#[i love them they're so good & silly & comfy doing their own thing]

[justicefanged]

[ Spaghetti and Meatball ] She knew. He told her what he planned on wearing. But she laughed it off. A joke, for sure. It had to have been a joke.

It wasn't a joke.

When she sees him, her face turns as red as the dress she's wearing. She tries so hard to keep her eyes on his face but it's difficult. Even if his outfit is ridiculous, he's still so hot.

"S-spaghetti!" Altena manages to stammer out as she slams the plate she's carrying down on the table in front of them. "Ah I mean...I'm not going to lose this year. When I win," brown eyes flick down to his legs before going back to the safety of looking at his face, "when I win, you're going to sit in a snowbank."

Anyone else in his position might feel a fool or embarrassed, or something of the like -- but Linus had confidence, or foolishness, in spades!

Plus, it was just too funny to see reality hit Altena in the face when she saw that he was, in fact, not joking. She's staring -- in a not at all subtle way -- and her face matches her dress in color the closer she gets. Silly as the whole thing may be, it sure is a delightfully good ego stroke to see that she's hardly put off.

Linus smirks, letting his gaze roam from her beautifully flushed features to the dress that she'd worn so well last year -- a low whistle of appreciation on his lips. "Don't really care for this sorta fancy party, but Saints, you do look good in that," he says, finally letting his eyes land on the plate of spaghetti as she slams it down between them.

The fire in his eyes shifts into something more mischievous and competitive now.

"Tryin' to take my crown from last year? Ya know I won't make it easy for ya, right?" he barks out a laugh, settling down across from Altena, more than ready for round two of their little betting competition. "Oh, yeah? Sheesh, gettin' me back for the fountain thing last year, huh? Well, when I win, maybe you'll just have to make a snowball and throw it at someone while they dance!"

Dice Roll: 13

And, just like last year, the poor plate of spaghetti didn't stand a chance -- though, he was a bit off his game this time, watching Altena more than where he was putting his fork.

[clovers-little-starlings]

Activities for Regressors Without Caregivers! (or just fun regression activties!)

(Although you're always welcome here if you'd like any form of comfort anyway! ^w^)

This one's kind of a long one, after the few tips I list, I've mentioned an app I use called Finch, which will be talked about below the cut.

Since that's the case, I'll put my little ending message here instead:

Knowing how to take care of yourself can take a lot of work and practice, but I believe it's worth the effort, because then you'll be a happier and healthier you! Especially if you can find ways to make it fun!

I'm more than happy to be here for you and offer my support in any way I can, anyhow! I'm proud of you for doing what you can, I know it can be very hard.

I myself don't have a caregiver for when I regress, so most of the time I end up taking care of myself! Here are some fun activities and things I do when I regress to keep myself calm and happy! ^w^

Paci mentions/pics not long after the first section for those of you who'd rather not see 'em.

♥ Arts and crafts! I absolutely LOVE coloring and making bracelets with beads, something not too complicated for little hands, but also something fun!

With coloring, you can buy coloring books, or draw something of your own to color in- even printing out a page you find online, coloring digitally, or tracing over something to color in could work! I prefer coloring more than drawing personally because I don't draw all the time, but I bet I could learn a little thing or two from the artists around here!

For bracelets (and other jewelry), strings can be hard to knot with little hands (at least they aren't those small, slippery clasps!!), but the beads shouldn't be too hard to handle if you're careful! Even just planning out patterns is fun!

Here are some My Little Pony bracelets I made, and the decorations I did for my pacis!

♥ Making playlists! Dancing is fun, and a good way to get the zoomies out, but you can just make playlists for any occasion! I have playlists that help me pet-regress, songs with sounds I like, adventure playlists... (Well- a lot of these are still in progress, but- you get the point!)

I also love those playlist videos on YouTube! Animal Crossing, Super Mario Galaxy, Minecraft and music box music are typically my go-to to help me settle or just make for comfy background music! Here's one of my favorites, shadowatnoon has lovely Nintendo music mixes!

♥ Playing with your plushies! You can take them on adventures, or make your own!

Like Toby, climbing The Great Pillow Mountain!

(This is Toby by the way, he's one of my best friends and a VERY good hugger!)

You can play games with them, too! Toby's REALLY good at hide and seek... Maybe you can find him for me? :0

♥ Finding shows to watch! I really like Paw Patrol and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the moment. Plus, you can look at agere content and fics from shows you like! People make really cool stimboards and moodboards, for example, and I like reading through all the fun stories people write!

Here's a silly picture of Rocky I found! :3

Finch

Finch is a self-care app where you take care of your very own little bird friend by taking care of yourself!

You can set daily goals, or for each day (or more specific ones as well I think.). By completing these goals, you give your bird energy to go on adventures! They usually come back with a funny little story or silly questions, because they're learning, too!

Through completing these goals (or daily, at least), you can get Rainbow Stones, which you can use to buy clothes for your bird, make them different colors, or give them furniture for their house!

They're also LGBTQ+ and disability-friendly!! :3

This is my little bird, Honeydew! You're welcome to friend me as well if you'd like, my code is: Z3E2T7VRK6

It's helped me learn a lot about taking care of myself and keeping track of my goals, and I get little rewards for it! I've used the app for several months now, and it's helped me out a lot!

"Fluttershy protects this blog! SFW interaction only, please and thank you! ^w^"

"Wouldn't show a kid? Doesn't belong here!"

[mochinomnoms]

i understand the simping for the fashion dilf believe me i do

but i come offering other non simping thoughts for now

i can imagine yuu just casually braking into other dorms to sleep when it rains bc their dorm is still…extremely broken (because the BIRD MAN WONT FIX IT)

so their friends (and possibly lovers depending upon your preference) just wake up the next morning to see yuu on on couch in their common area with grim sleeping on them

-🐝

I love this alot but especially if it's a case that no one can figure out how the hell you're getting into their dorms. Even though they're easily accessible through the mirrors, the dorms are probably locked from the outside for safety reasons.

At my dorms and for most of the buildings, they were open during the day and at night they would only be accessible though student id/key cards. I think the students at NRC maybe could use their wands as their key cards, but you don't have a wand, just Grim with his stone. And people forget that Grim, even though he's just a lil ceacher....is still technically a student that can get into buildings lol.

Heartslabyul is the main victim of your sudden appearances, which makes Riddle a bit conflicted, as he understands Ramshackle is desolate, and the roof might cave in on you while sleeping... But there are RULES, and you're not supposed to leave your dorm after a certain time, AND you need permission from your housewarden to sleep in another dorm. But technically you're your own housewarden...and you did come into his dorm right before the deadline (Idia can pull up the timestamped camera footage to prove it if you ask). Ace and Cater get a kick out of seeing you in the lounge and may or may not have the urge to draw silly things on your face in marker. Trey and Deuce feel a bit bad since you are using the couch pillows to cover yourself, so they start leaving throw blankets for you to use. Riddle will get over it, eventually, and will start involving you in the dorm's morning routine and chores if you're there often enough.

The next most common is Scarabia, mostly because their lounge is super luxurious and Kalim doesn't care that you sneak in. In fact, he starts anticipating it (he can be perceptive if he really pays attention) and will sit in the lounge waiting for your arrival for an impromptu sleep over! It only becomes a problem when Jamil wakes up and goes to get Kalim up for the day only to realize that he's gone and oh god where is Kalim did he get kidnapped oh shit Jamil is gonna get murdered by Kalim and his own—WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING IN THE LOUNGE—PREFECT????? You promptly get banned for a few weeks before the cycle continues again.

For the next dorms, it's a tie between Savanaclaw and Diasomnia. Mostly because they're not as comfortable, like yeah Savanaclaw has a pool in the lounge and Diasomnia is a cool gothic castle but...they're not comfy to sleep in. Scarabia gets hot, but at least the lounge is comfy, Savanaclaw doesn't have loads of cushions, pillows, and blankets. Leona doesn't care much though, and he had you over once before, so as long as you don't disrupt his sleep again, do what you want. And Diasomina, while you'd be welcomed with open arms by Malleus, is kinda creepy...especially in the lounge....and you've woken up with Malleus or Lilia hovering over you, unblinking, staring until you wake up. They just want to greet you good morning! It's...sweet...but unnerving. But if you can't go to Heartslabyul, and you've been banned by Jamil from Scarabia for a while, then it's a toss of a coin between those two.

Your last options, in order, are Octavinelle, Pomefiore, and Ignihyde. Octavinelle, well they have a very lovely lounge with lovely ambience and quite comfortable couches! But, last time you got found by one of the students, you got reported to Azul who promptly made you work in exchange for sleeping in the dorm without reserving a room. Yeah, you forgot that Azul has rooms available to rent out, you can't get around that by sleeping in the lounge, work off your debt! It becomes a game almost, to see if they can find you before you sneak out of the dorm. You've been unsuccessful, as Jade and Floyd has an uncanny ability to find you no matter where you are. Once, as a joke and in retaliation, you managed to sneak into Azul's office and sleep on his couches. You'd planned to wake up and sit in his chair so that you could turn around with Grim in your lap like a James Bond villain (Grim asked what a James Bond was), but you ended up passing out for a solid 10 hours from how comfortable you were. You woke up to your head in Jade's lap, petting you like a cat, and legs over Floyd's lap, as Azul worked on paperwork. When you woke up, very confused and groggy, he asked how you would like to split your ten owed hours of shifts.

Pomefiore, while lovely, is not your favorite choice. Mostly because you don't want to deal with Vil. He's actually the most concerned out of everyone that you've resorted to sleeping in lounges, it's not good for your health. And as we all know, he is very concerned with his dorm members maintaining a good health and general wellness. So the moment he hears that you are sleeping around in the lounges, he waits, even puts Rook on watch for you. The moment you pass out in his lounge? He's snatching you and nearly motherhenning you. He's pushing you to sleep in one of the dorms, most likely Epel's room, since you're familiar with each other. And now, you've also been tied in with the same routine and rules as Epel. You appreciate the concern, but you don't know how to tell Vil that you kinda like the fun of running around between dorms and freaking people out. He probably wouldn't be amused, so you manage to escape his grasp and stay at Ramshackle for a while to let him cool down (he's a bit offended that you wanted to escape, so now he's biding his time and waiting for you to eventually crawl back when the other dorms are occupied.)

Ignihyde is last because, quite frankly, that bish look cold! And uncomfortable! And a lot creepier than Diasomnia!!! And also, Idia and Ortho have that dorm covered in camera and security measures, so you're not getting in. Sorry I don't make the rules, Idia just really doesn't want to deal with you in the lounge, especially when he runs out for midnight munchies and has to hold back his scream when he sees a random person in his dorm and oh no it's just you. Prefect, what the fuck?

[cognitosclowns]

I wanna fall asleep with these freaks 💓🥺

I am the eepiest sleepiest little guy of all time and this activated a Worm in my Brain so this is gonna get SO LONG AMSDNAMSND

sfw!! just snuggles and soft things

Reagan

Not extremely cuddly? She likes her personal space!

That doesn't mean she never wants cuddles, she's just gotta be in a particular Mood for it!

Most nights, she wants to be kinda,, gently curled into your arm?? just a loose grip around it w/ her own, cheek resting on your bicep.

She talks in her sleep, but it's very quiet. Usually it's just her going through her schedule for tmrw (does she?? dream of work in her sleep???), but occasionally, you'll hear her mumbling about how much she loves you <333

Yes, it's just as cute as it sounds. She has no memory of it in the morning, but if you bring it up, she'll get this flustered little Half-Smile alllll morning <3

She falls asleep so fast. if you wanna be cute w/ her while cozied in bed I'm so sorry, the second she feels Safe and Warm and Cozy in your vicinity she's passing out for 4-12 hours ✨✌🏻

It's alright, you know she needs her rest <3 besides, that just opens up options for you two to be soft and shmoopy in the morning

Brett

Unsurprisingly, the cuddliest guy of all time. He would be inside your ribcage if the opportunity was provided KJASDKASJD

He really likes?? laying on your chest and stomach?? he likes to be significantly further down. occasionally you'll just,, barely see his hair and the top of his forehead peaking out from the covers from how low he gets

it's just so comfy! he likes The Noises and Warmth and Vague Suffocation that comes w/ sleeping w/ his head under the covers, resting against your torso <3

He smiles so much in his sleep. you didn't think ppl did that outside of movies, but he totally does <3 usually only when he's having a particularly good dream.

OH ALSO HIS BED IS SO FUCKING COZY

I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS MAN DOESN'T QUILT. HE HAS SO MANY BEAUTIFUL HAND-MADE QUILTS AND BLANKETS AND KNITTED SHIT IN HIS BED. I hope you like being cozy bc you're gonna be The Coziest Of All Time.

He also sleeps with stuffed animals! He always did as a child bc his treehouse was always cold as hell, and the habit just stayed with him!

they're so well-kept and soft all these years later <3 usually he just keeps them at the foot of the bed, bc it makes him feel safe to, but occasionally he'll bring a couple up for you two to snuggle <3 You Are Never Too Old To Snuggle A Stuffed Bear Don't Like To Yourself.

Andre

A Nightmare (affectionate)

not only is his sleep schedule Entirely Batshit, but he has so much trouble falling asleep. expect lots of tossing and turning

he does settle a lot thought when you hold him!! Don't hold too close, he still needs to squirm a lot to actually fall asleep

You're also the only person that he gets a full nights sleep with <3 he usually ends up waking up in the night, his mind starts working on smth, and he doesn't go back to sleep <3 but with you, it's almost instantaneous.

A little Jump, a bit of squirming to get into a comfortable position, and then off to seeb again <3 it's nice to see just how safe he feels around you <3

Expect plenty of early morning/late night convos <3 hell even middle of the night convos, where he hasn't realised that he fell asleep and instantly hops back into Whatever He Was

He also has such a habit of. Continuing Conversations From His Dream. like he'll just grab your arm and start talking about Yes I'm Sure If We Distilled It Enough We Could Make Whiskey Out Of Lighter Fluid Myc before passing out cold MASNFASMFJ

TLDR. squirmy silly man, but also enjoyable to seeb with.

Gigi

OUGHEEEEEEEEAWBABWBAGOURGHR <- experiencing wife fevers

SO COZY HOLY SHIT

I refuse to believe she doesn't have a Big Comfy Bed. Silk covers, big thick duvet, more pillows that she knows what to do with. The bed is 3 times the size of her so when you catch her snuggled up in bed she truly just looks like those photos of Very Small Puppies in Very Large Beds MNASDMASND

So cuddly <3 you wouldn't expect it, since she makes a point of being seen as very Untouchable and Independent, but she loves to be held.

Her ideal state is nuzzled under your chin, feeling your pulse through your neck <333 a leg hooked around yours to make sure you're nice and close.

She takes a while to fall asleep, so she likes to go to bed early! Feel free to join her at any time, she'll just be dozing <3

If you do join her when she goes to bed, expect some,, very soft, lovey-dovey moments. she looks utterly adorable, all bundled up in her cozy little slightly-too-poofy nightgown and eye mask.

She Deserves 1000000 Cheek Smooches Or Else You Shall Die Of Love Disease <- her favourite part of the night. she will start giggling the moment she feels your lips on her cheeks and neck.

kisses her 1000. she's the most

Myc

HE OWNS A WATERBED I KNOW THIS FUCKING MAN OWNS A WATERBED

A FREEFLOW WATERBED TOO. NO SUPPORT IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE FLOATING.

It's actually pretty comfortable after you get used to it. you see the appeal, it's kinda got that Sensory Deprivation Tank feeling of weightless floating <3

Expect to be utterly Mummified in tentacles AKSDJASKJ

He insists that it's so that you don't go tossing and turning in your sleep and knock his ass off the bed but. You See Through His Lies You Understand. You See The Jackassery At Play Here.

OUGHEEE he has such a habit of like. swirling his tentacles gently around your skin. Not necessarily stroking back and forth, moreso massaging? if you have any knots in your back, thighs, or arms, they're gonna be gone by morning.

Fairly quiet? That doesn't mean silent though, he absolutely talks while you two drift off to sleep, but it's all in very quiet tones. A Little Shit, But Lovingly. (you may. gently have to bop him on the head and tell him to Shut The Hell Up Its 3 Am Goddamn Not Everyone's Job Is Just Sitting Around Getting Jacked Off MANSDMASNDMANSDMN)

Glenn

He snores like a foghorn I'm so sorry. the old man of all time

If you can look past that though, he's so fucking delightful to sleep with <33 most especially bc he loves when you lay on him

he says smth about how it Helps Unfuck His Back, but you're at least 45% sure that that isn't the main reason

(and you're right, it isn't <3 he just loves feeling your weight on him)

He loves just,, leaving a hand against your back, running up and down as you settle in to sleep <33 before leaving it to rest on the small of your back <33 love is so real and true.

his tail wags in his sleep

HIS TAIL WAGS IN HIS SLEEP

HIS TAIL WAGS IN HIS SLEEP

You'll see this most when he's sleeping on his stomach, bc when he's on his back his tail can't move, and on his side Everything Hurts At All Times KAJDKASJ

You'll see it squirm around the most when you're touching him <3 if you run your hands through his hair, or trace patterns on his back that things gonna be WHIPPING like a wheatstalk in a hurricane.

^ this also applies to. early morning and late night cuddles. in the morning its more of a,, slow waggle? like you'll just see it gently twitching under the bed, while you place kisses on his cheek BAWBBABWBABW <- if I talk about his tail any more we'll never be done

just the guy of all time <3 go sleep with that old man go do it go do it now go go go go g

JR

Let Him Sleep On The Booba

Truly he sleeps best with his face buried in your chest. what can he say, it's cozy as hell.

his ideal state is being Unconscious. A Coma. Laying horizontally being fed nutrients through a tube. He will nap on you at any possible moment

It's one of the time's he feels Truly Safe? Like he's constantly having to run around doing what the Shadow Board wants, doing what Rand wants, etc. Sometimes You Just Need A Little Nap With Your Partner To Be Okay Again

He IS freezing cold I refuse to believe otherwise. he runs Ice Cold and it takes him 15 minutes to warm up. feels a bit like cuddling a corpse until your body heat brings him back to Human Levels Of Warmth.

The things we do for love smh MNSFGKFAJSFGKSDJ

stupid rich expensive bed. imported silk sheets. mathematically optimised mattress designed in a lab to give him The Best Sleep Possible. he's rich enough to buy several countries, he might as well put it to use.

Alpha-Beta

OUGHEEEEEEEEAWBABWBAGOURGHR <- experiencing wife fevers part 2

He's such a heavy sleeper MY GOD. If you couldn't hear his internal systems whirring and clicking you'd think he was dead KJDSAKFJASDKFJDSA

It isn't really his fault - his 'sleep cycle' likes to be done in one solid stretch, to avoid file corruption, which means. His body just,, won't wake him up unless it senses Active Danger to himself or you.

It's fine! He'll wake up if the house is on fire. Probably.

'aww you're such an old man <3' <- he's going to push you into a woodchipper AKSGJSAKDJFKSDFGJ

He's so warm and cozy <3

Upside, personal heater during the winter. Downside, summer is hell for both of you (Upside, he sleeps mostly naked in summer to avoid Dying of Death Disease)

Hold him <3 hold him he won't ask but he loves being held, even more than he loves holding you (which is. Saying Something). The second he feels your arms wrap around him, maybe one of your hands gently fussing with his hair? Out like a light <3 its sweet, all those unspoken ways that shows how much he loves you <3

ABWBABWBAB I swear I did an ask like this before but. I don't care this was so cute. If you have any additions, go nuts!

[cjkie22]

A non-exhaustive list of why you should listen to hit dirtbag boyband Bears in Trees:

their music is really amazing. you'll love it.

especially if your Spotify wrapped was on the pov: indie side of things

and even if it wasn't.

songs for every emotion

absolutely beautiful lyrics

sometimes these lyrics make sense. sometimes they don't. that's part of the fun.

songs about platonic love !!!!!

songs for the queers! the aros! the aces! the enbies! the trans community!

my dad likes them. doesn't sound like a lot, but it's an achievement.

(more underneath the break)

iain (bass/vox/lyrics) has "ginger" tattooed on the back of their head. if that isn't iconic I don't know what is.

on the note of iain, they were the first person i was aware of that used they as a pronoun, and that changed my life

they have a discord server! it's a really lovely community. i am not biased in the slightest. (discord.gg/sandbox) (https://discord.com/invite/thesandbox) (i will personally send you an invite i don't actually know what the link is)

they should DEFINITELY be on the heartstopper soundtrack

if I'm remembering correctly in the tiktok where they said they should be on the heartstopper soundtrack, they also said 3 out of 4 of them were in some way queer. seems like a good thing to me.

they opened for you me at six earlier this year. it was my first time seeing them live. and WOW.

I met some of my best friends through this band. I'm not joking; big shout out to the mojo dojo castle house, I'll never forget that weekend.

they're hilarious on the internet

you might cry at several of their songs for a million different reasons

BearBerry records

they have a tumblr blog @/bearsintreesofficial (iirc). I'm not gonna tag them but

BiT gigs are a safe space. I may have almost fainted at my last one (new cross inn, August 2023) but I've never met so many kind strangers and genuinely lovely people

merch is super comfy and really cute.

it gives stardew valley and animal crossing (trust me I'm right)

after the new cross gig (sweatiest gig in the world), despite surely being exhausted, callum (uke/keys/vox) took my bereal and i got my mini lesbian flag signed by them all

I turned out not to be a lesbian, which possibly makes it funnier, but the flag is stuck on my wall still

cryptids would LOVE their band

dash.

there's also a community minecraft server for discord members

BiT postcards !!!!

gosh and the bit stickers

they covered stick season on an Instagram live

they also do the funniest twitch streams

iain and the mountain

the raccoon email address

george (drums/production) is elite. the drum fills in doing this again? iconic. also has a specific really cool shirt I want to steal

wedding. dress. tiktok.

callum doesn't wear shoes on stage. apparently this was common knowledge but it sure surprised me at new cross.

the austrian soft drinks advert

iain make up looks

callum plays the flute. I want to say classically trained flautist but i may be wrong.

none of them have EVER bribed any members of law enforcement

their songs are very tattooable

talking of tattoos, nick (lyrics/guitar/saw him play the uke on stage once) has L + R tattooed on his forearms (iirc). absolute genius and I am stealing it when I get more of my patchwork sleeve done

iain releases solo music to under the name pet yeti. it's ethereal. callum also plays flute on one of them.

trumpet joe

the four of them never look like they are dressed for the same event

someone once edited the bears in trees wiki page to say that Ryan Ross was in their band

silly geese

that time we got singing? poetry? performance art? of THAT harry potter fanfiction

according to tiktok, iain and nick once had to sneak into their own show because they were underage

nurby

I have a video in the depths of my camera roll of them covering Mama by My Chemical Romance on a twitch stream

sonick

all of them give me gender envy at different times

their newest single (bart's bike) features banjo

patreon content

yelling it gets better with a room full of people was a healing experience.

tilly

modern baseball and fall out boy adjacent in my brain

if you like bears in trees you're automatically hot and really cool

they did a song with noahfinnce and its really super good

callum also featured on a myriad song which is also really super good

bit songs feel like coming home. they feel like hot chocolate and a blanket on a cold night. they feel like a warm hug. they feel like surviving and falling in love with life again and overcoming the worst things. they feel like victory, because you didn't think you'd make it to adulthood. but I'm 20 now. and I'm still here. I've almost graduated uni. and that's what bears in trees feels like.

all of their songs!!!! amazing!!!!

please feel free to add to this list. I'm taking suggestions.

[sprinklenoodles]

Guess who read all of the Pokemon fic~? And, I got some art! A LOT of art For one... IT'S THE QUEEN LOAF!! Stare into her eyes. So majestic u_u

Then, I decided to draw Byakuya and all his Pokemon so far. Took me a bit to figure out a good outfit for the heir as it mentions he's in a suit, but I didn't wanna just put him in his standard suit. Also spruced up his hair. His Karen cut has evolved. Also, they're small but the B's are on the Pokeballs!! Ensured I kept the hights good btw since Larvesta is (pardon my American ways) 3ft, Eeevee is like a ft, and Byakuya is 6'1.

Then, I decided do draw them some more. Also, in regards to Byakuya and his girls, I tried making Eevee a bit more distinct than the standard Eevee. Might play around a bit more and might tweak her once she evolves so the shape language alludes to her future. Also, I wanted Byakuya to look like he's so not secretly gushing about his girls so I hope I did that well.

Finally, before I comment on the fic, I drew this silly drawing as well. Tried some shading too and gosh do I love how Larvesta turned out. She is indeed the fat loaf.

As for comments on the fic, very cute so far. Loving the petty energy with Byakuya and his rival. Also love all the gang slowly getting 2nd Pokémon together. Byakuya's got two fluffy girls on his hands now which I just love the pattern that he's so far got only female Pokémon. I dunno why but it makes my brain so happy. Just Byakuya and his smart though sometimes dumb girls. I mean, Eevee was literally bonking her head on the glass when they were at the aquarium like a freaking goober. Also, as for some other words which are mostly Byakuya based cus my gosh and I gushing about him and his team, like, Eevee is a cute addition. I like him carrying her and also liked when he told Eeeve the drama about him and his rival. Which, I just love that he just has full blown conversations with his Pokemon and he gossips with them. Shows he treats them both well and that he really is considerate of their feelings. Like when he noticed Eevee wanted to see the aquarium and let her do her own thing and explore. Another thing I wanna mention is Kijo's Alteria. She is gorgeous and I like that, like father like song, both have elegant clingy queens for Pokémon with fluffy white fur. It was so adorable when Alteria just pounced on the heir. Very precious detail too that Byakuya was comfy and could have just conked out on the spot. Maybe he needs an Alteria of his own. Maybe he'd sleep better. Which, another note, I love Larvesta being a canonical bed hog. I can just tell he gave up long ago on getting her off the damn bed. I know these are very disjointed thoughts but gooooosh! I could blabber on for several more asks. Genuinely. My brain is enthralled with almost ever fic I read from you. I swear! And I actually am so freaking attached to Larvesta. As I said prior, a part of me wants her to stay a loaf forever like how some Pokemon in the anime never evolved like Ash's Toadadile or, more obviously, his Pikachu. She's too precious as hell and I don't want her to change T-T I totally get if you let her evolve though!! Don't let my goober ways change your plans heheh!! But yeah! I made this jam packed with stuff this time around heehhe!! Am shocked tbh cus I legit did not expect my art block to just be cured cus of a buggy fire loaf. I am so drawing more of these guys too! Gonna draw Byakuya's human gang as well!! If you have any comments on the designs btw, do tell!! I love reading!!!!

THIS IS SOOOO AWESOME!!! Thank you!!!!! Wish I could say more but going somewhere rn and in a car lol

[symphonic-scream]

I was left unattended there's a new au

Haru Sakura au for Persona 5

P5 au where Haru moves into LeBlanc's attic after she joins the team

Joker lives in the Sakura house by then, has his own room, and they've just been using the attic as a hideout

They go and get Haru and Mona back and. They all watch her sleep on the couch, and no one wants her to go back home.

"...you think Boss would let her stay here?"

"It's worth asking..."

So, Haru lives above Leblanc. She gets her stuff from her old house, so the attic has a bigger bed in it, a vanity, and they all build an Ikea dresser for some of her clothes

In this one she decides to take a gap year. A year spent, learning to love and to live. A year learning to be Big Sis Haru

Anyways.

Haru: I, I think I'm gay,

Akira: hey, hey it's okay, do you want a hug?

Sojiro: now, I'm not up to date with the world and stuff, but you love who you love, you can't choose that. Anyone that gives you hell? Just send them to me, and they'll never bother you again

Futaba: ...was it Makoto or Ann?

Sojiro: Futaba-!

Haru: Mako-chan, shes- gosh,, I could probably go on for hours,

Akira: I'll listen if you want. I'm sure Dad and 'Taba have other things to do

Sojiro: I can listen to anything else. Just, not love stuff. Don't wanna picture you kids getting older

Futaba: I have to bully kids on Roblox

Haru gets a room in the Sakura house too. Hers is, technically the attic again, but it's big. It was a surprise too, Sojiro paid Ryuji and Makoto and Akira to fix it up, make it liveable

Makoto goes away for the first semester. Kyoto, then back to Tokyo. She and Haru call and text, video call too. Haru praises her haircut, and smiles when she wishes Makoto luck with a date. Doesn't know why her chest feels heavy

Makoto's first day back is day one of strikers. Ann and Akira and Ryuji are going to pick her up from the airport, and Haru doesn't originally want to go, but. Makoto's last text before she loses service is just

"I can't wait to see you again, you don't even know how much I've missed you. Would it be too forward to ask for a hug?"

Haru leaps out of bed and down the stairs, and gets to the van just as they're about to leave

Ann: girl- you're in your PJs??

Akira: you said you didn't want to...

Haru: i- I want to be there! Please,

And she wrings her hands, waiting and listening to the others talk, and-

"Haru!"

Makoto is beaming, undercut and more unevenly cut hair. Wearing a flannel and some shorts, comfy clothes, but it still makes Haru forget to breathe

Makoto pauses, to ask for that hug, be a little cheeky, and Haru just. Crushes her. Sniffling slightly into her shoulder, mutters a soft "I missed you so much,,"

And they're friends. They're friends! Haru has to keep insisting this to her brother, and her sibling, and Ann-

Makoto sits close to her the entire time. Leans over to make jokes, and smiles at her with that, new, silly smile she's found

And. Makoto, at some point in Strikers, breaks the news that she's staying in Kyoto for the year. To finish her year. The program director likes her, it seems

Haru acts normal about it, but when she's alone later, Akira finds her and wraps an arm around his sister

Akira: it sucks, huh?

Haru, wiping her tears: it does,, but- this is good for her studying,,

And the others, they're talking to a more demure Makoto

Ann: got a girl in Kyoto?

Makoto: sort of? She, doesn't want to be exclusive. And, I'm thinking I might actually not like her as much as I'd thought

Ryuji: huh? For Real?

Makoto: ...there's someone else I'm now realizing I may be, in love with

Later on, it's like March now, the next school year is a month away, and

Haru: so, then Sojiro said-

Makoto: I'm coming back to Tokyo!

Haru: ...you are?

Makoto: I, I am. I'm going to Tokyo U for my second year. Is, does this make you, happy?

Haru: you silly girl, I'm ecstatic! But, is this what you want? What about your girlfriend?

Makoto: she broke up with me. I deserved it, it's. A long story. I'll tell it to you when I'm home?

Haru: yeah,, when you're home,,

The second airport reunion is much more emotional. Makoto sprints through a crowd, and swings Haru around, who's actually crying and just. They both missed each other so much

Makoto had a plan. She had it all worked out, but, in the moment, she just-

Makoto: I missed you so much, I love you, Haru, I-

Haru: *gay shut down as Makoto rambles a little, then springs up for a messy kiss*

So then they're dating. Haru starts her first year as Makoto does her second, and it's. They're both in much better places

Sojiro has to get used to his newest and oldest daughter coming down from her attic room in the morning with her girlfriend, who he knows already, but who gets so goddamn awkward around him now

Futaba snickers and teases as Makoto gets so red, and Akira winks and teases, and Haru gets pink and giggles back, and just. She's in a much better place in life

A gayer place

Makoto would have had a year of gay exploration and learning about herself in the background. She comes back to Tokyo knowing she's more butch, having a new style and absolutely sure she's head over heels for Haru

Haru's been growing her hair out. It's ponytail length, and she's just, more at ease with herself

Makoto spends her first night back in Tokyo at Sae's, but then, she meets Haru for a late lunch, and they go back to Haru's room, and, the giddy little make out, and the way they just. Talk stuff out while curled up in Haru's big bed

Makoto: I've had a crush on you since Beauty Thief

Haru: I, it took me a bit longer. Christmas Eve,

Makoto: I'm so glad I didn't stay in Kyoto any longer. Being apart from the others, from *you*, it was necessary for finding myself, but it was almost too much

Akira goes up to Haru's room the next day and finds the GFs playing Smash Bros or something

Haru, in Makoto's flannel and a soft skirt. And then Makoto, in a sports bra and butch boxers and just

Akira: oh. I didn't know Makoto, slept over

Makoto: we didn't-

Haru: she just slept over, 'Kira, take your horny brain elsewhere. What's up?

Akira: Dad and I are making hotpot for tonight, Ryuji and Yusuke are coming over, sleeping over in the living room. Do you two wanna join?

Haru: Mako-chan?

Makoto: I'm down. I- are we going to join the guys downstairs? Or-

Akira: ...you're staying over again?

Haru: mm! We'll hang out with them, but I'm still owed my solo Mako time

So yeah.

[cowboybrunch]

writerly questionnaire tag!!!

finally getting around to this, thanks a million @the-golden-comet (here) @harmonic-melodii (here) and @fortunatetragedy (here) <3

About You

When did you start writing?

as soon as i could hold a pen. i have notebooks FULL of little me's stories (i keep everything ive ever written. for nostalgia.) it was mostly silly escapism for a lonely child but now it's sweet to look at and giggle. from when i was maybe eight? nine?: "Pain and fear, like a perfect recipe. Pain and fear, milk and eggs"

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

mmm probably. when i say ill read anything, i mean ill read ANYTHING. i dont think ill ever write a hockey romance but im down to clown

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared?

poetry-wise Bhanu Kapil has been a massive inspiration for me. also Kaveh Akbar and Ariana Reines (Mercury sits in a place of honor on my bookshelf). for novels? i feel like i emulate whatever i last read. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver did horrible (affectionate) things to the way i write

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

my office! my favorite place in the world!! cozy lights (that double as gamer lights), diet coke can graveyard, comfy office chair big enough for me to sit in a way that absolutely destroys my posture. sticky notes everywhere (a fun challenge! can i read my own handwriting?) AND!! i have an audience

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

reading something else, talking to someone about whatever im stuck on, setting a timer and just dumping everything in my brain (something in there HAS to be worth pursuing)

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

HA!

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

overbearing parental figures that believe they're acting in the best interest of their kid... surprising when i realized that it's in almost everything i write characters that are good at heart but commit atrocities due to their circumstances... less surprising oh! and death. i write a lot about death (someone pointed this out recently and i was like huh. you right)

Your Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

Missy and Theodore staring at each other like

sorry! Theodore is my favorite!! he got here first!!!! he's my precious loser baby boy who HAPPENS to be the heir of death but he's trying his best! he's pathetic!! he's doomed!! but he means well! he doesn't want anyone to die alone! he wants to be good! he wants to be good soooo bad!! he hates rivers but loves the ocean!! he lies to everyone, including himself! he's simultaneously full of self-loathing and self-righteousness!! AND... he's bisexual!!

Which of your characters do you think you’d be friends with in real life?

i would kick it with Robbie for SURE. snarky little smarty pants that can't sit still for more than five minutes, we'd be peas

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

*looks around nervously* ... Marcella (BOO!! TOMATO!!) im sensitive and she would be mean to me!! i feel like we'd warm up to each other eventually but not before she made me cry

Tell me about the process of coming up with of one, all, or any of your characters.

they just kinda... show up. and reveal more about themselves as i write them

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

ougffff. lots of anger in these parts. most of my characters are angry, esp the women. as they should be

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.)

depends on the character! for main guys, they get listed descriptions but i cant picture them in my head (thank you picrew). but others? they're like. blurry shadows moving through the story (do NOT ask me what Uriel looks like! i DONT KNOW!)

Your Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

words in brain make story in head. need story out of head so i can focus on literally anything else no but seriously. that quote that's like "the only thing worse than writing is not writing." it's like. a maintenance activity. if im feeling especially wound up it's probably because i havent written anything lately

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

if you leave me ANY comment i am kissy you on the forehead. just knowing that someone read it let alone enjoyed it... waoh

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

i am... trying very hard not to fall into self-deprecation here. i think there are things that i do well and things that i can improve on, but even if i write something and think it's "bad" i can still learn from it. all practice is good practice!!! (said through gritted teeth)

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

yea! i would find comfort in it i think, same way i do now. have my little characters for company

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

i am my own target audience. i am the conductor of the self-indulgence train but there's room aplenty if you wanna hop on

tag! @illarian-rambling @writingrosesonneptune @sarandipitywrites @mrbexwrites @mysticstarlightduck and a wide open tag if you havent done this yet. gimme a peek into your brain!!!

[t1meslayer]

Busy with important family events over the next couple of days, and so I thought it would be good to get a day-and-date release for this Debrief on the latest entry in my Sapphic Valley series, "How You Get The Girl." Be sure to read the story before jumping in!

Did you do it? Did you read the story?

Alright, I'm trusting you. Go ahead and hit that 'Keep Reading' button you scamp.

It only seems appropriate to start this Debrief off by addressing the elephant in the room. I haven't posted anything in over a month, and "By Moonlight" came about a month after its predecessor, the conclusion to "Stone-Cold Lovers."

Work, naturally, has been a major factor.

You can see me talk about that almost two weeks ago in this Tumblr post I made about writing in a coffee shop, which came weeks after I actually started writing during a trip to a friend's house.

===

Side note:

Just wanted to take a moment and acknowledge my beautiful Haley and Emily keychains. My friend who's responsible for the affairs of one ghostly farmer named Jizzabelle (Gisabelle to the laymen) got them for me! Only appropriate after I commissioned some art of her and Abigail.

Emily was my first Stardew wife, and Haley currently holds the biggest place in my heart. They make a lovely duo!

And I'll avoid any sister-wife jokes

===

While I've had some other projects like Zine writing to take care of, work and life can't explain the full absence.

The best way I can think to explain things is that:

I had the general writer's block, and

Despite the best intentions and advice of my irl friends and online pals like @alchemicallymoon and @duelbraids, I couldn't force myself to "break" that block by just... Writing something else.

This is entirely the result of my own psychosis. I have a tendency to carefully plot things out and impose a timetable that really doesn't need to exist. When I feel the cause is righteous enough, it's hard to get around that. In this case, I knew I needed to get my poll-winning idea out after dawdling for holidays like Valentine's Day, and then I knew I only wanted to post one more story before jumping on a very special event for my upcoming 30th AO3 post.

Thus, here we are: arbitrarily forcing myself into a spiral of writer's block misery because of a silly promise on Tumblr and my own sense of ordered chaos.

At the very least, this meant it's coming out not long after my AO3 pal InsertACatchyPennameHere also emerged from the woodwork to tell me they're working on something INSPIRED by my four-person friend group farm adaptations.

Much love to them, wherever they may be.

I'll probably start writing more eclectically now that my shoulders are unweighed, but don't expect my next publication to hit until I'm finished working on teasing the big event. All you Pokemon fans better get hype!

And oh how sweet this publication feels. Between my great set of recent ceramics, the figure drawing class I've been attending, and creative writing, I've felt more fulfilled than ever.

You're here to talk about Stardew, though. So let us talk.

This idea began less with any one event as it did a desire to advance the Alexis/Haley relationship, and Haley's characterization in particular. It was always going to end with watercolor painting reference, but 2 Willow Lane was what I really wanted to dig into.

As I see it, a lot of what keeps people invested in Stardew when its comfy vibes becoming routine is the air of mystery in Eric Barone's worldbuilding. Haley and Emily's parents being some world-traveling duo who left their home in the siblings' care for who knows how long (and who knows how many times over their lifetime) really piqued my interest. So much so that the new writing challenge I set for myself in "How You Get The Girl" was crafting a particularly long set of descriptions that emphasize how overwhelming the parents' influence feels — without creating an impenetrable wall of text.

Hopefully I succeeded in that. Let me know!

I tried to include some vaguely real world-adjacent references into that description of the house, as happens with the magical-realism world of Stardew Valley. For example:

The computer sitting next to their bonsai tree is an iMac G3, the kind of old 'futuristic' tech that my dad loves!

A Speedwell refrigerator is based on even more vintage tech, the Mayflower fridge, but named after a different ship ridden by Pilgrims coming to America.

That city that the family visited in an old photograph with a "monument of arching, interlocking steel" is, of course, Paris — with the statue bookends referencing any number of statues in the Louvre.

Haley's FAD magazine could be referencing any number of publications, but Vogue is probably the closest analogue to what I imagine her reading.

Furthermore, I took some notes on describing the home's layout off of my sister's apartment building, and I asked my bestie @trybard for input on what kind of hanging plant should be used in the transitional hallway. Hanging pothos, philodendron, and spider plants were the three options provided, and my response was appropriate:

They know so much about plants.

Go bug them about it.

I drew on other friends' knowledge to help decorate the house. Specifically, I asked one of my witchiest friends what kinds of protective wards someone like Emily would leave around doorways and windows. She had... A lot of reference material.

I picked Hazel given it purportedly "protects against evil; encourages abundance and inspiration." I also picked Amethyst as one of Emily's loved gifts, one that purportedly "absorbs negative energy, promotes harmony."

My witchy friend is the same one who provided the TikTok that I referenced in my advertisement post:

Perhaps the most important thing about 2 Willow Lane was the recurring motif of Barbie's Dream House.

As a surface-level reference, I think the groundwork is clear. Blondie's love of fashion and general queen bee demeanor fits comparisons to Barbie well, and she lives in a big ol' house full of stuff. We all saw Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie last year. It's still in the cultural zeitgeist.

I'm hip with the kids.

Yet, early on I also tried to make it clear that if this is a "dream" house, it's neither Haley's nor Emily's dream. Haley is a Barbie in that stereotypical sense, but also there's much to be mined from the analogy of a sort of powerless doll in an immutable house, constrained by social obligation to her family rather than literal plastic and stickers.

The cold open of Jodi and Sam was meant to stand alone, but in execution I also think drawing Kent's absence into the conversation makes for a more thematically rich comparison to these sisters who appear to have themselves more put together.

My beta reader said this wound up being one of my stronger stories because of how all of that intertwined, which I appreciated given how down on myself I was following the whole writer's block thing.

But also.

Also.

Alexis gets to be horny. She's hitting on lonely MILFs and watching girls shake their asses to the tune of bad reality TV.

We love a buff dommy mommy farm girl in this house.

Haley is probably horny too, she just doesn't realize it yet. For now I think it's fun enough to play into her being coy about building excuses for Alexis to come over, and then getting incensed when Emily barges in on their private time meant to learn more about this farm girl she just can't get out of her head.

===

Fun fact:

Every story in this series is named after a Taylor Swift song, but I know next-to nothing about her discography. All of them are suggestions by my friend whose house I was at when starting this story — the same one who controls Gardenia on the farm.

While I went with "How You Get The Girl," her alternative suggestion was "The Man."

===

All that w|w talk aside, I also want to give Sam the loveable idiot a shoutout. Had to do a fair bit of research into how skateboards are constructed for his failed ollie, and I slipped in a reference to shitty old technology that's exclusively for my beta reader to enjoy.

I also tried doing some agricultural research to figure out how the folks at Kevin Farm could have grown cucumbers so there'd be a jar of legitimate pickles... But that was getting too in the weeds.

Insert laugh track here

Decided to just go with pickled artichoke hearts to save everyone a lot of trouble.

And where does "Kevin Farm" come from, you may be asking yourself. Or the fabulous "Kevin's Special" with its definitely not innuendo tagline.

That story will have to wait for another day, my friends.

[innytoes]

im so damn in love with kidnapped by the fae AU. especially willex. I'm on my knees i just need a little bit more

Some loose Kidnapped by the fae!AU headcanons inspired by conversations with @floating-in-the-blue and @legolasghosty

-Willie is friends with the crows. Ray has accepted this. He's glad Willie is making friends, even if they're not human. He's also glad the crows never poop on his car anymore.

-Willie has a hard time with the whole concept of money. He's been raised by fairies. His entire life was a series of complicated rules about trades, kindness that is rewarded, except when you try to reward their kindness and it's seen as an offense, and sometimes there's tricks where you're punished either way, and other times Caleb is just amused he's asked for something interesting, and now they're telling him you can just... slide some paper and coins to someone and they do or give you specific things????

-Yes they had several long conversations about it because Shoplifting is Bad, even if they don't see you, if you want more strawberries you can just put them on the grocery list. No teleporting inside the greenhouse and eating them there is still stealing. Yes even if you clean their house for them. Please don't break into random farmers' houses to clean them, buddy, this is America, people have shotguns.

-Between Willie trying to eat things before paying for them while at the supermarket and Alex getting overwhelmed with all the choices and Luke just staring at everything modern (he really liked the automatic doors once Ray promised they weren't magic), Reggie is the only one who gets to come grocery shopping if he's in a hurry.

-Yes Reggie absolutely adores father son bonding time shopping with Ray. And also getting to pick special treats for his boys.

-But when Willie starts asking to come with because 'I have your silly papers now, I want to pick my own fruit please, I promise not to eat them until we're in the car' Ray is like: okay. And then: where the hell did you get money.

-Willie: =D The crows give it to me. Ray: You taught the crows to pickpocket??

-Willie just shrugs. "When you go to the place with the Fast Food you give the people in the weird hats the papers and they give you fries. I started giving the crows fries for the silly papers, and it works." He leans over to whisper: "Sometimes they get a fry just because they're good birds or they bring me something shiny instead."

-Ray is still in an existential crisis on if his new foster son and his empire of Crime Birds is something he should try and stop, when Willie is like: Like this rock!!!

Ray: WILLIE THAT IS A DIAMOND.

Willie: Oh is that good? You can have that one, I like this one better. And then he proudly shows Ray a random pebble with some pink bits in it.

-Listen four extra supernatural mouths to feed is a lot but also he doesn't want to get arrested trying to pawn it but also he can't go to the cops and say: the crows brought my kid this in exchange for a french fry. So the diamond ends up in like, a junk drawer.

-Now that they've all worked out that Sharing Is Caring Willie is no longer wanting to hiss in jealousy at Julie and they become good friends. She makes him flower crowns that he proudly wears everywhere.

-When Ray insists he has to wear a helmet to skateboard he pouts because it will crush his flower crown, so Julie makes him one that fits over his helmet.

-The boys all love Flynn and let her play dress-up with them until they 'find their signature styles'. Alex likes pink and comfy clothes and fanny packs, Luke will cut the sleeves off anything.

-Flynn teases Reggie that is he sure he came from the 90s and not the 50s and Reggie is just like: I already have a signature style and it's served me well thanks.

-Willie will wear whatever and makes everything look good but he likes crop tops because of the way it makes Alex go all flustered.

[symptoms-syndrome]

Personal question but what makes you feel beautiful? Is it more things you see when you look in the mirror or when you find yourself acting or thinking a certain way and you admire that in yourself? Xx

Both!!! I find my body really attractive and I find my Self really beautiful too. It varies person to person, but for examples:

Physically,

I really like the shape my body makes, I like my hips, I like the way it feels sensory-wise. I'm soft and smooth in some places and hairy in others. I'm squishy and firm. I think the thing w actual physical things is that I've tried to take out "but." Stuff like "I like my skin but I don't like [x]."

It's also helped a lot that I've modified it. I've had gender surgery and found that things that I hadn't thought about before or even hated before I like now. I got piercings and found myself admiring them and the things they're attached to. I figure it'll be a similar experience with tattoos. I don't really diet but since I've started focusing on drinking more water my skin is softer to touch. I dyed my hair a fun color.

Outside affirmation helps too of course, it isn't everything but it's nice to have. Sometimes we need to start recognizing outside affirmation before we can internalize our own and that's okay, sometimes we need to focus on ourselves first and that's okay too. My friends say I'm comfy to lay on. My boyfriend (!!!) talks about what parts of me body wise he admires during sex and outside of it and sometimes it's things I hadn't even thought about. My cat likes to nestle himself on my thighs a lot and press himself against my stomach when I sleep and I count that too.

In terms of not-physical stuff,

People dance with me when I'm out and I dance, and it's not because I've got any Sick Skills. I think people see me having fun and want to have fun with me. People enjoy when I make food. People like when I come to their events. I love to talk to people and it seems like at least some of the time people love to talk to me when I do. I've learned a lot of fun new things in this past year and in the past five years and in my lifetime. I've had fun learning those things even when I make mistakes. I've survived everything life has thrown at me. There are things I can do that no one else does exactly like me. I've surrounded myself with people that make me feel loved and valued and important and talented, and allow me to send those feelings back to them. I'm creative.

I like wearing makeup, I put this in the not physical part because it's an art to me, I don't wear makeup to accentuate Natural Beauty, I wear it because I love wearing my favorite colors on my skin, I love glittering, I love when people say "I wish I could wear stuff like that!" And I get to tell them "you can! No one gave me permission to look like this except me!" I love looking at pictures of when I first started wearing makeup and I was excited to do so even though it doesn't look as polished as it does now. Even though the makeup is "bad" I'm so clearly enjoying wearing it that it doesn't make *me* look bad.

There's a lot of things that can make people feel beautiful, these are just some of them. The hardest thing is that no one can do it for you. Sometimes being told things from other people makes me feel worse about it, not always but sometimes. Feeling beautiful is often so natural that it's almost like trying to notice an absence, which can be even harder when you have mental health stuff that makes those absences rarer amongst all the noise of feeling bad. I think a lot about a tweet I saw about how we don't appreciate breathing until we have a stuffy nose, and even though that was a silly funny tweet it's still good to remember. Feeling beautiful and natural is like breathing. It can be hard to recognize but it's inside everyone I think, even if it feels like it's been forever while you're in the muck.

[alinasteelcrest]

🤥🍟🍁🎭 for all 3..? :)

For all THREE omg okay hold on let me try to remember anything about my own ocs

Thank you for the ask :D!

(OC Emoji Asks)

🤥 LYING - are they good liars? do they have tells to show they're lying?

Alina is... decent at it. She gets better after she starts hanging out with Ydris. King of making people manipulative just like he is ig 😭

Shoji's good at lying, but he doesn't do it often because he would rather be ""brutally honest"" (aka an asshole). He's capable of straight-facing his way through basically anything.

Wynn SUCKS AT LYING. He gets shifty and won't make eye contact and it's harder to find the right words. That kid will incriminate himself halfway through

He's just little, though, so honestly it's good that he's a bad liar LMAO

🍟 FRIES - do they order food often? or they prefer to cook their own food?

Well two of them are horses so they kind of eat whatever's offered to them DKNSBSAHJH

Alina really likes cooking, she mostly prefers to just make things for herself, but she's also definitely not against having something delivered if she's had a long day or really particularly wants something.

Wynn is a garbage disposal he is NOT picky, but he does get excited when offered like,,, part of whatever Alina gets for herself, because it doesn't happen suuuuper often so it's more fun.

🍁 MAPLE LEAF - what is their favourite season? why?

Alina is so winter-coded omg, silver everything, sweaters and scarves, hot drinks and comfy blankets, etc etc. Even her guardian horse is white and blue!! Summer is a CLOSE second though, she likes the beach and her freckles show and her birthday is in August...

Shoji's a bit more complicated to me because like,,, his birthday is in February and he does like getting to hang out in front of the fire when it's cold, but Alina's birthday is in summer + he really loves the sun. But then there's also? his wife and kid are both spring-enjoyers which means he's legally obligated to also like spring. If I Absolutely Had To Pick, I'd say summer. 🤔

Wynn likes fall! The colours change and there's all sorts of fun seasonal treats and he looooves Halloween. He managed to convince Alina to take him to Galloper's Keep last October and had the time of his life. (GIRL WHAT!! GET HIM OUT OF THERE)

🎭 MASKS - do they act differently around certain people? what's different between the way they act around friends, family, strangers, etc.?

Alina's polite with strangers and polite in that... sly "I'm-better-than-you" way with people she doesn't like. She's slightly distant with her parents (It's been... a while since they saw each other irl :( She just isn't willing to leave Jorvik for extended periods of time), so I would almost put them in the 'strangers' category with how she acts around her family? Not to mention she grew up in an environment that taught her not to reveal how she's feeling.

With her friends, it depends on how close they are. She's kind of. anxious. a lot. So unless they're really close, she might be a little reserved. If she's close friends, besties, ride-or-die with someone, then she'll come out of her shell. With her horses she's her truest self, willing to be silly and (god forbid) even willing to show when she's upset about something.

Shoji is a mean bitch to Everyone. He was even like that towards Alina when they first met. He will continue to be like that to everyone that isn't currently Living In His House(/Stable).

As for those he lives with... Well. It's like a completely different person. No harsh words or sarcasm or insults. He's someone for Alina to confide in and get advice from, he's the Best Dad Ever (or he's doing his best), he straight-up down bad for Thunder even after all this time being horsie-married. Dare I say it... he's a bit of a sweetheart.

Wynn's just cheerful and excited to meet basically everyone. He'll go up to strangers and try to be their best friend (even if they can't understand him). If there's more than one stranger at a time, though, then he gets shy.

[astral-athame]

Which of the OT4…

is the best storyteller?

Smiles the most?

Has the most fashionable clothes?

Has a secret RP/Tumblr acc?

Is most likely to pee in the woods during a road trip?

Would be a classic Hollywood villain for Halloween?

Is the best hugger?

Would be your date to a wedding?

@dhampiravidi

Okay! Absolutely feel free to correct me / give your own opinions / etc. BUT:

Best Storyteller: Jayn! Cass tells stories sometimes, too, but she's found that she's better at lyrics and poetry kinda writing (I imagine, with the kiddos, she's more likely to make up silly songs to get them to remember things or just for fun). But I feel like Jayn does the best actual story telling for sure! (Though Pogue does absolutely silly, almost nonsensical, stories sometimes~)

Smiles The Most: Cass! She's really good at smiling despite almost anything. I also think she's just easily amused and generally tries to keep a happy demeanor <3

Has the most fashionable clothes: That one's hard. I actually don't know... ^^; I don't think it'd be Cass- she doesn't care at all about what's in fashion, she just likes to wear things that are comfy or that she thinks look cool. I think Pogue is kind of the same way- he could afford to be fashionable, but he just wears what he likes and what's comfy (and, also, what he feels he looks good in). Though I can see him accidentally being pretty fashionable xD

Has a secret RP/Tumblr account: Both Cass and Jayn. And they're mutuals who read each others fanfics and leave comments on them and such... they just don't know they're each other xD Cass would 10000000% rp too, probably in a bunch of different fandoms. So if Jayn does, too, I can even see them crossing paths in rp without knowing it.

Is most likely to pee in the woods during a road trip: POGUE. I don't think I have to explain this, to me it's obviously Pogue xD Cass is gonna hold it until she can get to an actual restroom of some sort unless she has NO choice xD

Would be a classic Hollywood villain for Halloween: Hmm... I dunno about this one, honestly. I think I could see any of them doing it, especially on what you consider a "classic Hollywood villain". But PLEASE tell me your thoughts on this! I wanna know!

Is the best hugger: Cass gives the most hugs, but I feel like Caleb gives the best hugs. I just feel like his hugs are really warm and, also, he's 6'2" meaning he's about a foot taller than both of the girls so when he hugs them, he practically engulfs them completely xD (Maybe I'm also biased because we've discussed that Caleb is the only one in the group who is strictly a dom and that correlates to him being a good hugger in my head for some reason xD) I dunno about your thoughts on Jayn's hugging- but I feel like Pogue gives good hugs, don't get me wrong! But he gives a lot of side hugs, ya know? Like, the kind where he wraps one arm around someone's waist and pulls them kind of against his side. Also- I feel like there's a bit of awkwardness occasionally because his parents didn't hug him a lot as a kid, and his dad basically never did, especially not after he was, like, 5 or 6. So once he and Caleb start being more coupley, I feel like he's really awkward about physical contact with Caleb, even more casual stuff that he was fine with before. At least for a little while, anyway.

Would be your date to a wedding: Mine? Oh gosh, it'd depend on whose wedding! I'm out to some of my family and, generally, I prefer dating girls over guys, so probably Jayn or Cass if it's a wedding for anyone who already knows how not-straight I am. I'd lean towards Jayn because, as much as I love Cass, I feel like it'd be extra fun to go with Jayn <3 But if I had to go to the wedding of a more conservative family member or something who doesn't know that I'm pan (because I have some very religious family members...) then I'd take Caleb over Pogue. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to take Pogue... but I feel like Caleb would be better suited to the situation. I think he's polite and he's a good conversationalist. Pogue has long hair, too, and I know a couple family members who would make shitty comments about it wrapped in, like, the guise of a "joke" and I wouldn't want to subject him to that. But Caleb would be the kind of guy they wouldn't even think twice about except to say that he seems nice, or smart, or that he's handsome. So it wouldn't draw any unwanted attention. Also- going back to Jayn, I feel like she'd help me come up with an excuse to get out of there earlier if things got uncomfortable because I get high stressed at large social gatherings (which is why I'm not looking forward to Christmas ^^;). And Caleb would be able to handle it if I had a minor panic attack from not having a moment to get away from other people for long enough. I think he could cover conversation for us both pretty well so I could be quiet if I was overstimulated xD So, yeah! Jayn or Caleb! Jayn for a wedding I'd feel more comfy at, Caleb for one that I'd be more anxious about attending~ (Alternately, if you meant it as who would Cass take- she'd take all 3 of them and introduce all of them as her date and when people laughed about it or didn't take her seriously, she'd be like "No. Really. These are my boyfriends and my girlfriend and we're all dating / married" like... if they have a problem with it, that's on them xD Though if she only had a plus one and none of the others were invited so they couldn't all go, she'd chose whoever wanted to go, and if more than one wanted to, then it'd come down to whoever had the day off or could get it off most easily or they'd have to do a little rock-paper-scissors to decide~)

[mintys-musings]

i need more of ur anzu x idol rambles PLZ theyre so good if i cld inject it to my brain i wld do so /pos

*cracks knuckles* how much time do we have? I could do this all damn day t b h.

okay here's a random thing i love about anzu- not entirely related to this but still: EVERYONE KNOWS CANONICALLY HOW DAMN THIRSTY SHE IS TO SEE GUYS WHO ARE BARELY CLOTHED WITH MUSCLES. slight spoilers for madara's fs1 story will be in the tags so tread lightly if you wanna experience that yourself. just- she has a clear type in men. at least as far as physicality goes.

and for women??? SUZU. ARASHI. SHE LOVES HEADSTRONG WOMEN WHO TAKE NO SHIT.

ANYWAY SHIPS

This is gonna get long so im putting it under cut- im doing this right before i go to bed bc my brain will not rest until i get this out of my system

Okay. I know which ships I'll end up rambling about on my own. So lemme highlight ones that i may not talk about as much but love still. idk if u wanted to hear horny rambles or not so im just throwing in first time stuff as flavour.

MakoAnzu

MAKOTO AND ANZU ARE THE CUTEST. EPIC GAMER LOSER BF AND GIRLBOSS/GIRLFAIL GF COMBO. idk if it makes sense but they're like. hs sweethearts that never actually got together in hs and only realized it later when they reconnect or something that they're so totally in love. also he's just so damn goofy it balances out her more serious side that took over after her failed rebellion attempt at kimisaki. like he'd start calling her his favourite trouble maker if he heard that story. OOOOUUU MAYBE HE'D EVEN START CALLING HER ANGIE AND SHE NEARLY CRIES BC NO ONE CALLS HER THAT ANYMORE BESIDES HER BROTHER. idk they're sweet.

the first time they do it together, they're both so awkward that it's funny but they're so comfy with each other that it isn't a problem. in my mind, mako tries to lead at first but when it gets too hot and heavy, anzu takes charge. they seem like the most realistic couple out there with the least amount of angst~

JunAnzu

okay now to talk about Makoto's gaming buddy with her instead HFDSF. i feel like this anzu ship is a lil underrated. i personally love it. he has canonically given in to her like 🥺 face. they're relationship is basically jun teasing her and anzu pouting until he feels bad and it's cute. moon and sun vibe. also. jun is in eden/eve. he has money he's not spendin on himself. he may not give the most lavish gifts or even the most gifts in terms of anzu ships, but he does buy her little trinkets and stuff. more often than not though he's just paying for her meals. even with gatekeeper cash and the anzu fund made in the graduation story, he's not letting her spend a cent if she doesn't have to. if questioned he'd just be like "Haaah? Ain't it rude to make the lady pay?" but in reality he just wants to spoil her. the entirety of trickstar is gonna start questioning her though if they notice they're getting close. And i bet ibara is going to investigate why half of eve is meddling with the competition's producer.

their first time is spontaneous. they never talked before hand about it or whatever. it probably was them destressing from a hard day at work. PERSONALLY- i think they did it in the ES gym~ and god anzu was so scared theyd get caught. BOTH of them know Ibara goes down to the gym after work but luckily a meeting ran long or something because by the time they were done and dressed, they could just pass it off as training when ibara walked in.

HiMEAnzu

okay this is definitely a rare one- but a ship ive grown fond of the more i thought about it. meru and anzu are both work oriented, but still a little silly deep down. so when they relax and get to know each other, they find the others presence so calming. he admires her for her work ethic and she does the same. god im pulling out the first idol story interactions with this one as well- he let his guard down near completely when they first meet. and he says something like "like attracts like" or something like they're kindred spirits and that he's fallen for her. that last part was probs just his attempt at joking fanservice, but he is aware that he could easily pull anyone he wants to. for anzu to just talk normally with him, he thinks it's refreshing and honestly- being in a unit like crazyb, he would want someone calm like her to be around.

here's the big catch though: meru would never risk kaname's idol image by dating ANYONE. let alone the person known as "everyones producer." so this ship is BUILT for "at arms length" pining/"we'll never know what could've been" angst

their first time is the most planned out of all three of these ships. not on anzu's side, but himerus. meru is really meticulous with his image and he respects anzu. so if he's going to do something with her, he's going to do it right and make sure they have the most privacy possible. it's def something that happens after a VERY romantic date. possibly an anniversary. he gets incredibly intimate. maybe he'd even start talking in first person. this is, after all, not a performance for anyone. he just wants to share this moment with anzu. that being said they go on for a long ass time because meru has stamina and anzu can get insatiable if teased long enough.

[dasozelotvonnebenan]

Ok so I promised to talk about my sci fi stuff. It's now six in the morning again* but I feel far less tired than yesterday so I'm gonna dare to write it down this time.

It's not really a concrete story, its more just a loose collection of characters, worldbuilding and unconnected fun story beats.

There will be absolutely no structure to this. Just ramble.

So for a little context, this has been brewing slowly for years but I really started to gather up all those ideas after I finished watching Killjoys (Bounty Hunters in Space) and craved more space adventure in my head. Theres also a lot of Firefly (Western, but in space), The Expanse (Uhhh a bunch of stuff, in space), Battletech (Mech Mercenaries, in space) and my dads loosely RIFTS based sci fi role playing world in there.

Now first thing first you might notice that all those things above involve lots of guns which is maybe the biggest step away I am taking in that there is exactly one (1) gun involved in the entirety of this whole thing. Also the images in my head are a lot brighter and less gritty than most of those series. Like it's a genuinely good world. Because it's a thing I'm thinking about to relax.

So let's meet the crew! Because of course this space adventure revolves around a colourful bunch of people who travel the vastness of space together.

Most importantly theres the Pilot. He's afraid of sleeping when they're flying because if he isn't awake then whos steering. Even though theyre in space, where it's basically impossible to hit anything unless you want to, flying consist of pointing the ship in the right direction and waiting and any correction would need to happen way faster than a human could make them anyways.

Which is kind of a problem when travel times between planets range between a few days for inner system distances to easily over a month of want to get from one side of the system to the other. Interstellar travel involves specialized jump ships so travelling the lightyears between stars actually ends up taking much less time than getting from the edge of the suns gravity well to anything remotely worth visiting.

He accounts for about half of the crews caffeine consumption and sometimes his sleep deprivation leads to some hijinks (like when he goes hunting the space spiders in the vents). The ship is his own, he has won it in an advertisement lottery for a video game which is why there is a giant wizard painted on it which he really wants to remove but is not allowed to. Everybody else loves the wizard.

Next up is the one person in the group who has an actual job. This is not a wild thing because most people don't have a serious job and don't have to have one to get by, but he definitely has one. It's the mechanic. Big beefy guy, and not just muscle beef and also he has a big metal arm because of course he has. He's a mechanic and he runs powertools off of the arm. His job is that he works at the local museum of transport and restores old trains. Like back when they still ran on diesel old old. can you imagine!

He is the main reason for them flying off planet because other places ask him to come over to repair a thing for them, so Pilot flies him over, their other friends come with because it's like a roadtrip and that's kind of their thing and the remaining seats are chartered out which always makes for interesting company.

He enjoys his work very much but his hobby hobby is building model planes.

Next up the Detective, who is absolutely not just straight up Miller from The Expanse. He got unfrozen from cryosleep and lives in a totally different story from the others. He is constantly fidgeting because he doesn't have a gun anymore so he doesn't know what to do with hands. He is brooding all the time but it just looks silly because he has to do it in the very comfy and nice places his friends hang out in. But every now and then they get to go on some kind of investigation, a treasure hunt or something genuinely dangerous happens and he is fully in his element.

The one time a gun is relevant is when one of their adventures brings them to a wildlife reserve and he gets to have a tranquilizer rifle. He wants to be sad because that's all he has ever known but his friends are way too good at being friends. He is in a constant war over the gravistat (thermostat but for gravity) because back in his day spaceships didn't have artificial gravity yet.

Fourth guy I have yet is the Charmer. He's a linguistics student. His whole deal is that on every adventure he falls in love with someone and it never works out for some weird reason but he always stays friends with them. He knows people everywhere. He can not flirt for the life of him. He's like what if an 18CHA Bard only ever rolled nat 1s.

Their favourite place to hang out earthside is a Pub (Public Charging Station). Thats a place with wireless charging things at the tables for peoples cybernetics. Just so happens that the one they frequent also has a liquor license. The house specialty drink is "Battery Juice". A glowing green spiked lemonade. Of course you can also get it "discharged".

I hope enjoyed this little insight into one of the fandom unrelated worlds in my head and have a tremendously joyful day!

[quote-unquote-quest]

Hey!! You! Do you like queer purple goofballs? Consider voting for my queer purple goofball in this poll!!

"But Aloe!!" You may cry. "We don't know anything about your queer purple goofball!" Fantastic news, there is a (sort of long) solution to that under the ReadMore link, and you're welcome to reply to this post or send me an ask (on any of my blogs) if you wanna know more!

Also if you reblog this I will love you forever

SURPRISE!! There isn't just one Kalamari, there are two!!!! Magnapinna is Kalamari's alter :3 She's pink, Kalamari is purple, and together they're an eccentric bisexual-colored mess of gradients and glitter

Kalamari:

-Wandering Salesperson, takes their job very silly instead of very seriously. All her goods are definitely totally for sure legally acquired, don't worry about it!

-25 years old

-He/She/They/It pronouns, that he likes people to alternate Frequently. Would consider using neopronouns too, but hasn't decided on any yet

-Sexuality is 'whatever is fun!' and gender is 'just a goofy guy'

-Whimsical!! All about having fun and finding strange things

-Absurd optimist

-In an 'It's complicated' relationship with another oc of mine, Glass!

-Very good at smuggling things. It's awful at being sneaky, but she stands out so much that people pay more attention to him than whatever she might be holding. The kind of person that could confidently walk out of a store while carrying an entire television they just stole

-Never ever takes his mask off. No one knows what their face looks like. If asked about it, she gives a different answer every time, and it gets more ridiculous the more you ask. ('I'm bad at smiling, but I wanted people to know I'm happy', 'It's comfy', 'I just like having secrets', 'I'm legally unallowed to show my face', 'People can't handle looking at me and I got tired of it', 'Oh I don't actually have a face under here', 'Never piss off a wizard'.)

-Name refers to squid served as food (calamari)

-Calls Magnapinna 'Magna'

Magnapinna:

-Wandering Voice of Reason, constantly working to keep Kalamari safe and make sure she actually gets things done

-Also 25 years old

-She/They/It pronouns, doesn't care which one(s) people decide to use because she doesn't care for people talking about her at all

-Sexuality is 'no' and gender is 'absolutely not'

-Certified The Horrors (tm). Can be kind of mean, but she's just very serious and doesn't have time to deal with other people. Someone in this system has to be responsible!

-Resigned realist at best, irritated pessimist at worst

-Highly approves of Glass' positive influence on Kalamari, highly disapproves of directly interacting with her

-Secretly shy!

-Has her own mask, a pouty one like in the picture above, but often just wears Kalamari's, as she doesn't think anyone deserves to know when she's fronting. (Really, she's mostly just shy about people potentially getting to know her.)

-Name refers to a rare, creepy squid that looks like they 100% would eat a person, they're so scary to me. I love them so much

-Calls Kalamari 'Mari' sometimes, mostly when things have gone terribly, horribly, horrifically wrong and she's stressed about it