bet they wouldn't like that."

"They all use ecto-technology stuff too, right? I'm sure they wouldn't mind too much, since you're human."

Valerie didn't respond.

"…Well," said Damon, "I'm gonna go get the mail. Let me kn—"

"What if I wasn't?"

"Sorry?"

"I mean— not that I'm not human! And I'm definitely not a ghost. But what if there were some ghostly things about me?"

"Sweetie, what aren't you telling me?"

Valerie turned away. "…Weird ghostly stuff has been happening to me for a few months and I think it's because of my suit."

"Valerie Gloria Gray!"

"It's not that bad! Like, y'know, sometimes when I'm embarrassed I'll get kinda see-through for a sec. O-or when I want my suit to do something, it does it before I tell it to."

"No, as a matter of fact, I do not know!" Damon sighed. "But I'm glad you're okay."

Valerie nodded.

"I'm going to want to talk about this later, but right now I'm getting the mail. I'll just say this before I go; the GIW is supposed to be protecting humans, right? If they're any good at their job, they won't do anything drastic because you're so human."

"Okay. Yeah."

"Love you."

"Thanks, Dad."

Still… better safe than sorry. Valerie was going to find a phone booth tomorrow and schedule the meeting for Saturday.

===

Danny hated the basement of the Keep. He hated it, even more than he hated the rest of the place. Even when it was updated with shiny black and white stone and glass like the rest of the building, it still felt old and foreboding.

When people called the building a "keep", they usually meant it more metaphorically, or they just didn't know that keeps were short-term military hideouts. Most of the structure was more like a palace, enduring and luxe. The basement, though, was the site of a permanent last stand. It had morphed out of the old throne room and kept all the miasma from before, without most of the deathtraps. It was the heart of the palace, in the way that a fear response starts in the heart and radiates outward.

And here Danny was, trying to open up old wounds.

The Fright Knight's resting place was exactly where it had been before, dutifully beside his old king, even if they were both cursed to sleep forever. It was sort of romantic, almost. Like poetry. If you squinted.

But when Danny took the sword out of the pumpkin, the Fright Knight only had to look around for a few seconds before he kneeled, seemingly having figured out the whole… situation. Not that he had expected any serious loyalty out of the knight after his previous escapades, but that was sort of sad.

It didn't seem like the knight was going to stand up unless Danny said something.

"Um… hey. Hi. You can stand."

He stood.

"You have a lot of military leadership experience, right?"

"Yes, my King."

"Alright. Have you ever dealt with passive defense? Like, not going out and fighting so much as preparing to only defend if necessary?"

"Of course. While it is not a responsibility I've had particularly often, it is something I've studied and practiced."

"Okay. I think the entirety of the Infinite Realms are going to be attacked soon."

The Fright Knight valiantly concealed a look of skepticism.

"Honestly! There are humans with a lot of technology, a lot of brainpower, and an unthinkable amount of hatred. I'm going to be doing all I can to prevent things from getting that bad on the diplomatic side, but... I don't want to ignore any possibilities."

"That's very intelligent, my King. Would you like me to suggest strategies on defense?"

"Yeah! I'd like to talk through any thoughts you have on defense and anything else, if that's okay. You have way more experience than me."

"Understood. Would it be possible to bring me something on which to write? I believe it would make the explanation easier."

"Of course. We can do whatever makes you most comfortable. I'm not planning on putting you back in there any time soon— I mean, unless you do something terrible— so you may as well get cozy."

The pair moved into the library and before too long, talk of a general ghost defense movement turned into full lectures on the possible  ways to handle the humans' anti-ghost shift. Tactic after tactic came back to one thing.

"We will only have negotiating power if you tell the humans that you are prepared to destroy them and mean it."

Danny weighed that thought in his mind for a bit. He turned the idea around, considering its taste. He didn't like it.

"And will you mean it, Phantom?"

"Mm… I think I will."

[cdifffoundation]

A Global Stroll In the Park To Raise C. diff. Awareness On September 25th

A Global Stroll In the Park To Raise C. diff. Awareness On September 25th

Join Us For a Stroll In the Park on September 25th In-Person, and On-Line To Raise C. diff. Awareness Around the Globe!         September 25th is right around the corner and we are so excited to have this opportunity to walk together either in-person at the following park locations: Sims Park, New Port Richey, FL Milton A. Votee Park, Teaneck, NJ  Brown Street Park Complex, Spring City,…

[maiiyahh]

why sports anime charas wouldn't immediately get folded by ppl from shounens

okay so obviously this isn't going to talk about people from REALLY REALLY op verses like fucking dragonball or bleach or one piece, because literally everyone gets folded by them except for ppl from their own worlds and the mcs from those shitty reincarnated time-traveling tower climbing bullshit manhwas. i will mainly be talking about my hero academia and black clover bc these are the two that i think are somewhat 'weaker' (relatively!! relatively!!!!) compared to other mangas and animes ive seen. also when im refering to shounen i mean like,, ones with powers. ALSO, and this is really important, I AM NOT SAYING THAT THE SPORTS CHARACTERS WOULD WIN. i'm just saying that they're stronger than they get credit for, especially since a lot of people who i see debating this stuff aren't athletes and don't really understand how sport affects you in other parts of your life (including but not limited to fights)

SO!! point 1!! i think this gets swept under the carpet a lot whenever ppl are debating who's better, but powers that work in a specific sport can be translated into something outside of that sport. take midorima from knb as an example: he can shoot really good 3-pointers. well, outside of basketball, that probably means that he would have: a, really good spatial awareness since he never loses the ball or bumps into someone while shooting, b, insane hand-eye coordination, and c, crazy accuracy whenever he throws stuff in general. that's all stuff that's pretty useful in a fight, ngl. honestly, this skillset is kinda better than half the ppl in class 1a. like, sure, they've got quirks, but take away their quirks and most of them are basically useless.

POINT TWO. if a character has a power like isagi's meta vision or kuroko's vanishing thing (idk if it has a name) it's not gonna go away as soon as they get in a fight. meta vision literally lets isagi predict the future. there is no reason why this ability wouldn't give him the upper hand in a fight with someone else. especially since it's not strictly confined to football. the only thing he needs is data, and he can get a lot of that from watching fights. honestly, meta vision is so broken that i just know if he was in bnha it would count as a quirk.

POINT THREE, specifically for people like kise ryouta and reo mikage. anyone who can copy other people will still be able to do it. like obviously they're not gonna be able to shoot fire or do a domain expansion or summon a stand or any of that shit, but they can still copy physical moves. so if they go watch 100 videos of ppl doing krav maga or some shit they'll be able to do it, which would make them pretty strong. considering how in bnha (sorry bnha fans ur anime is just the easiest to compare too) people with more mentally-focused quirks can become really strong just by relying on a weapon or learning some sort of fighting style. in black clover literally half the people get beaten up by some kid who has zero magic and a sword. like, what's stopping kise from grabbing a sword and slamming into some random ua kid's head?? it's not like they'd see it coming.

okay i know you're getting sick of me at this point but just hear me out

sports anime are only underrated in fights because people assume that every single person with powers immediately solos. like, normally they do, but a lot of the time it's not a zero diff fight, like come on. sure, zoro would kill hinata, but would yaomomo really beat reo mikage?? like are you sure?? are you only going off the fact that since she has powers she wins?? think about it for a second, please, i beg of you. powers =/= strong. thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[transfemlogan]

(Trying to keep it low) 1, 2, 9, 16 for the fan sides ask game. (No pressure and feel free to answer a diff one if you really want to)

Fan Sides Ask Game

1. How many sides do you have?

I have 6 sides! I have debated adding another one, for the sake of having them fit all the colours in the rainbow, but I don't know if I need anymore. They all mesh together really well & I don't think I have any other large traits in my personality.

REST UNDER CUT BCUZ THIS GOT SO LONG HEHEHE

2. What are your sides traits? Are they the same or different from the Sanders Sides?

Egotism, Impulse, Paranoia, Compassion, Creativity, Fatigue

They USED to be the same as the sides, back when I only had like 3 (Logic, Anxiety, & Morality) in middle school, but I changed them to fit me better!

Logan became Fatigue, Anxiety became Paranoia, Morality became Compassion.

I used to have a bunch of other side ideas, like having 2 twins 2 represent my aroflucuality (1 being romantic attraction, the other being lack of romantic attraction), but I don't (personally) like the idea of having a side represent my sexuality. It was mostly 4 silly fun.

(Fun fact: Creativity is one of my newest sides!)

9. Do your sides interact with the Sanders Sides? If so, who gets along with who? Who hates each other?

YES THEY DO!! They interact with the sides in my swapped self-insert AU (near the end, when I meet up w/ c!Thomas & now we're like "ok. How do we... switch back.")

I would like to make an AU where they interact regularly, but I can't think any plot ideas that would need us to Meet in any sort of way.

Wentz (creativity) 100% gets along with Remus. He'd get along with Roman for like 2 seconds, bcuz "hey it's another creativity!!", before Roman realises this freak is just like his brother. Wentz & Remus r both running around & making dead bodies & going "LOOK ITS ART!!"

Patton like, has a weird relationship with Melvin (compassion). He assumes that they'd be very similar in personality and opinions, and they kind of are, but Mel speaks his mind & is very blunt & straightforward & it makes Patton feel Odd. Mel is not afraid to point out anyone's mistakes & I feel like Patton would take this as Mel not liking him, when Mel holds no negative feelings 4 Pat (Mel just think he's a little misguided).

(+ I feel like Patton would find out that Mel + the rest of the undead sides have no empathy, since I don't have any empathy, & . He's def not ableist, but his upbringing & the way he thinks makes him immediately react negative & hold like... a grudge? Against them, esp Mel? IDK NOT IN A "UNSYMP PATTON" WAY, OBVS, HE'S JUST u know. He has a lot 2 learn & mel is willing 2 lend a hand)

Mel & Logan also get along. Like, being compassion, Mel cares so much for everyone around him & will drop everything to help anyone. Mel probably says some nerdy thing abt something & Logan is like :O ur smart wtf. (I also think Mel would 100% be like. "HEY! CAN WE FUCKING LISTEN 2 LOGAN RN HES TRYING 2 TALK" & its both uncomfortable & euphoric 4 Logan.)

Mercury (Paranoia) wouldn't really get along with anyone, though xe might find comfort in Roman. I don't have any reason why. I just feel like no one would be able to comfort him good during a delusional episode (minus Logan) & Roman is this loud man being like "THERES A MAN IN THR CLOSET?" (PULLS OUT SWORD & STARTS FIGHTING CLOTHES IN THE CLOSET) LIKE FJWHFK Roman's willing 2 be a hero 4 this little man whos terrified to step in front of mirrors & mercs couldn't be happier.

MERCURY WOULD NEVER GET ALONG WITH VIRGIL. Not 4 any reason, mercs is just holding a rlly lame grudge against him.

Memphis (egotism) & Janus might get along bcuz of their similar opinions on self care & selfishness, though ... I don't want to say Memphis is "more extreme", but she isn't doing things out of Self Care. Like, in SVS, Janus is trying to get Thomas to go to the callback to show that it's okay to be selfish and care about yourself. While Memphis would also want Thomas (or me, in this situation) to go to the callback, Memphis is doing it out of "you're inherently better than the people around you."

& that line of thinking is... Very Much against what Janus is trying to show Thomas. Janus (& Remus) are trying to show that no one is inherently good & no one is inherently bad, but Memphis believes that she (& I) are inherently better & that everyone is "below us"

They'd get along, but have very differing opinions.

Patton fucking hates Memphis. Memphis is what Patton does not want Thomas to become. I also think it'll throw him for a loop seeing Compassion & Egotism in one person.

Maven (fatigue) doesnt like making friends or getting 2 know ppl & would much rather be alone 4ever. The concept of interavting w/ others is like. So annoying 2 them.

(Id type more but im running out of spoons & this cant stay in my drafts anymore)

The "dark" sides & my sides have a good relationship automatically. Like the concept of sides that r excluded is something all my sides do not like & would immediately support them. They'd have like a... idk the word. Just, like, when u see someone & u nod 2 them & they nod back but u dont rlly know anything its just like... were in the same community.

Maddox (impulse) hates every1 & is like actively trying 2 murder them all /J

16. FREE SPOT FOR ANSWERERS! Ramble about anything you want!

I just went on a 13 paragraph long rant abt my sides & the sanders sides. I am not rambling anymore i am so tired

[bluiex]

How do you like.. start of trying to do NSFW for the first time? I've never written smut before, but I think I'm getting somewhere? I'm probably gonna make it anonymous since I never delve into explicit stuff and stay around teen ratings so people subbed might not expect that. It's MCYT shipping (MC personas), but im kinda scared since shipping is a lil problematic, not to mention as NSFW. Should I make a completely diff thing (blog, etc) for NSFW or just integrate it into my main stuff?

It's only problematic if you ship the actual content creators, or go against the content creators boundaries. Other than that there is seriously nothing wrong at all about shipping the c!'s and making nsfw content.. they are fictional after all.. Some people just refuse to see that and make it a problem when it isn't one. Plus if it isn't those peoples cup of tea like its super easy to block tags and stuff lmao. Don't let the stupid stigma around hermitshipping or mcytshipping in general get to you<3 As for making a completely diff account is totally up to you. If you want to keep your main SFW, then definitely make another account for more NSFW things :) cuz more likely than not, SFW stuff is looked at by younger audiences and we wanna keep the NSFW to 18+ as much as we can, and to tag it properly. With that said! I would suggest just reading other NSFW works, learning the mannerisms, terms, etc. Then try writing it out yourself! Find your own flow, your own way of saying and doing things. Don't be afraid to ask for constructive criticism if you wish to get better and more understanding of it after posting your work<3 It's how you learn!

[deniigi]

sorry to bother again but i am a freshman in college and i am v stressed

how did you get through it and how do I make myself not want to drop every single class i’m in every semester

how does one take more than 5 classes at a time

i am in midterm hell and i am Scared™️

oh you mean, ‘Matt, please do your actual literal job on main?’ Because this is sort of my actual literal job, friend. So don’t worry. I’ve got you.

So first thing’s first, when planning future semesters:

I would recommend against taking more than 5 classes at a time. Mathematically, it is not great for you. If you have to take more than 5, plan on doing 1-2 to during summer school. You won’t be behind. You’re fine. I swear.

Example for future class planning: For every class, look at the number of units/credits it is. That is around the number of hours that you’re gonna spend in that class a week. Now multiply that by 2. That’s about the number of hours total you’re gonna spend on that class in a week (both in class and doing homework).

That means that a 3 unit/credit class = 6 hours of work per week.

You have five of those classes. That means that you’re doing around 30hrs of school work a week. If you have six of those classes, you’re practically working a fulltime job with little to no pay and benefits.

End story: Do not take more than 5 classes a semester if you can help it.

If you can, don’t take more than 4 classes in your major per semester, either. You will die. Use electives and general education classes as your fourth or fifth class to lighten your load and give yourself something that you enjoy and know you can pass for sure. That will give you some breathing room and will help you maintain your GPA.

Coping with Overload now:

At this point in the semester, it’s a little late to be dropping classes, so what you’re going to do instead is to schedule the fuck out of your time.

You need to pick and stick to set dates/times for completing coursework and midterm projects for the next week or two. People do this in different ways, but generally speaking, people will assign projects/homework to certain days.

Example: Monday is Chemistry homework night because assignments are due on Wednesday. You only work on Chemistry on Monday. You finish the assignment and turn it in.

Tuesday is English homework day because assignments are papers and take 3 days to complete due to requiring 3 different steps: research, outlining, and writing. You do the whole researching process on Tuesday and do a basic outline. You will fill out the outline a little more on Wednesday and will then write the whole paper on Thursday so that you can turn it in then, before the Friday deadline.

On Wednesday, after you’re satisfied with your English outline, you will set that aside because Wednesdays are Math days. You will do the Math homework and/or study for 2-3 hours until your brain feels like soup. Then you will stop, do something relaxing for 30min, and then decide if you need to do more studying. If you do, repeat the study + self-care process. Go to sleep at a reasonable hour (before 2am if possible)

Do the same thing for your other 2 classes, assigning each a day and a specific task or set of tasks to complete on each day. Don’t give yourself more than 3 tasks per class/study session, because that’s how you get overwhelmed and into an anxiety spiral.

Apply self-care (breaks, snacks, drinks, music) liberally while doing assignments.

Other tips: figure out how you study.

If you study best in a group, grab some folks from your class and form a study group. If you are in STEM especially, it is expected that you will form study groups. This is how studying happens in STEM, medical, and law fields. It is nigh impossible to do all that labor on your own. Yes, I am serious. Make a study group, even if that’s you and 1 other person.

If you can find a study guide, take it to study group or block out an hour or two and do the whole thing. If you don’t have a study guide, make one yourself out of your homework/assignments and test yourself with flashcards or writing out definitions and forcing yourself to explain the different parts of cycles you learned in class.

If you are in a humanities/liberal arts major, you need to figure out if you study best by reviewing your notes, by re-listening to the lectures, by explaining concepts to others, or by writing it all out as if it was an essay.

If you need to write an essay and are stuck with where to start, reach out for help from a tutor if your school has one, or just start by doing 15 minutes of brainstorming to figure out what you feel about the topic and what evidence/ideas would work to answer it. Pick apart the prompt to see what it is truly asking you to do, write out the components of the prompt separately on a separate page and start answering those question as if they were short answers.

Then when you’ve got that, you can start noting bits of evidence to add to support your points and BAM, just like that, you’ve got an outline. Write a thesis statement at the top that addresses the Who, What, Why and How You’re Going to Prove it of your essay and you’re ready to go.

Example thesis statement: “The world represented in Oh God, How do I Study by Matt Deniigiq includes references to time management, course planning, and big-picture thinking to emphasize the broader theme that this one shit semester is not going to destroy student’s lives. This is evident in the droll humor used throughout the piece and the fact that the author keeps halting in paragraphs to answer emails from frazzled students.”

**yes, your thesis can be 2 sentences long. It’s allowed, I promise.

Know that these 5 classes will not end your life.

Honestly, like, speaking as someone who does this for a living, at public schools anything higher than a C is grand. It’s not usually required for you to list your GPA on job apps later on (I’ve never been asked). No one actually cares about your GPA in social situations.

As long as my students have higher than Cs in their classes and they aren’t like, nursing students, I’m cool with their progress, so give yourself a break if you can.

Also know that getting a low grade in 1 class as a freshmen doesn’t actually fuck up your GPA as bad as you think it will. Like, there’s a lot of complicated shit around this that I could go into, but generally speaking, if you fail one class (and I mean FAIL-fail it. Fs and D-s. None of this ‘UwU I got a C so I failed’), then by the time you’re a junior or a senior, if you haven’t failed additional shit, that F/D- is barely going to shift your GPA.

Like, we’re talking .1 shifts around then. Maybe a .3 shift if you’re at the end of your sophomore year. That’s the diff between a 2.5 and a 2.4. Or a 3.3 and a 3.0. You can make that up almost entirely by taking another round of classes and getting As and Bs (again, the mechanics are complicated, so you’re just gonna have to take my word here).

So yeah, shoot for Cs or higher and know that these classes aren’t the end-all be-alls of your lives.

(For context, if I get a student with a 3.0 or higher, I’m fucking ELATED. I’m not even joking. Y’all will be fine.) 

--

Start with these tips and get back to me if you want something more specific. I do this all day, every day.

[ursie]

Nico doesn't have more than a sixth grade education canonically, but go off ig. And him and Annabeth get along pretty well, or at least aren't enemies. He isn't book smart, he's combat and street smart.

asdsdsddffdfgg ok ok I was gonna be mean and make a joke here about Annabeth not even finishing 2nd but I’ll actually answer this. If we are going under the assumption that Chiron taught any of the year rounders anything I think it’s fair to give the same consideration to Nico who A. actually actively tries to learn, B. has been shown to have tutors/teachers, C. Hades is shown to at least try to raise him, & D. is not at any point implied to have less of a education then any of the children. 

In Fact canon implies Nico is more book smart than street smart. Nico is naive , and kinda gullible, but what does know is what he knows he’s well read in lore, history, and seems to have an understanding of multiple cultures. geography, and strategy. 

I would not argue he is the smartest as I don’t think you can make that statement as they all know diff things, I would say Leo is canonically and Nico is probs close to that in actual writing - I do think Annabeth is supposed to be one of the smartest but and this is only due to Rr’s writing but that’s really more of an informed trait it hardly actually comes into play. It’s stated then Percy outsmarts the monster, it’s stated then Luke tricks her, it’s stated then Nico’s strategy wins the war, ect the only time it was actually used well was in moa.

ok that aside lets talk about the street smart some more : I don’t really agree with this I just think Nico has a diff position then the rest of the gang-he’s the ghost king/advisor (insert point about him being educated here)/ambassador ect he is expected to know a lot about the workings of their world yeah but that’s because of his job and stuff I don’t really like the term street smart because it’s always used to diminish someone who has experience and learned from it. Nico knows how to do his jobs because he’s smart. that’s all you need. 

he is combat smart and I would argue one pf the best combatants in the series and def one of the strongest strategists. 

ok now to touch upon one more thing I don’t like how you said doesn’t have more than a sixth grade education then finished it by saying he’s not book smart but street smart. like?? do you think all drop outs are stupid like he can read like omg *I don’t have more than a 6th grade education either I’m still book smart like pls check your damn classism next time. Like do you honestly think he hasn’t read a book since ttc??? you think he never had to learn math?? or literally anything else?? this character whose main trait is being curious never sought out any more “book smarts” because he didn’t finish 5th grade??? like I hope you understand with all your book smarts what a god damn awful statement and thought process that is. work on it. 

also him and Anna/beth aren’t friends I know it because he has taste die mad about it <3 next q 

*was asked yes this is ok to rb and discuss

[misterbitches]

so like life sucks right so im trying to pluck my face and i stumbled upon bounprem stuff even tho i've been watching like nothing or drumming videos (i lied... know why, cos i keep clicking on fanmade mvs for winteamidk why bc i hate watching them but they give me info in extremely close amounts of time)

ANYWAY

con: is boun rich? if so, shame

pro: everything else. i ESPECIALLLLLLLY like how they want to work behind the camera!!!!!!! it seems like that was boun's goal all along which really excites me as a ~filmmakeur~ and i like that prem may try it too. i laughed when he didnt know what a slate was but he didn't know about production and he's a green actor so i can believe that but he shouldnt sell himself short cos being an actor can give you a lot of insight into the behind the scenes work. it also makes u appreciate us more :)

this makes me want to hug my friends lmao i havent seen or touched friends and i'm fucking single and im high alone GOD WHY!!!!

anyway my point was that im high and love them and i hope they do art >:)

lastly, i hope they are friends forever they have great chemistry and their true actual care for e/o. i was thinking about how i don't ship people but i enjoy seeing good relationships esp in this context. bl is really devoid of a lot of shit but i think what's the best thing about seeing two people who share a space and are being looked at is the chemistry of how that dynamic works as co-workers and, hopefully, close friends. that's why pretend camraderie is important when doing (dumb) press-circuits (so people can make ze $)

it's always nice to see natural chemistry or people learning their rship or even people who may not be close after shooting (in any context, but here in particularly) but find themselves as older casual friends to catch up with. since this genre is so heavily focused on blurring those lines or whatever when things start getting weird (like from exposure and lack of good skilsl of acting and/or care or whatever idk im high) or they have shitty rships in between them for whatever reason u can immediately tell

so like oh your chemistry is real ! on top of that for some it's like oh real and ur playing characters that are falling in love. idk what im saying it's just reaally exciting to meeee u have a perosn with u supporting u thru the same process u r. also with two people there's always going to be someone who picks up not...slack but is more into a leadership type position (i hate using this word) but somoene you rely on if you arent the type to want to take care of eveyrthing—a lot of friends and couples do it (i do with my best friends. literally i'll be quiet and let them do things im too embarrassed to do but im still insanely forceful and i will play that role for them if needed) so bounprem have that in their natures and boun being older and slightly mroe mature (or i would say again different natures who knows)

it's the same type of joy you get and excitement you feel when ensemble casts truly like each other and it's ~natural energie~ (like in my engineer the whole feel of it i'm just like omg u guys are FRIENDS fijshoufija theyre so cute; hope theyre all okay) it also shows that you have someone/people you trust and having fun on set is really important. filming should be fun. a lot of times i don't like finishing shows because if the chemistry is good for the cast i feel like empty, like im leaving the set. that's a really good feeling tho!!!

anyway i think a big part of it (im still trying to articulate myself) is the fact that they dont have to be real but have the capacity to be and can set the limits of their rship but it's really nice to have a really influential set of people who want the best for you and vice versa esp if someone knows u more intimately in a capacity many people may not experience/understand because of ur job (IE showing as ~lovers~ but being friends irl even tho uve been very intimate for simulation and artistic value. this is based on a specific set of principles btw i'm not including sex work here bc it's also very different and a job in a different way but it doesnt make it lesseer than anything. all jobs suck tho)

ALSO I realize how easily their personalities fit winteam not in a 'they dont have to try" way cos they do and should. they're ok actors and the more u do and learn etc but the chemistry tests they probably had with them probably solidified that even though they are very diff than their characters. being an insanely good swimmer from jump gives the watcher the impression of probably perfectionism, a bit of torment, perhaps dumb jock syndrome, and having to be insanely good; for win the tattoos are an instant signifier instantly (if u c them) cos it's always like ~ooh what's the story~* lmao

[curiousscientistkae]

You know how you outline every chapter of your werewolf AU before you write them? Do you keep your outlines, and have you ever considered publishing them. I'm curious to see the difference between the outline and the finished product

i probably wont ever publish them least not werewolf au cause like while i have an outline on google docs i never finished it ie, ive been using notebooks and pieces of paper like an idiot but i can tell you some stuff along with chipped au! i can tell yall the diffs

chipped au:

It wasnt supposed to be 17 chapters I had hoped it was only a few but lmao

At one point i as gonna have glimmer get her magic but via whatever that planet was in s5 that was made of magic but after talking to others that didnt pan out

I was thinking of keeping the heart/failsafe + other getting chipped but since i HATE the heart/failsafe and didnt finish s5/care to and the chipped thing like all the princesses getting chipped i didnt like that got canned

at one point Glimmer was supposed to find First One stuff to try and help adora get to her senses because i wished for more with the First ones and adora learning about her family but i never could work that out

my outline ends at 15 chapters.lmao it wasn't

Werewolf au:

i bigish? one ill say right away. for a while i debated what to do with catra and adora. do i go break up c/a and explore that or go with the sister stuff. you can see what finally won

i had this story for so long a lot has changed but for a while i had it maybe adora didnt tell glimmer she was a werewolf but glimmer was like "i found this girl naked in the woods after a full moon shes a were something" and it would eventually come out

remnants remain as someone once said to me they thought this would happen but i for a while was going to have adora think she killed angella. something to have a bit of conflict and to strengthen their relationship in the end cause stuff idk. never did that just had her meet Angella once but forget about it

hmmmmm i know as i outline at first i thought it was gonna be like mid-late 20s for chapters but now its pushing past 30 so :v

not much else really i cant say much with werewolf but yeeeee

[birb-tangleblog]

saw your lovely villain quirin au again, i was wondering, how would it progress? i mean like, would he be redeemed? does varian get saved?

Thank you!! I think I talked a bit on how that AU would go in my responses to some asks on my art account, and imo it'd progress pretty similarly to canon post-S1! 

It looks like I actually deleted the ask where I elaborated tho, so a summary + AU of an AU below!

Quirin helps the Saporians b/c he still wants to see the royal family and Corona burn to the ground, but like Varian does in canon, he has a moment of truth, redeems himself and becomes an ally again. Varian’s saved by Rapunzel, all is well. :>

After Var is freed, Quirin learns from his mistakes and takes a much more proactive approach to the black rocks/moonstone situation, lending his knowledge and knightly skills to the party! He’s a lot more open about his past experience, history, and their DK heritage. The rest of the Tangledads (Edmund and maybe Fred, if/when he gets his memory back since that was... really glossed over in canon) are also more involved in this AU, since the moonstone/rocks/Quirin/Brotherhood/DK/Corona connections are entirely unavoidable at this point.

Another thing that’d change is that Varian's development is set back a year, b/c being in the amber effectively put his arc in stasis. Consequently, he’s a lot more babey here since he wasn’t forced to grow up as he was in canon- but he’s also more determined to prove himself and show his alchemy can be used for good since he hasn’t had the opportunity to do that yet.

Post-series, Var does become Corona's royal engineer, and lives part time at the castle, but instead of remaining in Old Corona, I can see Quirin returning to the DK, probably along with some of the villagers who supported him. He brings his skills as a farmer and leader, and helps with bringing agriculture back to the DK!  Everyone's on amicable terms tho, and Var spends parts of the year in each kingdom- I just think Quirin might feel more comfortable getting a fresh(ish) start away from Corona’s monarchy, particularly after a stint as a villain. (And I’m increasingly fond of the idea of the two of them returning to the DK vs. staying in Corona in any AU tbh!)

ALTERNATIVELY.... an idea I didn't mention before, but toyed with a bit was a more divergent route, where if instead of Quirin getting jailed at the end of S1, he avoided capture, escaped- and pursued the party on their journey to the DK.

(I feel like his grudge is more against FREDERIC than Rapunzel... but he could be going after her for revenge purposes- Fred's daughter being a proxy for his son, eye-for-an-eye thing, + ending Corona’s royal line since she’s the crown princess and heir to the throne.)

I don’t completely know how that’d all play out, other than I think it’d be interesting to have an actual recurring antagonist in S2, with Quirin filling that role. 

Ngl, I also like the idea b/c of the conflict it'd generate for Adira, having to defend the party and go against another person from her past, and making her double down on her ideals even more. Her connection to two rogue knights would call her loyalty into question, and I'm kinda here for the thought of a Hector/Quirin teamup once the group reached the Tree, too??

Like, Hector slapping Quirin with the world's nastiest "I told you so", maybe starting to bring him around to his point of view re. protecting the world from the rocks given what happened to his son? And the two of them working together against their common enemy despite lingering tensions and differences? Black knight Quirin and feral tree man Hector.....? 👀

THAT WAS A RAMBLE but yea, overall I tend to assume it'd follow canon closely, it’s almost more of a roleswap than an AU proper- but I think smth more diff is possible and fun to think about too! I like playing loose w/ ideas and concepts.

[cdifffoundation]

C. diff. Spores and More Live Broadcast Enters Season VI

C. diff. Spores and More Live Broadcast Enters Season VI

Welcome to Season VI on  C. diff. Spores and More Live Broadcast, sponsored by Clorox Healthcare.   With over 260 archived episodes ~ Listen At Your Leisure It’s a new year with an entirely new line up of guests eager to share their C. difficile research, infection prevention methods, clinical trials in progress, the updates in the C. diff. community, and much more.         In March the…

[sensingdejavu]

ACOSF in a nutshell

So I pulled an all-nighter to read the book, slept on my thoughts for days, and I’m still disappointed. So here’s a quick rant

I though we were going to the Illyrian mountains!! Not the house (even though the house was 👌🏻)

We know that Nesta’s been using sex/booze/music to drawn out the voices in her head, but when she was moved to the house where everything is utterly silent and she has no distractions louder than the voices in her head, she still seemed in control. Like maybe I just wanted angsty scenes, but I would’ve loved to see her lose control and for IC to see exactly what she’s going through

The “just sex” plot had so much potential with regards to Nesta being calm enough that she starts talking. Pillow talk anyone??? This could’ve been perfect for Nesta to talk about her trauma in a safe environment

To add on to the Nesta talking point, we still don’t know what it was like for her in the Cauldron. I also would’ve loved to know more about her mother since SJM basically spelled “mommy issue” in big caps

The last 100 pages felt like SJM was like “ohhh I forgot about the Queen, gotta tie that up”

ALSO WAISTING THE BARGAIN ON “GO AWAY” like excuse me but that was so out of character

I feel like if the “mate” concept was introduced, then it should be done some justice. That fight was so useless. Nesta hadn’t mentioned her humanity at all and now all of a sudden she’s holding on to it. Like excuse me? Have we been reading a completely diff book thus far?

It also felt so out of character for Nesta to offer Cassian a biscuit for the mating acceptance. She’s an intense perfectionist character, and Cassian seems like he holds on to traditions in his own way, for that scene to be tied up with a biscuit. It felt like we were missing a scene where they’re back at the house after everything, and for Nesta to ask about it and Cassian to explain it. She probs then would say she wants the ceremony (I actually liked the ceremony part - felt like it was Nesta’s own way of apologizing to Cassian and making a statement infront of the Illyrians about how loved Cassian is) but in the mean time she can offer him something else to eat till then 😏😏😏

Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn winning the blood rite? In what world?

I thought we were promised an Eris redemption arc? All we got is Cassian insulting him

Amren was riding a roller coaster in terms of how much I like her

Nesta didn’t really need to kneel infront of her to apologize

I was looking forward to Nesta making the Illyrians fear her being an actual witch

ALSO WHY DID SHE GIVE UP HER POWER!!! WHY CANT WOMEN IN THE SJM WORLD JUST KEEP THEIR POWERS it would’ve been so much more significant for her to learn how to wield it (also if Amren was helping her then we would’ve had a better scene than Nesta kneeling out of nowhere)

Also Nesta and Rhys are so much alike and after Rhys saw what was in her mind, it would’ve made a difference for him to talk to her! Maybe even offer teaching her control considering he has a lot of power too! I’m not looking for them to be besties, I actually enjoy them calling each other on their bullshit, but an understanding would’ve been nice.

Also Mor? Her character felt out of character

Also I really wanted a scene where Nesta braided Cassian’s hair

Cassian knowing about Lactic acid but Majda not knowing about c-sections!?!? Make it make sense

Now onto things I actually did like

Valkyrie!!!!

Chaperone Az

Nesta having her own girl friends (gives me Aelin vibes and how Rowan was happy when he saw her with Lysandra)

Cassian saying “Nes”

The lake scene was beautiful. Nesta taking accountability broke my heart because it just shows you how aware she is. Personally I related with that because awareness of ones own terrible actions is a diff level of hell

The intensity between Cassian and Nesta

And let’s be honest: the smut

[lynneshobbydomain]

Just Say Yes (OwaMiki Week 2020 Day 2)

((Thank you so much OwaMiki Week for hosting this event! I’m super excited for this pairing!))

Prompt: Birthday/Domestic.

Rating: T

Summary: Mikan comes home from work tired and exhausted and sees a romantic set up waiting for her.

You can read under the cut or at my AO3

It was nothing that she ever experienced before. Mikan came back home from her day at the hospital with bone weary exhaustion seeping into her very core. Just taking her shoes off at the genkan and putting her purse on to the table next to it was more of a relief. Her shoulders felt just a bit lighter from carrying her purse, and her feet were able to breathe after being in her shoes for nearly thirty hours. She took her hair down from the tight bun that was up against her skull, her head throbbing from a small headache. She needed to drink some water, and eat something that wasn’t stuck in a microwave. Just thinking that, her nose caught a scent of food and her stomach growled pitfully as she looked into the apartment. 

The living room was dim, save for a couple of candles that were on the table in front of the T.V. There was a vase in the middle of the small table. She also noticed that it was covered in a ruby red cloth. She tilted her head in confusion as she carefully walked over to the kitchen to see Mondo was at the stove.

It wasn’t an uncommon sight even though it was out of place depending on who knew him. Mondo was standing at the stove. He knew how to cook using fire and he was good at it, even if Mikan would prefer him to not do anything tricky like Teruteru. It was one thing for the Ultimate Chief. It was another entirely when her boyfriend didn’t have any sort of skill save for determination and stubbornness. 

She went over to the fridge and cracked it open and blinked when she saw that there was a gift wrapped in bright ice blue wrapping paper. “Yo-you hid a gi-gift in the re-refridgorator?”

“Hey babe!” Mondo greeted enthusiastically. “Don’t worry about the gift the cold won’t hurt it. How was work?”

Just being reminded that she came home from absolute hell made her want to go back into the living room and put her feet up. She grabbed a bottle of water that was in the fridge, and noticed a note that was lying underneath it. She took that out with the bottle. “I-it was okay.” She said after a moment. “Wh-what’s with the n-note?”

“You can read that if you want to.” Mondo said, not even looking up from the stove. Mikan appreciated that. Last time he got distracted by her, it had been a disaster. “Go sit down babe, this’ll be done in a bit.”

“O-okay.” Mikan took the water bottle and the note, knowing very well that if she even tried to offer to help Mondo would tell her no and force her back into the living room anyway. She sat herself down at the table and smiled when she took note of the flowers. Daffodils, camelias, peonies. She wondered if it was from all the late work hours that she was pulling as of late. 

Mikan would never ever feel guilty for helping people, and Mondo refused to let her even think that way too. However, she knew that she was missing a lot leaving him home alone and sometimes for days. Yet Mondo not once told her that she should leave her job, or even tried to get her to spend a day with him. If anything, he pushed her to go, pushed her to continue to do what she did best, and if anything he liked to brag about her accomplishments in her field. 

She never thought anyone would ever...do that. As an Ultimate, her talent was just...there. She worked hard and got good at it for no other reason than survival. Mondo on the other hand saw that talent of hers and thought it was the best thing that she could have. He saw it in such a different light than she did, it made her only work harder to prove to him that his faith in her wasn’t in vain.

She looked at the note that was lying near her harmlessly and she thought about the gift in the fridge that she left behind. It was such a weird place to put something like that. She wondered if it was supposed to be enjoyed cold. She didn’t usually have much use for things unless it was replenishing her first aid kit, or something they both could use around the house. Everyone in their friend group knew that there were never enough bandages in their apartment due to someone always getting hurt when they were out on the job. 

Mikan took the note and with trembling fingertips she carefully unfolded the paper. She found it amusing that it was stationary paper, and it had pictures of bandages and a nurses hat and a thermator all scattered about on the border. His writing was short and to the point.

Happy Birthday, Babe.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself. The food should be easy to heat up.

Love you!

Oh. He wrote this just in case she didn’t make it home. Then the lightbulb flicked on and she looked at the flowers and then the note and then over at him in the kitchen. It was her birthday?! She had been so busy, it was completely out of her mind! No wonder everything looked nice. He was hoping that she’d come by but he was completely prepared for her to not be able to come home. She pursed her lips together as she carefully tucked the note back into its fold. Now she understood why it was underneath the water bottle. It would be the very first thing she’d go after when she came home.

Mondo came back with the plates of food and her stomach growled helplessly at the presentation. They both tucked into the dinner, Mikan trying to eat as slowly as possible to savor every nuance of the food. There really was no telling when she’d be able to sit down and have a proper meal with the chaos that was happening at the hospital. She just felt bad for the nurse that had to take over her shift. It was a terrible time, and while all hands were needed on deck, no one was good if they overworked themselves to exhaustion. Even if society and economic pressure demanded it of them.

“Th-thank you for the flowers.” Mikan finally broke the silence between them. “A-and for dinner.”

“Any time babe. I’m glad you like the flowers. That was...I wasn’t sure exactly what to fucking do.” Mondo admitted. “I had Taka help me.”

“T-taka? Of all people?” It wasn’t that she doubted Taka’s keen eye if anything she was more concerned about having two loud personalities in the flourist shop. “Wh-why?”

“It was more or less a man to man thing. You get it.” Mondo sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s good at letting me know when I’m doin’ somethin’ stupid. Or going overboard. If anything, the bastard thought this was tame.”

“T-tame?” Mikan stared at Mondo. “Wh-what were you act-actually planning on do-doing?!” She could already see how well it would go down if he thought taking her to a bar would be a good idea. Mondo didn’t drink necessarily, but there were times he would partake with his ex-gang. They all adored him and wanted nothing but the best for him. His leadership left a legacy that no one could touch, even when he decided to change careers. Hope’s Peak Academy had hoped that he would continue on, but both Mikan and Mondo agreed that the softer side of things was more their style.

It wasn’t like Mondo completely abandoned the motorcycle. He was just under strict orders to not wind up in the hospital. 

“Nothin’ like you’re thinkin’. Promise.” Mondo assured. “I know you don’t like to ride.”

“No-not when you de-decide to go f-fast.” Mikan clasped her hands together. She saw enough aftermath of wrecks to know what kind of damage Mondo could go through and those were enough nightmares that kept her worrying when she did come home to an empty apartment and knowing that he was with his gang somewhere. 

Mondo gave her a soft look, “I ain’t gonna get myself hurt. You don’t need to worry yourself too much over it.”

“I c-can’t help that.” Mikan laughed and Mondo shook his head. She learned a long time ago that she had to tame that worry back. He wasn’t going to change too much from the reckless boy she met in high school. All she could do was be there for him however she could. They both had their freedoms. It wasn’t like either of them were willing to tie each other down. Even if there were occassions Mikan wondered and fretted if she was too much, too overwhelming, if she was liked...if she was loved. 

Mondo never ever made her doubt it though. Her brain would tease the thought, but he would perish it. “Imma get your gift. Sit tight.” He told her as he grabbed their empty plates and he headed back to the fridge.

She still had to wonder what was up with the hiding place. It was such a small box too. Was it a type of chocolate? She didn’t mind sweets too much, but if it was, then it wasn’t something she could easily share. If Mondo went out of his way to make sure that she couldn’t split it in half with her, then she was going to have to remind herself to do the same for his birthday. 

Much to her surprise however, he came back with two plated cupcakes and the gift. “You di-didn’t.” Mikan stared.

“A birthday deserves a cake. I got you strawberry. You prefer those, right?” Mondo asked as he sat back. “I don’t really get the whole “sweet” thing, but...I know that if I didn’t get one myself you’d tear that in half and fucking force me to eat it.”

“I do-don’t for-force you!” Mikan tried to defend. “I sh-share there is a diff-difference.” 

Mondo grinned and her cheeks tinted a bright pink. “Pretty sure you tried to stuff it in my mouth and got icin’ all over my damn face.”

“Yo-you moved!” Mikan protested, laughing through her words. “I as-asked you!” 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” Mondo rolled his eyes, but the easy fondness was still there. He gently pushed the small box over towards her and she blinked at the gift. “Open it.” He told her. 

“I-it’s very small.” Mikan felt foolish for even saying that aloud. She could hear Mondo scoff and she grinned as she slowly peeled the wrapping paper away from the box, knowing that the suspense was going to murder him.

She could feel the table jig as his knee kept hitting the top. He was impatiently waiting for her to get through the paper, but she liked the suspense that she was giving. It was a little fun to tease. Admittedly, she was just as curious to the gift as he was to see her reaction. She finally pulled the fully intact wrapping paper away and stared.

It was a ring box.

Her heart thudded loud enough that she was certain it was going to go out of her chest. She looked up at Mondo, whose knee only jiggled harder as he looked away from her. A red tint to his cheeks.

She cracked open the box.

“Marry me.” Mondo said gruffly.

“Wh-what?”

“I said fuckin’ marry me.” Mondo looked at Mikan and she felt her eyes widen in surprise. “I’m really no fuckin’ good at this shit. I don’t know how to be sappy. I can’t write you a love poem or...tell you how much you fuckin’ mean to me. You’re not scared of me. We have a good thing goin’ just…”

“Marry you.” Mikan finished his sentence, without a stammar in sight. He nodded and they both looked at each other in the eye. She looked down at the ring box and she smiled warmly as she reached into it and took it out, putting it on her finger. “Th-then I guess I do-don’t have a ch-choice.”

“Of course you have a fuc-”

She leaned over the table, mindful of where the candles were and she pressed a kiss against his lips. “No I don't.” She said as she pulled away. “I love you.”

“Goddamn it babe..” Mondo reached and gently tugged her back down to his lips, kissing her back. 

She may have come home exhausted, but nothing was going to compare to the restless night he would give her for this.