#a tiny something I cooked up

[problem-prone]

Since both of his brothers were recovering from the flu, it was only a matter of time before Darry would fall victim to the virus. 

He was woken up the next morning by a fierce pounding in his head and a throat that felt as if he had been gargling glass in his sleep. “Shit,” he whispered into the quiet of his room. He wanted to stay in bed, just curl up under the covers and wallow in his misery. As much as he dreaded it, he had to get up and go to work, considering he had already taken a week off to care for Ponyboy and Soda. 

With a groan, Darry pushes himself out of bed. The ground seems to sway under him, and it takes all of his might to stay standing. He shakes off the dizziness and begins getting dressed for work. After what seems like an eternity, he sits to put on his work boots and then heaves himself up to go make breakfast. 

Darry opens his door and sees Ponyboy and Soda at the kitchen table, with Pony working on the assignments he had missed the week. Soda looks up and sees Darry standing in the hallway. “I made breakfast,” he says, holding out a plate towards Darry. Darry could feel his stomach lurch and he swallowed down a gag. 

Darry shook his head and grabbed his keys and wallet from beside the door. “I’m not hungry Pepsi,” he says, “plus I gotta get on to work.” His throat screams in pain with his words, and the roughness of his voice has him suppressing a flinch.  

Ponyboy looked up from his homework and furrowed his brows. Soda tilts his head, a confused look in his eyes. “Darry it's Sunday, your day off,” Ponyboy replies with a questioning tone. Sighing, Darry sets his stuff down and walks over to the couch where he promptly collapses. “You look like shit, just so you know.” Darry wasn’t sure when his little brother had made his way over to the couch, or how long he had been standing over him before he spoke. He also wasn’t sure when the room had started spinning. 

Soda comes over and perches on the end of the couch where Darry’s head is. He gently places his hand on Darry’s forehead, smoothing his hair back like their Mama used to do. Darry sighs at the coolness of Soda’s palm and whines a little when he pulls his hand back. “He’s right Dar and you’ve got a fever. Looks like the mighty have fallen.” Soda’s attempt at a joke falls flat as Darry squeezes his eyes tight in response to his heartbeat thumping in his ears. 

He lets out a small whine and rolls over onto his side. Usually, he wouldn’t let anyone in on how bad he felt, especially not his brothers. But between the deep-seated aching in his bones and the fever-driven malaise he couldn’t stop himself from acting a little pathetic. At some point in his feeling sorry for himself, a hand found its way into his hair and was scratching at his scalp. Ponyboy walked to the other end of the couch, lifting Darry’s legs before gently setting them in his lap. “Sleep, you need it,” Pony says as he begins to massage Darry’s calves. 

Darry shook his head and tried to sit up, but a hand pushing on his chest stops him. “Y’all are still gettin’ over this, need to take care of y’all.” 

“We’re both fine, let us take care of you for once Dar,” Soda says as he resumes running his fingers through Darry’s hair, which makes him sigh contently. He lets himself relax into the touch, eyes fluttering closed. “Now you’re gonna get some sleep then I’ll make you some soup, how about that?”

The corners of Darry’s mouth quirk up into a small smile, the fingers playing with the strands of his hair making it hard to focus on what is being said. “Yeah sounds good,” he replied before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

[wardingshout]

I love your designs for them so so so much, your art in general is incredibly appealing!!! Your color works so beautiful, breathtaking honestly!!!

I’m super honored to be mutuals :D

SCREAMING CRYING PUKING THROWING UP WHEEZING HOLD ON HOLD ON HOLD ON OK HOLD ON HOLD THE PHONE THEY THEY THEM THEM!! THEM!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I'm sorry this caught me so off guard but omg they are precious this is so so precious!!!;;;;;; 💖💖💖 I feel like I could look at them forever thank you so much!!;;; their poses are so cute and the colours are so nice and warm and pleasant and the fabrics look so comfy I feel so comfy and full of love I'm;;; it's them I cannot believe it's Them,,,, 💕💕

and what do you mean YOU're honoured, your art is absolutely insane I'm the honoured one !!!!!

all of your works are so incredibly done and you're so full of really cool ideas and concepts and you have Such a nice way of portraying all the characters like everything you post just feels so full of Care !!! ;v; the posing the expressoins the environment and colours and everything is just! a chef's kiss isn't big enough, it's 'blows a massive embarrassing smooch across the earth' kiss !!!! ;v; I'm so excited to see everything you're gonna create !!!!

and omg I am especially in love with your WW designs already I hope you have an absolute blast with the game !!! ;v; 💖💖💖

[locria-writes]

FMFTBS Character List

i updated the demos for this, but in case you just wanna see the insanity and the reason I was this 🤏close to screaming. no, this is not everyone pertinent to the overarching story or even directly related to it, but everyone who matters in this microcosm. the idea of having to flesh out families beyond a couple generations and work on the lesser mentioned clans makes me faint of heart.

gyx, qls, and mc are excluded for obvious reasons. i don't think they need more background for now

Great Sōng

Qílián Xūn | King Fù of Sōng | b.5833 - d.5890 | A lascivious and frivolous man who cared more for pleasure than statecraft. Father of Qílián Shèng, and died of a stroke after being bedridden for several years.

Gāoyáng Qiū | Queen Consort Gāoyáng of Sōng; Princess of Shǎng | b.5845 - d.5881 | A woman of a mournful disposition who longed to return to Shǎng, and wished for her son and brother to be close. Mother of Qílián Shèng, and older half-sister to Gāoyáng Xiǎo. Died after a long illness.

Ruǎn Chéngjuān | Queen Dowager Ruǎn of Song | b.5849 | A dancer who became a favoured concubine and eventually rose to become a queen. Mother of Qílián Píng (b.5863), Qílián Jìng (b.5863), Qílián Lì (b.5866), Qílián Zhēng (b.5869), Qílián Huà (b.5874), Qílián Róng (b.5880), and Qílián Jī (b.5882).

Mèng Zhēnzhū | Consort Dowager Mèng | b.5836 | A proud woman who clawed her way to power, and guards her surviving children with her life. Mother of Qílián Yīng (b.5855 - d.5874), Qílián Yuè (b.5857 - d.5888), and Qílián Xīn (b.5875).

Shū Yànfēi | Consort Shū | b.5870 | A gentle woman who embodies the virtues of a noblewoman, and was once expected to become Qílián Shèng's legal wife. Mother of Qílián Yè (b.5893) and Qílián Lín (b.5897), and younger sister to Shū Chóngrán.

Shū Chóngrán | Marquis of Yánjǐng; Grand Chancellor of Sōng | b.5867 | A clever and sharp-tongued man who climbed the ranks with his own wiles. A close friend of Qílián Shèng, older brother to Shū Yànfēi, and husband of Qílián Xīn.

Qílián Xīn | Princess Yánjǐng of Sōng | b.5875 | A spirited and haughty woman who was shielded from the worst of world by her older brother and mother. The favourite younger half-sister of Qílián Shèng, and wife of Shū Chóngrán.

Qílián Yè | First Prince of Sōng | b.5893 | The son and heir presumptive to Great Sōng. Son of Qílián Shèng and Shū Yànfēi.

Qílián Lín | First Princess of Sōng | b.5897 | The only daughter of Qílián Shèng and Shū Yànfēi.

Kuàng Liánghuā | Consort Kuàng | b.5833 - d.5856 | A concubine of Qílián Xūn; mother of Qílián Yuàn (b.5850 - d.5883) and Qílián Fú (b.5855). Died of illness.

Jiāng Yīnuò | Concubine Dowager Jiāng | b.5841 | A reclusive and solitary concubine of Qílián Xūn.

Qílián Fú | Prince Míngyǔ of Sōng | b.5855 | A brother who was once a contender for the Sōng throne, but he bowed out as he didn't wish to fight with his brothers. Son of Kuàng Liánghuā.

Qílián Zhēng | Prince Lìyǔ of Sōng | b.5869 | A brother who was once a contender for the Sōng throne, and still considered a possible heir for Qílián Shèng. The brothers have never gotten along. Son of Ruǎn Chéngjuān.

Xiāo Měiyù | b.5873 | Your dowry maid who's been with you since childhood. She's the youngest child of an impoverished scholarly family.

Lǐ Wéntài | b.5866 | Qílián Shèng's trusted eunuch who's accompanied him since they were children.

Chāo

Rǎngsì Cōng | King Zhēng of Chāo | b.5818 - d.5892 | Your ambitious grandfather who arranged both of your betrothals. He sought to see his grandchildren with lofty titles. Died of old age.

Rǎngsì Jiàn | Crown Prince Shàohàn of Chāo | b.5844 - d.5888 | Your eccentric but prodigal father who intended for you to succeed him. Killed in the Bǎohù Coup.

Rǎngsì Hào | King of Chāo | b.5874 | Your steadfast and charming younger half-brother. He never wanted to become a ruler, and was content to live quietly as your unrelenting supporter.

Yú Xiāng | Queen Consort Yú of Chāo | b.5874 | Your sweet-mouthed and easygoing childhood friend, now sister-in-law. The daughter of the Duke of Nányōng and his first wife Qílián Yīng, niece to Qílián Shèng, wife of Rǎngsì Hào, and mother of his children.

Yìn Bìzhēn | Queen Dowager Cípíng of Chāo | b.5848 | Your level-headed and sensible mother. Wife of Rǎngsì Jiàn, mother of yourself, Rǎngsì Miào, and Rǎngsì Lù.

Jǐng Shīyì | Queen Mother Císhēng of Chāo | b.5845 | The soft-spoken and gentle concubine of your father. Mother of Rǎngsì Hào and Rǎngsì Wén.

Áo Wénxù | Grand Queen Dowager Yǒngxiào of Chāo | b.5818 | Your wise, if exhausted, grandmother. Wife of Rǎngsì Cōng, and mother of Rǎngsì Jiàn and Rǎngsì Qīng.

Rǎngsì Miào | Elder Princess Ǎofēng | b.5881 | Your idealistic and kind-hearted younger sister. Wife of Jǐ Wěizhōng.

Rǎngsì Lù | Elder Princess Níngrén | b.5883 | Your free-spirited and stubborn youngest sister.

Rǎngsì Wén | Prince Róngrén | b,5883 | Your quiet and studious younger half-brother.

Jǐ Wěizhōng | Marquis of Ǎofēng | b.5877 | Your now-confident and well-spoken brother-in-law. You remember him as a shy and sensitive boy who sought to join the older children when playing. Husband of Rǎngsì Miào.

Rǎngsì Shào | Crown Prince of Chāo | b.5892 | Your nephew, and heir apparent to Chāo.

Rǎngsì Liáng | First Princess of Chāo | b.5895 | Your older niece.

Rǎngsì Chán | Second Princess of Chāo | b.5899 | Your younger niece.

Great Xià and Shǎng

Chúnyú Dí | Emperor Xiáng of Great Xià | b.5883 | The young emperor crowned by the Shǎng-Chāo-Sōng coalition in 5889. A sensitive but perceptive boy whose power is exercised through Gāoyáng Xiǎo, his brother-in-law and guardian. Nephew of Qílián Shèng.

Gāoyáng Yùn | Empress Gāoyáng of Great Xià; Princess Tiānhuì of Shǎng | b.5886 | A timid and sickly girl, she is the only child of Gāoyáng Bǎo and Rǎngsì Qīng, and married Chúnyú Dí to secure Gāoyáng Xiǎo's position. Wife of Chúnyú Dí, cousin-sister (paternal cousins of the same clan) to Gāoyáng Xiǎo, and your cousin.

Gāoyáng Bǎo | King Gǎi of Shǎng | b.5840 - d.5891 | An unflappable and scholarly man who sought to soothe his nephew's wild temper. Your uncle-in-law, and Gāoyáng Xiǎo's paternal uncle, and later his adoptive father. Died of a stroke.

Rǎngsì Qīng | Queen Rǎngsì of Shǎng; Princess Huáxián of Chāo | b.5844 - d.5889 | Your forthright and proud paternal aunt who doted on her nieces and nephews with equal delight. Wife to Gāoyáng Bǎo, adoptive mother to Gāoyáng Xiǎo and Gāoyáng Tíng, and mother of Gāoyáng Yùn. Died after a long bout of illness.

Gāoyáng Tíng | Princess Héjìng of Shǎng | b.5874 - d.5890 | Your cheerful and charming childhood friend and cousin. Niece to Gāoyáng Bǎo and Rǎngsì Qīng, she died of an alleged brief but serious illness after visiting Qílián Shèng.

Gāoyáng Lǐ | Prince Qiáojūn of Shǎng | b.5821 - d.5878 | A melancholic and unlucky man who outlived two wives before perishing with the third, and most of his children dying unnatural deaths. Older half-brother to Gāoyáng Bǎo, father of Gāoyáng Qiū by his first wife Lady Chúnyú, Gāoyáng Jùn by his second wife Lady Mǐ, Gāoyáng Xiǎo, Gāoyáng Tíng, and Gāoyáng Mǐn (b.5877 - d.5878) by his third wife. Died in a carriage accident.

Duānmù Huì | Princess Consort Qiáojūn of Shǎng; Princess Hóngyì of Zhèng | b.5848 - d.5878 | The third legal wife of Gāoyáng Lǐ, and mother of Gāoyáng Xiǎo, Gāoyáng Tíng, and Gāoyáng Mǐn. Died in a carriage accident.

Chúnyú Zhū | Prince Zhānyù of Xià | b.5847 - ??? | A strange and erratic man, and heir to a long-line of misfortune. The grandson of Chúnyú Ēn, and claims descent from the unfortunate, but upstanding dead clan of the Qīdiāo. Disappeared in 5889 without a trace.

Qílián Yuàn | Princess Consort Zhānyù of Xià | b.5850 - d.5883 | Wife of Chúnyú Zhū, half-sister of Qílián Shèng, and mother of Chúnyú Dí. Died in childbirth.

Great Yuán

Shàngguān Lǒng | Emperor Dé of Great Yuán | b.5836 | An ambitious and overly-inflexible man who overthrew his brother and launched the nation into a bloody civil war, now known as the Bǎohù Coup after his princely title. Older half-brother and former regent of Shàngguān Bó, father of Shàngguān Jié and Shàngguān Huáng.

Shàngguān Bó | Emperor Wěi of Great Yuán | b.5839 - d.5888 | A carefree and simple man who was ill-suited to his position. Despite his lack of ambition, he sought to give his only a son a better chance at ruling by forging alliances with the other great clans. Killed in the Bǎohù Coup.

Shàngguān Zhāo | Crown Prince Qǐ of Great Yuán | b.5873 - d.5888 | A quick-witted and honey-tongued boy who was your late betrothed. Unlike his father, he displayed a great aptitude for statecraft, and won the approval of both your father and grandfather. Son of Shàngguān Bó and Lǐ Xiǎotáo. Killed in the Bǎohù Coup.

Duānmù Shàn | Empress Duānmù of Great Yuán; Princess Jiéyì of Zhèng | b.5842 - d.5888 | A gentle woman and renowned beauty who was the real power behind her husband's throne, and raised Shàngguān Zhāo as though he were her own son. Mother of Shàngguān Xuán, and aunt to Gāoyáng Xiǎo, Gāoyáng Tíng, and Gāoyáng Mǐn. Executed by Shàngguān Lǒng in the aftermath of the Bǎohù Coup.

Shàngguān Xuán | Empress Shàngguān of Great Yuán; Imperial Princess Ānhuì | b.5874 | A strong-willed and bold childhood friend who was left as the only survivor of her family's slaughter. Forced to wed her uncle in the aftermath, it's said she's become morose and reclusive. Daughter of Shàngguān Bó and Duānmù Shàn, wife of Shàngguān Lǒng, and mother of Shàngguān Huáng.

Shàngguān Jié | Crown Prince Kè of Great Yuán | b.5871 - d.5889 | The arrogant and fearless son of Shàngguān Lǒng and Liángqiū Chún who sought your hand in marriage, regardless of the method. Murdered by Gāoyáng Xiǎo.

Liángqiū Chún | Imperial Consort Liángqiū; Elder Princess Pēngxīn of Míng | b.5850 | A quiet and unassuming woman, she was Shàngguān Lǒng's legal wife until he discarded her for Shàngguān Xuán in his pursuit for legitimacy. Mother of Shàngguān Jié.

Shàngguān Huáng | Crown Prince Yōu of Great Yuán | b.5890 | The heir apparent of Great Yuán, and the son of Shàngguān Lǒng and Shàngguān Xuán.

Gāoyáng Jùn | Imperial Consort Gāoyáng | b.5845 - d.5888 | A concubine of Shàngguān Bó. Daughter of Gāoyáng Lǐ, mother of Shàngguān É, half-sister of Gāoyáng Xiǎo and Gāoyáng Tíng, half-aunt to Qílián Shèng. Killed in the Bǎohù Coup.

Shàngguān É | Imperial Princess Ānchēn | b.5873 - d.5888 | A shy and sweet childhood friend; daughter of Gāoyáng Jùn, niece of Gāoyáng Xiǎo and Gāoyáng Tíng, cousin of Qílián Shèng. Committed suicide in the aftermath of the Bǎohù Coup.

Qílián Yuè | Imperial Consort Qílián | b.5857 - d.5888 | A concubine of Shàngguān Bó. Daughter of Qílián Xūn, mother of Shàngguān Yàn, Shàngguān Yǎ, Shangguan Ling, half-sister of Qílián Shèng. Killed in the Bǎohù Coup.

Shàngguān Yàn | Imperial Princess Ānkāng | b.5874 - d.5888 | A daughter of Shàngguān Bó, niece of Qílián Shèng. Killed in the Bǎohù Coup.

Shàngguān Yǎ | Imperial Princess Ānpíng | b.5878 - d.5888 | A daughter of Shàngguān Bó, niece of Qílián Shèng. Killed in the Bǎohù Coup.

Shangguan Ling | Imperial Princess Ānníng | b.5883 - d.5888 | A daughter of Shàngguān Bó, niece of Qílián Shèng. Killed in the Bǎohù Coup.

Lǐ Xiǎotáo | Imperial Consort Lǐ | b.5855 - d.5888 | A palace maid who gained Shàngguān Lǒng's favour. Mother of Shàngguān Zhāo. Killed in the Bǎohù Coup.

[pondererswandererswonders]

This started off as a neat little fun idea and nothing more, but my autism decided to finally take matters into its own hands.

A RoTTMNT playlist heavily inspired by the fanfic, "Mutant Ninja Midlife Crisis" by a_platypus; among different works like Trial & Error and Odd Man Out. Songs have been placed in specific order to MNMC, but can be enjoyed on shuffle as a general Rise playlist. TCEST DNI.

@mutantninjamidlifecrisis

I looked at other playlists to see common themes and songs that are enjoyed by the average Rise fan, while also looking all over creation for songs that I thought would best fit MNMC specifically. I ended up finding a couple of awesome GVF songs along the way, that I'm genuinely surprised no one has used for anything remotely related to Rise?

Not a lot of future-Leo-goes-back-to-the-past type of playlists, but I really suck at finding things, so it's not like there isn't a lot out there. But anyway, I was a bit afraid that this playlist would be ooc for the fanfic because of my song choices? So, it kind of took me a while to make the actual playlist on Spotify, let alone make this post. But I know I'm simply overthinking it. It's the perfectionism talking.

Most of the songs have lyrics that align with major key points of the Rise movie and the fanfic, but other songs I also put there solely for the ✨vibes✨ and instrumentals really. I am still adding songs here n' there every so often, but I do plan on eventually cutting myself off from the playlist.

I was going for a "soundtrack" or "songs that sound like they belong in movies" type of feel for the whole thing, which I think I did okay on, but it kind of slowly turned more into a playlist where you can make cool animations or AMVs to; especially since this is not a listen-while-you-read type of playlist, because there's too much going on with the music in general.

Overall, just something I made out of appreciation that I think turned out okay.

[alongtidesoflight]

i swear my stepdad is so illogical AND stubborn it hurts

[kolyasangel]

thinking about baby kolya waddling around while his mama cooks in the kitchen.... 😔

[capetowncapers]

I love remembering that I can just. Do things. There’s a Thai restaurant that my family and I went to a couple times over the years, and one time several years ago, we were there and had some delicious red curry hot wings. Browsing the grocery store flyers and thinking to myself… why couldn’t I just figure out how to make those wings (or something similar) some time. Wow. Amazing. Peace and love.

[purplepeptobismol]

I saved a copy of my draft and I find the differences between the final product and the draft quite interesting :3 !! The amount of “____ synonym” I have in my search history is insane tho ⚰️

[candycryptids]

25. what is your wol's relationship with their family? are they estranged? still very close? tense?

28. what sense does your wol most rely on? hearing, touch, sight, smell, taste? maybe even aethersense or dynamis?

for Tangy!

Tangy’s relationship with her birth-family as it is RIGHT MEOW (Hah) is, estranged. Or… more specifically, her memory of her Mom was wiped off the page ‘bout 5 years ago, and it made things from her childhood (4-15’ish) kinda. Fuzzy. Thinking about the people around the Blinding Mother Shaped Gap In Her Memory kinda makes her dizzy and gives her a headache? So, she hasn’t given much thought about any of her siblings in some time either. She’s pretty sure they’re ok, though. Probably. She doesn’t resent them for whatever circumstances left her without them, at least, even if most people probably would- she assumes they’re struggling with the same cheese-brain memory problem like everybody else. And besides, she’s not sure they’d recognize her anymore anyways… 🫥☠️

She writes often to her ‘adoptive’ family though! Nothing but fond affection from Tangy for the Lalafellin travelers that said it was ok to make up a name when she struggled to remember hers, lol. She’d hate for them to worry, and really she’s doing quite fine, there’s lots of good food and new people, and travel, and sparring.

She does not tell them about the sad parts.

One of these days she’ll have time to go visit them, but there’s so much always going on, between moving headquarters and whatever’s going on with Bahamut and His Greatest Majesty, King Moggle Mog, may his Pom remain fluffy forevermore, so it keeps getting put off. Maybe they’ll have to make a special trip instead… 🫣

She does, btw, remember her old name by ARR, but by that point it doesn’t even feel connected to her anymore, which is why she continues using a ‘silly/childish’ name instead.

I think of all Tangy’s senses she trusts/relies on touch the most. If you can touch it, it’s real, you know? It’s present, it’s in the now. It’s grounding, it shows affection, it keeps people together in crowded places. Followed up closely by smell… she doesn’t have any vision or hearing problems, and there’s no case of hallucinations, but when a reasonable chunk of your memory is painfully blinding in every sense sometimes it’s just. Easier to close your eyes and press your forehead against a beaten smooth linen tunic and focus on the texture and the warmth and the smell of dirt and Chocobo feathers. Or rose oil and leather, and the slight roughness of a miners cotton shirt.

Sometimes she remembers the softness of furs and cloves and she isn’t really sure what that’s about. [It is A Touch and a Smell she remembers from her childhood, set adrift without the full memory to anchor it down]

[eolande]

dd2 beastren bbi crossover lady's name is nehanshika after the deino3330 song. she will be a tiger and have black hair and wear the stargazers robes bc i think it'd be fun to contrast with the ddda berserkin. they're the same but also have interesting differences. she'll be a trickster.... she'll be taller and not completely flat chested like the rest of my ocs cause i have repetitive habits. her pawn will be a guy.... i'm thinking his name will be something epic and funny like wormwood or some kind of crystal. it'd be funny if he had glasses.... it'd also be interesting if he was maybe like a midnight blue/black type of deal bc they do let u do that with beastren fur. idk abt his class yet.... can a pawn be a mystic knight for fun please. maybe he learns it when he comes to bbi since mystic knight isn't in dd2 world.... on bbi anything is possible and that's why life is beautiful

[kiefbowl]

here's some more unsolicited adult advice as someone in her 30s who knows there are a lot of twenty somethings and teens that follow her: if you're trying to build a new habit you really want, and are struggling, you have to break it down to the smallest building block possible. If you're failing, you haven't thought small enough. I know it's possible to hear stories of people who just snapped into new life mode one day by "just deciding", but truly what's happening there is a confluence of events and experiences that force the brain into some sort of epiphany. You cannot will an epiphany. It'll never work. For most times of your life, you will need to build habits intentionally, and that means not working against yourself and to set micro goals. like laughably tiny goals. because once that easy tiny goal is met, you can build off it, tiny goal after tiny goal until you reach your big goal.

so for example, if you want to be a morning person that gets up at ass crack dawn so that you can work out, eat brekkie, shower, and get to work at a leisurely pace, and you're not that person because you will hit your snooze button 800 times, you have to get the big picture goal out of your head. think smaller. "I want to get up 15 minutes earlier than I normally do." If you can't do that, make it 5 minutes. "I want to cook breakfast every day" hell no too big. "I want to eat something, anything, before I leave the house" hell yeah, fantastic. When you go to the grocery store to make sure there are things in the house for breakfast, if you keep buying bagels and microwave sandwiches that you ignore, you gotta think smaller. SMALLER. What's something so easy to eat that you'll never say no to. Is it a yogurt? Is it a handful of grapes? Is it a hostess ho ho? is it hot cheetos? FORGET the big picture of the fantasy put-together woman preparing a full nutritious meal that you'd be proud to admit to. Think only of the smallest goal you can achieve. If you know you can't say no to an ice cream sandwich, put a ton of ice cream sandwiches in your freezer and have one for breakfast every day until it's so instilled in you that you gotta get up to eat something you can start diversifying.

It sounds like, from the lack of habit place, that must take forever. But really it doesn't take too long to form the habit once the discipline kicks in. the trick is that you have to give your brain something easy to become disciplined to. If it's too hard, think easier and smaller. No one has to know. Literally no one in the gd world has to know that for 4 weeks when you were 22 you had an ice cream sandwich for breakfast every day. who cares. If it gets you eating oatmeal with fresh fruit in a few months who cares. you did it, yay. smaller, easier. if you can't do it, think smaller and easier. smaller!! EASIER!!! You are not thinking smaller and easier enough. break your brain thinking how small and easy you can go. SMALLER. EVEN SMALLER, SIS.

[fisheito]

Imagine you have to set up yakumo's enclosure for the next couple months. How do you set it up and what do you put in there?

oh NO.! THE PROPPHECY HAS BEenm FUFILLED

i am standing in my room, leggies rooted to the floor. i am in shock .frozen and i have no idea how to proceed. there is a perpetual pathetically sobbing serpent under my blankie.

[sufficientlylargen]

It always gets me that the name "Gandalf" literally just means "Wand-Elf" or "Stick-Elf". I'm imagining old Gondorians just being like:

Librarian: I saw that weird guy at the library again today.

Guard 1: What weird guy?

Librarian: The old guy with the beard? Kinda elfy-looking, apart from the beard?

Guard 1: Oh, with the big-ass stick?

Librarian: Yeah, looked like he was carrying an entire tree branch.

Guard 2: Yeah, that's the Stick Elf.

Guard 1: Hell yeah, I fuckin' love the Stick Elf.

Librarian: The "Stick Elf"?

Guard 2: He comes by every few years, usually after some weird book or other.

Librarian: Oh. Yeah, he wanted a treatise on goblin breeding habits.

Guard 2: Like, how they have sex? We have books on that?

Librarian: Yeah, turns out we do. I was as surprised as you are.

Guard 1: What'd the Stick Elf need a fuckin' goblin-fuckin' book for?

Librarian: I didn't ask. So you just call him "Stick Elf"?

Guard 2: I mean, he looks kinda elfy and he always has that stick, so, like, yeah.

Guard 1: Dude also has some fuckin' dope pipeweed.

Guard 2: Oh yeah, his pipeweed is awesome.

Librarian: How long has he been coming here?

Guard 2: Oh, for decades. He's, like, super old.

Guard 1: More like fuckin' centuries. Dude's old as balls.

Guard 2: Wait, really?

Guard 1: Yeah, my gran-gran used to talk about him. She loved his pipeweed too.

Librarian: So he's… an immortal pipeweed dealer?

Guard 2: I think he's just, like, a connoisseur. He doesn't sell it or anything. He just always has some really top-notch pipeweed on him.

Archivist: Oh, are we talking about Stick Elf?

Guard 1: Hell yeah we are!

Librarian: You know about the Stick Elf, too?

Archivist: Oh, totally. Stick-Elf's a super chill dude. Gave me some awesome pipeweed when I was maybe 12, and tee-bee-aitch I think I'm still a little buzzed from it.

Guard 1: What'd I tell ya, fuckin' dope pipeweed!

Archivist: Also he's really old.

Guard 1: Old as balls.

Librarian: Yeah, so Éodan and Jenniforomir were telling me.

Archivist: My grandpa used to tell me stories - he said one time he saw Stick Elf enter a smoke-ring contest.

Guard 1: Ooh, I'll bet he kicked fuckin' ass.

Archivist: Apparently the guy made an entire warship out of smoke and it flew around shooting down the other rings.

Librarian: And how much of this "fuckin' dope" pipeweed had your grandfather had by this point?

Guard 1: No no, that's totally plausible. Dude's got weird elf powers and shit for sure.

Archivist: He brought fireworks for the king's birthday one year, too.

Guard 1: Oh fuck, I forgot about those! Fuckin' incredible fireworks! Dragons and knights and glowy trees and shit! I was fuckin' 6 years old or something, they totally blew my mind. Hey Éodan, did you see that shit?

Guard 2: No, I think that's before I lived in Gondor.

Guard 1: Wait, you're not from here?

Guard 2: Oh, no, I grew up in Rohan. We moved here when I was, like, thirteen because my uncle Éojeff said he could get my dad a sweet job. And also that there were houses that didn't smell like horseshit.

Guard 1: Oh shit, are you related to Éojeff and Éosteve who run that æbleskiver stand on Norndîl St?

Guard 2: Yeah, they're my uncles!

Guard 1: Shit, they cook a fuckin' great æbleskiver!

Librarian: Ok, hold up a sec, "Stick Elf" can't possibly be his real name.

Guard 1: Why not?

Librarian: What? You think his parents named him in the hopes that he would carry around a fucking tree when he got older?

Guard 2: Maybe they gave him the tree when he was born!

Archivist: I don't think a baby could carry that stick.

Guard 1: You ever seen a baby hanging onto something? They're hella strong.

Archivist: It's not a strength thing, their hands are tiny. That staff is enormous!

Guard 1: My halberd's bigger 'n I am, I can hold it just fine.

Archivist: You're not a baby.

Librarian: Also why would elf parents name their kid "stick ELF"?! Presumably they know that their kid's going to be an elf!

Archivist: Is he actually an elf? I didn't think they grew beards.

Guard 1: How'd he get old as balls if he's not an elf?

Guard 2: His ears aren't that pointy. Maybe he's just a really old guy? Like, a Numémoriam or something?

Guard 1: Did you just say "Numémoriam"?

Guard 2: Nûnenorman? Munimõrbitan? Y'know, those guys like the king that can get super old.

Guard 1: You mean the fuckin' Númenóreans?

Guard 2: Yeah, the Númenóreums.

Archivist: Even the Númenóreans don't live THAT long.

Guard 1: Plus he carries that fuckin' stick around.

Guard 2: Wait, what does the stick have to do with it?

Guard 1: That's an elf thing. Y'know, trees and shit? Very elfy.

Librarian: Ok, look, but his parents naming him "Stick Elf" would be weird whether or not he's an elf. In fact, it's even weirder if he's not - what human names their kid "elf"?

Archivist: Huh. Yeah, you're right, he probably does have another name.

Guard 2: Yeah, I guess so.

Librarian: He's been coming here for decades and nobody's ever asked his real name?

Archivist: I dunno what to tell you, he's Stick Elf. Even his library card just says 'Stick Elf'.

Guard 1: Fuck yeah, the Stick Elf!

Guard 2: Maybe we could, like, ask him his name sometime?

Guard 1: Hey, look, Elrond's over there. He's old as balls too, maybe he knows?

Guard 2: Oh, we shouldn't interru-

Guard 1: HEY ELROND, YOU'RE OLD AS BALLS, RIGHT? WHAT'S THAT OLD ELF WITH THE STICK'S NAME?

Elrond (coming over): Do you mean an old man cloaked all in grey and blue, leaning on a rough-cut staff, who came to the great library this day?

Guard 1: Yeah, the Stick-Elf!

Guard 2: (Sorry to bother you, sir...)

Librarian: He's got to have a real name besides 'the Stick Elf', right?

Elrond: Indeed, for no elf is he. You speak of the wizard Olórin, wisest of the Maiar, older even than Eä itself. Many are his names in many countries: Tharkûn among the Dwarves; Incánus to the south; Mithrandir he is called among my people, the Grey Pilgrim.

Librarian: Oh.

Elrond: And here in the North he is called Stick-Elf.

Librarian: Oh.

Guard 1: Fuck yeah!

[kkusuka]

this is in the "141 and john price's wife" universe. still gn pronouns. i also don't think price texts that much- old man syndrome.

the 141 absolutely have a group chat dedicated to pictures and information (porn) about their little wife.

it starts, as many silly things do, with johnny and a picture of you asleep on the couch. cuddled into the armrest covered in the tortilla blanket he'd gotten you as a gag gift, and it was just too good not to share. (although he only sent one of the thirty he actually took, he's gotta keep as much of you to himself as he can.)

then it was kyle with you in the yard, laying in the grass after cutting down branches in the sweltering heat (something john would never let you do if he'd know about it, but he appreciates the flush of your cheeks and the angle of the photo makes it seem as if you were under him doing another strenuous activity.)

and it continues like that for months, cute little pictures of you gardening with price, walking with simon, watching tv between kyle and johnny- just sharing the daily life of their pretty bird.

but the real nature of the group chat doesn’t start until simon sends a picture of you bent over, putting something in the oven, in the tiny, red daisy duke shorts that are only just long enough to be considered inappropriate for the public.

sr: fuckin' lucky that shit only takes 10 minutes to cook or we'd be in the kitchen all day.

soap: fuuuuuuuuckin' hell

kyle: don't rub it in simon, we'll be home in two days

sr: don't worry, i'll warm 'em up for you

price: Behave yourselves.

and it all just unravels from there.

john's the next culprit. he has loads and loads of less than decent pictures of you, perks of being the first husband, but he's not reaching into the stash for this one. he has a point to make: if anyone's getting off to pictures of his wife, he's gonna be the one sending them.

it's barely two hours after the other three left that something is sent into the chat. face down, ass up, cunt dripping with cum as price uses his thumb to keep your pussy open to the camera, the rest of his hand palm down on your ass, the ring on his finger glistening in the flash.

sr: fuckin' filthy captain

soap: BRING ME BACK, PUT ME IN CAPTAIN

kyle: tell 'em i said thank you

it's not surprising that the minute he comes back, johnny's on you. methodically placing the camera, making sure it captures all of you and his face buried between your thighs. it wasn't the first video sent into the chat but it's definitely one of the best ones.

your head thrown back, hands in his hair, gripping what you can so you can grind your pussy on his tongue. his phone is just close enough to hear your small pants and groans as he sucks on your swollen clit.

soap: i could spend the rest of my life right there

sr: you let 'em fuck yer face like that?

soap: lt i'd let 'em gag me

soap: then step on my dick

soap: then leave me on the floor to rot

*kyle, price, and sr disliked three messages*

soap: like you fuckers wouldn't

and kyle is not a man to be left out, but he is also not as keen on sharing his private time with you as johnny is. so there aren't videos coming from him, instead he has 4k close ups of your tits after he spent almost an hour sucking hickeys into every part of your chest he could reach.

and kyle is like an artist, he makes sure your hair is splayed out perfectly, and that you're just fucked out enough to give him a bright smile. he also makes sure that the locket they gave you, the one that's has their names engraved on the inside, sits perfectly above the swell of your boobs. and goddamn is he proud of his pictures. (it's not hard for you to look pretty in pictures because you're already pretty but kyle thinks he's the best at actually capturing it).

soap: another two things i would put my face between until i suffocate

*sr, price, and kyle disliked a message*

soap: go fuck urselves

and simon is just mean, fingers peaking under your panties, finding your clit just to sit there, finger pressed on your bud, only moving for a few seconds before falling still again; his other hand hold your hips down so you can't do anything but wait for him to move again. and he does it the entire length of the manchester game until your panties are completely soaked through.

soap: stone cold, lt. stone cold.

but before he can do anything, he has to take his picture so the other fools can remember what a whore you are for him. and because it's between games he'll let you sit on his dick and grind into him during commercial breaks. maybe he'll even film in and send it to the guys, let them see you drip all over his lap whole stretching to fit him in your cunt.

but whether his team loses or wins, he'll flip you over and fuck you into the couch cushions, so at least you get that!

then they're all away on a mission, and you know about their little chat (it's hard not to when suddenly they have a camera out every time you're in their vicinity.) so you take it upon yourself to give them their fix. and why not play around with them well you're ar it?

it starts when you go shopping merely three days after they left. they tear up your bras and underwear so obviously you would need to buy more eventually. but usually when you go shopping one of them is with you to share their opinions, but since they're away, you just have to send pictures instead!

a whole catalog, in facts. you've got angles, dressing room lighting, and a whole lot of time on your hands.

*you sent 22 photos to 'the bird house'*

you: i can't choose :(((

you: help me out?

kyle: give me 6 hours to fly home and i'll help you with anything

price: Looks great. But I can't tell from the pictures, you'll have to try them all on again when I get home.

soap: licking the screen isn't working, captain i think i need to go home.

*sr saved 22 photos to Camera Roll*

kyle: smooth riley, real smooth.

and of course it doesn't end there. you have a chance to torture them a little bit with zero consequences and you're going to take it.

but it takes a while for you to send videos, usually you send  your outfits, or the tiny bathing suit top you wear while tanning, even one of you in the kitchen in nothing but your tiny apron. (it's the only one that john does not appreciate, popping a boner between briefings as a captain is not hie proudest moment.)

but as the months go longer and longer, you get more and more desperate. your toys are reserved for times like this, a small bullet vibrator and a thick 8-inch dildo. it's nowhere near as nice as fucking your men but it'll have to do for the time being.

and you know them being away is not their fault and they'd be home in an instant if they could choose to be; but if you have to deal with your pent-upness, so do they.

so you set up your phone, leaning it on the lamp that sits on your bedside table, so it captures your entire body, covered only by sheer light-blue lingerie and your locket, as you sink down the length of your dildo, vibrator pressed to your clit. you send four different videos, one for each of them, in the order they came into your life (you think it's cute, they're one picture away from firebombing the whole country they're in and flying home).

you: just something to hold you over until you get back!

kyle: so good for us babe.

soap: yer evil bonnie.

soap: my arm can't keep up with this

sr: birdie thinks it's real funny now

you: i do

sr: not gonna be so funny when we get home, yeah? might have to give you a refresher about what happens teasing birds.

price: 6:30am tomorrow, get everything you need in order because you aren't moving for the foreseeable future.

*you loved a message*

[honourablejester]

I don’t know why that affected me so strongly, but I’m watching a youtube video on disasters on Lake Huron, and the first one involves a coal freighter that was lost in the White Hurricane of 1913 called the SS Argus. Everyone on the ship was lost. But it’s mentioned that the captain’s body washed up later, and was found without a life jacket. So they thought, based partly on testimony of another ship that thought they saw them go down, that it just happened too fast for him to have time to get his jacket. But then another body was found, that of the second cook, and she was found wearing the life jacket marked ‘captain’. And that’s …

It didn’t work. It didn’t save her. But it’s so very possible that he spent his last moments alive trying to save someone else, one of his crew, and they probably both knew that it wouldn’t work, that there wasn’t a lot of hope in a blizzard on the lakes in November, but he tried … he tried anyway. Even if it did nothing but maybe make her body easier for her family to find.

You know that Mr Rogers thing of ‘look for the helpers’? How many times has someone, facing the end, done something tiny and fragile and maybe hopeless just to try and help someone else? Whether it works or not. How many people went to their graves at least trying?

That has to say something about us. As a people. As monstrous as we sometimes (perhaps often) are, so many times we were also …

Whoever saves one life, saves the whole world.

And sometimes you can’t save one life, sometimes it doesn’t work, sometimes there’s no getting out of this for anyone, but … try anyway. Because it matters anyway.

And maybe no one will ever know. But maybe also some day more than a century down the line, maybe some idiot will be crying into her coffee because of what you died trying.

[ereborne]

return of the nightmare potluck. a plague upon my house.