#((this was my gift to myself for finishing a commission got one down and one more to go))

[prrtnrr]

Souji: It really shouldn't bother me this much. Partners don't have to tell each other everything... Right? ...Just two more floors. Everyone will catch up.

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[golden--doodler]

So, I just got this amazingly lovely Commission from @stephreynaart of my two Gravity Falls OCs, Maggie and Sydney, as sort of an early Christmas gift for myself (and because I saw they were having a sale on their Comm prices)! And my goodness, they absolutely knocked it out of the park. My heart is so full 🥺😭🫶🏼

The idea is based off this section of the long Gravity Falls fic I’ve been writing on-and-off with my best friend, Matilda (again, not her real name, just an alias for privacy) since around 2020, though I think I actually started writing it before beginning to collaborate with her around 2018. So this fic has been in the works for a very long time!! But we’re almost finished with it (we’re very close) and are planning to continue writing it so it gets done eventually!! So that’s very exciting.

Anyway, the scene takes place during the episode Soos and the Real Girl in Season Two, and Maggie has had a crush on Sydney for a very long time, since they first met in The Time Traveler’s Pig back in Season One. And this is when they finally have their first kiss at Hoo-Ha Owl’s Jamboree:

“You have quite the moves, Syd.” I laughed, my face becoming warmer, and my hands rubbing against my thighs as I searched for something to occupy them with.

She bumped my shoulder with a playful smirk occupying her face, “They weren’t as impressive as when you knocked that beaver with a chair! That look of determination on your face was… whoa.” 

I could’ve sworn she turned away after saying that, but I didn’t comprehend why.

My smile soon faded into more of a frown, “I don’t think I could have handled all of those animatronics without you.”

“I mess things up all the time, and I’m not as brave as you are.” I looked at the ball pit below us, groaning. “Soos didn’t get along with Melody because of me. It’s just that you’re so courageous, I don’t know if I’m good enough.”

Sydney sighed and put an arm around me, “Who got the courage to talk to me?”

I looked up at her, pausing for a moment, “I did?”

“Who helped stop a Summerween monster?”

“You and Soos did.”

“Maggie, you still helped! Who got up the courage to stop Gideon from taking over the town with his giant robot?”

I smiled, “I did.”

“Who stood up to Bill Cipher twice?”

I stood up, “I did!”

“I don’t like you because of traits you think matter. I like you because of traits you have that do matter. You’re courageous, you’re smart, and you’ve protected me more than once.” She chuckled softly. “Honestly, I have doubts too, so you’re not alone. But I think it’s safe to say that going to that fair and meeting you was the best decision I ever made.”

I couldn’t help but feel extremely warm, and my heart started beating faster than before. It was no longer a hummingbird, more like an avalanche of rocks tumbling down the side of a mountain, pushing everything else in its path away.

“You were amazing back there just now, you know. And I would’ve been toast if it wasn’t for those Taekwondo moves you showed me that one time. How about you give yourself some credit once in awhile and enjoy things as they come.”

She leaned forward and gave me a huge bear hug. I reciprocated it, enjoying the moment of peace and quiet after the chaos of .GIFfany.

“Like what?” I asked, wanting some clarification.

“Like this.”

Before I could even process what was occurring, Sydney leaned forward. Her face was becoming closer to mine, and my heart became a hummingbird needing desperate release from a cage. I almost leaned back because of instinct, and there was part of me that didn’t want to allow myself to believe that what was occurring was really occurring. 

Then her lips connected with mine.

It was gentle and tentative at first, and for a moment, all I could focus on was how smooth and delicate Sydney’s mouth felt. Despite my fear, I couldn’t help but reciprocate. The kiss was filled with an unspoken promise and understanding that our connection ran deeper than any self-doubt I harbored. And I couldn’t believe she felt the same way about me as I did about her. This entire time we could’ve been doing this.

The kiss deepened and our hands soon found each other. They interlocked like the twine of a basket, finding each other in the midst of this newfound connection. My other hand explored Syndey’s hair, her wonderful, flowing locks that cascaded like a waterfall down her back.

Sydney laughed once we separated, and we both panted, breathless. Our foreheads rested against each other, “We should probably go. I think we should give Soos and Melody some time alone.”

I laughed and followed her down, and Mabel tackled me in the ball pit.

“MAGGIE, YOU HAD YOUR FIRST KISS! It seems Soos and Melody aren’t the only match meant to be.” Mabel grinned.

“It seems like it.” I quickly hugged her and adjusted my glasses, which were starting to slide down my face.

[x0x0josephinex0x0]

Stars & Butterflies

Summary: Minghao, an art student, has a secret identity, and you’re the only one who knows.

Content: fluff, friends to lovers, college au

I don’t think there’s any warnings needed for this one!

At the shrill sound of a whistle, the kudo athletes spring into motion. You wince as their helmets collide, imagining the sensation. After a few seconds and another whistle, the team relaxes once more, and gather around their head coach. You can’t hear what he says, but a few moments later the team shouts an unintelligible syllable and breaks apart.

You stand up, gathering your things from your seat on the bleachers. Spotting number 8 making his lone way across the field toward you, you skip down the stairs and wait by the fence. “How do you do that?” you ask Minghao as he pulls his helmet off, shaking his shaggy hair and grinning. Even right after a hard practice, he’s infuriatingly beautiful with his half-up man-bun and his caramel skin that shines with sweat.

“It’s easy,” he says, brushing the back of his hand against his forehead. “You get used to it after years of practice.”

“Well, speaking of practice,” you say, “do I finally get to see your magnum opus today?”

He gives a shy grin. “No,” he admits. “She’s not finished yet.”

You are one of the few people who knows the identity of TikTok famous “MoonMuse”, a talented artist who built an almost Banksy-like cult following through mysterious social media posts of beautifully framed art. He’d been commissioned by celebrities, politicians, millionaires and other personalities for his incredible gift with oil paint, harking back to impressionists like Van Gogh and Monet in his style.

It is, in fact, this tall, muscular young college kudo champion standing before you who is behind these art pieces. You only found out because you, a photography student with a penchant for procrastination, fell asleep in the lab, and when you woke up, you had to exit through the painting studio. He had been there at 2:30 in the morning, working on a piece, and you had instantly recognized his style.

He had gone on to explain to you how only you and one of the art professors knew the face of MoonMuse, and begged you to keep his secret. Something in his eyes — the passion, the desperation maybe — had convinced you to agree. Plus, there was nothing to gain from exposing him. It would just be mean. Then, you had asked him if you could watch.

“I can’t paint to save my life,” you had told him, “so there’s no way I could copy you.”

He gave you a half smile before nodding at the chair next to his. Turning back to the canvas, he began adding strokes to a magnificent flowered garden scene.

You had stayed there almost all night. Watching Minghao work had moved you — it was both soothing to watch and inspiring to witness the care he took with even the smallest details of the painting. Through his eyes, the world looked more colorful, more romantic, more beautiful than it really was. You found yourself wanting to live in the world he saw.

Minghao had insisted on walking you home, because you lived across campus and there was a particularly dark and dangerous street you’d needed to cross to get back to your apartment. The walk back had been full of awestruck questions from you. He seemed flattered by the attention, even remarking that since he never saw his clients in person, he never got to witness their reactions to his work.

“So why do you do it?” You’d asked, thinking about the way artistic work often relies on validation. “If not to make them happy, why paint at all?”

He looked at you, then, and laughed. “I don’t ever paint for anyone else. I paint to keep myself sane.”

This struck you as odd. It lingered with you as you worked on your own art, so much that you found yourself waiting for him every night at the painting studio. Most nights he never showed. Finally, though, he had. And, surprisingly, he seemed genuinely excited that you had met again.

This had been the night you had asked him about why he needed to paint to stay sane. Between strokes of his brush, he told you about how he had a painful tendency to give too much of himself. He rarely got to feel or process his own feelings, especially hard or negative ones. That was where painting came in. “When I paint, I get to make these painful things into something that I can look at. I get to make it beautiful so I can process it.”

He had laughed when he’d caught the expression on your face — in awe was probably the best way to put it. “I’m sorry,” You had stuttered, blushing.

“It’s okay,” he had reassured. “I…actually really enjoy how amazed you get about things like this.”

He bumped you with his shoulder comfortingly. You had looked up at him, and his gentle, open, happy smile had actually reached his eyes for the first time.

He’d walked you back again, and this had become your ritual. At the entrance to your apartment building, he’d stopped you with a gentle hand on your arm before you walked away. He’d asked for your phone number.

He’d texted you right as you’d arrived home — just to say goodnight, but also to tell you he wouldn’t be in the studio again til Friday. You had smiled at the butterfly emoji he’d used to close the text. Appropriate — since there were a flock of them in your stomach.

Today marked your 100th meeting. You’d fallen in love with him somewhere around the 33rd — you had invited him to come with you while you practiced astral photography. He had watched you set up your tripod and camera and asked a couple quiet questions, looking absolutely huggable in his puffy coat and beanie at the top of a rugged mountain. The light finally faded, and Minghao had turned his face toward the sky. “Whoa,” he’d whispered.

The sky was full of tiny pinpricks of light, never visible from the city, but here in this mountainous landscape they were clear. It was why you came here -- and part of why you'd invited him. For a moment, he stared, entirely dumbfounded.

Then he looked at you, and you had been shocked to see his eyes filled with tears.

"I've never seen stars like this before," he said, his voice almost reverent. "I couldn't have even imagined that they existed."

You watched as a tear slid down his cheek and fought back an urge to cup his face in your hands. A telltale burn behind your eyes alerted you that you might join him in crying, and you quickly hid your face behind your camera. But he looked back up at the sky, wearing the most peaceful and contented smile you'd ever seen in your life. It was hard not to stare at him. It was hard not to want to protect him from everything bad in the world. And it turned out that it was absolutely impossible not to be in love with him.

On the way back down the mountain, after the moon had risen and ruined any chance for pictures, he'd asked if he could come watch while you developed the photos. Surprised, you had told him that of course he could. There in the dark room, he told you about his life. He told you about leaving his family in China and coming to school to study art on a kudo scholarship. He told you about the bitter homesickness he felt, about how sometimes he felt so anxious about his choice that he couldn't sleep. He told you how desperately afraid he was to reveal himself to the world -- how much his peace meant to him, and how difficult it would be if he lost it.

At this, you felt your eyebrows raise. He noticed. "What?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his tone. "Am I getting a bit too moody for you?"

"No, it's not that," you reassured him. "I get feeling anxious about something that important." Then, choosing your words carefully, you said, "It's just that I don't get that last part. I don't know if you can lose peace."

Now he was the one looking at you with raised eyebrows. "Why do you say that?"

"Because," you said, looking at your hands, "peace is internal. It doesn't come from anyone but you." You forced yourself to look into his eyes. "Why aren't you at peace with yourself?" you had asked him, quietly.

"I don't know," he'd replied.

You had walked home that night in complete silence together. You had worried he was mad at you -- so worried that you turned to face him before you went inside. "Minghao, I --"

But he had stopped your apology by bringing you into a big hug. He smelled like clean laundry and the pine woods you'd left only a few hours earlier. "Don't you dare," he said with a laugh in his voice. "I'm just thinking about what you said. I'm not upset." He seemed a little quiet the next few days, but then he got better.

Indeed, today he seemed to smile much easier than he had when you'd first met him. Right now, with the fresh springtime air on his skin as you walked to his apartment next to the painting studio, he almost had a spring in his step. "You're chipper," you say to him, laughing as he grins widely at you.

"I am," he replies, opening the apartment door for you. "I'll shower and then I have something to give you."

You nod, pulling out your laptop and working on some homework while he gets cleaned off. He comes out from the bathroom looking a little flushed, his hair still wet, and you can hardly take your eyes off him. He smiles at you, patting the side of his hair with a towel. "It's at the studio," he says.

He grabs your hand, whirling you around and pulling you down the stairs to the studio. Placing both hands over your eyes, he guides you through the studio until you come to a stop. Then he lifts his hands from your eyes, placing them instead on your shoulders.

You stare at a medium-sized canvas on which he's painted the most stunningly beautiful picture you've ever seen. It's a mountaintop at night, the stars enchantingly close and vibrantly colored in shades of orange and yellow, beaming down at two small shadowy figures who seem to be gazing up at them in awe. The painting is full of priceless wonder and joy. "This...is amazing," you say, trying not to choke up.

"It's that night," he says, watching your face eagerly, almost hungrily, to discern how you're feeling. "You remember?"

"Of course," you say, nodding. You let out a big gust of air. "I honestly can't understand how you plan on topping this. This isn't your magnum opus?"

He looks at the ground shyly. "Honestly, this is a kid's crayon drawing compared to that one."

Your jaw drops. "I'm not trying to doubt your skill," you say, "but I can't imagine anything more beautiful than this." You approach the painting, almost wanting to touch it, but thinking better of it.

"I can," he says quietly behind you. You look over your shoulder to see him beaming at you. "You can touch it," he adds. "It's yours."

"Mine?" you gasp. "Minghao, I can't. I mean, this should be in an art museum."

"Crazy how it's gonna hang in your house, huh?" he says stubbornly. "Seriously, it's yours."

"What if someone asks where I got it from?"

"Tell the truth," he says. "MoonMuse."

"Then they'll know I know who you are."

He shrugs. "That's okay with me."

You grow desperate. "This is seriously too much. I wish I had somewhere beautiful to put this up, but I don't! It deserves to be seen."

"It will be seen by the eyes that matter," he insists. You blush, but then a noise at the door makes you jump.

"Hey," says a girl at the door. "What is that?"

"A painting," Minghao says tersely. "Who are you?"

But she ignores him. "Whoa," she says, pushing past you to stand right in front of the painting. You wince as she touches it with a greasy finger. "I heard MoonMuse goes to school here, but I never thought..."

"How did you hear that?" you ask, your voice sharp.

She pulls out her phone and shows you a video. It's a sneakily filmed video of Minghao painting. You are sitting in the corner watching in the video, and he says something that makes you laugh. You suddenly feel dizzy as the video cuts to a headline about MoonMuse's identity being revealed. The video says that the person filming realized it was Minghao after he saw what he was painting in his room.

The room painting flashes onto the screen, and you cover your mouth with your hands.

It's a poor-quality image of what looks like a masterpiece. The painting looks familiar. The hair, the eyes, even the nose...

It's you.

Given Minghao's impressionistic style, it's more colorful and more beautiful than you, but it's unmistakeable. He perfectly captured you caught in a laugh, with your hair blowing off your shoulder. You look at him, and he's staring at you with his mouth open in horror.

Unable to bear it, you run out of the studio, into the golden sunset, as tears sting your eyes. You haven't made it four steps before you hear him calling your name.

You whirl around to see Minghao following you. "Why did you run away?" he asks you.

"They found out," you say, panicked, as a tear splashes onto your cheek. "I'm so sorry -- I think it's my fault, Minghao."

He actually takes a step forward to brush the tear off your face. "I mean, it was kind of inevitable. I had to come forward at some point, right?" He keeps his hand on your face. "But I need to ask you something."

"What?" you ask, looking up at him.

He puts his other hand on your other cheek, cradling your face in his hands. "What did you think of the painting?" he says, looking into your eyes with an intensity that makes your stomach turn over.

You suddenly remember. "Oh," you say, and blush.

He swallows hard before continuing. "I painted my whole heart into that painting. That picture really didn't do it justice, and it really isn't finished, and I'm not thrilled that you saw it before I really figured out what to say to you."

"It was beautiful," you tell him honestly. "More beautiful than I deserve, honestly."

He tsks in disapproval. "It's you," he insists. “It’s exactly what I see when I see you.”

You are speechless. He laughs a little at your expression before continuing. “That day on the mountain, and after in the dark room, I saw that you had been healing something you didn’t hurt. I don’t remember ever feeling this cared for, and that means a lot to me.” He pulls you in so your noses are almost touching. “Please stay with me.”

You feel yourself trembling at the closeness of him - surprised that although you’ve spent a stupid amount of time daydreaming about having him hold you like this, it still feels so new and crazy and wonderful. You nod. “Okay.”

He smiles - brilliant, blinding. You can no longer resist reaching for him — feeling the warmth of his cheek against your fingers, brushing his soft hair from his temple, just like you’d imagined but better, and Minghao spins you around in giddy joy.

He sets you down, your faces still close together. You both look at each other with huge smiles, and he uses a finger to tilt your chin up. His eyes drop to your lips and then back to your eyes — a question.

You answer without speaking, just smiling into his eyes. He moves in, slowly, giving a brief but impossibly sweet kiss. His arms tighten around your waist as the kiss deepens. You feel a knot of tension in your chest dissolve, and you melt into him, kissing him back with gusto. Throwing your arms around his neck, you let him kiss you into oblivion.

It seems like several days before you finally stop, standing with foreheads together, breathing each other in. “I love you,” he whispers.

“I love you back,” you whisper in return.

[choiceswithmika]

Hi! 👋 Can you believe we’ve made it halfway through the year? Take a moment to celebrate all the progress you’ve made and everything you’ve overcome. Whether 2024 has brought you good times, trying ones, or a mix of both, you've made it this far and that is something to be proud of. I hope July brings you joy, success, and many wonderful moments. Keep going, you’re doing great! 💛 (PS—drink some water)

<333 Gladly I'll share it <3 I am going to put this in full details. I'll say for short that it is a mixed but mostly positive.

January 2024: This is when I realized that I made it in a year with community college :) Im so excited to finish next year for 2025! I grew closer in the choices fandom alongside with it. I was so excited to take more Psychology classes in that semester. I also made couple of edits for instagram page alongside with including edits gifts that I got from couple of people :).

February 2024: I received my first art commission and art sketch that I won from instagram, I was having mental crisis in short amount of time with the amount of work in studying I had and my health issues got bad. Many of my friends made my edit requests and receive. This was when I joined the choices tumblr side when I first did the fanfic for an artist and post it around.

March 2024: I had to keep going to doctors repeatedly for health reasons with 2-3 blood tests and materials got harder for me to grow. Alongside that editing was the only way to cope in this situation. I was also just pushing myself so hard to my limits. This was when I started to use romance club more which was interesting also I was kind of into it so I started to post Romance club on my instagram account and Tumblr too.

April 2024: I got my second art commission and another art sketch and things slowly calmed down for a little. I was slowly coming back feeling better and I started going to therapy for my mental health and a way to be fully comfortable with myself in communicating. I always like to think that I am positive person but what people dont see yet is that in real life I struggle to cope in social situations and being involve to things. I can be myself online with online/irl friends but being around me irl is a different story. I only talk so long around certain people and stuff. Therapy was a hard progress for then first 2-3 times until it made me feel comfortable and adjusting into it.

May 2024: Finals were somewhat easy for me but that paper final was a lot more harder than such. But I had a great group in one of my classes. Overall I at least passed all my classes so it made me happy. During the finals month I had to get my wisdom teeth removed which was the first hard week of May. But the love non stop from everyone on instagram meant so much <3.

June 2024: I was on vacation :) I was on a cruise going to Alaska and Canada, it was fun. Couple of weeks after I started my summer course alongside celebrating my birthday! I'll tell you all but.. I never receive so much love ever in any fandom I was on or in general before besides my family. The love meant everything to me and I cant be any more grateful for the love from everyone I met and got close to in the choices and romance club community <3.

All how the 6 months is :)

[starseneyes]

Goodbye Cheryl Anne Marek 1984-2023

If you've been around for a while, you've probably seen me talk about my dear friend Cheryl in my Metas. Well, this morning, she lost her fight with cancer after a 5 year battle.

Under the cut is what I wrote on other Socials to remember her... not by how she died, but how she lived.

CHERYL UPDATE: At 1AM, my beautiful friend left this mortal plane.

I've had so much time to prepare, you'd think I'd be impenetrable, but I admit I'm aching knowing she's gone.

For 5 years, she battled terminal cancer. But I want to share a few memories of how she lived.

Cheryl and I met when we were 11. Gifted kids, both of us. We shared most our Middle School classes.

Middle School was an adventure that we all survived together. Cheryl and I were always friends, even if I don't think either of us would have considered each other a best friend at that point.

We shared a lot of the same friends, so it was natural we hung out together.

By high school, we were both in the chorus. I tried track Freshman year, but there was a snag.

Despite Mom working 18hr days as a film/tv hair & makeup artist, she couldn't afford to give me money for dinner out after track meets.

I babysat, but couldn't earn fast enough.

When I told Cheryl why I had to quit, she offered to pay for my dinners the rest of the year.

It was $7 once a week to Sonic, but to me it was an overwhelmingly kind gift. I wanted to turn it down, but something in me said to accept.

That was Cheryl's first gift.

After Sophomore year, I moved to Virginia. We didn't see each other for nearly a decade until she moved to Virginia—a half hour from me.

We started hanging out, again. Cheryl wanted to do a Fun Run, but I was strapped for cash. She gifted it to me. Another gift.

I had three kids, and when the Littlest was not even a year, I was laid off. I built my freelance career bit by bit, but that first year was tough.

Cheryl saw the strain and took me for dollar tacos every Wednesday. Sometimes the baby joined and flirted with other tables.

I hosted chili cook-offs and game nights, and lots of other fun over the next few years.

Cheryl was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and given 2% odds of living a year.

She missed her commissioning as a Civil Engineer in the military by three weeks. Her Cancer battle began.

The short version is that she beat it… then was diagnosed, again, then beat it, again.

We saw each other as much as her schedule of treatments and trips allowed. You see, Cheryl didn't let Cancer stop her.

She went skiing, ice climbing, adventuring, and built memories.

Cheryl came on a camping trip with me that Matt couldn't make. We had SO much fun… until my Eldest nearly knocked out 4 teeth.

As I sped down the mountain she made calls. When asked how long we'd be, she said, "It won't take long. Rachel's driving like a bat outta hell".

We tried an RV trip together, once (LONG story), and the kids had a marvelous time out on the water with Aunt Cheryl.

One of the last good times before Cancer came back a third time. And still, as she was fighting to finish her Doctorate (she did) and finding ways to help those she loved.

The biggest gift Cheryl gave me was a friend who understood me. She got me. And I got her.

Talking to Cheryl, she understood my drive. My passion. How I'd forget to take care of myself while taking care of others.

Because she was the same way. We were two of a kind.

Our last text exchange was one of gratitude and love. I only hope with all that Cheryl gave me, I gave her something precious in return. Because, golly, I loved her.

Rest in peace, Cheryl Anne Marek. Your fight is over. Your legacy will live on. And I will always love you.

[oonajaeadira]

State of the WIP Address

Not much change this week. Still feeling avoidant, behind in just about everything, including a show I'm supposed to be making and things I'm supposed to be writing. I would say it doesn't help that Gordy came home this week, but I spent so much of it at home while he was sleeping that I really should have gotten something done. What really doesn't help is the SO not having enough to keep him busy so he makes me watch TV with him. Then I stay up too late trying to finish things, and then I'm tired the next day and the cycle renews.

I've put borders up around this weekend, and turned down some minor get togethers because I have to get shit done. Priority list right now is:

Scheduling for my winter festival

Prepping for a producer meeting on Monday

Finishing my show research

Secret Santa fic

Finishing a custom scrying mirror commission

Cleaning out my car. And my closet. And the basement.

I expect to get about half of this done this weekend. Which half will be determined by how distracting the dog and SO wanna be.

Really what I've been enjoying lately is just reading, just catching up on fic. I am so lucky to be a part of a fandom that has so many fascinating characters and so many good writers and just a constant feast of noms. Thank you.

State of the Wips is under the cut. There are no updates since last time. I am always trying. <3

STATE OF THE WIPS

I have one million projects happening, but these are the pieces I’m actively thinking about and working on at the moment.

SECRET SANTA Where it’s at: I’m writing for someone I think is a wonderful person and want to do right by them, so the pressure’s on. But at the same time, it’s not. Because I know how accepting and lovely the person is and they gave me a lot of prompts and options and like a lot of the things I do and seem to like a lot of the types of things I like to write. I also know that this doesn’t have to be over-complicated, that I can write my heart and it will please both of us. While I haven’t actually opened up a doc to start, I know that it’s the type of thing that if I have a little uninterrupted block of time, I can just sit down and it will flow. I won’t say much about it here, but I will say that while it can 100% be read as standalone, it hits on a character/series I’m currently writing and acts as a kind of prequel, a reason for loving the reader as he does. It’s something that is kind of missing in the planned series and I think this would be a nice opportunity to explore it before moving forward (and maybe helping propel that series a little) while also touching on one of the characters my giftee likes, a genre they are interested in that I hadn’t considered with this character, and it will have a tone I think they’ll appreciate. So while it’s for them and being written with their likes in mind, I thank them, because it’s also a little gift for me and my yearnings. What’s stopping me: Time constraints and general anxiety.

TROPE FIC: MODERN DOM!PERO Where it’s at: This one got a little sloppy and I’m working on it. I’ve been following @max–phillips’ entries about what defines certain types of kinks and while my thoughts on dom!Pero started as true dom, they swung wrong when I started working on this, and now I’m just thinking myself back to the definition of dominant. And while I may still be missing the mark, it’s helping me to think more about how I want to explore and frame this dynamic. It’s also giving me a little trouble in that it’s not coming out chronologically which causes me to waste time jumping around and retrofitting things. What’s stopping me: I put this one on hold to start prioritizing the Secret Santa piece.

TROPE FIC: SEX POLLEN!OBERYN Where it’s at: This piece is flowing chronologically. It’s going to be longer than I anticipated and the first draft is about 1/3 done. I already know that after the first draft I’ll have to do some shaping and I think maybe I got overwhelmed with the task I set for myself and that triggered my avoidance. I know where it’s going, I’m excited for it, it will flow easily if I let it, I just have to do it! What’s stopping me: I put this one on hold because I got distracted by tasty Pero thoughts. I blame @perotovar for the thots, but not the stopping. That’s all on me.

TROPE FIC: ALPHA!JAVI Where it’s at: I’m about ½ done with the first draft. Again, this one will be longer (and also more angsty) than I anticipated. I love love love where it’s going though and reader and Javi’s history is beautiful and sad and complex; I really love that half. I’m just now switching into the modern day section of it and have to make a few decisions about how I actually want it to go. My mind is over-complicating the story and I’m trying to wrestle it down a softer path. What’s stopping me: I got distracted by the Oberyn story which is why this one’s on hold and now this is all Inceptioning on itself.

GOOD. THINGS. TAKE. TIME. Where it’s at: The asks are all sorted, there are only a few more sessions left before chapter 4. I just have to write it. What’s stopping me: Here’s the thing about PATS. If I was out for notes, I’d be pounding on this series, because it’s my most popular one. But… really, I’m just here to dream up stories I like to tell. I put PATS down not consciously and not because I don’t love him, but I got excited by other ideas. I want to finish it because I don’t like having a bunch of unfinished projects lying around, but I also don’t want that to be my #1 motivator for writing him. I want to enjoy it. I did enjoy putting the latest installment out, but I also don’t feel like I’m letting anyone down if I don’t hurry it, just because engagement is low. Again, I’m not here for the notes, I truly love the connection and the squeeing and sharing a yearn. We’re all so busy now that it’s tough to get to everything and the mutual timing is a bit off. That’s okay. It’s planned out, it’ll get done, I just have to do it when I’m feeling it.

LEAVE OFF YOUR WANDERING: WINTER Where it’s at: Finished plan. Yet to begin writing. What’s stopping me: I was wrestling with this one for a bit because I had two directions it could go–soft and fluffy without much meat, or weaving all the details together and serving a story that gets rather dark, a little sad, and serves as a fix it. On one hand, I felt like I would be betraying readers by not keeping the euphoric escape. But I would also feel like I built this whole backstory that needed to manifest itself in a test for Joel and Meadowlark, as well as the fact that–other than backstories–there hasn’t been any canon hardship or violence displayed. It’s like I’m missing a huge chunk of who Joel and Meadowlark are. In the end, that’s where the story wants to go, so I’m going there. And I have to not think about what anyone else wants, just me. Not just for selfish reasons, but I know that’s when I do my best. It doesn’t mean there won’t still be fluff and a happy ending. It just means I have to write darkness and perhaps it will serve me better to do it in the season in which it takes place.

[keefwho]

January 04 - 2024 Thursday

11:07pm

6/10

This morning I showered immediately because mom was going to take me to Seeley. For breakfast I had a little leftover potato soup with a couple pieces of toast and a babybel cheese. We left 30 minutes later than I wanted to because breakfast took longer than I thought.

The first place we went was the grocery store. I grabbed 2 potatoes, a carrot, a celery stick, and really good looking egg noodles. Also picked up drinks for the weekend. The guy at the register didn't card me. After that we went to the high school so mom could drop something off. I've been wanting to see the inside of the school again and I finally got to 10 years later. It was a strange experience, I felt like I wasn't supposed to be there or like I loaded a 100% completed save file. I was flooded with memories of things that happened in the few halls we went down and the few rooms I saw into. Very nostalgic. Then we went to the post office so I could mail Daisy's Christmas presents. I crumbled a little and asked mom if she could go in with me but she said no which was a good thing. I went in on my own and it went okay. It was a little awkward because I was standing at the wrong card machine but other than that, it went fine. Our last stop was the weed store where mom picked up a new disposable vape pen for me. I can't enter the store myself because my ID is expired.

When I got home I started work and was warming up with space art. Daisy called me for something so I stopped streaming to spend time with her but started again when we were done. I finished 2 space art warmups and worked on 570's commission for a little over an hour. I ended early because of my busy morning but I did as much as I needed to. Right after that I hung up Daisy's friendiversary gift over my bed and relocated my Master Sword a little to the left. Both nails were being finicky and got bent but I made them work.

Lunch was a big turkey sandwich with some Doritos. Breakfast was small calorie-wise and I could feel it. I was also weighing less from yesterday so lunch was very big and hardy. While I ate I watched Bojack as usual. After lunch I did today's request which was a little hard and annoying but I did it. Then I spent an hour working on a Zelda pic while hanging out in David's server. I actually wanted to socialize so I wasn't so annoyed being there this time.

After work I did my yoga which has made my core sore. Not long after that Daisy was free so we called and were productive together. She worked on her fursuit and I worked on a couple worlds. When I was done I started playing Kerbal finally since thats all I wanted to do today. We watched another Chris Chan reading and some more of My Immortal. Daisy headed upstairs so I booted up Neopets. We talked a lot tonight about work stress, change, and the sexual atmosphere of the furry fandom. In Neopets I got bugged and had to reload and re-fight the entire coloseum. I was able to squeeze in one more rocket launch in KSP after she fell asleep. I also had to address some urges for the second time today even though it was too late for it.

Today went well. I didn't feel like going to Seeley and interacting with people but I got over it and had fun outside. I felt a little bad about not doing my full commission time but realistically I was okay not doing it all. I had some thoughts today about change and how scary it is whether it's good or bad. I'm looking forward to partying tomorrow. In general I feel good about some things and worried about others.

[butterysalt]

🌿✨🎀🎀 (that's right TWO compliments, and here's one from me too bc you deserve them all: i love the way your fics feel like they take place in a universe full of life and detail even around the main characters or events. even the shorter ones still feel like you have a detailed picture of who the characters are and what parts of them you want to portray or focus on, and it makes reading that much smoother and more immersive!)

OH MY GODDDD BEANIE YOU'RE THE SWEETEST. Genuinely teared up over here... I get so happy whenever I get any kind of message notif but AGH??? SO DETAILED? CRYING.

(Fic writer asks here!)

🌿how does creating make you feel?

Ahhh this is a big question! I like creating! But it can certainly be daunting sometimes... I think it's because I mostly do art. I find myself enjoying it less these days since I'm usually drawing for others in return for money. I keep taking commissions because I need money but it does take the joy out of creating sometimes. But whenever I do get to sit down and draw something I really enjoy, it's cathartic. It reminds me of why I still draw - it's that amazing gift I have to be able to make anything I want with my hands. And it fuels me with passion! I get really excited to see what else I can make! I have my ruts here and there but ultimately, I see creativity as a beautiful outlet and I'm really grateful for it. This all applies to writing too, of course!

✨What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit)

ueihfjidsjgdsi I'm tempted to list one of my wips BECAUSE I DO NOT POST ENOUGH HELP DSDSFIJGD

If I had to pick, probably my John Watson x Reader Soulmate AU fic "A Silent Fate"! I thought it was a flop so I never had the motivation to finish it, but it's still one of my favorite ideas.

It uses the soulmate AU where everyone has the first words their soulmate says to them written on their arm. The twist is that the reader is mute! John Watson goes about his life, assuming that he simply doesn't have a soulmate - that theory further hardened after meeting Sherlock Holmes, a man who breaks all conventionality and rejects conformity. Then one day, the reader and John cross paths and the reader has to get creative with how they "talk" with John.

I really really love this idea because I'm all about "thinking outside of the box" and challenging myself with something uncommon. I don't think I see many mute!reader fics let alone mixed with the soulmate au so I wanted to give it a shot! I have the whole story drafted out... it's just unfortunate because I haven't felt the same way about the BBC Sherlock characters in a while ahaha

🎀🎀give yourself a compliment about your own writing

GAAHHH TWO!!! hmmm hmmmh mmm

✦ I like that my fics are long! It's something I get self-conscious of sometimes but I think it really shows how passionate I am about a fic when I can't stop writing. Because I really love adding all those little details and getting into the worldbuilding - it's my favorite part (the setup)!! I love the feeling of reading a good story that feels like it comes to life around me with characters who feel like real people. That's what I hope to achieve in my writing

✦ Another thing I like about my writing is ummm umumummum I like the way I write dialogue! Coming back to "making characters feel like real people", I LOVE writing extremely awkward pauses and fumbles in written dialogue (Explains why I love writing Reigen so much). Adding those "Um... erm... well-" and "AhaHAH-" just adds flavor and I'm way too obsessed with it

THANK YOU FOR THE ASKS AHHHH THIS WAS SO FUN!! ILYSM BEANIE 💗💗💗

[365elephantsoap]

DEHYDRATION

In the dark morning hours of Sunday, I dreamed that I was at a spa for a spa day. That’s not a far fetch dream. Michael got me a gift card for a spa day for Christmas and I’m all booked for the twenty first. In this dream, I went into a room that was very hospital like and removed my clothes. Then I peed on the floor (because dreams are crazy). My massage therapist then told me to lie down on the massage table face up. She covered me with blankets and then raised the bars up on both sides of the table. The table turned out to be a hospital bed. Then she spent five minutes digging for a vein in my hand so that she could hook me up to a saline IV. The therapist patted my other hand and said “We’re just going to let you rest here for a few minutes and absorb some fluids.” Then she pulled a curtain around me and left me alone.

I woke up thinking that I really needed to drink more water.

I also really hope that this is not how my actual spa day is going to play out.

Oh, it must be that time of year when I have to be reminded to care for myself. I’m not talking about massages and bubble baths kind of care, but the basics. Drink water. Trim nails. Eat a green vegetable. Step away from the cheese. That last on is much harder than it sounds. Months ago I told Michael I wanted a cheese cake for my birthday. He replied “Oh, you want me to make you a cheesecake for your birthday?” and I said “No. I want a cake made out of wheels of cheese for my birthday.” Then Michael said “What?! Is that a thing?!” while googling it and discovering that yes it is a thing. The first layer is already sitting in the fridge because it was on sale at Whole Foods during Christmas. It didn’t hit me until I made our New Year’s Eve charcuterie board that I had asked for an exorbitant amount of cheese.

We will be freezing leftover birthday cheese cake.

I still stand one hundred percent behind my beliefs that making resolutions in January is a waste of time. No one is in a good headspace to start new projects or pick up the old projects. We’re all still recovering from our holiday gatherings and the clean up from those holiday gatherings. I started the New Year with yet another restructuring at work. It’s nothing bad, in fact it is a very good thing, but there’s a lot of new things and questions and weirdness. I’m losing my yoga space and I’m going to have to hunt down a new one. I thought this week, I’d work on consistency in my yoga practice, my walks and going back to torture class. I’m saying no to elevators and I’ve re-introduced a timed twenty minute eating time.

I’ve also had a liter and a half of water today.

I’m not setting any big goals for myself this year because some big goals have already been established for me. A manager of a downtown coffee place posted a request for local artists in a private Facebook group that Michael is part of. He sent her a link to my website and she contacted me last week about a May/June showing for my photography. I’ve been scared to say anything about it because the last time I was supposed to do something like this, the world shut down and I lost my commission. Also, it didn’t really feel legit since I didn’t do anything. She just went online and looked at my photography page. All I had to do was say ‘yes’. I confirmed the dates with the manager yesterday and I’ll go visit the space on Saturday, but I feel like I have all the photos I need to fill the walls. I just need to print and frame them.

I start to get a little bit hyperventally when I think about it, but then I remember all the preparation I’ve already done and how there is not that much left for me to do other than just print the pictures. Maybe if someone came to me and said “hey, we want to publish your book in October.”, I’d finish writing a book. Apparently this how I get things accomplished. I just need to set back and do nothing until someone tells me to do something.

Drink some water. Eat a green vegetable.

[morimakesfanart]

Sindria's Prophet #21

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

[AO3]

~POV Sinbad~

After learning about his death, Sinbad knew he had to talk to his Prophet. If Pisti hadn't kept Mori away from the Palace all day they would have talked by now. He had used Zepar to see if they were almost done after lunch and they were still in full force.

The sight also brought other thoughts to mind. During the dinner Mori said directly that flirting wouldn't get her in his bed, but she had put on that display for Sinbad in the shop after saying how much she appreciated the welcome gifts. It had to be an invitation and a not so subtle hint on how to get what he wanted. King Sinbad made his way to the Green Sagittarius Tower, and he wasn't empty handed. He let Mori rest for a few hours after returning from her shopping trip, so she would surely be ready for him. As long as the mood didn't grow too sour from the conversation they were about to have, he might finally manage to get his Beautiful Prophet to lay with him.

Watching Mori as she picked out clothes gave him ideas for what types of accessories would look best on her. He had this current piece commissioned when they arrived in Sindria, more were on the way, and he would take her to the treasury in the coming days to pick somethings out herself. Of course, if this wasn't enough, there was also delicious food to convince her -they had a lot to talk about.

And since it was nearly sun down a certain General was going to be too busy in the White Capricorn Town to get in the way. If he was lucky -and who's kidding, Sinbad is the luckiest man alive- Mori'd be in the outfit she had teased him with.

---

~POV Mori~

I woke up to the sound of the Great Bell. Was it 4 or 6 pm? The sun would answer that question sooner or later.

I did a bunch of stretches that I probably should have done before crashing when I got back, but better late than never. Doing stretches put my nose closer to problem areas; I needed a bath after all that walking and sun exposure. I grabbed the uniform to change into afterwards -I wanted to start getting used to it before I needed to wear it to work.

The guest bathing room wasn't too many floors away. I'd only used it twice since arriving in Sindria and I wasn't sure if I could ever get used to public bathing. I wasn't particularly embarrassed; it just wasn't an atmosphere I grew up with.

The soaps, oils and lotions I was given were even nicer than the ones in Balbadd. I was definitely going to be able to keep my eczema at bay as well as take care of my long hair.

When I finished I got dressed. This button front fit which was a real plus. The skirt was still slightly long though. The waist wrap was easy enough to tie on. I left my hair down to let it dry easier. Then I walked as quickly as I could without drawing attention to myself. As soon as I got back to my room I took the whole thing off and threw it on the floor.

The fabrics might be thin but not thin enough. I was starting to sweat by the time I got back to my room. The fabric of the skirt also just felt awful against my legs; it was the type that got stuck on the slightest dry patch of skin. The seam around the collar was rolled instead of folded so the bump was irritating my neck. I knew it wouldn't be right to take everything off as soon as I put it on since I had an audience in the bath room, but gosh did I wish I had.

My new uniform stared up at me from the floor. The only parts I'd be keeping were the coat and the belt. I wasn't going to match everyone else but maybe that was okay. I was the Prophet of this country -not just some standard worker- so maybe I could get away with not wearing the uniform.

The waves started to rise for some reason, and drew my attention to the windows.

'I can't just stand around naked...' I closed all of the curtains just in case a certain bird got a bad idea. 'Okay. Now I can just stand around naked.' It was my room; if I wanted to be naked I should be allowed to do that.

With nothing on, I finally started to cool back off, and my skin was able to calm down from being overly sensitive. It was time to get dressed again, and it was going to have to be something soft, thin and relatively simple. I considered wearing one of the dresses from Riem, but without the tie so I could T-pose in my room like I giant rectangle sheet asserting my dominance over the space, but I had a feeling it wasn't going to be light enough for me in that moment. I definitely needed something that has good air flow and maybe more skin exposure since my skin was being extra sensitive.

I remembered the makeshift overalls idea I had earlier, so grabbed a pair of harem pants to go with that top from earlier. I opened the curtains when I was covered so I could get a better look in the mirror. The setting sun put a glare on my reflection, but I could tell that from the right angle this look was a little too 'good.'

The opening on the side of the pants were purposely exaggerated. I knew Pisti would pick out something flashy, but dang. They were a dark violet indigo too, so the pale skin of my legs

stood out. It was a good thing I was wearing exercise bloomers underneath or I might risk flashing someone during a strong breeze.

I spread out a few other options on my bed to see if there was something less flashy.

*Knock knock*

I was not expecting visitors and it wasn't time for dinner yet. After spending 24 hours dealing with all sorts of people, I wasn't sure if I could handle any more conversation.

"Mori." My name came muffled through the door. I recognized that voice of purple and peach instantly. However, I missed whatever he said after that -not because of his voice but just because I was panicking that Sinbad, himself, was visiting me in person. I checked back in just in time to hear him say. "I'm coming in."

---

~POV Sinbad~

King Sinbad knew he was lucky, and now knew why the waves of Fate favored him thanks to the previous night, but the sight that greeted him when he entered the room was better than he had hoped. Mori had her closer hand on her hip and her far hand near her chin like she was thinking about something. When he opened the door she turned towards him slightly -she had apparently been facing her bed which had clothes on it. Because of the angle, it took him a moment to realize she was wearing clothes on more than her waist.

There was still more that he had to repay Mori, but it looked like he owed Pisti now too.

Mori turned more towards him. This wasn't as flattering an angle for that outfit, but he didn't call her 'his Beauty Prophet' for nothing. He couldn't compliment her earlier, and took this opportunity to fix that. "It seems you'll look beautiful in anything."

She had been wearing a blank expression, before his comment made a hint of blush bloom on her cheeks. "There was a saying back home for this: 'do you like the clothes or the person wearing them?'" She dropped her hands and closed the gap between them by a few more steps. He could almost touch her at this distance. "If it wasn't for the fact that I know you are attracted to all women equally and prefer skin exposer, I might have thought I was becoming special to you."

Mori's playful tone meant that he hadn't crossed any lines, but her words were a reminder that she knew exactly the type of man he was.

Sinbad offered Mori the small box that he brought with him. "Oh, but you are special to me already."

She didn't take it, but her eyes grew slightly in surprise. "What's this for?"

"Every day, the magicians and doctors of the Black Libra Tower tell me how your information and help has caused more break throughs in their fields. It's only right that I compensate you for all of your work, as my Beautiful Prophet."

Sinbad moved the box closer to her and this time she accepted it. Mori continued to look up at him dumbfounded.

"But the..." She looked behind herself towards the folding wall.

He could guess what she was thinking. "As I told you last night, that new wardrobe is a welcome gift for becoming Sindria's Prophet."

Her expression when she looked back was a mix of shock, confusion, and a little fear; she was struggling to understand the situation. All but the confusion left quickly. The fear worried Sinbad, but he didn't want to spoil the mood so decided to file that information for a later time.

"Looks like you didn't believe me when I told you I know your worth."

Mori flinched and looked down at the box in her hands -probably as an excuse to not look at him.

"That isn't all I'm giving you as a reward," he added.

With her head down, Sinbad couldn't see her expression. After a few moments she spoke with a smile in her tone. "I guess you might really know what I'm worth then."

---

~POV Mori~

The box was a little wider than my palm, and about the length of my hand. There was gold along the edge of polished wood. It wasn't heavy by any measure, but the meaning behind it gave it a lot of weight. If the box was this expensive, what was it's contents?

I undid the clasp on the front and opened it to reveal 2 gold hoops covered in gold decorations, each with 2 red stones. The decorations reminded me of a lotus. One stone was at the base of the flower; there was a tear drop dangling from the middle made of the second stone.

"These earrings are lovely." I made sure to say something so I wouldn't leave Sinbad waiting for a response. Honestly, they were gorgeous. All the same, my stomach immediately twisted into knots upon seeing them.

'This is not a present. This is not a gift.'

That was a relief and disappointment.

'This is not a show of compassion, nor an attempt to butter me up to work even harder. This is payment for my hard work -recognition for my achievements. And he plans to give me even more for the work I'd already done.' I told myself that King Sinbad was telling me that I was doing good work, and that he has and will continue to recognize that.

I was useful to him and he had no intention of discarding me any time soon. But would it hold out past the 5 year mark?

I noticed that the petals had etchings resembling peacock feathers. 'It's not a lotus then.'

Something wasn't sitting right, so I looked up at Sinbad to gauge his reaction. The silhouette of a specific item on him was standing out extra hard and I remembered what Ja'far told me about the next issue of the Adventures of Sinbad.

"Did you pick these out for me?" My anxiety was replaced by something between embarrassment, and annoyance.

Sinbad had an excited tone -as if he was the one receiving instead of me. "I've commissioned a few pieces for you. These were just the first to be finished."

'Yup. Of course, he had these made special. There's no way these already existed.' I was going to be decked out in designs that were obviously referencing him. 'I guess "Prophet" means professional simp to Sinbad. This is fine.'

I did my best to hide what I actually wanted to say. "I'm honored. You could have just given me something you already had. Did you... request this design just for me?" I smiled to make him think I was interested in the thought behind the decision, and not the specific design choice.

The King looked proud of himself. "I told the jewelers all about my Beautiful Prophet so they could make the perfect designs."

"Did you tell them the same things you wrote about me in the next issue of your story?" I gave him the most *beautiful* smile I could.

Sinbad was still smiling but it faltered like he could tell my emotions might not totally align with my words. "Yes..."

"I thought so."

"Do you like them?" There was the faintest hint of nerves in his voice.

"Yes. I plan on wearing them every day." I said as I looked back down at the earrings. I meant it. I was a simp, and enjoyed marking; of course, I would like these. They just had more meaning for me than he intended. I didn't plan on getting into any romantic relationships ever again anyway, so marking myself for someone that could never love me back was fine.

The waves I had felt earlier weren't letting up even through all this. It could only mean, "You didn't come here just to give me these, did you?" I looked up at the King.

Sinbad's eyes widened ever so slightly for a moment before he laughed - obviously to cover up his discomfort for being caught. "Sometimes, it feels like you can see right through me." His words were ones I wanted to take as a bad sign but the look he gave me could best be described as 'tender' and the smile in his tone didn't seem like an act.

I pushed down the lump in my chest. "Even if I didn't read your Fate, your waves would give you away."

His expression still felt too genuinely full of some soft emotion I didn't want to name, so I turned away. My hands still held the jewelry box. It was the perfect excuse to not face him for a bit. I walked over to my table, placed the box down, and then decided to try the earrings on.

I wasn't comfortable with his silence.

"So, what *is* the other reason you're here?” When I turned back to look at his reaction, it finally hit that he came alone and what that could mean. "Since whatever it is, is apparently something that you don't want anyone else knowing."

Hopefully, whatever it was, was something that could be over quickly because I didn't think I would be able to handle all of the emotions mixing inside of me.

---

~POV Sinbad~

"So, what is the other reason you're here?” Mori turned back to face King Sinbad wearing the earrings he'd just given her; they were perfect for his Beautiful Prophet. "Since whatever it is, is apparently something that you don't want anyone else knowing." She wore a smile that tried to hide growing nerves underneath.

Mori's face was a little pink, but the waves felt like something more than flirting was going on.

Sinbad remembered what Ja'far had told him that morning about what had happened after he passed out. Mori had probably guessed that he wanted to talk about it. He sighed. Was she scared for him? He didn't want that all. The best way to quell her fears would be to refrain from even hinting about it. He reminded himself that it had only been one day since she told them all about the Calamities.

"I wanted to invite you to dinner -just the 2 of us this time." He wore his dazzling smile for her benefit.

Mori's eyes widened in surprise. She looked more dumbfounded than embarrassed.

The previous night, Mori had made it clear that she had a weakness for delicious food, so he could easily use that to tempt her. "Since you like fish so much, I though you might want to try one of my favorite dishes."

Mori gaped at him as the blush on her cheeks became undeniable, and she flailed a little in surprise. "You GaVE ME CLOTHES And EarrINGs!! AND NOw You're trying to spoil me with FOOD!" She was barely attempting to hide her enjoyment.

"Ha ha ha"

Mori could be a little strange some times, but it just made her more fun to watch.

She blushed harder at his laugh.

Sinbad took the opportunity to step closer to her. "Does this mean you'll join me?" he offered her one of his hands.

Mori turned away from him to think about it. She let out a sound halfway between a hum and groan. When she turned back, she explained, "It has been a long 24 hours for me. So I don't know if I have the emotional tolerance to talk about anything important right now."

Sinbad could wait a day or two before bringing up his future. She probably just needed more time to trust him with that knowledge. "I just want to spend time with my Beautiful Prophet, now that she's finally better." He kept his hand offered to her. Besides, more fun things would be on the table -maybe even his Beautiful Prophet- if they didn't ruin the mood with anything serious.

Mori narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms. "Just dinner, and nothing else?"

Shit. Another time then. "Of course."

Her angry blushing was cute as she thought it over.

She walked to her bed, and picked up a violet cloth. Then she pulled the cloth over her head and onto her shoulders while heading back towards him. It covered most of her top which was a shame, but at least the sides of her legs were still exposed. Something about those colors looked better on her than any else he'd seen her wear yet -though she'd probably look best without anything on.

The gold of her earrings was matched by the gold clasps on her shoulders -he had definitely chosen the right accessory to give her first. He'd have to take solace in that. "Purple really suits you."

"Thank you." Mori took his hand that he was still patiently offering with a coy smile. "This was one of my favorite colors to wear back home too."

If she liked his colors so much, he wondered how much that affected his appeal in her eyes.

This night wasn't going to be everything he was after, but Sinbad knew how to be patient when he needed to be. There would be other opportunities. He could accept having Mori all to himself for evening -even if it was only dinner- for now.

((Happy New Year everyone. I hope you are all having a better time than me. I know I've been basically gone for the past few months. It's been one thing after another from: medical emergencies, financial emergencies, relapsing from a majorly triggering event, barely pulling myself back together enough to function only to get in a car accident on New Years Eve (no one got hurt but I do have to get my front bumper replaced -_-). Here's hoping that we all have quiet a 2022))

[legends-live-in-memories]

Business (Mis)Management

AYO you know the drill. MGI Trope Tussle! 

Fics Masterlist

Timari Oneshot 2.3K words

Summary: 

"Right before her, where her professor usually stood every Tuesday and Thursday, stood a surprise guest lecturer. One problem, though. Marinette hates the guy. She hates him and his stupid well-fitting suit that she dedicated actual blood sweat and tears into making. "

One shot using two prompts for this server event: Day 3:College AU Day 5: "Why'd you do that?" "I- I don't know..."

without further ado: 

It was Tuesday, bright and early at 9:30 am, and Marinette was ready to commit murder. She was sitting in her Intro to Business Management course with her cup of coffee and notepad ready and pencil about to snap in her grip. Right before her, where her professor usually stood every Tuesday and Thursday, stood a surprise guest lecturer. One problem, though. Marinette hates the guy. She hates him and his stupid well-fitting suit that she dedicated actual blood sweat and tears into making. 

Right there, on this awful Tuesday morning, stood one Timothy Jackson Drake Wayne looking all the world like he would rather be anywhere else; stupid rich people were all the same, thinking the world was doing them a favour by letting them grace everyone else with their presence. Marinette also wishes he was anywhere else but life doesn’t work that way. Her actual professor stood off to the side, waxing sonnets about how accomplished the young CEO was and Marinette listened to none of it. Rather, she was silently stewing in her thoughts, lost in how this man became the particularly large thorn in her side.

It was six months ago when she got an email asking for a commission. A commission for the exact three piece suit he was wearing today. He had gotten her contact from another client and his emailed request was perfect and professional. He had asked for the suit, listed all the required measurements and requested any personalizations he wanted. They couldn’t meet for any in-person fittings so it was currently both aggravating and satisfying to see it fit his lean figure so perfectly. The drama didn’t start, however, until two weeks after, when Marinette had sent the finished product to the designated address. While Marinette isn’t one for showboating and bragging about her capabilities, it grinds her teeth when others try to talk down on her skills. 

When Marinette had sent off the suit, and emailed the man that the package was to be expected within three business days, she got a rather crude email in response, labeling her work as ‘tacky’ and a ‘pathetic attempt at wiggling her way into his family’s pockets.’ That had her doubletaking at the sender, making sure it wasn’t some spam mail that she was reading. Nope, that’s his email right there. Marinette remembered a particular twitch she had in her eye the first time she read that email. It was one thing to be ungrateful of a finished product, Marinette was no stranger to harsh critiques and pieces that worked better on paper than as actualized designs, but the accusation of being a gold-digger set off warning bells that threw her back into the tenth grade where she had battles with a rich blonde with daddy issues. At least he had paid her in advance for the suit. Marinette would have been perfectly fine with silently cutting all ties with Mr. Wayne right then and there, and putting the whole ordeal behind her, until he decided that a crassly worded email wasn’t enough. No. He felt compelled to go on national television and insult her suit for everyone to hear. Marinette remembers his words perfectly, as if they were ingrained in her memory forever.

“You’ve seen the suits I’ve worn, I look like I escaped my own funeral. I’ve tried local, and outsourcing designers and tailors and nothing matches my taste. I’m only twenty-three and I dress like I’ve gone through my third divorce—”Marinette had turned off the television to shamelessly cry into her pillow. She couldn’t bear to hear him insult her design over the poorly timed laughs of the ‘live-studio audience’ that particular interview was filmed in front of. 

After that, Marinette had reaffirmed her conclusion that all rich people were assholes best left to their own privileged bubble. 

A solid clap snapped her attention back to the front of the lecture hall, eyes narrowing at the man by the podium. The presentation pulled up on the smart board indicated that he was going to be speaking to them about professionalism and how to engage in buyer-seller conversations. Oh that was bloody perfect. What did this guy know about any of those things? 

The time was 9:45 exactly when the guy decided to start his presentation. 

“Hello, everyone,” his voice was smooth and firm, not wavering while speaking before a hall filled with two hundred students. “My name is Timothy Drake-Wayne but you all can just call me Tim. It’s lovely to meet all of you and I’m honoured to be here speaking for you today.” 

Cue a very predictable, very standard, very boring introduction. Marinette was beginning to tune out at this point.

“To start off this presentation, I would like to talk about misunderstandings in professional conversations.” He started walking across the front of the room. Slow and methodical; he knew he had all eyes on him and he was taking full advantage of it. Marinette wanted to gag. “Additionally, I want to discuss how to avoid them, and what to do if miscommunication occurs.”

Blah, blah blahblah. Marinette didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him.

“To start off, I’m going to talk about a situation I found myself in not too long ago.” That caught her attention. “It’s funny now and makes for great dinner conversation but not so much when it had happened. How many of you siblings?”

He paused and surveyed the room. His eyes passed over Marinette and for a brief second she thought he focused on her for a blink longer than necessary. She banished the thought from her mind; she didn’t have siblings so he had no reason to notice her.  

“Now,” he continued, “how many of you have siblings who aren’t afraid to sabotage your work when they’re mad at you?” 

Another pause as some of the students lowered their hands. Some were unsure and Marinette had a weird feeling in her gut. Her instincts were screaming at her but she couldn’t figure out why.

“Don’t feel shy,” the guy raised his hand to join the students, “my younger brother is a menace who can and has attempted to sabotage my business. Just recently in fact.”

Marinette looked around the room to see quite a few surprised faces. She was vaguely familiar with the Wayne family and remembered a few details about the youngest child. He was a menace, that’s for sure. As egotistical as any thirteen year old can be. That feeling in her gut returned with vigor. She was suddenly very alert and eager, almost desperate, to figure out how the ankle biter had sabotaged this man.

“About six months ago my brothers and I were butting heads as usual. My sister was enjoying everything while shit hit the fan from a safe distance. I’m not going to go into much details.” He’s arms were waving animatedly as he spoke. It was quite endearing. NO. Bad thoughts, Marinette. “The point of all this is that I pissed my younger brother off somehow. I don’t know, maybe I breathed too hard on his cat or something.” That got a laugh out of the students except Marinette. Six months. He said his brother had sabotaged him around six months ago. That gut feeling had turned her stomach into a pit, eating away at her nerves.

“My brother had hacked into my email and sent absolutely horrible replies to everyone that was marked as important in my contacts in a poor attempt at pretending to be me. Of course, most of those contacts work at Wayne Enterprises. It took a courtesy email explaining the mishap and a personal visit with an apology gift to clear the air. Now for the contacts who don’t work at Wayne E, that’s where it gets tricky.”

Marinette was holding her breath, wishing for this day to already be over and for the ground to open and swallow her whole. She both hoped she was and wasn’t wrong. On the one hand, it meant that he was truly that harsh in replying to her and she wasn’t among the contacts his brother emailed, justifying her slowly dwindling fury. On the other more plausible hand, it meant that he wasn’t responsible for the crude email. It still didn’t explain the interview he did but…but she never did watch the entire thing. She had started watching the interview already expecting him to tear her down. He never referenced her suit by any specifics before she had changed the channel. That probably meant that she had poorly misjudged him. But she would have been contacted in some way if she was among those people and she hadn’t. So he was still an ass to her. Right? 

“For those who I couldn’t visit in person,” Oh god, he was still speaking. “I sent them more personal emails compared to what I sent the employees. That was really the most I could do and I hoped for the best. I got a reply from most; they were rather understanding, actually, some even claiming that their own siblings would do something like that. It went over pretty well.” He suddenly had this forlorn look as he rubbed his hands absentmindedly against the suit. 

“While I was lucky that most of my contacts were understanding, one important thing to be prepared for is people who won’t be that forgiving. Do you see this suit I’m wearing? I love this suit. I will absolutely get buried in this suit. I had commissioned and received it just before the email fiasco and I, regrettably, never got a response when I tried to both thank and apologize to them. My brother had used my email to accuse them of being a gold-digger of all things. I would have loved to commission them again but it looks like my brother burned that bridge permanently.”

What? No. That’s not true and Marinette felt hot rage flare up in her. Was he really lying to try and save face right now? She felt the strong urge to interrupt him. To march down those steps and let him know exactly how she felt about him lying about emailing her to apologize. But, a treacherous hopeful part of herself whispered to her, she had to be sure. She had to have irrefutable proof that she wasn’t one of the victims to his rabid brother and he was just an ass. 

She couldn’t get to her phone fast enough. She searched for all the emails the two had exchanged, finding the most recent to be his harsh email. She had another niggling feeling, however, and decided to check her spam mail. 

Marinette has most definitely stopped breathing. 

Right there, in bold letters sat a Wayne Enterprises email waiting to be opened and read. She couldn’t bring herself to click it open, ice flooding her veins, freezing her in her seat. She actually misread the situation. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to bash her head on the table and grovel for forgiveness from this very handsome man. She didn’t do any of this, however, managing some degree of composure and sat through the remainder of his presentation. She would bet her left leg it was the best presentation she would have ever heard but she couldn’t recall a single word of it from that point on; too busy digging her own grave and writing her own eulogy. She could never show her face around Gotham again. Her life was ruined.

The sounds of people packing up had her crawling herself out of her own head. She mechanically packed her things up, gazing pathetically at her blank notebook. She made her way down the steps, eyeing the gaggle of students surrounding Marinette’s biggest missed opportunity to date. She was just about to walk straight out the door, resigning herself to her fate when she made a hasty decision. She turned to the dwindling crowd and marched like a woman on a mission. She wormed her away to stand directly in Tim’s line of sight and she braced herself for possibly her dumbest idea yet. She listened to the conversation going on and as soon as it appeared she was not going to interrupt anyone, she shot her hand out and grabbed him by his suit. The act caught everyone’s attention but before she could chicken out, she turned to leave and pulled the businessman along with her, leaving stunned silence behind. 

They didn’t get far out the door when he yanked her arm off him, stopping them in their tracks. He looked angry, confused but also very put out at her. Fair. 

“Why’d you do that?” 

“I— I don’t know.” His glare was intense. Marinette felt her face flush and her knees weaken. She wanted to make things right but it seemed she was only making things worse. She took a breath. Focus, she reminded herself. She just needed to address one problem at a time. “I mean, I do know why but I wasn’t supposed to do it like that. I just needed your attention.”

“Well now you have it. So what do you want?”

“I wanted to apologize. Not about dragging you out here. Yet. But for accidentally ignoring your apology email.” One of his eyebrows rose incredulously as she kept talking, but she ignored it and powered on. “It was, for some reason, in my spam mail and I didn’t see it. But if it’s any consolation, I would love it if you commissioned me for another suit. Or anything else really.” 

“Pardon?” He didn’t believe her, or was at least confused by her, that much she could tell.

“You suit. I made it. Here, look.” She turned her phone screen, showing him their conversations in her emails. At his slightly more relaxed posture she continued speaking. “I’m glad you like the suit.”

“Huh.”

“Also I’m sorry for dragging you out here.” She had curled her shoulders into her ears, still holding her phone out like an idiot. His chuckle in response eased her nerves only slightly. He had a cute laugh. And he was cute too. Bad thoughts! Stop getting distracted!

“Okay, I’ll accept your apology if you accept mine.” The carefree smile he threw at her was disarming. “And I would love to talk more about working with you, Ms. Cheng.”

“Marinette, please, Mr. Wayne.” She could breathe easier now, no longer on the verge of catastrophizing. “If you want to get started as early as possible, I’m free for an early lunch right now.”

“Only if you call me Tim. And lunch sounds great actually. I know a great bistro off campus if you will let me escort you.” He really needed to stop smiling at her like that. Her heart couldn’t take it.

“Sounds wonderful. Lead the way.” He turned and offered her his arm. She was slow to move, still faintly caught in the emotional whiplash of the morning. Her gentle grip on his bicep was enough for her to feel the muscle definition under the suit. It pleasantly surprised her but not nearly as much as his next words.

“Perfect. It’s a date.”

What?

[zephyr-mew]

twitter: @ZyxousMew

fandoms I'm currently love very much

✨Yakuza (mainly Infinite Wealth)✨ ❤️Ichiban❤️ 🩶Kiryu🩶 💛Zhao💛 🖤 Masato🖤 (!!untagged spoilers will be happening!!)

I have SO MANY FEELINGS-- • kiryuichi when • polycule when • dub defender, hearing people actually speak like local boys is wild (it actually feels like here!! ;w;) dub obispo my beloved

fave boys: (I've got love in my heart for most of the boys tbh)

ichi • kiryu • masato • zhao • daigo • ryoma • majima • akiyama • nishiki • yamai • tomi • adachi • shinada • kaito •

fave ships: (I ship most things ngl, this is by no means an exhaustive list)

kiryuichi • masadai • kiryuichitomi • kiryuichizhao • tomiyamai • nishikiryu • masaichi • ichizhaohan • minedai • kirinan • ebisawa • yamaichi • shinakitani • shinadai •

honestly anything yakuza has consumed my soul, so that's uh,, kinda it right now lmao

×

faves of yore

📺 RTVS + Friends 📺

love all of them so much 💜

🌌 Arcana 💚Muriel💚❤️Julian❤️💜Asra💜

mash these boys together in every which way and I'll die happy 💜 also lucio/valerius fucks. unfortunately a simp for devil lucio

Jerma

jerma

Stanley Parable

ultra deluxe reignited my love for this :3 check out the demo, it's a completely separate thing from the main game + absolutely worth playing

Homestar Runner

a formative childhood experience + permanent vocabulary alterer

Jak and Daxter

Jak ✔️ Erol ✔️ Torn ✔️

Hotel Dusk + Last Window

thinkin bout Hyde... and Jeff... and Charles... and Louis... and Tony...

Dan Vs

official episodes are all free on youtube 👀 all my love for this fucked up little dude

Subeta

honestly the best avatar and pet site I've ever seen, hmu @ LyricZephyr for buddy gold account gifts :3 please they're just sitting there uselessly otherwise

Ace Attorney

Apollo best boy ❤️ haven't played anything past 5 tbh, they did my boy dirty and I needed a long break from the fandom

OFMD

izzy meow meow - particularly fond of steddyhands and rizzy

Hotline Miami

×

other things that I have liked at some point under the cut

A Way Out

acab ✌️

Animal Crossing

Kicks is bae, he's the only one who didn't make a Big Fucking Deal of me trying on femme stuff as a guy back in New Leaf

Be My Princess

Roberto my love my life ❤️

Beginner's Guide

Bugsnax

these bitches gay, your honor

Cause of Death

iOS game that shut down in like 2010 ;_; I miss Mal. and Kai. Fun fact, I shipped Mal with Hyde from Hotel Dusk - mainly bc they're both detectives lol. nevermind the fact that they're in different time periods

Créme de la Créme

from Choice Of games - literally writing up a whole rec post for this, there's so many queer options it's great

Dem Salty Bois + Friends

Pat 💜 Wade 🐔 Gar 🐺 JP 🍍 special guest BreadHeroDan 🍞

Dragon Age Origins + 2 + Inquisition

tbh I haven't personally played much, but I watched a lot of my sibling's playthroughs. I've got a soft spot for a lot of these guys. god I wish I didn't have to draw/commission stuff myself to see more of my inquisitor/warden/hawke

Dream Daddy

Damien especially 💜

Fire Emblem Awakening + Fates

admittedly weak for takumi. and a lot of the boys tbh. maaaybe someday I'll play 3H

Gabriel Knight 3

why this. damn my weakness for shitty 90s games and a sassy bitch boy with chaotic bi vibes

Journey

Legend of Dragoon

The Longing

the scronkly bab ;w;

Markiplier

look

Metal Gear Solid 1-3

I haven't played myself, but I grew up watching my sibling play these a lot. Ocelot's stupid hand guns gesture and Raiden slipping on bird shit are forever burned into my brain.

Motorcity

lost before its time

My Little Pony

Braeburn 💛

Osomatsu-san

def a Karamatsu boy 💙

Oxboxtra

Persona 3/4/5/Q

tbh I've only fully finished 3s male mc route and q, the rest I've roughly half finished? I'm aware of 4s major spoiler, somehow never seen 5s I think - but honestly, I don't care about spoilers for this fandom. yusuke best boy

Portal

Professor Layton 1-6

Punch-Out Wii + Super

I don't know why I love these characters as much as I do, but hey

Return of the Obra Dinn

Sam & Max

alas I am not immune to Jergen the goth german vampire and his fucking doorknocker-ass nipple piercings

Sims 2 DS

I like Sims in general, but this particular weirdass game had a stranglehold on me for a hot minute

Smosh

Sorted Food

Stumpt

Tales Runner

Rough... Kai... Ocean... Maki... I forget what they changed their names to in the newest server, they're dumb and I'm not using them

TF2

trucks 👏 n 👏 vans // hmu for my decade-old playlist of sfms and music~

Wild Kratts

stg Chris looks like Apollo Justice, Martin looks like Chris Dan Vs, Zach looks like Dan Dan Vs... what is up with this

Witcher

I'm gay

Wolf Among Us

I just,, really like Bigby okay

~

for any youtube types, hmu for my most likely absurdly long playlists of them ✌️

[mithrilhearts]

I wanted to do my own year in review as I just started posting fanfic this year (I can't believe I only started doing this in JUNE!!), and I am looking forward to what I have planned for 2022 already. I feel like we all need a little moment to celebrate our successes and accomplishments, so here’s mine under the cut!

Fandom(s) written for: The Hobbit Number of works: 8 so far! Many more to come. Word count: 241178 Hits: 22536 Kudos: 1187

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted?

Way more considering this was the year I decided to try my hand at posting fanfiction. I’m pretty savvy on writing, I’ve been doing roleplay writing since I was about 13 years old, and now nearing 28, I wanted to try something that I could do on my own. I’m super amazed at what I’ve accomplished this year, as well as how receptive people have been. I hope 2022 proves to be even more successful than 2021!

Did you take any writing risks this year?

I think writing as a whole has been a risk for me this year, something I didn’t imagine myself doing for the public eye, I guess? Does that count? I’ve also expanded on my comfort zone when it comes with different situations to write, and even dabbled in a few new characters! And don’t even get me started on how many WIPs I have...

Do you have any fanfic or general writing goals for the new year?

I’d like to finish a big fic project, which I know is very reasonable considering the state of at least one of my stories currently. I wouldn’t mind expanding on more characters, and hopefully getting to start all of these wonderful projects I have in mind!

There is always room for improvement, and I think it goes without saying that I’d like to improve as a writer in any way possible, whether it’s by grammar, expanding my vocabulary, and anything else that could use some fine tuning.

From the past year of writing, what was your...

Longest story: May Your Forge Burn Bright (59065 words)

Shortest story: Acorntober has a variety of shorter one shots within!

Best story of this year: May Your Forge Burn Bright (myfbb), it’s the original razzle long-fic, and I can’t wait to continue this in 2022!

Most popular story of this year (by kudos): MYFBB (369 Kudos)

Personal favorite: Dragonhearted, there’s just something about mashing my two favorite tales together into one epic tale that has won my heart. It’s also seemed to spark a lot of love from the fandom which I adore.

Most fun to write: Where The Shadows Lie, it’s cracky, it’s humorous, and it’s got a great story to it once we get rolling some more. It helps sate my need for WWDITS loooool

Most challenging to write: Meet Me Beneath The Mistletoe (Barduil), it was both a Christmas gift as well as a new ship to write for that was the focus. I’m proud of how it turned out though!

Fic I’m proudest of writing: I’m rather proud of all of my fics thus far. There are a few bits and pieces that I wish would have come out better, but that doesn’t mean I hate them by any means. I think everything I’ve accomplished in my first HALF A YEAR of posting fanfic is something to be proud of.

Story with single sweetest moment? This is a very tough one, so I'm going to break it down with my favorite most memorable moments.

May Your Forge Burn Bright (Chapter 7) - This scene was everything to me, and I had the pleasure of commissioning @/stardryad to paint the scene in question! Thorin and Bilbo on a hillside enjoying the northern lights and some fireflies? It was (if I may be so bold to say) PEAK ROMANCE, until it was interrupted by a raven.

May Your Forge Burn Bright (Chapter 9) - The moment we all were waiting for! For these two dumbs to finally put their feelings into words. It felt kinda cliche writing it, what with one saving the other, a rainstorm, but it was so insanely sweet - even if it ended up with a few sniffles of the sick kind afterwards.

Dragonhearted (Chapter 10) - THE DANCE. Need I say more? I've taken the liberty of doing my own take on the BATB story, and presenting feelings right here, even if they aren't put into crystal clear words, it felt appropriate and the softness between the two is still something I am proud of.

Acorntober - There were a slew of soft one shots in here, from nose appreciation and boops to a canon compliant reunion in the afterlife. Honestly, it's hard to pick one piece out of here as being softer than the rest.

Least popular fic: Not counting those I just posted for the Happy Hobbit Holiday exchange and my Barduil gift for Monica, my least popular fic at this moment is Bookbinder//Songwriter, which I hope to turn around! I know Modern!AUs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m enjoying it, so that’s what matters.

What can we expect next year?

Requests opening up!

More follower events!

More participation in community events! (I hope)

More stories!

And speaking of more stories...how about a look at what I have planned? 👀 Titles, summaries, anything about these lil peeks below are subject to change in just about any/every way!

Kurdu 'abadaz - I've posted a small sneak peek of this one already, but it will officially be posted in early 2022! The Heart of the Mountain, the Arkenstone, is also the heart of he who wields it - the King Under the Mountain. When Bilbo places the stone upon Thorin's corpse in preparation for a funeral, the stone has another plan in store for Thorin Oakenshield. The Arkenstone breathes life back into the rightful king, reducing the stone to nothing more than a black husk as dead as Thorin's corpse once was. With new life and new questions comes new obstacles to overcome. It can never be too simple, after all. It's enough to make Bilbo stay, words left unspoken and feelings far too strong to ignore. While trying to keep peace between dwarves, men and elves, Bilbo has to also learn to cope with Thorin's new struggles, as well as his own. Granted, he's over the moon that the dwarf he loves is alive, but at what cost? Nothing good ever comes for free.

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder - The Battle of the Five Armies was won, many lives were lost, and nearly the life of the mountain king. By some miracle, Thorin managed to pull through much to everyone (especially Bilbo's) delight, but duty back in the Shire called Bilbo home. A king and burglar were left with many things unspoken, and now distance between them all thanks to a near fatal wound and an obligation to a kingdom. Thorin has since healed from his wounds, helped reshape Erebor, and now a quest to revisit those rolling green hills has finally come. It was said that Bilbo would have no shortage of visitors, but he probably wasn't expecting the King of Erebor himself to be paying a visit. Too much time and too must distance caused those unspoken feelings to grow and agitate, and now both of them have to face it all over again.

Unnamed "Timeloop" Fic - Thorin, Son of Thrain, Son of Thror, is a young princeling learning the ropes of what it is to be a royal figure destined for the throne. While that day is many years off, the prince is already feeling the heat from stress and expectations alike. Something in him snaps, and desperately the dwarf prince wishes himself somewhere else - or to be anyone else. It's a sight that Mahal does not wish to witness from any of his creations, and while interfering in the lives of those he creates in such a blunt and less mysterious manner, the great smith is determined to show Thorin just how important he is, not just now, but for the future ahead. Thus sending the dwarf on a quest through time to bear witness to his deeds and the good he does for his people. But one accidental stop in the Shire sticks with Thorin to this day. A stop that resulted in seeing just how carefree and fun life can be, and just what it means when people say that the 'Tooks' are nothing but full of adventure and trouble.

Unnamed "Soulstone" Fic - What if Bilbo Baggins had never stolen the Arkenstone? But instead returned it to the king in hopes of soothing some frayed nerves and trying to put an end to agitation between men, dwarves and elves? What if Dragon Sickness is left to fester and seize control of a once honorable dwarf for the sake of a soul? The Arkenstone is the sole cause of Thorin's sickness. An evil thing it is, feeding off of the soul of he who wields it until there is nothing left but a greedy and unfeeling husk of a dwarf. The change isn't immediate, but gradual, and those within the mountain and under Thorin's rule can feel his thumb pressing down upon them as time goes on. There is no true peace on this side of the Misty Mountains, and Bilbo is determined to save this dwarf, one last time, even if it's the last thing he does.

And many more ideas to come...

Be sure to let me know what story(ies) you're most excited for!! I can't wait to see what 2022 brings, and I am grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you so much for your support and I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday! Be sure to send me an ask/dm if you want to join my tag list! Here are a few reminder links for you guys!! Twitter 💜 Instagram 💜 AO3 💜 Ko-Fi 💜 Masterlist

[the-laridian]

Laridian's 2021 Year in Art

I got a lot of stuff done in a lot of different media, and it was hard to narrow down everything. Also some months were way more productive than others. I've chosen the below to give the biggest variety of stuff I've made.

January: Nine-Patch Blues Ninepatches within ninepatches! I love how this came out.

February: Becket & Willow, pencil art. Beckett and Willow dancing, for The Seventy-Sixer Chapter 8, Buttons and Bows, still a fave story of mine :)

March: Cats in Space! lol. Simple patchwork wall hanging, gifted to @thisisrigged4

April: *Finally* getting the pink/purple quilt finished so I could give it to its intended recipient. Also notable for being the quilt where I tried the longarm machine myself and decided nope, not for me, I'll pay someone else to do that part.

May: My Benny plush! I later made another one on commission for @mustinvestigate and it only took him like 6 months and 3 transatlantic trips to get there, lol.

June: the 2nd mermaid wall hanging I made. This one was on commission. Still v v happy with how it turned out.

July: my Outer Worlds OSI bowl. The sides are in dark blue with "star" speckles and the OSI symbol in yellow. V happy with this one too. Currently holds candies.

August: This was drawn in July but not posted until August, so I'm counting it, because August had a lot of other stuff going on and I didn't get much crafty stuff done. Benny and Gunnar for a Gun for Barns AU.

September: Handmade postcards. I like making these and they're a good way to use up leftover fabric. Yes, they can go through the mail. Yes, really. I've sent them for years now.

October: the third Outer Worlds art journal I've made to date! This one was a birthday gift for @gayfanboyfred and included a catseye-style jewel on the cover and the usual scrapbooky customized stuff on the inside :D

And a reblog to pick up the last 2...

[lucisprettyboy]

I'd give you the world

Word count: 2.8k

Type: Fluff

Summary: It's Mina's birthday, and you decide to go big or go home.

(Y/H/N) = Your hero name

Pairing: Mina Ashido x GN!Reader

The dorms were silent at 5 in the morning, but that made it the perfect time for you to sneak out and run to the mall. It was always quiet this early, but since it was summer, no one wanted to get up. Except you, since you had a big surprise project to work on. Today was Mina's 18th birthday, and you wanted it to be perfect. You two had been friends since you were first years, and you quickly started falling for Ashido. She was perfect in every way, so today would be the day you finally asked her out.

As you entered the mall, you saw the perfect gift for Mina in Shimokura Instruments; a neon green bass, with a pink strap. You quickly asked the store clerk the price, and upon hearing the price, you cringed a bit. 280,000 yen was a lot to pay, but for Ashi, it was worth her bright smile. You exited the store while asking the clerk to put it on hold for you. You had to go pay a visit to her favorite store first. As you stepped into UNIQLO, you noticed that these clothes were all designer, and you wouldn't be able to afford the clothes and the bass. Dreading what you had to do, you grabbed your phone, and called Katsuki to ask him for a favor.

"Hah?! What do you want, extra?! It's too early to deal with your bullshit!!" As Katsuki yelled through the speaker, you slowly turned the volume down a bit, since people were staring.

"Hey, uh, Kat, could you do me a teeny tiny favor? I need help affording my present for Min- Ashido. Please Kat?? I wouldn't ask if I could do it myself." You whispered quickly into the phone, hoping Mina was still asleep next to denki, sero and kiri.

"Really, extra?! That's what you need?! Can't this shit wait?!" Katsuki seemed to get more upset at the fact you only called him to get money. "No no, Kat, I'm not asking for money! I was hoping your mom could help me pick something she would like for a cheaper price?" "Tch, fine, but don't be mad when that old hag disappoints you! And don't call me Kat!" Katsuki seemed to calm down at that, or at least as calm as he could be. "Thank you, Kat! I owe you big time!" You heard him grumble on the other line and hang up. Now that you at least had that settled, you could go back to Shimokura Instruments. The clerk pulled the bass out of the display, telling you it was the last one they had. You quickly payed them 280,000 yen as they boxed the bass for you. Thanking them, you grabbed

The box, and started on your way back to the dorms. You realized that you would need to work a couple of odd hero jobs to make all that money back. Maybe the national hero association would have some commissions ready. Any commission that (Y/H/N) could get would work right now. As you got back to the dorms, you saw that ochako had sent you a text.

Floaty✨:(Y/N)-kun, Mina is looking for you. She said she wants to hang out with you, and she wants to know where you are.

(Y/N)🖤: Crap! Okay, but don't tell Mina where I went!

Floaty✨: I know, (Y/N)-kun.

As you entered the dorm, you saw that Mina was waiting for you in the common room. You still had her gift, so you quickly activated your invisibility quirk to get past her. "Hey, Ocha, I thought you said (Y/N) would be here?" Mina questioned as you snuck past. "Well did you check her room?" Ochako suggested as Mina started thinking. "Uh, no, I didn't, actually. But I will! Thanks, ocha." You had just finished putting Ashido's present in the closet when you heard a knock.

"Oh, hey, Ashido! Sorry I didn't see you earlier, I went for a morning spar." You tried to explain as smoothly as possible, to keep her from being suspicious. "Oh, that's cool, I was just wondering if you wanted to hang today! I figured, you know, since it was my- nevermind, it's cool." Mina looked defeated by hearing you call her by her last name, but before she could leave, you interrupted her exit. "I wouldn't miss your birthday for the world, Ashido! Besides, I have a mostly clear schedule. I do have plans for later though, so we can't hang too late." You told her, and you could see she brightened a bit at the fact you remembered her birthday. "Alright! Where do you wanna take me first? We can go anywhere you want." Mina started talking quickly about what you two should do while you were hanging. "Huh, uh, I dunno, it's your birthday, why are you asking me?" You hinted to her hoping she wouldn't put that responsibility onto you. "Well, you could always just take me on a dinner date, babes." She joked, not expecting your answer to be so straight forward. "Sure, let me just go steal mineta's lunch money, and then we'll be set." You teased, but she could tell you were being serious about taking her out.

(Y/N)🖤: Hey ocha, can you do me a favor?

Floaty✨: Sure (Y/N)-kun, what's up?

(Y/N)🖤: Can you get everybody into the dorms at like 6:30-7:30? I wanna surprise Ashi. Also, tell bakugo to pick up the cake. He'll know what store.

Floaty✨: Can do, (Y/N)-kun. You really like her, don't you?

(Y/N)🖤: She's perfect, ocha, of course.

You tucked your phone back into your pocket before Mina could see. Looking up, Mina looked like she was on her phone, not even seeing you. "Uh, ahem, Ashi, we uh, gotta get going, I just made reservations for the expensive restaurant downtown." You admitted to her, knowing that would get her attention. "Really?! Wow, (Y/N), you didn't have to do that!" She gasped out in excitement, and she noticed your reaction to her words was not taken lightly. "Ashido Mina, I definitely had to, because you're my- friend, and you deserve it. Now, get in my car, before I beat your ass!" You argued, trying to make her understand how much this meant to you. "Oh jeez, ok

(Y/N), don't hit me!" She teased as climbed into the passenger seat.

"You can pick the music this time, my treat." You told her, seeing how nervous she was. "Oh, cool, thanks." She nervously responded, you never let her touch your dashboard, so she didn't know if she actually should. "Ah, I forgot to mention, since this place is expensive, it's to be expected that they have a dress code. So, before we get there, we'll be making a pit stop at the mall to go to UNIQLO. They have celebrity status dresses and suits there." You told her as she finally picked a song. 'I'll be your girlfriend' by girl in blue. Mina has great taste. "No, we can't, they cost way too much! I can't let you!" She exclaimed knowing you were going to fight her on this. "Nope, it's not up for discussion. Today is YOUR birthday, so I'm going to spoil you to my hearts content." You argued, and upon hearing this she gave up. "Why? You know I don't like it when you overspend on this stuff!" She groaned, hoping you would at least find a cheaper store. "Because, I know you love being spoiled. So, leave it. I'm doing this. You don't have to pay me back either." You calmly explained to her. She went silent after that, so you figured you had gotten through to her.

"Alright, we're here! All of it is on me, so pick whatever you want." You assured her as you stepped into the store. She squealed in delight upon seeing all the options she had. You had picked your outfit before hand, going with a (F/C) pantsuit with a matching skirt. After going through the entire store, she finally settled on an outfit. An elegant burgundy prom dress with black lace sleeves; it looked so beautiful on her you had to buy it for her. It was like it was made for her. "Wow, Ashi, that dress looks amazing. Cmon, let's go pay for it, and get to dinner. Our reservation is at 5:30." You insisted as she put the dress back on the hook and handed it to you. You placed it onto the counter,and as the clerk rang it up, they informed you that the dress would be 15000 yen. You could see Mina pouting as you handed them the money. You asked the clerk if you two could also change here, since you bought your outfits here. They said it was fine, so you and Mina headed into the dressing rooms. You finished pulling on your (F/C) pantsuit and headed to the stall next to you to wait for your 'date'. As you finished adjusting your skirt, Mina had come out of the dressing room ready to go.

You checked the time as you jumped back into the car. It was only 5:15, so you still had time to get downtown. As you two headed downtown, Mina had begun to mess with the radio. She seemed disappointed with the choices. "Hey,

(Y/N), can I plug my phone up to the radio? All these channels suck." She groaned, trying to find anything half decent to play. "Hey, you don't have to even ask. You're picking everything today." You reminded her as she plugged her phone in. She nodded and started to scroll for a while before she found something she liked. Then, 'Jenny' by Studio Bringers came on. Was she trying to tell you something? You couldn't really tell, you just assumed that she liked the song. By the time the song had ended, you'd already pulled up to Charité et de Spectacle. When you two had entered the restaurant, Mina seemed to freeze. She had never been somewhere like this, so she didn't want your money to be wasted on someone like her. The man at the reception seemed to expect you two.

"Dinner for two, sir. That's under

(Y/H/N)." You reminded him, understanding that he recognized you. "Ah, we have the (#) hero in the establishment tonight. Well, right this way." He announced as he made his way to the balcony. "The special seats you reserved are right here." He continued as he pulled out Mina's chair for her. "Thank you, sir!" Mina grinned as he bowed. Right when he walked away, another waiter came to take your orders. "Okay, so I'll have the Coq Au Vin, and a spiked lemon berry tea." Mina decided as she put the menu down. "I'll the same meal as the beautiful lady, and a spiked matcha lemonade." You agreed while you handed the menu the the waiter. "Right away, heros." The waiter replied as they walked away.

"So, you think I'm beautiful, (Y/N)?" Mina teased, trying to fill the silence where the waiter had been. "Oh yes, very much so. I was actually hoping to ask you something while we where having this dinner." You replied, seeing her flush a bit at your response. "Really? What is it?" She mused, wondering what you would ask.

"Well, I was wondering how you felt about having relations as a pro hero." You hinted,trying to say it without really giving anything away. "Wait, what do you mean?" She remarked, not understanding what you were trying to say. "Well, I wanted to know if you would be open to having any relationships while doing hero work." You emphasized, hoping she wouldn't be upset about what you were asking. "I would be fine with having a relationship while I do hero work. It may get complicated for them, but it could work. Why?" She concluded, still not fully grasping the question. "Well, I was just wondering for my own personal sake." You responded, seeing her finally grasp what you were trying to do. "Are you- are you saying what I think you are?" She gasped, tears welling up in her eyes. "Well, if you're asking if I want you to be my girlfriend, then, yes, I am." You confessed, seeing her start to cry. "I would love to! I've loved you for so long..." She cried, trying to not ruin the dinner date by crying. "Oh love, don't cry, come here." You insisted. You've never seen her cry like this before, so you finally understand how much you truly meant to her. You came over to her to give her a hug as she sobbed, you obviously meant everything to her. She cried in your arms while you just held her, knowing she was the happiest she'd ever been. "Well, Min, after we finished dinner, I have other plans. So, I'm gonna drop you off at the dorms, and go." You lied, seeing her face drop, but you could tell she wasn't mad at you. "Oh. Well, I guess that's fine." She muttered, feeling like you were leaving her way to quickly.

You two made a bit of small talk as you finished dinner, knowing mina was happy spending time with you, but that she was upset you would leave afterwards. You had told Mina to head to the car while you paid the bill, so she decided to go back to the car. As she got into the car, she saw you smiling and laughing while talking to the receptionist. 'I wonder, what are they talking about that's got her so happy?' She wondered while you headed back towards your car.

"Alright, well, back to the dorms. I'll walk you in before I leave." You mentioned once more, as you pulled up to the dorms. "Also, ochako said that everyone went to bed early, so we have to be queit." You told her, trying to lie to make her not suspect anything. "Huh, that's weird, but if that's what she said." She assured herself, hoping that it wasn't anything weird.

When you entered it was dark, but that would make sense if everyone was asleep. She heard everyone shout "Surprise!" as the lights flicked on, and mina saw that all her classmates were here, even bakugo. "Happy birthday, baby!" You told her, seeing how happy she was that you stayed. "What- I thought- how did you guys- did you guys do this for me?" She cried. 'They did this for me? That's so sweet.' "We sure did, and I believe (Y/N) has something to give you after your cake!" Ochako explained to her as she put the cake on the table. "Make a wish, Min-min!" You added while you topped the cake with the candles.

She couldn't believe it. Her friends really loved her this much? And her girlfriend did too? As ashido blew out the candles, she made the best wish she'd ever thought of. "What did you wish for min-min?" You asked as you cut her a slice of the cake. "Well baby, I wished to marry you someday. But don't tell Y/N I said that~!" She winked, and you felt like you could cry.

You led her to your room to give her her last gift, and she sat on your bed as you went to reach into your closet, but before you could get her present, she pulled you close with a question on her tongue.

"So who came up with the idea of a surprise party for me baby? It was amazing." She wondered, and you could only feel so much pride in your heart as you answered. "I...did. I came up with everything; the dinner, the shopping, and I even got Katsuki to get the cake."

She looked so beautiful with everything you bought her tonight, you would never forget the look in her eyes as you spent the night together.

You let go of her hand as you went back towards the closet. "I have one more thing to give you tonight. I had to save up for it, but even that wasn't enough. So, I borrowed a few thousand yen for katsuki." You started as you pulled the box from the back of you closet. As you handed mina the box,she froze, having an idea what was inside. "Y-Y/N...you didn't..." Mina started to cry as she pulled the guitar out of the box. "I've been wanting this since I was little! How did you- I have to pay you back!" She blurted. "No, you won't. I did it for you." You denied, knowing if you didn't stand you ground she would fight you on it.

"Wow, I can't believe you went all out just for me! You really didn't have to. And how come bakugo only lets you call him katsuki?" She pouted at your statement. "I really did have to baby, you mean everything to me. I would give you the world if I could. And maybe someday, I will." You promised her with her heart at your fingertips. She really did make you feel invincible.

[keefwho]

December 18 - 2022

10:07 AM

Right now I feel like cracking down and getting all the Christmas things done that I can. It’s unrealistic but I will use this feeling to be productive for a bit. It would be nice if this feeling stayed for awhile. 

11:38 AM

Im getting that feeling again, that I’m unwanted/unthought about. But there’s got to be a way to combat it. I think it’s a matter of defusing from these thoughts I’m having. They are made up in my head, not based on anything. In some way I’m using them so I can feel sorry for myself/farm sympathy from others because thats easy to do. In reality I know my friends care about me and don’t message because they are either busy or are like me and might be afraid of bothering me. It would be healthy if I could be alone and not feel lonely because I know people care about me even if we aren’t together. Bestie time will happen, just not at this moment. 

12:58 PM

IM STRESSING fuck. I have to force myself not to. Its the weekend so I should be chillin. Tomorrow is the time for commissions and other projects. I’ll do what I can with that time and hope for the best. The weekend is so I can give myself a real break and do things that will help me develop who I am as a person. 

Recap

Today was okay, the evening was nice. This morning I worked on a Christmas gift that I’m feeling slightly more confident about. I played some Citystate and at some point had to take it easy because my tummy was acting up a little bit. It was only about a 3/10 and a specific kind of upset that I knew would pass soon. In the afternoon I had some wonderful chill bestie time and completely finished BOTW. I’m really sad because that game was a sort of crutch for so long that I would bank on when I didn’t feel good. It was my cozy game for when my tummy hurt too bad or when I’d get sad/lonely. Now it’s over and I almost cried at the group picture at the end of the DLC. I started Earthbound today which I knew I’d enjoy, and I am. It’ll be a nice replacement chill game. It’s just mindless enough that I don’t have to be in the right headspace to play it and have fun. My tummy was weird this evening too but I refused to let it stop me from chilling. 

I HATE talking about my stomach so much. I fear that bringing it up as often as I do contributes to the problem. I think I should stay silent about smaller events to try and make them even more insignificant. The whole point about my growth is for my stomach to stop ruling my life. Part of that will be to stop talking about it eventually. I’ll try to only bring it up for notable events rather than the near daily “slightly upset.” 

Tomorrow I hope to feel good so I can crack down on all the things I need to do. Tonight I feel like I should have the energy and drive to do good work tomorrow. I never know until I actually get there though. Either way I’ll do my best. 

I started wondering why sometimes I have extreme but brief periods of depression like a couple days ago. Usually it’s only a day or two but I get pretty bad. My leading theory is that fundamentally I lack mental stability and sometimes it comes crashing down. I can imagine it like a kind of stamina bar. If I’m being slowly drained by things like my own negative thoughts or external factors like having a bad day in general, eventually I have to give in. I can almost feel this happening. A couple days ago up until the afternoon I felt like I was just holding out until things eased up or I crashed, and I ended up crashing after a few more things went wrong than I expected. The only way to avoid a crash would be to stop whatever is draining me at the root which is usually a deep and long term issue I need to work on. I don’t get giga sad often enough for this to be a problem to focus on though. Its just something I’m aware of. 

Today I had the idea of making a JRPG with one of those streamlined RPG makers. Realistically I doubt I have time for it and unless I keep feeling passionate about it, I’ll drop the idea. I’d love to use it to process and vent life events though, I think it could be extremely useful for that. It would be a way to show people including my friends the kinds of things I think and feel in an artistic way. Personally it would be helpful to try to reprocess and re-tell unpleasant events from my past. If it turns out to be easier than I expect then maybe this could be a long term project.