#nerd is in my bio I felt it's important to remind you all of that

[bitingriskyrose]

If anyone is interested I can do a nearly perfect impression of Uma from Witcher 3

[k-llama-llama]

Misread

Stray Kids AU: 9th member

Tori x Stray Kids

Tori needs Hyunjin’s help clearing up some misunderstandings.

A/N: Please check out my PATREON (patreon.com/kllamallama) for exclusive posts you can’t get anywhere else, as well as lots of other cool benefits!

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Masterlist and other Follow Me links in bio!

“I can’t believe we’re finally here.” Minho grinned.

Tori limped along behind him. “I can’t believe they’re making me wear these heels.”

Minho looked down at her shoes. “I thought it was just for our entrance and exists.”

“They are, but they still hurt.” Tori grumbled. 

They had officially arrived for their first day of filming for Kingdom, and Tori was so excited. The fact that they were finally able to film meant the world after a year of having to postpone everything. Tori wasn’t even that upset about the heels that she’d been handed. But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to find something to complain about.

“Will you carry me?” She asked.

“What? No.” He shook his head.

“Just to the dressing room?” She pouted. “You don’t want my feet to be sore for our performance, do you?”

He gave her a very unimpressed look, but relented. He bent down in front of her, allowing her to hop onto his back. “Just to the dressing room.” He reminded her. “Not an inch further.”

“That’s fine, I’ll make Felix carry me back to the set.” She pinched his cheek.

The dressing rooms were very close by, and the door to theirs and the one next to theirs was wide open. 

“Who is next to us?” She whispered, keeping her voice low to avoid disturbing any of the other groups.

“Ateez, I think.” Minho replied. “I think that’s what I heard Hyunjin say.”

Tori blanched. She’d been in pretty constant contact with Seonghwa since their not-date, but they hadn’t seen each other in person. She had no idea where they stood. They were definitely friends but…she felt like their might have been something more. Of course, Felix and Jeongin were the only ones who knew about the entire dilemma, since she didn’t want to risk anything for Kingdom or cause any drama within the group. And she had no idea if Seonghwa had any of the same conflicting feelings, or if the other members of his group were even aware that he’d been talking to her.

“Hey guys!”

Minho bowed, almost dropping Tori and shaking her out of her thoughts. Seonghwa and Hongjoong were leaning out of their door.

“Hey!” Tori said with far too much enthusiasm, hopping off of Minho’s back. “How are you guys?”

“We’re good, you guys ready to perform?” Hongjoong asked with a smile.

“Oh, yeah.” Minho nodded. “We’re psyched.”

Tori glanced at Seonghwa, who was staring at the floor with a serious look on his face. “Seonghwa, how are you?” She asked softly.

“Fine.” He gave her a tight smile. “We need to go get ready.” He ducked back into their dressing room.

“Oh, I guess…” Hongjoong looked confused. “See you guys later.”

Tori felt her heart drop as the door to their dressing room closed.

“What was that about?” Minho asked.

“I’m…not sure.” Tori frowned.

Her emotions must have been clear on her face, because as soon as she’d stepped into their own dressing room Felix went: “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” She dropped into the chair next to him.

“Come on.” He nudged her leg with his own. “What’s wrong?”

“I just saw Seonghwa.”

“Really? That’s great.” He exclaimed. “So why do you look so depressed?”

Tori picked at her nails. “Because he didn’t even look at me, and then couldn’t wait to leave the conversation.”

“What the hell?” Felix sat up. “Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know.” Tori bit her lip. “Maybe I was too much and now he’s annoyed with me.”

“Not a chance, Tor! He was just as excited to talk to you in all of your messages.” He squeezed her knee. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

Tori recounted the short conversation as quickly as she could, wanting to forget about it. She had to have been an idiot to think that Seonghwa had actually liked her – he’d probably been making fun of her text messages and what a nerd she was to his group.

“Wait wait wait,” Felix shook his head. “You were on Minho’s back?”

“I don’t see why that’s an important detail, but yes.”

“Hm….Hyunjin!” Felix beckoned Hyunjin over.

“What’s going on?” Hyunjin perched himself on the arm of Tori’s chair. “Tor, you okay?”

“Hyunjin you need to keep a secret and then you need to do us a favour.” Felix began.

“Okay…” 

“What are you doing?” Tori hissed.

“Helping you, now shut up.” He smacked her leg. “Okay, Hyunjin. So, this is top secret, but Tori has been kind of sort of talking to Seonghwa.”

“From Ateez?”

“Yes.”

“Well that’s cool.” Hyunjin nodded, clearly not getting it.

Felix rolled his eyes. “So we need you to go over to Ateez’s dressing room, and very casually mention that Tori is like a sister to all of us.”

“Why?”

“Yeah, why?” Tori tilted her head. 

“Because, Park Heechul.” Felix looked exasperated. “You don’t know him that well, so he saw you with Minho and probably misread the situation. So Hyunjin needs to establish that literally none of us are attracted to you.”

“Hyunjin was. So was Chan.” Tori protested.

Hyunjin poked her. “Stop it.”

“Yeah, stop it if you want a new boyfriend.” Felix shook his head at her. “Hyunjin go.”

“Okay.” 

Tori chewed on her pinky as he left the room. “Do you really think that’s all that’s wrong? He might just not like me.”

“He’d be crazy not to like you.” Felix reassured. “You’ll see, this will work.” 

Tori tried to distract herself by going over the choreography for the next hour, but Hyunjin still hadn’t come back. She was sure he’d gotten distracted talking to Ateez, but her anxiety couldn’t handle it.

“Hey, Noona, you have a text message.” Jeongin chucked her phone over to get from where she’d left it charging.

“Who is it?” She asked.

“I dunno.” He shrugged, going back to playing on his own phone.

Tori saw the notification and quickly unlocked her phone.

Seonghwa: Sorry I was weird earlier. I wasn’t feeling good. We still down to get smoothies after filming?

Tori grinned.

“So I was right?” Felix asked, noticing her smile.

She blushed. “Maybe.”

Tori:Totally. I can’t wait.

[dylanhawth]

[ LORENZO ZURZOLO, CISMAN, HE/HIM ] shh ! DYLAN HAWTHORNE, the TWENTY year old SECOND year ANTHROPOLOGY major from HARTFORD, CT is known as a TOURMALINE  around here. HE was invited to join because HE PUBLISHED A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES ANONYMOUSLY THAT GARNERED A BIT OF FOLLOWING AND RECENTLY STEPPED FORWARD AS THE AUTHOR, and now, they’re here to stay. HE reminds me of THE NERVOUSNESS OF A FIRST KISS, LEAVING SECRET MESSAGES IN LIBRARY BOOKS, DRIVING AIMLESSLY WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN ON A WARM SUMMER NIGHT WHILE THE RADIO HUMS A PLAYLIST CURATED FOR YOU BY YOUR BEST FRIEND.

[ big ass bio ] | [ connections ] | [ pinterest ] | [ playlist ] 

ooc. 

omfg hello. i can’t tell you how excited and happy i am to be here. i was too nervous to apply for the last three months but i decided to stop being a Coward and just try. im SO happy to be here, it’s the highlight of my week tbh lmao. anyway i am mar, she/her, 24, est. i live in nyc and all i do is visit the planetarium and cry. i’m so fucking bad at these so im just gonna LIST things and hope you get the vibe. i am a pisces sun, scorpio moon. i prob have a napoleon complex a little bit lmao. my favorite social media site is goodreads and i get rlly sad when my friends rate books i love poorly dfljskdfs. i can touch my tongue to my nose. i eat a lot of persimmons. i have a favorite rock at my local park that i visit a lot. idk dfskjls. i’m v friendly tho so pls hmu. i send a lot of memes, and love making meme edits for the chars so im rlly sorry in advance if you guys hate that. 

01.      basics.

NAME.   dylan h. hawthorne. ALIASES. dyl, hawth.   AGE.  twenty. HOMETOWN. hartford, ct. GENDER.  cismale. PRONOUNS.   he/him.

 02.      appearance.

EYES.   green. HAIR.   brown. HEIGHT.   6”0 BUILD.   lean. BIRTHMARKS   /   BURNS   /   SCARS.   a birthmark the shape of australia on his left thigh. TATTOOS.   n/a. PIERCINGS.   n/a.

03.      habits.

ALCOHOL   ?  socially. SMOKING   ?  socially. HABITS.  fidgets in chairs. cracks knuckles and back often. nervous laughter. chewing on pencils. talking to his plants. dogearing books. staring off into space and applying chapstick for a prolonged period of time. getting overly competitive about boardgames. stress cleaning. carries a book in his bag always. night owl. incredibly impatient when the internet is slow. creature of habit when it comes to menus, orders the same shit over and over again. LIKES.   feeding the ducks at the local pond. the smell of the earth after a rainstorm. the way music sounds coming from another room. kissing. watering his plants. inside jokes. making wishes in fountains. discussing a recently finished book with someone. making handmade cards for friends on their birthday. fireworks. coming of age films. packages wrapped in twine. jogs. the way friday nights feels when you’re with someone you love. the feeling you get leaving the movie theatre. DISLIKES.   being late. having too many coins on him. coffee with no sugar. when people speak loudly in the library. doing laundry. handshakes with too much squeeze. receiving voicemails. untidiness. golf. charles dickens. lectures with no student input. hot weather. confrontation. being caught in a lie. losing his umbrella. people who cheat during games. rainboots. bad table manners. humidity.

04.      personality.

MYERS-BRIGGS.   infp. ENNEAGRAM. the helper. ZODIAC.   pisces. TEMPERAMENT.   melancholic. ALIGNMENT.   neutral good. ARCHETYPE.   the lover. POSITIVE.   empathetic. sensitive. intelligent. charismatic. easygoing. gentle. loyal. passionate. romantic. humble. supportive. gregarious. playful. diligent. NEGATIVE.   deceitful. gullible. finicky. naive. obsessive. perfectionistic. secretive. timid. possessive. weak-willed. indecisive. cynical. indulgent. summary: basically, dylan is a love starved, people pleasing nervous wreck. big ass nerd who wants to be everyones friend, wants to be liked SO BAD. very charming and charismatic, comes off as fairly confident and comfortable at first. is able to make everyone feel loved and like they’re the most important person in the world, however lacks a backbone. is both romeo and juliet, and just as dumb as both of them too. 

05.      hc’s.

dylan was a football player in high school, believe it or not. he was rather good at it too, which is sort of jarring considering his pacifistic nature. however, he DID land on someone incorrectly at some point during his senior year, and broke their wrist. he quickly abandoned the sport altogether because of how guilty he felt. 

touched on this briefly but dylan really… loves indiana jones lmao. like, it’s quite ironic given his absolutely inability to be a badass, and lack of suaveness. however, he admires indy’s lust for adventure. he also was obsessed with the mummy as a kid. both of these were incredible sources in his very irrational decision to sudden anthropology. however, he does really love and admire anthropology. his favorite ethnography is the spirit catches you and you fall down, which makes him cry like a little bitch every time he even thinks about it. 

he’s the second oldest, but he is also baby. he is SUCH a big momma’s boy. he misses his mom so much. he writes to her often, and of course calls her even more. despite being six-foot tall, he still goes home and rests his head on his mother's lap, falls asleep as she runs her fingers through his hair. he often tries to find native english plants and flowers to press, and mail back to his mother in the form of bookmarks. has nEVER STEPPED ON A CRACK IN HIS LIFE, BABY.

just leaves a shit ton of notes in books in the library. some are riddles, some are poetry, some are commentary on the book, some are doodles. just depends on how he’s feeling for that book. he doesn’t tell anyone he does it, but he’s waiting for someone to connect the dots with his handwriting and writing style. 

speaking of plants, his room is basically a big greenhouse. he has so many plants, and takes serious care of them all. he has a little humidifier in his space for them, marks down when he waters what plants, and has a label maker to label them all with a name. they are all named after shakespeare characters. 

dyl is a doodler, so much so that he contributes to the school paper as a cartoonist. his cartoons are usually just random thoughts he has, but sometimes they get political and he works marxism into them. (this man loves marx.) 

[ suicide implied tw, death mention tw ] he dresses like a victorian boy in love with his roommate who has recently died of scarlet fever and in his mourning, plans to disappear in the bog by the school by mysterious circumstances and become a ghost that haunts the college with his lover. like lots of gray and slacks and ties ands ties and sweaters, lol. also he has glasses that he never wears because he can never find them! catch him squinting in your classroom because he can’t see SHIT. too shy to ask you for your notes though, doesn’t wanna inconvenience you! but when he’s Out on the Town®, he fucking wears like, tacky patterned shirts that are expensive but ugly. someone please help him. 

all about fun socks! he loves owning socks that have dumb little images on them. if you get him a pair of fun socks, he’d absolutely go nuts. his entire week: made. 

he leaves his roommate limericks when he senses they are sad. tapes em to the bathroom mirror or leaves them in the fridge. also loves buying people presents. tiny ones. like haunted looking things from second hand stores, or your favorite chocolate. also is the sort of friend that has EVERYTHING in his bag, in case someone cuts themselves or has a headache. can be a bit of a mom himself. it’s the little things, y’know? 

prob still in his emo phase. listens to way too mcr to not be lmao.

eco-friendly king, will not stand for you not recycling. 

if you will allow him, he will attempt to have a secret handshake with you. he’s a child. is dying for someone to memorize the parent trap handshake and indulge him. 

cannot sit still in a chair. fidgets an excessive amount, the bobbing of his knee and the squirming around. it just never ends. 

bi. that’s the hc.

he’s a little bit in love with everyone he meets if you couldn’t tell, and it’s fucking disastrous. 

he is based loosely off: patroclus ( the song of achilles ), ponyboy curtis ( the outsiders ), laurie laurence ( little women ), eduardo saverin ( the social network ), remus lupin ( hp ), oliver marks ( if we were villains. ) 

( @opalsmedia​ )

[lovelyirony]

93 and 116 for the Iron Husbands?

please read my bio as well as the tags for next time! 

“Losing you was the most unbearable pain I’ve ever felt.” 

“You don’t have to carry the weight of the world by yourself, you know?” 

Everyone has an affinity for something from Greek mythology. Whether it be a goddess with powerful hands and a kind heart or a monster that maybe isn’t so monstrous in your eyes. 

Tony prefers Atlas, the man who held up the world as punishment for eternity. 

Some days he nearly feels like it, the ache in his shoulders ever-present. 

Rhodey is there with a strong, warm hand. 

Despite everything that Rhodey has said or done, he will never stop reminding Tony of Poseidon. Usually calm, but when he’s angry there’s concern for everyone involved. 

“You don’t have to carry the weight of the world by yourself,” Rhodey says one night. They are seated out at the porch, turning off the television at the new questions that have arisen about the on-the-run aspect of the team. 

“But gorgeous I need the arm workouts,” Tony replies, voice soft and missing the mark. 

He feels himself break apart and he remembers that his world has come crashing down, earth and damage raining down. 

This doesn’t stop the nightmares of Rhodey. 

Tony I’m fine I’m fine it’s just a little--holy shit why can’t I feel my legs? Tony what’s wrong? Tony, please--

Tony’s new wake-up time is usually 2:15 a.m. 

His new sleep-time is 2:00 a.m. 

You get the drift. 

He admits this to Rhodey when he’s laying down from a headache spell. 

“Losing you was the most unbearable pain I’ve ever felt,” Tony gasps. “It hurt.” 

And Rhodey knows, knows it because he did not want to leave Tony, not when there was so much in life to live. 

“You know you can’t get rid of me,” Rhodey says, pressing a kiss to his hand. His hands are so cold now. Rhodey can’t tell if it’s because of the bad circulation or because of all of the years finally catching up. 

But he’s helping his husband through this because it’s what Tony does too. 

They catch each other at nightmares, drive to therapy appointments, and Tony even goes to the worst restaurant in the world with Rhodey. 

“A huge sacrifice,” Rhodey scoffs, rolling his eyes. “You won’t die, Tony.” 

“I don’t know,” Tony wonders, looking at the menu. “I remember the last time I came here I spent three hours with my head in a toilet bowl.” 

“That’s your own fault for ordering shellfish, stupid. Besides if we survived our little airplane mishap in Germany we can do this.” 

Tony laughs. 

And it’s a start, Rhodey feels. A start to new things. 

The Spider-Kid- 

“It’s Spider-Man, Mr. Rhodey!”

comes to visit the compound more often, telling them stories about school and how his friend Ned builds Lego replicas of stuff and their new project is the Death Star, except they need a part that wasn’t included and Peter doesn’t know where he’s going to get it. 

“Bring him over,” Tony says, not even really paying attention as he thumbs through a newspaper. “I’m sure we could build a display.” 

“Really?!” 

“Really,” Rhodey confirms. “Just text me or Tony before you guys are set, okay? And does he have allergies?” 

“No but he doesn’t like peanut butter.” 

“Then we’ll not feed him any peanut butter,” Rhodey affirms. 

When Ned Leeds comes over, Rhodey’s in shock. The kid is good with computers, probably even more so than they’ve realized. 

Ned also knows a fair amount of technology the army is using, including some things that Rhodey thought were need-to-know only. 

“Are you seriously saying you hacked into Air Force tech?” Tony asks, glee filling his face. 

“Um, am I getting arrested?” Ned asks, looking nervous. “Because technically I was just trying to find out about some engine schematics, and--” 

“Of course not!” Tony says, grinning. “Best day ever!” 

Rhodey says. 

“He hacked into my files to know where I was going and why,” Rhodey says. “And he has a blatant disrespect for military. Which is granted, but I guess he’s happy to have another kid around who was like him when he was young and...Tony.” 

Peter and Ned offer a new focus in life, and Rhodey and Tony both feel their worries and anxieties over news reports ebb away as Peter offers up a new conspiracy theory that he thinks they should investigate. 

“Moth Man does not exist,” Tony says, crossing his arms. 

“I still think it’d be cool to build the world’s largest lamp,” Rhodey counters. “We could meme it, right Peter?” 

“We could not meme it because memes are a democracy,” Peter says, crossing his arms. “The people decide what is funny and what is not and I guarantee if we try to force it, it will fail.” 

“But I dibs on painting the lamp base!” Ned cheers. “Are we thinking the traditional blue and white, or maybe themed?” 

Rhodey laughs. 

(Turns out the biggest lamp is about twenty-nine feet tall, and they’re not going to replicate that.) 

Tony starts sleeping in, and Rhodey fixes eggs and bacon in the morning. 

“Love you,” Tony says, pecking his cheek. “What’s on the agenda for today?” 

“My retirement announcement,” Rhodey says, casual as can be. 

Tony takes a look at his husband. 

“Are you serious? Like, for real?” 

“I’ll still help with new Avengers recruitment, but I have some more important things to focus on.” 

“Like me?” 

“No, the plumbing.” Tony sticks his tongue out as Rhodey grins, sweeping him into a hug. “Of course it’s you, you nerd.” 

“Just checking that I’m still your most important focus.” 

“I don’t know, Ned and Peter’s decathlon practice might take over...” 

“Hey!” 

[rangoatemybabynsfw]

Thank you for sharing your process with us! It was to the point, easy to remember, and assuaged some personal questions that I had about how to introduce characters that the readership already knows. I'm curious how the same structure that you used for the live process was the same for, say, "At the End of the Road with You" which has multiple climaxes and like two, three, four subplots. How do you map out a story that surprises the reader with more than one high point?

Thanks for watching it! I felt like I might have rambled on and on a bit haha.

So for much longer fics, before I get started writing, I’ll write a character bio for everyone involved. It’ll include things like past relationships, worries and concerns, nightmares, hopes for the future, worst fears. It’ll have all the things that will be revealed in time throughout the story and at different intervals. 

Normally what is revealed is planned but sometimes an opportunity will jump out at me and I’ll be like ‘oooo this is a great place for Lance to remember that awful memory. And it’ll even put him in danger so someone has to save him. That’ll lead to a sharing conversation between him and his rescuer about what freaked him out and in some ways bring them closer’

I have a list of major events (you can call them climaxes) that I wanted to happen but some of them can’t happen until other criteria are met first. Example, I couldn’t have Keith have his ptsd moment in the bath until after he had that nightmare about his ex. Couldn’t have that until they grew more intimate (or at least close enough that he could be reminded about his last relationship). They couldn’t grow more intimate until they got to know each other better. 

I guess what’s important in a long fic like that one is that the climaxes are lead up to slowly. There’s no need to put the most important information out there first. Practically none of the readers know about Keith’s abuse (or the extent of it) until Lance is learning about it. 

My favorite example of multiple climaxes is near the end. We don’t know if Lance is going to live or die until Keith does. And his realization about how he feels about Lance while he’s dying is a secondary climax occurring during another–We feel the fear and dread of Lance dying because we like Lance but Keith feels not only that but a secondary emotion that he loves Lance and now he’s losing him. In that case, you have a physical climax (Lance dying which has only been building up for a chapter or two) with an emotional climax (Keith’s realization which has been building up for almost half the story) at the same time.  It hits two-fold.

I hope that was helpful? I’m thinking of doing another stream sometime on Thursday. I probably won’t be talking much and it’ll just be my writing process as I try to draft out that Theatre nerd Lance/Football player Keith one. Haha. 

[emiamami-blog]

Phoenix - Chapter 1

“Enough, Kacchan! Can't you see he's crying? If you keep going, I- I- I'll never forgive you!"

A smirk quickly overtook the blond's surprised features. "Even though you're Quirkless..." He loomed over me, my body flinching back as he fired an explosion from his palm. "...you're pretending to be a hero, Deku?" I didn't have the time to respond before Kacchan and his friends charged forwards, fists drawn back. It was over in a flash. The blinding sun passed over me as I lay on the ground, body throbbing with pain. I was weak. I was defeated. Just like always.

‘People are not created equal.'

That’s the hard truth I learned at the age of four. But that was my first and last setback.

It all began in Keikei city in China. With the news that a bio-luminescent baby was born! After that, ‘exceptional’ individuals began popping up all over the world. The cause was unclear. Time passed, and the ‘exceptional’ became the norm. Fantasy… Became reality! At present, 80 percent of the world’s population consists of superhuman with special abilities. The world is in chaos! And a profession everyone once only dreamt about… Entered the spotlight!

Along with the exceptional abilities came an explosion in the crime rate. While nations struggled to overhaul their legal systems, brave individuals took up the mantle of heroes straight out of comic books, protecting people from evildoers! With public support, some quickly acquired the right to serve as heroes in an official capacity. Depending on their performance, they have the potential to earn: Government pay! And Fame and glory!

“You’re also going for U.A., aren’t you, Midoriya?”

I had been ignoring the excited shouts of my classmates, my head on my desk, trying desperately to drown out their voices. However, when I heard those words I felt my body involuntarily twitch, and I cautiously raised my head, only to see the whole class stare at me in shock before simultaneously bursting into roaring laughter.

“Huh?! Midoriya?! No way!!”

“Good grades alone can’t get you into the hero program!”

I swallowed pathetically at their words, meekly countering their taunting. “Th-that’s not necessarily true! Sure, there’s no precedent, but…”

“COME ON DEKU!!” Before I could retaliate, I was blown from my desk by a loud explosion issued out by an equally loud blond. “Forget the crappy quirks. You’re totally Quirkless! And you think you can rub shoulders with me?!”

I could feel the air around me grow warmer with the crackles that threatened to burst forth from Kacchan’s palms. I didn’t know how much more damage I could do by talking, but I figured it would be better than staying silent in case he was to take it as if I was ignoring him. “Wa- Wait, no, Kacchan! I wasn’t…” I felt the air heat up even more, now actually able to see the smoke pouring off of Kacchan. Quicker that I thought could move, I had scurried away from the twitching blond, only to find my back hitting the wall behind me. “I wasn’t saying I could compete with you! Not at all!” I lowered my head to stare at my knees, hating how I couldn’t stop myself from trembling in his presence. “It’s just… It’s always been my dream. Since I was little. And well…” I gathered my courage to look him in the eyes. “There’s no harm in trying…”

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say.

“Try?! Try what?! The entrance exam?! You’re taking the exam just to ‘try’?” That brought forth another burst of laughter from the class. I found myself shrinking away from them even more, their faces becoming blurred, shadowed masses with haunting grins. “What can you even do?!”

I was left speechless.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. I quickly gathered my notebook titled Hero Analysis for my Future, No.13, and prepared to leave. However, as soon as I turned around, my notebook was snatched from my hand by the one and only explosive human bomb.

“We ain’t done here, Deku.”

I felt my heart rate increase. That book meant everything to me. It contained my hopes, my dreams, my aspirations, and all my hard work, research and analysis on heroes. “C-come on. Give it back!”

Two of Kacchan’s friends gathered around him. “What’s that, Katsuki?” “‘For my Future’? Seriously?! This guy, Midoriya.”

Kacchan didn’t respond. He simply stared at my notebook in his hands, a dark expression crossing his features. Without any warning, Kacchan brought his other hand up to the cover of my notebook and blasted it until it was blackened and burnt. He glanced at it, a small ‘Hmph’ escaping his lips before he carelessly tossed it over his shoulder.

I was frozen in place, trembling. I wasn’t sure if it was from shock, fear, or pure rage.

“The best heroes out there, well… They showed signs of greatness even as students. I’ll be the first and only hero from this crappy public middle school! The first to win the honour of becoming a student at U.A. High. I guess I’m just a perfectionist.” Regardless of how correct his statements were, I couldn’t help but think to myself of how vain he was. He wasn’t finished though. “In other words…” I jolted as his hand came down heavy on my shoulder, a crazed smile on his face. “…don’t you dare get into U.A., nerd!” I couldn’t move. I was dripping in my own sweat, the smell of burning material reaching my nose. It was obvious that Kacchan had burnt my shoulder, but I couldn’t feel it. I could only hear my heartbeat in my ears, the blood rushing past my face.

“He's pathetic. He still can't face reality."

Kacchan turned to me one last time before he exited the room. "If you really want to be a hero that bad, there's a quick way to do it. Believe that you'll be born with a quirk in your next life, and take a last chance and dive off a roof!" I was in a state of shock, helpless to do anything but watch his retreating form. His ever-retreating form.

I found myself pulling my soggy notebook away from the nibbling lips of the Koi fish in the school fountain. I could feel my frustrations burning. My frustrations at fate for allowing people with mindsets like Kacchan’s to be born with amazing Quirks. My frustrations at Kacchan, for being so ignorant and vain. But most of all, my frustrations at myself for being so useless.

"Stupid... Stupid... STUPID BASTARD!"

“Again?! Izuku, I think you’re responsible for tens of thousands of this video’s views. It’s a little too scary for Mommy to watch.” I could hardly contain my excitement as my mother set up my favourite video. It was an old clip. There was this big disaster a while back, but in the aftermath, a certain hero made his debut.

“He’s so cooooooool! When I get my quirk, I wanna be just like him!

“I’m afraid there’s no hope for him.”

I felt my body go stiff. I just froze. ‘No hope… No hope… No hope…’ those two words kept replaying in my mind like a broken record that refused to move on.

“No! There must be some mistake?” I could hear my mother, but it felt like her voice was so far away, as if I was hearing it from the other side of a glass panel. “The other kindergarteners have all started showing signs, but…”

“Pardon my asking ma’am, but you’re the fourth generation, yes? As far as Quirks, I mean.”

“Yes, of course…” My mother shot my motionless body a concerned glance before continuing. “I can pull small objects towards me. And my husband can breathe fire.”

“By the age of four, a child should manifest either one of his parents’ quirks of a composite of the two. However, early Quirk research discovered one important finding. It has to do with the presence of absence of the extra joint in the pinky toe. Humans have no need for extra parts they don’t use, you see. And those without the joint represent the next stage of evolution. Izuku here has two joints. It’s becoming quite rare nowadays, but… He possesses no Quirk at all.

“And he’s smiling! Mom, no matter what kind of trouble you’re in, he’ll save you with a smile.” I turned to face her, tears filling my eyes as I tried to keep my own smile on my face. “Mama, I can still be like All Might, right? I- I can still be a hero?"

"I'm sorry Izuku! I'm so sorry!" Mother had run over and wrapped her arms around me, but I had just felt numb. Hollow. 'No... No, mom…’

That was when I decided. I decided not to care what anyone says!! To keep my chin up and keep moving forward!! I clenched my fist and smiled to myself, walking home with a determined spring in my step. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts, that I had failed to notice the voice whispering in my ear.

“A medium-sized body… To hide in…”

By the time I noticed, I had just enough time to turn my head before something cool and wet enveloped me. ‘A villain?!’ My nose and mouth were quickly covered by a slime-like substance, vicious, and unable to grip. I couldn’t breathe, but my other senses were on high alert.

“Don’t worry. I’m just hijacking your body. Clam down. It’ll only hurt for about 45 seconds… Then it’ll be all over. I’m saved. You’re a real hero. I never thought he’d show up in this town.”

I continued to struggle pointlessly, my chest convulsing with the lack of oxygen. I knew it was pointless to try to scrape my way out, but my oxygen-deprived state wasn’t allowing me to think clearly.

The villain took note of my struggling and decided to remind me anyways. “No point in trying that. I’m fluid, you see!!” 

My mind went into a helpless panic as I felt my body get heavier with each passing second. ’I can’t breathe! My body… Getting weak… I’m dying! I’m gonna die?! Someone help! I’m dying!! No…’ Tears began to escape the corners of my eyes. Whether from lack of oxygen or the fact that I was seconds away from death, I’m still not sure. Just as my body was about to give in, I heard another voice, this one much more familiar. 

“Fear not, kid!! I am here!” My eyes had drifted shut, but my brain was still functioning and I could still hear. The voice was so familiar that I was sure it was him… My theory was determined as true when I heard his signature battle cry. “Texas… SMASH!!” The last thing I remember was the face of my idol and a strong gust of wind propelling me backward. Then darkness.

I awoke to tiny slaps upon my cheek. “Hey… Uh. Thank goodness… You’re okay! Excellent!!” By that point, my senses were back to normal and I scurried away as fast as I could. I couldn’t believe it! All Might! In the flesh! Right here in front of me… And he had saved me too! “Apologies… For getting you caught up in my villain hunt. Mistakes like that aren’t my style, but… This is a strange land to me. And besides, I’m off camera! But my success here is all thanks to you!! I’ve contained the villain!!” 

‘All Might! He’s here… He’s really here!! Up close, I can really see!’ I quickly scrambled around looking for my notebook, desperate to get an autograph from him. I located it then frantically flipped through it looking for a blank page before seeing his name scrawled out with thick black ink. I was absolutely floored.

“Wowww!! Thank you so much!! What a treasure!! It’ll be my family heirloom!!” I couldn’t help but bow my thanks to him. Unbeknownst to me at that time, All Might hadn’t even spared me a second thought. While I was busy bowing, he had already walked away.

“Now I must bring this fellow to the authorities! You can catch me again on TV!!”

“Um! Wait… Is that it…? I…”

“A pro battles not only enemies, but also time.”

‘Hold on!! I still… I need to ask you…’

“Until next time… Thanks for your support!” Before I could think, I had reacted purely out of instinct. My arms had latched onto All Might’s leg, and we were soaring fast through the skies. “Hey now!! Release me! Such enthusiasm is a bit much!”

“If I… Let go now… I’ll… I’ll die!” I could hardly believe my own foolishness, but that question meant a lot to me. “I… Need to as you… So many things… Gah! You…”

“Okay, okay. Just do me a favour and close your eyes and mouth.” He didn’t really have a choice, but I couldn’t believe that a pro had complied to a nobody like me.

Finally, we touched down on the rooftop of an abandoned building, and I could have kissed the concrete. I had never been happier to have crashed into a solid surface. “Scary…”

“Of all the…!!” I was brought out of my post-traumatic state by All Might grumbling to himself. “Hopefully the people downstairs will help us get down. I’ve no time though! Truly!!” I saw him prepare to jump again, and made a split second decision.

“Wait! Um…”

“No!! I will not wait.”

I knew he was limited on time, but I just had to know! I clenched my eyes shut and inhaled sharply. It was now or never. I’d probably never get another chance to talk to him. “Even without a quirk… Can I still be a hero?!” All Might had to know… He was the number one hero after all! He was the epitome of heroism… the very best! “Can someone without a quirk… Become a hero like you?” 

“Quirks are…” I barely heard him though. I had to get it all out! I could somewhat make out him muttering something to himself, but I continued on anyways.

“Because I don’t have a Quirk… Well, maybe that’s not the only reason. But I’ve always been picked on… That’s why… Maybe that’s why… I think saving people is just about the coolest thing someone can do. The way you save people with a fearless smile! I want to be the strongest hero, just like y- WHAAAAAT?!” In front of me was a shrunken skeleton of a man. Hollow cheeks, gaunt skin, and droopy blond hair. “You’re all shrivelled up! Huh?! A fake?! An imposter?! So thin!!”

The blond just stared at me, an impassive look on his face. “I am All Might.” Blood spurted from his mouth, the man lifting his arm to hastily wipe it away.

“Woah! No way!!”

“You know how people hold in their gut at the pool? It’s like that!” 

“No way!!”

The man before me slumped to the ground, resting his back against the railing. “A fearless smile, huh… You’ve seen the real me, kid. But don’t write about it on the internet, okay?” I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not. The number one hero… Was he really this shrivelled up and frail looking man? “Five years ago… An enemy did this to me.” He slowly lifted up his shirt to reveal a scar, veins running out from it like a shattered mirror. I barely held back a surprised ‘Eep!’. My body shuddered involuntarily, despite trying to keep my face passive. “My respiratory system was nearly destroyed, and my stomach was removed. I’ve wasted away because of the after-effects of those surgeries. I can only do my hero work for about three hours a day now.”

He paused a moment to let his words sink in. “Five years ago…? Was that when you fought Toxic Chainsaw?” He looked surprised that I knew that, but continued on regardless.

“That lowlife? He could never do this to me! This was never made public. That is, I asked that it not be made public. A symbol of peace who saves people with a smile… Must never be daunted by evil. The reason I smile… Do you know why I smile? I smile to show the pressures of being a hero, and to trick the fear inside of me. Pro heroes are constantly risking their lives. That is why I cannot simply say, 'one can become a hero, even without power.'”

His words struck a chord within me. I felt a cold through my body, and I could swear I felt my heart stop. For the second time in my life, I felt completely empty and hollow. But this time was different from before. While I was frozen by shock at the age of four, this time, ten years later, I was filled with disappointment. I wasn’t disappointed in his answer. I was disappointed in myself for believing that I could do what was obviously impossible. I didn’t hear the words I had been hoping to hear, but surprisingly that wasn’t the worst feeling. The worst feeling was that I had allowed myself to be so optimistic even though I knew myself that it wasn’t possible. I was ashamed.

“If you desire to help people, becoming a police officer is always an option. Those villain custody officers are often mocked, but… That too is admirable work!” I stood in silence as All Might shakily got to his feet. He was almost out the door to the stairs when he paused to say a few words of parting. “It’s not wrong to dream. However… You need to be realistic, kid.” Those were the last words he said before he turned away, the door slamming shut with a metallic finality. 

“You need to be realistic.”

“Even as a third-year, he still can’t face reality.”

“It’s time to start thinking seriously about your futures!”

‘Even… The best of the best said it… Don’t cry! You knew already, right?! This is reality… It’s because I knew… That I tried to damned hard…’ I found myself on the long, slow trek back to my house, my throat feeling unnaturally tight. I fought back the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks, my face feeling stuffy and warm. ‘So hard not to see. To ignore reality. Yeah.’ A sudden explosion caught my attention, pulling me from my thoughts. ‘Hey… That explosion…?’ I was so used to gawking. I told myself to stop, to just stop it because I’d only make myself feel like a loser. But I couldn’t. When I saw the scene, I couldn’t believe my eyes. ‘Is that him?! How?! All Might let him go! Did he drop him?! That means…’ 

“This is my fault!”

I took in my surroundings, seeing multiple pro heroes already at the scene. They were focusing on the other citizens and the surrounding buildings. However, they weren’t doing anything about the sludge villain. 

“Why’re the heroes just standing there?” I quickly elbowed my way into the crowd, listening to the conversations going on around me.

“Seem’s the villain’s grabbed a middle schooler.”

‘Grabbed…? So he’s enduring that same pain?! There’s a person in there?! Why aren't the heroes moving to save them? They might not be suited for the villain's quirk, but are they really going to let the person die?!’ My mind flashed back to the moments I had spend in the clutches of the sludge villain. The crushing feeling of not being able to breathe, the fear of impeding death… “Unbelievable…” I focused my attention back on the conversations around me, hoping to get more information on the current situation. 

“Hey, that villain… Isn’t it the one All Might was chasing?”

“All Might?! No way! He’s really here?!”

“Yeah, I saw him earlier.”

“Then what’s All Might doing now?!”

My breaths were shaky as I moved in closer, my hands coming up to cover my mouth. “It’s all my fault All Might can’t do anything!! This guy can’t be caught. We have to wait for someone with the right quirk to show up!” This frightened me beyond belief. Heroes were a pillar in society that reassured citizens of their safety. I had never accounted for times that no hero had a suitable quirk for a situation. It had never even crossed my mind that sometimes heroes might not even be able to save everyone. It was a fragile justice system, and I could see just how thin the threads holding it together were. My heart went out to the middle schooler. ‘Hang in there… I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Someone will come to save you soon… A hero’s bound to come…’ I felt desperation set in the time ticked by. The student’s head was barely visible. I stuffed my shaking Hands into my pockets, before suddenly noticing a tuft of blond hair sticking out from the sludge. I watched in horror as the person fought back, their head finally facing in my direction. As I caught a glance at their face, I felt my blood run cold.

"You're Quirkless. What the hell can you do?" 

Those were the words spoken by the boy I had grown up with. The boy who I had admired. The boy that was now in front of me, struggling to get free from the sludge. As much as he despised me, I still considered him a friend. And I wanted him saved. But nobody was daring to run in to save him. I glared at the heroes around the scene. 'And you have the right to call yourselves heroes?! I thought heroes were always risking their lives!'

My feet moved purely on instinct, and I sprinted towards Kacchan and the sludge, skirting around the flames rising up from the ground. I ignored the heroes as they cried out, trying to get me to stop. “Get back here, you fool!! Stop!!”

The villain noticed my presence, and I saw his eyes light up in recognition. “It’s that kid…”

‘Why am I running? What am I doing? Why?!’

The villain began advancing towards me with an intimidating smile that rivalled Kacchan’s. “You’re dead.” His voice sounded garbled, almost animalistic.

‘What do I do?! What do I do?! At a time like this…’ I suddenly remembered my notebook. Page 25 ‘Always blast to keep damage to a minimum!’ With that in mind, I desperately flung out my school bag, hoping to hit something solid. I knew that I couldn't grab hold of the sludge because it was fluid, but the creature must have some form of a physical core, or at least something that I can hit. To my surprise, I had managed to hit him in the eye with one of my books, causing him to stumble back a bit. That gave Kacchan a moment to get his head free again, coughing and gasping for air.

“KACCHAN!!”

"Deku you idiot, why are you here?!”

"I- I don't know! My feet moved me!"

"Why are you doing this?!"

‘There were any number of reasons.’

“There’s no hope.”

“It’s my fault.”

“You think you can rub shoulders with me?!”

“Kacchan.”

“No harm in trying.”

“My dream.”

“A super cool hero.”

“You need to be realistic.”

“Saving people with a smile.”

‘But at that moment…’

“You- you looked like you were asking for help!"

Unfortunately, I didn’t get the response I wanted. It was what I was expecting though. “Stop… It! Just a bit longer. So stop getting in my way!!”

Before I knew it, the sludge had decided to retaliate against me. I could hear the pro heroes faintly yelling to each other over the adrenaline rushing in my ears. “Does he have a death wish? He’ll die for nothing!!” I braced myself, but to my surprise, I felt no pain, no suffocation. Shocked, I looked up to see All Might. He grabbed my arm, pulling me and Kacchan away from the villain’s clutches.

“The lesson I left you with… I should practice what I preach!!” I was astonished. I thought he had already gone over his limit today! “A pro should always be ready to risk his life!! DETROIT SMASH!!”

A gigantic burst of air was directed upwards, and I felt a raindrop as the dust settled. “Rain?”

“No way. The air pressure… That rising air current…”

“Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey.”

“He changed the weather with a single punch!!”

“Amazing. That’s… All Might!!”

Afterwards, the heroes collected the villain’s scattered body, and it seemed like the police had managed to get him into custody. The heroes were really mad at me. “There was absolutely no need for you to put yourself in danger!!” 

Kacchan, on the other hand, got all the praise. “You were real tough out there! And that quirk! Consider becoming my sidekick once you go pro!”

I could feel a slight tick of annoyance in my forehead as I watched. Kacchan was getting praised for being a victim who happened to have a powerful quirk. I was getting scolded because I attempted to save someone, yet I lacked a powerful quirk. That's just it. That's how unjust society is, and how having a quirk can get you places in life that you don't even deserve.

With the reporters begging the heroes - along with Kacchan - to give them interviews, I managed to slip away unnoticed. I made my way back to my house in silence, the day’s events playing themselves over and over in my mind.

“I wanted to apologize to All Might, but… I guess I’ll just leave a message on his website when I get home.”

"Oi Deku!" I turned upon hearing my nickname, seeing a blond male running towards me slightly out of breath. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, he was jabbing a finger in my face.

“I- I don't know what kind of stunt you were trying to pull back there, but you didn't do anything. I wasn't asking for help, and I sure as hell didn't ask for help from you! As if you could!! Huh?! I could’ve beaten him myself. You didn't help me, and you never will help me. Got it?!” I nodded my head. "Good. Stupid nerd!!” And with that, I was left seemingly alone once more.

“He’s right though. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t change anything. But still… I’m glad. Now I can finally focus on a more realistic future…” For some reason… I remembered what my mom said. 

“I’m sorry Izuku. I’m so sorry!”

“No mom… back then, what I wanted you to say was…”

“You can be a hero.”

[aliceflutez]

@duskthicketbonepicker​

Here you go! I’m hiding this under a cut because, well

Soot:

               Mercenary queen with way too much attitude and a triple coal? I love her already tbh. Plus, what lesbian doesn’t love antiquing? She kinda just seems like every protagonist I’d love way too much.

 Kizmetto:

                 A+ dragonsona, definitely has this adorable look of “scattered but ridiculously friendly” to her. She kind of reminds me of an old friend of mine in all the best ways. I’d let her decorate my house for sure, although I’d have to tell her to stick with jasmine since I’m not a fan of sandalwood. Some amazing art in her bio too!

 Lotus:

               So, my impression from just looking at her was geek, and then I read her bio and realized that she’s more of a socialite with her life 1000x more together than mine will be for years! I love her colour scheme, and all the little touches in her bio that make her really come to life. She just seems like she’s one of those people who it would be calming to even just be near. I love her.

 Tolarian:

                 Tolarian just looked like a friend right from the start and oh boy was I right. I just want to sit with her somewhere in the resort and relax and chat about whatever she felt like that day. I think she’d have the same sort of vibe as my best friend. I’ve gotta ask, was she intended to be kind of autistic coded? The friend I mentioned has Asperger’s, and so many of her quirks seems similar to him.

 Itzel:

                 Itzel seems like she’d be the sort of person who would be coming through my work ordering eight shots of espresso three times a day along with her boss’ coffee. Always weighed down with at least one massive bag and a list of things to get done before she could stop to think. I love the feeling of ambition and energy I get from her though? I’m guessing her relationship with Xoco is mostly strained because of her sister’s… religious choices?

 Caius:

                 Caius just seems like he should be giving me a quest already. I’ve got such a clear image of him from just his bio though, I love it! Plus he’s got such gorgeous colours and an amazing outfit to go with it… I’d definitely spend a day chatting up that mysterious old guy on the beach. I think I’d learn a lot.

 Rhonda:

               Okay so I’m in love with this adorable lifeguard already? Her and Ketut seem like such a great couple, especially since you go into how much they’ve grown as a pair. I’m not generally into reading romance stories but oh my god I want to read about those two. Plus, she just seems like such a kind person in her own way? It just makes me happy that she’s happy.

 Ketut:

                 The other half of the happy couple! And he’s a fellow bisexual who’s a little useless with his feelings, I love him already! He’s also another one who just falls into a personality type that I love the second I read about them. Totally unrelated to most of my thoughts on him, I have a feeling at some point he’s tried to make a drink to match Rhonda’s scales, but given up since he can’t make it half as beautiful as her.

 Aria:

               I remember seeing Aria when you first hatched her, of my gosh she’s so pretty gened up with  that accent! I’m weak for skydancer girls even on the worst of days, but she just looks so delicately beautiful I want to protect her with my life? I can see her just lounging in the shade on the beach, watching some hatchlings splash and play in the surf and just loving life.

 Jaya:

                 Right off the bat I just got the vibe of “Queen” from Jaya, but I couldn’t be more happy that I was a little bit off. The area where I live is a semi-desert, so the feeling of a warm summer wind is one that I’ve known all my life. All the dangling trinkets in her outfit are such a cute touch, I’m guessing it’s kind of a sensory thing with all the sounds of them moving in the wind when she flies?

 Noir:

                 OH my gosh his backstory makes me want to cry. He definitely didn’t deserve to lose his charge, and yet he hasn’t let it make him bitter. I just want him to find a nice, loving home and settle down. He deserves it.

Aegis:

                 I have a vague memory of seeing him in posts of yours before since the second I read his name I thought “Oh you little shit.” I hadn’t read his backstory before though, and that would certainly explain some of why he might be a bit of a hooligan! I think he and my random progen Karmanor would probably get along really well, but get into way too much trouble.

 Angelo:

                 My first thought with him was “What a soft boy” and then I read the first line of his bio and burst out laughing. I just want to sit with him in his garden by the lavender and relax? Also I hope that mysterious tundra gal is his sister, but if she hurts him I might die.

 Rinoa:

                 Oh sweet, she IS his sister. And a ranger too! She seems pretty mellow, although that might just be the feeling I get from anyone who likes the smell of pine. It reminds me of hiking in the summers with my family, there’s not a more relaxing smell in the world.

 Xoco:

                 Back to the little sister! I love her aesthetic, it’s an unexpected mix but it works so well. It adds so much depth to her character that she isn’t just your stereo typical vicious “A sacrifice for my gods” type. I like her more than I expected to when I heard about her rocky relationship with her sister?

 Quill:

               I had such a clear feeling of who he was from the first three paragraphs of his bio, oh my god! I’d love to be able to write like that. Plus, I’ve always got a soft spot for calligraphers since I dabble in it a bit myself. Do you think Lotus plays at his exhibitions?

 Trellis:

                 The last sister! I love how each of them has such a clearly different personality from their apparel without sacrificing the colour scheme that makes it so clear that they’re related. It’s cute that she’s so shy with Dahlia, do they end up together eventually? Also, does she ever braid some of her flowers into Xoco’s mane? I’d kind of like to think that’s where she gets the roses from.

 Karazh:

                 Oooh, progen time! He seems so nice and relaxed! I’m not much of a tea person myself, but I’d definitely give his a shot. I like that he has almost the same feeling to him as Caius, but almost… gentler?

 Almasi:

                 And progen #2! I love how her personality is a bit of a foil to Karazh’s. It’d definitely take a lot of mutual respect for that relationship to be work well. Her bio seems to hint that she did something in the past that it felt like she needed to be punished for, was that how you switched from your old lore clan to the new one?

 Apollo:

                 Oh my gosh, I love Apollo’s aesthetic, but that boy is just so damn bitter. Like, bought an entire hot topic and writes terrible poems bitter. I hope he gets a happy ending, but he’d better change that damn attitude to deserve it.

 Zanthe:

                 I love the concept behind her backstory! I’m not generally a huge fan of pearlcatchers, but the kelpie mane looks great on her and really adds to that half-imp look. For her singing, is there a person you have in mind that she might sound like?

 Ylva:

               Ylva is tough as nails, and I’m not talking physically! I’m guessing she was a bit of a therapeutic character for you, and I’m so glad you let her have a happy ending! She kind of reminds me of my girl Nemesis when it comes to looks, although Nemesis is shade-touched.

 Dock:

               To be honest, all I can think to say about Dock is that he’s so completely dumb and I love him. Also he looks great with that skin! Seems like a nice buoy overall

 Raine:

                 She almost gives off a kind of burlesque/jazz vibe? I love the mystique and charm in the way you write her, it makes me want to go hear her sing. I can see her singing Don’t Know Why (maybe not the original version by Nora Jones though)

 Pjeper:

                 Pjeper just seems like such a chaotic little imp and I love him. So much energy and nothing to do with it, poor guy. Hopefully he gets a job soon.

 Dahlia:

                 She’s such a stubborn, gentle mess and I love her? I’m always 1000000% here for ace nerds, and she just seems so sweet with her tea and her cats. I think she’d get along well with my progen Khione, although Khione’s research mostly focuses on magic.

 Apex:

                 I love the fact that in spite of being an antisocial person Apex still does an incredibly important job at the resort! It kind of surprises me that she’d ever leave, even for important research. Is the resort her charge or does she not have one yet?

  Toxicity:

                 Ooh, the radioactive version of my boy Visha! He’s definitely quite the character. I can’t decide if I love him or hate him, and I think that’s exactly the perfect place for him to be as a character. I wonder how a lab coat would look layered under his jacket, but I doubt he’d ever bother to wear one.

 Nylon:

                 She gives off the creepiest vibe and I love it. Toxicity may be love/hate, but she’s definitely more love-to-hate. I feel super bad for their kid tbh.

 Baleful:

                 Oh my gosh I want to rescue this potentially sweet child. I’m sure one of the dragons in my clan could make her some special sunglasses and noise cancelling headphones so she could go out and enjoy the world. Visha’s used to leaking toxins, I’m sure he could help with the spines.

 Jargon:

                 I love this clumsy formerly little nerd? I mean, he might not have much in the way of social skills but by golly he knows what he likes. I feel kinda bad for Raine, Zanthe, and Khayyat though. Hopefully he gets the hang of dealing with things like that.

 Glyph:

                 It hurts me a little that Glyph isn’t an Arcane dragon but I love her anyways? I bet she can do a lot just by humming with a bogsneak throat. Her art is so cute too, I love how innocent and sweet she looks in it!

 Arjun:

                 At least he’s honest about being a jerk? Honestly though, all I can think about is which of the girls in my clan could kick his ass in the most humiliating way possible because pretty much all of them would hate him.

 Fafnir:

                 Oh my gosh she’s so beautiful! Too bad she’s stuck with Arjun. I think my girl Nerio would literally love her to pieces. Her accent is amazing too, I might have to see if I can hunt down a copy.

 Kataki:

                 Honestly from the feeling I get of her, that chibi in the top of her bio sums up Kataki perfectly. I feel like she’s always diving headfirst into literally everything in her life, and it’s such a beautiful mess. I doubt Fafnir always appreciates it though xD

 Rosyth:

                 He seems like such a friendly, quirky guy? If he ever stopped by my clan he’d get along great with Nyx! I love that in spite of being an astronomer he’s still so social and charismatic, it’s a neat little detail to him.

 Rug:

                 Ooh, another little twerp!! I can see some of his personality really suiting a ridgeback, but he’s so perfect as a mirror. Another boy Karmanor shouldn’t be allowed within a few hundred kilometers of or they’d somehow cause even more trouble than they normally would.

 Fatalis:

                 Her art looks so cute oh my gosh! I love the concept behind her revival, and the detail with the wings. Hopefully she settles into modern Sornieth soon, she deserves it.

 Xiack:

                 I just knew he was going to be a bit of a dick just looking at him. Awesome fandragon though, and I love all the little details about his radio station! (I’d probably listen to it)

 Prompto

                 I love all his pets oh my gosh! I bet his room is stuffed full of photos of them all. I have a feeling he’s a fandragon for something I don’t know, but even without knowing he’s a really neat dragon. Based on his looks and the theoretical photos of his pets it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s made a ton of “memes”  (or whatever Sornieth’s equivalent might be) based on them

 Melon:

                 Oh my gosh that drink sounds delicious. And I’m so glad melon is as sweet as her drink! I bet she and Ketut get along great!

 Pina:

                 Tiny dragon with a mouthful of a name there! She seems like such a sweet kid, I’m glad she’s found a great older sister! And that art is so sweet,  it’s a whole story in one photo.

 Levia:

                 Oh my gosh she’s beautiful! I have a feeling there’s some great big myth about what might’ve happened when someone ticked her off that she just laughs at. Her accent is incredible though, I might need a copy for Artemis.

 Thayne:

                 Baby sis sea monster! She’s just so sweet and ethereal. I love that choice of gif for her bio too, bioluminescent algae is neat stuff.

 Voltaic:

                 Oh my gosh poor boy! He did so much for Mercury… I don’t see him in your lair so I’m guessing nothing there ended well at all. I hope he gets over it…

 Dune:

                 Oh my gosh that boy is so impossibly lucky! I bet his honey gets used in a ton of wines around the resort. And with all of Trellis’s flowers around they’d taste amazing!

 Max:

                 Her bio really makes me want to finally play life is strange. I love the layout on it too, it was incredibly easy to keep reading through. Overall she’s a really great fandragon!

 Chloe:

                 She’s so beautifully blue oh my gosh! Her outfit matches the character so well too.  A great match for your Max.

 Rachel:

                 Her outfit is simple but I like it? The fire is a nice touch from what I’ve read in her bio too, plus is brings out her tert so well! Maybe the teardrop jade earrings would match the ones she wears in the gifs?

 Ixalan:

                 I love how humble Ixalan is about his skills! He seems like an incredible person to work with/under, I’d love to have a mentor like that someday myself. That’s some awesome pixel art in his bio too, it’s a great touch.

 Swampthing:

                 Oh my gosh she’s the most catlike griffin I’ve heard about in a long time. Hopefully the hatchlings stop treating her so badly eventually, she’s just trying her best. Also, I feel the pain of that scatter history, that’s why I stopped keeping them.

 Aquila:

                 I just looked at him and gasped tbh. That accent looks so gorgeous with his colours! He may not have much lore, but damn that boy is a warrior.

 Aerie:

                 Oh my gosh she’s so striking! If she’s a little arrogant at times she’s earned it in my opinion. Who’s her main contact at the resort? I can see so many funny communication errors happening with her and a few of the dragons xD

 Escha:

                 Almost as striking as Aerie, but so much gloomier, geez. He’s like the worst traits of a vulture and a magpie all rolled up into one. I’d say he’s quite the character telling stories around the fire, but he probably avoids them like the plague.

 Odary:

                 She may not have lore yet but oh my gosh she’s so elegant! I could totally see her being some type of priestess or dancer. Either way she’s amazing.

 Horus:

                 Well this boy is just a recipe for disaster. Amazing outfit and accent though, I love how the light plays against the dark.

 Gil:

               Oh jeez Gil don’t let Tox and Nylon make the next Frankenstein. I love his colours though, that greyscale with the hints of blue and red is incredible. I never realized powerpack added those extra horns until I saw it on him. I think my brain is broken now.

 Matoya:

                 Such a gorgeous geode oh my gosh! Now if only all her grandkids weren’t so darn ungrateful… At least she has Jaya and Angelo around. I didn’t realize her name was from final fantasy until I clicked on the theme song link, but I forgot how much I love the soundtrack for those games! (Never played them, just love orchestral/classical music)

 Eirin:

                 Jeez, what a nerd xD He’s such a sweet boy though, and I love that idea of the comet being used as a lens/projector! Maybe since he’s from wind he could even have enough magic to stir up a fog and do some 3d?

 Able:

                 Such a cute messy boy! I love that autumn aesthetic, and the flower nymph is a perfect match!

[mc-slowwalker]

I do not have dream merch (😔😔) but if I did and was in the discord I would literally never say anything and probably not even make it in time to the vcs before they got full. lmaoo more like dream is a milf. when dilf dream or whatever got trending a while ago because of connor, I replied to multiple people with “milf*” and I think I’d be happy if I ever got cancelled for that

yeah exactly!! I don’t want it to become a chore (which watching vods can be😭😭) I was watching ranboos mcc vod and I got so many ads I was ready to scream. also is it just me or are the ads always so fucking loud like it startles me so many times. idk about the sub thing tho but I’m like pretty sure you get an ad regardless

I haven’t bought a textbook for a single one of my subjects so I hope my lectures slides are good enough. last sem the exams were open book and online so I kind of just googled my way through the bio exam😬😬 also last semester I think I watched very few of my lectures and I’m already doing better than that this sem

apologist discourse is fully the lamest. it’s so boring too. and dumb. yeah!! discourse can be fun! I like having discussions and I love seeing different points of view but Apologist discourse?!?!?!! like seriously?? it’s so dumb especially with the assumptions made. which is why I always defend c!dream apologists. god you’re so right about the “in this day and age thing” but yeah teenagers will be teenagers

right?!?!! like I was like omg dream!! playing bedwars!! and I had a fun time watching it but like right after twt was back on their bullshit. good thing about living in australia though, half the stuff mcyttwt trends, doesn’t actually trend here lol. oh yeah that’s fair. I’ve watched hannah occasionally and she’s cool. absolutely cracked at bedwars. it’s so blatantly sexist!! and they’ll bend over backwards to justify how it isn’t it’s awful. lmao I felt the same when I left hannah’s stream once dream was gone😭😭 it sucks too cause they’ll whine about not getting dream content but the moment he goes and interacts with his FRIENDS they’ll start trending /neg or shitting on them for dumb stuff. like after dream played gartic phone with the ppsat crew and people started saying shit about gumi’s voice :/// plus another thing, kind of off topic but I was reminded, I see so many dream stans on twitter who hate techno so much (I don’t even know why and at this point I’m too afraid to ask like I know what he did but they’re so forceful in their hate) and just like??? dream is literally the biggest techno stan out there like how are you gonna have techno stans dni in your bio but still interact with dream🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

lolll. yeah my subjects really go from physics‼️bio🧫 chem🧪 to 😌being online: internet meets society😌

ranbob🥲🥲 I miss them dearly. the best dream apologist. YES DREAM WHERE IS THE LORE. it’s been MONTHS since the sneak peak. MONTHS. and sam slightly showing the courtyard in one of his streams and hinting at it’s importance??? like please give us the lore

but also!! new dream vid today :DDD

I’ve heard shipping rates to counties that aren’t american are killer and yeah I wouldn’t ever be awake enough to get into vcs….. here’s the thing though I’m not afraid to call dream a milf to his face but calling his mom a milf is a terrible first and only impression you know? My dumbass would walk in, reference the tapeworm post accidentally and be banned on site

They are loud but I’ve also found at that our favorite streamers are super quiet?? Like I was on dream’s stream for mcc and when I switch to quackity’s I got jump scared because he was so loud in comparison. Also if subs still get ads on vods I’ll fucking riot I’m jot subbed to anyone but no ads means no ads mother fuckers

From one college person to another :

Also all my classes were live so I wasn’t able to go back and rewatch them…. But honestly good on you googling your way through test I was too anxious to do that but I was also too anxious to do well on any of the exams so lose lose for me.

As someone who whines about no dream content I personally love seeing him on his friends stream! It seems like he’s on his bedwars arc rn so I’m really happy he has a bunch of friends willing to play with him! AYO IF ANYONE SAYS SHIT ABOUT ANY OF THE PPSAT CREW ITS ON SITE. How dare they what gumi is someone bothering you I’ll take care of it what the fuck!!! The hannah stuff bothered me but the gumi stuff is pissing me off!!! I like gumi’s voice she’s baller!!! I’m about to start gatekeeping (/j) the dream stan community are you even a dream stan if you’re not also a rivals duo enjoyer???? Shameful. I’ve had the same sub title/heading thing for my tumblr page forever and it just gets truer every day. Also extremely curious to see how many people clicked the links in it. If you haven’t you should, the first one is a joke but the second one isn’t

Actually I can’t call you a nerd I’m put here taking math, spanish, chem, and bio of my own free volition. Actually if you have any group discussions promise me you’ll tell people to touch grass yeah? I just think it would be funny

Ranbob my favorite he/they when will they return from the war…. Or arrive to the war actually. Better yet when will tales from the smp return as a whole karl I know you’re busy but please spare some serotonin please! I didn’t actually read the inbetween lore ever but I liked the idea of it!! I also miss all the banger characters that came from it,,, crops, ranbob, the twins, Cornelius, robin, unnamed cattboy,,,, all of the other characters that I got attached to right away,,,, I miss them always. I was watching tubbo’s stream today and he was talking about how he’s getting bored on the dream smp and oh boy did that hurt. Logically tubbo isn’t actively trying to do any lore and several dream smp members still log in everyday and do something, but it was for sure a kick to the gut. About the courtyard stuff, I wonder what they’re waiting for? Is there something in it that hasn’t happened yet or is there a different reason we haven’t gotten to see it yet? Guess we’ll have to wait

I accidentally watched the wrong dream video so I spoiled the whole thing for myself akhdkfjd funfact the video and the extra scenes look very similar

[yegarts]

Meet Your Makers: Leo Lemke

Presented by TIX on the Square

Leo Lemke might be new to his art career, but he’s wise in his understanding of belonging. His sense of community, admiration for peers, and excitement for a lifetime of doing what he loves is truly inspiring. So too is his work — a thoughtful collection of handcrafted ceramics, featuring motifs that connect him to the land he is from. Self-aware and eager to keep learning, he’s already discovered what some never do: the importance of loving what you do and knowing you’ll always find a way to do it. Meet this week’s maker, Leo Lemke.

TIX: Tell us about your first experience with ceramics. What drew you to it?

L.L.: My first proper experience with ceramics was in a high school class, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I didn’t realize how much room there was for creativity, and I was constantly amazed by the ability to create a physical piece of artwork, beyond what I had expected out of sculpture. Every spare minute I had was spent trying to soak up as much information as I possibly could about this new art form, and I finally felt like I had a place.

TIX: You’ve said that the name of your brand, “Wild Woods,” is a tribute to nature’s unbound beauty and the magic that one can only find beyond the trees. In what ways does that tribute show up in your work?

L.L.: I’ve always found the beauty of nature very breathtaking, there’s nothing quite like a good hike, and growing up camping in Alberta certainly gave me a deep appreciation for the mountains. One of my favourite designs to do is a ring of mountains across the bottom of a mug, sometimes paired with an animal that you might find in the great wilderness. I love featuring animals, and when I get to thinking about how vast the forest really is, I can’t help but think of cryptids as well. I find it very enchanting, the idea that there are great creatures and beasts out there that perhaps aren’t ready to be known.

TIX: As a recent graduate from Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts, what’s your transition been like from student to working artist?

L.L.: I must admit, finishing high school in the midst of a pandemic was pretty off-putting, to say the least. It’s a little bit weird for me now too, to never have been to a physical market and have so little face-to-face interaction with other artists—it feels a little bit like I’m just floating until I can finally find my footing. I absolutely love spending my days in my studio, working on what I love, but I really look forward to the days when I can really immerse myself in a sense of community and get to know some of the people I’ve been admiring from afar.

TIX: What have you learned about yourself through your work?

L.L.: Probably the biggest thing that I’ve learned is just how much of a perfectionist I am. I struggle a lot with ‘imposter syndrome,’ feeling like my work is never good enough and comparing myself to other artists, but something I’m learning too is that I’m not the only one! I’ve been really surprised to read that really popular and successful artists feel the same way I do. It’s a reassurance in some ways, and a reminder that I need to be kinder to myself, and allow myself to make mistakes sometimes because it’s impossible to be perfect.

TIX: Your work motifs are all things you could find in the “Wild Woods.” If you were to invent your own cryptid, what would it be like?

L.L.: I love this question! The first thing that comes to mind is house cats with bat-like wings and curling horns, ranging from cat size to around the size of a wolf. I don’t think they’d be dangerous, but they’d stare straight into your soul, not unlike your average house cat.

TIX: What’s the best career advice you’ve been given, and who gave it to you?

L.L.: I think the most valuable advice I’ve received is from picking up on what I’ve heard other artists say, and that’s that there will always be a way to do what you love. I’ve learned a lot from my dad, as well, who runs his own business, and watching how much he genuinely loves what he does. I know that even if things don’t work out how I expect, there will be other paths I can take in pottery, or other ways to include it in my life. I think overall, learning to be flexible and let things play out sometimes is very useful.

TIX: What’s something you’d like people to know about you that they won’t find on your website?

L.L.: Something that I don’t talk about a ton is that I’m a pretty big nerd. I’m a huge fan of Dungeons & Dragons, in particular, and other fantasy. I listen to podcasts of people playing D&D while I work, and I’ve had some ideas of mugs with fantastical creatures for a while, but I haven’t been able to find the time to test them out yet.

TIX: What are you working towards right now?

L.L.: Right now I have a ton of goals for both my personal and work life. I’m still working towards a place where ceramics can be a stable income for me, and I would really like to be able to save up enough for my partner and I to move into our own place. I’m also constantly looking for ways to get more involved in Edmonton’s art community. Most importantly, one goal of mine that will remain constant throughout my career is self-improvement and always seeing what there is to be done to bring things to the next level.

Want more? Visit wildwoodsceramics.com and tixonthesquare.ca for the latest from Leo and other great artists.

Artist Bio

Leo Lemke was born in Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton), Alberta, in July of 2002. He graduated from Victoria School of the Arts in 2020, where he was introduced to ceramics as a medium. He began working with it seriously in spring of 2020 and promptly started Wild Woods Ceramics, working to make a name for himself in the arts scene. Through ceramics as a medium, Leo feels a closer connection to the land he is from, drawing inspiration from the landscapes and creatures. The name “Wild Woods” is a tribute to the beautiful wild, the perfect freedom which comes only from within the trees.

[pens-and-parchment]

Hi friends! Hope everyone is having an okay week, I went back to school on Tuesday and it’s been alright. I miss the days I could just sit around and read though 😭 🦌 I put up a new blog post this afternoon! I talked about how I’ve been feeling discouraged by my stats the last month or so, and how it made me reflect on our community as a whole and my place in it. Here’s a little excerpt from it that I’m proud of 😊 “I think it’s important to remind ourselves that the book community is not all about free stuff and publishers. It’s not all about the numbers. It’s about the books that don’t get a lot of hype, or the late-night conversations with friends we never would’ve had if not for the YA community. It’s about the voices we don’t get to hear in everyday life, about the kids that are awkward and bookish and able to find a home in this congregation of fabulous nerds. It’s about debut authors experiencing the joy of holding their first published novel, and the hours of stressful, head-pounding work that go into producing an entire book. It’s about stories, and the power they possess to change us all.” 🦌 If you want to read the rest, click the link in my bio and go to my blog! I’m really interested to see if anyone has ever felt the same way I’ve been feeling lately. Have you ever felt discouraged by follower count or stats in general? 🦌 #bookstagram #book #books #bookphotography #instabooks #bookishfeatures #bookstagramfeatures #booknerd #bookstagrammer #bookstafeatures #stags #yalit #yaliterature #getunderlined #bookworm #booklover #bibliophile #booknerdigans